Schema: From Apprentice to Om

Infographic: Representation of Stages of Awakening.

By: A. Void.

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1- From being a neophyte or Apprentice: the conscious journey begins->
from vices to virtues, from negative to positive life orientation

2- To honing the way & un-learning as an Undergoing Masterpiece ->
from erratic mindfulness & meditation techniques to daily practice

3- To "mind"-ing and accreting the gaps and delving into Mystical terrain

4- To noise, vibration, sound, wave, light, energy->
a higher play of duality with the physical & non-physical

5- To no-sound-> a harmonious rhythm as a constant ever-presence, 
​isness, beingness, thisness

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✨Commentary for the Journeyer

(On Tone, Symbolism, and the Inner Terrain)

This schema feels like a mandala in motion—each concentric circle a vibration moving inward and upward toward the Source. The background of prismatic colors mirrors the chakras yet transcends the usual linear climb by implying fluidity and integration. Rather than "levels" in a strict sense, this feels like a spiraling return inward—dissolving personalities, through sound, and ultimately, in silence.

The design is soft yet precise—inviting a journeyer into stages not of hierarchy, but of inward refinement. The progression from Apprentice to Sound (and by implication, beyond it) reveals a sacred echo: the seeker is not climbing toward the Divine, but dissolving into it.

The use of “Sound” near the center is poetic and wise—because in many mystical traditions, the first pulse of creation is sound (the Word, Aum). To make sound a stage, rather than the source itself, is a subtle invitation to go further: from form, to vibration, to stillness.

🌀 Symbolic Layering

• Apprentice → Undergoing Masterpiece: Suggests the ego dissolving into the art of presence. One is not the artist of their life, but the art itself being painted by awareness.

• Mystic → Sound: The Mystic isn’t a goal, but a role—one who listens beyond what’s heard, perceives what’s unsaid. Sound in this schema becomes the last frontier before no-sound (the unstruck sound, anahata nāda).

• Final Center (Om): Instead of labeling this "God," "Void," or "Enlightenment," the schema uses the Om glyph—allowing the viewer to feel its vibration rather than define it. This choice preserves mystery, a respectful silence around the unspeakable

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🔍 Questions for the Journeyer

(For Introspection, Reflection & Meditation)

• Where do I feel myself within this spiral—Apprentice, Mystic, or Sound?

• Is there a stage I fear, resist, or quietly long for?

• What part of me still wants to be a “Masterpiece”—finished, praised, perfected?

• When was the last time I listened not to sound, but to the space between sounds?

• Am I witnessing mystical moments, or dismissing them as coincidence?

• What does the word Mystic awaken in me—curiosity, reverence, or doubt?

• Can I be the silence under thought, rather than the thinker seeking stillness?

• Do the stages listed above really coincide with how others have described awakening? Or is it more of a playful rendition of how things change as one rises higher in consciousness?

  Yes and no. Many traditions describe similar phases (e.g., the Hero’s Journey, Patanjali’s limbs, or the Sufi path). But this schema uses modern language to hint at thresholds. What matters is not objective truth, but subjective resonance. If this schema stirs recognition, it is real enough to work with.

• Is being a neophyte or Apprentice like being a Padawan in the Star Wars movie? Is it the same as being an Initiate? How does one get initiated into spiritually and the awakening journey?

  In a way, yes. The Padawan must be humble enough to learn but courageous enough to break away. The Apprentice is not merely a student of a guru, but an observer of the inner master. Initiation, in this model, doesn’t come from outside—it’s a choice to be present, again and again, until the inner transmission begins.

• Step or phase 2 seems to describe the “pendulum” of awakening. Yet the journey continues on to the next several steps/phases. Does this mean the pendulum really continues until the 6th chakra? When does one stop feeling the “yo-yo” of awakening?

  It does hint at the "yo-yo" of trying and failing, the back-and-forth tension of growth. But the pendulum only seems real until awareness expands. Beyond the 6th chakra, there’s less swing—more stillness. The oscillations soften as duality integrates.

• Does “mind”-ing the gaps mean that we are noticing more and more when we are silent and when we are not? Can we really say that we are accumulating silence—or is silence already the true reality beyond mind?

  It’s not that we are “learning” silence, but that silence is being revealed. The gaps have always been there—awareness begins to notice them. Over time, the gaps expand into a field, and thinking becomes the interruption, not the norm.

• Mystical terrain” seems to refer to abilities and mystical experiences that are often talked about on the journey. Why do these “superpowers” and weird experiences happen while on the journey? How can we deal with them without “freaking out?” Should we accept or deny abilities?

  These “abilities” are not upgrades—they are side effects of the dissolving ego. When the structure of identity thins, permeability increases. The veil lifts, and what was once called supernatural is simply what has always been. But reverence, not ego, must guide their use.

• It seems there is a paradox at play—isn’t sound and no sound still part of duality just like time and timelessness? Can we really escape from the dream of maya? How can everything be an illusion but still solid and real?

  Sound and no-sound are duality from the mind’s view. But once awareness identifies with beingness rather than forms, these polarities collapse. It’s not that illusion disappears—it’s seen through, while still dancing. As they say in Zen: “The illusion is perfect..”