Beyond Pixellation: The Medium
of Inner Space After exploring the previous chaters , it’s time to 'look' around—not at the movement of energy itself, but into the very medium in
which this pixelated flow unfolds. What is the stage on which
these sensations arise? What is the nature of the dimensionality
of this inner world—so fundamental that we often overlook it?
Let me in this context repeat the lessons from the previous chapters
about consciousness.
Pure consciousnes in its abysmal essense does not expand, neither in quantity nor
in
quality. Consciousness belongs to another dimension where such terms from time
and space does not give any meaning. What expands in clarity and quality is the
part of the human brain that somehow is able to recreate a simulacra of of what
Meister Eckhart terms 'the
primordial ground'.
The Inner Cathedral - A Space Beyond Space With eyes closed, immersed in the inner world of energy, we
find ourselves within a vast, dark expanse—a space that is
undeniably present yet strangely elusive. I call this space the
"inner cathedral" for the profound sense of awe it
evokes. Like a grand, silent hall, it stretches before us, not
in any ordinary sense of dimensionality but as something both
vast and intimate, infinite yet contained within.
In the enveloping darkness, stars invisible in daylight suddenly
emerge, uncovering another layer of self-evident obscurity.
Within the dark cathedral of our inner night, we can newly
perceive the dormant states of our body.
As often mentioned throughout this work, the greatest marvels
are often hidden behind the veil of the familiar. The sheer
obviousness of this inner dark space makes it easy to ignore. We
can enter it, experience it fully—then forget it the moment
consciousness swings outward again. It’s astonishing how we
carry such mysterious vastness within us, yet remain preoccupied
with trivialities like media and mortgages.
A Space Beyond Space: Duality & Non-Duality in Superposition This inner cathedral does not behave like ordinary
three-dimensional space. It defies the familiar rules of depth,
distance, and direction. Instead, it feels like a paradox made
tangible—both vast and intimate, boundless yet contained within
you.
Metaphorically, it can be described as a realm where duality and
non-duality exist in a state of superposition—where form and
formlessness, movement and stillness, separation and unity merge
into an experience that slips through the fingers of logical
understanding. It is a "spaceless space"—a locationless
location. It is hidden, like
the breath you forget until you notice it—and then it feels
undeniably present.
This ‘location’ is the home of consciousness—not as a fixed
point, but as an open field where awareness is aware of itself.
Imagine an infinite number of mirrors, each folded into the
other, reflecting endlessly in all directions. Their infinite
reflections don’t fragment reality; instead, they converge into
one singular mirror—capable of reflecting everything, including
itself, from all angles and positions simultaneously.
This is not just a metaphor for perception but a reflection of
the very nature of consciousness—a phenomenon capable of
observing not only the world but also itself observing.
In this space, there is no center, yet everything feels
centered. This magic mirror doesn’t merely reflect images; it
reflects itself. When we
consciously choose to turn awareness inward, allowing
consciousness to observe itself, it reveals its own nature
through an endless
feedback loop—an infinite unfolding where the observer and
the observed dissolve into one seamless flow of self-knowing.
Here, in this mirror of mirrors, the boundaries between subject
and object dissolve. You are both the reflection and the one who
reflects, the seer and the seen.
But rather than accept this as a mere idea, I urge you to test
this for yourself. After reading this chapter, close your eyes
and step into your own inner world. Observe how this 'space'
behaves. Is there depth? Is there shape? Is it "somewhere" at
all? Notice how the mind tries to grasp it by trying to project
external space-time coordinates into it, only to find itself
dissolving into something more fundamental.
This is the medium of our inner reality—the space where
transformation unfolds. Now, let us explore its nature further.
Tony Woody: Crashing Into Consciousness To point out that I am not alone with these fudamental
strange findings hidden within, I will
examplfy its unique spatial characteristics based on
insights from a YouTube video, where former army pilot Tony
Woody recounts his profound and authentic near-death experience
during a plane crash:
Tony Woody’s account, though
rooted in the extremity of a near-death experience, offers a
rare glimpse into a consciousness unbound by the usual
constraints of identity and perception. What does this tell us
about the nature of space within? Perhaps it suggests that the
boundaries we assume—between self and other, within and
without—are more porous than we think. This brings us to the
curious interplay between expanded consciousness and 'reality'.
Although
I have commented this video elsewhere on this site, I would like to
specifically address his description of an exploding Pepsi can
in front of him in this context. The description begins at the
5:00-minute mark. Below is a transcription:
" ... and moving forward at 150
plus miles an hour and it had to have gapped the front corner of
that fire truck that's how close we came to it as it's spinning
without hitting it and and I just there's a difference between I
think I'm going to die and I'm dead and I know it there's a big
difference in that and that's where I was at and so when I was
out of body about that time he went into reverse thrust and
because we're on asphalt it's not planes don't normally travel
on there's a lot of dust and debris out there and somewhere from somewhere this pepsi can came up and shot across the
windshield from left to right it probably took milliseconds
right but It was slow motion. I'm seeing this thing
tumble pepsi. I could see pepsi. It's a pepsi can 12 ounces. I
could see that the fluid coming out of it - brown fluid and
then it atomized the fluid as it hit the air the wind that was
hitting it and the turbulence, and I started focusing on the
little bitty pieces of debris, and then all of a sudden I didn't
just have my outside perspective and the inside perspective. I
became the debris. I was where every tiny piece of debris was all
wrapping and rolling around each other, but I had a 360 degree
bubble vision view from every one of these millions of
perspectives at the tiniest piece of debris that was in the air
and I'm totally confused if you think it would be chaotic right
it was a bit confusing because I didn't understand what was
going on really but it was there was this uh this sublime
perfection going on everything was right where it was supposed
to be doing exactly what it was supposed to be doing exactly
when it was supposed to be doing it and everything was perfect.
I
had that I don't know how I knew that but I felt it it's more
like a feeling and an understanding and a knowing then but it
confused me at the same time."
- Tony Woody
Tony Woody's description reveals
an extraordinary shift in perception that transcends the
boundaries of ordinary experience. His account moves from a
moment of life-threatening danger into a deeply altered state of
consciousness that challenges the conventional understanding of
time, space, and identity. What begins as a hyper-focused
observation of a tumbling Pepsi can transforms into a profound
experience of unity, where the distinction between observer and
observed dissolves entirely.
The moment when he describes becoming the debris is a critical
turning point. He moves from perceiving the debris to embodying
it, experiencing reality from the perspective of countless
particles swirling in the air. This shift suggests a collapse of
the traditional subject-object dichotomy. The observer is no
longer separate from what is observed; instead, he becomes part
of the unfolding moment, experiencing it from multiple
simultaneous perspectives like mentioned in the mirror-analogy.
This could be interpreted as an experiential understanding of
non-duality — a concept found in mystical traditions where the self and the universe are
understood as one interconnected whole.
Woody’s description of “360-degree bubble vision” and the
ability to perceive from millions of viewpoints simultaneously
resonates with the idea of expanded consciousness. In this
state, spatial and temporal boundaries dissolve. He describes a
paradoxical sense of confusion alongside a profound recognition
of order: everything was "right where it was supposed to be,
doing exactly what it was supposed to be doing, exactly when it
was supposed to be doing it." This realization points to a
deeper, intuitive understanding of reality as inherently
structured and harmonious, even amidst apparent chaos.
Drawing from Woody's experience, we can explore the notion of
the “inner cathedral” — a metaphor for the sacred space within
consciousness where duality and non-duality coexist. In this
space, the observer and the observed merge, creating a place
beyond place where awareness expands beyond traditional
boundaries. Woody's experience of becoming the debris embodies
this concept. He is simultaneously everywhere and nowhere,
perceiving reality from countless vantage points while being
fully immersed in the unfolding moment.
This experience also invites us to consider the fluidity of
identity. Woody's shift from being an individual observer to
becoming the debris challenges the fixed notion of self. In this
expanded state, identity is not confined to a single body or
perspective but flows through the entirety of the experience.
The 'self' as consciousness becomes the entire field of perception — an
interconnected web of particles, each carrying its own viewpoint
within the collective whole.
From a theoretical perspective, Woody’s account can be seen as
an experiential manifestation of superposition, a concept from
quantum physics. In superposition, a particle exists in multiple
states simultaneously until observed. Similarly, Woody
experiences reality from countless perspectives at once,
embodying a multiplicity of viewpoints without being confined to
a single, fixed identity.
Like stepping into an infinite mirror, Woody’s experience
reveals how consciousness can collapse into itself, reflecting
reality not from one vantage point but from all—mirroring the
vast, boundaryless cathedral within.
The Morphing Shape of a
Consciousness that Discovers Itself Let us once again turn our conscious attention inward—not
merely to the sensory phenomena themselves, but to the very
shape of the vast awareness that holds them. As this inward gaze
deepens, consciousness begins to reveal a subtle yet profound
shift: it becomes capable of observing not just its contents,
but itself—the medium in which all inner experiences arise.
As explored in the chapter Meditative Pixellation, the conscious
act of observing sensory patterns, emotions, and feelings
dissolving into 'pixels' gradually transforms them into
something more fluid—into energy. But energy for what? This
energy appears to fuel consciousness itself. Viewed through a
biological lens, human consciousness feeds on the dynamic flow
of interoceptive energy within the body, creating a
self-sustaining feedback loop. As inner energy intensifies,
conscious awareness expands, and this very expansion, in turn,
generates more energy, reinforcing the cycle.
The Tibetan spiritual tradition, among others, emphasizes
dissolving blocks and tensions in the body as a means to expand
consciousness. The freer the flow of energy—or prana—within the
inner body, the more fuel there is to awaken and sustain higher
states of awareness. This, for me, is the esoteric meaning
behind the ancient Greek saying: 'A healthy soul in a healthy
body.' The body is not merely a vessel; it is a dynamic
energy field that both shapes and is shaped by the quality of
consciousness it contains.
In this self-amplifying process, consciousness not only
illuminates the energy patterns within but also gains the
capacity to perceive the container itself—the context that
space-holds this energy. The moment consciousness turns its gaze
toward its own spatial framework, something extraordinary
happens: the very borders of this inner space begin to shift and
morph in ways that defy conventional understanding.
This abstract, borderless border of consciousness becomes
perceptible precisely in the moment of expansion—after all,
without contrast, the notion of expansion would hold no meaning.
The spatiality of awareness becomes fluid, capable of expanding,
contracting, and even inverting upon itself, like a balloon
stretching beyond its own dimensions, from the infinitely vast
to the infinitesimally small, and back again.
Here lies a crucial insight: only a space that is consciously
self-aware—engaged in an
ouroboic feedback loop with itself—can undergo
such a transformation. As Einstein described the universe as an
entity that curves and folds into itself, so too does
consciousness when it becomes ‘ripe’ enough. This ripening is
not merely an intellectual achievement but an existential
threshold—a moment when awareness recognizes itself as both the
subject and the space it inhabits.
This ‘evolutionary’ moment, where consciousness turns upon
itself to become self-conscious, is radical. It breathes new
life into existence while simultaneously dissolving the
framework of our old life. It is both a birth and a death—a
profound metamorphosis that cannot be taken lightly. In this
sense, it is no child’s play.
Hence, my favorite Meister says:
'There are all too few who are
fully ripe for gazing in God's magic mirror.' —Meister Eckhart
This magic mirror is nothing other
than consciousness reflecting upon itself—an infinite feedback
loop where the seer and the seen, the knower and the known,
dissolve into a single, boundless conscious awareness.
The Limits of Language:
Consciousness Beyond Expansion
I am not a quantum physicist, but I dare to postulate that the
ouroboic space—unlike the external Newtonian space—is closer
to a
quantum space. Consciousness itself is the primordial ground
where quantum fields of superposition unfold. With this
intuition fresh in mind, we can return to Tony Woody’s account
of the exploding Pepsi can, where thousands of Pepsi droplets
did not merely appear before him—they became him.
This is why vocabulary borrowed from the quantum world feels, at
least intuitively, more fitting. Terms like superposition,
entanglement, and non-locality gesture toward realities that
transcend classical logic, hinting at the elusive, paradoxical
nature of consciousness. Yet even these concepts—groundbreaking
as they are—fall short. They are, after all, still rooted in the
descriptive models of the very universe that consciousness
upholds.
The crux of this limitation lies in a simple yet profound truth:
consciousness is primordial. It is not a phenomenon within the
universe, but the very ground from which the universe arises.
Consciousness is eo ipso—self-evident, self-originating, and
foundational. It precedes the quantum field, the fabric of
space-time, and any conceptual framework we attempt to impose
upon it.
Because consciousness is the condition for all perception and
understanding, it cannot be fully contained within the
structures it upholds. Trying to describe consciousness from
within the universe it makes possible is akin to asking a mirror
to reflect itself without an object before it. The reflection
requires a medium, yet consciousness is both the medium and the
reflection—simultaneously the canvas and the painting, the
silence and the song.
However, as mentioned often on this site, this limitation does not mean we should abandon the
attempt. On the contrary, the very act of trying brings us
closer to what
Emanuel Kant referred to as the Ding an sich—the
'thing-in-itself.' Though we are inevitably confined to
experiencing reality through the lens of the 'Ding für uns'—the
'thing-for-us,' filtered through perception and
cognition—there remains an innate drive to reach beyond these
boundaries. This striving is not futile; it is the evolutionary
pulse of consciousness itself, folding back to recognize its own
essence.
Each metaphor, each fragment of language, is like the enigmatic
footprints of the Buddha. Even when words fall short, they point, they hint,
they gesture toward the ineffable. Perhaps that is their highest
function—not to capture reality, but to remind us of its
vastness.
In this spirit, we continue to define consciousness in an
impossible dance with it. To articulate the inarticulable. To
stand, however briefly, in awe of the fact that we can even ask
the question.
With warm regards,
Gunnar Mühlmann
gunnars@mail.com
