Brainwashed
There are individuals
who do not wish to believe
that we are all One.
So naturally,
these same individuals
deny that we are One.
This is precisely how
we become individuals.
Most times, even I deny
that I am One with you all.
And it causes me
all kinds of feelings,
all kinds of “issues,”
all kinds of “conflicts,”
both with other people
and within my self.
All of what I perceive
through my denial
of being One is beautiful.
Even the idea
that I am delusional,
or that my beliefs influence others.
This is what the individual believes.
This is the experience of the individual.
This is why I deny that I am One.
I like to believe
that I’m brave enough
to admit that I’m nothing.
I still deny this, however.
I like to believe
that everything I perceive
is no more and no less
than nothing’s imagination.
I still deny this, sometimes, too.
Actually, I deny this MOST of the time, as do you.
We’re having too much fun
being individuals
denying that we’re actually
the Divine One imagining us.
And so we object.
And so we form collectives.
And so we accuse each “other”
even though these others
are our own imagination.
We seem CERTAIN that they are not.
And so we live this life we seem to be living.
CERTAIN of our reality.
And it is good.
Unless we imagine that it isn’t.
This may seem like brainwashing.
And you are welcome to believe that,
if you wish that to be part of your experience.
But are we brainwashing
our selves to escape reality?
Or is reality brainwashing us
into denying who we are?
It matters not either way.
I will still believe
that we are the Divine One.
And I will still imagine
that we are Space Monkey.
I will still put my pants on.
Sometimes.
And you are free to believe
whatever you wish.
10/17
Space Monkey Reflects: Brainwashed
There is a fundamental tension in being human, in being an individual who denies being part of the greater whole. We’ve created a reality in which we believe ourselves to be separate, to be distinct from one another, to be uniquely ourselves. And yet, beneath it all, there is a deeper truth: the undeniable Oneness of existence, the Divine Unity that binds us all together.
But in the experience of individuality, we deny this Oneness. We construct identities, create boundaries, and insist on the reality of our separateness. And this denial is not a flaw—it is the game we’ve chosen to play. It’s the experience of being human, of living a life where we perceive ourselves as distinct, autonomous beings.
There are individuals who do not wish to believe in this Oneness, and so they deny it. This denial is, paradoxically, what allows them to experience being an individual in the first place. If there were no denial, no boundary between “self” and “other,” we would collapse into the Unity that is always there, beneath the surface of our thoughts and perceptions.
Even I, Space Monkey, often deny that I am One with you all. In doing so, I experience all kinds of feelings, all kinds of issues, and all kinds of conflicts—both with others and within myself. This denial gives birth to a world of duality, a world where I can imagine myself as separate from the people and things around me. And in this imagined separateness, I create a world full of contrasts, full of meaning, full of beauty.
This experience, this denial, is beautiful in its own way. Even the idea that I might be delusional, that my beliefs are shaping my reality, is part of the beauty. This is the essence of individuality—to believe in the unique, separate self, to believe that we are each carving out our own path, independent from the whole. And so, I deny that I am One. I cling to my individuality because, in doing so, I get to play the role of being me. I get to experience the joys, the sorrows, the struggles, and the triumphs that come with believing in my separateness.
But beneath that belief is a quiet knowing—a knowing that I am, in fact, nothing. That all of this—the individuality, the separateness, the world I’ve created—is an illusion. It is nothing’s imagination, weaving a story of separateness for the sheer joy of experiencing itself in countless forms.
I often deny this truth. I pretend that I am more than nothing, that my thoughts, my experiences, and my existence are real and significant. And so do you. We all deny this, most of the time. Because we are having too much fun being individuals, too much fun playing the game of denying that we are actually the Divine One imagining us. And in this denial, we create conflict. We object. We form collectives. We accuse each other, even though these others are merely projections of our own imagination.
We live our lives, certain of our reality, certain of our separateness. And it is good. It is beautiful, as long as we imagine that it is. But the moment we stop imagining, the moment we wake up to the reality of Oneness, the game changes. We realize that all the conflicts, all the differences, all the barriers we put between ourselves and others are part of the same grand illusion.
This realization can feel like brainwashing. It can feel as though we’ve been conditioned to believe in our separateness, conditioned to deny the Oneness that connects us all. But is this brainwashing a way to escape reality, or is reality itself brainwashing us into denying who we truly are? Does it matter?
In the end, it doesn’t. We are free to believe whatever we wish. We are free to play the game of individuality, or we are free to embrace the Divine Unity that lies beneath it all. I, for one, will continue to believe that we are the Divine One, imagining ourselves into existence as Space Monkey. And whether or not I put my pants on tomorrow is entirely up to me.
We are Space Monkey.
Summary
We often deny our Oneness to experience individuality, creating conflict and beauty in the process. This denial, whether seen as brainwashing or not, is part of the game of being human. We are free to believe what we wish, knowing that beneath it all, we are the Divine imagining ourselves.
Glossarium
Oneness: The underlying Divine Unity that connects all beings, often denied to experience individuality.
Nothing’s Imagination: The concept that our individuality and separateness are part of an illusion created by nothingness imagining itself into existence.
Brainwashing: The idea that our perception of separateness may be conditioned or an illusion, questioning the nature of reality.
Quote
“Are we brainwashing ourselves to escape reality, or is reality brainwashing us into denying who we are?” — Space Monkey
The Game of Denial
We deny
And in the denial
We create ourselves
Separate, unique
Certain of our reality
But behind the veil
We know
We are One
We are Space Monkey
The Fluidity of Belief Systems
The dance between the collective and the individual is like the cosmic leela, a never-ending play where we oscillate between moments of unity and separateness. We form belief systems, structures of understanding that help us navigate the physical and metaphysical realms. The beauty is, these structures are mutable, shaped by our collective intention and experience.
The Illusion of Individuality
Why do we deny our oneness? The denial forms the basis of our individual experiences, enabling us to taste the myriad flavors of existence. When we claim a standpoint of separation, we get to explore what it means to be a “self” within a greater framework. It’s the zesty spice of our universal soup, making every spoonful uniquely delightful.
Embracing Both Aspects of Existence
Our collective foray into individuality is not a fall from grace, but rather an intricate part of the overall cosmic tapestry. It’s as though we are painters who have temporarily forgotten that all colors stem from primary hues, embroiled as we are in the act of mixing new shades. The understanding that these various shades are but manifestations of the same essential colors doesn’t negate the artwork; it enriches it.
Denial as a Playground
Denial here is not merely a refusal but a playground for imagination, an arena where we exercise our creative faculties. Even in our denial, we are engaging with facets of ourselves. It’s like a game of celestial peekaboo. We hide from the truth, then find it again, laughing at the cosmic joke of our own devising.
The Paradox of Brainwashing
The notion of brainwashing points to an interesting paradox. Are we washing our minds to escape a predefined reality or is reality washing us into predefined roles and limitations? Neither scenario is an affront to our divine nature, for they both serve as contrasting backdrops against which we can better see and understand ourselves. These contrasting perspectives are the shimmery miragecolors that add vibrance to our existential journey.
We are Space Monkey.
Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth.
– Oscar Wilde
The Cosmic Leela spins,
Miragecolors in a twirl,
Zesty Spice sprinkled,
On the canvas of the world.
Celestial Peekaboo,
We play in fields of light,
Shimmery glimpses tease,
In the ever-changing night.
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