The Other

Absolute Infinite One.  Absolutely Aware.  But Aware of what?  There is only one thing to be Aware of…   I AM.  I AM All that is, was and ever will be.  I AM ALL ONE.  I AM Alone.

Absolute Infinite One existing in a perpetual state of Absolute Awareness in One Eternal Instant, is simply Aware. Aware of Its Awareness. And Aware of Its Awareness of Its Awareness.  For there is Absolutely Nothing else to be Aware of. 

But something changed, because here we all are, living in this Relative Universe that Changes and Expands every Moment as Time stretches on.

What happened?

Just as we are Absolutely incapable of comprehending AIO, we are never going to be able to adequately verbalize or otherwise communicate the process whereby the Absolute transmutes into the Relative.  Some religions attempt this in their Creation Stories, resulting in some truly bizarre imagery that seems more like a dream or a psychedelic trip. 

All of the extensive details in these Creation Stories give away the fact that they really don’t know.  These stories remind me of a classic liar, elaborating on their story in order to make it sound more plausible — like Jon Lovitz’ character on Saturday Night Live in the 90s — ‘And on the fifth day God created the fish of the sea. Yeah, and the birds, too.  Yeah, that’s it…. ’

This isn’t to knock religions that attempt to tell the Creation Story.  Most of them do.  And ultimately, the question ‘where do we come from?’ is one of the most fundamental questions we have, along with ‘what are we?’ and ‘where are we going?’  

So they should have a Creation Story.  But they all seem to fall into the same trap of trying to represent the Creation Event in terms that humans can relate to, and it always seems to end up as fanciful tales that sound much more like fantasy to those who aren’t already indoctrinated into the religion.  

The ISIT Construct is different.  Since we are considering the highest possible level of Abstraction here, the description of how The Universe in all its diversity emerged from a state of Absolute Infinite Oneness should be as sparse and free of detail as possible.  

Here is the depiction of how this occurred according to ISITism:

In the Beginning was AIO.  Absolute.  Infinite.  One.  Absolutely Aware of One Truth: I AM. I AM All One. I AM Alone.

And this Awareness decides that there will be an Other.

And in that Instant—that One Eternal Instant — the Other is conjured into Existence. 

Of course, AIO is All there is, so there can be no Other. This is why we say that the Other is ‘conjured’ into existence.  The Other doesn’t really exist. It is merely a figment of the Imagination in the Mind of AIO.  

And because AIO is All, the Other can only be a Reflection of AIO — its mirror Image.

There is only one way this reflected image could appear to AIO:  as its Opposite.  It could in no way share any characteristic or trait with AIO.  This is so because AIO is beyond characteristics or attributes.  In fact, if we were to try to assign a characteristic to AIO, the one and only characteristic it could have is that it is AIO.  If anything shared that characteristic, it too would be AIO and then, of course, neither would be AIO because there can only be One AIO, by definition.  Since the Other can have nothing in common with AIO, it has to be the Absolute Opposite. 

So what is the Opposite of AIO?  

Having just emphasized the point that AIO transcends any form of attribution, it could be considered foolish to immediately proceed to list a set of attributes that describe AIO, along with their opposite values. However, making this initial set of binary assignments of these attributes at the highest level of abstraction can prove extremely useful.

Therefore, let us consider the differences between AIO and the Other.

• AIO is Absolute.   So the Other must be Relative.
• AIO is Infinite.  So the Other must be Finite.
• AIO is One.  So the Other must be Zero and/or Multiplicity.  
• AIO is Eternal.  So the Other must be Temporal.
• AIO is Active. (After all, AIO is the One that started it All—the ultimate Action).  So the Other must be Passive.
• AIO is Unified.  So the Other must be Divided.
• AIO is Aware.  So the Other must be Oblivious.
• AIO is Perfect.  So the Other must be fundamentally Flawed.

As I indicated above, I am aware of the apparent contradiction of enumerating a list of attributes for something I have adamantly insisted is beyond attribution. I rationalize this by considering that from the perspective of the Absolute, all those attributes of AIO are really just different ways of trying to express the same attribute that simply describe (though inadequately) AIO.  

It’s like a football player trying to describe the feeling of winning the Super Bowl by saying, “It’s Awesome!  Fantastic!  Just Incredible!”  They are describing the way they feel right now, and just one of those words doesn’t quite capture it.  Likewise, all the attributes describing the Other are aspects of a single concept.  

Another more Abstract way of looking at this is that it’s like looking at a one-dimensional point, and then pulling back to see it from the side, and recognizing it is also a two-dimensional series of points — a line.  It all depends on your Perspective.  

Actually, this is probably a good point to introduce the term ‘Derivative’ — a very key concept within the ISIT Awareness System.  In terms of ISITAS, the term ‘Derivative’ means basically what it means in day-to-day usage, except that it is a Fundamental concept that traces it’s meaning all the way up to AIO. 

A Derivative concept is one that derives or arises from another more elementary or Abstract concept.  The original Derivative concept was the Other, which was derived from AIO.  IT and IS, as we will see in the next chapter, derive from the Other and AIO, respectively.  Objective Reality Derives from IT and IS. And everything within Reality Derives from that ultimate concept. Derivatives increase Complexity — like the Fractal patterns we see throughout Nature, constantly branching out into greater and greater detail.  

Having thus established the meaning of the word ‘Derivative’, we can think of the attributes of AIO mentioned above as Derivatives of the One and Only attribute that defies Identification or Understanding.  We apply these Derivative attributes because they are helpful in terms of tracing the path from AIO to the Reality in which we live, as you will soon see.  We will discuss the concept of Derivatives in much more detail later, but for now, let’s return to our Creation Story. 

The Choice 

So AIO conjures the Other into Existence.  Then AIO makes a Choice — the Original Choice — the Choice to Engage! 

It would be idle speculation to wonder why AIO chooses to imagine there is an Other and then decides to Engage with it.  Attempts to assign motivations that we can Relate to — like loneliness, boredom, or curiosity — are as futile as any other attempt to comprehend the Infinite.  So let’s not waste any mental effort pondering that Infinite Loop at this point. (Though, as stated previously, such contemplation is valuable.)  Instead, let us accept as self-evident that AIO, being essentially Mind, has the ability to Imagine, and Chooses to do so. 

And it most certainly is a Choice made by The Absolute Infinite One.  Given that AIO is, was, and always will be the sum total of everything, it could only have been AIO that triggered the event.  There was nothing else to trigger it.  The only question is whether imagining the Other was intentional or an accident.   

Personally, I find the notion that all of Reality is just a fluke deeply disturbing.  But that aside, the unfathomable amount of intelligent design we see throughout the Universe stands as testament to the Belief that Creation was no accident. 

According to Physicist Paul Davies, “There is now broad agreement among physicists and cosmologists that the Universe is in several respects ‘fine-tuned’ for life”. 

No less than the famed astrophysicist Stephen Hawking said: 

“The laws of science, as we know them at present, contain many fundamental numbers, like the size of the electric charge of the electron and the ratio of the masses of the proton and the electron. … The remarkable fact is that the values of these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make possible the development of life.”  

I could go on to list numerous quotes from famed scientists and philosophers like Albert Einstein, Max Planck, Fred Hoyle, Sir Arthur Eddington, Roger Penrose, and many others indicating a firm belief that scientific evidence clearly suggests the presence of a Consciousness behind all of Reality and a very definite design.  

Creation is no accident.  It is Intentional. Absolute Infinite One Chooses to Conceive of the Other, and everything else — everything — follows from that Choice.

We will examine the concept of ‘Choice’ later in this book, because as the original act of AIO, it is Fundamental to every aspect of Reality and a Core Concept by which to guide our lives.  But for now, on with our Creation Story.

Imagine AIO beholding this reflection of itself as though it is gazing into a mirror.  (And please bear in mind that this all occurs in the One Eternal Instant where Reality doesn’t even exist, so any words that connote physical actions like ‘gazing’ or a ‘mirror’ are metaphors for something that we can’t even begin to imagine). 

Does AIO recoil in horror at this opposite ‘entity’?  Obviously not.  As mentioned before, the fact that our Universe Exists is proof enough that AIO does Choose to Engage with the Other.  I like to picture it as though AIO beholds its own Reflection in the image of The Other and finds it so beautiful and compelling that it dives in with nothing held back.  This notion gives a whole new level of profundity to the saying ‘opposites attract’.  

But there I go, starting the process of personification that is so Natural to do when dealing with Abstractions.  So I will take a step back, gain some perspective, and conclude our Creation Story by saying that AIO simply Engages with the Other, filling an Infinite Void with Infinite Presence, and in the process, Reality is Created. 

At it’s most Elementary level, this Creation is simply IS and IT — the manifestations of AIO and the Other — entangling and engaging with each other to form Reality. 

Monism vs. Dualism

Before we continue our exploration of what happens when AIO meets the Other, let’s take an important detour to discuss the question of Monism vs. Dualism. 

Monism and Dualism have been a subject of heated debate among philosophers and spiritual seekers for millennia, going back to before Plato. On one hand, enlightened people have long believed there was ultimately one Source behind the whole Universe.  On the other hand, the ubiquitous occurrences of Dualities and Polarities throughout Creation inevitably gave rise to Dualistic models of Reality.  

These Dualistic models have naturally infused themselves into Spiritual thought and were reflected in Dualistic Concepts like Heaven/Hell, Good/Evil, God/Devil, Yin/Yang, Brahma/Maya, etc. Dualism has likewise worked its way into fundamental philosophical theories proposed by Plato, Hegel, and Descartes among many others.  

And though Dualism embedding itself into the fabric of spiritual, religious and philosophical thought was Natural and inevitable, countless heated debates have been held between people who seemed to think that these two Beliefs are fundamentally irreconcilable. Either the ultimate nature of Reality is either Monistic or Dualistic.

The IT IS perspective on the origin of Reality easily reconciles these two apparently conflicting theories. 

The ISIT Awareness System holds that there is One and only One Source of everything that Exists in Reality — Absolute Infinite One.  This is a  purely Monistic Perspective.  

At the same time, the Belief that AIO conjured into Existence its mirror Image supports a Dualistic basis for Reality.  The fact that the Other is merely a figment of AIO’s Imagination doesn’t negate the fact that, from our Perspective in the midst of Creation, the Universe is clearly constructed on a Dualistic model. 

The proliferation of Dualistic manifestations at every scale of the Universe are just too abundant and ubiquitous to ignore.  

Here are just a few fun facts to support that statement. 

• Strings in String Theory, which are smaller compared to atoms than atoms are to us, are basically a representation of vibrations.  Oscillations between excited and unexcited states. Dualism in its most elementary Form.
• Neutrinos are the smallest known particle with a mass so infinitesimal it can’t even be measured, and they always have a corresponding antineutrino with opposite chirality.
• In the Standard Model of Particle Physics, quarks are represented with Dualistic attributes: up/down, charm/strange, top/bottom.
• The Standard Model includes 12 elementary particles of spin-½ known as fermions. Each fermion has a corresponding antiparticle.
• The Standard Model also includes photons, which zip away from atoms at the speed of light, along with gluons, which bind quarks tightly together inside nuclei.  Another clear Duality. 
• In terms of the fundamental forces of physics, first there is electromagnetism, possibly the most quintessential example of Polarity there is. (Polarity being a Derivative of Duality.) Within electromagnetism there are numerous dualities, including: 
• The electric field is the dual of the magnetic field.
• The electric displacement field is the dual of the magnetizing field.
• Faraday’s law is the dual of Ampere’s law.
• Gauss’s law for electric field is the dual of Gauss’s law for magnetism.
• The electric potential is the dual of the magnetic potential.
• Permittivity is the dual of permeability.
• Piezoelectricity is the dual of magnetostriction.
• Ferroelectricity is the dual of ferromagnetism.
• An electrostatic motor is the dual of a magnetic motor;
• Electrets are the dual of permanent magnets;
• And then of course there are the Strong nuclear force, which hold atomic nuclei together and the Weak nuclear forces, which causes radioactive decay.  Clear Duality.  
• Atoms are made of two primary Objects: the nucleus and orbiting electrons of equivalent charge.
• The nucleus of the atoms are made of two types of Objects of equivalent mass: protons and neutrons. 

Wow! I intended to work my way up to our size and list a bunch of things at our scale, like the fact that almost all animals, including humans have bilateral structure, (i.e. we have two halves that are mirror images of each other), the left and right lobes of the brain, and of course, male/female Duality.  Then I was going to zoom out to astronomical proportions and list the Dualities there, like the fact that all bodies orbit each other in ellipses — not circles — which means they orbit around two foci rather than one center.  

But I think the point has been made.  Dualities are baked into our Reality from the most Elementary level on up.  It’s everywhere we look, and there is no avoiding it. 

The pattern is so obvious that most people don’t need much convincing.  But there is that one sticky issue: the Belief held by the vast majority of people that the Origin or Source of All Reality is Monistic in Nature.  Are there Two Primary Forces engaged in a battle for supremacy — like God and the Devil?  Or is there just one supreme Being, and everything else is just its Creation?

Unfortunately, for most people, including great minds like Plato, Descartes, and Spinoza, these two questions seem to be mutually exclusive.  These brilliant men reasoned that either the ultimate nature of the Universe is Monistic or it is Dualistic.  So the debate goes on.

The ISIT Awareness System holds that both are true.  Yes, there is only One Source — AIO. And yes, there were two Aspects of Reality present at the moment of Conception that are clearly represented throughout Creation.  And while one of those Aspects — the Other — is just a Reflection of AIO, to us mere mortals, its Nature is very, very Real.  

Indeed, the Reality in which we exist in our Present Form could not exist but for this mirror Image of AIO.  So it is very Real to us, and indeed, to most of us it seems far more Real than AIO Itself.  

So how about that?  Only two chapters into this book and we have already resolved the age-old Monism vs. Dualism debate that has eluded the greatest geniuses of history!  We’re off to a great start!

We Exist within the manifestation of AIO experiencing itself through the mirror Image of the Other.  Source gave rise to its mirror Image and instantly created Duality from Unity.  

And what happens next is where this story gets really amazing!  

Now that we have addressed the incomprehensible concepts of Absolute Infinite One and the Other enough to resolve this question, we can begin to understand how these primordial Aspects manifest in the Reality within which we exist.   And though it may not be clear at this point, this is the beginning of achieving Peace, Joy and Abundance in your Life and around the world.