The illusion of separation

We experience ourselves as separate from other beings and things. Alone on an island, a single drop in the ocean amongst millions of drops. The sense of separateness is weaved into the fabric of our present reality where individuality is regarded as the most fashionable dress. The more unique the dress, the more successful you are as a human being. 'Be different' is today's adage.

However, the differences we perceive are, in many ways, products of our own observation and interpretation—not objective confirmations of distinction. When you observe a red hat, your perception does not prove that the hat is inherently red. Your brain construct the red based on the physical properties of light that it receives. Similarly, your interpretation of the difference between yourself and another person is more a reflection of your own perspective than an absolute truth about either of you.

The differences you believe exist are, at their core, your thoughts about them—not proof of their reality. Merely thinking differently about the same thing does not confirm genuine difference; it only demonstrates that perspectives vary, and we all know perspectives are constantly changing. You think about reality not as it is but as you are. People observe you as they are and not as you are. In this sense, you exist in every other person on earth; you are, in effect, as many people as there are observers of you.

This idea is underscored by Harry Stack Sullivan, who proposed that the unconscious is found between people and not only in a person as Freud proposed. Others see and know things about you that you do not know about yourself. Yet, their perceptions are also shaped more by their own observations than by any objective truth about you. This highlights how precarious and artificial the differences between people truly are, suggesting that we are not as separate as we might believe. This underscores my notion that individuality is more of an illusion than a fact.

I do not deny that differences exist, but I believe they are minimal, artificial, and largely influenced by perspective, culture, and ever-changing approaches to life. The real differences pertain to the specific themes or expressions in each person’s life.

Each of us is a unique expression of All that Is—God, the higher self, or whatever you choose to call it. But this uniqueness does not imply separation, because everyone else is also a unique expression of the same source as reflected in you. Their uniqueness helps you to express your own, revealing the paradox: we are all unique, yet we are not separate.

The more we strive to live out our uniqueness, the more we move toward unity. Separateness has little to do with individuality or ego-driven uniqueness; this belief belongs to the old, three-dimensional thinking characteristic of the consciousness of the Age of Pisces. True uniqueness lies in being a distinct expression of All that Is—a perspective aligned with four-dimensional thinking and the consciousness of the Age of Aquarius.

Where do you stand? How do you see through the illusion of your ego’s desire for uniqueness, preventing you from realising your highest self?

We are all unique drops and together we make up the ocean and in that very act of doing the same thing, we become One. By being yourself completely in all your uniqueness you loose your individuality.

Here is the secret: follow what excites you the most and you will live out your inseparable highest Self and give expression to All that Is. Then you will not be an 'individual' as described by others, but completely unique in your authentic self.