Why Humans Are a Special Part of God, and How This Works: The Roles of Awareness, Belief and Intent in How individual consciousness Manifests as God Consciousness. 

 

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are taken to be a truth as I currently experience the universe and human consciousness.  These views are believed to have some value to most anyone who takes the time to really understand them.  They are subject to change without notice. 

 

Definitions: 

The term “consciousness” is used to denote the individual level of manifestation of “Consciousness,” the latter of which is God, The One, The Ineffable.  So, consciousness as used here, is not opposed to unconscious.  

“Awareness” is used to denote overt attention to and knowledge of something. 

“Belief” is used to denote conscious and unconscious ideas that we have as well as how we experience ourselves.  If we experience ourselves to be a certain way, then we believe ourselves to be that way. 

 

First, a few premises, i.e., ideas I ask you to accept in order to proceed:  It has been said that all things in the universe are Consciousness, including the most mundane things, such as a staple, a rock, etc…  As Albert Lachance recently presented (and he’s probably not the first) everything is Consciousness because of something like this:  One of Einstein's great insights was to realize that matter and energy are really different forms of the same thing.  Matter can be turned into energy, and energy into matter.  This is represented in his formula e=mc2, i.e., energy = mass times the square of the speed of light (which is wicked fast).  Okay, that’s smart.  Now as Mr. Lachance explained, energy takes form as matter, as though it slows down and becomes matter.  He also suggests that preceding energy is consciousness.  So, consciousness -> energy -> matter.  Hence, Consciousness is really at the root of the manifest universe, the manifest universe is consciousness.  So, there you have it, God is at the root of the whole manifest universe, which is what Keith Holbrook explained to me in the 3^rd grade when he said, “God is everywhere, inside you, in the desk, in the air.”  I think he paid attention one day at church.  Okay, now that we’ve established the nature of all of Reality…

 

So, if everything in the manifest universe is Consciousness/God, then, when you boil it down, are humans any different/more special than a staple or rock?  The joyful response is, so very much different/more special, and here’s why:  It is something that the Greeks knew about the specialness of humanity; We are conscious beings, and more specifically, Self-aware conscious beings.  So what!?  Why does being Self-aware conscious beings make us special?  It has to do with Intentional Consciousness, free will added to the consciousness -> energy -> matter formula.  Here’s how, if you don’t get it right away, it’s tough to write about, so please hang in there:

 

So what makes us so special?  We are conscious beings manifest on the material plane, and by virtue of our own Consciousness, we can intentionally change what we are and can change energy and matter.  Going back to the above formula, consciousness -> energy -> matter:  When we pray, and I would argue when we believe, or even think, we are using consciousness to change energy and matter in the manifest universe.  For most of us, the effect may not be strong or noticeably tangible, and may even be intermittent, but as described below, this can be increased.  Because we are a part of Consciousness, we can influence energy and matter.  O.k., that, in simple terms, explains how prayer and intention works to effect change in the world/universe of energy and matter.  This is profound enough, but now lets take a look at how Consciousness can influence itself.

 

What really makes us special is that our consciousness can change the nature of our consciousness, and this is a purely human capacity (although it may be present to some extent in other higher mammals, e.g., dolphins, apes, etc...  It also may be present in other animals, and could be present in the Earth, but bare with me).  As I said on a recent blog: While all “things” are Consciousness, thought/spirit seems to be a special kind of Consciousness, and one that can itself, limit what it itself is, how it manifests in each of us.   This is just another way of saying our beliefs determine who we are, i.e., one's consciousness is limited/expanded by the beliefs/perceptions manifested by that consciousness about what that consciousness is.  So there is a reflexive process, i.e., a kind of feedback process that actually determines the expression of the individual consciousness and this is largely mediated by, determined by, one’s beliefs perceptions about who one is, what one is capable of. 

 

There has likely been a time in your life when you really bought into, or at least seriously entertained, the materialist/scientific view of yourself as only a biomechanical organism, only flesh and blood.  However, you have come to realize that you are more than this.  It may be that you experienced yourself as always being more than just biomechanical, but you had beliefs about and experiences of yourself, limiting yourself, standing in the way of manifesting more than just the biomechanical part of yourself.  Either of these is probably true for most of us to some extent or another.  Your beliefs, particularly about your Self, which is one feature of your consciousness, limited and limits the way you were and are manifesting.  Now it could be argued that, really your beliefs were only causing an illusion and you were manifesting Consciousness all along.  I get this point of view, and it is an important distinction.  This is where awareness/intent comes in.

 

There is a big difference between manifesting Consciousness without awareness/intent, and with awareness/intent.  For example, if one believes, because his/her family taught her/him, that he/she is weak, shameful, and insignificant, then this belief will manifest in consciousness, and in the world, and one’s experience will be determined by this.  I can’t imagine anyone who would want to intentionally believe this, and most of our beliefs, some quite subtle, are not in our awareness, nor do we intend them.  So undoing some old belief patterns is very very important.  Such beliefs become a “self-fulfilling prophecy,” and I would argue “a Self/Consciousness-fulfilling prophecy,” because, consciousness affects consciousness -> energy -> matter.  Most importantly for current purposes, belief (including how we experience ourselves) will be limiting how one manifests consciousness.  Consciousness will be limited to that set of beliefs; consciousness -> consciousness.  Consciousness, as manifested in conscious human intent, can influence energy and matter, but it has the most profound effect on it’s own consciousness.  Simply stated we define who we are, and to repeat: one's consciousness is limited/expanded by the beliefs/perceptions manifested by that consciousness about what that consciousness is.  So, as we believe and experience ourselves as part of a larger Consciousness, and furtively apply that belief and experience, we will become more and more that Consciousness.  There are many ways this occurs. 

 

I don’t know of another creature for whom this is so, but I have never been a dolphin, that I know of.  This is why humans are a special part of God. 

 

 

References:

Google: Albert Lachance and Transpersonal

Google: e=mc2

 

 

All in One,

Doug

There Certainly Appears to be a movement of energy about, Right Now.  As usual, the use of capital letters has meaning:
"There" indicates a spatial awareness of The Divine
"Certianly" indicates a Divine palpability so intense that doubt of it is not reasonable.
"Appears" indicates that it is seen with Clarity, not the equivocal "apparently," but rather that it is obviously Apparent.

Ah, the difficulties of attempting to express The Ineffible.  For God is about, moving many of us into greater awareness, and with that, many of us are experiencing a greater sensitivity.  For some of us, the sensitivity is manifesting in a greater irritability, or even a depressive withdrawal, as our Spiritual "nerves" are heightened.  I have been aware of some general interpersonal conflict occuring, and I'm not speaking only about my primary relationships, but throughout my social relationships.  I have also had an unusual need to withdraw, to have time alone for about 5 days now.  It seems now, that has all broken through into a Spiritual Epiphany.  Through communicating with Satya, I am aware that others here on Gaia have been having similar experiences.  Thanks to this highly energized state, I cannot sleep, and so have time to be here, writing. 

I am having substantial clarity regarding how to counsel a few different people on a very deep level.  I am feeling a Great Love for those around me.  There is the hope that there are many others, and that we can make a difference.  While I am not a political person, nor aware to any extent of the true events surrounding politics, I have a sense that Barrak Obama is going to be the next president and bring a new kind of integrity to the presidency, which is somehow related to the current Epiphany.  Don't bother responding in political terms, this statement was mearly meant to convey my current experience and what has occured to me.

God is with us and we are all here for one another. 

All in One,

Doug

Part 1: Cultural Boxes and Spiritual Development

This blog addresses how various aspects of our experience affect, and often, stand in the way of spiritual development.  The current topic is how our cultural world/Self view interact with our spiritual development (Capital “S” to denote the Greater Self, like the Jungian Self, or True Spiritual Self.  In this blog, capital letters for words are used to denote a Divine representation).  I thought this topic was important, as through the course of spiritual development, there are tremendous shifts in how we view and operate in the world, and how we view and operate through our Self (i.e., View and Operate in the World and Self - VOWS).  Indeed VOWS are vows in a sense, a commitment, usually unconscious, to a view of our World and Selves, that are part and parcel of our progression through spiritual development.  While the acronym VOWS is used throughout, it is understood that World View and Self View are separate; although as you will see, related.  The goal of this blog then, is to discuss ideas that will help each of us increase our awareness of some of our VOWS and how they are influencing, for better and worse, our spiritual development.

Some disclosure seems necessary, and will serve as an example of how my VOWS have shifted in my spiritual development.  One will also understand how my experiences have shaped my ideas on this blog, and so I am writing from my personal experience:  The approach that has suited me is Mysticism.  It is defined as apprehending God through direct experience.  Definition of apprehension:

1.    the faculty or act of apprehending, esp. intuitive understanding; perception on a direct and immediate level.
2.    acceptance of or receptivity to information without passing judgment on its validity, often without complete comprehension. 
   
Describing how I got to Mysticism will provide an example of a change in VOWS:  While, when I believed in Unitarianism (I also had some mystical awarness), it was for me and I believe many others, an intellectual way of “understanding” Spirit and “understanding” other people’s way of “understanding” Spirit.  In my personal approach to Unitarianism, there are many ways of “understanding” Spirit, and the unity behind them was accepted as fact, i.e., they are pointing to one Spirit.  This unifying fact in Unitarianism, and it may be that not all Unitarians see it this way, is actually a seed for Mysticism, as you will see below.  Also, notice, I have included “understanding” Spirit in quotes, as one of the ideas behind mysticism, is that Spirit is ineffable, i.e., indescribable, unable to be communicated, truly “Awesome,” (as opposed to “totally tubular, dude, LOL (Laugh of Love).)  Ordinary forms of understanding also no longer work for the way I experience Spirit.  One way that I have said this to people is that we, as humans, have pea brains, which are simply unable to comprehend Spirit in our thoughts.  For Spirit is truly Great, even in the sense of being Vast!  However, our direct experience, which is not limiting in the same way, allows for a more complete apprehension of Spirit.  This is because apprehension is not tied to symbolic thought, such as language, which is limiting. 

I offer the words of Suzanne Vega to consider here, “If language were liquid, it would be rushing in.  Yet here we are in a silence more eloquent than spoken words could ever be.”  So experience, outside of words and symbols, offers something Great…

Why is language and thought, all of which is symbolic, limiting?  One reason is that there is an implicit tendency to confuse the way we think about things with the things themselves.  When we think, we are not actually “in possession” of the thing that we are thinking about, but rather have a symbol “inside our head,” that refers to the thing we have the symbol for.  For example, when you stop at a Stop Sign, there is the sign (symbol) and there is the action of stopping (the referent).  Similarly, when we think about God, Buddha, Krishna, Muhamed, The Force, Spirit, The One, etc…, these are symbols, and the referent “O” meaning God, Spirit, etc….  You see the problem here, there is absolutely no way to discuss anything, to use language, without using a symbol.  Our understanding of anything is symbolic.  This is so relevant to our understandings of Self and Spirit, as through spiritual development, these understandings change as part of our development.  So, accepting that our ideas of Spirit and Self are not real, allowing them to change, is a necessary condition for spiritual development.  This is true, for all but the most enlightened, and perhaps even for them.  I don’t know, yet.  

Another reason that language and thought are limiting is that they divide the world into categories.  For example, think of any word.  When you do, you are splitting the thing that word refers to from everything else, to which that word does not refer.  For example, even the word “infinity,” separates that which is infinite, from the finite.  The word “all” separates that which is all, from that which is not.  So is the universe divided in the way that our words suggest?  No, it is our words that artificially separate the universe in this way.  This idea is important for the discussion here in that as we live with our language and habitually think in the terms of our language, we come to implicitly believe that the world is actually divided in this way.  This is not to say that there are not distinct physical entities, or other useful ideas, just that as we travel the spiritual path, keeping the awareness of the dividing nature of our language in mind, and understanding that there are other divisions, can be helpful to keep us from getting stuck in defining our world, Selves, and Spirit, in ways that would limit our spiritual development. 
 
Accepting that our understanding of anything is symbolic is very important for understanding the power that cultural boxes have in terms of VOWS.  In our culture, we are provided with sets of beliefs about how the world works, on many levels, linguistic, personal, interpersonal, social, spiritual, political, etc….  We similarly are given sets of beliefs through our family, peer associations, psychological theory, role expectations, etc…  However, these are symbolic and determine our reality of the world and our selves.  Social and cultural biases, are powerful and implicit, and hence, difficult to see and overcome.  An example of a change that most of us here at Zaadz have gone through:  We are taught the mechanistic model of the world, i.e., mechanical cause-effect relationships.  However, if you are here at Zaadz, you understand that there are other ways of understanding the world. 

As a metaphor that my mother communicated to me through her philosophical readings, I present “The Eagle Feather Story.”  There is a tribe of Native Americans who sit their children in a circle and in the middle of the circle, they place an eagle feather stuck upright in the ground.  Each child is asked to described exactly what they see.  Some see the broad side, and others see just a sliver, some see more of the color tones, some less.  This is a lesson in relativism.  This is a metaphor for VOWS.  It is also a metaphor for our spiritual development, how we view Spirit and how we view or Spiritual Selves over time.  These things change.  This seems like a good time to present something that one of my most intelligent professors said, “Some people as they grow older have cumulated wisdom, others have cumulated stupidity.” LOL  The difference may be letting the older ways of understanding go, and completely replacing them with new ways.  Understanding the limits of what you know, or that you “Know” little, is requisite for spiritual growth. 

In conclusion, I have discussed Relativism in VOWS and now want to summarize how the stages of VOWS relate broadly to spiritual development.  We start with “uniculturalism,” which is believing that our VOWS are the single way to view our Selves and the World.  For clarity, imagine someone who rarely left their hometown and was not exposed to much diversity, holding fast to a single view of the world. The spiritual equivalent may be something like “Jesus loves me yes I know, because the Bible tells me so,” and of course, substitute any religious indoctrination here.  Note that there will be parallel views of Self.  Then, the next stage begins, perhaps when we leave our original culture, spend time in another (sub)culture, go to college, join the military and travel, and see that there are other ways to live, which, if we question what we are exposed to, causes our VOWS to become relativistic, i.e., we understand that there are diverse ways of being.  The spiritual equivalent may be something like “There are many Paths and all Paths are equal.”  Note that this may be a time of relative instability in the view of the self, a time of growth as the diverse views of the world are present.  Or, one could hold to the earlier views of Self, which may be more difficult to change than accepting cultural relativism. 

While many stop with relativism, there is another stage, referred to here as the “dialectical metasymbolic.”  At this stage, one who has struggled to resolve the conflicts between the various relativistic views of the relativism stage, accepts the differences as operating on some levels of understanding, while realizing that there are higher truths that allow for integration and unification.  One realizes that the symbols of the relativism stage are just that, symbols, and that a greater understanding comes from a metasymbolic apprehension of reality.  The Self experience of this stages is often highly internal, that is, not defined by external standards, with a deep valuing and direction from “internal” sources, as occurs through meditation and higher intuition.  At the same time, this level of Self-awareness includes a lack of differentiation between self and the rest of the universe.  While in relativism, one understands that “All roads lead to Rome,” in the Dialectical Metasymbolic level, one understands that the goal of traveling whatever road, is to be in Rome.  On this level, the spiritual experience includes ideas such as seeing the similarities in diverse religions, e.g., “The Golden Rule,” and abstract ideas such as “Unity,” “The One,” etc….  In contrast to the earlier stage of relativism, in which diversity was simply accepted as an ultimate reality, in the dialectical metasymbolic stage, a clear stance is taken and the understanding comes from an internal source often connected to an external Source.  In this way, one can see how Unitarianism represents living in the Paths to Rome, while Mysticism, is living in Rome.