God Beyond Religion: Conscious Agents Interfacing Through the Material World

Let's begin with the Hermetic teaching of the ancient Egyptians. Hermes Trismegistis a master from ancient Egypt laid down seven principles. The first one of the seven is, "The All is mind; the universe is mental." The Greeks made him one of the god's of the pantheon, but it seems he was more potent as an Egyptian mystic. So let's add Aldous Huxley to the mix with his view of "Mind at Large" and Carl Jung and his concept of the collective unconscious. Further let's add the scientific work of Dr. Donald Hoffman, and Dr. Bernardo Kastrup. Even further, let's add the experiments in quantum mechanics that has shown the universe is conscious at its most basic building blocks known to humanity thus far. With all of these considerations, in my view, the case becomes overwhelming with a preponderance of evidence that the material world is indeed a mental construct, and we are participating conscious agents using the material world as an interface.

Again, maintaining some of my Christian roots, and believing that all religious tradition contains mystical revelation from the creative source I will include this passage from John's first letter. 1Jn 3:2  "Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is." So what is John referring too in this passage? First, he is referring to the Logos indwelling Jesus, and Jesus providing the awareness that the Logos indwells all of us. Who is it that will ultimately be revealed? I believe that it is who and what the Logos really is. This verse in my view is a direct reference to the fact that all humanity is participating in the divine nature. When one realizes that the Logos is God-Consciousness, it brings this concept in line with the first hermetic principle. The universe is truly mental and mentally created. 

Returning for a minute to Dr. Donald Hoffman. He and his research team believes that the material world that we experience is an interface for individual conscious agents to interact similar to a video game, computer or virtual reality. And while I logically and intuitively believe he and his team are right, I am also confronted with the realization that I am locked into this material plane of existence. The material world I experience is truly solid. I cannot put my hand through my desk and I cannot walk through walls. It is important to acknowledge that the world that Hoffman describes and sees is in my view the spiritual aspect of our world. I see a direct correlation between conscious agents interfacing with one another and what mystics call the spiritual realm or plane.

While I believe that our thoughts individually can greatly impact our material world, I also realize that the material construct is communal, that is, the product of the many conscious agents. It is this idea that makes me realize the importance of corporately generated thought entities and forms. To really make the significant changes that will improve the world we live in for all people, it will take group thought forms to produce it. It will take an awareness of how ubiquitous thought entities are, how they operate and, how they take on a life of their own, to come back to consciousness and perpetuate real transformational change.

It starts individually, but will only truly be successful if it is accepted by many individual conscious agents willing to agree in thought. This is a place where those evangelical groups that engage in corporate prayer for a common goal have impactful influence. It is not limited to evangelical prayer groups however, and in my view, much of what they focus on is not really addressing the pressing problems we face as a society today. In large part, they are not focused on social justice or ending racism. They are not focused on ending widespread poverty, injustice or inequality.

This is an area where people could form groups that are committed to changing the current thought forms, and creating new ones that are geared toward improving these areas. It does not have to be prayer per se, it can be focusing attention and thoughts to improving this area. While it must begin individually with each of us, it cannot remain siloed. It needs people to join together in agreement of thought and intention to bring about a change that will also take on a life of its own and further act to influence other conscious agents. This I believe is a way to bring God and spirituality beyond religion.

God Beyond Religion: Thought Forms, and Christian Denominations, Egregores Part 2

Jesus asked his disciples the following two questions, "who do men say that I am? The second question was "who do you say that I am?" Paul wrote that anyone who would come teaching a different Jesus should be accursed. However, let's look at some facts. The first two and one half centuries after the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was replete with many different portrayals of Jesus. The fact is, that it was only the state of Rome, under the Emperor Constantine that provided the atmosphere to curtail all the various ideas and expression of who Jesus was, and what that meant to humanity. Prior to the council at Carthage and Nicaea, there was a rich variety of thought forms created around Jesus of Nazareth.

Early on, besides Gnostic groups not considered at this time, there were egregores for each of the five patriarchal churches and, there were variations within those groups. These thought forms gained power and influenced the minds of those associated with them. Additionally there were many Gnostic groups that had an egregore of their own. It is interesting because those within the group do not recognize that they are greatly influenced by the thoughts coming directly to them from these thought form entities.

Fast forward to today. There are at least 30,000 denominations of Christianity according to various sources. I did a little research and according to the Center for Global Christian Studies at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary there are 41,000 denominations world wide. All one need do is look at the behavior and doctrine of each and one can easily see that they are influenced by a compelling force that keeps their minds captive believing that they alone are the preservers of correct theology concerning Jesus.

But, denominations not withstanding, there are various thought patterns that are egregores within Christianity. For example, orthodoxy is an egregore that has a life of its own. Evangelicalism is a thought form, Pentecostalism is a thought form. One can be influenced by many different thoughtforms at the same time. I am and claim to be a follower of Jesus. There are many different thought forms of Jesus followers. You get them from the environment that you are connected with, and they begin at birth and continue to the grave. However, one can change the thoughtforms that influence them by changing ones thoughts. Some thoughtforms are beneficial and some are not. Some are down right toxic. I believe that these egregores, thoughtforms are what Paul was referencing when he spoke about principalities and powers, and spiritual wickedness in high places.

As I have said many times, I am a follower of Jesus. I believe that there was really a Jesus in the first century. This is important in understanding the thoughtform about Jesus that influences me. I was introduced to Jesus from my first recollection. Jesus was always a part of my awareness that I remember. He was the Jesus of the children's song "Jesus Loves Me." He was loving, he was a protector, and he was accessible through prayer and though I did not recognize it at the time, through meditation, contemplation, and my thought processes. I will soon be seventy-five and this is from age one or two. The thoughtform that informs my view of Jesus is not judgmental. It is a very different thought form than that of many I have met over my life. Thus, this thoughtform assures me that I have a relationship with Jesus and that he is my constant companion. He is my Spirit Guide if you will allow that term. He has never left me and never will. I am not writing this to convince you that you should have the same egregore concerning Jesus. I am simply writing about how I see Jesus and know that he is real to me and very active in my day to day life. Still, through the enlightenment and understanding I have gained over the years from mystical revelation from the creative source, and the revelation given to other mystics, and the spiritual discernment I have as an individual, I still realize that it is an egregore, a thoughtform. However, it is a positive and very beneficial egregore. 

I am convinced that there are many out there who have had my experience and a similar life path that are influenced by this particular thoughtform. But let me reiterate, I am not trying to convince you dear reader to adopt this thoughtform. I am merely trying to make you aware of their existence and the extent to which they influence our thinking and therefore our day to day lives. I simply invite you to contemplate the possibility and be aware.

I want to end this by stating that not all egregores are positive. Some are toxic and some are down right malevolent. I will deal with these in further posts. However, if you read this and judge me a heretic, understand that you are more than likely concluding that based on the egregores you are being influenced by.

God Beyond Religion: The Power of Thought Forms - Egregores

Scientists of various disciplines are beginning to see the world that we inhabit as first and foremost consciousness. This is interesting in that ancient, Egyptian, Hermetic teaching explains that the creative source, called "The All" is mental and that creation is mental as well. The Judeo-Christian scriptures explain that the world was created by the Logos, or in other words, the consciousness of God and thereby, teaches that the world is a spoken thought construct and is essentially mental. Lao Tzu says that the Tao "is the source of all spirit and matter, expressing itself, it is the mother of all." By saying that it expresses itself it is likewise consciousness. Heraclitus and the Stoics of Greece also wrote and taught that the Logos, the conscious expression was the creator of all that is. While it could be that the original source was Hermetic teaching, it is equally as logical that the conscious creative source, revealed this truth through meditation, to a variety of willing mystics over the ages. The common theme is that the material world is a thought form. I will put links at the bottom for two videos by modern scientist that affirm the world is mental and basically consciousness.

If the world is truly a mental construct of divine consciousness, and I most definitely believe it is, then there is even more reason to believe that thought forms are an important phenomenon in creating the world we experience daily. Let me define a thought form. It is a thought that is expressed and shared by two or more people about anything. Interestingly, Jesus said the following. "wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am in the midst."  In another place he expressed that wherever two or three touch and agree to anything, it will be accomplished. These thought forms have come to be known as egregores. Egregores are distinct non physical entity that is created by a group. In other words it is a thought form.

These thought forms, egregores take on a reality and identity of their own and interact with the group to enhance and perpetuate the thought form. It is my belief that there are many various thought forms that are at work in our societal world today. For example, I believe that the great divide philosophically and culturally in this country today is in large part the result of egregores that have an identity and a life of their own. They are in conflict, and compete for the hearts and minds of the American populace. MAGA is a thought form, but so is the "cancel culture." There are egregores created by families, churches, bars, and clubs. These thought forms have a great impact on what people think and to a great degree how they act.

The bottom line is that mentalism is a powerful force, and it operates whether or not people are aware of thought forms/egregores or believe they exist. One does not have to believe in them to be influenced by them. This is all the more true if the universe as we know it is basically a conscious mental construct. These thought forms exist outside of and, apart from our brains. I believe that they actually have the capability of putting thoughts in our heads at times. Many times they are in the form of unconscious thoughts that may appear to originate within us, but upon careful examination one can discern that they did not originate in their minds.

So then, people aware of the existence of egregores can get together and mindfully, purposefully create thought forms that are much more beneficial to themselves and society around them. Imagine the power of an egregore that centers around the concept that the creative source of the universe is love. That it wishes to see the advancement and enlightenment of humanity. Or, centers around the idea that humanity is on an upward spiral of enlightenment, and that we have begun an age where love and concern for the other will be the driving force. That each and every inhabitant of the earth are indeed in the image of the creative source, and all have can participate in the divine nature. Remember that wherever two or three are gathered with a thoughtful purpose in mind they will indeed create an egregore that can attract others to join in.

As I promised at the beginning of this post, here are a couple of links to video's that speak to the fact that we are all essentially consciousness, and that the material reality is a mental construct.

The Case Against Reality

Everything Is Mind

God Beyond Religion: Eclectic Spirituality, Five points to discern spiritual truth

I'm quite sure all of you understand the definition of eclectic, but to be certain and precise, I will provide the dictionary definition. Adjective: "deriving ideas, styles, tastes, from a broad and diverse range of sources." Noun: "A person who derives ideas, styles, and tastes from a broad and diverse range of sources." 

So what do I mean by eclectic spirituality? First, my assumptions and presuppositions are as follows: Over the history of humanity, the creative source, God, has given mystical revelation about the nature of the spiritual, energetic reality that undergirds the material universe. These mystical revelations have been given to a variety of mystics from various cultures. This includes creative ideas that have led to advancement in all of the sciences and material progress such as inventions and other scientific discoveries. In Greek culture this source was thought to be the Muses, which were Greek Goddesses that inspired new ideas in literature, the sciences and the arts. Many people have had experiences where they have a novel and beneficial idea that had not previously been thought about. It is a creative idea that can be manifested in writing, science or art. It is also my assumption and presupposition that all creativity originates from this source in what Jung called the collective unconscious, Huxley called mind at large and mystics throughout time have called the Source, God, Logos, Tao, One and many other names referring to the same singular entity. 

Eclectic spirituality refers to the mystical revelation about the nature of existence, reality, the afterlife, and the creative source of the universe. It also includes recent developments in the sciences that examine the nature of matter, and the psychological scientists that are examining consciousness. Some of the thought leaders in these fields are Donald Hoffman who wrote "A Case Against Reality," and Dr. Bernardo Kastrup who is doing scientific studies of the mind. Of course we must not exclude Peter Higgs, the founder of the "god particle" as well as many other quantum physicists. Although I must add that Higgs is not into mysticism and frankly is not happy that the particle he discovered is called the god particle.

So, what are some of the ancient sources of mystical revelation? Well, of course, since I have a background in Christianity and being a Jesus follower, there is the Christian scripture. I also, have adopted the Tao Te Ching as a source of revelation, and I have recently read the Kybalion and am finding that the hermetic writings of Egypt and Greece contain mystical revelation that is important in explaining our sojourn on planet earth, and our connection with the source of creation. I also look to the Stoics, especially Heraclitus with their writings about the Logos.

I do not see any of the above writings, including the Christian scripture as containing solely all mystical revelation. However, I do see mystical revelation within all of the above mentioned writings. So I am not one who sees the Christian Bible as inerrant and infallible and definitely do not see it as the infallible "word of God" as evangelical dogma teaches. I do however, strongly believe that each of us are given a higher self, a divine nature, an aspect of divinity that if we are willing to listen too, and are in tune with, will be able to discern that which is mystical revelation from the source of creation, from God consciousness so to speak, and that which is simply the cultural conclusions and the musings of humans as they think about spirituality. Certainly, much of the bible and some of all sacred writings from all traditions is simply "the way that seems right to humans." Likewise, the ways that seems right to humans usually produces spiritual dead zones. 

Five points to discern:

Here are five points that will aid in discerning what mystical revelation from the creative source is. 

• It will promote love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness and inward self control. Not from shame nor command, but from an inner peace and love, understanding that the universe is composed of and created by conscious loving energy which is our substance as well.
• It will show forth that the creative source, God is in fact love. In addition to the qualities stated above in point one, it, the source will always forgive, and keep no record of wrongs.
• It will convince and inform that we are eternal extensions of the creative source, and that we are in the creator and the creator is in us, and we are by nature first and foremost spiritual beings.
• It will point out that we are indeed partakers of the nature of divinity first and foremost.
• It will supernaturally develop a love within us based on the assurance that we are loved, eternally, and completely safe within the creative source, God.

This is a framework to examine all supposed revelation to aid in our development of eclectic spirituality. Eclectic Spirituality is inclusive of all mystical revelation from the creative source, God.

God Beyond Religion: Soul and Spirit, Mind and Body, Mystical Theology Part 1

I recently conducted a small and unscientific survey of people on my Facebook page and in several of the Facebook groups that I participate in. Here is the question I asked. "What if anything, is the difference between the soul and the spirit in your view?" Not surprising to me, I received as many ideas as people that answered. So in the people that I currently hang with, there is uncertainty at best and absolute confusion at worst. Let me add that most of the answers came from people who are deconstructing or are outside of the mainstream of evangelical orthodoxy. Even there, there is a variety of conclusions, but dogma has a tendency to bring conformity.

It is my belief, based upon reading the Christian scripture many times, that there are two very important mystics that tell the Jesus story, and one quite reliable reporter. The two important mystics are the apostle John and the apostle Paul. The reliable reporter or journalist is Luke the physician. Let me add that when I mention John and Paul, I include any of their students that were influenced by them. There is an over-all mystical train of thought from Paul, and there is likewise, an over arching mystical focus by John. In many ways, there is an overlapping of their ideas about the nature of spiritual reality, and the same can be true of Luke the physician. What he reports is fairly consistent with the over arching mystical focus of John and Paul. I will include in this the author of Hebrews simply because of the close resemblance that the letter to the Hebrews has with Paul's mystical theology.

I want to introduce here the term "mystical theology" and differentiate it from theology in general. Perhaps I should instead call it mystical Christology. I think I will stick with mystical theology for the time but in my view the two terms are interchangeable. I use these terms because I believe that in all the writings of scripture both Christian and Ancient Jewish there is mystical revelation and also in the mix cultural conclusions. Let me say that this is as true in the New Testament as it is in the Old Testament. And no, the accusation of cherry picking is absurd and ludicrous. Those who claim that scripture is cherry picked show their ignorance of the nature of scripture. They are victims of an age old lie that posits that ALL scripture is infallibly inspired. That is a most ridiculous claim and is not worthy of debate here.

When I speak of mystical theology, I am referring to revelation that came directly from the creative source. Even then, it has a human imprint, but that is not a cause of concern as all of us are gifted with discernment if we were willing, and unafraid to use it; albeit religious dogma and thousands of years of orthodox doctrine makes it a difficult task. I do not want to confuse this term with the Roman Catholic area of study called mystical theology. In my view mystical theology is all embracing and includes mystical revelation from all religions and peoples across the centuries.

Since I am a Christ follower it makes sense for me to begin with Christian Mysticism. I want to dwell specifically on first century mysticism following the resurrection of Jesus. This is where Paul, John and Luke come into play. Paul and John were the mystics and Luke recorded the history of the mystical advancement of the church in his Acts of the Apostles. Even in the New Testament, the Christian Scripture, it is necessary to discern the mystical from the cultural. Both are prevalent in all of the writings.

When I refer to the cultural, I am meaning those things that are a product of Judaism and the first century Jewish culture. It only makes sense that Paul and John would understand their mystical revelation within the confines of their cultural and religious background. It is likewise important to take into account the Hellenization of the Jews and the degree to which Greek thought, especially Greek philosophy, played in the cultural aspect of their writing and teaching. 

We'll begin here with Paul. Paul wrote about four aspects of the human being. He wrote about mind, body, soul, and spirit. The Greek concepts were Nous/Mind, Sarx/Flesh, Soul/Psuche, and Spirit/Pneuma. The mind is corporate and individual. Paul speaks of a mind that is in the individual, but he also speaks of the mind of Christ. The mind of Christ is corporate and I would say the equivalent of what Huxley called the mind at large. It is the collective consciousness. The body, flesh, or Greek Sarx is individual belonging to one person but is the incarnation of the mind, soul and spirit. The Soul/Psuche is likewise individual. It is the animating life of the individual and contains the individual spirit. The spirit is both individual and corporate. The spirit is the creative force and the divine nature that all people have. This is by reason of being image bearers of God who is Spirit. So when one thinks about humanity being created in the image of God, then it is being created as a creative spirit energy source.

The mystic or individual mysticism stems from the soul being connected to the spirit and the mind. It is the spirit of Christ and the mind of Christ, the collective consciousness that connects with the spirit and the mind of humans that brings about the mystical experience. Abraham Maslow referred to this mysticism as peak experiences. All humanity is capable of having these peak experiences, but some choose to ignore them or simply steer clear of them. The mystical masters throughout the ages were tuned into the mind of Christ, the mind at large, the collective consciousness.

All humans have the basic tools to operate mystically. Current psychology studying consciousness seems to believe that consciousness exists outside the body and the brain acts as a transceiver of sorts. This makes the body similar to an antenna receiving the conscious signals and transferring them to the brain for cognitive purposes. There is much to be learned about this four part human existence that will enable those entering this new millennium to make a gigantic leap in consciousness and enlightenment. I will explore this further in subsequent posts. This sets the stage.

God Beyond Religion: The misinterpretation of John 1:1-13, Misinterpreted or Misled?

Below is an excerpt from "The Unvarnished New Testament."

Gaus, Andy. The Unvarnished New Testament (New Translation from the Original Greek) . Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition. 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was toward God, and God was what the Word was. It was with God in the beginning. All things happened through it, and not one thing that has happened, happened without it. Within it there was Life, and the Life was the light of the world." (Gaus did not include verse numbers and this is John 1:1-4)

It is now my belief that we have misunderstood the beginning of John chapter one. I do not believe that the passage speaks of Jesus per se' until verse fourteen where it states that the word/logos became flesh and dwelt among humanity. Prior to that it was speaking strictly of the Logos/Word of God. So let's examine what the Logos is. The Logos is the word which is in reality the conscious expression or the expression of consciousness. God's Logos/word is in reality God's consciousness. It could be literally be called the MIND of God. We can see here that it is the mind of God that created the universe. So then, it is more accurate to call the Logos it than to call it he or him. The reason is that the Logos, mind and word of God is neuter in gender. 

So why is it important to make this distinction you may be thinking to yourself? It has great importance with verses ten, eleven, and twelve. Here it is from David Bentley Hart's translation: (9) "It was the true light, which illuminates everyone, that was coming into the cosmos. (10) He was in the cosmos, and through him the cosmos came to be, and the cosmos did not recognize him. (11) He came to those things that were his own, and they who were his own did not accept him. (12) But as many as did accept him, to them he gave the power to become GOD’s children—to those having faith in his name," (The New Testament (p. 169). Yale University Press. Kindle Edition, Translation by David Bentley Hart.)

Even here, Hart refers to the Logos as it. He shifts to he in verse ten because he/Hart assumes that Jesus is now the referent. But is that the case? I have always assumed that when it states that "he came unto his own and his own received him not" that it is referring to Jews. I no longer think that is the case. So then, if the Logos came unto its own what would that be? I think we can find a clue in Genesis 1:26. Humans are created in God's image. What is that? God is spirit, energy and consciousness. So then we are spirit and consciousness. That is the essence of imago dei. The essence of being image bearers is conscious, creative spirit.

John 1:10 states that the Logos was in the world prior to the incarnation. It says prior to the incarnation that the Logos came to its own. What was its own? Conscious humanity! So, I see a case for what the bible has translated as "his own" not being just ethnic Jews, but humanity in general. So what about the "as many as received him?" Who were they? I strongly believe that it was all mystics that received the Logos over history. For example, the Logos came to Heraclitus and the stoics in 500 BCE. At that same time, the Logos came to Lao Tzu, and Lao Tzu called it the Tao. All of the mystics knew of their familial connection with the Creator God. They may not have expressed it as such but knew it just the same. The Logos was in the world but most of the humans in the world did not recognize it. 

This is the place where Jesus of Nazareth became the first born of many siblings. It finally states in John 1:14 that the Logos became incarnate. The Logos was in the world before the Logos became incarnate. Jesus was not in the world before he was incarnate. It was the Logos. The main reason for the linguistic confusion by the many translators stems from confusing Jesus with the Logos eternally. There is a way that the Logos is God's son. Andy Gaus expresses it this way in the Unvarnished New Testament in verse 18, "No one has seen God ever; God's only son who has been on his Father's lap, he himself explained that to us." (Gaus, Andy. The Unvarnished New Testament (New Translation from the Original Greek) . Red Wheel Weiser. Kindle Edition.) Jesus of Nazareth as the incarnation is the one that explained that to us.

Jesus further explained to the Apostle John that we are the incarnate Logos as well. John expressed it this way. 1Jn 4:17  "In this, love is made complete with us so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because as he is, so also are we in this world." He further punctuates the concept with this. 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." It is my belief that the Christ, has appeared in his saints. It is in this way that we can come to fruition as the incarnate word. 

The question is asked in the title, misinterpreted or misled? I will let you be the judge but for me I will give the benefit of the doubt and believe that it was just confusion. 

 

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God Beyond Religion: Collective Consciousness, the Mind at Large

 A fascinating cognitive psychologist, Donald Hoffman is doing research that is extremely interesting to me. He has written a book called "A Case Against Reality." No, this is not a book review. I have not read the book, although it is now on my bucket list. I have watched some interesting YouTube videos in which he has been interviewed and in so doing has explained his theory. While his scientific knowledge is above my pay grade, I do take him seriously and I sense at an intuitive level that he and his researchers are on to something. 

Here is a link to a video that is long, but worth the time taken to listen to it. The Case Against Reality by zdoggMD.

Here is my distillation of the essence of the video but again, I repeat, it is worth the time spent to watch and listen to it. His claim is that the material world we experience is an interface with a vast network of conscious agents and that there is so much more to objective reality at that level than we see or know. In fact, there is so much going on at the basic level of the conscious source, it is detrimental to survival, and the entities that are the most successful in evolving do not look deeper into the reality behind the interface. It is a key to their survival and advancement. 

The bottom line of his theory, that he claims he and his researchers have proven mathematically, is that the material world is similar to a solid holographic simulation created in the conscious mind, and that a vast community of what he calls conscious agents create reality. These conscious agents combine to make very more complicated structures. According to him, what we see and experience is not reality but an interface to a greater reality similar to a virtual reality video game.

This is interesting in light of a small book written by Aldous Huxley entitled "The Doors of Perception." Huxley, a British philosopher who is most famous for his novel "Brave New World" was able to participate in controlled studies in the use of the drug mescaline which is a derivative of the peyote plant. The changes in perception he had while on the drug caused him to believe the idea that there is what he called "mind at large." Further, that the brain and nervous system actually acts as a reducing valve to this universal consciousness that aids in survival by limiting unnecessary stimuli and information.

Here is an excerpt from page six of "The Doors of Perception" by Aldous Huxley. "That which, in the language of religion, is called "this world" is the universe of reduced awareness, expressed, and, as it were, petrified by language. The various "other7 worlds," with which human beings erratically make contact are so many elements in the totality of the awareness belonging to Mind at Large. Most people, most of the time, know only what comes through the reducing valve and is consecrated as genuinely real by the local language. Certain persons, however, seem to be born with a kind of by-pass that circumvents the reducing valve. In others temporary by passes may be acquired either spontaneously, or as the result of deliberate "spiritual exercises," or through hypnosis, or by means of drugs."

What Huxley was able to do with drugs, others, seers and mystics are able to do naturally or in a state of meditation. It is interesting to me that what Huxley was postulating back in the 1950's is similar in nature to what Donald Hoffman is finding in scientific studies and mathematical models. It is also borne out by the fact that quantum physicists see the sub atomic, particulate world as being conscious. This is a theme and idea that has been put forth and repeated over the centuries by shaman and mystics the world over.

It was also suggested by Carl Jung in his concept of collective consciousness and the collective unconscious. He reasoned that the similarities throughout history of ideas in cultures that did not communicate with one another demonstrated that there were certain archetypes that were universal and able to be accessed by the minds of people that were the thought products of their ancestors. All of these ideas point to the fact that consciousness is the driving force in creation and the experience we have of the material world.

I intuitively sense that all of the mystical revelation about the nature of spiritual reality and the true essence of the world has come from this cosmic consciousness. Whether it is called the mind at large, collective consciousness, cosmic consciousness, or the conscious creative source it is the essential building block of all that exists in objective reality, and it is available in a source that resides outside the human brain.