Selfness and the Qlipphoth

In Kabbalistic and alchemical symbolism, the Qlipphoth (or Klippot) represent the shadow side of the Tree of Life — the shells or husks that arise when divine energies become distorted, fragmented, or severed from their original unity. They symbolise forces of imbalance, stagnation, and spiritual entanglement.

“Selfness” — the deeply ingrained sense of separate identity — is intimately connected with the Qlipphoth. The ego, driven by craving, fear, and the compulsion to control, creates rigid structures of self-definition that trap consciousness within layers of illusion. These hardened shells become barriers that obscure the direct experience of unity.

The Qlipphoth are not external demonic realms, but internal psychological and energetic patterns. Each sphere of the Tree of Life has its shadow counterpart, representing what happens when its energies are corrupted by fixation, pride, or self-deception.

In the work of spiritual alchemy, confronting the Qlipphoth is unavoidable. This is the descent into shadow — not to destroy or deny these aspects, but to illuminate and integrate them. Through this process, the shells are cracked open, allowing the trapped light to return to its source.

Ultimately, the dissolution of selfness is the dissolution of the Qlipphoth. As attachment to personal identity weakens, the shells lose their grip, and the radiance of the undivided ground shines through. Wholeness emerges, not by erasing the shadow, but by fully embracing and transforming it.

“The shell exists only when the fruit is forgotten.”
— Kabbalistic Saying