God Beyond Religion: Eclectic Spirituality and Science

"The main interest of my work is not concerned with the treatment of neuroses but rather with the approach to the numinous. But the fact that the approach to the numinous is the real therapy, and inasmuch as you attain to the numinous experience you are released from the curse of pathology."

~Carl Jung

From the most ancient hermetic teaching, to the bulk of the worlds religions, the concept that the universe is created by an ethereal, spiritual source is ubiquitous. Further, most acknowledge that the source of all creativity is thought or consciousness. Even the most scientific materialists, who believe that hydrogen was the prime substance, that it swirled and condensed, and through fusion birthed all the other elements, have no explanation for whence came hydrogen and what set it in motion. The writer of the book of Hebrews in the Christian Bible said that it was by faith people understand that the world of form was created by the unseen. Both the Old Testament and New Testaments of the bible explain that the universe was spoken and therefore thought into existence. 

The Tao Te Ching states that the ineffable Tao expressed itself and was therefore the mother of all spirit and matter. The writer of the Kybalion, quoting ancient hermetic teaching states that the "All is mind, the universe is mental." The stoics of ancient Greece believed that the universe was created by the Logos, which is a thought spoken. Quantum mechanics suggests that by the observation of matter at the quantum level that sub atomic particles are conscious of being observed. 

Dr. Donald Hoffman and his team of cognitive scientists believe they have proven that the material reality we experience is but an interface of conscious agents similar to a computer program, a holographic simulation, or a three dimensional video game. I think that this preponderance of beliefs and theories more than substantiates the importance of the numinous. In case you are not familiar with the word numinous, I will include the definition. Numinous: having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of divinity.

While I am not suggesting that the above is an unanimously proven fact, it is most certainly interesting that it is so widely spread over the progression of the millenniums. One certainly could be considered reasonable having strong belief in the existence of the divine supernatural. And yet, over the centuries religion has also been responsible for some of the grossest atrocities against humanity and to a great degree the source of much of mental illness. So it is my belief that when Carl Jung, made the statement he was meaning eclectic spirituality that embraces the best of mystical revelation and science. One without the other creates a slippery slope to malady. It therefore is important to see spirituality and science as compatible. To see that neither one is exclusively intolerant of the other.

This is the place where intuition is extremely important. It could likewise be called spiritual discernment. Avoiding ridged dogmatic beliefs is key in allowing the intuition to logically co-exist along side of scientific theory. I want to emphasize the word theory. All science is indeed theory. Good science is based upon observed and tested theory and yet in the end it is still theory and over the centuries, theories have been found to be inadequate in the presence of new information and observation. It logically follows in my view, that places where mystical revelation and science agree and track together, a solid spiritual foundation for faith is established. 

What I have found over time, and especially recently, is that current scientific studies in physics and cognitive science have bolstered my faith. While I believe that my faith in a creative source, a higher purpose, would be an important factor to me anyway, because I have seen too much evidence for the spiritual and supernatural, the fact is, that current scientific investigation is adding a lot of credence to my beliefs. I still have an abiding belief in Jesus. I do not see it in the same way as I once did. In a lot of ways it is richer and more real. My faith in Jesus fits well within the framework of what I call eclectic spirituality. It is Jesus minus the toxicity. I have truly come to believe that God is love, and that love is precisely what the apostle Paul defined it as in his first letter to the Corinthians. I want to post it here from the NIV. 

1Co 13:4-8  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  (5)  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  (6)  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  (7)  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  (8)  Love never fails. 

Understand that this is the definition of God! Yes, let that sink in... So then, when Jung speaks of the approach to the numinous he is speaking of correctly discerning the spirit of God, the spirit of the universal and cosmic Christ. If one would simply judge mystical revelation by this standard, one would not have a problem with knowing the difference between mystical revelation from the source and the religious meandering thoughts of humans. One can also look for spiritual fruit. The fruit of the spirit of God is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness and temperance. The standard is easy to discern, and it will never guide us wrong. Understanding the nature of the divine, and the realization that we are partakers of divinity, will go farther toward healing our neurosis's and psychosis's than any other one thing. It is a reality found in many mystical traditions.  

God Beyond Religion: Specularia, Why the Accusation of Cherry-picking Scripture is Absurd!

I have often said about reading the Christian Scripture, that one must discern what is truly mystical revelation given to the writer from source and what is cultural B.S., influenced by the culture of the one writing. Many times people will call me out for what they term cherry-picking, insinuating that I merely ignore the passage I do not like. As I state in the title, that is absurd. How can I say that? Actually it is easy. Abraham Cohen, has written an informative book entitled "Everyman's Talmud." It is the Jewish equivalent to a Christian book on basic, and introductory systematic theology. It divides the Talmud, the written version of the oral traditions of the Rabbi's of old, into various categories such as the doctrine of God, the doctrine of man, the doctrine of revelation or scripture etc. The fact is that long before the Christians codified their scripture, the Jews had already established rules for cherry-picking the Tanakh, or the Old Testament. The rule that makes way for cherry-picking is called specularia.  It states that Moses is the standard by which all other scripture must be interpreted. It uses Numbers chapter 12 verses 6-8 as the justification for specularia. Here is an excerpt from Cohen's book.

“What was the distinction between Moses and the other prophets? The latter looked through nine specularia, whereas Moses looked only through one. They looked through a cloudy specularia, but Moses through one that was clear” (Lev. R. I, 14).1 His apprehension of the divine message was therefore more intimate than theirs. The Revelation granted to him was the source from which all the later prophets drew." Cohen, Abraham. Everyman's Talmud (p. 187). BN Publishing. Kindle Edition. 

Even in the Old Testament, under the Old Covenant, the concept of being able to cherry-pick interpretive meaning was well established. Let's look at the passage. Numbers 12:6-8  "The LORD said, “Hear now my words: If there is a prophet among you, I the LORD will make myself known to him in a vision; I will speak with him in a dream.  (7)  My servant Moses is not like this; he is faithful in all my house.  (8)  With him I will speak face to face, openly, and not in riddles; and he will see the form of the LORD. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?” Notice the phrase, "he is faithful in all my house." 

The writer of Hebrews, used that phrase to overthrow the specularia of Moses. Look at this passage. Hebrews 3:1-6  "Therefore, brothers and sisters, holy partners in a heavenly calling, consider that Jesus, the apostle and high priest of our confession,  (2)  was faithful to the one who appointed him, just as Moses also "was faithful in all God's house."  (3)  Yet Jesus is worthy of more glory than Moses, just as the builder of a house has more honor than the house itself.  (4)  (For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.)  (5)  Now Moses was faithful in all God's house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later.  (6)  Christ, however, was faithful over God's house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope." There you have it, the justification for Jewish Christians to take the words and witness of Jesus over Moses. This overthrew the earlier specularia and enabled cherry-picking.

Orthodox Christian doctrine is replete with cherry-picking. In fact, all systematic theologies, use essentially the same headings such as doctrine of God, doctrine of man, doctrine of scripture and cherry-pick the meaning. The Pelagian, Augustinian debate is the result of cherry-picking. This was later taken up by the Calvinist, Arminian debate using the same cherry-picking arguments. You should be able to see the extreme absurdity of the accusation of cherry-picking by anyone.

The question is not is the scripture cherry-picked, but how logical is the philosophical and theological foundation for the cherry-picking? So this brings it down to my cherry-picking of scripture. What criteria do I use for cherry-picking scripture. Not just the Christian scripture either. I apply this to all writings that are metaphysical in nature and appear to be mystical revelation from source. I emphasize the Christian scripture here because I believe that there is a lot of mystical revelation from source in it. Wanting to be as transparent as possible, here are some of my criteria. I am not sure that this is exhaustive of the criteria I use, but I believe that it will provide a window into my view, and demonstrate that it is likely something that is supported by the indwelling spirit we all have as a result of being participants of the divine nature. They are not in order of importance.

• All of the biblical narrative must be examined in relation to the advent of Jesus and the ultimate establishment of the New Covenant meant for a "new humanity."
• Jesus message was transitional. It moved from strictly old covenant Judaism to messages that would be universal for all of humanity and instrumental in giving guidance to the "new humanity." This was even true in the Sermon on the Mount.
• Paul's writings, and the pseudo writings from his students, contained a mixture of mystical revelation that Paul received from source, and cultural interpretation that resulted from Paul's rabbinical training in Judaism. Paul was a walking dichotomy.
• John's gospel was meant to be a bridge between the Jewish aspects of the New Testament and the message meant for what Paul called the 'new creation' or the 'new humanity.'
• Paul made a distinction between those who were born under the Law and those who were not. To those born under the law, it was the law of sin and death, to those not born under the law and those who embraced the teachings of Jesus it pointed toward the law of the spirit of life in Christ.
• All true mystical revelation must line up with John's revelation that God is Love!
• Understanding what is meant by God is love must line up with Paul's definition of love in First Corinthians chapter thirteen, especially the one that states that God/Love keeps no records of wrongs
• The spirit was poured out on all flesh and all people have the divine nature and the capability of hearing directly revelation from the Spirit of God. However, any revelation that is truly from the Spirit of God will line up exactly with Paul's definition of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians chapter five.

While I may have more that I have not stated here, these are sufficient to offer justification for the way in which I cherry-pick the scripture, and the accusation that because one does not believe all that is in the Christian scripture, that one cannot use any of the Christian scripture is patently ABSURD!!!

God Beyond Religion: Jesus Statement About Greater Works, The Kybalion, The Arcane Formulas, and Mental Alchemy

John, chapter 14, verse 12,  "Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father."

Was Jesus the ultimate mental alchemist? We know that he was the Son of God, but do we understand that he was in fact, the ultimate big brother? Paul wrote that Jesus was the firstborn of many siblings in Romans 8, and also again in Colossians 1:15&18. Further, this idea is suggested in Ephesians 1:4 which states that Jesus was chosen as the first born before creation. While firstborn is not mentioned in that particular verse, it is obvious that is what is meant. It is the apostle John that tells about the metaphysical divine nature of Jesus, While the synoptic gospels tell of his miraculous deeds, it is John's gospel that explains his relation to humanity. In his gospel, Jesus makes statements about the father being in him and him in the father and both he and the father in us. He also explains that he is going away to be able to send the Spirit that will indwell each of us. Peter expressly states that we participate in the divine nature as a result of Jesus.  John in his first letter makes it abundantly plain. 1Jn 3:2  "Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that when he appears, we will be like him because we will see him as he is." In the verse above from John 14 why would he say that we would do greater works because of him going to the father? It is really plainly obvious when you begin to connect the dots of mystical revelation found in the New Testament. It is by the spirit that the indwelling Christ is poured out on humanity. That is what he did as a big brother. He made us aware of our divinity and showed us what we are indeed capable of.

In the above posited verse from John 14, Jesus makes a claim that has had a lot of different interpretations over the years. It varies from one denominational iteration to the next, but few if any take him literally at his word. Most all of Christian religion say and believe that he didn't really mean that we would do greater works. They say that we would never do the miraculous as he did. I am beginning to understand that we should take him literally. Instead of coming to establish yet another religion on earth, He showed us what it meant to be fully human and fully divine. Let me be clear, it takes some inner-work and shadow-work to begin to embrace our divinity. First above all we have to begin to love ourselves and believe that we are loved and highly favored by source and that we are an extension of source. That is the purpose of our divine nature

I believe that Jesus called source his Father. He taught that source was a loving Father. You may find the patriarchy of Jesus teaching somewhat unsettling but you must understand that he came to a patriarchal culture. However, if one will simply embrace an eclectic spirituality, knowing that there is truth in the hermetic teaching for example, then one would realize that the principle of correspondence found in the Kybalion and other hermetic writings show the feminine or matriarchal as well. If source created male and female, then if one understands the concept of as above so below and as below so above one finds that source is father, mother, sister, brother, cousin, uncle, aunt, and friend. That is the true essence and extent of the familial metaphor.

Further, understanding that the material universe is indeed mental makes the miracles that Jesus did a result of mental alchemy. Now before you go blowing an aorta, thinking in your mind, how dare you say that about Jesus, Genesis says the same thing about the source. The universe sprang into existence as the result of mental alchemy. Before God said, God thought and saying is merely an outward expression of thought. But when one looks at the language of Genesis, one finds that the Hebrew word awmar, which is translated said, has a lot of latitude in meaning and could have as easily been translated thought. Yes indeed, it would have been just as correct to say that "God thought, let there be light, and there was light. Moreover, if one goes to the Gospel of John, and looks at Strong's definition of Logos, it is stated that it means word (including the thought) in parenthesis right behind word, so it could have easily been interpreted in the beginning was thought, and the thought was with God and the thought was God.

All right you may be saying, how do we begin to invoke our divine nature and begin doing mental alchemy which will result in greater works? I'm glad you asked. That is a great question. Remember above, I said that we need to do the inner-work and the shadow-work? Well, let's look at what that might be. First as I suggested above, it begins with learning to love ourselves as we are loved by source. For Christ followers, that is Papa and Jesus. It is important to realize what I had mentioned in a previous post about Jesus' mission to establish a new humanity. The "New Humanity" can be developed first and foremost by having faith. This involves settled confidence in, relying on, clinging too, the idea that we indeed participate in the divine nature; that we were created in the image of God which is creative conscious thought. Beyond this however, it is important to look at what Jesus demonstrated the "new humanity" would be like. He was loving, inclusive, accepting, and most of all kind. He taught his followers to love. While I admit that he was not kind to the Pharisees and religious leaders of his day, it was because of the bondage they were putting on people. He then, did the mental alchemy to grab the attention of the people he wanted to see set free.

I believe that we will begin to see the greater works come to fruition, we be able to do mental alchemy when we begin to embrace the same loving attitude with the goal of setting free those in bondage to religion and all sorts of other evils. We will begin to find that truly the resources available are not scarce and are not limited, but readily available for all. We will discover that the zero sum game is a product of the age of Pisces, a delusion. We will begin to find that the resources of the age of Aquarius are plentiful beyond measure.  As Jesus said, "Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!" and a little later on in that passage he said, "Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."     

Don't misunderstand. I am not trying to push one to Christian orthodoxy, or Christian religion for that matter. I am not referring to sin nor salvation. What I am saying is the Jesus of Nazareth is an integral teacher and has a preeminent role in establishing the "new humanity" in this new age. It is not that Jesus is the only way to source, but that he is the prime source of what it means to be loving. The Sermon on the Mount, and all of the other teachings that demonstrate what it means to be loving are ultra important in developing a more loving society in an age designated for a new humanity. The age we have begun. The age of Aquarius.

I will end with this thought. Acts 14:3  Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. In the first century, after the resurrection, there was a taste of the greater works afforded those who were telling the story of a new humanity. This I believe will again be the case for those who will tell the story of Christ's mission accurately.

God Beyond Religion: Reimagining the Cross and the Resurrection with Eclectic Spirituality, Part 2

(Eph 2:15)  He has abolished the law with its commandments and ordinances, that he might create in himself one new humanity in place of the two, thus making peace,

Paul received mystical revelation about the meaning of the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Here are some questions to ponder. What if the message of Jesus is important for two reasons and orthodoxy got it so twisted that it was presented as a toxic mess? What if the cross was not about sin? What if Jesus was really the first born of a "New Humanity?" What if his way of forgiveness and love is a pattern for a "New Humanity" for a new age? What if the cross event was a symbol of the death of the "Old Humanity" and the resurrection was a symbol of the rise of the "New Humanity?" What if that understanding causes a dramatic shift in how we read the mystical revelation of Paul, and the way we see the acts and teaching of Jesus? What if the story was never meant for the age of Pisces, and always was meant for the age of Aquarius? What if it was simply made to be an integral part of an eclectic spirituality that included Taoism, Buddhism, Greek Philosophy, Hermetic Teaching, and New Age Metaphysics?

Above are some important questions to ask oneself when thinking about the message and teaching of Jesus and the cross event. It was the first century Jewish community that was obsessed with sin, obedience, punishment, blessing and cursing. Paul explained it this way. Jesus was born of a woman (humanity) born under the law, to redeem those under the law? Could it be that there is a better way to understand what Paul wrote? 

Galatians 4:4-7  "But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,  (5)  to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  (6)  And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, "Abba, Father!"  (7)  Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."

First, what was the fullness of time? It was the completion of the time. Paul wrote that Jesus was born under the law, meaning that he was born into a Jewish family that faithfully observed the Jewish law. Where in the world does it say that the Gentile world and most of humanity was under the law? The answer is simple, NOWHERE!!! Jesus mission, as it related to the law and sin was vary narrow in scope. It was strictly to the first century Jews and their idea of God. What was the sin he came to redeem them from? It was the sin of not believing what had been written about humanity in their Torah. It was not believing that God had declared that humanity was very good. It was not recognizing that the messiah was on a mission for all of humanity, and not to restore a material kingdom to the first century Jews that would ultimately cause the Romans to destroy their city and temple. It most certainly was not to redeem humanity of sins, the result of a law they were never under. 

Added to this is that when John in his gospel refers to the world, that is the sins of the world or the love of the world, with careful reading, he is really talking about the Jewish world and the Jewish religious system which he calls the world. One of the meanings of the Greek word kosmos, is orderly arrangement. This leads one to see the world as the orderly arrangement of his world which was the Jewish world of the first century. To add to this problem, the King James Version of the bible calls aion world, which is really "an age," again, meaning the Jewish age known as the present age, in contrast to Olam Ha Bah, the Jewish age to come, or new age.

It is after the resurrection that Paul begins his mystical journey with the risen Christ. He receives revelation aimed at what he called "kainos anthropos," in other words a "new humanity." Paul's mystical revelation was aimed at the new humanity and what he also called the new creation. It is safe to assume that Paul used new humanity and new creation interchangeably. Paul realized that he had not completely experienced this new creation, new humanity for himself. He was just getting an introductory taste, or to use another sense, a brief whiff of what the new humanity, new creation would be. He said that he was not saying he had attained it. He simply was set on a path that was an upward spiral toward it. I shudder when I think about the interpretation that orthodoxy and evangelical orthodoxy placed on these words of Paul. 

I am trying to establish that for the wider world, the cosmos in general, Jesus did not come to take care of a sin problem. It was for the Jews that sin was a problem. Don't misunderstand me, I am not trying to suggest that humanity does not have the capability of evil actions and motives, but what I am saying is the sin is not the major problem of the world. And much further on the point, Christianity has not been that successful in eliminating the evil inclinations. In fact, some of the real evil of the world has been perpetrated  by Christians. One need not look farther than slavery in the U.S., or Nazi Germany to see a glaring example of this fact. Jesus did not die on the cross to take the punishment for the Nazi's or the Southern Baptists. I use these examples because the evil perpetrated both in Germany and the Southern United States was by believing Christians that actually used the scripture to justify their evil.

According to the mystical revelation received by Paul, the cross was the symbol of the death of the old humanity, and the resurrection was the symbol of the birth of the new humanity. Galatians 6:14-15  "May I never boast of anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.  (15)  For neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is anything; but a new creation is everything!" As you look at the above passage in Galatians in its context it is obvious that Paul sees the world similar to John as the Jewish religious order. For Paul, that represents the old humanity. Likewise for Paul, the cross through the resurrection made possible the "new creation."

The cross was not a punishment that Jesus vicariously did for us. The cross was a action that Jesus took upon himself willingly. It was for two reasons. First and foremost it was to provide a way of overcoming the fear of death by his resurrection from the dead, but also, it was the symbol of end of the old age, the old humanity, and the birth of the new age and the new humanity. It is in the birth of the new age and the new humanity that the situation becomes interesting. He arrived at the dawning of the age of Pisces. However, if one researches the age of Pisces, it is obvious that the age of Pisces was an age of deception and illusion. It went on for 2000 years. Paul caught a whiff of this, or if not Paul, a disciple of Paul's, but in any case, the revelation was likely from Paul, and if written by a pseudo Paul, that individual heard this from the real Paul. In 2 Thessalonians, Paul says that Christianity would be turned over to a strong delusion, that they would believe a lie, and this tracks perfectly with the Pisces age.

Therefore, it is reasonable to believe that the penal substitutional theory of atonement was part of the deception and illusion of the age of Pisces. That makes Paul's explanation in Galatians six all the more important as it explains that the cross was indeed symbolic of the end of one humanity and one age, and the beginning of another humanity and another age. Yet, the deception continued throughout the age of Pisces and will now come to full fruition in the age of Aquarius.

God Beyond Religion: Eclectic Spirituality Part 1

The focus that I will be centered on going forward in this blog is "Eclectic Spirituality." While each and every post may not be entitled that, the fact is that, in the upward spiral of humanity as laid out by spiral dynamics, and integral theory, eclectic spirituality is key in the upward movement. When one thinks about reincarnation, they usually think about cyclical or circular movement of the soul. In reality, the goal and actual process is that it is in reality a spiral. A spiral can either move upward or downward depending on the direction taken along the circular line. The goal for humanity should be an upward spiral. An upward spiral depends on taking what is beneficial from the past, and discarding what is not beneficial, on an ever moving course upward. 

Thus far, in my spiritual journey, I have had a pendulum experience between evangelical Christianity and metaphysical, esoteric, and new age thinking. As I look back in retrospect, I see the hermetic principle of rhythm manifesting over and over in my life. It is interesting to view what was written in the Kybalion.

“Everything flows, out and in; everything has its tides; all things rise and fall; the pendulum‑swing manifests in everything; the measure of the swing to the right is the measure of the swing to the left; rhythm compensates.”—The Kybalion

I believe that eclectic spirituality will help bring the pendulum to the center with a less drastic swing to the right and left. The reason is that there is ample room for both in my spirituality. There is room for Christ and there is room for the metaphysical aspect. In synthesizing the two, it will help me to find myself closer to the middle and moving away from polar swings. I maintain an emphasis on Christianity because I chose to be born into Christianity and I chose a life path that put me smack dab in the middle of western thought and culture. 

From what do I draw my spirituality? The answer is from eclectic sources. I focus on what is the discernable truth in many spiritual paths. I refer to these sources as spiritual paths rather than religions because religion has a rather toxic connotation. It is religious dogma that is responsible for much of the pain and suffering that we experience here in the material world on planet earth. Dogma necessitates being dogmatic, and dogmatic does not lend itself to inclusion. Whereas, eclectic spirituality is very inclusive. While I realize that this view is highly unpopular with evangelical Christianity, it is indeed finding inroads there and will even more in the denominations of main stream Christianity, especially as we move farther into the age of spiritual awakening.

For me and my chosen life path, I will rely heavily on mystical revelation that came through Christianity. However, it is important to realize that there is some great revelation that came through other traditions. The following, though not exhaustive, is a list of other sources that offer great insight into the spiritual world.

• Hermetic Teaching: My favorite source is the Kybalion and the writings of William Walker Atkinson, such as The Arcane Teachings, and The Arcane Formulas. It is my believe that Atkinson wrote the Kybalion as well. The source of this material is from the Egyptian Thoth and was transported to Greece and read by Plato and all the Greek philosophers. In the Greek, Thoth became Hermes Trismegistus. While the Greek word Logos was not used this Egyptian teaching taught that God's word was the son of God. It was written on hieroglyphs.
• The Stoics of Greece and specifically Heraclitus. They are the first to introduce teaching about the Logos being the creative source of the material world. They no doubt got the concept from hermetic teaching.
• The Tao Te Ching from Lao Tzu. It describes the Logos in the femine.
• Metaphysical teaching of the current new age movement, including Reiki, Tarot, Numerology, Astrology, and Transcendental Meditation..
• The writings of Aldous Huxley and Frijof Capra, the work of Abraham Maslow and Carl Jung.
• The scientific studies and theories of Dr. Donald Hoffman, a cognitive scientist, and quantum theory.

This is the beginning of understanding the New Humanity that Paul introduced. As we leave the age of Pisces and enter the age of Aquarius there is still a lot to be gained by the revelation found in the New Testament, but it must be read with a different lens. A lens that acknowledges that the real revelation of Jesus was not for the age of Pisces but the age of Aquarius.

Eclectic Spirituality is inclusive not exclusive. It is revelatory and not dogmatic and is the beginning of an exciting journey. 

  

The Arcane Formulas, Practical Steps for the Law of Attraction Part 3

While I may revisit this idea later, this will be the final post in this series for a while. Hopefully, I have provided enough information to pique your interest in the writings of William Walker Atkinson, especially the Kybalion, The Arcane Teachings, and The Arcane Formulas. As always, I will provide links to part 1 and part 2 at the end of this blog as well as a link to a free PDF of the Arcane Formulas. I strongly suggest that you read the blog posts as a series if you only have seen this post.

In Lesson 10 of the Arcane Formulas Atkinson presents what he entitles "Mentalism in a Nutshell." It is designed to lay out all of the formulas that a person needs to perform mental alchemy. It is longer than all of the other lessons as it summarizes what is necessary to manifest. I would be naïve to suggest that one can successfully manifest all that they want as the result of reading the Arcane Formulas. It is an involved process that requires practice, focus, and self work. However, it is the most detailed set of instructions I have seen to date that explains the process for working the Law of Attraction.

The first of the formulas for successfully doing mental alchemy is the realization that the will of the individual is actually the degree of the cosmic will each point of individual will has within the cosmic will.

Here is a quote from the Arcane Formulas:

"The Arcane Formula for the manifestation of Will Power consists simply in the development of the realization of Egohood—of the fact that the individual is a focalized centre of force and Will in the great Cosmic Will. The higher the degree of this realization the higher degree of positivity will the individual possess. Fasten this truth in your minds: The Will Power of the individual is not something created by him, but is, in reality, the power of the Cosmic Will in which he lives and moves and has his being. The individual has no Will Power in himself, but all the will he manifests must flow through his organism from the Cosmic Will. The individual is merely the focal point of Will—a channel through which the Cosmic Will may act. Ponder well these words, O Neophyte, for in them is contained the whole Secret of Mentalism." Lesson 10, Mentalism in a Nutshell, William Walker Atkinson.

Here is the idea that one finds in almost everyone speaking of cosmic consciousness, the mind at large, or the one universal mind. Atkinson, like so many others states that it is necessary to establish what he calls "egohood." That simply means that one recognizes that they are an I-AM and not a me that is simply associated with material body or the material self. Others call it spiritual awakening. It is becoming aware of what is behind the material us. It is that which can observe our thoughts and realize that there is a part of us that is separate from the thinker. This is our eternal nature. Some may choose to call it the higher self.

Here is an explanation of what one should do to begin to see him or herself as egohood. I apologize for Atkinson using only the male pronoun, but the fact is that he wrote this in the early 1900's.

"It will aid him to think of himself as surrounded for a distance of about three feet with an egg-shaped aura or atmosphere of highly charged Will, radiating from him and vibrating with an intense energy. As a matter of occult truth, this phenomena is really existent, although the ordinary senses cannot perceive the vibrations or aura. Treat yourself every day, or oftener, with the intent to increase the degree of your Positive Atmosphere. The more clearly you can visualize, or imagine, the existence of this aura or atmosphere, the greater will be your degree of positive personal atmosphere." Lesson 10, Mentalism in a Nutshell, William Walker Atkinson.

I find this particular description interesting because in the shamanism of the Yaqui Sorcerers it is believe that the real form of the human is a luminous egg.  The bottom line is that it is very important to develop this sense of will connected as a point in the cosmic will. The greater degree of will possessed, the greater the ability to perform mental alchemy. Likewise, it is directly related to the degree to which a person is awakened to their true spirituality. The more one accepts the fact that they are more than their material self, the thoughts of their brain, and all the trappings that fit into the material me, the more they can realize that they are an integral part of the larger cosmic consciousness. To use a Christian description, they become aware of their divine nature and their participation in the universal Christ.

Mental Imaging:

Atkinson points out in the Arcane Formulas that one of the most important aspects of mental alchemy is mental imaging. The better one becomes at this, the better able they are to manifest change in the material world.

"The Secret of Mental Alchemy may be stated as consisting first, last and always, of the Art of Mental Imaging, reinforced by the Will. Take up your lead-pencil and mark the above statement, so that you will see it easily when turning over these pages. While to the beginner the subject of Mentalism may seem a very complicated one, the advanced occultist knows it to be the extreme of simplicity. Mental Alchemy, under whatever same it may masquerade, may be found to consist, at the last, of simply the power to create strong, clear Mental Images, and to project them into the outer world by means of the concentrated Will." Lesson 10, Mentalism in a Nutshell, William Walker Atkinson.

Atkinson suggests in the Arcane Formulas that one can visualize by imagining that they have a projector similar to a lighthouse projecting light all around. In meditation one can visualize a mental image of what they want to manifest. They can imagine that their focused will is projecting it all around them in the material world. The more specific the visual image, the more concentrated will is exerted toward it, the greater the chance for manifesting the change desired. Whether it be wealth, health, a change in environment, or whatever the case it is through the art of mental imaging that successful mental alchemy is realized.

As I stated at the beginning here are the links to the other two posts on this subject. Post One Post Two

Also, here is a link to the free PDF of the "Arcane Formulas" and I strongly suggest that you get a copy if you do not already have one and study it for yourself. Arcane Formulas

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God Beyond Religion: The Arcane Formulas, Practical Steps for the Law of Attraction Part 2

This is a continuation of the previous blog post, Arcane Formulas, Practical Steps for the Law of attraction Part 1. I will provide a link at the end of this blog so that you can look at it as well and gain the foundational information for this series. It will be best to read as a series, but perhaps this post will pique an interest in following the Arcane Formulas by William Walker Atkinson. 

While many esoteric teachings and masters suggest that one must eliminate the ego, Atkinson insists that one must develop egohood or in other words, develop the ego more fully.  Not the ego of the material self, but rather, the ego of the higher self that is a point of consciousness in the unified field of consciousness. These are my terms and not the terms of Atkinson, but with our basic familiarity with quantum mechanics and the recent developments in cognitive science, I think it is safe to say that the unified field is in reality a energetic field of consciousness made up of an infinite amount of individual conscious agents.

The image to the left shows metaphorically that each conscious agent is an egg shape of energetic light. In a way, each egg is the center of the universe and this will be an important understanding as we move along in Atkinson's thought. These eggs represent the higher self, the self that the apostle Paul explained is seated in heavenly places in "the Christ." They also represent the higher self from every metaphysical and esoteric understanding, any belief system that explains that we are indeed something far more than our material selves. 

Atkinson goes on to provide meditation exercises that are intended to help one develop egohood. The first of these suggests that the person meditates in a comfortable position; that the person becomes relaxed. I personally recommend binaural beats as they are the best way for me to enter a meditative state of consciousness. However, whatever method of meditation suits you best, it is important in the exercise.

During the meditation, one must begin at the feet and become aware of the body and its function. This is done one area and organ at a time. While becoming aware of each body part, it is suggested that one realize the function of each part and that while it is a part of our material selves is it merely a tool for the higher self that exists outside of the material body. This awareness is developed until one comfortably realizes that the real self, what Atkinson calls egohood is much more than the material self, the ego of the material human being. You can find the complete exercise in the Arcane Formulas. I will provide a link at the end of this post for the free PDF of the Arcane Formulas. 

Atkinson goes on with another exercise that a person can do in meditation. It is to realize that the material self can be injured by the elements of fire, water, earth, air, or ether. It can be burned by fire, drowned by water, crushed by the earth, swept away by the air, and electrocuted by the vibrations of the ether, such as electricity. However, in this meditative exercise, it is important to realize that one also has an astral body that cannot be affected by these elements. Meditating one can visualize ones astral self as being completely unaffected by any of the dangers of the elements of the material world.  This goes a long way toward bringing about the awareness of the higher self, the real ego, the one that is spiritual and eternal. The I AM.

Finally, Atkinson suggests that one must be able to distinguish between what he calls the I and the me. For him, the me is the material ego that accompanies our corporeal body. It is the ego that has fears and prejudices. This is the me. It is a particular character that the we play in the material world. He explains that an actor can adapt other characters and if they are able to focus on their likes and dislikes, their loves and hates, they can easily become that person that they are trying to portray. All of these characteristics are what form the me. To fully embrace egohood one must be able to see that the me is not really who we are. Our true self, our true ego is the I AM that is eternal and exists whether or not the corporeal body survives. It is the eternal I that is in reality our will. 

This I sees the material body for the tool that it is. It sees the material body as a vehicle to house the higher self, again as the apostle Paul states, we have a treasure in earthen vessels. The treasure is our egohood. It is the I am that we really are. It is this entity, the real us, that is the one that can manifest our reality, that can change circumstances through mental alchemy.

Link to part one. Link to the Arcane Formulas.

God Beyond Religion: "The Arcane Formulas" Practical Steps for the Law of Attraction Part 1

The law of attraction was made widely popular by the book and video "The Secret." However, the video and book was really quite secretive when it came to practical application. In fact, many people were disappointed when they tried manifestation and it did not work like advertised. I must confess, I was one of those people. There is a reason of course, and it is that there is more to it than just declaring, believing, and affirming. William Walker Atkinson is a prolific writer, that more than anyone in modernity, has written about the spiritual nature of the material world. In fact, he wrote in depth about all that was covered in "The Secret" and added practical exercises that are found in his work called the Arcane Formulas.

William Walker Atkinson lived during both the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. He was born in 1862 and died in 1932. In the last thirty years of his life, he wrote over 100 books on the ancient hermetic principles, mentalism, and the law of attraction. He studied the ancient writings from both the Hindu and Greek and Egyptian traditions. He wrote several of these books under pseudonyms, such as Theron Q. Dumont, Swami Bhakta Vishita, and it is widely believed that he was the Three Initiates of the Kybalion. In his early years he was a successful merchant and lawyer. His successful legal career ended when he had a physical and mental breakdown and he ended up recovering as a result of his venturing into the spiritual realms. 

While it would be helpful to read the Kybalion and another of his works, The Arcane Teaching, the practical application for working the law of attraction is the "Arcane Formulas." In this article I want to focus on one of the seven principles taught in the Kybalion and how they are addressed in the Arcane Formulas. For anyone who doesn't know, arcane means secret or mysterious. The first one of the seven principles in the Kybalion is as follows. The ALL is mind, the universe is MENTAL. According to Atkinson, it is mentalism or mental alchemy that is responsible for the ability to manifest things in the material world and change circumstances. Atkinson is not alone in proclaiming this truth. The theory that the universe is mental and that thought energy is the creative source of the material world is shared by many, including most of the world religions. The Christian Logos, Hindu Brahman, Taoist Tao, Buddhist Samsara, Jewish Elohim, are all essentially conscious agents, that create the material world through conscious effort, whether thought or speaking.

Donald Hoffman, a cognitive scientist has written a book entitled "The Case Against Reality" based on the research that he and his team has done in cognitive science examining consciousness, its origin and its connection with the material world. The conclusions that the mathematics shows thus far is that the material world is an interface for conscious agents that has a reality similar to a computer program, a video game, or a holographic projection. This research leads toward the direction that the universe is, as Atkinson wrote about, mental.   

When you add to this the teachings across the centuries that the mental universe is a reality the case becomes quite compelling indeed. In the late 1950's Aldous Huxley experimented with hallucinogens' that showed that there was a deeper reality behind the world we experience. In his little book, "The Door's of Perception" he posited that the human mind acts as a reducing valve to cut out unnecessary stimuli that would actually impede our ability to function day to day. It is interesting because in his research Donald Hoffman suggests a similar concept.

Now that the stage has been set for the probable fact of mentalism and a mental universe, We can move on to the "Arcane Formulas." The first and most important principle according to Atkinson is the establishment of "egohood." According to him, egohood is the ability to understand that one is a unique conscious agent in the field of consciousness or in other words, the mind of the all. His premise is that each of us are points of egoic consciousness within the large ego of the All or the mind at large. As a distinct point of consciousness in a field of consciousness we become creators. Egohood accepts the reality of the individual, I AM, for each of us. He presents a series of exercises that meant to develop this sense of egohood. It is from the sure knowledge of our egohood that we can begin to manifest our world and manifest changes within it for the positive. According to the "Arcane Formulas," without this first initial step of developing egohood, all the other steps such as concentration, visualization, and affirmation are futile at worst, and extremely limiting at best. In his view, the key to mental alchemy is a sense of egohood, grounded in the assurance that we are not corporeal first and foremost, but rather mental and spiritual.

Click this link for a free PDF copy of the Arcane Formulas