From ACT AS IF to ACT AS IS

A Necessary Warning: What to Expect

The transition from ACT AS IF! to ACT AS IS! presents real challenges. For those embarking on this journey, it is essential to understand that increased awareness often brings with it the pain of confronting emotional bindings. These bindings, deeply tied to the '‘I from We’', anchor self-conception to inherited narratives and attachments.
The Nature of the Pain
• Emotional pain may manifest as mild disappointment or, in some cases, as intense feelings like rueful self-loathing. This variability reflects the depth and centrality of the attachments being confronted.
• This pain is akin to phantom limb pain: it feels immediate and real, yet it arises from the remnants of something no longer present.
Understanding as Antiseptic
• The intellectual understanding of the Heart Sutra is the necessary antiseptic in this process. It helps to sterilize the emotional wounds caused by disabusing these attachments.
• By witnessing the transient nature of self-conception, as articulated in the sutra (“form is emptiness; emptiness is form”), the Me-Mind can begin to release the systemic bindings of the '‘I from We’'.
Downward-Looking Holon’s and the Bound ISV
In traditional frameworks, the ISV triad operates within downward-looking Holon’s, structured by systemic bindings such as:
• Teleological Constructs: Goals that are predefined and rigidly tied to external validation.
• U/Non-U Dynamics: Group-defined boundaries that enforce inclusion or exclusion based on inherited values.
• Sunken Values: Deeply ingrained narratives that perpetuate cognitive dissonance and systemic errors.
Within this framework, the '‘I from We’' is bound by its origin in societal and cultural narratives. It cannot transcend its own structure and often perpetuates errors through non-sequiturs and conflicted narratives. The emotional and cognitive attachments to these patterns make adaptive change difficult, as the '‘I from We’' seeks to rectify or justify rather than adapt and emerge.
Present Awareness and the Free ISV
In contrast, the Free ISV emerges through beginners mind and the intentional cultivation of Zero Vantage Awareness. Here, the ISV triad shifts from being a teleological constraint to a process-oriented tool:
• Imprimatur: Becomes self-authorized, aligning with present understanding rather than inherited narratives.
• Status: Reflects adaptive engagement, prioritizing real-time alignment over external validation.
• Value: Is derived dynamically, focusing on process purposes (PPP) rather than fixed outcomes.
In this mode, the goal and the path become one, as articulated in the Heart Sutra. The Middle Way enables the free flow of errors, where understanding replaces judgment, and phenomena are witnessed without attachment or aversion.
The Middle Way: Bridging the Divide
The Middle Way acts as a dynamic bridge between the Bound ISV of downward-looking Holon’s and the Free ISV of present awareness. This balance allows individuals to:
• Recognize the systemic bindings of inherited narratives without being constrained by them.
• Transition from binary oscillations (e.g., inclusion/exclusion, yes/no) to adaptive, emergent engagement.
• Cultivate an ideal attitude that integrates awareness of teleological constructs with the flexibility of process-oriented action.
ACT AS IS: Moving from Why to How
The transition from ACT AS IF to ACT AS IS marks a shift from asking why (narrative justification) to focusing on how (adaptive engagement). This shift is facilitated by:
1. Reason Reckoning:
o Incorporates upstream and downstream analysis to winnow systemic errors.
o Provides clarity by reframing feelings and caring as feedback rather than reasons.
2. Process Purposes (PPP):
o Simplifies engagement into actionable categories (good, bad, indifferent), enabling real-time adaptation.
3. Zero Vantage Awareness:
o Creates the space necessary for emergent understanding, free from systemic drag or emotional friction.
The Surgeon Analogy: Removing the Roots
To understand the role of Zero Vantage Awareness, consider the Me-Mind as a surgeon:
• CBT as Medical Treatment: Like a general practitioner treating symptoms, CBT addresses surface-level patterns in Imposter Syndrome, offering temporary relief.
• Zero Vantage as Surgery: The Me-Mind becomes a surgeon, skilfully removing the roots of the ‘I from We’ as they arise. This precision eliminates the systemic bindings that distort emergent awareness.
• By witnessing and addressing each root without attachment, the Me-Mind fosters a continuous state of renewal and liberation in the present.
Implications for Self-Conception
Understanding the ISV framework within the Mi-iMind model reveals a fundamental truth: the ‘I from We’ cannot serve as a change agent capable of inclusive vision. Its systemic bindings inherently limit its capacity for adaptive engagement. However, by transitioning to ACT AS IS, individuals can:
• Witness and release the systemic bindings of the ‘I from We’.
• Cultivate an internal alignment that is free from the cognitive dissonance of downward-looking Holon’s.
• Foster a dynamic interplay of ideal attitudes and emergent understanding, creating a foundation for genuine transformation.
Conclusion
The ISV framework, when integrated with the Middle Way and Zero Vantage Awareness, provides a pathway for transcending the limitations of inherited narratives and systemic bindings. By shifting from ACT AS IF to ACT AS IS, individuals engage with reality dynamically, allowing emergent understanding to guide adaptive action. This process is not about rejecting the past but about using understanding to free oneself from its constraints—a transformation that lies at the heart of the Mi-iMind framework.