How to explore Your Self
Episode 10 - Practical Advice on Inner Work
Greetings,
No one noticed that the fire needs some wood. The wind howls and it’s cold. Stay close to the flames, but never too close. Otherwise they may scorch you.
I’ve talked a lot about very abstract things, so let’s return to something more practical. How does one actually begin to explore the Great Unconscious? Or rather, before all that, how does one begin to explore oneself?
Before you start talking to the Gods or start to explore the inner layers of Reality, it’s highly recommended you begin to get to know yourself. Actually, no matter what pathway you take in life, inner knowledge and work is not just recommended - it’s essential.
The True Gods
You may have noticed that most people are living life in a sort-of dream. Usually they’re described with the term ‘being asleep’, because they wander around the world driven by things they don’t really understand or even ‘see’. They have little to no relationship to the Invisible, and paradoxically say they believe only in ‘material/physical’ things. But that is also an illusion, because the things that drive them (ambition, greed, pleasure, safety, satisfaction, achievement, love, desire) are nothing less than completely invisible things.
This, as I’ve already explained before, is the pantheon of Gods. They are as ancient as we are, outside of time itself, invisible and all-powerful structures of energy that demand absolute worship and sacrifice. The shape of ‘worship and sacrifice’ changes in each age and with each generation, but the truth of it, if you look closely, remains the same.
The entire psychoanalytical school of inquiry would say that we’re all driven by our Unconscious. Jung would take it a step further and say that this ‘Unconscious’ that drives us is not just personal, but collective. And of course it is: because the patterns are the same.
Now this is really good news, actually!
If the patterns (also known as archetypes) are the same, then it means that the way to recognise and navigate them, are also the same. And this too, is well-known: that’s what, I think, the deeper interpretations of Scripture, philosophy and mysticism are for. That’s why they’re so unbelievably ancient and yet remain Always relevant.
What can You do?
While daunting, the task is achievable.
The most essential path to self-inquiry and knowledge is through a dialogue with yourself. And how can you do that? By keeping a diary.
Writing your own thoughts on paper may seem like a tedious waste of time to our modern minds hypnotised by digital spaces, but if you really want to wake up, you need to start somewhere. Writing takes practice and takes time. If you’re not used to it, it may seem slow. But this is on purpose.
The time it takes for you to stick together the various squiggles and shapes that create words is, simultaneously, the time it takes your mind to enforce Order into the chaotic swirling vortexes of thoughts and emotions. A cohesive sentence on paper is a Symbol of a cohesive thought. String together enough cohesive sentences and you get a narrative.
And a narrative is the most perfect and beautiful tool we have for making sense of life, ourselves and the world.
So get a diary (preferably physical, because you probably spend enough time in front of a screen already) and start writing.
Art Spotlight: Disciples Soundtrack
I wanted to bring to your attention an extremely obscure musical album. I guarantee you’ve NEVER heard of this before.
In 1999 Canadian developers Strategy First released a little-known game called ‘Disciples: Sacred Lands’ - this is a turn-based strategy dark fantasy RPG similar to ‘Heroes of Might and Magic’. It’s about four factions warring for dominance in a fantasy setting full of all sorts of familiar elements like dragons, undead, magic, etc.
While its sequel ‘Disciples II’ (2002) became a lot more popular (especially in Eastern Europe), these titles are still extremely obscure. I was familiar with this sequel since my teenage years but only recently I looked into the very first game and, especially, its soundtrack:
Composed by Sébastien Thifault, this little old OST actually blew my mind. It’s very atmospheric and has something so original to it. It sounds medieval, fantastical and also has that old feel to it, clearly taking us back to 1999. Interestingly, music has changed a lot since then and I’ve not heard vibes like these since.
I love discovering obscure stuff like this. It feels like it was left forgotten somewhere in the depths of the internet, like ancient artefacts.
What would YOU like to read from me?
Taking this forward, feel free to let me know what you would like to see from this publication or from me in general. I have opened up a Chat section HERE. Let me know if you have any questions on topics such as Myth, Spirituality, Self-improvement or, especially, if there are any particular topics you’d like to read from me.
We’ve covered a lot of ground through the past 10 episodes, ranging from Vikings, Myth, Truth, Language and even AI Art.
So let me know if anything comes to mind or you have any curiosities about anything and I’ll do my best to reply.
More to come.
Blessings,
