Cognosce te Ipsum
Absolute truth does not exist for the worldly, sensual person; it exists only for the inward seeking spiritual individual who possesses a suitable sensorium; or, to speak more correctly, who possesses an interior sense to receive the absolute truth of the transcendental world, a spiritual faculty which cognizes spiritual objects as objectively and naturally as the exterior senses perceive external phenomena.
This interior faculty of the spiritual individual; this sensorium for the metaphysical world is unfortunately not known to those who cognize only outside of it- for it is a mystery of the kingdom of God.
As the individual has internally a spiritual organ and a sensorium to receive the true principle of Divine Wisdom, or a true motive for the will or Divine Love, they have also exteriorly a physical and material sensorium to receive the appearance of light and truth. As external nature can have no absolute truth, but only phenomenally relative, therefore, human reason cannot cognize pure truth, it can but apprehend through the appearance of phenomena, which excites the lust of the eye, and in this as a source of action consists the corruption of sensuous person and the degradation of nature.
This exterior sensorium in humanity is composed of frail matter, whereas the internal sensorium is organized fundamentally from incorruptible, transcendental, and metaphysical substance.
The first is the cause of our depravity and our mortality, the second the cause of our incorruptibility and of our immortality.
In the regions of material and corruptible nature mortality hides immortality, therefore all our trouble results from corruptible mortal matter that we cognize purely exteriorly. In order that a person should be released from this distress, it is necessary that the immortal and incorruptible principle, which dwells within, should expand and absorb the corruptible principle, so that the envelope of the senses should be opened, and the individual appear in their pristine purity – as intended by Divine Wisdom.
The Temple of Apollo in Delphi Greece
This natural envelope is a truly corruptible substance found in our blood, forming the fleshly bonds binding our immortal spirits under the servitude of the mortal flesh.
This envelope can be rent more or less in every person, and this places them in greater spiritual liberty, and makes them more cognizant of the transcendental world.
There are three different degrees in the opening of our spiritual sensorium.
The first degree reaches to the moral plane only, the transcendental world energizes through us in but by interior action, called inspiration.
The second and higher degree opens this sensorium to the reception of the spiritual and the intellectual, and the metaphysical world works in us by interior illumination.
The third degree, which is the highest and most seldom attained, opens the whole inner individual. It breaks the crust which fills our spiritual eyes and ears; it reveals the Kingdom of Spirit, and enables us to see objectively, metaphysical, and transcendental sights; hence all visions are explained fundamentally.
God alone is substance, absolute truth; He alone is He who is, and we are what He has made us. For Him, all exists in Unity, for us, all exists in multiplicity. To break free of this multiplicity is to begin to know ourselves and, with patient effort, to know God.
To begin on the Path to true Freedom, begin by looking deeply inward, begin by coming to Know Thyself.
The above was derived from The Cloud Upon the Sanctuary, Letter 1, by the Councillor D’ Eckartshausen in 1895.