The path of ascension can be likened to scaling the face of a mountain. The headier elevations are for those who can commit to the climb, adapt to the thinning atmosphere, and tread sure-footed on the loose rocks that shift beneath your feet.

As you climb such a mountain, you see the expanse of your reality unfold before your eyes. Though it may seem panoramic, as though the world is laid out in its entirety below, it is still only one narrow aspect. You may think what you see is all there is to the view — and to the world and to life. “I can see everything from here,” you might say. “I can even see the snow-topped mountains to the north with their rugged foothills sloping gently down to meet lush green pastures where the cows graze.”

But when you reach the summit, you change your mind. From this more elevated position, it seems as though nothing can obscure your view. Now you see the fertile valleys to the north where meandering rivers begin their journey to the sea. “Ah,” you say, “Now I see it all!” But you don’t. Beyond where the river runs into the vastness of the ocean, the glorious sunset promises lost horizons, where there are deserts, jungles, pampas, and ice fields.