God Beyond Religion: A Panpsychist Panentheistic View of Reality

 

The above diagram is an effort to provide a visual graphic of my view of the nature of reality. The foundation of the diagram is Cosmic Consciousness or Creative Consciousness that I see as primal in the creation of the corporeal material world. I have taken cues from the Kybalion and the seven Hermetic Principles. You can see in the diagram a cyclic construct that keeps individual conscious agents, more commonly known as souls, cycling in and out of material and corporeal reality at the will of the individual. The only place in my view that free will can exist is with the overall cosmic consciousness which is eternal and with the individual aspect of that consciousness which we call souls, which are likewise eternal. It is in the eternal nature of souls that free will exists.

I base the cyclic nature of reality on the principle of correspondence. the second principle of the Kybalion. It states as above so below and as below so above. The idea is that both the material realm and the spiritual realm are similar in nature. Therefore, one can extrapolate from the material realm which is visible the nature of the unseen spiritual realm. We see cycles everywhere in the material world and by the principle of correspondence we can know that the spiritual realm is cyclic as well.

It is the cyclic nature of reality that has me convinced that reincarnation is a reality. I view it in a nuanced way that is different than most of the traditional views of reincarnation. It is the incarnation process that allows us to exercise our free will. While this may anger some people who have experienced trauma, I am of the belief that we choose our life paths and to a great degree what experiences we will have. If we all exist in the eternal now, and if matter cannot be destroyed only changed, then a life span has much less effect on our eternal soul than it would seem while in the midst of incarnation.

When I say I view it differently and nuanced I mean that I do not see it as souls being trapped in a karmic cycle that they must advance in to move off the treadmill. The little that I know about Buddhism and Hinduism assumes that souls are locked into the cycle from some outside superior force. That karma is similar to a punishment reward system that gives an alternate dynamic of the orthodox Christian view of heaven and hell. What resonates for me is that each of us individual souls are autonomous. We ultimately decide what we participate in and consequently what we learn. What we learn is added to the experiential knowledge of Cosmic Consciousness. I do not think that we have to learn lessons over and over. I like the system of spiral dynamics to explain the progression of the soul, the soul’s journey, and the soul’s purpose.

This leads to the concept that we are not trying to move back to oneness. We can do that at will and we do that similar to resting or sleeping. This means that for me the material corporeal world is not evil and not the construction of an evil demiurge. This is the place that I part ways with Christian Gnosticism. I do not think that Yahweh is an evil creator. I think that Yahweh is the construction of a people that saw evil in the world and tried to explain it in human terms. I do not believe that the creator ordered genocide. I do not believe that the creator destroyed the world by a flood because the creation was too evil. I think things like that are merely experiences of Cosmic Consciousness and an innate consequence of geometrical form. Beyond that I will not try to explain as it is perhaps incomprehensible. So, the whole journey back to oneness and the source does not fit into my paradigm.

Another aspect of our reality that is plausible is the reverse of as below so above. That of course is as above so below. If indeed consciousness is foundational, then matter and the corporeal world is very similar to a dream. Is it only our dream or is it a corporate dream. I tend to think it is the latter. I conclude that from the as below so above aspect of correspondence. We see within societal structure governing and planning committees. It is reasonable to me then that the material realm is a construct of what would be similar to a committee. This communal spiritual aspect could be called a dream and locks us into the duration of our incarnation. It is more solid than the dreams we individually dream but made essentially from the same stuff, mind. In this case however, it is from the cosmic mind, the universal mind, or the mind at large. This fits in with the first principle of the Kybalion, “The All is Mind, the Universe is Mental.” So, there is a very plausible way to see material reality as God’s dream.

It does seem natural to me that at some point in our evolution on the incarnation path, we will be able to use our individual minds for the purpose of mental alchemy. There is a way in which we are all capable of changing circumstances by a mental process. This falls back to the principle of correspondence. As above so below. Since Cosmic Consciousness creates reality as we know it, then being a conscious agent, having within us the divine nature of the Logos or consciousness of God, it follows that we too can create reality and change reality with our mind and thought process.

After seventy-six years of living, I have settled on a metaphysical and esoteric view of reality that includes panpsychism and panentheism. My spirituality is syncretistic with an emphasis on the teachings of Jesus and the Tao Te Ching. I think that Buddhism and Hinduism have value as well. However, all religions are merely symbolic metaphorical views of reality. While I find physicalist materialistic science wanting, I am happy to rely on all it has established short of its explanation of creation being accidental. For me, the idea that consciousness is the fundamental reality resonates and it is being more widely accepted by some philosophers and scientists. In other words, I see consciousness as the creative source and would be happy to call it Cosmic Consciousness. I also see Christ Consciousness, Mind at Large, Universal Consciousness as synonyms for Cosmic Consciousness.

It is easy for me to see mathematics as the prime foundational knowledge. It is from mathematics that all other aspects of reality emerge.  Dimensions come from geometry, so I see sacred geometry as an important aspect of reality and the catalyst of form. I view Cosmic Consciousness as ethereal. I believe it to be synonymous with spirit. I am beginning to see spirit as a quality of universal or cosmic consciousness and its connection to matter or corporeal reality is the soul. I define soul as similar to psyche or the Greek word Psuche. This is the spirit of a human or an animal. I contrast that with the Greek word Pneuma and the Hebrew word Rauch. They both are wind and are the metaphor for Cosmic Consciousness or Creative Source/spirit.

I have adopted an eclectic or syncretistic spirituality. I draw from mystical revelations in all religious traditions. I am most familiar with Christianity, both orthodoxy and gnostic expressions. I would say that next I am familiar with Hermetic philosophy. Third but certainly not lesser, is the Tao Te Ching. I am somewhat familiar with Buddhism and Hinduism. The foundation of my spirituality is Christian Mysticism, Gnosticism, combined with Hermeticism and Neoplatonic philosophy. I am also informed by Jungian Psychology, certain aspects of cognitive science and new ideas in quantum physics.

A significant influence for me is the Kybalion and other writings by William Walker-Atkinson. I have studied the Corpus Hermeticum from three different sources and translations. I frequently read the Tao Te Ching and have looked into Greek philosophy that I believe to be influenced by Egyptian mystery religions. While I have not looked into the Kabballah, I am at least familiar to the extent that it reinforces the esoteric teaching of Hermeticism.

I will end this here for now with a quote from the Kybalion. “The ALL is mind, the universe is mental.”

God Beyond Religion: What is the Proper Use of the Bible?

So many people have been traumatized by evangelical and fundamentalist Christianity. This is in large part due to the weaponizing of the bible. So here are the questions. Is there a place for the bible in spirituality? Is there a way to view the bible that does not create trauma and actually informs our spiritual journey? What was Jesus real message and did Orthodoxy coopt it? How did the bible finally get to the place that evangelical and fundamentalist are able to use it as a weapon?

Let’s begin with the last question and address the elephant in the room. The bible is not the word of God. Let me repeat this. The bible is not the word of God. I make this statement by the teaching of the bible itself. According to the bible in the Old Testament, the Torah is the word of God, and in the New Testament the gospel or Jesus is the word of God. Evangelicals will kick, spit and yell claiming this is not so but no matter it is the truth, even by biblical standards. I will not relitigate this as I have written so much in the past about it.

Now for the question, “How did the bible finally get to the place that evangelical, and fundamentalist are able to use it as a weapon?” It became final with the reformation and the doctrine of sola scriptura. The reformers were trying to eliminate the magisterium of the pope and claimed sola scriptura which means scripture alone. However in the early states of the Reformation it was not scripture alone for all faith and practice but scripture alone for the method of salvation. Over time, it was solidified into scripture alone for all faith and practice and ultimately the doctrine of inerrancy and infallibility came into being. That was the final death knell that weaponized the scripture and turned it into the written word of God. Still, it is a gross and damaging error!

The reason is that the bible is an anthology of myths, cultural input, and mystical revelation. Anyone willing to use common sense would realize that the creative source of the universe would not codify eternally a set of unchangeable rules in the iron age. Especially with a society that believed in animal blood sacrifice to appease God. Further, if one is being honest, they would admit that every time the word of god is mentioned in the New Testament, the authors always meant gospel and not scripture. So, there is absolutely no plausible reason for the weaponizing of the bible. Further, those who would say that the bible is the “whole counsel of God” do not even understand that the verse meant the whole purpose of God and not counsel as in a document or teaching. Literalism always leads to ignorance when interpreting writing. Those who teach inerrancy and infallibility, no matter how educated, are influenced by rigid dogma.

The question (“is there a place for the bible in spirituality?”) has an affirmative answer if one looks at the literature for what it is. As stated above it is an anthology of myths, cultural input, and mystical revelation. So, in that vane it has a place in spirituality. Of course, it is necessary to use intuitive discernment to find its value. It may be instructive to provide a bulleted list of the possible benefits of the mystical revelation within the bible.

·         The notion that God is love.

·         The definition of love.

·         The definition of the fruit of the spirit.

·         That the Logos indwells all of humanity

·         Consciousness is the creative source of the universe.

·         With a proper understanding of the garden myth and Adam and Eve, a figurative explanation of human pathology and the source of evil.

The first five are self-explanatory but the sixth one needs some further explanation. So what is the benefit of the garden myth in Genesis? It explains that mortality coupled with the survival instinct (necessary for human and animal survival) combine to explain greed and therefore, explain all of the evil present in the material world we live in.

However, the remedy for that is not a sacrifice to God of a human prototype. It is the knowledge that we are divine and that the creative source is a loving parent. This is what makes the “Gospel of Truth” important in explaining the mission and teaching of Jesus and just exactly how one could look at him as a savior. It is indeed too bad that so much of Gnostic writing was destroyed. Not that Gnostic writing was literal truth, but that it contained mystical revelation that helps explain reality and our place in the material world. It also shows the problem with literal translation and meaning for any religious texts.

The answer to the question (“What was Jesus real message?”) can only be properly understood with the entire writings of the second and third centuries CE. This would include parts of the New Testament, the Gnostic texts, the Corpus Hermeticum, and Neo-Platonic texts. The best answer I have found is that it was to correct the forgetfulness that souls adopt upon incarnating into material reality. This is the main idea stated in the Gospel of Truth. It resonates deeply with me.

To answer the question (Is there a way to view the bible that does not create trauma and actually informs our spiritual journey?) is somewhat complex. First it would have to be void of any of the dogmatic voices that play in the head of one who was brainwashed with fundamental and literal teaching. If this cannot be accomplished there is little chance that it can inform the spiritual journey of such a one.

If one can really understand and believe what the bible is, an anthology of myth, cultural input and mystical revelation, then one can gain spiritual knowledge from it. This requires discernment and intuition but I think there is a benefit from the bible. So far as I know it is the only sacred text that states God is love. Further, it is the only text that gives the definition of love and the fruit of the spirit. Especially in the Gospel of John, but in other places as well it explains that we are divine. This message is very beneficial.

How then can one discern what is mystical revelation from the creative source? Here are the criteria I use. Does it promote love as defined by Paul? Will it produce the fruit of the Spirit? Does it inform us of our familial connection to God? Does it show God as a parent? In fact, you can apply this to all mystical writings. It is true of the Corpus Hermeticum. It is true of the Tao.

 

God Beyond Religion: Saved from Forgetfulness the Message of the Gospel of Truth

Before I dive into explaining the title, let’s examine the word Savior within the historical context of Jesus of Nazareth. In the first century of the common era, Savior (Greek Sotor) was a term given to Caesar. Caesar was the savior of the world because he provided “Pax Romana” Roman Peace. Also, there was an emperor’s cult that saw Caesar as a god man. Therefore, people were to give worship and allegiance to Caesar. This is an important understanding to have when one looks at the history of Christianity. The concept was not Roman. It was inherited from the Greeks and the Egyptians.

Since the term savior was commonplace in the first century, it is important to consider this when thinking of Jesus of Nazareth as savior. Savior from what? Well, for roughly 1,915 years, we have been told that it is from sin. I use the 1,915 years for this reason. It is from 30 CE to 1945. I say 1945 because it was the date of the discovery of the Nag Hammadi Library. I realize that it took some time for that library to be translated, but I will use the date simply to give the time span of the method of salvation that has been the most widely accepted. That was the result of the emphasis being put on the bible. So, for almost 2,000. However, that was not always the truth. There were those who lived in the second and third centuries of the common era that saw salvation in a completely different light. One such group were the ones who wrote “The Gospel of Truth.”

For almost 2,000 years we were unaware of the Gospel of Truth, or that such a gospel existed. The reason is that it had been burned by the orthodox church, labeled as a heresy, and removed from the collective memory. It is interesting to me that I just recently took the time to read it. Interesting because I had been leaning toward a similar salvation. I had been leaning toward the idea that we all, not just Jesus, but we ALL, went through a similar experience before incarnating into the material, corporeal world. We all experience what Paul in Greek called “the Kenosis” or the emptying or our knowledge of our innate divinity and that we are children of the source, and the source is a loving parent and we are eternal.

Here is where the Gospel of Truth comes into significance. In italics, I will posit a writing from the Gospel of Truth. “What exists in him is gnosis, which was revealed so that forgetfulness might be destroyed and that they might know the Father, Since forgetfulness existed because they did not know the Father, if they then come to know the Father, from that moment on forgetfulness will cease to exist. We empty our knowledge of our divinity upon incarnating, and Jesus’ unique message was to reignite the awareness that God is the parent and we are divine. This was delivered to him via the divine logos. He became aware that he was the incarnation of the divine logos, that God was his parent, and that love was the mission. He went on to teach according to the apostle John, or one of John’s students, that we too are the incarnation of the divine logos by the anointing of the logos or the Christ of the Logos.

So, the question would arise why the forgetfulness? Here is the answer that resonates deeply with me. The Source, the Parent, is conscious awareness and knowledge, thus the Greek word gnosis. Yet conscious awareness lacks experience. To be complete knowledge must be accompanied by experience. Without experience knowledge is pointless. We then, individual conscious agents, the Greeks called it psuche, we now call it the psyche which was translated into to English as the soul. We as individual souls incarnate to experience the knowledge we had as divinity and in order for the experience to be authentic we must empty or divinity and forget it. And yet, the fact that we were created in the image of God is best described by being conscious agents or eternal souls.

If there was a sin, it would be an error. The Greek word for sin means missing the mark, and the Hebrew word for sin means missing the way. So then, being saved from error would mean being saved from our forgetfulness of who we really are and what we are really capable of, and where we came from. The salvation would be an awakening to this old reality in a new way, and that would be a rebirth. When we remember our divinity and our source we are born anew, we become a new creation.

God Beyond Religion: The Importance of Myths, Allegories, and Narratives

From the “age of reason” or the “enlightenment” forward, myths especially, but allegories and narratives as well, took a hit in respectability. As the scientific revolution came into being and physics developed a materialist, physicalist paradigm, they became even less important. It is my belief that myths, allegories, and narratives in general are very important in understanding humanities place in the cosmos, and the material, corporeal world. This is especially true if indeed consciousness is foundational, because then, there is really no difference between consciousness and spirituality and it would be just as correct to say the spirituality is foundational to reality.

It is also true that the last 250 years have emboldened historians to claim that ancient characters such as Pythagoras, Buddha, Hermes, and Jesus did not really exist. First, that is unimportant, and second where there is a plethora of sources claiming something or someone to be true or real, there is generally a reason behind it. Could the role of such individuals be to help us understand this basically spiritual world?

My purpose in addressing this is the Thoth/Hermes narrative. Was Thoth and Hermes a god in the sense that we currently view the term god? Very likely not. But it seems clear that they were also more than a myth. Is Hermetics ancient wisdom? I believe beyond doubt that it is. It resonates with me more than any other spiritual tradition. Even if it cannot be conclusive proven that it precedes Neoplatonism in the middle third to seventh centuries, it is likely foundational to Greek philosophy in general and definitely to the idealism of Plato. Here is an article from the Stanford Encyclopedia that substantiates the fact in my view. “The second assumption, which the Neoplatonists shared with the Stoics and the Hermetists (an influential group of Egyptian religious thinkers that predate the rise of Neoplatonism), was that reality, in all its cognitive and physical manifestations, depended on a highest principle which is unitary and singular.” The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Online. Neoplatonism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) Notice it mentions the Hemetists along with the Stoics and states that they were an influential group of Egyptian religious thinkers that predate Neoplatonism.

I am sympathetic with the idea that Pythagoras went to Egypt and studied their esoteric, metaphysical teachings and brought them back to Greece. While it cannot be proven that Pythagoras was the mathematician he is credited with being, it is much more certain that he was a proponent of mental alchemy, the occult, and the metaphysical. Pythagoras was claimed to have gone to Egypt to study by Plato, and was credited with inspiring Platonic thought. This again resonates deeply with me. This, I think, makes the idea that consciousness, the Logos, was ontologically the first principle in the cosmos an original idea with the Egyptians, and was likely given to them by advanced civilizations that preceded them.

None of these understandings would be possible without myths, allegories, and narratives. They are what has preserved and handed down so rich a story that is now being given new credence by cognitive scientists, physicists, and philosophers. I refer to these well know academics often. Donald Hoffman cognitive scientist, Rupert Sheldrake biologist, Bernard Kastrup philosopher, Max Tegmark, physicist. They all claim in one way or another that consciousness is foundational to physical reality.

While all religious philosophies have superstitions and aspects that are likely the ideas of humans, they all contain fundamental existential truths. For me, the one that resonates best is Hermetics. This is especially true with the addition of the Kybalion, the Arcane Teachings and Formulas which all point toward mentalism or as some call it mentation.

God Beyond Religion: Poemandres, Father, Word, and Spirit

1.  “And I do say: Who art thou?”

“He saith: I am Man-Shepherd (Poemandres), Mind of all-masterhood; I know what thou desirest and I'm with thee everywhere.” ~The Corpus Hermeticum, Translated by G.R.S. Mead, Section, Poemandres, The Shepherd of Men

It is my intention to examine the Corpus Hermeticum because I think it is a foundational explanation of reality.  One of the problems that is encountered in giving credence to the Hermetica is that Christian orthodoxy has relegated Hermeticism to a recent invention and a rehashing of neo platonic thought. This is largely due to King James and Isaac Casaubon. King James wanted to rid the kingdom of Hermetics and Casaubon gave him the ammunition. However, the ability to read hieroglyphics proved that Casaubon was not entirely correct and while it is true that the Hermetica is a product of Middle Platonism, the first to third century CE, it is highly likely that Platonism was built upon the foundation of Hermetic teaching.

Also, while Hermeticism was accompanied by the superstitions of the age it was introduced, it gives by far the best explanation of the nature of reality and creation than any other western idea. It tells the story of the source God and the word/logos God’s only begotten son. Here is where orthodoxy misunderstood and led people astray from Jesus real mission and message. The Word, Logos, was the mind of God and it was given to humanity as a gift. This word, logos, reason is consciousness. It is why we can say that we conscious human agents are in the image of God “Imago Dei.”

Here is how Hermes expressed it in Poemandres: “But All-Father Mind, being Life and Light, did bring forth Man co-equal to Himself, with whom He fell in love, as being His own child; for he was beautiful beyond compare, the Image of his Sire. In very truth, God fell in love with his own Form; and on him did bestow all of His own formations.” ~Hermeticum G.R.S. Mead pp 6

It is clear here that humanity/mankind are the offspring of deity. That is why John wrote in the first chapter of his gospel that “The Word,” not Jesus, but the word was always in the world. It was because reason was always in the world. The world was created of and by consciousness. Itis important to recognize that this hermetic principle was present in philosophical thought long before John’s gospel was written. It was known to Plato and the Stoics. It was written about by Philo of Alexandria prior to the writing of John’s gospel. This does not in any way diminish the mission and message of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus did not claim to be God in the flesh any more than anyone else. He just introduced the sure knowledge that he was, as we all are, the incarnation of the Logos. It was this understanding and message that allowed Paul to say that Jesus was the firstborn of many siblings. Awakening to this realization is what created a “new humanity.” It brought into reality through metaphor the new heaven and the new earth. This is why Eckhart Tolle’s understanding of a new heaven and earth is far more correct than orthodoxy’s.

This is an integral and strategic part of the upward spiral of spiral dynamics. The expanded awareness of this happens from age to age. Paul explained that Jesus understood what Hermes wrote. He realized that while he was equal with God, it was not a reason to exploit it, but instead in entering the earth plane he emptied or forgot the concept with the purpose of awakening to the reality. Am I putting Hermes above Jesus? Absolutely not. Both became aware of the same thing. Both taught essentially the same thing. Many did not understand Hermes, and likewise many, probably most, did not understand Jesus. Orthodox dogma is proof of that. However, we at the beginning of a new age are beginning to awaken to this reality. We are beginning to realize who we really are and what Power we possess. Next, we will look at what Jesus actually meant in what is written in John chapter three.

 

 

It’s All Connected: A peek into the theory of everything and the problem of evil.

First look at the preponderance of the evidence. Consciousness is indeed the foundational aspect of reality, and it is the source from which all dimensions exist. Yes, there are several dimensions. This earth plane can be likened to a laboratory and a university. It offers the chance for one to develop love in a real sense. I am speaking of genuine love for self and for the other. The only way to truly love the other is to fully love and accept oneself. It does, however, have its limitations and drawbacks. It can be beautiful and rewarding, and it can be dangerous and unforgiving. The one thing to take to heart is that each of us is eternal and exists in the eternal now. That is a difficult thing to grasp as this dimension of space time hides the eternal reality, and instead provides the illusion of temporary existence. This illusion seems more real than reality and is deceptive to say the least. It is punctuated by the fact of birth and death.

While we are one with the source we are also separate souls or conscious agents and the following paradox is real. We are one and separate at the same time and in that our oneness is greater than our separateness. These facts can be understood intuitively and quite likely will resonate with you as well. This is important foundational information to begin to look at the theory of everything. There is a problem with space-time and quantum mechanics. Physicists have been searching for a theory of everything that would unify the explanation of the material universe. To date, they have not been able to reconcile the two into one congruent theory. I believe it is because they are trying to do it with physics alone and even if they did it would not be a theory of everything.

Along with the problem of physics, there are other problems that face humanity. There is the “hard problem” of consciousness. Alongside of this, philosophers and theologians have been faced with the “problem of evil.” The theory of everything should solve all of the problems. The first problem I want to confront is the problem of evil. To do this it is necessary to create some thought experiments. The reason is that while the problem of consciousness is a more fundamental problem, the problem of evil gets in the way of exploring all the possibilities. My hope is that in presenting these thought experiments I will not create straw men but be faithful to the explanations that currently exist.

I am not that happy with the definition of theist or deist. I would say that I am an amalgamation of both, and perhaps there needs to be another term though I do not have one to offer. Here is how I currently see God. I much prefer the term creative source because of the negative connotation so many have for the term god. I also like the word parent as I want to include both genders in the creator, but I have been willing to settle for father, and I am also growing fonder of the Hermetic term “The All.” I would label myself a panpsychist. I absolutely see consciousness as foundational. There is a ubiquitous history of that concept which I will deal with at a later point.

I see each of us souls as conscious agents. However, similar to what I believe Dr. Donald Hoffman has suggested, there are conscious agents of lesser consciousness than humanity all the way to the smallest building block and it is a combination of these agents that increasingly grow intellect and understanding. I believe that creative source, which I will forward refer to as consciousness is eternal. If it is the first cause of everything, it always was and always will be. It can anticipate everything that is was and ever will be. However, as solely consciousness it cannot experience anything. So then, this is where Dr. Bernardo Kastrup comes to my rescue philosophically. Consciousness chooses to splinter into a kind of dissociative personality Hoffman calls conscious agents that has a unique place in the corporeal and material world. Our experience is that humanity is at the pinnacle, but it is possible that there are conscious agents much more advanced in experience than us. Of course, as of this date that is speculation on my part.

Consciousness is continually expanding, and this expansion is brought about by the experiences of conscious agents. What we can be sure of is that this expansion is happening in the corporeal material world. It is a logical conclusion that there are other dimensions as well. We have hints of this but do not have specific understanding of what they are or what they might be like from a conscious agent vantage point.

Since we are an agent of the one creative consciousness, our essence is eternal as well. That is why all of the mystical traditions explain our existence as children of the creator. In a corporeal, material, temporal world we cannot be sure of this by any other means than intuition or mystical revelation. However, for me it makes sense that our sense of self as conscious agents is as eternal as consciousness. So within the corporeal, material, and temporal plane there is suffering and pleasure, joy and sadness.

I must add to this that within creative consciousness it seems logical that the individual conscious agents would by committee have input and say so in developing the material corporeal world. This is the place where “free will” would come into existence. Furthermore, it is logical that this committee would make certain that each conscious agent was treated in an egalitarian way. Each would experience suffering and pleasure, joy and sadness equally over the multiple incarnation process. This in and of itself would provide a type of theodicy for the creative source, consciousness. Since time is a product of material reality, at the consciousness level or the unification of conscious agents, there only exists the eternal present or the eternal now. It is in this way that suffering could be a logical choice for the expansion of conscious experience. However it would all be evened out in the eternal present. While this may not be comfort for those who are experiencing extreme suffering in the material plane, it never the less would supply a reasonable explanation of why suffering takes place.

There is natural evil and there is moral evil in the material corporeal realm. Neither of these exist in the eternal present beyond the expanding experience of consciousness. This is the place where I believe that it is all moving toward the expansion of love. I base this on spiral dynamics. Spiral dynamics shows that humanity is moving on an upward spiral toward more and more enlightenment. Of course, I acknowledge that there is much that is evil in this world, but the fact is that it is diminishing over time and more and more conscious agents are operating in a benevolent manner toward one another. It therefore seems logical that this upward spiral is the purpose and plan of consciousness. If this is the case it is reasonable to suggest that at the creative conscious source level is the highest vibration which is peace and love, and the purpose is to have conscious agents that become more aware of this concept and experience each in an ever-increasing fashion.

Yes, this concept involves reincarnation, but it is by choice. It is within the whole of creative consciousness, but it is at the individual conscious agent level that free will exists. Each individual conscious agent is aware of the potentiality of each incarnation but does not have that awareness based on experience, and it is experience that works it out in space and time. Likewise, it is experience that creative consciousness is using to expand and grow the universe or if you prefer the multiverse. Each conscious agent being a part of creative consciousness then, is totally free to choose each incarnation. It is also possible to choose not to incarnate and remain in the whole, but that does not last forever in time as challenges arise and a rested agent is ready for the next experience.

It should be stated that the goal is to create the perfection enjoyed by the whole creative consciousness in a material and corporeal world.. My experience thus far shows me that is impossible and is the precise reason for needing occasional rest after many tries. However, spiral dynamics points to the fact that it is improving on and upward trajectory. While this certainly does not explain everything, it logically goes a long way toward explaining the problem of evil and its solution.

Next, we will look at the place of the mystics, Jesus, Buddha, the Tao, and Shamanism within this explanation.

 

God Beyond Religion: Progressive Awakening; Two Mystical Contributions from the Jesus Narrative

One of my friends on Facebook posted that he realized that he was arrogant when he was an evangelical pastor and that it was a waste of precious time. The arrogance came into play as he thought that God had given him a message every week and that it was important for the people to come and hear it every week. He went on to say that he was delivered from that. This caused a light bulb moment for me because I can recall doing the same thing.  I too thought that God was giving me a weekly sermon that was spiritually important for those who I was teaching and preaching too. What I realized with this is that we all, humanity, are going through, and are at different stages of an awakening to deeper consciousness and deeper reality. It could be that this is because of the dawning of a new age, literally. The age of information, the age of Aquarius. I must admit that the presupposition that informs this idea for me is panpsychism. It is best described by the idea that was stated in the Kybalion, “the All is Mind, the universe is mental.” As the days go by, I become more and more convinced of this view of reality.

So, to differentiate me from my online friend, I’m not sure that it was a waste of time. Rather it was a transition from one reality to a deeper reality. I must take into consideration that I likely chose my life path, which means that I chose to be born into a fundamentalist Christian family in 1946 for a specific reason, and for a specific expansion of consciousness having a material and corporeal experience of learning. I should perhaps relate the nuance of the family I was born into. My mother, and my older sisters were fundamentalist Baptists all the way, however, my father was raised catholic but did not really attend any church regularly, and a childhood memory I have had all these years, is when my mother would go off on a tangent like, the Roman Catholics weren’t really saved, my dad would say. “Iva, I think you’ll be surprised when you get to heaven who’s there. I guess that I sensed that he did not take the fear of hell all that seriously, and that likely rubbed off on me.  You can find a more in-depth explanation of my interesting transition from fundamentalist to agnostic, to mystic, back to evangelical, and finally back to an eclectic and syncretistic spiritual mystic that is probably more accurately a panpsychist. I will post a link to it at the bottom of this article.

So, why wasn’t my foray into evangelicalism a waste of time? That is the question that is the main point of this post. While I understand that orthodox Christianity and especially evangelical orthodoxy is very toxic, there is a fairly important mystical message within the Jesus Narrative. It has nothing to do with sin and salvation, and for those who have suffered spiritual abuse, and spiritual trauma by this concept, they are unlikely to be comforted by this realization, at least for a long period of healing, but I will state it none the less.

If one sees some type of spirituality as important, then this realization is best found in a part of the Jesus story. Whether one believes that Jesus was an actual historical person or not, (I believe he was), this message or realization is important either way. I will readily admit that myth is an important part of all religions and spiritual traditions. Some are beneficial and some are not, but myth has proven to be important throughout millennia in the upward spiral of humanity. So, without further ado let me get to the two concepts. They are what has been called the KENOSIS, and the resurrection.

I do not want to minimize the good teaching about ethics and love found in the sermon on the mount or various other parts of the New and Old Testaments, but the two elements that are missing, at least explicitly in other spiritual traditions is the KENOSIS and the RESURRECTION. I base this on the idea that panpsychism is correct, and therefore, it is most likely that an eclectic, syncretistic spirituality is the best way to proceed. This requires that one uses intuition, the presence of spirit within, to discern what is beneficial from a wide variety of spiritual and religious traditions.

Let’s first examine the concept of KENOSIS. This is an idea that Paul mentions in his epistle to the Philippians. I will quote it from the NRSV. Php 2:5-8  “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,  (6)  who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be exploited,  (7)  but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness. And being found in human form,  (8)  he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross.” Orthodoxy has limited this to Jesus, but that does not acknowledge what the verse actually says. Paul emphatically states, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.”  To literally take Paul at his word would require that we have the same view about our deity as Jesus did. Let that sink in. According to Paul in this passage, we as humans, should think the same way about ourselves as Jesus thought about himself. What did he think? He thought that he was the incarnation of the Logos, the conscious, creative word of God. He thought that he was the son of God, and that God was his father. This means that he thought that he was the offspring of the creative energy source.

He also thought that he was the anointing (Christ) of the Logos, and so if we have the same mind, then we would think that we as well are the anointing (Christ) of the Logos. You may ask was Jesus unique in this regard? I would say that his uniqueness is in the fact that he was the firstborn of a new humanity. He was the first one to recognize that we are the anointing of the Logos. The writer of John’s first epistle expressed it this way, “as Christ is in the world, so are we!” It seems very clear that Paul’s meaning was a lot more profound than orthodoxy had expressed. In fact, in a lot of ways, orthodoxy has been a real detriment to the mystical understanding that the Jesus Narrative provides to all. I am advocating for using the mystical messages of Christianity to benefit people who are far more eclectic in their spirituality. These two understandings of Jesus are a benefit for everyone. You don’t have to embrace Jesus as the savior from sin to realize that woven within the message is Jesus the mystical master that can improve ones understanding of spiritual awakening.

Now let me bring this concept’s implications to the one who accepts eclectic spirituality as a valid path. I mean, the one who draws from a variety of spiritual traditions to inform their view of reality, and most especially their place in spirituality. Many of the reincarnation beliefs teach that we forget our past experiences upon arrival into the earth plane at birth. That is a perfect description of Kenosis. In these traditions it is the goal to remember past experience and knowledge little by little with expansion in mind. Kenosis in the Greek is an emptying. Emptying and forgetting are the same thing when it comes to past knowledge and experience. Further, if as some cognitive scientists believe, we are conscious agents, or as Dr. Bernardo Kastrup believes we are dissociative personalities of the one universal conscious, while we are equal with creative consciousness, we empty that knowledge. The Jesus story provides an explanation of how we forget former lives and former information when we incarnate. It is via KENOSIS.

Now let's look at the resurrection. It also is an important part from the Jesus narrative. The only way that we can be sure that we are eternal is if we are resurrected. That is exactly what is claimed that Jesus did or had done to him. There are no other religions the claim to have the resurrection phenomenon. This is yet another place where parts of the Jesus narrative can inform all religions and it isn't necessary to accept the orthodox position of sin and salvation. Rather, one who is accepting of eclectic and syncretistic spirituality can glean truths from various traditions and amalgamate them in the one view of spirituality. So for instance, 1 can include kenosis and the resurrection with reincarnation and form a better picture of spiritual reality.

It's possible that when Jesus spoke of being born again he was referencing reincarnation. He was speaking in spiritual terms. Therefore, being born again, could allow one to realize that they will have the opportunity to experience many lives on the earth plane and forget the past lives only to rediscover the important truths that carry over into the growth of the individual spiritually. This adds additional experiential information and knowledge to the whole and is likely the reason for our incarnating in the first place. This idea allows Jesus to actually be revealing additional truth to what was already present in other spiritual traditions. This could be true even of Judaism if one realizes that the Kabbalah accepts many of the characteristics eastern spiritual traditions.

While it is absolutely not necessary that one embraces the Jesus narrative or for that matter studies it at all it is still true that understanding kenosis and resurrection are important concepts in eclectic and syncretistic spirituality. It seems a shame to me that orthodoxy and Christianity in general has developed a dogma so toxic as to make it impossible for those who have been traumatized by it to adopt certain revelations into their spiritual view.

Here is the link I promised to my story: