Existence

[AnthroHeart]

Have we always existed, or did we *pop* into existence NOW?

[Jade]

I don't think those things are mutually exclusive.

[Verum Occultum]

Infinity "becoming" aware of itself (in you) creates a paradox because infinity contains all possible versions of past & present & future. Nothingness did not become aware of itself because it always is. In my opinion, it is for this reason the creation process is truly the most sacred. It is untraceable and eternally paradoxical - beyond all knowing. In my understanding, we have always existed.

[GentleWanderer]

________

[anagogy]

Have we always existed, or did we *pop* into existence NOW?

Always existed.  Though the word "always" sort of presupposes time, which itself is a construct, so I don't really care for that vernacular.  There exists the Eternal Present (sometimes called the "I Am".  Within that Eternal Present various forms appear such as "time", "space", "densities", "rays", "memories", "mind", "matter" etc.  The forms appearing are similar to ice forming in the ocean at various depths due to temperature differences.  The ocean of consciousness is not uniform in its distribution of light/truth, so these "ice crystals" form at the more gross or metaphorically "colder" levels of consciousness.  The ocean of awareness on the other hand, *IS* homogenous and is pure truth/light/what have you.  This is the difference between spirit and mind. It like the difference between water in general, the ocean, and the ice crystals in that ocean. This is akin to spirit, mind, and body. From the universally general existence to the extremely specific. In spirit there are no levels, in mind and body there are.

Individuality occurs when this infinite awareness becomes interested in these forms, bundles or "aggregates" of consciousness.  It looks through these "eyes" or "perspectives" and starts to believe the perspectives are reality, which then leads to identification with it.  And then presto, you have an ego that legitimately believes it is "in there" and separate from the world "out there".  Awareness becomes "trapped" in these perspectives of consciousness/mind because it believes that it *is* those perspectives.  

The whole reason infinite intelligence becomes interested in the particular in the first place is because a sort of primal desire to know itself arises within Beingness.  You can only "know" things against the background of a contrasting opposite, so this causes an illusory duality, or a false dichotomy, to come into being.  "Knowing" occurs in the realm of mind.  You can only "know" yourself against the background of that which you are not.  Since you are truth, awareness, light, love, and infinity you know that self against the background of falsity, unconsciousness, darkness, fear, finity, and distortion.  In the same way that cold is the opposite of warmth, but in actuality is not really an opposite merely the absence of it, falsity is illusorily perceived as the opposite of truth but really it is just the absence of it.

So all limitation is the result of conditioning.  So reestablishing your unlimited nature is rediscovered by letting go of that conditioning.  Everybody thinks it's about lessons and learning, but it's actually more accurately described as a process of "unlearning".