Identity
Definition:
The bundle of labels, roles, and recurring thought-patterns attributed to oneself.
Not the true Self (Ātman), but a construct of conditioning and reinforced beliefs.
Identity-1 (Conscious Identity):
“Who I think I am.”
Self-image built from roles, labels, and repeated thoughts.
Often a performance for self and others.
Identity-2 (Subconscious Identity):
Programs installed through conditioning, family, culture, and reinforcement.
Masquerades as the “real me,” though largely unconscious.
Shapes behavior and perception from behind the scenes.
Identity-3 (Awakening Shift):
When identification moves from ego-self to Self (Ātman).
Identity is seen as provisional, not ultimate.
Awareness rests in Being rather than labels.
Additional Detail
Subjectivity: What one identifies with (consciously or unconsciously) tunes the reality being experienced, within a field where all variations exist.
Mechanics: Identity patterns self-reinforce until challenged, examined, or dissolved.
Awakening: True liberation is not the destruction of identity, but its recognition as a construct — freeing awareness to rest in Self.
Metaphor: Identity is like an outfit — worn and exchanged, but never the body itself.