Author: It Is What It Is
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Post 28 – The Contradiction of Reincarnation: A Perspective from the Structure of Being
The notions of past life regression and near-death experiences (NDEs) have long fascinated humanity. Many interpret these experiences, or elements within them—such as the sense of oneness with other beings—as evidence of reincarnation. However, when examined through the lens of the Structure of Being, reincarnation is revealed not only as a misinterpretation but as a…
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Post 27 – The Structure of Being on the Illusion of Dualism
Introduction The Structure of Being perspective challenges a series of dualisms that are often taken for granted. By questioning the very idea of becoming—that things emerge, change, and vanish—this view exposes a fundamental mistake in our understanding of time and existence. This mistaken view gives rise to several apparent dualisms: Moreover, these themes resonate with…
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Post 26 – Exploring Mystical and Near-Death Experiences
Mystical experiences and near-death experiences (NDEs) have long been interpreted as glimpses into a deeper reality beyond ordinary perception. While contemporary theories of consciousness attempt to explain them in terms of neural activity or psychological states, the Structure of Being provides a different perspective—one that reveals their necessity within the eternal order of reality. These…
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Post 25 – How the Structure of Being Compares to Other Philosophies
The Structure of Being, as explored in this blog, shares insights with many philosophical traditions—both Eastern and Western. However, it also takes a radically different stance on key issues: What is real? What is illusion? Can we “wake up” to truth? And if so, what does that actually mean? Most traditions agree that we are…
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Post 24 – Consciousness After Death
Introduction: The Illusion of Nihilism Have you ever felt that everything is fleeting—that life, memories, and experiences inevitably slip away, lost to time? This sense of impermanence, often called the illusion of nihilism, makes it seem as if nothing truly lasts, as if existence itself is fragile and transient. But what if that perception is…
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Post 23 – The Relationship Between Personal Meaning and Universal Being
As humans, we progressively come to know the eternal structure of being, one glimpse at a time. Being persons, we experience this as deeply personal. Though in the structure of being there is no intent or possibility to change anything from or towards anybody, as everything is what it is since ever and forever, nonetheless…
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Post 22 – The Nature of Truth
Truth is fundamentally linked to eternity and the necessary being of all things. Every being, whether a thought, an object, a person, or a moment, is eternal, never truly coming into being or ceasing to exist. Yet, humans live under the illusion of becoming, mistakenly believing that things are born, change, and perish. This illusion,…
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Post 21 – The Joy of Eternity: Death, Overcoming, and the Infinite Appearing of Destiny
Continuing from the previous post, we now explore the meaning of death and its connection to the infinite appearing of all that is (destiny). Beyond the Illusion of Becoming Humanity remains trapped in the illusion of becoming: the belief that things come into existence from nothing and vanish into nothing. This illusion generates fear, suffering,…
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Post 20 – The Earth That Saves: The Overcoming of Nihilism
The concept of the “earth that saves” was introduced by philosopher Emanuele Severino, as discussed in the previous post. Building on that foundation, we now turn our attention to a deeper exploration of this idea. The “earth that saves” represents the realm where the truth of Being is fully revealed, transcending the nihilistic illusion of…
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Post 19 – The Fallacy of Reshaping Reality: Understanding Necessity
A Dubious Proposition: The Fallacy of Reshaping Reality History is replete with well-intentioned efforts to reshape society (whether by spreading values, liberating the oppressed, or enforcing justice) that ultimately justified harm in the name of a “greater good.” This arises from a fundamental error: the belief that reality is flawed, malleable, and in need of…
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Post 18 – A Person, Their Moments, and Eternity
The Eternal Nature of Moments and the Illusion of Becoming According to the “Original Structure,” every moment is eternal. No moment arises from nothing or vanishes into nothing to make way for the next, as a nihilistic perspective assumes. In this view, a person is the totality of all their eternal moments. But how is…
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Post 17 – The Infinite Whole: Understanding Love, Suffering, and Reality
The Impersonal and the Personal When we analyze the nature of Being, we find that it is an unchanging, eternal whole. Nothing truly comes into existence or disappears: everything simply is, necessarily and forever. This perspective may seem impersonal, but it does not deny the distinctions we perceive within existence. Rather than being random or…
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Post 16 – Western Individualism: A Nihilistic Legacy
A striking feature of Western thought is not only its pervasive nihilism, rooted in the belief that everything emerges from and ultimately returns to nothing, but also its deeply entrenched individualism. The relationship between individualism and nihilism is profound, with the former often serving as a symptom of the latter. But does individualism itself directly…
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Post 15 – God, Beyond God, and More than God
The truth of Being, freed from the error of nihilism, demands a profound reconfiguration of how we perceive reality. Inevitably, this also affects our understanding of God. Are our traditional concepts of God still adequate, or are they burdened by nihilistic assumptions? Can they be salvaged, or must we move beyond them? If theistic terms…
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Post 14 – Understanding the Impossibility of Becoming
The Impossibility of becoming also deserves to be clarified. Though mentioned in many posts, the question of becoming has not been singularly addressed. This is what I was referring to in the introduction, when speaking of some things difficulty to understand, not because of their complexity, but because of the way we have been taught…
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Post 13 – Understanding the Self-Evident Truth of Being
I first hinted at this idea in the Intro and About post. At the time, I intentionally avoided being overly technical, but in doing so, I may have obscured the clarity and beauty of this foundational truth. This post aims to focus entirely on that truth. While this is not a new concept—it has been…
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Post 12 – The Empirical vs. Transcendental Self: Understanding Duality
Body and soul, flesh and spirit, empirical and transcendental—the list of dualities used to describe reality and the human condition is extensive. But does this dualism truly reflect reality? If it does, how do these two sides of existence relate to one another? Is this division a fundamental part of reality, or merely a framework…
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Post 11 – Technological Nihilism on a Greek Chessboard
The Greek Chessboard and Western Thought As we’ve seen, nihilism is intrinsic to the foundation of Western thought. Often referred to as the “Greek chessboard,” this foundation established the rules through which Western philosophy has engaged with reality, shaping the trajectory of its history. An obvious question arises: can this foundation be altered, allowing for…
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Post 10 – Contemplating the Authentic Sense of Being
Describing the Authentic Sense of Being How may we describe the authentic sense of Being? It is not a “sense” in the conventional understanding of the term, yet sensing, feeling, knowing, and awareness are words often employed to gesture toward it. Here, language falters—words become mere symbols pointing to that which they cannot fully contain,…
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Post 9 – Ethics, Morality, Love and Freedom
Ethics and Morality Beyond Nihilism Here’s a provocative question to start with: If everything is eternal and unchanging, does that mean reality is predetermined? At first glance, this might seem disheartening—almost as if our choices don’t matter. But in Post 4, we explored the concept of free will and arrived at an intriguing conclusion: our…
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Post 8 – Eternal Being and the Illusion of Change: Eastern Insights and Nihilistic Paradoxes
The East“For the soul, there is neither birth nor death at any time.It has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being.It is unborn, eternal, ever-existing, and primeval.It is not slain when the body is slain.”— Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 2, Verse 20 This verse from the Bhagavad Gita…
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Post 7 – The Challenges of Evolutionary Mysticism: Beyond Nihilism
The Revival of Christian Mysticism Christian mysticism is experiencing a remarkable revival, expanding beyond monastic traditions and finding resonance among lay practitioners. This resurgence has been championed by figures like Thomas Merton, Thomas Keating, Richard Rohr, Cynthia Bourgeault, and others who have reinvigorated ancient practices such as contemplative prayer and meditation. These disciplines invite practitioners…
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Post 6 – Rethinking Nihilism in Religious Thought
What Would Become of Our Systems of Thought? What would become of our various systems of thought if we were to remove from their core the nihilistic persuasion? To a certain extent, we have already explored that, but let us now get a bit more specific, perhaps starting with religion and spirituality. First, a brief…
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Post 5 – A Truth That Cannot Be Shaken
Two Selves in One We are always within the Truth. We embody our true being, yet in time, we perceive it only in fragments—one fleeting moment at a time. This fractured perception obscures the whole. Unconsciously, we know the Truth because we are it; however, consciously, we perceive only its fleeting fragments: the present moment.…
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Post 4 – Reconciling Free Will and Determinism: An Eternal Perspective
Change, Becoming, and the Nature of Being If Being is eternal and unchanging, as classical metaphysics suggests, then change and becoming seem contradictory. However, our experience of change is undeniable. How can we reconcile these two ideas? Being, as the fundamental reality, is consistent and indivisible. It cannot shift between existence and non-existence without ceasing…
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Post 3 – The Structure of Being
In the previous posts, we explored a fundamental misunderstanding about the nature of reality and outlined a path toward resolving this contradiction. Before addressing the inevitable questions raised by the conclusion, that everything physical or abstract is eternal, let’s revisit some key ideas. The Subjectivity of Time and the Eternity of All Things When considering…
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Post 2 – The Eternity of All Things
Intuitions of the Eternal We have spoken of the unassailable truth of our Being and our awareness of time and space, but there is yet another form of awareness; more elusive, less dependent on our senses, and harder to define. It is something we all experience at times yet struggle to articulate. This awareness emerges…
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Post 1 – At the Roots of Western Thought
A Western Problem? In progressive Western societies, we take pride in the freedom to think and believe as we choose. Individualism and self-determination are highly valued ideals. Yet, despite this emphasis on personal autonomy, our thinking is profoundly shaped by cultural and historical frameworks that influence us in ways we often fail to recognize. While…
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About and Intro
A Fundamental Contradiction When we seek the truth, the most fundamental certainty is our existence, or more specifically, the awareness that “I am.” This self-evident truth requires no external validation. It is immediate, solid, unchanging, and impervious to doubt. Equally apparent is our experience of reality, shaped by space and time: “I am aware of…
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It Is What It Is 