Witness, Self-Realization, Growth, Ascension

---

I believe that the greatest distinction between us as humans and those sentient beings of a lesser order, is the capacity for observing ourselves. This leads to self-realization and the opportunity for growth. What is it that observes? I call it the Witness — the witness within. But it is more than within; it is hovering overhead at the same time, and at all times. It is within and without. But “within and without” is the way things are anyway — and the way that we are, as well. Everything is holographic, each part within every other part, making the whole.

Back to the Witness

I believe we are descended from the All, the all-Mighty, and that the forces of creation descend gradually to and through descending planes of lesser and lesser force and vibration. Midway in the descent from Creator to the created, is the Soul. It is the Messenger of the Sprit, and the Deliverer of messages from our own selves to the On-High. From incarnation to incarnation the Soul transmits learned experience, and when the time is right, fashions a new body for yet new earth-learning.

Somehow this Soul, watching, transmitting, hovering, being involved — is also the Witness. At least, I think so. And it is a wondrous thing to behold, as we watch ourselves and in turn watch the Witness in operation. We watch the witness that watches the Witness, and so we see the Meta-witness, and the Meta-Meta-Witness, and on and on up as we realize the endless ladder that ascends to the infinite Height, the All-In-One.

So — here are some thoughts about self-realization, Witness, Growth and Ascension.

The Witness is the Seat of the Soul

Just as we are all descended from Light, through seven planes, just as the soul is the intermediate plane (fourth plane), just as the soul weaves for itself (like a spider its home) — the mental, astral and physical bodies, the soul hovers over the scene, always during life, and after life on earth. As it hovers, it witnesses, watches, learns and transmits. Where is the residence of the soul, the place in which it sits as it observes, watches, learns and transmits? It is within the Witness, the self-observing self. How do we ourselves enter into this Witness, the seat of the soul? We enter progressively, by mastering the physical body, by tolerating its needs, deciding what's to be satisfied and what let go — letting ourselves flow, letting ourselves “do” without thought of the body. What do we do as we enter the Witness? We manage the astral body, the seat of the emotions — observing the emotions, ruling them from the seat of the soul — not allowing ourselves to be washed away by passion, fear or anger — but measuring them all the while, deciding what to indulge and what to let go. In the same way, we witness and manage our thoughts, letting them direct us for the maintenance of life but directing them to the higher planes of the aesthetic: appreciation of fine music, of fine emotion, and fine dedication to the heart's love of Nature, of humanity, of all God's creations, and therefore of God — of God's creatures, of our all-in-oneness in this Cosmic, all-embracing joy and bliss and love of unity. All of this is directed from the seat of the soul, the Witness, the place from which we observe ourselves, the place from which we look deeply into others and into God's plan for the universe.

The Witness and Will, Force, Attention

I believe that the Witness is the High Consciousness, perhaps the highest consciousness, the Self, the “I,” the Atman. But it has parts. And so when I witness my meditation, and notice that I can change the focus of my mind, I am doing more than paying attention, I am changing attention by my will, by my intention and the exercise of intention.

As an example, I witnessed and knew that I was in another area, a completely mind area, and it was new territory. At first I felt strange, a little frightened, as if I would be abandoned, here alone forever in strange new world. But then I decided not to be frightened, that it was and is a part of a higher world into which I am entering, much like the after-death world that I can now know something about. And with that my feeling changed, and it changed by Will, by exercise of Force, by Intention, by a kind of change of Attention. Call this Lucid Meditation, for it is.

It is much like shining the beam of a light in various places. The light is the Attention which reveals, and in its own way makes alive, vivifies. The hand that holds the Light is the Force that changes things, and the Mind of the one who holds the Light is the Will, the Intention.

And so these are all parts of that high center called the Witness, or the “I” or the Self or the Atman. And all of these reside in the area of Peace, the Thought Mind, the High Mind. Though they reside there, they are not separate from the Self's smallness that operates down under in the material realm. They are constantly hovering overhead, arranging and receiving. It is a continuous transaction, a continuous feedback loop.

Witnessing Again

Much of my meditation today was along practical, earth-bound lines. But I noticed that I was able to witness all of this. As the Upanishads said, “One bird sat on a tree watching the other bird eat.” I, in my Witness, was watching myself in my physical body act and life.

Witnessing Childhood

I visited my childhood, beginning at the age of nine months. It was an unusual thing, for I could both experience being nine months and I knew I was watching myself. So, the Witness was watching, but the High Self was also participating in the return of life to that age of nine months. I was on my mother's shoulder and being carried. I always remembered this. And I remembered being two years old and in Mrs. Diamond's house, right between the pillars between the dining room and living room, with the ladies all around. I had dumped my bowels in my diaper, and I was very ashamed. I visited this too, not with much shame, just the memory of shame. And I was the witness of the kid, the little kid standing there. And I went on to speak to myself about the times when I was so close to my mother. I remembered, as an infant, the tab of skin upon her breast with which I used to play. And I was doing it again and watching it at the same time. And on and on. I was the bad boy who had to have his own way; I was in the trips on a trolley with Mom. I was there and I was watching. I saw the times in the latency years with my friend, Jerry, and late adolescence and on and on.

And so it seems that since I can return to those times and be them, living them, and also watch, that I am in the experience of the holographic network, being both there and being the Witness. Being able to divide and being simultaneously two in one. It is the experience of the higher planes and the higher self.

All throughout this meditation, I aspired to reach high, to be in the silence.

And her it is from a patient — well along in therapy. See the beauty and growth factor that inspires her as her Witness is in charge:

“Considering the many emotions that have circulated through me over the last two days, this afternoon it suddenly dawned on me that, in your treating me, I not only had to access what I was feeling now, but what I was feeling as a child. Somehow, until today I did not realize that I had to again become the child to delve into the feelings of the child, traveling back in time to relive my experience. Although I know it's the same me, it was as if trying to access another lifetime, another me, that I wanted to block out and forget about.

“I felt like I was brought up in an isolated world, in an isolated way. I did not have a sense of doing things or a sense of camaraderie with my siblings, or with friends. And when I would return home from school, my remembrance is of the maid being there to greet me. I can remember being excited to relate something which, indeed, I stuffed within to forget, for my enthusiasm had diminished to make it seem unimportant. So why bother? Apparently no one cared.

“It seemed to me that I was brought up in an ivory tower, alone. I lived on the right side of the tracks, attended the right school in another town, but felt alone and by myself throughout the experience of living. And it's only recently that I found out my sister, who was in a full body cast at home her senior year, felt the same as I, and felt her situation was even worse than mine. Yet I was not aware of her feelings. Only my alone-ness remains. My way of survival or way of being appreciated was to be the perfect little girl in dress and in manner. Speak only when spoken to, and if you can't say something nice, don't say it at all. I now believe that this perfection has discouraged me from doing things as a leader. Always fearing that the project would be criticized and not perfect.

“Because I thought that I was not thought about, I have become overly sensitive of how people think of me, and am overly considerate of other people's feelings and what other people need or want, almost annihilating my needs or wants. I was aware of this two days ago when I became so very cold in our air conditioned house, because my husband was more comfortable. I caught a cold. I could have thought of me and turned the temperature higher. As I looked into your eyes today, I realized that I was seeing the reflection of what I, inside, was feeling, and became teary eyed as I continued. It was as if you had become me, or had joined me in emotion. Previously, it seemed that you have been an open vessel or receptor for my expression.

“I remember realizing an Absolute Knowing that Love is the safety net that allows one to dare to emit fear, an emotion, or knowledge that one is afraid of. I thought that it was Love without, but guess that it is Love within that has to be known and acknowledged.”

Comment:

As we become aware of our self-observation, or our capacity to witness ourselves and ourselves witnessing transactions with others, we really ascend in personality. Why and how? As we cultivate this wonderful faculty, we must first have learned to withstand impulses, whether of hunger, or guilt about realization, or the body's claims such as of itching, things that would take us away from inner inspection. This cultivation is a growth of psychological muscle called inner discipline. And look, and see how much it puts us in charge, not only of the moment, but, as in the case of my patient above (who grew up wealthy and lonely), see how much it opened the door to a new life, new growth, a new relationship with herself and with the world.

Thus — self-observation, self-realization, witnessing — these are the growth factors.

Maurie D. Pressman, M.D.
200 Locust St.
Philadelphia, Pa. 19106
Tel: 215-922-0204
Fax: 215-922-3008
email: mauriedavid@earthlink.net
web: www.mauriepressman.com

---

Maurie D. Pressman, M.D. is the author of Enter the Supermind, Visions From the Soul and co-author (with Patricia Joudry) of Twin Souls: A Guide to Finding Your True Spiritual Partner. Dr. Pressman is Emeritus Chairman of Psychiatry at the Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Temple University Health Sciences Center. He is Medical Director at the Center for Psychiatric Wellness, clinics that operate in Philadelphia and Haddonfield, N.J. These clinics bridge traditional and spiritual psychotherapy. Dr. Pressman can be reached at 200 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106; telephone: 215/922-0204; fax: 215/922-3008; email: mauriedavid@earthlink.net; website: www.mauriepressman.com.

---