Understanding the Inner World as the Source of External Reality
The Two Worlds: Inner and Outer
There exist two fundamental aspects of reality to consider: the inner world and the outer world. The inner world refers to our mental and spiritual life, our thoughts, beliefs, values, and consciousness. The outer world is everything material and physical that we experience with our senses. While these may seem distinct, they are deeply interconnected and represent different levels of one unified reality.
The inner world functions as the foundation for the outer world. It produces and shapes what we ultimately experience in the external, physical realm. In other words, the conditions and events in the outer world are reflections or effects of the states within us. This relationship can be summed up as: the inner governs the outer always. Understanding this is key to gaining a coherent view of existence.
By recognizing that what happens within us, our intentions, emotions, and mental patterns directly influences the world outside, we grasp that changing our external reality requires initiating change internally first. The mental and spiritual realm is the causative force, and the material realm shows the effects.
Secret and Governing Knowledge: Keys to Mastery
Two crucial types of knowledge enable us to navigate and influence these two worlds effectively: secret knowledge and governing knowledge. Secret knowledge is the understanding of how reality operates beneath the surface. It is insight into the mental nature of all things, appreciating that the universe is fundamentally mental, as reflected in the ancient idea: "As within, so without."
This secret knowledge is not common; it requires consciousness and perception to fully comprehend reality's true nature. Those equipped with it gain awareness of their own inner world and how it shapes their external circumstances.
Governing knowledge takes secret knowledge a step further; it is the set of governing principles and mental statements within us that direct our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It dictates how we respond and act, essentially running our psyche. What governs your mind governs your reality.
Through governing knowledge, we learn to direct our inner narratives intentionally. This governing knowledge serves as a form of internal leadership, allowing us to control our inner world and, by extension, influence the outer world with purpose and clarity.
Self-Governance as the Path to True Control
Because the external world mirrors the internal, real control over circumstances and relationships begins with self-control. External control without inner mastery is unstable and often illusory. The only sustainable form of influence stems from ruling oneself.
To govern your surroundings, first govern yourself. This means identifying and transforming the thoughts, habits, and emotions that unconsciously direct your life. It demands self-knowledge, the understanding of one’s own motives and mental patterns, ask the spirit of God to search your heart at to reveal what may be hidden.
By overcoming challenges internally, resisting selfish impulses, fears, or limiting beliefs, a person can bring about lasting changes in their external experience. Internal victory preludes external victory because the world without cannot contradict the world within.
Such self-mastery leads to a renewed mind, clarifying judgment and stabilizing one’s engagement with reality. The greater the renewal of the mind, the more sound and effective the mind becomes. A renewed mind is a sound mind. This renewed clarity is essential for discerning truth, making wise decisions, and exerting influence responsibly and thoughtfully.
In sum, understanding these two interrelated worlds and the primacy of the inner over the outer—transforms how we view life’s challenges and opportunities. It invites deep personal responsibility and offers a pathway to genuine freedom through internal transformation.
