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True (or Higher) Self: The self we normally identify with is a fabrication of our ego (intended to replace what God made with a "new, improved" identity that better matches the EGO'S ideals of perfection). By design, the mask totally conceals the real face behind it. But, although we may get caught up in the dramas of self-centered existence and even become totally identified with them, we can never reduce ourselves to mere ego. The most convincing proof of that is found in our true spiritual aspirations. If we were the egoic beings we may presume ourselves to be, we would never be motivated to recognize, respond to, and aspire to the realization of Truth, high ideals, and God.
When we talk about the True or Higher Self, we are referring to these higher levels of being:
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Unique God-given personality. Higher and truer than the fabricated "self" is the unique, irreplaceable personality God made. People who have learned to consistently recognize and express their unique soul characteristics are considered to be "self-actualized."
Kinship with all God's children. On yet a higher level, we find the universal selfhood that we share with all God's children. At LoveTrust we call this the "Self-same Self," to underscore that on this level, "my" True Self is not different from "your" True Self (and to explain why, in our hearts, we all agree on what is most important and true). People who identify with this level of being value what all human beings share in common more than their own -- or any one else's -- unique attributes.
Divine spiritual essence. At the highest level of our being lies the Spirit aspect of the human entity -- the Divine essence of Life. That Spirit exceeds our individual personality and even the universal aspects of our humanity, and overlaps with God. It is an indivisible spark of infinite life and infinite consciousness. People who are conscious at this level of being identify -- in a good way -- with Godhead. This is the state in which the enlightened one ecstatically pronounces, "I am He!" and also, "World is God." Seeing the world is God is an experience that is actually beyond even the all-embracing qualities of self-same-Selfhood. It is perceiving the Absolute within the relative, and perceiving the relative AS the Unmanifest.
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