The pretentious fool will study the mystical accounts of others and base his whole worldview on them. That same fool will ignore all of his personal experiences, the little miracles in his life, the hints and messages the mirror of the world throws at him over and over - all in the same breath. Because it is easier to ignore one's trials by making them as small and insignificant as possible compared to the grand adventures of others. In truth - all experience is equal, all minds are equal, value is granted through personal interpretation, especially when it comes to abstract matters of the spirit. Who is to say that the mystical experienced by someone like Crowley, or Rasputin, or Jung, for example - is at all more prevalent or valid than a personally experienced miracle? Because they wrote a book about it? Because they meticulously documented theirs? Because they thought of them less as psychotic rambling and more as channeling knowledge? How outrageously pretentious and selfish of them, no? If you did the same thing, you'd count yourself a laughing stock. And herein lies the truth. That only you can make that distinction. The truth is that the miraculous surrounds you at all times, it is speaking to you right now even, through this very message - but it is up to you to unfurl its deeper meaning, to heed its quiet call. I know many fools like this - I used to be one myself. Collections of books and manuscripts, encyclopedias of half-read material, complete informational overload, intellectual greed and lust for knowledge, but no understanding of the grander picture of life whatsoever. When you know many facts but haven't learnt a single thing from those facts - that is the curse of the pretentious intellectual, and a direct result of externalized ego and internalized issues with self-worth. Constant mental masturbation. But a sign of a master is DEEP, INNER SEARCH. That is where the real demons lie, the gates to your personal heaven are found in your personal hell. Be real with yourself - what are your true faults, true shortcomings, true deficit and lack. Where do you fail yourself and others? Where are you not meeting your true potential? What can you do better? What are the responsibilities you are avoiding? Why do you need the distractions? What are you truly afraid of? What has you running away into the comforting arms of denial? Are you truly an honest person or have you only convinced yourself of your virtue? Why do you pretend to be someone you're not? Why do you hold back your forgiveness? Why can't you take control your rage and anger and frustration? Why haven't you opened your heart to the world, and to yourself? Why do you sabotage your life? Why do you disregard your health? These are the real questions of life. Not how many species of alien is out there, or whether this or that celestial body will affect your finances this month by 5%. All of the answers, even the most terrible ones, are found within. There is no greater demon than the demon of the self. Once you decide to overcome that - the rest will fall into place, and every piece of untruth will fade away from your life - and melt away like last winter's snow. A man can know everything there is to know about the world, but if he does not know himself - the world will forget him. Because he will know the world but not his place in it. And so the world will not know him.