This aspect is extremely subtle to experience. Its nature is the exact opposite of that of ego. The ego, of its very nature, has a rejecting attitude. Its defenses are based on the rejection of parts of experience. Its structure is never devoid of defense, which is rejection. The very presence of identification systems implies a subtle rejection of Being. This means that no part of ego is capable of accepting. The individuality of ego is incapable of Acceptance, because its very existence depends on a subtle attitude of rejection. The ego can only cease rejecting, but it cannot accept. The complete cessation of rejection is the absence of all defense and resistances. This precipitates the aspect of Acceptance. Thus Acceptance involves the cessation of ego, or of a segment of its structure.

The aspect of the Essence of the Essence, the source, and the various other aspects differentiating from it are all impersonal. When all of these differentiated aspects are realized, they are then integrated in a new synthesis, a synthesis that has a personal characteristic. This integration of all aspects of Essence into a new and personal synthesis is the pearl beyond price. So from the undifferentiated source, finally emerges a synthesis, a rounded personality that is essential.

Consciousness: this is another aspect that is sometimes regarded as a part of the lataif system. It is the Presence of Being as pure undifferentiated consciousness. It is consciousness of consciousness; as a delicate, fine, restful kind of presence. It is the capacity for inner absorption; for contemplating one's consciousness, by being absorbed in it. It is connected with the state sometimes called samadhi, because there is no mental activity or agitation in it.

The Sufis hold that Essence is one, but manifests in different qualities or aspects; and as we have seen, these qualities, which are part of the deep nature of a human being, can be readily experienced when the personality identifications which block the experience of space are surrendered and space is allowed.

The Impersonal aspect usually begins to appear in flashes of perception of a new reality. One becomes aware of a strange kind of awareness or perception, which is in some way constant, always there, that is not involved in whatever is happening. One becomes conscious of an awareness which is in complete contrast to one's ordinary personal awareness, which is always involved in the particulars of one's experience. At this point an awareness arises of the totality of the life process, sometimes in unexpected flashes and one sees the complete involvement of the personal consciousness in this life process. The awareness is perceived as separate from the personal consciousness, as if there is a background of constant, unchanging awareness that is always aware of what is happening, even though the personal consciousness is sometimes so involved in events that it is lost in them.

Space: this is the aspect that is the open dimension of the mind, which is its most inner nature. It is the experience of Being as a vast, clear and empty space. It is not an emptiness in the sense of lack, of something missing. It is the presence of Space; clear, light and immaculate. We have devoted a book, The Void, to this aspect. In that book, we develop the understanding that ego development is not only a matter of building mental structure, but that, because Space is the ontological nature of mind, these structures are built in the emptiness of Space. So ego structures are seen as structuralization of Space, building content in it instead of letting it be in its purity. This leads to the loss of this aspect.

Nourishment: This aspect of Being is equivalent to mother's milk on the physical level. Its issues are those of the oral stage; of nursing and weaning, of oral gratification and frustration. Its relationship to the Personal Essence is equivalent to the relationship of mother's milk to the infant -- it is the essential nourishment needed for the realization and development of the Personal Essence. It is the material needed for building the substance of the Personal Essence. That is why the longing for this aspect usually starts right after experiencing the Personal Essence.

In our view, Being has a final, irreducible simplicity that we call the absolute or absolute dimension. It is the original nature of everything, the source of all manifestations. Everything arises out of this ground and ultimately returns to it. This ground is totally mysterious and indeterminable, but implicitly contains all the perfections of spiritual nature. It manifests these perfections in a differentiated and explicit way within the soul as the essential aspects. So each aspect of Essence is a differentiated manifestation of an inherent, implicit perfection in the Absolute Essence, each explicitly expressing a specific quality and function. Each aspect serves to provide the soul with a quality and function needed for her life, development, and maturation. But centrally, each aspect reveals one of the perfections of the Absolute in the experience of the individual soul and its role in the relationship of the soul to the Absolute.

This is different from the aspect of Will already discussed. That aspect is a personal Will, one's own inner support, for one's own Presence and functioning. Universal Will is the capacity to support others. We use the term "universal" to differentiate it from personal. So a universal aspect is for everyone, and not just for the individual. This differentiation is clearly seen in the essential realm. Universal Will creates the sense of immense strength and solidity, a confidence in one's capacities in relation to others. Hence, it is quite important for personal relationships. When Universal Will is present the feeling is that one's personal Will is supported by a bigger, more immense and more universal Presence.

And the aspects of essence provide the soul with the true inner richness of which she is capable. These aspects give the soul her experience of, and capacity for, all that is precious and desirable for human beings and their life: love, sweetness, warmth, friendliness, kindness, empathy, clarity, discernment, discrimination, intelligence, synthesis, will, steadfastness, commitment, contact, personalness, humanness, gentleness, subtlety, refinement, openness, curiosity, happiness, enjoyment, exquisiteness, balance, courage, justice, detachment, objectivity, precision, spaciousness, expansion, depth, capacity, initiative, passion, fulfillment, satisfaction, contentment, nourishment, generosity, even individuation, identity, and existence. These essential qualities can be experienced directly, or through their effect on the soul. In other words, some of the descriptive terms refer to qualities of presence and others to the impact on the soul of this presence. The effect in the soul can be in her inner experience, her attitudes, or her actions and expressions. For example, the presence of the emerald aspect is the quality of loving-kindness or compassionate consciousness. It affects the soul by making her sensitive, empathic, and attuned. The presence of the ruby aspect is the presence of strength, and it impacts the soul by making her courageous, bold, energetic, and capable of initiative. The ruby or strength aspect also impacts the mind of the soul by sharpening her discriminating intelligence. The presence of the water aspect is the presence of the quality of humanness. It affects the soul by making her gentle, exquisitely ordinary, and vulnerable without fear. Satisfaction is the presence of a particular aspect, so is fulfillment, and so is contentment. Spaciousness is the experience of the presence of the space aspect, which affects the soul by making her open and receptive, not controlled by mental positions. In other words, essence, with all its aspects, provides the soul with the prototypes of her capacities and functions, as well as the qualities needed for her life with others.

One cannot be the Personal Essence, and function from its perspective, if there is an unconscious state of castration. On the other hand, the realization of Will means the cessation of ego activity. So Will is basically the support to be. When there is no Will there is bound to be fear, which can be experienced as a sensation of falling endlessly.