LIFE IS THEATER
All creation, and all life in it, is Esse (God/Mind) fulfilling and amusing Itself by way of illusion and play-acting.
-- It simply is theater, in all respects, no matter how much we fail to recognize this TRUTH in our egoistic consciousness of individualized "self", and no matter how powerfully our beliefs and logic deny and reason against this essential TRUTH.
-- The essential theatricality of life is not just metaphysical mumbo-jumbo, based on nothing but mystical inspiration. It is FACT as provable as any of the latest scientific developments are provable as fact. It is born out by the latest developments on the cutting edge of current scientific investigation:
THE SETTING OF THE THEATER
In order for Esse to accomplish Its purpose of Self-entertainment by way of Its Cosmic Theater, It has provided Itself with the necessary ingredients for such theater:
THE STAGE
The stage upon which the Cosmic Drama is played out is what the human mind perceives as a Space/Time Continuum, consisting of three dimensional space coupled with the additional dimension of unidirectional time.
Physical/Material "Reality" (the 'props' used in the production) takes form within and upon this Stage (and, indeed, could not take physical/material form without such a stage in and upon which to do so).
The Cosmic Stage consists of all creation, and includes every possible form of existence within the infinitely multitudinous and varied possibilities available to Esse (God/Mind).The fundamental building blocks of physical/material reality are what we perceive as sub-atomic particles. These sub-atomic particles have no physical/material substance to them. They are 'energy' manifesting itself as materiality. (E=MC2).
As the God/Mind energy of Esse manifests Itself upon the stage of the space/time continuum as physical/material reality, It does so as every possibility along each spectrum of possibility as to type and form. No possibility is unmanifested, and no two are exactly alike.
In the manifestations along the line of the infinite spectrum of every possibility, each manifestation takes form as an individuated and discrete form. Physical manifestation can only take place within the stage of the space/time continuum, and requires finite boundaries in order to have any form at all. (Without definite boundaries there can be no form). Thus, every possibility is uniquely manifested, and in the process each manifestation is separated from the ones next to it along the spectrum by a timeless and dimensionless seam. Consequently, physical reality is individuated, and manifests in discontinuous, discrete and particulate 'jumps' rather than by a seamless flow of one manifestation into the next. There could be no form, and thus no 'existence', otherwise.
The ocean, agitated by wave energy, produces a froth of bubbles at its surface. Each bubble in the froth consists of the same 'stuff' as the rest of the ocean, and arises out of the body of that ocean 'stuff'. Although each bubble, and the froth that many such bubbles together produce, appear to be different from the main body of the ocean, they are so in appearance and form only. They arose from the ocean and are still a direct part of it, taking on a distinctive form only as the result of the unseen energy acting within the ocean in a particular way. When the energy within changes, the bubbles collapse and the froth disappears, all returning as a part of the once again undifferentiated ocean body.
(1). The ocean body and its froth of bubbles can be viewed as a metaphor for the Cosmic Stage of space/time and the manifestations of physical/material reality upon and within that stage. The ocean is the Cosmic Matrix, and the individual bubbles are the sub-atomic particles which manifest out of the Matrix. The froth of all the bubbles together is all physical reality in all of its multitudinous forms, including the form known to us as life, which includes individual human lives.
(2). Each human life can also be viewed as a bubble formed out of the Cosmic Matrix, all of which together form the froth of humanity, which in turn, together with all other life forms, make up the larger froth of Life.
(Why does Mind Energy, the undifferentiated, eternal and infinite Cosmic Matrix, manifest Itself as physical 'bubbles', and then go on to organize Its self-made bubbles of materiality into the multitudinous and kaleidoscopic forms of physical existence, including life forms, and including conscious life forms such as Man?
--Perhaps the better question to ask is, "Why would it not do this?"
--It does so because It can do it. And because in the doing, It finds satisfying occupation and entertainment. (God was lonely so He created the world and men to keep Him company -- the satisfaction of the amusement and entertainment of interesting company and the drama therein.).
THE PRODUCTION COMPANY
In human theatrical productions, the functions of producer, director, writer, actors, stage hands, etc., are performed by particular individuals. In the Cosmic Theater, however, Esse must do it all, because It is all there is. Nonetheless, Esse performs many aspects of these various functions by way of the physical forms in which It manifests Itself. This is especially true with respect to conscious manifestations, and ego conscious manifestations in particular. The manner in which these various functions are accomplished, and spread around and shared within various physical manifestations, is diagrammed below:
THE SCRIPT (Stageplay)
The Script for the Cosmic Drama consists of many levels. But for purposes of human use and understanding, we need only look at two levels.
The Master Script is 'written' by Esse, and defines the fundamentals of the setting for the various smaller scale dramas, all of which are taking place at one time, and the parameters of the various role types which are to be played out. Natural laws of physical matter are a part of the Master Script, as is the human role type of which every human being is an individual manifestation.
The human species as a whole has a great deal of input into its own overall script, as does each human culture within the species. The same holds true for each individual as to the various roles and dramatic developments which he will play out during his tenure on the stage.
This is true even though most individuals are not aware of it at a conscious level. Consequently, most human participation in script writing and role directing takes place at a non-conscious level. (It is the purpose of The Circle of Esse to bring this activity into a conscious level.).
THE AUDIENCE
The Stage and props for the Cosmic Drama (Space/time and physical/material reality) are all, in essence, the result of the Mind Energy of Esse manifesting Itself as such. And if there is to be an audience to enjoy this production, it, of necessity, must also be made up of the same Mind Energy.
And it is.
If God/Mind (Esse) were unable to forget, at least temporarily and partially, that It is the Stage and Production Company of the Theater as well as the audience, the whole purpose of the Theater would fail. Effective theater 'works' only to the extent that the audience is able to 'suspend disbelief' (at least temporarily) so as to be able to accept the illusion being presented on the stage as being "real", and thereby be able to 'get into' the unfolding drama. If any audience (including God/Mind acting as its own Audience) were unable to at least temporarily and partially forget that the play is only an illusion, it would constantly 'see through' the illusion, and the effect, and thus the whole purpose, of the effort would fail.
God/Mind accomplishes the required suspension of disbelief in the same manner as any audience does. It creates a partial amnesia by way of self-induced hypnosis within the parts of Itself which is viewing the production, as to the fundamental illusion which underlies the production.
The Theater of Human Life is but one sub-drama taking place within the ever broader and broader levels of the Cosmic Drama.
THE STAGE OF HUMAN THEATER
Human Theater takes place within a particular stage appropriate to it. From the perspective of the individual human being, the stage can be viewed in two aspects:
The human stage exists within a broader physical setting and context, every element of which has an impact upon all of the players. Every human being is a part of an immediate family, which is part of a larger family, which is part of yet ever larger social groupings, all of which form the human species, which is a part of all animal life, which is a function of the planet Earth, which is part of a particular solar system, which is part of a particular galaxy, which is part of a galactic cluster, which is part of the totality of the universe (Cosmic Stage). These contextual aspects of our stage and setting are not peripheral or unimportant. They form the context and setting in which our individual dramas are played out, and must be understood in order to understand the fundamentals of our very 'lives'.
Each human being must also operate within the boundaries of the general human role type as spelled out in the Master Script: