of itself” and “It has nothing of itself,” we do not mean that there is an established essence in external reality that has nothing but nonexistence or that entails nonexistence. This is what is imagined by those who say that the nonexistent is an established thing in external reality, or that essences in external reality are entities distinct from the existence actually realized there. All of this is a false imagining, as has been explained at length elsewhere.

Rather, an essence or a thing may be conceived in the mind before it exists in external reality, and afterwards as well. What is in the mind is distinct from what exists externally.

When we say, “This contingent being admits existence and nonexistence,” or “Its essence or reality neither necessitates existence nor entails nonexistence,” we mean that the realities conceived by the intellect do not exist of themselves in external reality. They have no external existence of themselves, nor is their external nonexistence necessary. Rather, a thing’s reality may be realized externally, so that it becomes existent; or its reality may remain unrealized externally, so that it does not exist.

There is no established or existent reality outside the mind that admits affirmation and negation. Rather, what we mean is: Does what we have conceived in our minds become realized externally or not? And does what is realized externally become realized of itself or through something else?

If, then, we suppose that none of the things conceived in the mind is realized of itself in external reality, then, a fortiori, none of them brings anything else into existence there of itself,