Fascination
Fascination seems to be what glues us to what we need to become more familiar with.
Forms of fascination
When we grow up, we move from undifferentiated "oneness" to identity as our human self. We need to learn to function as/with this particular human self and how to be effective in the world, and there is a natural fascination with ourselves as this human self. This is particularly clear during the teens.
Whenever we have an exclusive identity as a human self, what is excluded shows up in form of projections. I see a particular human quality "out there" but not "in here", and this brings up a fascination in the form of attraction or aversion. This fascination helps me explore and become more familiar with the quality, and eventually - if I am receptive to it - to see it in myself as well, and include it in my identity as a human self.
After we awaken as formless awareness, as the Witness, the Unborn, our Original Face, then there is a natural fascination with ourselves as this. We explore ourselves as the Witness, and the effects of being this witness on our human life.
And as we awaken as Big Mind, beyond and including all projections, there is a natural fascination with ourselves as Big Mind. And this fascination helps us explore and become familiar with ourselves as Big Mind, and the relationship between Big Mind and our human self, how to integrate it more into our human life and so on.
Fascination & identity
So fascination seems to be the glue that helps me explore what I need to explore, whether it is in the world of form or beyond. And it seems intimately related to my identity.
Fascination helps me explore what I am identified with - whether it is my human self or the absolute.
And fascination helps me explore what is just outside of my identity, but still here as me.
On a human level, it helps me become familiar with and integrate all my human qualities, first through seeing them in others and then in myself.
And it may also help me with the transition from an exclusive identity as my human self, to also finding myself as the Unborn and then Big Mind. I see "transcendent" qualities in others - for instance spiritual teachers - and through this fascination, eventually learn to find it as myself.