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Methodology and Teachings

Stephen D'Amico is the originator of Tracing Back the Witness^SM – a spiritual method that utilizes an immediate gateway to self-realization, the recognition of who and what we are as formless beings.

This method is part of a wider body of teachings, where enlightenment is understood as a pivotal shift in consciousness beyond ego, leading to further levels of spiritual development and realization.

The following section is a brief overview of this method and a summary of the dynamic process of spiritual awakening, and how it relates to the ongoing evolution of consciousness, which is moving towards the awakening of all humans on the planet.

Overview of the Spiritual Path

There are many conscious entities in existence, each following their own evolutionary paths, knowingly or unknowingly moving towards the final goal of enlightenment. The human soul is an individuated aspect of the formless dimension that incarnates into the physical world of form in order to evolve and grow and, ultimately, achieve self-realization. In the process of living any given life though, most human beings forget their true nature and origination as formless spiritual beings, which is the source of the deep sense of existential suffering at the heart of the unenlightened human condition.

The spiritual path is synonymous with the quest for enlightenment, which culminates in a fundamental shift in human consciousness from identifying with the body, mind, ego, and personality, to the underlying dimensions of the true self. This shift in identity awakens the human soul to the primordial source and substance of everything in existence, and attainment that typically marks the end of the spiritual search, but the beginning of a life lived from the unifying perspective of our true natures.

Awakening spiritually serves a greater purpose beyond our own personal enlightenment or individual liberation. When we are fully awake to our true natures, our lives become charged with a deep sense of purpose and direction, far beyond personal contentment, freedom, or fulfillment. We rediscover or remember what life is really about: to be a vessel for the infinite to live in this world, giving it hands and feet, and eyes and ears, so that the absolute truth can walk and talk and interact with other awakened souls. Why? To assist in the creation of a better, more enlightened world, and ultimately, to help bring about a complete transformation in human consciousness.

Tracing Back the Witness

Tracing Back the Witness^SM is a spiritual method that utilizes an immediate gateway to self-realization, the recognition of who and what we are as formless beings. This method is part of a wider body of teachings, where enlightenment is understood as a pivotal shift in consciousness beyond ego, leading to further levels of spiritual development and realization.

Witnessing

Witnessing is one of the most direct ways for reconnecting with our true nature as formless beings. Witnessing is the observing aspect of human consciousness, which can be cultivated through the practice of meditation. At first, this background observing awareness may seem almost indistinguishable from the contents of consciousness, i.e., thoughts, ideas, feelings, desires, memories, sensations, and perceptions. But eventually a field of witnessing arises that illuminates this mirror-like quality of the soul.

Presence

Once the witnessing aspect of consciousness is sufficiently cultivated, entering into our true nature involves taking an inward step back through the looking glass, which is another way of describing the mirror-like quality of the soul. This movement can feel like we are passing through a window that opens up to an invisible field that extends indefinitely behind us. Once we allow ourselves to open up in this way, a distinct presence emerges that generates the sense that we are remembering who and what we really are as formless beings, our true nature beyond our physical human forms.

Essence

As we grow more accustomed to recognizing and abiding in the presence of our true nature as formless beings, we begin to notice and embody all the essential qualities inherent in it, which can be grouped together as pure being, pure consciousness, and pure bliss. When fully awakened as a permanent and complete state of self-realization, these essential qualities radiate forth from the formless depths of our being, enlightening our bodies, hearts, and minds.

The Enlightened Mind, Heart, and Body

In the mind, self-realization manifests as nondual awareness, which reveals the oneness of everything. This immaculate perception is based on the realization that the same consciousness flowing through all creation also gives rise to our own awareness as thinking, feeling, perceiving souls.

In this state of unity consciousness, the human heart opens up to all that is. The heart is filled with unconditional love for everything in existence since it is all a manifestation of the same underlying source of pure being and consciousness.

And finally, self-realization fills the body with bliss, which manifests as an absolute delight in life, and the joy of being alive. At the same time, the sense of being bound in a body is transcended by the realization that we exist beyond space and time as formless beings. As a result of this realization, we simultaneously feel we are paradoxically one with everything and yet nothing.

Summary of Methodology

The ability to reconnect with our true natures can become a permanent adaptation. By tracing back the witness, a simple and repeatable experiment in consciousness, anyone can awaken the formless essence or presence of the human soul, which is a basic feature of our true nature. This method of self-inquiry works by withdrawing back into witnessing, until the essence of who and what we already are as formless beings is penetrated, and then gradually revealed, until fully awakened.

Initially, when done properly, tracing back the witness leads to powerful and direct experiences of the ever-present state of pure being or formless presence, which can be stabilized over time if returned to as an ongoing form of spiritual practice. Once this method consistently leads to direct experiences of our true nature, the entire process can be expedited by simply focusing attention solely on the clear light of awareness itself without thinking. Done properly, the essential qualities of our true nature all begin to shine forth freely from the formless depths of being.

Spiritual Teachings and Methods

The spiritual teachings and methods taught by Stephen D'Amico are based on the transformation of consciousness he underwent and his ongoing inquiry into the process of spiritual development and awakening. His teachings reveal a way to directly experience our true nature, as well as how our awakening can assist the shift needed to transform human consciousness and enlighten humanity.