The Discovery of Being Series: Part 4 of 4 Inspired by the work of Rollo May
In the final installment of our series on Rollo May, we arrive at the most intimidating concept of all: Non-Being.
May argued that what gives human life its zest and urgency is the shadow of death. He wasn't being morbid; he was being practical. He believed that the confrontation with "Non-Being" is what saves us from the "banality of living."
"The confrontation with death saves us from the 'banality of living' and the emptiness of apathy."
When we deny the existence of Non-Being—when we pretend everything will last forever, or when we cling to the illusion of unchanging permanence—we lose our vitality. We become stale. Things change from full color to black and white, and we stop engaging in direct experiences - because the world around us is constantly changing.
To create something new, something old must always cease to be.
The Energetic Mechanism of the Void
For the Clairvoyant and the Medium, "Non-Being" is not a theoretical concept. It is a particular energy that can be said hello to.
We often call it emptiness.
This is the space of pure potentiality that exists before manifestation. It is the "empty stage" before the actors arrive. But for most people, in most spaces we occupy, this space is terrifying.
Why? Because to acknowledge this emptiness, you have to let go of your identity (your Mitwelt, your roles, your history). You have to experience a "Little Death" of the ego. Because to step into a space of emptiness, it is implied that you can also be empty.
Trance Mediumship is essentially the practice of getting comfortable with Non-Being. It is the practice of stepping out of the driver's seat, letting go of the controls, and trusting that you will return. In order to channel another energy or spirit through you, you must first empty yourself and move out of the way.
Mockups (Manifestation) require you to destroy a picture (let it die) so a new one can be born. It is an act of the buddhist concept of radical non-attachment; the willingness to destroy energy to create an empty space for something new to come into being.
If you are afraid of the dark, you cannot create the light. Both are necessary and one cannot exist without the other.
The Courage to Create
Rollo May wrote an insightful and worthwhile book called The Courage to Create. He argued that creativity is not a gentle hobby; it is a battle against Non-Being. It is the act of bringing something into existence that has never existed before.
This requires the courage to stand in empty space - often.
When you learn to sit in the emptiness—when you stop trying to fill the silence with noise, or the emptiness with distraction—you tap into the deepest source of your own power.
You realize that "Non-Being" isn't the end. It is the canvas on which your creativity depends.
🔭 One of the truly magical things about our community at Art of the Seer is that since we share a commitment to the same tools, techniques, and practice container, it’s easy to reach out to each other members and create your own reading and healing exchanges. Using this post as inspiration, find a partner to work with—perhaps someone you know from a current or previous class, or post in the practicum chat groups that you were inspired by this post and find someone new to explore with.
🏄♂️ Weekly Practitioner Exchange: 30-Minute Reading & Healing
Pair up with a reading partner and exchange 30-minute Clairvoyant Readings together. Practice both giving and receiving as a way of deepening your experience and relationship to this topic.
The Reading Topics:
The Void: Ask the readee to mock up the "Void" or "Non-Being." What does this picture look like to them? Is it a terrifying abyss, or is it a rich, fertile soil?
The Little Death: Look at a recent ending in their life (a job, a relationship, a belief system). How did they handle the "Non-Being" that followed? Did they rush to fill it, or did they sit in it?
The Creation Point: Look at their creative energy (2nd Chakra). Is it blocked by a fear of destruction? (i.e., "If I create this new life, I have to destroy my old one.")
The Capacity: Ask the readee to mock up stepping into the "Velvet Black" of pure potential. Can they hold their seniority there?
Healing Focus: Give the readee a healing on their 1st Chakra regarding "Survival Fears." Help them blow the pictures that say "Emptiness = Death." Remind the body that the emptiness is safe.
🧘🏾♂️ One Small Step: A Solo Micro-Action
Sometimes something is too charged to feel safe being vulnerable in interpersonal spaces with it at first. If this is really stimulating you, you can work this energy in meditation using your tools, or in moments of embodiment and pause throughout your day.
The Black Rose
We often visualize gold or pink roses. Today, visualize a Velvet Black Rose.
Put this rose out in front of you.
Let it represent "The Unknown" or "The Void."
Notice your reaction. Does your body tighten? Do you want to fix it?
Just breathe. Let the black rose be beautiful. Let the emptiness be rich.
Tell me in the comments: What is one part of your life that needs to "die" (end) so that you can create something new?
📓 Journaling and Self-Reflection Prompts
Sometimes we need to write it down to get it out of our aura. People learn, experience, and process energy in a variety of ways—visually, auditorily, conceptually—and here at AotSA, we validate all those different forms. If you process through writing, take 10 minutes with your journal to "audit" a recurring picture in your space you’ve come across using this template.
The Ending Audit: Think of the last three major chapters of your life that ended. Did you grieve them? Did you allow there to be a gap before the next chapter started?
The Courage Check: Rollo May says creativity requires courage. Where are you playing it safe because you don't want to rock the boat? What would you create if you weren't afraid of the "Non-Being" of your current stability?
The Definition of Death: Write down your definition of "Non-Being." Then, cross it out and write a new one based on the idea of the Void as a Canvas. How does that shift feel?
As a liminal healer and intuitive coach, I hold space for those navigating the "in-between" moments of life, which sometimes can last days, weeks, months, or years. By working with consciousness tools and focusing on reuniting body, mind, and spirit to one’s innate creativity, I help you turn seasons of change into seasons of emergence.
With over twenty years of experience as a professional clairvoyant, trance-medium, and psychic teacher supporting more than a thousand seekers and mystics on their journey to self-actualization, I invite you to step into authenticity and autonomy.
