CYCLE ELEVEN: METAPHYSICAL RELATIONSHIPS

1. Since the distinction between metaphysical self and mind is one of psychology vis-à-vis psyche, of the psychological self that becomes, through selfless universality, psychically unselfish and thus liberated from itself into, first, pure mind and, then, soul-mind, the deeper unselfishness that is the product of a reaction from selfless universality, so it should follow that the metaphysical self (ego) is closer to the nature of the not-self, and the unself (mind) closer, by contrast, to the culture of selfless universality, since the former is akin to form and the latter to content, and it is the progression of self through the natural form of the not-self which enables it to achieve unselfish transmutation in connection with the cultural content of selfless universality.

2. Thus the progression, within noumenal subjectivity, from the not-self to selfless universality is equivalent to a progression from nature to culture, the psychological self (ego) being commensurate with the form of the one, and the psychical unself (mind) commensurate with the content of the other, whether this be in connection with 'once-born' metaphysics or 're-born' metaphysics.

3. We thus have to distinguish between the subegocentric commitment to subnature and the subconscious commitment to subculture on the one hand, that of 'once-born' metaphysics, and between the superegocentric commitment to supernature and the superconscious commitment to superculture on the other hand, that of 're-born' metaphysics, the former, of course, sensual and the latter sensible.

4. Hence not only is the metaphysical not-self commensurate with nature, be it subnaturally in relation to ears or supernaturally in relation to lungs, but the form of nature is commensurate with the self, since it is the form which conditions self in response to the nature of the not-self.

5. Likewise, not only is metaphysical selfless universality commensurate with culture, be it in relation to subconscious music or to superconscious spirit, but the content of culture is commensurate with the unself, since it is the content which conditions unself in response to the culture of selfless universality.

6. Hence neither the self nor the unself, neither ego nor mind, would exist metaphysically were it not for the existence of the not-self and selfless universality, nature and culture, which are respectively anterior and posterior to the self/unself in question. There is no subegocentric self and subconscious unself without a commitment to metaphysical nature and culture, since it is the self (ego) and its unselfish extrapolation (mind) which derive from the not-self and selfless universality, not vice versa, and the achievement of metaphysical selfishness and/or unselfishness is conditional upon, firstly, an acknowledgement and, then, the conscious utilization of metaphysical nature and culture for purposes of self/unself-realization.

7. Certainly, the potential for metaphysical self/unself-realization exists in the psychology/psyche of the brain, with particular reference, I contend, to the backbrain where outer metaphysics is concerned and to the forebrain in connection with its inner counterpart, but such a potential will remain dormant unless metaphysical nature and culture awaken it from slumber, so to speak, and presumably in consequence of the diminution of some lower self/unself to which one was previously more committed, to the comparative exclusion of the metaphysical not-self and selflessness.

8. But, once achieved, the metaphysical self/unself, whether outer or inner, has the ability to take charge and to consciously determine the extent to which it will exist in relation to metaphysical nature and culture. For it is neither desirable nor possible to listen to music or meditate upon the spirit all day, every day of the year, to the exclusion of everything else, and the metaphysical self/unself will only exist in awakened guise so long as it is consciously committed to one or other of the options in question, not after one, as an individual human being, has turned to other concerns and effectively ceased to be metaphysical. Then it is that some other self or even antiself (negative self) ensues upon the termination of positive metaphysical selfhood.