A.H. Almaas Diamond Approach
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y

 

False Pearl

What we call false pearl, or the personality, is a result of living or trying to live according to the ego ideal. The false pearl is an overall description whereas the ego ideal can be seen inside you. It is a certain structure that you can actually see floating around. The ego ideal is what I called the "dot." It is in juxtaposition to the true self -- what I call the "point." When you see your ego ideal on the level of subtle perception, you see a dark dot; and when you open it, you feel that you are an idea. You realize very distinctly that your ego ideal is really just an idea in your mind. (Diamond Heart Book 3, pg 65)

 

false pearl

 

But there is an even more difficult complication, which is that one way to fill the hole is to make a false value, to pretend to yourself that you have value when you don’t feel you really do, because to feel the absence of value, its lack, is too painful. So most people tend to create false Essence to cover up their feeling of lack. What the personality consists of is false qualities of Essence. We call the personality the “false pearl”. Each person retains the memory of what was lost and will try to imitate it, will try to act, believe and feel in ways that are so close to the essential states that after a while the person fools himself, and other people as well. (Diamond Heart Book 1, pg 127)