Written for The Integralist

(a magazine Integral Institute was going to create and publish but never did)

Advice for Today’s Enlightened Narcissist

By Eliot Bissey and Jana Espiritu Santo

 
Is “Enlightened Narcissist” a contradiction in terms? Not historically, obviously! Meta-theoretically, contradictions of the 1st-tier mind can simultaneously exist in 2nd-tier vision-logic, as well as in 3rd-tier transrational states and stages. Stop resisting, simply open yourself up to paradoxical existence through AND, not OR. You can methodologically integrate your authentic superiority! The universe is big enough for all aspects of you, both enlightened AND narcissistic, leaving no piece of you fractured from the Whole, which is your Original Face (and what a beautiful face, don’t we agree?).

The 3-2-1 of Narcissism: The “3” is easy for any good student of (post)metaphysics; we supply the active light which makes love to the passive light reflected in the manifest dimension, creating our universe. Does a tree falling in the forest make a sound if no one is there to hear it? If WE don’t hear it, God (within us) doesn’t care! The “2” is a little trickier; most of the time, it’s just our “shadow” playing “hide and seek” in our multidimensional atmosphere, but there are exceptions. In order for Self to exist there must be Other; that precious 2nd perspective that helps US define who WE are! To an “Enlightened Narcissist” the Other comes to fruition in the Integralist (a worthy adversary, almost as brilliant and beautiful as WE are! In fact, one radical theory holds that, if and when they transcend compulsive self-awareness and the pathological over-valuation of others feelings and their quaint boundaries, they can BECOME us! Maybe… could they? …NAH!), so we must educate ourselves about them. Collectively, they make up an AQAL cult, SES (their Bible) thumpin’ their “Theory of Everything” (Nothing?) in a dissociative display of “us versus them” exclusivism. This “We-space hierarchical virus” has distorted and arranged integral terms, values and content to fit the “structure” of their agenda. Finally, the “1” is, of course, us, ourselves (Not an integrally-informed Enlightened Narcissist? Maybe you’ll be lucky enough to have a peak state, every once in a while).


The Myth of Flatland: The Integralists will say that you’re living in Flatland, due to their embeddedness in the AQAL model (genealogical pluralism, known throughout the cult as Integral Methodological Pluralism). Don’t fall for it! They have completely dissociated from relativistic pluralism! But YOU can integrate this historically important and politically significant level! You are an incredibly talented artist of interpretation, using your own 4 quadrant model; Q.U.E.E.F. (Quadratic Universalist Enlightened Energy Flow; based on Boomeritis [Wilber’s greatest book ever!], Adi Da, the non-dual traditions, Tantra, Muktananda, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and the ubiquitous Goddess Circle)!!! You can turn Flatland 90 degrees (on edge) with cognitive application of sacred geometry, and… BAM! You now have infinite VERTICAL depth. Flatland becomes Deepland, because YOU can assign meaning and define words JUST AS YOU PLEASE (just like Deida! Hey, he puts his shoes on one at a time, just like you do. Then again, he might have some hot babe doing it for him. Hmmm…). Remember, everything the Integralists tell you is their assertion of their interpretation of theirmodel (those “more-integral-than-thou” hypocrites)!!!

The Amazing Secret: You are ultimately “the stuff of stars”, non-dually The ULTIMATE! You already feel it (UL evolutionarily enlightened interiority, combined with perception of the UR body [nervous and limbic systems]), go ahead and let yourself think it (UL intentionality, cognition), don’t forget it (UL: authentic self-acceptance and self-love, with UR neuronal plasticity), and most of all, don’t ever let anyone convince you otherwise (LL: interior power structure oppression via viral pathology, first tier vMeme absolutism/exclusivism; their “WE” wants to subsume your “I”). Those who oppose you cannot surrender to the ABSOLUTE that YOU ARE; the light burns less evolved eyes. The Integralists will accuse you of narcissism simply because their stuck perspective cannot embrace the co-existing truth of YOUR authentic enlightenment AND all-embedding non-dual narcissism. THEIR fragile embeddedness has difficulty moving with elegance and grace like OURS.

Strategies and Techniques:

1.       AQAL Integrity: An “Enlightened Narcissist” needs to stay away from theoretical violations and performative contradictions (such as those found in Wilber I-IV) to remain hierarchically on top of those Integralists/theoretical elitists. Correct application of QUEEF alternative meta-theory will take you into the 4th dimension. Those four dimensions are:

(1) Individual Interior (UL): Don’t be any less enlightened or narcissistic than you are. Be amazingly authentic, and allow your energy to flow just over the edge of your incredibly beautiful and amazing earthly vessel, lovingly teasing the universe with your swelling moist meniscus of amazing gift-giving beauty. 

(2) Individual Exterior (UR): You will need exterior correlates for your amazing interior. Say self-effacing things about yourself, confidently. Assign the word “amazing” to people, places and things that YOU are connected with, because then by association YOU are amazing. Also, wear clothes that are flattering, and accessories that shine and sparkle. Inner and outer radiance!

(3) Collective Interior (LL): You should have a community, or group of peers (as if that’s possible!?!) to validate the “AMAZINGNESS that YOU ARE”. Your community of light should be a pluralistic mirror of your Buddhamind, reflecting your immanent greatness and impossibly transcendent humility. Remember tetra-enaction; if the UL doesn’t fit the LL then the individual can dissociate from the collective. If this is the case you should create your own amazing non-critical sub-culture: Burning Man is one excellent place to do this, New Age religions are another.  

(4) Collective Exterior (LR): To ensure collective radiance behaviorally; change mortal names to Kosmic Superhero names (i.e. Superconscious Steve, Transcendent Tina). The group should also embody the style tips listed under (2).  


2.       Transrationalizations: Too much death, destruction and war in the world, and it’s negatively affecting YOUR path to enlightenment? Through postformal vision-logic, YOU can avoid the hassle.  Just remember that “evil” doesn’t exist in the Nondual and that “evil” is relative in the Dualistic, and there’s your transrationalization. Teach that differentiation/integration to those immature ego-fluffing New-Agers, lost in sublimation, nature worship and escapism. The Integralists will tell you that this is the rational rationalizing with the transrational. With AQAL integrity, your QUEEF position is that you are merely transcending and INCLUDING the rational, transrationally.

3.       Shadow Twister:  The best way to handle the dark within (that bastard, the shadow) is to “twist” it into a positive. This makes it easier to “integrate” into consciousness. Facing the shadow can be rather painful; it makes our egos look fat and ugly. Is your shadow egoic control and domination? Simply use the shadow twister technique and interpret that as: You are a powerful and magnificent person, and people get intimidated. Amazingly, when the shadow is light, there is no more shadow!! The Integralists may tell you that this is false shadow work; your counter-attack can be this simple transrationalization: “In nonduality there is no distinction between shadow and light, they are the same ONE TASTE! AQALicious! QUEEFtastic!”

4.       “Aha!” Moments: Have an amazing insight into primordial awareness? You have just entered into the next dimension via mystical orgasm. Not quite sure what to call an “Aha” moment? “Aha!” You are aware of not knowing - Byron Katie’s (another enlightened person!) favorite stance! The Integralists will argue that you are labeling your prerational nature as transcendent but they are committing the pre-trans fallacy.

5.       Feedback Projection: Hear some feedback that didn’t make you feel so amazing? Don’t worry because this is feedback projection. As Oprah says, “You spot it, you got it!” People love to throw their negative qualities onto YOU because of your emptiness (enlightened tabula rasa/blank slate). All you have to do is to lovingly remind them with equanimity that they are projecting their own shadow onto you, and YOU get to heal the world of mental illness, one person at a time. The more selective you are about listening to feedback, the more amazing you can be. The negatively-biased Integralist may accuse you of selective blindness. The truth is, listening and seeing are different, and you need the right position (the “angle” of your mirroring) to get the right response (self-esteem enhancing) as a spiritual pragmatist and integral situational ethicist.

6.       The  Aperspectival Wizard: Let’s face it…sometimes an inner realization is not very flattering. Want to return to the love and light that you are? Simply activate the Aperspectival Wizard archetype and transform perspectives at the speed of thought/light. The perspective that “Shit, I am fucked up” can be immediately realized, and then alchemized into “Aha! I am a humble person of enlightenment.” Armed with multiple perspectives from 1st tier development, YOU can choose the perspective that is most useful, integrating transcendent value prioritization with your immanent feelings. The Integralists will criticize you for playing the “lateral hiding game” in which you hide your true self-system center-of-gravity (the structure of consciousness) by constantly switching perspectives. No problem; this is merely more feedback projection.

[Production Note:  During our writing process, every issue examined above surfaced; however, our enlightenment ultimately transcended our narcissism, ULTIMATELY!]

Thanks for reading!

Eliot and Jana...