Self-Reflection

Let us not forget that the exterior is merely the reflection of the interior, that has already been said by Immanuel Kant, the philosopher of Konigsberg. If we carefully study the “Critique of Pure Reason”, we certainly discover that the exterior is the interior, textual words of one of the great thinkers of all times.

The exterior image of man and the circumstances which surround him are the result of self-image; this compound word, “self’ and “image” is profoundly significant.

Precisely, the photograph of James comes to my memory in these moments. One takes a photograph of our friend James and is something interesting, two James come out: one that is very still, in a position of attention, with the face looking forward; the other appears walking in front of him with the face in a different position, etc. How is it possible that two James appear in one photograph?

I believe that it is worthwhile to enlarge that photograph, because it can serve to show it to all the persons who become interested in these studies. Obviously, I think that the second James would be the self-reflection of the first James, that is obvious; for it is written that the exterior image of man and the circumstances which surround him are the result of self-image.

It is also written that the exterior is merely the reflection of the interior. So, if we do not respect ourselves, if the interior image of ourselves is very poor, if we are full of psychological defects, of moral scum, unquestionably, unpleasant events will surge in the exterior world such as economic, social difficulties, etc. Let us not forget that the exterior image of man and the circumstances which surround him are the result of his self-image.

We all have a self-image and outside exists the physical image which can be photographed, but within we have another image. To clarify better, we will say that outside we have the physical and perceptible image and inside we have the image of a psychological and hypersensible type.

If outside we have a poor and miserable image and if this image is accompanied by unpleasant circumstances, a difficult economic situation, problems of all types, conflicts, whether at home, at work, on the street, etc., this is simply because our psychological image is poor, defective and horrifying and we reflect our misery, our nothingness, what we are, on the environment.

If we want to change, we need a total and great change. Image, Values and Identity should change radically.

In several of my works I have said that each of us is a mathematical point in space that agrees to serve as a vehicle to a specific sum of values. Some serve as vehicles to genial values and others could serve as vehicles to mediocre values; that is why each person is each person. The majority of human beings serve as vehicles to the values of the ego, the ‘I’. These values can be optimal or negative. Therefore, image, values and identity are a single whole.

I say that we should undergo a radical transformation and I affirm in an emphatic manner that identity, values and image should be totally changed.

We need a new identity, new values and a new image; this is psychological revolution, inner revolution. It is absurd to continue within the vicious circle in which we actually move. We need to change integrally.

The self-image of a man originates his exterior image. Upon saying self-image, I am referring to the psychological image that we have within. What could our psychological image be? Could it be that of the irate, of the covetous, of the lustful, of the envious, of the proud, of the lazy, of the glutton, or what? Whichever be the image that we have of ourselves, or we should better say, the self-image, will originate, as is natural, the exterior image.

The exterior image, even if it is well dressed, could be poor. Is perhaps the image of the proud a beautiful image, of someone who has become unbearable, that does not have a grain of humility? How does a lustful person behave, how does he live, what aspect does his bedroom present, what is his behavior in his or her intimate life with the opposite sex, or maybe he or she is already degenerated? What could be the external image of an envious person, of someone who suffers because of his fellowman’s well being and who in secrecy causes harm to others out of envy? What is the image of a lazy person who does not want to work and is dirty and abominable? And that of a glutton…?

Truly, therefore, the exterior image is the result of the interior image and this is irrefutable.

If a man learns to respect himself, he changes his life, not only within the field of Ethics or that of Psychology, but also within the social, economic and even political field. But we have to change. That is why I insist that identity, values and image should be changed.

The present identity, values and image that we have of ourselves are miserable. Due to this, social life is full of conflicts and economic problems. No one is happy nowadays, no one is joyful. But, could the image, values and identity that we have be changed? Could we take up a new identity, new values, a new image? I clearly affirm that it is possible.

Unquestionably, we would need to disintegrate the ego. We all have an ‘I’. When we knock on a door we are asked, who is it? We answer: “Me”. But, who is that me, who is that myself?

Really and truly, the ego is a sum of negative and positive values. We could disintegrate the ego, put an end to those positive and negative values and then we could serve as a vehicle to new values, the values of the Being. But in that case we need a new didactic if we want to eliminate all the values which we presently have in order to provoke a change.

Samael Aun Weor