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From Dualism via Non-Dualism to Monism by the Druid Finn 1. Framing the Inquiry Human
conceptions of “God” and reality have shifted across time and cultures,
oscillating between dualist, non-dualist, and monist perspectives. Rather
than seeing these as competing metaphysical doctrines, we can reinterpret
them as developmental survival supports—analogous to phases of human
maturation. ·
God is here defined not as a
supernatural agent but as the Universal Procedure: the generative rule-set (like a Universal Turing Machine) from which all
identifiable realities emerge. ·
Man is a local, finite
iteration of this Universal Procedure, a temporary event expressing the rules
within specific constraints. Thus, the
three worldviews are expedient fictions that scaffold the maturing
capacity of human self-regulation: ·
Dualism (infantile stage) →
external dependence. ·
Non-dualism (juvenile stage) →
transitional self-regulation. ·
Monism (adult stage) → full
procedural autonomy. 2. Phase One: Dualism – The Infantile Stage Definition: God and
man are absolutely separate; God regulates man from
the outside. ·
This is the infantile stage of survival training.
The child depends entirely on external regulation—parents who feed, protect,
and punish. In cultural terms, God-as-external-father provides the
same function. ·
Early religions embody this: a commanding deity who
rewards obedience and punishes disobedience. The external order is necessary
because the infantile self cannot yet self-regulate. ·
Example: The Mosaic commandments function like
parental rules: “Do not steal. Do not kill.” These prohibitions create
predictable social order. Developmental
benefit: ·
Provides security and predictability. ·
Instills
obedience to rules before reasoning capacity matures. Toxic
effect when imposed outside its phase: ·
For adolescents or adults, enforced dualism
infantilizes. ·
It prevents self-regulation, producing guilt,
fear, or blind conformity. ·
Historical example: Theocratic systems punishing
free thought, thereby crippling cultural creativity. 3. Phase Two: Non-Dualism – The Juvenile Stage Definition: God is both
outside and within; man carries God internally but still refers to a higher
order. ·
As the child grows into adolescence, the parent’s
voice is internalized as conscience or reason. External authority fades into internalized
guidance. ·
Non-dualist philosophies—Upanishadic “Thou art
That,” Christian mysticism, or Sufi poetry—mirror this stage. The divine is
no longer remote but recognized as present within. ·
Example: Augustine’s dictum “God is closer to me
than I am to myself.” Developmental
benefit: ·
Trains the capacity for self-regulation while
retaining transitional support. ·
Allows experimentation, responsibility, and
creativity under the assurance of an internal compass. Toxic
effect when imposed outside its phase: ·
For infants, non-dualism is incomprehensible;
they need simple external rules, not subtle mystical metaphors. ·
For mature adults, clinging to a God-within model
prevents recognition of full autonomy. It sustains dependency disguised as
depth. ·
Example: Late scholastic mysticism collapsing
into quietism, where individuals abdicate
responsibility by “surrendering” to the divine within. 4. Phase Three: Monism – The Adult Stage Definition: Man is God;
there is no distinction. Every “I AM” is a direct iteration of the Universal
Procedure. ·
The adult no longer requires parental
supervision, whether external or internalized. The rules of life are embodied
and enacted directly. ·
In monism, the Universal Procedure is not “out
there” or “in here.” It is identical with the event of existence itself. The
individual recognizes: my being is already the expression of the universal
law. ·
Example: Spinoza’s Deus sive
Natura (“God or Nature”), or the Buddhist notion that “nirvana is samsara”
once ignorance is transcended. Developmental
benefit: ·
Provides the fullest autonomy. ·
Ends projection of authority, grounding survival in
direct recognition of self as universal event. ·
Supports creativity, maturity, and ethical action
without external compulsion. Toxic
effect when imposed outside its phase: ·
For infants, the idea “you are God” is
destructive, removing necessary external order. ·
For adolescents, it tempts premature arrogance,
confusing partial self-regulation with total autonomy (“spiritual bypassing,”
megalomania, or cult leadership). ·
Example: Gnostic sects or modern gurus
proclaiming divinity without the psychological maturity to embody procedural
responsibility. 5. The Evolutionary Function of the Three Phases The three
systems are not competing metaphysical truths but developmental expedients,
each valid only within its phase: ·
Dualism → necessary
discipline for the immature. ·
Non-dualism → transitional
training for growing autonomy. ·
Monism → final recognition
of procedural identity. Each
becomes toxic when misapplied: ·
Dualism infantilizes adults. ·
Non-dualism confuses infants and hinders
maturity. ·
Monism, if premature, produces delusion rather
than autonomy. Thus, the
health of individuals and cultures depends on correctly staging these
worldviews. 6. Implications for Philosophy and Religion This
developmental lens explains why religious and philosophical systems have
often clashed: each assumes universality for what is in fact a phase-specific
expedient. ·
The dualist theologian condemns the monist as
heretical. ·
The non-dualist mystic accuses the dualist of
superficiality. ·
The monist dismisses both as childish. But in reality, each speaks
to a different developmental need. 7. Conclusion: Toward Procedural Maturity If God is
the Universal Procedure, then every life is its local iteration. To mature is
to recognize this progressively: 1. First, as
dependence on external law (dualism). 2. Then, as
internalization of divine regulation (non-dualism). 3. Finally,
as direct embodiment of the Universal Procedure (monism). Each
stage is necessary; each is temporary. To mistake a temporary scaffolding for
ultimate truth is to arrest development. To move through them in order is to
mature into self-regulating autonomy—the recognition that man is
God, as event of the Universal Procedure. From regulated
continuity to discontinuous self-regulation |