Tom,

You've mentioned this idea in MBTOE as well as the London Lecture, e.g., you've said something to the effect that for all we know we may be analogous to bacteria in the gut of the One. You've said that you've explored many Systems, but that you know that there are many you haven't explored. (I'm going from memory, so correct my misconceptions about your remarks.)

So, with respect to the All, the One Consciousness, isn't it logical to consider that our All may be just one of many Alls, such that our All may be one cell within a greater body?

Another thing- your post automatically brings to mind the Buddhist idea of dependent origination. Basically this says that the existence of something depends upon a larger something (in a general nutshell). Now in our case PMR and nPMR (and all other reality systems within AUM) are "dependent" on the One consciousness (or individuated units thereof). But now that you mention the idea of something or some kind of environment outside of the One consciousness- I can't help but wonder where that leaves AUM? Granted we can only speculate. Not that I could even begin to imagine what that environment would actually "be like"- would it be fair to say that AUM theoretically depends upon it for its survival? But if conscious existence DOES exist outside of "The One" then "The One" or the "AUM" we are always referring to is really still just "one of the ones" etc. So where is the real base of reality? Isn't one I suppose? Except (again) to say that its consciousness I guess...- just that it doesn't stop at AUM.

Cole, in your next paragraph in total and perhaps boiling down to "So where is the real base of reality?"

Ted: Regarding this whole paragraph, I am sorry, but I must say that I feel that there is no fruitful result from this kind of speculation. Tom has discussed this as well in MBT and stated that we do not and cannot know. In my opinion, we have such a great advance in potential understanding available from MBT that I see no need for or value from speculation in advance of even the hint of data availability.

Maybe I'm misreading your remarks, but you appear to be trying to tell me what I may speculate about, or what's is worthy of speculating about. If that's true, then the effrontery baffles me. And if either is true, then thanks, but I can determine that for myself. I can't imagine you trying to do that, though, so I must be misreading your post. Or perhaps you haven't anticipated for what more complex reasons I might have for asking the question - reasons that lie outside of the immediate question.