The "World Idea"...

Student: But the thing is, I have my experience of my world and you have your
experience, but somehow they are similar. So there must be some higher faculty
that coordinates that.

Anthony: Yes... the World Idea superimposes itself simultaneously on all minds
and that is why we have a
similarity of experience. But make no mistake about it: when I have pain you
don't experience it. It is mine. And I can't give it to you, no matter what I
do.

As soon as you say, well when I die then the world
goes on for others. Well, sure, their mind is presenting the world to them, to
each and every one. Each and every one has his own mind and that mind is
presenting the world to him. The world is being presented to each individual
mind.

So I would be perfectly justified in saying the only
thing I know is what my mind presents to me. So when I look at you, you are (so
to speak) a thought in my mind. And likewise, when you look at me I am a
thought in your mind.

This doesn't cancel out what we're saying, when we say that each person's
experience is of his mind -- as a matter of fact it reinforces it.

The point is, that they think that there is going to be a world. If you took
away all minds, would there still be a world? It is nonsense, because the only
way you can speak about a world is if there is a mind there that is observing
it. If you take away the observer, then what are you talking about?

...Einstein... said the observer enters into every observation, which means that
the observation and the observer are united. You can't have one without the
other.


-- Anthony Damiani and student August 1983