There are two types of experiences offered by the Quaternity Chess game. One of them is that of an observer of the game, i.e., an external one. The other one is that of a participant.
From the point of view of an observer, the Q-chess allows to watch the process of the elevation of an ordinary human mind to its higher modes of operation. An ordinary mind means a mind which operates in its lowest mode, i.e., a mind which has not been exposed to a refinement process. An ordinary mind is driven by ordinary (natural) faculties. The mind may be brought onto higher modes of operation through the activation of its inner faculties. In an ordinary person, the inner faculties remain in their latent state. There are four inner faculties which often are marked by four different colors.[1]
This situation is represented by the initial arrangement of the chess pieces on the board. There are fourth sets of chess pieces marked by four colors, i.e., white, red, black, and green. Each of these four sets represents a specific inner faculty of the mind. At the beginning of the game, the four sets of chess pieces are in their latent state; they are not active yet.
The game is designed in such a way as to follow the methodology of the development of the human mind. The four players sitting around the chessboard represent the composite state of an ordinary mind. In this initial state, the inner faculties are idle. The process is triggered by the presence of an activating element. It is this “mysterious” element that drives and controls the entire process.[2] In the Q-chess game, the activation of the process is symbolically marked by the first “move” on the board.
At the moment when the play starts, the players are getting actively involved in the process. According to the employed methodology, those inner faculties which are naturally stronger - are activated first. These stronger faculties are driven by the desire to transmute themselves into new and more powerful ones. Such a transmutation may be presented as a union of two colors. In the Q-chess game, this takes place when one player checkmates one of the other three players. The first checkmate marks the first stage of the process. The checkmate results in the appearance of a new “faculty” which is formed as the combination of two colors, i.e., that of the checkmating and that of the checkmated. It may be said that, at this moment, the two faculties are transmuted into a new one. The new faculty is more powerful than the original two. This situation is symbolically illustrated in the following story about a lame man and a blind man:
“A lame man walked into a teahouse and sat beside another man who was there. He sighted and said: “I will not be able to arrive at the King’s banquet because of my lameness.” The other man looked at him and said, sadly: “I have also been invited. But I am blind and therefore cannot make it there either.” A third man who was sitting at another table said: “But you two have between you the means to reach your destination. The blind man can walk, with the lame one on his back. By being united in this way, you both can make it to the banquet. Thus, the blind and the lame were able to take part in the king’s feast.”
In the next step of the process two other colors are united. This happens when the second player is checkmated. This marks the second stage of the elevation process. At this point, only two colors remain. The last stage is marked by the third checkmate. After the third checkmate, there is only one king who controls all the four colors. This “king” symbolically represents the new and the highest faculty which is endowed with supracognitive perception. From the point of view of the observer of the game, there are neither winners nor losers. There is only a constructive process leading to the formation of a new faculty. It is in this manner that those who are watching the game are able to familiarize themselves with the various stages of the activation of the inner structure of the human mind.
Now, as far as the second type of experience is concerned, i.e., that of a participant, that’s a completely different story. This type of experience cannot be described; it can only be experienced by participating in the game. Only by actively participating in the Q-chess game, one may truly experience the working of the “mysterious” element which drives the entire game. This is in accordance with a motto from Jalaluddin Rumi, a 13th century Afghan mystic and poet:
“He who tastes not, knows not”
Wes Jamroz
[1] The inner structure of the human mind is described in details in "A Journey through Cosmic Consciousness", Wes Jamroz (Troubadour Publications, 2019)
[2] Javier Romano refers to this element as “The wind of Divinity” - see his post from April 22, 2019.
Image credit: Y. Ferreira & A. Loureiro