What is Armiti?

Armiti in the Phoenician worldview, which stands as the oldest Iranian worldview, is one of the three main archetypes from which the world is born and flourishes. In the Phoenician worldview, followers do not adhere to the concept of creation and the creator as understood in Zoroastrianism and Abrahamic religions.

Followers of the Phoenician worldview, also known as Khormadinaan, perceive the process of flourishing as follows: Every human, or people, or Martakht (seed), sprouts from the essence of existence. Each individual carries a divine essence within, being both the progeny of God and born of God.

In this worldview, Armiti, as one of the three main archetypes, symbolizes the body, and the protective archetype of the earth. If a person possesses the seed and essence of any perception, they can employ that perception in Armiti or the body itself, transforming that perception into a robust tree composed of branches, leaves, fruit, and roots.

Armiti also signifies complete health, spiritual humility, patience, complete wisdom, and the embodiment of profound thought.

Armiti later transformed into an ordinary angel among other angels in the Zoroastrian worldview, losing her unparalleled position.

In light of the interpretations above, we use the term "Armiti" to refer to states of self-awareness accompanied by control and mastery over the body.

The term "self-awareness" here refers to a mental or internal state where an individual perceives the surrounding environment not in the usual way but in a different manner. The simplest example is intoxication resulting from wine. A person under the influence does not perceive the surrounding environment and internal emotions in the same way as in normal circumstances. Consequently, their behavior is not typical. Someone who becomes intoxicated due to excessive alcohol consumption loses control somewhere. They may fall asleep or engage in actions and behaviors that differ from their normal conduct. All of these indicate that their self-awareness has changed, and they have a different perspective on the environment. We refer to this state as "altered self-awareness."

However, this altered self-awareness is not solely achieved through wine. Physical movements, dance, breathing patterns, singing, music, and dozens of other methods and tools also exist, which, when performed or employed, lead an individual into a state of altered self-awareness, temporarily separating them from the ordinary world and making them elated and euphoric.

From the perspective of self-mastery, we have two types of altered self-awareness: the first type is altered self-awareness without mastery, and the second type is altered self-awareness with mastery over the mind and body.

The first type can be observed in individuals who have consumed excessive alcohol or psychoactive substances. They almost lack self-control, and their behavior may cause distress to others or harm themselves.

The second type can be seen in individuals who consciously and purposefully intend to change their internal states without using chemical or psychoactive substances.

For example, someone who engages in uninterrupted exercise for more than one to one and a half hours (depending on physical condition) experiences a state akin to what addicts experience after using cocaine. The difference is that the former, while feeling euphoric and exhilarated, has complete self-control over their speech or behavior. They are both liberated and free, yet, in the midst of this freedom, they know what to say or how to behave without deviating from their normal values. This internal state is observed in various forms of meditations.

To refer to an individual who deliberately and consciously seeks to change their self-awareness, one can use the term "altered self-awareness with mastery." However, since this phrase is quite lengthy and repetitive use may be undesirable, instead of it, the term "Armiti" can be employed. To denote the protective and internally dominant force within a person that safeguards them in such moments, while also being vigilant, we use the term "Inner Guardian".