I read a strange book called 'Tufti the Priestess' and got very confused: Part 1

Tufti the Priestess [Part 1] Only those who know how reality works can rewrite the world

Is the world we see really 'reality'?

When I read Vadim Zeland's 'Tufti the Priestess,' I was honestly surprised. This book shows us the true nature of the 'reality' we take for granted from a completely different angle.

Among the teachings unfolded from lessons 1 to 40, the foundation is 'understanding the mechanics of reality.' Trying to change reality without knowing this is like playing a game without knowing the rules. That is why we will look at these 'mechanics' together first.

Reality was 'a single frame of a movie'

The first surprise Tufti teaches us is that reality is layered like an onion.

The moment we feel as 'here and now' is actually like a single frame of a movie. Movie film consists of individual still images, right? But when they are projected in sequence, they become a story with movement.

Our reality seems to have the exact same structure.

The moment called 'now' exists for only an instant and becomes the past in the next. It is just one of countless frames, isn't it?

And here is the truly surprising part—all of these frames already exist.

What is the 'Eternal Archive'?

Tufti talks about a place called the 'Eternal Archive.'

Imagine a giant warehouse where infinite reels of film are stored. Inside it are all the pasts, all the futures, and 'all the possibilities that could have happened.'

The future where I succeed and the future where I fail are already there. The possibility of living a happy life and the possibility of continuing to suffer are already recorded.

Then, what is the 'present' we are experiencing?

It is a specific frame from the countless reels in this archive that is illuminated by light and materialized.

When a projector illuminates a specific film, an image appears on the screen. In the same way, when our consciousness 'illuminates' a specific possibility, it is experienced as 'reality.'

It's strange, isn't it? But when you think about it, some parts of it make sense.

Are we living according to a 'script'?

The story gets even deeper from here.

According to Tufti, our actions and events are actually predetermined by an external 'script'.

Waking up in the morning, brushing your teeth, going to work, having the usual conversations, and feeling the usual emotions—all of this might just be moving according to a script that has already been written.

In our daily lives, we are like 'paper people (mannequins)' moving according to this script.

You might think, 'I'm choosing this of my own free will!' I thought so too. But in reality, that might just be a clever illusion. It's like a puppet in a puppet show believing that it is pulling its own strings.

It's a bit scary, isn't it? But don't worry. Knowing this truth is thefirst step toward true freedom.

Are we actually asleep?

Tufti says—whether we are dreaming or awake, we are always 'fast asleep'.

When I first heard that, I thought, 'Wait, even when I'm awake?' But after hearing the explanation, I was convinced. This 'sleep' is a state where our consciousness is glued to one of two screens.

Internal Screen

A state of being immersed in your own thoughts, daydreams, emotions, anxieties, regrets... this internal world.

'I should have done that back then,' 'Will tomorrow be okay?' 'Why am I always like this?'

When we are caught in these whirlpools of thought, we are trapped inside the internal screen.

External Screen

A state where our consciousness is captured by external stimuli—what is happening around us, the words and actions of others, the news, social media posts—and we are reacting reflexively.

Getting annoyed by someone's remark, being distracted by smartphone notifications, or feeling unsettled by events right in front of you—these are all proof that you are caught on the external screen.

When our consciousness is stuck on either of these two screens, we become unconscious and lose the power to control ourselves and our situation.

Don't you think, 'Ah, that might be true...'?

'The center of awareness'—the place where your true self resides

So, how can we wake up?

Tufti teaches us that there is a 'center of awareness (observation point)' right in the middle between the internal screen and the external screen.

When you place your consciousness at this center point, for the first time, you become able to view your thoughts and the surrounding reality objectively at the same time.

Imagine yourself sitting in a movie theater seat. Various things are being projected onto the screen. But you aren't getting sucked into the screen, nor are you closing your eyes and escaping into your inner self; you are just sitting quietly, observing everything.

This state is what it means to be at the 'center point of awareness'.

Once you stand here, you gain the power to change the plot of the movie.

How do you actually wake up?

Tufti teaches not just theory, but concrete methods as well. This is really practical and great.

The Question of Awakening

Ask yourself this many times a day.

'Where am I right now?' 'What am I doing right now?'

And then declare in your heart—'I see myself, and I see reality.'

It's simple, right? But this easy question becomes the key to pulling your consciousness back from unconscious sleep.

Using Triggers

To break the habit of falling into unconsciousness, you create 'triggers'.

External trigger: The moment something happens—the phone rings, someone speaks to you, you open a door—you train yourself to wake up and think, 'Ah, this is the moment.'

Internal trigger: Just before doing something—before you start speaking, before you start eating, before you make a decision—you make it a habit to consciously wake up at that moment.

As you continue this, you can gradually shift from unconscious autopilot to conscious choice.

Why do you need to wake up?

An important question arises here, doesn't it—isn't it fine to just stay as I am without going through the trouble of waking up?

But think about it. In an unawakened state, we can only complain about or resist the frames of a movie that has already been filmed.

You cannot change the tragedy projected on the screen. You cannot rewrite events that have already occurred. A sleeping person is just tossed about by reality and has no choice but to follow their fate.

However, when you wake up, everything changes.

Becoming free from the script

Once you can control your consciousness, you are no longer dominated by external scripts. You are no longer a puppet, but can become a free being who moves by their own will.

Choosing the future

What is happening in this very moment—the current frame—cannot be changed. That is because it has already been projected.

But you can choose the next frame of the future that is coming.

If you are awake, you can choose the reel of the future you desire from the infinite possibilities in the eternal archive and make it a reality.

Isn't that amazing?

The movie theater analogy—grasping the big picture

I feel that Tufti's teachings can be summarized in one big analogy.

We are like audience members in a movie theater watching the screen, genuinely frightened and crying at the tragedy of the film.

We project ourselves onto the suffering characters, get anxious about the plot, and fear the ending. We think the world inside the screen is everything.

But when you suddenly come to your senses, you realize—you are sitting in a safe seat. The events on the screen cannot actually hurt you. Because they are just images being projected.

And the next step—stand up from your seat and go to the projection room.

There, countless film reels are stored. You take off the reel currently playing and set a different one. The story on the screen changes. The ending changes.

This is the power of an awakened person.

In front of a new door

Now that we know the 'mechanics of reality' taught by Tufti, we are standing before a choice.

We can end this knowledge with a 'Huh, that's interesting' and go back to sleep. Or, we can start practicing waking up from this very moment and become the director of the movie that is our life.

The current frame cannot be changed. But the next frame can be chosen.

We already know the rules. The structure of the film, the eternal archive, and how to stand at the center of awareness.

Next time, in Part 2, we will build on this understanding to look at the specific techniques Tufti teaches—especially the 'braid (the braid of intent),' a very powerful method for creating reality.

The door to the projection room is right in front of us now.

Whether we open it or not is up to us. Shall we take the next step together?