Merging Essence

When the identification system that is equivalent to the inner image of mother is experienced as lost or absent, there is revealed underneath it a large, deficient emptiness. This deficient emptiness, when looked at objectively rather than trying to avoid it or fill it with a new structure, will reveal underneath it an aspect of Essence, a Presence of consciousness in a specific Platonic form. This essential aspect is experienced both as a part of oneself, and as the good mother that one always wanted. This aspect, which we called the Merging Essence, is not a result of experiencing the mother's image, but rather the result of losing it. (The Pearl Beyond Price, pg 227)

We will describe the characteristics of the Merging Essence, which should make it clear why this aspect is connected with the symbiotic stage.

It is a Presence, a state of Being, a certain form of self-existing consciousness. It is not an emotional reaction or an image.
It feels soft, tender, gentle and very sweet. It feels like a form of love. This form of love feels like a Presence of goodness.
This love has the quality of sharing in it, of feeling it with someone else. The sharing feels like the sharing of the goodness one has.
It has a sense of nourishment, contentment, satisfaction and happiness...
It's most characteristic property, which distinguishes it from all other aspects of Essence, is its feeling of melting... when it emerges in consciousness one feels melted by a sweet and delicious kind of love...
It has the characteristic color of clear gold. When seen with the inner senses of Essence it looks like a very delicate clear honey-like flow, which has luminosity...
It has an intrinsic sense of pleasure...

The melting quality of this aspect of Essence makes one feel merged with the environment, not separate and not differentiated. So it basically melts one's sense of boundaries. The melting is felt throughout the whole body. (The Pearl Beyond Price, pg 232)

Merging essence and barriers

The most important barrier against the experience of the Merging Essence is the belief in an individuality with boundaries. This is why it becomes much easier to experience this aspect of Essence when one realizes the Personal Essence; the latter is a sense of being a person that is not dependent on ego boundaries. (The Pearl Beyond Price, pg 234)

Merging Essence and memory

Since the Merging Essence is dominant in the symbiotic phase, and is especially present at times of gratification, it becomes associated in memory with the following:

Gratification ...
The "all good" undifferentiated self-object representation...
The "good" mother image... (The Pearl Beyond Price, pg 237)

Merging Essence and strength

The presence of both the Merging and Strength aspects of Essence is a specific state of consciousness, the Essence of sexual energy. One feels sweet and soft, but also strong and hot. One feels the simultaneous presence of both closeness and distance, alternating in dominance. (The Pearl Beyond Price, pg 299)