Fundamentally speaking there is passive consciousness (thought) expressing itself through active thinking. Russell gives some clarity on this by using a metaphor of ocean and ocean waves in his book The Message of the Divine Iliad. The ocean is whole, undivided. It is One thing and one substance from end to end. Yet it's calm surface in equilibrium may break up into seemingly discrete wave entities. The waves are not separate from the ocean but are individual expressions of that One ocean. Waves are seeming motion. They appear to move horizontally but in fact do not. It is the disturbance of equilibrium that moves horizontally while the water is displaced vertically. We perceive the waves and assign them an importance they do not really have - individuality because the unwakened human egoic intellect primarily focuses on things that move (sensed effects) hence the egoic intellect constantly deceives itself. Waves (vibrations) are perceived effects of unperceived causes. Cause can only be perceived by MIND, not by sense. Similarly Atlin, you or I are the same in regards to the One Cosmic Consciousness permeating everything everywhere. We are individual expressions of that One Undifferentiated Mind. We assign discrete acknowledgement of our individualities to these seeming separated expressions. When in fact they are nothing more than seeming singular expressions of a One Whole Consciousness undivided. Atlin, you or I are expressions of an Undivided One Consciousness that we assign a value of individuality. This assignment is our interpretation of what we think we see or sense. We are as the waves of the undivided ocean of Mind (consciousness). Russell goes on to say there is only One Mind endlessly expressing itself. There are not multitudes of individual minds. There is only One God Consciousness manifesting everywhere simultaneously - in Atlin, you, me, everyone and every thing else.

See Also

Ego I Am Law of Cycles Mind One Substance Wave Wave Field