Meeting My Higher Self: From Separation to Oneness

Excerpt from Dreaming of Dante: A Spiritual Journey from a Scientist’s Perspective by Mario Canki, PhD.

What if the sense of separation we experience is not fixed, but something that can soften through awareness? This reflection explores a moment where that shift becomes direct experience.

The sense of separation exists largely in our thinking. When we begin to see this clearly, something shifts. What once felt divided begins to soften, revealing a deeper sense of connection and wholeness.

My own experience of this came one evening during meditation. I lit the candles on my shrine and settled into stillness. After a short time, I sensed a subtle presence beside me. I opened my eyes, but the perception remained—not unsettling, but quietly familiar.

It felt as though there were two of us in the room.

As I stayed with the experience, two questions arose: What does this represent? What is its meaning?

No immediate answer came—only a deepening awareness.

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Gradually, the sense of separation began to dissolve. What I had perceived as two was not truly divided, but a single awareness appearing in different forms. As this became clear, a shift occurred—subtle but unmistakable.

There was a feeling of clarity, strength, and quiet peace. Not something created, but something recognized.

Moments like this suggest that what we experience as separation may not be fixed, but a pattern of perception. And when that perception softens, even briefly, a deeper sense of unity becomes available.

Since then, I’ve returned to this in moments of anxiety, uncertainty, or inner conflict—not to force a change, but to observe. Often, that alone is enough for something to shift.

Over time, what once felt distant begins to feel closer. What once required effort begins to feel natural.

As Dante Alighieri suggests, this movement toward unity is available to all of us, and it is not outward, but inward: a recognition of what has always been present.

Reflection:

When the sense of separation softens, what remains?

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About the author

‍Mario Canki, PhD arrived in the US as an adolescent and built his life and career from the ground up. After working on Wall Street, he became disillusioned and chose to dedicate himself to improving the lives of people suffering from AIDS. His deep curiosity about the intersection of science and spirituality led him to earn a doctorate in molecular virology and to study Higher Self Yoga teachings for over thirty years.Dr. Canki also explored Psychosynthesis—a spiritual psychology and therapeutic approach developed by Roberto Assagioli, MD—and trained in Clinical Meditation and Imagery at the Huntington Meditation and Imagery Center in Huntington, New York.Drawing inspiration from Dante’s Divine Comedy, he has developed a model for the spiritual seeker that follows the Pilgrim’s journey—from the depths of Hell to the ultimate union with the higher self, symbolized by the inner Beatrice. Today, he integrates these teachings to guide students and seekers on their own paths of self-discovery and purpose, blending intellectual understanding with spiritual growth.