REPRESENTATION

 

Introduction

 

Each realm—gross-mental, psychic, subtle, and causal—underpins human experience and its unfolding, with the corresponding sub-systems of mind, psyche, and soul subsidiary to permeant spirit, each concurrently operating within its own sphere of influence. Whereas the specialized mind interprets according to its lens—filtering light already refracted from cascading spirit bending perspectival-ward through soul and psyche, before assuming its role—the other dimensions of this subsidiary system know themselves independently of such objectification: Through value-relations, psyche relates within the psychic tier (second-person perspective), illuminating our state, soul resonates within the subtle tier (first-person perspective), and unified with the field from which all subsists, unconditioned spirit abides as the causal tier (zero-person perspective)—each principality bearing an inherent dignity apart from the mind’s cognitive reach. Yet to render them intelligible, the specialized mind crafts schematic templates: rational reconstructions bridging their intrinsic nature to explicit awareness (third-person perspective). These interpretive structures do not arise organically from the dimensions themselves—except where the mind’s linearity mirrors its own structuring— but are imposed by the mind, refracting the perspectival mode of each domain into abstract representations.

 

 

Overview 

 

To this end, the mind employs four distinct schematic templates—3P cognitive representations of 3P mind, 2P psyche, 1P soul, and 0P spirit—structuring multi-dimensional human experience and its unfolding:

 

• Linear Representation: Frames the cognitive structuring of the 3P mind as progressive differentiation, tracing perspectival selfhood through objectified stages of development.

• Cyclical Representation: Highlights the conative dynamism of the 2P psyche through rhythmic transitions and recursive return, depicting its alchemical transmutations. 

• Radial Representation: Expresses the affective resonance of the 1P soul, radiating luminous continuity throughout life.  

• Centrepoint Representation: Signifies the existential unity of 0P spirit, dissolving distinctions into seamless transparency. 

 

From stark differentiation to dynamic interplay, suffusive resonance, and seamless unification, these templates together reflect the mind’s attempt to make sense of the full span of human experience.

 

 

Representative Models

 

Linear Model of Formative Growth 

 

Consider the following representative example of a linear model. While a linear framework is commonly employed by developmental stage theorists to characterize growth as an accumulative, hierarchical progression, segmented into stages based on overarching psychological, behavioral, and physiological patterns, they often prioritize cognitive development as the central organizing principle. This model follows that broad structure, explicitly emphasizing perspectival shifts as the key trajectory of growth.

 

From this formulation, development appears as a process of self-formation, where awareness emerges through progressive differentiation from embeddedness in experience—allowing for greater detachment and reflection. Each stage reorganizes awareness, advancing perspectival complexity as the self becomes increasingly distinct from the world.​
 

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This model traces the progressive differentiation of subject from object, culminating in identity with the purified subject, which can no longer be made an object of awareness or deconstructed. From here, a 5th-person Supra-(Ob)jectivity (Transcendental Consciousness), we could theoretically go on to postulate a 6th-person Supra-Immanence (Immanent Being), 7th-person Supra-Radiance (Radiant Heart), and 8th-person Supra-Permeance (Permeant Beyond). 

 

As with all rational reconstructions, this representational pattern serves to simplify human life and unfolding, not account for every aspect of it. The linear framework specifically renders explicit the structuring tendencies of the mind itself, particularly as they become evident from a later, fourth-person perspective—where one begins to recognize developmental trajectories, both in the progressive unfolding of perspective itself, and in the underlying structures that shape cognition.

 

However, for every window of insight, a shadow is cast. To illuminate what lies obscured by privileging linear frameworks, we turn to complementary representations—each emphasizing a dimension of human experience—bringing into relief modes of knowing that might otherwise remain underappreciated.

 

 

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Cyclical Model of Recursive Integration 

 

Emphasizing cycles of lateral and dynamic integration over mere upward expansion and the disembedded trajectory of gain as conceived by the mind, the psyche’s romantic sensibility intuits a lost wholeness—one that, like the return of the seasons, whispers of renewal. The following representative model offers one possible mental representation of unfolding as experienced by the psyche, distilling its lived transitions into a structured framework.

 

In the words of Lao Tse, "Reaching out in space implies far reaching. Far reaching implies reversion to the original point." In the context of development, far-reaching symbolizes the differentiation that leads to the breakthrough of supra-differentiated consciousness, constituting a pivotal inflection point. Reversion signifies acclimation, prompting a cyclical process of integration, emanation, and, finally, permeation back to the original point, thereby balancing cognitive, conative, affective, and existential dimensions. The hallmark of this journey is reclamation—previously differentiated planes, at times partially dissociated from, are now reclaimed in supra-conscious awareness. Hence, the adage: "The way forward is the way back."

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As the Delta cycle outlined in the table above completes its full circuit, integrating and extending beyond the shorter cycles, it culminates in the clarity of supra-consciousness, permeating and reclaiming the peaceful serenity of infancy—depicting the strength of clarity able to withstand re-entry into deep sleep without unconscious regression. This cyclical journey returns to its origin, allowing us, as T.S. Eliot writes, to know the place for the first time.

 

These structural arcs only gesture toward the deeper rhythms of life itself—woven into daily habits, seasonal returns, generational patterns, and the mythic cycles of descent and renewal. Psychological accounts, such as Jordan Peterson’s emphasis on the voluntary transformation of chaos into habitable order, highlight the conative demand of embodied engagement: to bear responsibility, navigate meaning, and act in the world. While linear abstraction may provide distance and insight, it is the psyche that carries us through, responding not only to complexity but to crisis, forging integration through lived encounter. The Hero’s Journey meta-narrative offers an archetypal template of how this rhythm plays out with a call to adventure—followed by departure, initiation, and return—the soul’s vision echoed in the psyche’s striving. Yet, something more than return compels us forward: a sensed resonance with what could be, as if shaped by a future—an energetic signature or promise—that draws us toward it. This intimation of continuity, more affective than structural, calls us to the next horizon—the radial. 

 

 

Radial Model of Resonant Illumination

 

While linear and, to a lesser extent, cyclical models have found formal expression, the radial remains elusive—rarely mapped, more often felt. Perhaps this is not an oversight but a reflection of the subtlety of its nature: where the linear unfolds in clear structural sequence and the cyclical in a pattern of return, the radial shines from a subtle center—suffusive rather than structured or dynamic. Still, antecedents exist. In metaphysical traditions such as Neoplatonism and the vision of Sri Aurobindo, we find emanative frameworks wherein divine light descends into being. These describe not an ascent toward transcendence, but an alignment with it—drawn forth by the magnetism of a higher attractor field. In more recent spiritual literature, thinkers such as Wayne Dyer (The Power of Intention) and the Law of Attraction teachings describe reality as shaped by vibrational alignment with a source energy—unsystematized, yet radial in tone.

 

Rather than striving toward a clearer horizon or retracing our steps toward a lost wholeness, the radial opens us to the luminous continuity of the soul—connecting past and future from an illuminated present. If linear models emphasize formative growth, and cyclical models articulate recursive integration, then radial models reflect an emanative structure, whose felt mode of access is resonant illumination. These represent the structural character of each model thus far. Yet just as their structures differ, so too do their modes of experiential access: linear models are approached through reflective cognition, cyclical models through participatory meaning, and the radial reveals itself through resonance—an illumination felt in the heart, the seat of the soul.

 

Rather than emphasizing differentiated structures (perspectivity) or inter-dynamic relationship (perspicacity), the radial highlights alignment with emotional tones and frequencies—what we might call proximity. Attuning to the quality of subjectivity, this approach reveals how the emotional, energetic, or vibrational charge of our state imbues the breadth of experience. When aligned, this resonance brings forth clarity, wholeness, connection, and peace—qualities that serve as guiding touchstones throughout life. Yet as differentiation unfolds, this passive attunement often recedes, calling for active cultivation to sustain alignment. This cultivation is not a matter of striving, but of softening—an openness, sensitivity, and receptivity to the light already shining.

 

Still, access to this resonance may fade over time. As layers of selfhood accumulate through the course of self-formation, we may lose touch with the subtle alignment that was once passively given. The light does not waver—we do. It is not the source that fades, but our sensitivity that dulls, our attention that drifts, our tuning that slips. As the complexities of mind and psyche deepen, we can fall out of rapport with the soul. Misalignment then manifests: clarity may blur, wholeness fragment, connection fade, and peace give way to restless seeking. And yet, even in dissonance, the potential for realignment endures. Beneath the noise, a subtle pull remains—traces of resonance that draw us back toward the light. Over the course of self-formation, four core touchstones of illumination naturally emerge: liberation as the resting ground of spirit, beauty as the radiance of soul, goodness as the compass of psyche, and truth as the guiding light of mind. These orient us when resonance wanes, drawing us back into subtle alignment.

 
 

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Like a flower before the fruit, illumination precedes deeper realization. It invites attunement, allowing the self to align with truth, goodness, beauty, and peace. Sustaining a luminous thread of resonance throughout life, this approach draws us inward—toward our core—preparing the ground for unification. Just as courtship precedes consummation, illumination serves as an intimation of what lies beyond resonance: unification itself. Unlike the centrepoint model, which represents the dissolution of the separate self, the radial model depicts a mode of alignment within experience. Rather than dissolving into light, the self orients toward it, allowing its radiance to suffuse awareness without effacing individuality.

 

 

Centrepoint Model and Degrees of Unification

 

Beyond intimate communion with subtle qualities of the field, our individuated subjectivity—the limited sense of self we once identified with—distills into transparent unity, revealing an identity at one with the field. Whereas the radial approach invites us to draw near the fire, the centrepoint lens reveals what becomes of the self once it steps into the flame.

 

Initially, a breakthrough is experienced transcendentally around the head, where the separate self-sense begins to give way. As the process deepens, unification becomes immanent within the psychic realm, rendering our inner being wholly unified. With further refinement, the subtle tier exhibits a radiant unification, transforming the self into a translucent medium in which self and other—one and many—radially connect as light diffuses through thinning boundaries. At this stage, the self is still present, though increasingly luminous and diaphanous. Ultimately, as the separate self is fully absorbed into the field, our identity is revealed to be at one with its permeance.

 

As the separate self becomes increasingly transparent, each phase of unification dissolves lingering dualities and deepens our oneness with the field. The table below outlines a representative framework of this unfolding, tracing the process of unification—from transcendent to immanent, then radiant, and ultimately to permeant unification, in which all duality between self and field falls away.

 
 

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Rather than a hierarchical higher-over-lower ranking of objective, independent structures (as reflected upon by the mind), or the ecological interdependence of parts-to-whole (as sustained by the psyche), or even the harmonic suffusion of one-and-many (as felt by the soul), Spirit is that which permeates unconditionally. Precipitating through all levels of existence, the “higher,” or “whole,” or “one” serves the “lower,” or “part,” or “many,” as emptiness pervades form. Not a being alongside other beings, but the ungraspable ground through which all coherence unfolds, Spirit may be conceived by the mind as that which is most impartial, perceived by the psyche as that which is most whole, and felt by the soul as that which most lovingly connects. Thus, Spirit becomes the terminal clarity toward which the mind ascends, the sustaining condition from which the psyche draws, and the radiant source from which the soul emanates its all-uniting love.

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Everything is a perfect expression of the unified field, the essence of which all things partake. The radical equity of this suchness (tathatā) pervades all that is—realized or not—in a rock as much as in an enlightened being. It is a peace that saturates reality, even when the surface appears turbulent. Whatever the experience, Spirit—as existence itself—is not something particular that arises within it, but that through which all experience unfolds—throughout all particularity.

 

 

Conclusion

 

While each model—linear, cyclical, radial, and centrepoint—is a third-person construction, what is represented differs in experiential register. Linear models render the formative structuring of mind, approached through reflective cognition (3P). Cyclical models capture the relational dynamics of the psyche, engaged through participatory meaning and value-laden movement (2P). Radial models trace the vibrational resonance of the soul, oriented by affective states and inner alignment (1P). And centrepoint models gesture toward existential unification with spirit, not through attunement alone, but through transparent surrender into the all-pervading field (0P).

Reflected through the mind, these 3P representations--linear, cyclical, radial, and centrepoint models--fit within a fourfold fractal interface of mind, psyche, soul, and spirit, joined by 2P purifications (differentiation, integration, emanation, permeation), 1P illuminations (clarity, wholeness, connection, peace), and 0P unifications (Transcendental Consciousness, Immanent Being, Radiant Heart, Permeant Beyond). Together, they reflect fractal coherence--inviting not only reflection, but lived engagement.