The Untethered Soul

Singer uses the analogy of somebody building a house in a vast open field to describe how we segregate ourselves from the infinite possibilities of experience. As we lovingly build up the walls of our house and make ourselves as comfortable as possible inside, we forget that the beautiful light of the sun outside even exists. In the same way, “our consciousness, our awareness of being, is living deep inside of us in an artificially sealed off area that is absolute” (115). This house represents our emotions and our thoughts while the walls represent the psyche; we are unable to see beyond them because we patch up with rumination and memories. Singer promises freedom on the other side of these walls: “[I]magine the walls crumbling down, and the effortless release of consciousness expanding into the brilliance of what is and always was” (118). It is the world outside us, rather than inside that Singer believes holds the key to our liberation.

In seeking liberation, Singer believes it is possible to go beyond “the limits that you put on things” and realize that “in truth, everything is infinite” (119). We minimize the infinity of existence to feel that we are in control of our lives by amassing a set of opinions, preferences, beliefs, and goals that become our reality.