Author's Note:
I am an ordinary person with no specialized education in psychology, philosophy, or religious studies. What I write is merely the "notes of a thirsty one" on the path to understanding truth. This writing is the result of personal reflection, free study, and my lived experience; it carries no scientific authority or definitive religious reference. Its aim is to share a conceptual framework for self-knowledge and contemplation, not to present a proven theory. For action and decision-making, always consult specialized sources.
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Author: Mehdi Amirahmadi
Light Self-Knowledge
Abdul Mubin
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Abstract
Love, in this framework, is not a "fleeting feeling," but the "driving force of spiritual journey" and "existential truth" that moves a person from "self-foundation" to "God-centeredness" and from "Existential Void" to "Presence." This article, with an interdisciplinary approach (Islamic mysticism, psychology, and existential philosophy), explains three levels of love (egoistic love, intellectual love, and light-based love) and shows how "light-based love" (divine love) is accompanied by the "awakening of the Witness," "truthfulness," and "selfless service," leading the seeker to "bearing the light." In this view, love is not "attachment," but "conscious connection to the source of existence," and is considered the essential condition for "existential transcendence" and "meaning in life."
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1. Egoistic Love: Attachment and Immediate Desire
1.1. Definition
"Egoistic love" refers to the "intense desire for something or someone" that originates from the "self-centered ego" and "immediate desires." This love is usually accompanied by "attachment," "possessiveness," and "fear of loss."
1.2. Characteristics
- Attachment: "I cannot live without you" – where "identity" is tied to the "existence of another."
- Possessiveness: "You are mine" – where the other becomes an "object" (an object of possession).
- Fear of loss: Egoistic love is accompanied by "separation anxiety" and "jealousy."
1.3. Pathology
If egoistic love remains at this level, it leads to "Existential Void" (emptiness, anxiety, and confusion). Because the "self-centered ego," through its "emotional attachment," distances itself from the "light-bearing Core Self" and puts the "Witness" to sleep. This love is like "drinking salt water" – the more you drink, the thirstier you become.
Key Verse:
"Beautified for people is the love of desires, of women and children..." (Quran 3:14)
The love of desires (including egoistic love) is adorned for humans, but this love is not the "destination"; it is a "test."
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2. Intellectual Love: Love of Perfection and Meaning
2.1. Definition
"Intellectual love" refers to the "conscious desire for 'perfection' and 'meaning'" that originates from the "intellectual light" (not merely the reasoning mind). This love is accompanied by "analysis" and "intuition" and invites a person to the "search for truth" and "self-knowledge."
2.2. Characteristics
- Awareness: The person knows "what" and "why" they love.
- Self-transcendence: This love connects the "I" to "we" and "He."
- Search for perfection: Intellectual love is accompanied by the "longing for the infinite" and invites a person to "transcendence."
2.3. Role in Spiritual Journey
Intellectual love is a "bridge" between "egoistic love" and "light-based love." At this level, the seeker moves away from "egoistic attachments" and turns toward the "search for meaning." But if they stop at this level, they become trapped in the "mirage of knowledge" (intellectual arrogance).
Practical Exercise (for recognizing intellectual love):
Ask yourself: "Does my love for him/her/it bring me closer to 'self-knowledge' or to 'self-centeredness'?" If the answer is "self-knowledge," the love is "intellectual."
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3. Light-Based Love (Divine Love): Love as "Presence"
3.1. Definition
"Light-based love" (or divine love) refers to the "conscious and selfless connection to the source of existence," in which the "self-centered ego" dissolves and "pure presence" (the Witness) takes the throne. This love does not arise from "need" (which originates from "existential poverty") nor from "analysis" (which originates from "light-based intuition").
3.2. Characteristics
- Non-attachment: The lover does not "possess" the beloved; they are a "carrier" of their light.
- Witnessing presence: In light-based love, the "Witness" (pure presence) takes the throne and the "ego" recedes.
- Service and bearing: Light-based love leads to "selfless service" and "bearing the light." The lover shines the light received from the beloved to others, without claiming to be the "source."
Key Verse:
"But those who believe are stronger in their love for God." (Quran 2:165)
This love is not of the nature of "attachment," but of the nature of "presence" and "connection."
3.3. Light-Based Love and "Annihilation and Subsistence"
In light-based love, the "self of the lover" is annihilated and the "presence of the beloved" remains. This is "annihilation in God" and "subsistence through God," which is spoken of in Islamic mysticism. The light-based lover no longer says "I am the lover," but says: "This is it, from seeing and believing in Him."
Practical Exercise (for strengthening light-based love):
Each day, sit in silence for a few moments and ask the "Witness": "How does light-based love flow in me in this moment?" Then let "Presence" reveal the answer in "silence."
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4. The Journey of Love: From Ego to Light
The journey of love, in this framework, is like a "spiral":
1. Egoistic love: The starting point (attachment and immediate desire).
2. Intellectual love: The middle bridge (search for meaning and perfection).
3. Light-based love: The peak (presence and bearing).
Analogy:
Egoistic love is like "drinking salt water" – it only increases thirst. Intellectual love is like a "map of water" – it shows the way to the spring. But light-based love is like "reaching the spring" and "drinking the water of life" – it quenches thirst forever.
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5. The Pathology of Love: How Love Becomes a Veil
- Clinging to egoistic love: If we stop at egoistic love, it leads to "Existential Void" and "anxiety."
- Intellectual arrogance in intellectual love: If we stop at intellectual love, it leads to the "mirage of knowledge" and "self-importance."
- Ignoring the "Witness": At both levels, if the "Witness" is absent, love becomes an "idol."
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6. Conclusion: Love, the Engine of Presence
Love, in this framework, is not a "fleeting feeling," but the "driving force of spiritual journey" and "existential truth" that moves a person from "self-foundation" to "God-centeredness" and from "Existential Void" to "Presence." Light-based love leads to "bearing the light" and "selfless service" and is considered the essential condition for "existential transcendence" and "meaning in life."
Three Key Implications of This View:
1. Egoistic love is the "beginning," not the "destination."
2. Intellectual love is the "bridge," not the "home."
3. Light-based love is "Presence," which leads to "bearing."
A Mystical Saying (as a conclusion):
Rumi says:
"Love is that ocean from which the sky / Became infinite, no end, no mine."
True love flows not in "having," but in "being in presence." And this is "light-based love," which brings the seeker to "bearing the light."
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Sources:
- Ibn Arabi, M. (1980). Fusus al‑hikam.
- Sternberg, R. J. (1986). A triangular theory of love. Psychological Review, 93(2), 119–135.
- Yalom, I. D. (1980). Existential psychotherapy. Basic Books.
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📚 Related Notes:
If you found this writing useful, I suggest you also read the following notes:
- Note 142: Prayer and Fasting: Practices of Presence in Light Self-Knowledge
- Note 143: Good and Bad Intention: The Heart of Movement in the Republic of Being
- Note 141: Pretense and Hypocrisy: Two Masks of the Ego Against Presence
- Note 140: The First Brick and Self-Foundation: Tracing the Original Existential Deviation
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Short Note:
This text has no connection to any group, organization, sect, or movement. It is solely the personal reflection of an Iranian Shia Muslim on a path he himself has walked. Everyone is free to read it or not, accept it or reject it.
