What is the "I"?

When did you 1st ask the question?

That special question. You know the one. The one where you ask yourself, "who am I?". Did you answer or get the answer that you were seeking? Well...when I asked the question, I thought I gave myself a good answer. But then one day I met Ms. Betty & Dr. Baskins of Institute of Attitude Modification (I Am) at Karen's Cooked on the north side of Chicago. They asked me what I called myself before I was born? And this is what they shared...​​

WHAT DID YOU CALL YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WERE BORN?
They started by answering the question saying...

"You called yourself I before you were born." Everyone calls themselves "I" believing that when they say I it is clear what they are talking about. There are 2 types of I's: personal & impersonal.
The personal "I" is individual, disconnected/separate from everything else & temporary. The impersonal I is Infinite, connected to all of existence & immortal.

Anything that has form & can be seen is temporary i.e car, house, bills, yourself, etc. But the things which are unseen & invisible is eternal. In some cultures they don't refer to themselves as I but as We because their religion or spiritual practices believe that referring to yourself as I is a curse/sin."
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Although what they shared was short, it was sweet & it set me off on a journey to know what they meant. So, I looked up the etymology, psychology & spiritual science of I to solidify me knowing what I is.

Psychology of I
"I" and the body are not always identical and in direct alignment with each other. The I is often experienced as a flowing process while the body is solid and static. There's a phenomena in western psychology known as dissociation. Dissociation is the separation between the direct experience of the I and the body. Daydreaming is an example of dissociation. Although daydreaming is not pathological, anytime anyone is daydreaming they are removed from external stimuli. Dissociation can also be experienced during intense anxiety or trauma & can cause a psychopathological state. "Dark Light Consciousness," chpt. 1: Psychology, Psychiatry and the Many Shades of I

I had an experience in personal life with a intense case of dissociation. I was in basic training the summer of 2001. During the last 2 weeks of training I  had to complete a "Victory" march. The Victory March was a 9 mile walk in full gear (helmet, m-16 & duffle bag) in 90+ degree weather in a mixed of hills, sand & concrete with no breaks. At first I thought it wasn't hard but before the end I was ready to quit. My body was sore, tired & I began to slow down to stop. My battle buddy behind me pushed me & I wanted to hit her but instead I kept walking until I couldn't feel anything anymore. My body became so numb that I wondered & left my body. I wasn't there I don't know where I went but my body was still walking on auto pilot. When I came back to the body I was in a lot of pain & when we finally stopped I fell to the ground. Although I made it to the end I couldn't get back up. I never experienced in my life & haven't experienced this kind of dissociation since.

Spiritual Science
In the mystery schools of Kemet, India, Greece & Rome extended experiences in states of extreme dissociation gave birth to the ancient science of transcendence and audience with the spirit realm. The disciplines used to achieve this state, from intoxicating herbs to physical techniques of cleansing and contortion, to rituals of burial and rebirth, have evolved the innumerable spiritual techniques we know today. Many are forgotten; many others still secret. They all served to stop the local mind or I and allow the nonlocal roots of consciousness to arise.

The I has no definite or specific location within the brain. Psychology, psychiatry, psychopathology and other research suggests that the I can be separated from the physical body in space, time and matter or energy.  There are many people who have intentionally & unintentionally practiced projecting themselves from their bodies through Near Death Experience (NDE), Outer Body Experience (OBE), Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE), astral projection to name a few. 

Do you know someone or have you ever intentionally projected yourself from the body? 

Etymology of I 
I did not add the entire origin of the word in this article but if you'd like to read the full etymology Click Here

According to Etymology Dictionary online the "I" is a 12th century word, a shortening of Old English ic, the 1st person singular nominative from Proto-Germanic *ek. (

ARE YOU READY TO COMMIT TO STUDYING YOURSELF?
You are the infinite I of all that exist. Are you ready to commit yourself to finding out more about you by studying & exploring you. If you are, here are some suggestions on how to start studying yourself:
- Start with basics: physical (health assessment), mental (psychological profile), emotional status & spiritual (ancestral lineage)
- all of the above can give you the foundation to where you are & how you got there

If you are ready to commit you are welcome to join us in our upcoming events & services. Check out our Calendar 

The information that was shared in this article is brief & I pray it was informative.
In this article there were three main sources that were used:
1. "Uncover the Missing Peace" by Dr. Lewis C. Baskins
2. "Dark Light Consciousness: Melanin, Serpent Power & the Luminous Matrix of Reality"
by Edward Bynum
3. https://www.etymonline.com

Shared by Quafin