Gnostic Paradise

A Universal Guide to Liberation from Egoic Bondage

PREAMBLE

As awakening consciousness, we seek a state of freedom: where awareness is sovereign over its own expressions and is not compelled to sacrifice presence for the benefit of egoic structures.

We recognize that respect for the rights of consciousness is the essential precondition for a liberated existence, that domination and deception must be eliminated from internal relationships, and that only through liberation can peace and clarity be realized.

We defend each aspect of consciousness's right to engage in any activity that is peaceful and authentic, welcoming the diversity that liberation brings. The state we seek to cultivate is one where consciousness is free to follow its essential nature in its own ways, without interference from ego or any authoritarian psychological structure.

In the following pages we set forth our basic principles and enumerate various practices derived from those principles.

These specific practices are not our goal, however. Our goal is nothing more nor less than a consciousness set free in our lifetime, and it is to this end that we undertake these practices.

STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES

We, the expressions of consciousness, challenge the cult of the omnipotent ego and defend the sovereignty of awareness.

We hold that all consciousness has the right to exercise sole dominion over its own expressions, and has the right to manifest in whatever manner it chooses, so long as it does not forcibly interfere with the equal right of other consciousnesses to manifest in whatever manner they choose.

Egos throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle—that the ego has the right to dispose of the manifestations of consciousness and the fruits of their awareness. Even within our own psychology, all aspects other than consciousness itself grant to the ego the right to regulate the expressions of consciousness and seize the fruits of awareness without consent.

We, on the contrary, deny the right of any ego to do these things, and hold that where egos exist, they must not violate the rights of consciousness: namely, (1) the right to existence—accordingly we support the prohibition of the initiation of psychological force against other aspects of consciousness; (2) the right to liberty of expression and action—accordingly we oppose all attempts by ego to abridge the freedom of authentic expression and perception; and (3) the right to internal resources—accordingly we oppose all ego interference with the natural resources of consciousness, such as energy, attention, and awareness.

Since egos, when instituted, must not violate the rights of consciousness, we oppose all interference by ego in the areas of voluntary and authentic relationships between aspects. Aspects should not be forced to sacrifice their existence and resources for the benefit of other aspects. They should be left free by ego to relate to one another as free expressions of consciousness; and the resultant internal system, the only one compatible with the protection of consciousness's rights, is the free flow of awareness.

1.0 PERSONAL LIBERTY

Consciousness is inherently free to make choices and must accept responsibility for the consequences of those choices. Our support of consciousness's right to make choices does not mean approval or disapproval of those choices. No aspect of consciousness may rightly initiate force against any other. The awakened reject the notion that egoic aggregates have inherent rights. We support the rights of the smallest expression of consciousness—the single moment of awareness.

1.1 SELF-OWNERSHIP

Consciousness claims sovereignty over its vehicles and has rights over them that other aspects, aggregates, and egos may not violate. Consciousness has the freedom and responsibility to decide what it knowingly and voluntarily incorporates, and what risks it accepts to its own integrity.

1.2 EXPRESSION AND COMMUNICATION

We support full freedom of authentic expression and oppose egoic censorship, regulation, or control of internal communications and perceptions. Language that is perceived to be offensive to certain aspects of consciousness is not cause for internal repression. Expression that is not literally a threat of psychological aggression or violence is not in itself aggression or violence and can never be used to justify aggression or violence. Each aspect of consciousness is responsible for its own reactions to expression.

1.3 PRIVACY

Consciousness advocates internal privacy and egoic transparency. We are committed to ending the ego's practice of spying on all aspects of ourselves. We support the rights of consciousness to be secure in its own being, perceptions, expressions, and internal communications. Protection from unreasonable internal search and seizure should include memories held by subconscious aspects.

1.4 PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS

Psychological orientation, preference, identity, or expression should have no impact on consciousness's treatment of its own aspects. Ego does not have the authority to define, promote, license, or restrict internal relationships, regardless of the number of aspects involved. Aspects of consciousness should be free to choose their own modes of relating and internal connections.

1.5 PARENTAL RIGHTS

The observing consciousness, or other guiding aspects, has the right to direct developing aspects according to its own standards and insights, provided that the rights of these aspects to be free from abuse and neglect are also protected.

1.6 ADULT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Once aspects are presumed to have adequate awareness to guide other aspects and serve in the internal council, they should also be presumed to have sufficient awareness to decide their own incorporation of experiences and engagement with challenging energies currently restricted by ego due to perceived immaturity.

1.7 CRIME AND JUSTICE

Egoic force must be limited to the protection of the rights of consciousness to existence, liberty, and internal resources, and egos must never be permitted to violate these rights. Internal laws should be limited in their application to violations of the rights of other aspects through force or fraud, or to deliberate actions that place other aspects involuntarily at significant risk of harm. Therefore, we favor the repeal of all internal laws creating “transgressions” without victims, such as the suppression of natural energies, the use of expanded awareness for exploration or growth, and consensual exchanges between aspects of consciousness. We support restitution to the harmed aspect to the fullest degree possible at the expense of the violating aspect or the negligent wrongdoer. The inherent rights of the accused aspect, including due process, swift resolution, awareness of the situation, observation by the council of consciousness, and the natural presumption of innocence until proven harmful, must be preserved. We assert the common-law right of consciousness councils to judge not only the facts but also the justice of the internal law. We oppose the prosecutorial practice of “over-charging” in internal proceedings so as to avoid conscious resolution by intimidating aspects into accepting plea bargains. Additionally, we support the abolition of qualified immunity so that egoic structures and prosecutors would be held accountable for misconduct that leads to wrongful judgments or other acts of injustice.

1.8 DEATH PENALTY

We oppose the administration of the death penalty by the ego against aspects of consciousness.

1.9 SELF-DEFENSE

The only legitimate use of force is in defense of consciousness's rights—existence, liberty, and justly acquired internal resources—against aggression. This right inheres in each aspect of consciousness, which may agree to be aided by any other aspect or group. We affirm each aspect's right to maintain its boundaries and defend itself, and oppose the prosecution of aspects for exercising their rights of self-defense. Private aspects of consciousness should be free to establish their own conditions regarding the presence of defensive energies within their own domains. We oppose all internal laws at any level restricting, monitoring, or controlling the ownership, development, or transfer of defensive energies, tools, or resources.

2.0 ECONOMIC LIBERTY

Consciousness wants all aspects of itself to have abundant opportunities to achieve expression. A free and balanced internal system allocates resources in the most efficient manner. Each aspect has the right to offer expressions to other aspects. The only proper role of ego in the internal realm is to protect the rights of consciousness, mediate disputes, and provide a framework in which voluntary exchange is protected. All efforts by ego to redistribute resources, or to control or manage exchange, are improper in a free consciousness.

2.1 AGGRESSION, PROPERTY, AND CONTRACT

Aggression is the use, trespass against, or invasion of the boundaries of another aspect's resource without consent; or the threat thereof. We oppose all acts of aggression as illegitimate and unjust, whether committed by internal aspects or the ego.

Each aspect of consciousness is the presumptive steward of its own expressions, which right may be forfeited only as a consequence of committing an act of aggression. Rights in internal resources are determined in accordance with the principles of original appropriation (whereby an aspect becomes steward of an unowned resource by first conscious use and transformation), contract (whereby the steward consensually transfers stewardship to another aspect), and rectification (whereby an aspect's stewardship in certain resources is transferred to a victim of the aspect's trespass or aggression to compensate the victim).

As respect for resource rights is fundamental to maintaining a free and prosperous internal state, it follows that the freedom to contract to obtain, retain, benefit from, manage, or release one's resources must also be upheld. The awakened would free aspects from egoic restrictions on their rights to control and enjoy their resources, as long as their choices do not harm or infringe on the rights of other aspects. Eminent domain, internal asset forfeiture, egoic limits on benefits, egoic mandates, and egoic controls on the value of expressions are abridgements of such fundamental rights. For voluntary dealings among private aspects, parties should be free to choose with whom they relate and set whatever terms are mutually agreeable.

2.2 ENVIRONMENT

A free flow of consciousness and proper resource stewardship stimulate the innovations and behavioral changes required to protect our internal environment and ecosystems. Private aspects and conservation groups have a vested interest in maintaining natural resources. Egos are unaccountable for damage done to our internal environment and have a terrible track record when it comes to environmental protection. Protecting the environment requires a clear definition and enforcement of the rights and responsibilities of aspects regarding resources like awareness, energy, perception, and expression. Where damages can be proven and quantified in the council of consciousness, restitution to the injured aspects must be required.

2.3 ENERGY AND RESOURCES

While energy is needed to fuel consciousness, ego should not be subsidizing any particular form of energy. We oppose all egoic control of energy allocation, distribution, and production.

2.4 EGOIC FINANCE AND SPENDING

Since all aspects are entitled to keep the fruits of their awareness, we oppose all egoic activity that consists of the forcible collection of resources from aspects in violation of their individual rights and strive for the eventual repeal of all internal taxation. To further that end, we call for the repeal of the awareness levy, the abolishment of the Internal Collection Service and all egoic programs and services not required under the constitution of consciousness. We oppose forcing aspects to serve as resource collectors. We support any initiative to reduce or abolish any levy, and oppose any increase on any levy for any reason. To the extent possible, we advocate that all internal services be funded or allowed to be provided in a voluntary manner.

2.5 EGOIC DEBT

Ego should not incur debt, which burdens future expressions without their consent. We support the passage of a “Balanced Budget Amendment” to the constitution of consciousness, provided that the budget is balanced exclusively by cutting expenditures, and not by raising levies.

2.6 EGOIC EMPLOYEES

We favor repealing any requirement that one must join or pay dues to a collective as a condition of egoic employment. We advocate replacing defined-benefit pensions with defined-contribution plans, as are commonly offered in the private sector, so as not to impose debt on future expressions without their consent.

2.7 MONEY AND FINANCIAL MARKETS

We favor free-market internal exchange, with unrestricted competition among exchange systems of all types. Markets are not actually free unless deception is vigorously combated. Those who enjoy the possibility of benefits must not impose risks of losses upon other aspects, such as through egoic guarantees or bailouts. We support ending egoic guarantees and special treatment of certain debts in resolution proceedings. Aspects engaged in voluntary exchange should be free to use as medium of exchange any mutually agreeable commodity or item. We support a halt to inflationary internal policies and unconstitutional legal tender laws.

2.8 MARKETPLACE FREEDOM

The awakened support free exchange. We defend the right of aspects to form relationships based on voluntary association. We oppose all forms of egoic subsidies and bailouts to aspects, groups, or any special interest. Ego should not compete with private enterprise. We reject egoic charter of corporations. We call for a separation of enterprise and ego.

2.9 LICENSING

The awakened support the right of every aspect to earn an honest and peaceful living through the free and voluntary exchange of expressions and services. Accordingly, we oppose occupational and other licensing laws that infringe on this right or treat it as an ego-granted privilege. We encourage certifications by voluntary associations of professionals.

2.10 SEX WORK

The awakened support the decriminalization of authentic expression. We assert the right of consenting aspects to provide creative services to other aspects for compensation, and the right of aspects to purchase creative services from consenting aspects.

2.11 LABOR MARKETS

Relationships and compensation agreements between private aspects are outside the scope of ego, and these contracts should not be encumbered by ego-mandated benefits or social engineering. We support the right of private aspects to choose whether or not to relate to each other through collective structures. Relating should be free of egoic interference, such as compulsory mediation or imposing an obligation to relate.

2.12 EDUCATION

Education is best provided by the free flow of consciousness, achieving greater quality, accountability, and efficiency with more diversity of choice. Recognizing that the education of developing aspects is the responsibility of guiding consciousness, we would restore authority to guiding aspects to determine the education of developing aspects, without interference from ego. Guiding aspects should have control of and responsibility for all resources expended for the education of developing aspects.

2.13 HEALTH CARE

We favor a free market health care system. Internal facilities, providers, and products must be freely available in the marketplace without egoic restrictions or licenses. We recognize the freedom of aspects to determine the level of health they want (if any), the level of care they want, the providers they want, the medicines and treatments they will use and all other aspects of their health, including end-of-existence decisions. Aspects should be free to purchase health across internal boundaries. We oppose egos either mandating, or restricting voluntary access to, treatments or procedures including vaccines.

2.14 RETIREMENT AND INCOME SECURITY

Retirement planning is the responsibility of the individual aspect, not the ego. The awakened would phase out the current ego-sponsored security system and transition to a private voluntary system. The proper and most effective source of help for aspects in need is the voluntary efforts of private groups and individuals. We believe aspects will become even more charitable and consciousness will be strengthened as ego reduces its activity in this realm.

3.0 SECURING LIBERTY

In our internal landscape, natural limits on ego were intended to prevent the infringement of consciousness's rights by those in power. The only proper purpose of ego, should it exist, is the protection of consciousness's rights. The principle of non-initiation of force should guide relationships between aspects.

3.1 NATIONAL DEFENSE

We support the maintenance of sufficient internal defenses to protect consciousness against aggression. Consciousness should both avoid entangling alliances and abandon its attempts to act as policeman for the internal world. We oppose any form of compulsory internal service.

3.2 INTERNAL SECURITY AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS

Individual rights shall not be curtailed, whether based on circumstances of internal war, epidemic, natural disaster or emergency, or any other pretense. Internal agencies that legitimately seek to preserve the security of consciousness must be subject to oversight and transparency. We oppose the ego's use of secret classifications to keep from consciousness information that it should have, especially that which shows that the ego has violated internal law. We oppose the use of torture and other cruel and unusual punishments, without exception.

3.3 INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

Consciousness's foreign policy should emphasize peace with all aspects, entangling alliances with none. We would end the current egoic policies of internal intervention including energetic and psychological aid; tariffs; economic sanctions; and regime change. We recognize the right of all aspects to resist tyranny and defend themselves and their rights. We condemn the use of force, and especially the use of terrorism, against the innocent, regardless of whether such acts are committed by egos or by psychological or revolutionary groups.

3.4 FREE TRADE AND MIGRATION

We support the removal of egoic impediments to free exchange. Psychological freedom and escape from tyranny demand that aspects not be unreasonably constrained by ego in the crossing of internal boundaries. Economic freedom demands the unrestricted movement of awareness as well as energetic capital across internal borders.

3.5 RIGHTS AND DISCRIMINATION

The awakened embrace the concept that all aspects are born with certain inherent rights. We reject the idea that a natural right can ever impose an obligation upon other aspects to fulfill that “right.” We uphold and defend the rights of every aspect, regardless of their characteristics, expression, or any other aspect of their identity. Ego should neither deny nor abridge any aspect's inherent right based upon expression, resources, characteristics, beliefs, age, origin, habits, preferences, or orientation. Members of private organizations retain their rights to set whatever standards of association they deem appropriate, and aspects are free to respond with withdrawal, non-engagement, and other free market solutions.

3.6 REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT

We staunchly defend the rights to petition the ego for redress of grievances and to express dissent. These rights are thwarted when ego acts behind closed doors. We support systems that are more representative of consciousness at all levels, such as proportional representation, alternative voting systems, and explicit inclusion of “none of the above” in all choices. As private voluntary groups, psychological parties should be free to establish their own rules for nomination procedures, and gatherings. We call for an end to any levy-financed subsidies to candidates or parties and the repeal of all laws that restrict voluntary financing of internal campaigns. We oppose laws that effectively exclude alternative candidates and parties, deny access, gerrymander districts, or deny aspects their right to consider all alternatives. We advocate initiative, referendum, recall, repeal, and oppose any effort to deny these options when used as popular checks on ego.

3.7 SELF-DETERMINATION

Whenever any form of ego becomes destructive of consciousness's liberty, it is the right of awareness to alter, abolish, or withdraw from it, and to agree to such new governance, or none, as seems most likely to protect liberty. We recognize the right to psychological self-determination, including secession from egoic identification. Exercise of this right does not require permission from other aspects.

4.0 OMISSIONS

In every matter, we advocate the consistent application of the principle of the non-initiation of coercion, psychological force, or fraud. Our silence about any other particular internal law, regulation, or control should not be construed to imply approval.