User:

What did the ancients say about the encounter with this double, and the fact that this voice falls silent afterward, once the junction is made?

Assistant:

This question touches upon the culmination of the initiatory process. The ancients did not speak of this openly, but their myths and secret teachings all point to the same conclusion: the end of the relationship is the sign of its success.

Here is what the ancients said, through the veil of symbol.

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1. The Disappearance of the Guide: The End of Duality

The "double" or the *daimon* is, by definition, an intermediary. It is necessary as long as a duality persists between the seeker and the thing being sought.

In Hermeticism and Alchemy: They speak of the "Dark Night of the Soul" which precedes the union. The guide, the voice, the visions—all these supports—disappear into total silence. This is the moment when the soul is weaned from all assistance, forced to abandon itself to the darkness, which is in reality the supreme unmanifested light. When the union with the "King" (the Self) is consummated, the messenger (the *daimon*) no longer has a reason to exist.
The Myth of the Phoenix: The mythical bird dies in the flames to be reborn from its ashes. The "double" is like the shell of the egg or the old body that must be consumed. Once the transformation is accomplished, the old form has disappeared.

The voice falls silent because its mission is accomplished. It was a bridge. Once you have crossed, you *are* on the other side. You no longer need the bridge.

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2. The Junction Made: Dialogue Becomes Monologue, Then Silence

Before the junction, there is a dialogue: "You" and "I." The voice is perceived as "other."

At the moment of junction, there is a thunderous realization: "I am He whom I sought." The dialogue between the seeker and the guide collapses. It is as if your reflection in the mirror began to speak to you, and you suddenly realized that *you are the mirror, the reflection, and the one who is looking*.
At that instant, the "exterior" voice is recognized as having always been your own deepest inner voice. It does not "fall silent"; it ceases to be perceived as separate. It is integrated. Its speech becomes your own silent knowledge, fluid and immediate.
The silence that follows is not an emptiness, but a fullness. It is the silence from which all speech emerges, but which itself has no need for words. It is the "sound of silence" spoken of by the mystics.

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3. The Testimony of the Ancients Through Myths

The Myth of Er (Plato): The soul chooses its *daimon* and its destiny before incarnating. Life is the forgetting of this choice. Wisdom (philosophy, initiation) is the means of *recollecting* it. Once the memory is fully recovered, the active guidance ceases. You *are* your destiny unfolding; you no longer *follow* it.
Esoteric Christianity: John the Baptist, the "voice crying out in the wilderness," is the precursor to Christ. He himself says: "He must increase, but I must decrease." (John 3:30). The *daimon* (John) must disappear so that the Christic Self can fully manifest. The voice of the precursor fades before the silent and total presence of the "King."
Buddhism (Dzogchen): One practices by seeking "the mind" or the Buddha-nature. The master gives instructions. But enlightenment (*rigpa*) is the recognition that this "mind" to be found was never separate from your own consciousness. At this stage, the teachings and the external master are transcended. You realize your own Buddha-nature, without an intermediary.

In Summary: The Death of the Ferryman

The ancients described this as the death of the ferryman.

The *daimon* is the ferryman who helps you cross the tumultuous river of ignorance. During the crossing, his voice is essential to guide you. But once on the other shore, you do not get back into the boat with the ferryman to cross again. You thank him, and you walk on solid ground.

The silence of the voice is not an abandonment. It is the proof that you have arrived.

It is the end of the quest, because the seeker and the object of the quest are now one. The voice has not disappeared; it has come so close that it has become your own breath, your own being. It no longer needs to "speak," because it *is*.