What is a Jumper?

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At the developmental level, there are two types of people: those who reach the integrated state of Human Adulthood at a stage-appropriate time of late adolescence (which is almost nobody), and those who don’t. Of the latter group, there are those who may attempt the transition later in life at a stage-inappropriate time. I call these people Jumpers—as they are making a leap out of the constraints of human childhood and into the integrated state of true adulthood.

By my experience and observation, the process typically unfolds in roughly six basic phases, and it’s not a smooth or linear journey—it’s more like getting dragged through a psychological wood chipper.

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Having a map of the phases isn’t about finding shortcuts or controlling the process. Nothing about dismantling the false self can be systematized. But knowing the terrain can be profoundly helpful. It shows that collapse has a shape, that what feels like chaos is, in fact, part of a human developmental process. When someone can recognize, “Oh, this panic, this emptiness, this demolition, this is Deconstruction,” it gives them just enough orientation to keep surrendering rather than resisting. Without that, it’s easy to mistake progress for failure, or to believe you’re going insane. The phases don’t make the fire any less painful, but they can keep you from running back into the burning house.

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Phases of Jumpers

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The journey to Human Adulthood isn’t a spiritual ascent, it’s an unceremonious dismantling followed by a grounded, pragmatic rebirth. The rare transition to Human Adulthood at a stage-inappropriate time - say, in adulthood rather than adolescence - is often tumultuous and marked by some key, recognizable phases. 

The first three phases are, by design, incredibly destabilizing, followed by a liminal type of void that typically proceeds reconstruction and integration.

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1. The Discontent Phase

This is the stage where the person begins to feel the gnawing dissatisfaction with the dreamstate. Life may seem hollow, repetitive, or meaningless despite external "successes." The false self begins to feel like an ill-fitting suit.
The dreamstate is no longer doing its job keeping you comfortably numb. You’re still in the theater, but now you’re noticing the seams in the backdrop and the wires holding the actors up. This is the first crack in the illusion.

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2. The Disruption Phase

Here, the individual starts to actively question their assumptions and identities. Relationships, careers, and societal roles may start to feel alien. There’s often a dismantling of external attachments, either voluntarily or as a result of crises like divorce, job loss, or existential despair.
You’re at war with your life, your relationships, your beliefs, your values, because they’re all constructs of the child-self. The disruption isn’t the goal; it’s the side effect of pulling threads from the tapestry of your false self.

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3. The Deconstruction Phase

This is the heart of the process: dismantling the false self. The individual must critically examine every belief, assumption, and layer of conditioning. This inevitably involves intense periods of radical self-inquiry and existential disorientation. This is where the child-self dies. Every comforting illusion about who you are, why you’re here, what life is gets shredded. It’s not a spiritual practice; it’s demolition work. No mysticism required, just ruthless honesty.

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4. The Void Phase

After the false self collapses, there’s often a period of emptiness or liminality - a kind of existential free fall. Without the framework of the dreamstate, life can feel surreal or meaningless. Many confuse this with failure, but it’s a natural stage of the process.
This is the vacuum where the child-self used to be. This isn’t enlightenment; it’s the ‘no-self’ zone. You haven’t rebuilt yet, so don’t mistake this emptiness for the endgame. It’s just a cleared (re)construction site.

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5. The Reconstruction Phase

Here, the individual begins to rebuild their life as a Human Adult, grounded in reality rather than illusion. They learn to navigate the dreamstate with clarity and self-sufficiency, no longer driven by societal scripts or inner delusion.
This is where the adult-self emerges. You’re awake within the dream now; not transcendent, just functional. You can engage with the world without being owned by it. You’re no longer searching for meaning because you understand there isn’t any. You just do what’s indicated in any given moment or situation.

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6. The Integration Phase

Finally, the person becomes fully established in Human Adulthood. Relationships, careers, and creative pursuits may resume, but now from a place of clarity and authenticity. The individual can now re-engage with the dreamstate, but without being entangled by it.
You’ve settled into the role of the lucid dreamer. You can play the game of life without forgetting it’s a game. You’re not enlightened, you’re functional. Congratulations, you’re what adult humans are supposed to be.

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All phases are outlined in depth in Ask Anicca: Humanity's Arrested Development and the Quest to Grow Up​.

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