There are four dimensions of I am.

• Primordial I am, which is the heart of all existence, is the source of creation and the source of the absolute. Another name for primordial I am is ‘primordial consciousness’. We also call it ‘primordial god’.

• Absolute I am, which is the pure subjectivity of the absolute, is the consciousness of the void that lies at the root of manifestation. The absolute is the innermost space which contains the inner realm of creation, the ream of creation that is fully contained in and integrated with pure subjectivity. Another name for absolute I am is ‘absolute consciousness’. We also call it ‘absolute god’.

• Universal I am, which is the pure subjectivity of universal consciousness, is the lantern of creation, the power source of consciousness that illuminates the world of perception with the light of recognition. Another name for universal I am is ‘universal consciousness’. We also call it ‘universal god’.

• Immanent I am is the light of I am awakened within the kernel of essence-me; it is the individual I am. It is the reflection of the primordial I am in creation or the individual god.

Primordial I am exists prior to the absolute. In fact, it is the I am of the absolute I am. The I am of the absolute is, in turn, the mother or source of universal consciousness, the I am of universal I am. However, the absolute, which is the inner realm of absence and transcendence, also contains the divine dimension; the absolute is the unity of absolute consciousness and the universal heart. Absolute I am exists in the dimension in-between this manifested world and primordial I am. It is the realm in which the universal evolution of love, consciousness, and intelligence into the mystery of the beloved occurs among highly realized beings, and such evolution takes place in complete unity with the light of pure subjectivity that is embedded in the consciousness of I am.

In some traditions, they have represented the intelligence and consciousness that rules different dimensions of I am through archetypes, or gods. For instance, Lord Shiva represents universal I am in Hindu spirituality. In his nature, Shiva is ‘nirguna brahman’ or the formless universal consciousness that is beyond descriptions and without attributes. However, the god of the absolute I am has no representation in Hindu spirituality, because the realization of the absolute is absent in this tradition. This makes sense because universal consciousness, or Shiva, is closest to our me, and as such, it is the first dimension of I am that can be realized by an individual soul. The god of the absolute I am is higher than Shiva; he is the ruler of the absolute realm of pure subjectivity. And still higher is primordial I am, the god of all gods, the supreme god that rules and contains all of the dimensions of I am.

Ascending Evolution into Transcendence

As we evolve into transcendence, we approach unity with the ultimate reality in an ascending order.

• Because universal consciousness is closer to our me, we attain unity with it first through realizing pure consciousness and reaching horizontal absence.

• Then, upon the foundation of the divine state, we realize absolute me, which is the vertical unity of pure me of consciousness with the absolute.

• Following the realization of absolute me, we realize the fundamental state, which is the unity of fundamental me (pure conscious me in vertical samadhi) with the absolute.

• And then, after realizing the fundamental state, we realize the primordial state, which is the samadhi of primordial me (conscious me merged with the fundamental state) in primordial I am.

• The final piece of the evolutionary puzzle is the realization of essence-samadhi, which is the awakening of the immanent I am within essence-me as the primordial I. Here, the one who is at the end of the hierarchy of consciousness, our essence-me, realizes the individualized light of primordial I am within the core of its existence.

The Full Circle: As Above, So Below

Our soul is the microcosm of the supreme reality, created with the potential of realizing its true likeness to the divine. But to actualize this likeness, we must first realize our complete self and embody our light on all of the different levels that are possible for her, and we also must merge with the supreme reality through all of the centers of the soul.

This remarkable journey into transcendence, which follows the initial awakening of our me, is summarized below.

• We begin with awakening our initially dormant essence-me, thus establishing the identity of conscious me.

• Then, we awaken pure conscious me, which links conscious me with the vertical dimension of the absolute I am.

• Through pure me of consciousness, we realize universal I am by attaining pure consciousness, or horizontal samadhi of pure me in universal consciousness.

• Through pure me of being, we realize the void, or isness, aspect of the absolute I am, and enter the hidden domain of the unmanifested.

• Through pure me of the heart, we realize the divine state by merging with the absolute in vertical samadhi. We attain unity with the divine aspect of the absolute I am by realizing the divine state.

• Next, pure me of consciousness reaches vertical samadhi in the absolute and transforms into absolute me. The realization of absolute me means that we have attained unity with the absolute consciousness aspect of the absolute I am.

• Then, as we awaken fundamental me and reach vertical samadhi in the essential channel, the realization of absolute consciousness (through our absolute me) is now linked to our essence-me, creating the bridge for conscious me to surrender. This results in realizing the fundamental state.

• When conscious me merges with absolute I am via the fundamental state and becomes primordial me, we cross over from the dimension of the absolute I am into the primordial I am.

• Based on the samadhi of primordial me in primordial I am, and establishing a connection to primordial consciousness, we create the foundation for the actualization of the immanent I am within the kernel of our essence-me as the primordial I. Here within the light of me, we realize the sameness of substance (but not of identity) with the heart of the existence of primordial I am.

This is how the extraordinary full circle of realizing that we are none other than a microcosm of the divine is completed.

As above, so below.

Blessings,
Aadi

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