The various stages of consciousness, through human history — beginning with the ancient myths and then as embodied in ancient philosophy, all the way to modern philosophy — are unconsciously reflected in one’s inner development. But to truly achieve Self-realization requires that we consciously recapitulate that dialectical development. The Buddhists, to the contrary, advise that we abandon the boat that carried us to the other shore, which I take to mean the entire history of consciousness. To change metaphors, when we peel away the skins of the onion of being, in an effort to get to the hollow core of the onion, the various skins, which we would discard are the Self, and must be known as such to have a full Self-realization.”