What is Consciousness? The Key to Experiencing Our True Nature with A. H. Almaas (Part 2)

Ep. 150 (Part 2 of 2) | In the third dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali brings us to a deeper understanding of individual consciousness, our true nature, in relation to pure consciousness. Once we come to know what consciousness is, he says, our spiritual experience truly begins. The conversation flows through many illuminating teachings: how true nature manifests itself in many ways—there is no one way, no final way; reality is only what we perceive it to be—there is no hard and fast reality “out there;” and the ego is not some sort of developmental mistake—it only becomes a problem if we become fixated on it. Psychology helps us see how the soul became the ego, Hameed explains, and psychodynamics reflect how our individual consciousness becomes imprinted by experience, the effects of which can be unraveled through spiritual inquiry. 

When asked how he is able to write so remarkably clearly and concisely, fine-cut like a diamond, Hameed explains that the teachings articulate themselves as he writes by becoming his direct experience in the moment. He is not channeling, nor is his individual self expressing an opinion, the teaching simply expresses itself by becoming his true nature. This conversation is inspiring on many levels as consciousness becomes more graspable and because, as Roger says, Hameed’s teaching is grounded in our being capable of realizing being. At the end, Hameed gives a beautifully resonant account of why we love freedom. Once again, Hameed’s profound teachings come as a transmission and are a joy to receive. Recorded August 8, 2024.

“Depth psychology helps us understand how our soul became our ego.”

(For Apple Podcast users, click here to view the complete show notes on the episode page.)

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 2

• How Hameed came to think that soul is the best word to describe a human being (00:45) 
• The soul is pure consciousness with an aliveness added to it; the soul is always learning (04:26)
• Knowing what consciousness is is the true opening to spirituality (05:52)
• Development of the ego is necessary for physical survival, it is not a mistake unless we become fixated upon it (07:32)
• Arrested development: bottled up consciousness experiences pressure, a sense of pain & suffering (11:49)
• The ancient concept of soul was replaced by the idea of a separate self (13:14)
• Unity, disunity, and beyond (14:37)
• Psychology helps us understand how our soul became our ego (15:41)
• Psychodynamics show us how early experience impacts current experience, and it is inquiry that helps us unravel the ego (18:26)
• Our consciousness is a living organism (22:25)
• Grasping the nature of our soul is not easy, because it’s holographic, dynamic—you can’t give it a form (24:46)
• There is a nondual unity—united in the medium of consciousness—but it is also holographic: each point contains all other points (27:29)
• The difference between the holographic Huayan Buddhist perspective and the Zen perspective, where individual uniqueness becomes important (30:11)
• Do different teachings lead to different experiences of freedom? (33:38)
• Freedom is a sacred right of each individual (36:21)

Resources & References – Part 2

• A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond Approach
• A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of Reality*
• William Blake, Auguries of Innocence, “To see a World in a grain of sand…”
• Huayan Buddhism

The A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series will generally follow the sequence of Hameed’s magnum opus, The Inner Journey Home* (which John describes as psychoactive and spiritually, psychologically, and intellectually transformative), so listeners may want to get a copy of this book, to study and follow along on this exhilarating path of awakening.

* As an Amazon Associate, Deep Transformation earns from qualifying purchases.

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A. Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general.

Hameed’s process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence, and more. 

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Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Heidi Mitchell