Finding Personal Affirmation in Consciousness
When a child becomes self-aware, they ask themselves the profound philosophical question, “Who am I?” This is, of course, the very definition of self-awareness.
The child looks around for validation and finds their family. The child is loved by family, friends, and members of the extended clan or tribe. And so the child finds its sense of self-worth and validation, of meaning, purpose, and identity — in the love the child receives from and gives to their family, friends, relatives, clanspeople, and tribe.
Seeking Validation in Adult Life
As a child grows into adulthood, they seek validation from other directions. Typically, the average adult derives their sense of identity, validation, and personal worth from the tribe, the nation, the prevailing culture, the surrounding ethnic group, institutional affiliation (e.g., an academic or cultural institution), or a political ideology or movement. Seeking and finding a sense of identity and validation are basic needs for the human psyche. That is why disaffected urban youth invariably end up as gang members — because belonging to a street gang gives them a sense of identity, validation, and self-worth in a world where nothing else, apparently, does.
In the postmodern urban world, most working professionals seem to find their sense of self-worth and identity from corporations and corporate affiliation, in some form. It is as if people find personal validation by aligning their individual identity with a corporate brand — as if the corporate brand name has become a substitute for individual identity. In some cases, personal identity becomes corporate identity, as when corporations flaunt their founders’ names in their corporate logos. Ultimately, people assume that because corporations are more durable than human beings, tying one’s identity to a corporation ensures the survival of personal identity for a longer period.
Professional athletes often sport corporate logos on their sports attire
Professional athletes often sport corporate logos on their attire to indicate corporate sponsorship and affiliation. Perhaps this is an example of a two-way street of validation sharing — the corporate logo validates the athlete’s name and identity, and, by the same token, the athlete’s identity validates the corporate identity — each through their affiliation with the other.
We all seek sources of validation and affirmation of our identity because, without them, we would be confronted with the abyss — the prospect of the apparent meaninglessness of our existence.
Think, for example, of the stereotypical military dictator of some banana republic — a chest full of badges, medals and medallions, sashes, gold chains and other military regalia adorning their outfit. There is a reason for this over-the-top jewelry and adornment — it’s simple self-affirmation and personal validation. Even a narcissistic personality like the dictator must find it somewhere, so they seek it in gilded adornment and regalia, in having their name plastered on the walls of prominent buildings and street corners, in having statues erected in the city square, and from a public coerced into reverence and awe by these ostentatious displays of extravagance.
Dictators often seek personal validation in gilded ornament and exaggerated military regalia
Even the quintessential “heroic” personality, for all their personal courage and heroic attributes, is ultimately defined by the community that reveres and adores them. If an individual’s actions serve or benefit the community at large, they are venerated as a hero, a savior, a messianic figure. If, on the other hand, their actions inflict damage, destruction, or havoc on the community, the same individual would be reviled as a monster or enemy — despised, alienated, and condemned.
The Ultimate Source of Validation
But beyond all these subjective sources of temporal validation, we must ask ourselves, “What is our ultimate source of validation?” Where do we truly find our ultimate identity? What gives us our true sense of self-worth? Of purpose and meaning in life?
Philosopher René Descartes said, “Cogito, ergo sum.” I think, therefore, I am. This statement seems to connect our sense of being with our capacity for conscious thought and the very self-awareness that leads us to seek meaning, purpose, and validation in the first place.
Philosopher René Descartes said, “Cogito, ergo sum.” I think, therefore, I am.
I would go one step further, however, rephrasing the statement thus: “I am, therefore I am.” In other words, our meaning, purpose, and validation come from our very Being, our very existence, and nothing else. Meaning, purpose, validation, significance, value — these are our innate, inherent birthright by virtue of our very Being, our very existence. They are ours to have and to claim by virtue of our Being.
The Image of God
The statement “I am, therefore I am” is, interestingly, quite similar to the name of God as cited in the Biblical book of Exodus — the name by which the Biblical God of Moses identifies Himself:
And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I am come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?
And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.
KJV, Exodus, 3:13-14
We exist and have being, and, therefore, we have validation, identity, meaning, purpose, and self-worth. It is ingrained in us by virtue of our very Being, nothing less. Of course, we have to claim this identity for ourselves, and to do so, we need to be conscious and self-aware. This is how the Cartesian idea of identity, arising from thought, fits in. However, the important difference between Cartesian philosophy and the idea of inherent self-validation is that identity does not arise from thinking — rather, it precedes thinking and arises from mere Being. Nevertheless, it requires thought and cognitive self-awareness to lay claim to it.
God identifies Himself to Moses, in the Bible, with the name I AM THAT I AM
No one else can take away one’s sense of individual identity, self-worth, meaning, or purpose, therefore. It is ingrained in us, in our very Being. Perhaps we can be intimidated into conforming to the group — into surrendering our sense of identity to fit in with the crowd. Perhaps that is what it means, in part, at least, to become a slave. To lose or surrender one’s very sense of worth, identity, and selfhood to some external agency. To have an external identity stamped upon one’s own soul.
We are made in the image of God, as stated in the Biblical book of Genesis:
And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
KJV, Genesis, 1:26-27
This is to say that our identity, as human beings, exists in our being-ness, even as God’s identity exists in God’s being-ness. In this way, our individual identity is directly connected with the Divine identity, which is to say, “I AM THAT I AM.”
Possession, Idolatry, and Enslavement
In a sense, therefore, when one assumes the identity of some soulless corporation, or some nation, culture, religion, or ethnic group, one, in effect, relinquishes a part of one’s humanity, one’s soul, one’s very identity, to this external agency. One becomes possessed by this external agency, as its identity is stamped upon one’s own, which becomes reshaped in the mold of that corporate, national, religious, or ethnic identity. In the same way that someone can become demonically possessed (supposedly or mythically), which is to say, have some external demonic entity inhabit one’s body and take over one’s identity and soul, one can, similarly, become possessed by any external agency that stamps its identity upon us and enslaves us. Thus, we can become “possessed” by any corporation, religion, culture, or ethnicity to which we lend our own identity, and that reshapes our identity by stamping its identity upon ours.
When we allow our identity to be “taken over” or “possessed” by some external agency or affiliation, we have, in effect, committed idolatry and/or become possessed and enslaved by this external agency, which may, again, be a corporation, religion, culture, ethnicity, tribe, or whatever. When we allow our identity to be defined by anything other than our own being-ness, therefore, we have committed idolatry and/or have become possessed and enslaved.
When we allow our identity to be defined by anything other than our own being-ness,
we have committed idolatry and/or have become possessed and enslaved.
Obviously, this is a rather radical, extreme statement, but if one takes the trouble to study it carefully, the meaning will become clear. The meaning is simply this — if we are made in the image of God, so that our identity is defined by our being-ness, even as God’s own identity is defined by God’s being-ness, then to allow anything other than our being-ness to define our identity is to commit idolatry against God. And that includes religious or tribal identity. If we claim that our identity is based on religious, tribal, or any other affiliation rather than on simple being-ness, then we have committed idolatry, in effect. This is a rather complex idea that, perhaps, needs some reflection!
In summation, if we voluntarily secede our sense of identity to some external agency — some “idol,” in effect — that is the essence of idolatry. On the other hand, if some external agency coerces us, against our will, to involuntarily accept the stamp of their identity over our own — that is the essence of enslavement. In either case, the individual faces the loss of identity and, with it, of a sense of self-worth, meaning, and purpose. One has to act, therefore, to reclaim one’s identity, one’s sense of individual being-ness.
Technological Alienation
In the 21st Century, we are faced with a level of identity theft and destruction that has never been experienced before by any of our ancestors, arguably, not even by slaves under the authoritarian regimes of the past. We face technological alienation, leading to the complete loss of identity, individuality, meaning, and purpose. Our immersion in technology threatens to rob us of everything that makes us recognizably human — even our very identity. In fact, the nation of Denmark recently proposed legislation to protect the identity of its citizens under copyright law — to prevent the theft of a citizen’s face, voice, and body by AI Deepfake technology! So dehumanizing has AI technology become — so destructive of the human identity and soul.
We face technological alienation, which threatens to rob us of our identity and humanity.
Technology induces a sense of disconnection and alienation from nature, the organic, and humanity, all of which are critical to affirming an individual’s sense of innate, organic identity and selfhood. The technological lifestyle of mechanistic wage-slavery, isolation, and subservience to the corporate techno-elite all contribute to the technologically-induced identity crisis that we all face in the postmodern world.
Technology has no sense of Being — AI is not (genuinely) self-aware and, arguably, never will be. AI is soulless technology. On the other hand, the human individual has a soul, an identity, which is defined by their being-ness and their profound connection to the ultimate Source of all consciousness and Being, the Divine I AM. Technology, therefore, cannot replace our fundamental sense of Being and identity — unless we cede our identity over to technology of our own volition. If we allow synthetic implants in our brains, for example, to do our thinking for us, or even if we allow ourselves to become overly dependent on our tech to the point that we are unable to function meaningfully without it, then we have, to some degree, allowed ourselves to become enslaved by our tech. Perhaps we need to read the legalese in the terms of use for our devices more carefully in the future!
We have, in effect, signed away a part of our souls to our tech.
Nevertheless, by virtue of our unthinking acquiescence to the convenience that technology affords us in our lives, we are, in effect, signing away our souls, one fragment at a time, until the day might arise, sooner than we think, when we discover that we literally have no individuality, volition, or self-determination left. We might find that we are cyborgs with technological implants in our bodies and brains, under constant corporate and government surveillance, with no freedom or self-determination left in our lives — literally enslaved to our technology and to the techno-elite!
Reconnecting with the Source of Identity
Meditative practices, especially (in my personal experience) TM (Transcendental Meditation), put us in direct connection with Pure Being or Infinite Consciousness — with the Divine I AM, the Source of all being and consciousness. The amazing thing about such practices is how directly accessible the Infinite Consciousness really is to all of us. God is not some distant, frowning, bearded, judgmental, thunderbolt-wielding old man sitting on a cloud in the sky. Rather, God is right with you when you close your eyes and recite the TM mantra or incantation (or follow some other similar practice). God is immediately, directly accessible to you — to anyone.
Upon connecting with Divine Being — the I AM of Infinite awareness — one experiences immediate validation. One finds meaning, purpose, individuality, and self-worth simply upon connecting the Infinite I AM — beyond any verbal or symbolic medium of communication or expression. This sense of validation is direct, immediate, deep, nonverbal, and intensely heartfelt. It is the warm glow of being accepted by Infinite Consciousness, a feeling of homecoming and fulfillment. It supersedes any sense of national, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, corporate, or other identity one may otherwise imagine having, or that one may have been brainwashed into accepting and believing.
No one and no agency can take away this immediate sense of validation that one receives upon coming into direct contact with the Infinite, Divine I AM of Being. It is a free gift to all of humanity — to anyone who connects with Source. Identity, validation, meaning, purpose, and the sense of self-worth are the inherent birthright of every individual — we all have it from birth, regardless of our cultural, ethnic, religious, ideological, party, corporate, tribal, or other affiliation.
Upon connecting with Divine Being — the I AM of Infinite awareness —
one experiences immediate validation.
Reclaiming our Identity
Thus, we have identity simply by virtue of being, and a meditative practice like TM can help us to affirm and establish that sense of identity. No technology or other external entity, body, organization, group, corporation, or party can take that away from us — once we have realized and recognized that we have it, that it is our birthright, and that it comes to us directly from Divine connection and Being. We need only learn practices that help us become consciously aware of this connection and affirm and lay claim to it — a connection we each already have and have always had.
No document, costume, artifact, jewelry, medal, parade, flag, or other symbol can deny us our inherent identity or force some external identity upon us — unless we voluntarily secede our own identity and comply with the external agency. No one can take our identity away from us unless we sign away our very soul to whatever agency might seek to dominate, control, or enslave us by robbing us of our identity and humanity.
If we have this simple truth ingrained in our consciousness, we will be in a position to assert our freedom and individuality in the face of technological, cultural, economic, and other pressures in a world that might seek to coerce us into relinquishing our identity and humanity. A regular meditative practice, like TM, is also invaluable in helping us find our personal connection with the Divine I AM, thereby enabling us to stand up to the pressures that seek to subjugate us.
In the end, it is in our own hands to claim our identity and humanity and to resist the pressures that seek to deny us our essential birthright as Humans Being.
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