Cycles of Withdrawal and Return

Ep. 217 (Part 1 of 2) | In the 17th dialogue of the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, Hameed Ali explores the classic spiritual theme: the journey of descent. What happens after we awaken, having had a realization of the deepest kind? The path of descent, where we retain the awareness of what came with our experience of the absolute, and bring it into our life, expressing it with every aspect of our being. Many teachings talk about the ascent (the journey of awakening) and the descent, Hameed explains, but when they talk about the descent, they interpret it as an individual coming down the mountain with their great realization. Hameed thought this was how it happened too, he laughs. But then it became clear to him following his own descent that it is not an enlightened individual who descends back into the world—it’s the absolute. In Christian terms, it’s the father who comes, appearing as the son.

What was it like for Hameed as he descended, living in the absolute dimension at the same time as living in the everyday world? co-host John Dupuy asks. Something transcendent lives through the body with the individual as the organ of perception, Hameed responds. “The entire universe becomes subtle shimmerings…like the waves in quantum theory; the blackness so extreme that it shines—and that sheen is the world.” Different from the classic Eastern spiritual path, where what is significant is living the transcendent rather than living regular life, in the Diamond Approach (Hameed’s path), actualization is the goal, coming back to the everyday world and living life as an expression of the Absolute. Recorded November 13, 2025.

“It is inherent to true nature for it to be lived in the world.”

Topics & Time Stamps – Part 1

1. Introducing the 17th dialogue in the A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series, focusing on the journey of descent: actualizing the realization of the absolute (00:39)
2. The path begins with the journey of ascent, then comes realization, then the path of descent: actualization, living your realization (04:46)
3. Being in the world and not of it is an important principle of the Diamond Approach (06:44)
4. What was it like for Hameed as he descended, living in the absolute dimension and the everyday world simultaneously? (08:17)
5. It’s not the individual who descends but the Absolute (14:45)
6. Differentiating from the Eastern spiritual path, where what’s important is living the transcendent rather than living life (19:33)
7. Are there obstacles to the descent? (20:44)
8. In descent, the entire universe becomes subtle shimmerings… like the waves in quantum theory (25:04)
9. Something transcendent lives through the body; the individual is the organ of perception (27:06)
10. Hameed was already a spiritual teacher, sharing about the journey of ascent, before he experienced the journey of descent (29:49)
11. Can a person experience a series of cycles of ascent and descent? (31:06)
12. In Christian language, the descent is the father coming into this world, appearing as the son (33:14)
13. Authenticity: the practice is to be your experience, abide in it, and let it reveal its truth (34:29)
14. The quintessence is the full integration of all the dimensions (36:13)
15. The absence of substance is what gives the Absolute its power (37:46)

Resources & References – Part 1

1. A. H. Almaas (Hameed Ali), founder of The Ridhwan School, home of The Diamond Approach
2. A. H. Almaas, The Inner Journey Home: Soul’s Realization of the Unity of Reality
3. Ramana Maharshi, Hindu sage and liberated being
4. Cynthia Bourgeault, modern-day mystic, author, retreat leader
5. Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj
6. Arnold Toynbee’s cycle of withdrawal and return, A Study of History
7. Dzogchen
8. Mahamudra
9. Dharmakāya

The A. H. Almaas Wisdom Series will generally follow the sequence of Hameed’s magnum opus, The Inner Journey Home (which John describes as psychoactive and spiritually, psychologically, and intellectually transformative), so listeners may want to get a copy of this book, to study and follow along on this exhilarating path of awakening.

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Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas) was born in Kuwait in 1944. At the age of eighteen, he moved to the U.S. to study at the University of California in Berkeley. Hameed was working on his Ph.D. in physics when he reached a turning point in his life and destiny that led him to inquire into the psychological and spiritual aspects of human nature rather than the physical nature of the universe. He left the academic world to pursue an in-depth journey of inner discovery, applying his scientific precision and discipline to personal, experiential research. This included study with different teachers in different modalities, extensive reading, and continuous study of his own consciousness in an effort to understand the essential nature of human experience and reality in general.

Hameed’s process of exploration led to the creation of the Ridhwan School and, with his colleague Karen Johnson, resulted in the founding and unfoldment of the Diamond Approach. He is the author of 20 books, including Nondual Love: Awakening to the Loving Nature of Reality, Love Unveiled: Discovering the Essence of the Awakened Heart, Keys to the Enneagram: How to Unlock the Highest Potential of Every Personality Type, The Unfolding Now: Realizing Your True Nature through the Practice of Presence, and more.

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Podcast produced by Vanessa Santos and Show Notes by Heidi Mitchell