Post 37 – The Necessary Unfolding of Truth in a Lifetime

Introduction

Within the Structure of Being, as understood in Emanuele Severino’s thought, life is not a journey of becoming but the appearing of an eternal necessity. Every moment of existence, every experience of time, is an expression of the immutable truth of Being. What appears as the unfolding of a lifetime is not a transition from one state to another, but the necessary manifestation of truth within time. The empirical self, veiled by temporal perception, experiences its own individuation, alienation, and eventual reconciliation with the whole. But how does this necessary unfolding occur? Are there identifiable stages, or patterns, by which the truth of Being emerges within a lifetime?

The Necessary Unfolding of Appearance in Time

Time, as the way eternity manifests within appearance, structures the self’s experience of necessity. While nothing truly changes, the empirical self undergoes a process that appears as an unfolding—marked by early individuation, existential tension, and the gradual dissolution of temporal illusions.

In psychological terms, what is often described as the ego’s development and individuation can be understood within the framework of necessity. The ego, as the empirical self’s center of identity, is not a deviation from truth but a necessary manifestation of being. Religious traditions have long framed this process in terms of purification, enlightenment, or spiritual maturation. What these traditions capture, however imperfectly, is not an ascent toward something new, but the necessary unveiling of what was always the case.

Individuation and the Experience of Alienation

In the first stages of life, the self becomes conscious of its own individuality—separate from the whole, yet unknowingly part of it. This is often described in religious and philosophical traditions as a ‘fall’ or a movement away from unity. Psychological theories of individuation describe the ego’s formation as a process by which one becomes distinct from collective identity, developing a sense of autonomy and control. Yet this individuation is not a rupture from truth but an inevitable moment within necessity.

As the self moves through time, the tension between the finite and the infinite, the relative and the absolute, becomes apparent. The empirical self, conditioned by temporality, perceives contradiction, loss, and limitation. Yet what appears as struggle is merely the self encountering its own necessary veil—the way in which Being appears within time.

The Gradual Resolution of the Veil

As a lifetime progresses, the recognition of necessity often deepens. The tensions that once defined the ego’s experience begin to dissolve, revealing the immutable order that was never absent. In religious and contemplative traditions, this is often described as wisdom, surrender, or enlightenment—not as a transition, but as the recognition that the struggle was always part of the whole.

Aging itself plays a crucial role in this process. As the empirical self approaches death—the dissolution of its temporal perspective—the veil of time thins. The anxieties of youth and the urgency of egoic assertion gradually give way to a broader awareness of necessity. In many traditions, old age is not merely a decline but a preparation, a necessary shift in appearance where the self moves toward the unveiling of what was always true.

Death as the Dissolution of Alienation

If birth marks the moment when necessity appears as separation, death is its resolution. But this resolution is not an end, nor a transformation—it is the moment in which the empirical self recognizes that it was never truly apart from the whole. What appeared as fragmentation and contradiction was only the way eternity necessarily manifested within time.

Thus, the so-called journey of life is not a movement toward truth but the necessary appearing of truth within time. The ego’s role, individuation, and eventual dissolution are not errors to be corrected but aspects of Being’s eternal necessity. Religious and psychological language, though often inadequate, attempt to articulate this realization: that what we seek has never been lost, and what we fear has already been resolved.

Conclusion

The unfolding of truth in a lifetime is not a progression but a necessary appearing of what has always been. The ego, individuation, struggle, and reconciliation are all moments within Being’s eternal necessity. The resolution of contradiction is not a return to unity but the realization that unity was never absent. As aging and death draw near, the veil of time fades, revealing that what appeared as a journey was always the immutable appearing of necessity. In this way, what we call life is nothing other than the eternal truth of Being manifesting itself in time.