Read the First 3 Chapters of My New Sci-Fi/Vedanta Novelette "Aham-1" (Part 1 of 4)
A serialized adventure through space, consciousness, and AI ethics begins today
Greetings, fellow explorers here at Learn Vedanta Substack,
Launch sequence initiated. I'm about to share a narrative experiment with you, a deviation from our usual analytical course. Today, we begin the publication of my new novelette, titled "Aham-1," a story attempting to map unexplored territories where ancient wisdom meets the challenges of the hyper-technological future. It will be published serially, a few chapters at a time. And the best news is that the first three chapters are ready and included right below, in this very post! Subsequent chapters will follow in future publications.
What is "Aham-1" about? We'll follow the journey of Ravi, an astronaut more comfortable with the laws of physics than the laws of the heart, catapulted into a sci-fi adventure that will take him to the edges of space and his mind. It will be a voyage through futuristic simulations, enigmatic encounters, and the navigation of cosmic phenomena, which are also powerful metaphors for the inner path. Through Ravi's eyes, we will explore the tension between Knowledge (Vidya) and Ignorance (Avidya), the search for the Self (Atman), and the power of the inner Witness (Sākṣī), as described in Vedanta philosophy. And we will confront the big questions about Artificial Intelligence and its ethics, introducing a key concept called Sākṣī AI.
How will it be told? Through immersive scenes, dialogues, and Ravi's direct perspective. There will be hints of Vedantic concepts, integrated into the story just enough to illuminate the path. The style will be evocative, a bit strange, like a vivid lucid dream set in deep space.
The first three chapters of "Aham-1" are ready for transmission, right below. Power up your inner receivers. I hope this story entertains you, stimulates you, and leaves you with the feeling that the universe – and ourselves – are far vaster and more mysterious than we might imagine.
See you between the stars (and in the chapters below).
- Part 2 of 4
- Part 3 of 4
- Part 4 of 4
“Maybe on the Moon” - AaRON - We Cut the Night ℗ 2015 AaRON
Chapter 1 - The Hidden Frequency
The Space Station 'Aryabhatta II' was an orderly tangle of technology and solitude, an artificial satellite dedicated to deciphering the faint whispers of the universe through subspace vastness. Ravi Chandrasekhar, with isolating headphones pressed against his ears, felt himself becoming a sensor, attuned to the unnatural silence of the night shift, broken only by the hum of systems and the distant beating of his own heart. The monitors before him projected a hypnotic dance of waves and frequencies, a cosmic language he had learned to interpret during his long years of service. His fingers danced across the controls with the familiarity of an expert pianist, while his eyes scrutinised every minute variation in the patterns of interstellar transmissions. He was tracking a fluctuation in the signal from the Alpha Centauri colony – probably just cosmic background noise, but protocol required verification. His gaze wandered to the panoramic viewport. The galaxy stretched outside, a majestic river of cold, ancient light. A beauty that always left him with a sense of inadequacy, of unspoken questions, of infinite mystery waiting to be unveiled. The stars pulsed in the void like distant heartbeats, each with its own story to tell, each part of a cosmic symphony that seemed always on the verge of revealing a deeper meaning. Ravi ran a hand through his greying hair, feeling the weight of his forty-five years and a life dedicated to listening to the universe. "But what is the true signal?" he thought, the recurring question that floated in his mind during these silent hours. "All this vastness, all this technological precision... to transmit what? Production reports? Family greetings? Is there... a deeper frequency beneath all this?"
As if the question had touched a hidden chord, the answer came. Not through the headphones. Not through the sensors. But from within. A modulation of consciousness, clear, multi-tonal, like a choir thinking in unison. The sound seemed to traverse not just space, but time itself, resonating in the depths of his being with a clarity that transcended physical hearing. "Your question reveals your attunement, Ravi Chandrasekhar. We are the Custodians. Custodians of the fundamental frequency: Vidya." The words formed in his mind with crystalline precision, each syllable laden with meaning and immediate understanding. Ravi felt himself freeze. His hands stopped on the control panel. He shook his head, trying to rationalise the experience. Stress? Isolation? Deep space loneliness playing with his mind? But the 'voices' continued, serene, precise, with a clarity that transcended all doubt. They spoke of Vidya as Knowledge identical to Reality itself, the direct understanding of the Unity underlying all appearances. Their words resonated not just in his ears but deep within his consciousness, as if each concept were a seed of understanding instantly germinating in his mind. And they spoke of Avidya: not a hostile entity, but an interference, a systemic 'noise' of fundamental ignorance, the tendency of consciousness to mistake the temporary mask of ego (Ahamkara) for its true face. Each concept manifested in his mind with crystalline clarity, accompanied by an understanding that went beyond words.
"Avidya is the static that distorts Reality's signal," explained one of the voices with a metaphor that resonated with Ravi's work. "It generates the illusion of separation (Maya), which in turn generates desire, fear, and suffering (Samsara). And there exist 'amplifiers' of this static in the universe." He, Ravi, through a rare combination of 'karmic imprints' and natural mental disposition, was less susceptible to certain 'scripts' of Avidya. He possessed a Sākṣī potential – the intrinsic capacity of consciousness to observe the play without being completely absorbed in it – unusually strong, though untrained. "You are a receiver with a unique filter," they said. "You might be able to perceive the original signal even where the noise is strongest. This is why we offer you this mission: to travel to Aham-1, an anomalous black hole, a psychic collector of cosmic Ahamkara, the point of maximum density of manifest Avidya." His mission? "To observe. To understand. And, simply by being present with your frequency, perhaps, to introduce an element of clarity, like a pure note in a cacophony. Your consciousness itself could become a beacon of awareness at a point in the universe where illusion reigns supreme." But first, the training. A necessary enhancement to awaken and manage his latent potential. The voices promised preparation that would transform his consciousness into an instrument of cosmic precision, capable of navigating through Avidya's distortions while maintaining its attunement to fundamental Reality.
Ravi felt a vortex of emotions – fear, disbelief, but also a strange, deep excitement. Was this the answer he had always waited for, even without knowing it? The stars outside the viewport seemed to pulse with new meaning, as if the universe itself awaited his decision. He could say no. He could return to his graphs, to his safe routine. But something inside him, that part that gazed at the stars, wondering about the 'true signal,' knew he couldn't. The time had come to transcend the limits of ordinary perception, to become a bridge between worlds. "Initiate the procedure," he thought, a mixture of surrender and determination. And the familiar reality around him began to dissolve at the edges, like ice melting into water, as his consciousness prepared for a quantum leap into the unknown.
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Chapter 2 - The Currents of Wisdom
The virtual cockpit materialised around him with the fluidity of a thought. Not cold metal, but a smooth material warm to the touch, adapting to his posture like a living glove. Before him, a vibrant three-dimensional space unfolded infinitely: luminous platforms floated like water lilies on a cosmic lake, connected by bridges of pure energy pulsing with complex rhythms. Rivers of sparkling particles flowed through the void, emanating a sweet subsonic melody that resonated not in his ears but directly in his consciousness. Each current shimmered with a distinctive colour, each carrying a unique frequency of ancient knowledge. "'Galactic Enlightenment' Simulation - Shravana Module active," announced the guide voice, calm and encouraging, in his mind. "Shravana: Sacred Listening. Assimilate the fundamental truths by navigating the Upanishadic Currents. Your Jiva-Interface is calibrated to respond directly to your subtlest intentions."
The Jiva-Interface, his virtual vessel, responded to the slightest impulse of his will, moving with a grace that seemed to transcend ordinary laws of physics. It was as if the vehicle were a direct extension of his consciousness, a body of light programmed to dance through the dimensions of wisdom. He entered a sapphire-colored Current. Immediately, his mind was flooded with direct understanding of Brahman: not a personal god, but the Absolute, the One Reality without second, the Substance of all that exists. This wasn't theoretical knowledge, but a living experience that transformed his very perception of reality. He traversed a golden Current and felt the identity between his deepest consciousness and that Brahman–Atman is Brahman. The ancient truth revealed itself not as a concept, but as an immediate recognition of his true nature, an insight that dissolved the veil of apparent separation. A silver Current revealed to him the nature of Maya: not pure illusion, but the divine power that projects the manifold world upon Unity, like a film projected on a white screen. He saw how multiplicity emerged from the One without ever really dividing it, a cosmic play of forms in perpetual transformation. "It's like learning the physics of the soul," thought Ravi, astounded by the precision and depth of this training system. But this was no peaceful cruise through the placid waters of wisdom. The simulation presented increasing challenges, obstacles that required not just understanding, but practical mastery. He had to actively dodge "Sensory Distraction Zones" – virtual mirages that sought to attract his attention with increasingly subtle seductions. Vortices of pleasure, promises of power, visions of personal achievement – each distraction calibrated to resonate with his deepest tendencies. The "Conceptual Attachment Vortices" were even more insidious – force fields that trapped him if he dwelled too long on a single idea, even an enlightened one. "Shravana requires more than passivity," commented the voice. "It requires active, discriminating listening. Truth must flow through you, not crystallise into dogmas." Then began Manana: Reflection. The environment became more structured, with crossroads and passages blocked by "False Belief Barriers" that required not just understanding, but practical application of acquired wisdom.
"Veda-Light Emitter activated," announced the interface. "Manana serves to solidify knowledge by removing doubts through reason (Yukti). Identify the nature of the Barrier and dissolve it with the appropriate conceptual ray." One barrier emanated from the energy "Reality is only what is scientifically measurable". Ravi selected "There exist levels of reality beyond sensory perception and physical measurement". The beam of understanding struck the barrier, dissolving it in an explosion of comprehensive light. Another vibrated with "I am the body and mind". He dissolved it with "You are the Witness Consciousness (Sākṣī) that observes body and mind". Each success was accompanied by a sense of growing clarity, as if layers of confusion were being removed one after another. He was learning to actively use Vedantic principles as tools of discernment, not just to navigate virtual space, but to 'debug' his very understanding of reality. The mind was not just the place of learning; it was the battlefield where Vidya challenged Avidya, where clarity emerged from the chaos of ignorance. Each barrier overcome, each current successfully navigated, strengthened not only his understanding but his ability to maintain that understanding stable in the face of distractions and illusions. It was training that transformed theoretical knowledge into lived wisdom, preparing him for the deeper challenges that awaited. The simulation proceeded with increasing intensity, but Ravi felt growing within himself a strength and clarity he had never known. He was no longer just a spectator of the universe – he was becoming a conscious instrument of its self-understanding.
Chapter 3 - Taming Inner Tendencies
The transition to Nididhyasana was like diving into the depths of one's inner ocean. The virtual space lost all pretence of objectivity, transforming into a liquid, reactive mirror of his mental and karmic states. The precise geometries of previous phases dissolved into fluid, organic forms that pulsed to the rhythm of his deepest thoughts. "Deep Contemplation," murmured the guide voice, now subtler, almost a whisper in his consciousness. "Knowledge must now become living realisation. The challenges you will face are your Vasanas – the deep imprints left by your past actions (Karma), which generate your current tendencies. Here, there are no external enemies to fight, only inner patterns to recognise and transcend." Ravi found himself navigating through 'Seas of Desire' (Kama), where powerful currents tried to push him toward islands of illusory pleasure. Each island gleamed with seductive promises: cosmic fame, revolutionary discoveries, universal recognition. The currents themselves seemed to whisper rational justifications for yielding: "Isn't it right to desire to do good? Isn't desire itself an engine of evolution?" He traversed 'Asteroid Fields of Fear' (Bhaya), where rocks made of his deepest anxieties threatened to crush him. Some asteroids were massive, formed of fundamental existential fears – death, cosmic insignificance, and ultimate solitude. Others were smaller but no less dangerous, composed of daily anxieties and professional insecurities that, in their familiarity, were almost harder to recognise as illusions. And then he faced the 'Karmic Guardians': semi-sentient energy entities generated by his most stubborn patterns. A 'Golem of Unexpressed Anger' that erupted waves of psychic heat, formed from years of repressed frustrations and unresolved conflicts. A 'Ghost of Past Attachment' that tried to trap him in emotional time loops, seducing him with moments of past glory or tormenting him with unprocessed regrets. The Veda-Light, so effective against conceptual barriers, bounced ineffectively off their unstable forms. "They're made of my mind," Ravi realised with growing frustration. "How can I strike a shadow? How can I fight what is part of me?"
"You don't strike it," replied the voice with gentle firmness. "You illuminate it with the awareness of what you truly are. Draw from the Atman. Self Resources Activation available." Following the inner instructions, Ravi learned to shift his identification from the agitated Jiva-Interface to the serene Atman-Consciousness. It was no longer a matter of fighting or resisting, but of recognising and transcending. Advanced Sākṣī Mode: Dwelling as the Witness, the ship became transparent to emotional chaos, allowing him to navigate through inner storms without being damaged. "I am not the emotions, I am That which observes them." This understanding was no longer theoretical but a living realisation that transformed his experience moment by moment. Shanti-Ananda Impulse: Radiating the peace and bliss intrinsic to the Self, he could pacify the aggressiveness of Karmic Manifestations, not by destroying them, but by neutralising the negative energy that fed them. "My true nature dissolves conflict." The hostile entities transformed into allies, revealing the hidden lessons in the patterns they represented. Mukti (Freedom) Teleportation: An instantaneous 'jump' out of emotional or mental deadlocks, demonstrating the Self's intrinsic freedom from the chains of conditioning. "The Self is never truly trapped." This power represented the ability to instantly disidentify from any limiting pattern.
Using these 'abilities' required deep inner centring. They weren't simple commands to activate, but expressions of his growing rootedness in the Atman. Each pacified Karmic Guardian, each Field of Attraction/Repulsion consciously traversed, was a victory not over the external, but over egoic identification. "This is Nididhyasana," Ravi finally understood, as the simulation reached ever deeper levels. "It's the constant practice of being what we already are, until it becomes as natural as breathing. It's not acquiring new powers, but recognising the ever-present power of the Self." The simulation gradually faded, leaving him in a deep quietude. He no longer felt armed with new weapons, but lightened of old identifications. His consciousness was clearer, more stable, like a lake that has calmed after a storm. The voices of the Custodians returned, now familiar as old friends: "You have completed the initial phase of training. But remember: these were only simulations. The real test will be in applying this understanding in the face of the manifest Avidya of Aham-1. There, the distortions will be real and intense." Ravi nodded internally. He felt simultaneously stronger and more humble. He had seen the vastness of his inner ocean, both its storms and its fundamental serenity. He was ready for the next step, whatever it might be. Ordinary reality began to re-emerge around him, but now he saw it with new eyes. Every object, every sensation, was an opportunity to practice conscious presence. The real training, he realised, was never finished. It was a continuous process of awakening moment by moment.
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