Given the resistance of the already Swindled mind to the message of this writing, the contents here can tend to come across as somewhat (totally?) absurd - at least initially. In order to minimize the tendency toward this appearance of absurdity (at least as best we can), please keep in mind the following as you go along here:
[1]. Need For Reading in Progression
This writing, hopefully, has been set forth in such a way as to reduce that tendency as much as possible, providing one reads it from front to back rather than 'skipping around'. If you do 'skip around', and it comes across as unbearably absurd, please keep this in mind.[2]. Typographical Conventions:
(a). The terms IGNORANCE, FEAR, LOVE, INSIGHT, BELIEF and POWER of CHOICE are often fully capitalized throughout this writing so as to emphasize the special meanings they have within the context of the Great Swindle, and their importance as concepts and elements within the Swindle.
(b). With respect to the concepts of Fact, Knowledge, Truth, and Reality, we are using lower case with quotation marks, and, capitalization with bolding so as to clearly highlight the distinctions being discussed here. Quotation marks and lower case indicate something which is perceived to be fully true, accurate, and correct, but is not ("knowing","fact", "truth", "reality"). Conversely, capitalization / bold indicates something which is fully true, accurate, and correct, whether it is recognized as being so or not (KNOWING, FACT, TRUTH, REALITY).
(c). With respect to the concept of 'self', when fully capitalized (SELF), we are referring to the Sense of Self operating on its higher octave at the level of the unitive Whole. When in lower case and quotes ("self"), we are referring to the Sense of Self operating on its lower octave at the level of the ego. When neither convention is applied (Self, self), we are speaking in a generic sense, including both the higher and lower octaves.
(d). The following three terms are consistently uniquely formatted as shown here throughout this writing, again, to emphasize their special meanings and importance within the Swindle: Erroneous "knowing", Conceit of Self, and 'Who? Little Ole Me?'.
[3]. Updates
The original manuscript was written during the latter part of the 1980's. Some updating was done during editing for book publication in 1991, during editing for the first HTML version in 1997, and for this revised HTML version in 2003. However, much of the original has not been changed to any great extent.
Consequently, some of the explanatory concepts and examples will be quite obviously strained as a result of changes having taken place since the original was written. In this regard, please keep in mind the following:
- The outdated concepts and examples will still make sense if one places himself within the
mind-set context of the time when the original was written.
- If the reader will analyze carefully, he will see the changes which have taken place actually reinforce the underlying validity of the
concepts promulgated rather than diluting their force.