Spiritualist Circle of Light

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     Names given to worldly things are very deceptive for they divert our thoughts from what is correct to what is incorrect. Thus, one who hears the word 'God' does not perceive what is correct but perceives what is incorrect. So also, with 'the Father' and 'the Son', and 'the Holy Spirit' and 'life', and 'light' and 'resurrection' and 'the Church' and all the rest - people do not perceive what is correct, but they perceived what is incorrect, unless they have come to know what is correct. The names which are heard are in the world to deceive. If they were in the Aeon, they would at no time be used as names in the world. Nor were they set among worldly things. They have an end in the Aeon.

     The names given to worldly things can be found in the lessons taught. For instance, we are taught God resides outside of us, despite what Jesus taught, which is God resides within. Often, we hear the words, bow you head and raise your heart. What does this mean? Is it to pay reverence, or is there something else hidden within? Both, the head, and the heart are said to have been the seat of the soul. Is this still the case? Is this a reference to the mental and emotional bodies? For this, we may have to resort to symbols from the past. In Egyptian legend, the heart of the deceased is measured against an ostrich feather. What resides within the heart? Emotions reside there. Researchers have found that the heart interprets the emotions long before the brain.[1] Andrew Jackson Davis tells us when the soul disentangles itself from the body, it pauses at the heart. He also tells us the brain is the last organ to release the soul.[2] Bowing the head may be a sign of resignation and lifting the heart may be a willingness to be judged. What is the correct meaning to these words? Perhaps it is lost in antiquity. This is the way of religious teachings, to forget the meaning but to hold onto the words, for words have power. Only, without the meaning, their power is diminished. They remain for instruction, to impart knowledge, to compare.

     The phrase, God the Father may be likened to a cliché. It is just words with no meaning, the importance gone like a summer flood. The rains are beneficial to all life, yet when constant for days there is no benefit. The phrase may have been only a reference to the gods of our ancestors, of which there were many. If we look up towards God, then we are gazing into the dark, for we have become or perhaps remain ignorant. What was it that Jesus said, the kingdom of God resides within, and where does the king reside? The king resides within the kingdom. We bow our heads to gaze upon the kingdom. We cannot look up, because if it were in the skies, in the heavens, then the birds would arrive there before us. If we were to truly realize this, we may begin to ask, if God resides within, then how can God be Father? This introduces a paradox, particularly if we are unable to connect the Father with unification. The title father is associated with the head of the household, and typically the one in charge. We don't see the head of a household as one who gathers the family together into a single unit. We see the father as laying down the law and enforcing his will through fear. So many religious writings and teachings enforce the idea of rule through fear. What if this were given as the Goddess Mother? What then? Would we see the nurturing the mother provides, or would we be deterred by tradition’s submissive image? Again, what is correct and what is incorrect? Perhaps the hidden meaning of the Father is, one who unifies. Perhaps the hidden meaning of the mother is one who nurtures.

     If so, there is life. How do we interpret life? Most likely as being alive, but there's more to life than being alive. There is experience. There is awareness. Through experience and awareness, we may find what is called the primal nature of Mind, which is expanded awareness. The primal nature of Mind is the Father, is the Mother. We have discovered life.

     What of the son? The son is the offspring of the mother first and then the father. We are taught the son becomes the father. What’s missing? The son does not become the father, for the son is of the mother and the father. The son becomes a reflection. Not a reflection of the father, but of mother and father. The son represents the continuation of life. The son is not just the son, but the daughter. To set one above the other is unnatural. We do not witness such supremacy in nature. They are of their own respective natures, they are children who become adults, which become mother and father in their own right. If we were to remain rigid with traditional teaching, then we will have invoked separation, and that is not life. Separation is of a different flavor of death.

     What is the light. Is it the light of God, the light of the Father? If so, then the light emanates from us, but not of its own making. While there is light within, it must be developed, it must be refined. The light is often associated with knowledge, with the intellect, but that may be incorrect. When Jesus said, when a lamp is lit, is it then placed under a basket, masking its brightness? Religious teachings before that of traditional religion taught this is exactly what happens. The soul is the light, and it is hidden within a tomb, a sarcophagus, imprisoned. We are the tomb, we are the sarcophagus, the basket masking the brightness of the soul. They also taught it was through philosophy the soul is refined. Through the weighing of the experiences of life, through the determination of the value such experiences possess, is what the soul is measured against. The feather of an ostrich determines if the life experienced had value. The feather of the ostrich determines the degree which one brushes against their fellow being. The brighter one’s light, the lighter the touch, the better the soul becomes.

     Resurrection is tied to Christ rising from the dead. Yet, Christ also said, let the dead bury the dead. What was the meaning being imparted? We associate the resurrection with the return of life. We become baptized with water in order that we might have life after death. We believe on Jesus so we might be delivered to heaven. What is the value here? Is this correct? In the ancient religions, prior to those which we are familiar with, there was a ritual, there was a resurrection, a rebirth. For us to be resurrected, to be raised from a life of death, we had to die. We had to purge ourselves of the poison ingested in a life of debauchery, a life of deception, a life ignorance. We had to let that life die, so the soul could be raised and its light shine bright.

     What is the Church? It is the house of God. It is the place of worship. It is the house on the corner of fifth and main. They say it is the body of Christ, but what is Christ? We are told he is the anointed one, and we lose the value because we have chosen separation. What did Jesus tell us? When you look upon me, you see the Father, and I am in you. Yes, Christ is the Church and Christ is within each and we are the Church.

     Herein may rest the meaning of names and symbols. What is correct? No one truly knows because the great teachers spoke in riddles. I suspect those who were listening, heard naught but words. As the song goes, words have two meanings. What we hear is seldom what we perceive, and what we perceive may not be what we heard.

     People who are sensitive to certain energy frequencies will attract those frequencies. For instance, the ominous event that took place on 11 September 2001 was felt by many. Some understood the message, while others could only speculate. Those who did not understand why they had been selected put the question to their God. Some may have gotten a satisfying response, while others were left to their own conclusions. The event of 9/11 is one many may recall, but what of less grand events such as the passing or arrival of loved ones?

     Events that we sense before their happening may be referred to as premonitions. These forewarnings are not always accurate. Part of the reason is they only predict the probability of an event, which is the path with the largest amount of energy or force associated with it. If we are talking about probability, then we are addressing quantum mechanics.

     Much of our mediumship work is lodged in quantum theory because scientists prefer to apply this questionable science towards observable conclusions. The science of mediumship is questionable because of a couple of things. To begin with, the idea of mediumship has always ended with a question mark. Suggestions have been made that the medium is using telepathic means for gathering information about a discarnate soul from the sitter, or a nearby relative of the deceased one.[1] Many of those advocating mediumship also claim everybody’s loved ones are trying to communicate with somebody.[2]

Schrodinger’s paradox is one example of quantum mechanics. He proposed that if a cat were placed inside a box, and that when light photons entered the box the cat would be dead. The question was, is the cat dead? This may sound a bit ridiculous, many would say, of course not. However, no one would know until someone looked inside the box.[3] This brings us to the second point, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle. Simply put, all possibilities exist until the conclusion is witnessed or measured.[4] The unpredictability of these minute pockets of energy is what we mediums and energy sensitives are attracted to.[5] Thus, the only way to prove the legitimacy of Spiritualism’s demonstration of the continuity is to experience Mediumship.

     Another reason we experience premonitions is that the information may get into the information field hours before an event occurs. Referring to our example, a study in conscious awareness discovered that the world population was noticing the destruction of the Twin Towers, the Pentagon, and the third target at least two hours before hand if not sooner. This was discovered through the monitoring of random a network of number generators. They also found that residual information continued for up to eight hours afterwards.[6] Some may wonder how this information becomes available.

     When we invoke the power of manifestation, we are concentrating on a single event. This concentration is mental energy or mental force. We broadcast mental, emotional, and who knows what other types of information continuously. By concentrating on a single event, we charge that event with energy. In addition, energy is information. Just tune in a radio station, or call someone on your cell phone and you will see what I mean. The terrorists who carried out the bombings focused their mental and emotional energy on their assigned tasks. As they drew nearer to the event their focus intensified. This concentration of energy or frequency filled a pocket within the collective information field and others were able to detect it. This allowed them to become aware of the event. However, information without context is useless.

     The same thing occurs on a smaller scale. Any time a burst of energy occurs, those people sensitive to its frequency are sometimes aware of it. These bursts contain information, and if we are attuned to the frequency, we may decipher the message. For instance, when the energy surrounding a fetus becomes cohesive, the frequency may become resonant, or infused with energy or information, and those whose thought patterns are similar may receive them unknowingly. Residual energy or information may become caught in their resonant field, allowing a medium or clairvoyant to interpret communication. These are just examples of what may reside within substantial amounts of energy or frequencies available in the information field. Accidents, celebrations, and other less potent energies enter the field with less pomp. Next time you believe you may have received a premonition; you will know that something may be about to happen, or an event has taken place.

     Not all events perceived will occur. The frequency of the energy determines what information is receivable. The events we receive information about are only those events with the most energy or force driving them at the time observance. Other competing events are also occurring and will affect the event experienced as a premonition. Quantum mechanics predicts the probability of a variety of results, making it difficult to predict a single event.[7] This is why premonitions are difficult to interpret. Even mediums do not always attune to the strongest energy path, they attune to the frequency closest to theirs. Fortunately, with practice we may discern some of the false eddies of information.

Baggot, J. (1992). The Meaning of Quantum Theory. New York: Oxford University Press.

Cho, A. (2004). String theory gets real - sort of. Science, 306(5701), 1460-2.

Combs, A., & Holland, M. (1996). Synchronicity: Science, Myth, and the Trickster (2 ed.). New York: Marlowe & Co.

Hawking, S., & Mlodinow, L. (2005). A Briefer History of Time. New York: Bantam Dell.

Lipton, B., & Bhaerman, S. (2009). Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future (and a way to get there from here). New York: Hayhouse.

Radin, D. (2002). Exploring relationships between random physical events and mass human attention: Asking for whom the bell tolls. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 16(4), 533-47.

Sudduth, M. (2009). Super-psi and the survivalist interpretation of mediumship. Journal of Scientific Exploration, 23(2), 167-193. Retrieved July 28, 2009 from Academic Search Complete database.

© 2022 Phillip Falcone

The law of duality is not part of evolution and barely fulfills the role of comparisons. This fallacy of balance acts more like a pair of handcuffs. Liberation and growth occurs when these bonds dissolve.

According to the teachings of the Gnostics, mystics, metaphysicists, and other luminaries, before the Logos or Christ came into being, the Absolute being a Gnostic term, the Source, or the quantum field existed without comparison. Only this well of churning energy existed. The luminaries characterized this event in the symbol of the point, from which all things sprang. The Absolute was, yet, unaware of itself. Nothing existed. Only the Absolute existed.[1] The Absolute was not yet aware of itself. When awareness occurred, as they say, the first creation also occurred. For the Gnostics, this was Barbello. Alice Bailey describes this as the differentiation.[2] Awareness occurred because the Absolute spewed the energies, the lights of the cosmos into the expanse. Separation had not begun, for the umbilical cord was still intact, connecting the first creation with the Absolute. The next step is the true birth, or should we say the point where the umbilical cord became severed.

     So far, the Absolute may be represented as a point, and awareness as a circle surrounding the point. The next phase is the beginning of creation, evolution, and limitation. Recognition could only occur through creation, for something had to recognize, acknowledge, and reflect the Absolute. With Barbello, can a point of reference, but not for the Absolute. Barbello, being light caused the Absolute to comprehend itself, and Barbello brought forth a thought. Through thought, she brought forth growth, progress, evolution. However, the limitation did not occur right away. Duality occurred when the point merged with the circle, dividing it into two distinct shapes or half-moons, one being light, the other being dark: or wisdom and ignorance.

     When the children of the Absolute and Barbello, namely us, began to divide creation into good things and bad things, positive and negative, good, and evil – the sphere was truly broken in two. Today, the severity of the halves extends into more than what is good and bad, but us and them, along with a host of other descriptors emphasizing two distinct, yet elusive values. This is the limitation. This is our limitation. We have bound ourselves into the auspices of good versus evil; us versus them. What we do not realize is that the value of good and evil is not a true value. The division shifts with the tide of popular thought. This has trickled down to the individual, often to the point of paralysis.

     If we want to move beyond this state of stagnation, we must unify these measures into a single value. When this occurs, we have moved beyond duality and into unification. When this occurs, we not only become an expression of Divine thought, but we are brought back into the sphere of Unity. “One must not consider the Spirit as God or as of a specific quality, for it is more excellent than the gods. It is a Beginning that none precedes, for no one existed before it, and it has no need of them. It does not need life, for it is eternal; it needs nothing, for it is not perfectible, since it has no deficiency which might be perfected, but is beyond all perfection.”[3]

     When we go beyond the limitations of duality, we raise ourselves to a higher level, we become a different quality than before. With this new information, the ability to create becomes available. Yet, in continuing to seek a balance between good and evil, we continue to be caught in a state of limbo. When the two are merged into a single concept, the energy inherent in both is multiplied because we have taken the two and made them one once more.

Bailey, A. (1978). Letters on Occult Meditation. New York: Lucius Trust.

Blavatsky, H. P. (1888). The Secret Doctrine. London: The Theosophical Publishing Company, Ltd.

The Secret Book of John. (1984). In W. Barnstone, The Other Bible (pp. 51-61). New York: HarperCollins.

     We spend too much time searching for truth and too little time experiencing. Truth does not come with labels of warranty or conditions, promises, or guarantees. We insist the world around is caught up in chaos yet have very little understanding of harmony. We have been taught to seek universal truth, having little understanding of what ‘universal’ means. Thus, we search for truth in our ancient religious teachings, never realizing where the most ancient of truths reside.

     Andrew Jackson Davis puts forth three propositions of value in his, Death and the After-Life lectures. The first is the material and spiritual universes are regulated by immutable laws and that such are external principles. Principles are merely the external manifestation of an idea. The second proposition is that we are endowed with the power of reason. Reason is the harmony of all faculties and through this harmony discoveries are found. The last proposition is that we can chose to apply harmony to all conditions.[1] What does this mean for us?

     When searching for truth, we often turn to others, whether through books or conversation. This is our way, which is proper. In our endeavor to secure something that will guide us, we often neglect that these cannot bring truth, only experience brings truth, and that it is relative to our understanding at the time.[2] A first assumption may be how can we trust ourselves to discern truth? During our continuous inquiry, we discover that there is no chaos and that nothing is left unaccounted for.[3] We learn this by observing nature. All religious concepts are based on the observations of nature, reincarnation, karma, flow, the opposing and complimentary effects of every aspect of the nature of ourselves. All is found in the observations of nature. Through these observations we discover what appears to be obvious to all. Often it is the hidden that is the most revealing.

     Truth also comes to us from realms other than what we are familiar with, such as those souls who come to us in dreams, thoughts, and emotions. Some may prefer the term God rather than souls because it is more comforting. However, to the experienced Spiritualist this may seem a deception. When the source of the very first communication has been identified and accepted, what happens to the word of God as recorded in the testaments? If this question has never come up in your inquiries, it has now. What we must remember is that your truth is relative to your understanding, just as their truth was relative their understanding.[4] Such discoveries and interpretations exist throughout the history of spirituality, which is about examining the life experience and discovering a sense of meaning,[5] and that is why we are here, to discover and apply meaning.

     One of humanity’s greatest powers is not the ability to create, but the ability to discover.[6] Through the discovery of the Principles of Nature, we begin to see them demonstrated in our communities, our political displays, our religious doctrines, and our relationships. Such discoveries alter our world perception and how we worship. Such was the case with the discovery of Spiritualism and the development of Mediumship.

There are two classes of Mediumship, just are there are two classes of people. Objective Mediumship is experienced from outside the body, while subjective Mediumship is experienced from within the body. Both are equally important, but not equal in value. External Mediumship consists of those signs and demonstrations for all to witness, and for each witness to interpret on their own. The only truth here is the demonstration itself, not the meaning behind it. Subjective Mediumship occurs through the Medium’s being, more importantly through their understanding of thought and emotion. The language of the souls who chose to commune with us is emotion. They speak to us through empathy. This is natural because spirituality and empathy are intimately linked. Through empathy we share our understanding with those souls because we purposefully create a space for them.[7]

The discovery of truth occurs through our ability to understand and apply what is learned through our experience of life. When we identify ourselves as Spiritualists, we are merely applying the proper label. To apply what we understand from communicating with souls is a progressive idea, for we then become Spiritual workers seeking to bring others to the discovery of Nature’s Harmony. This occurs naturally because we have discovered that it is not, we who resonate with them, but they who resonate with Nature. Our truth is not their truth, yet we harmonize with all who are sympathetic to natural truth.

Davis, A. J. (1911). Death and the After-Life: Eight Evening Lectures on the Summer-Land. Rochester, NY, U.S.: Austin Publishing Co.

Park, H., Kim, E. K., Moon, K. J., & Kim, M. J. (2020). The mediating effect of spirituality between nurses' empathy and elderly care performance in the long term care hospitals. Journal of Korean Academy of Community Health Nursing, 31(1), 34-42.

Tiffany, J. (1856). Apiritualism Explained: Being a Series of Twelve Lectures Delivered Before the New York Conference of Spiritualists. New York: Graham and Ellinwood, Publishers.

© 2022

     Anyone searching for the roots of religion, will only find disappointment. The obvious steps in such a quest, is to trace religion from its present state backwards. The difficult task in such an endeavor is shedding contemporary beliefs when applying some form of logic. The most difficult is that of who is responsible for today’s main religion. Christianity has little to do with the teachings of Christ and everything to do with the teachings of Paul. To say such a thing can be dangerous.

     Before the advent of those forefathers, there existed the so-called pagan religions. Ironically, they have been relegated to superstitious practices of evil intent. Never mind the similarities one may find between today’s proffered doctrine and those of the past.

     If one should venture further away from the comfort of current practice, they may find themselves reading about the ancient cultures of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Ugarit. One may find some interesting discoveries. Many of the tales touted in Christian history originally came from Persian mythology. Well, perhaps the mythology is closer to history.

     The earliest evidence of any resemblance of religion are the caves in France and Portugal and the open-air paintings and reliefs scattered throughout the world. The only thing connecting these ancient pieces of art to contemporary religion are entopic images. These symbols include crosshatch, wavy lines, fractal patterns, spiderwebs, dashes and dots or circles.[1] These patterns are thought to be experienced by every person who meditates. Any meaning attributed to them is lost, never to be recovered. Perhaps from these experiences came the development of the mystery schools, which actually led the way to what we call colleges and universities. They were institutions of the exploration of knowledge.

     The question is, what knowledge were they teaching? The natural sciences? These were mathematics, nature, literature, philosophy, and possibly some form of religion. The last part is difficult to say. What we do know is that the foundations of what we call spirituality were developed. Even now, we are caught in an exercise of mental exploration. To say they believed and practiced magic demonstrates a level of shortsightedness. Suffice to say, the origin of religion lies at the same spring as humankind stepped out of. Those early ancestors were students of nature. They were keen observers who were intelligent enough to apply those insights to the behavior of others. We espouse the Natural Principles of Life without observations of nature. We have imprisoned ourselves in the intellectual pursuit. Unfortunately, we have no clue as to what we are chasing after.

     We suspect the origin of religion is much closer than we dared hope. All that our ancestors discovered is available to the keen mind. Its simplicity eludes us because we have become intelligent creatures. Through our intellectual pursuit, we have lost, we chose to rise above the ability to just survive. We no longer recognize the need to nurture as an integral part of the life experience. We have pushed aside the need to encourage others in favor of manipulation. We have monetized the desire to care, reducing its importance in the community structure. We have relieved the strongest leader of the responsibility of maintaining social stability. We have somehow taken the instinctive need to be social beings and exchanged it for the desire to oppress, ridicule, and self-aggrandizement. What have we become?

     We do not know. What we do recognize is that in nature, all follow a cycle. All return to a version of the point of origin, or a point of rediscovery. When we do this, will any recognize the meaning of the upheaval that will be inevitably experienced, or will we sleep through its monumental resurgence?

Whitley, D. S. (2009). Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit: The Origin of Creativity and Belief. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

     While instant messaging with a friend, something impinged itself upon my awareness causing me great concern. The friend indicated going to a healing circle, which is good. Being with like-minded people is good for our wellbeing. What troubled me was the letter she had forwarded. Time and location were at the outset. What followed caused concern.

     The letter begins with a call to balancing the planetary grid. Interfering with nature has always proven dangerous. Then, there is the part about The Brotherhood instructing the followers to take a crop circle into the ionosphere and drop it on anyone or place that may be experiencing distress due to President Trump. Later, the author adds, as though it were an afterthought, to ask permission. How does one ask as stranger permission to drop a visualized crop circle on another because they have been judged to be in distress? Especially when they are the judged and the determination is based on another’s ideas. Sure, many expressed their dissatisfaction with President Trump in a variety of ways. This is their right. Everyone expresses dissatisfaction, joy, anger, and everything in between. What is disturbing is they believe it is okay to force their preferred expression upon others. They also encourage others to force them to come around to their way of thinking. What’s wrong with this picture?

     A large number of people accuse Orthodox religion of manipulating the masses. They abused their power, they claim. We have a generation’s long complaint about such actions, against similar institutions for interfering with the lives of citizens. Do these people who encourage others to drop crop circles in the cause of peace realize they are committing the very act they protest? Visualizing a crop circle descending upon those who don’t meet their criteria of peace is no different from those religious zealots forcing their doctrine upon those not meeting their criteria of faith.

     I do quite a bit of researching because I ask questions. Thus, the information read is vast and informative. The practitioners of old Christianity are not the only institution to exert control over the masses. Governments control others in favor of the majority, at least in a democracy. As a condition to living in any country, a person must acquiesce to the law of the land. The United States is one that allows its citizens to have a voice in how they are governed, at least theoretically, and select candidates whose ideals are close to theirs. Granted, this doesn’t always appear to be fair, but all have agreed to this. Thus, we vote and must abide by the results.

     Many institutions are tasked with protecting the public through manipulation, or control. The field of psychology trains people in the art of manipulation as a means of curing those existing outside what the majority has deemed normal behavior. Such skills of exploitation are exercised by all in society. Those not meeting the standard are marginalized, especially if those persons are not adept at concealing their oddity.

     While the definition of occultism is secret knowledge, the practitioners are often seeking some form of manipulation. This probably is what gives rise to such ghastly responses. Opposite of occultism is religion, which also seeks to manipulate others. The difference between them are the leaders who claim permission from a supreme deity.

     What all have in common is their intent to undermine the individual, often through fear. Fear is an excellent motivator. People generally don’t think when in fearful situations. They act and react. Such responses are often due to the influence of our emotions. Another concept they have in common is they insist these secret manipulations are acceptable because they are done through love. Whose idea of love are they following? After all, no universal definition of love exists. People abuse others and accept abuse because in their mind it is love. People are murdered individually and en masse as expressions of love. History and current events have laid out numerous examples of someone having the right to force their ideals upon others, and if they refuse, then it’s okay to murder them. Does this even remotely sound like love?

     We knowingly give permission to governments and similar institutions to control us as a means of protection. Even with religions, many give them permission to alter their perception of life. Those not conforming are generally not physically harmed. The harm inflicted is mental and emotional, which are long lasting compared to broken bones and lesions. Is any of this acceptable? Is it acceptable for leaders to manipulate others because their behavior is disagreeable? It shouldn’t be, but it is the norm. While dropping a visualization of a crop circle seems harmless and beneficial, is the intention behind it harmless? This presents an interesting quandary.

     Many develop or seek out alternatives to what they disagree with. Alternative religious organizations as opposed to orthodox religion merely an example. Yet, they often resort to the same methodology as those they sought to escape. People act this way because they have been conditioned to do so. We can break the conditioning by acting with awareness. Of course, this means we should allow them to be disagreeable, even if we are of the opinion our course of action is for their benefit.

     Contemplating such actions is good; this is how we develop awareness. Before exerting our influence upon others, we should first exert it upon ourselves. Perhaps then, ideas such as forcing others to act in a way we consider peaceful will become distasteful. If you want peace, then start a meditation group. Studies have demonstrated reductions in crime, violence, and other forms of social stress in communities where such groups practice (Walton, Cavanaugh, & Pugh, 2005).

Walton, K., Cavanaugh, K. L., & Pugh, N. D. (2005). Effect of group practice of the transcendental meditation program on biochemical indicators of stress in non-meditatirs: A prospective time series study. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality(17), 339-373.

copyright 2017 by Phillip Falcone

     The religious experience is something many people hunger for. To the uninformed, it is the pathway to God. This is our expectation. We blind ourselves to that which we desire most. Never mind, that we are hard wired for the event. The brain produces dimethyltryptamine (DMT), which may be responsible for mystical experiences.[1] To explore this avenue is trivial though borne of fact. We are explorers though many have no clue as to what they are exploring. We are not concerned with this. To do so, would muddy the waters. Our concern is the religious experience.

     The foremost aspect we must resign ourselves to is rather mundane. We must achieve an altered state of consciousness. What makes this so mundane is the ease this is attainable. Such an achievement is quite simple and requires little effort. The real effort lays in maintaining the state. All one need do is focus. Simply concentrate on the task at hand. In my case, it is to concentrate on this writing before being momentarily distracted. The distraction can be nothing more than sipping a glass of juice. The train of thought comes to a rest. While returning to the task is easily accomplished, the experience is different from the last.

     Achieving the altered state of consciousness is relatively simple. A normal state of consciousness is our waking non-dreaming state.[2] An altered state of conscious occurs when the normal state of consciousness no longer exists or has become destabilized. What this means is that the mind is no longer scanning the environment for information.[3] It becomes focused and the usual filters are no longer functioning. Remember the last time a closing door startled you? You may have been having a religious experience.

     Before continuing, we have to know what a religious experience is. Again, exploring the scientific aspect is tedious and more correct, but lacks imagination. Thus, we shall barely touch the surface. A clinical religious experience is the awareness of a benevolent being.[4] See what I mean? So, we’ll turn to a few examples some you may be familiar with.

     In one of the revered Gospels, Jesus comes to John to be baptized. Upon coming out of the water, heaven opened, and he saw the spirit of God descend upon him like a dove. A voice, probably a loud voice, said, this is my son, whom I love and am well pleased. Spectacular, right? There’s more.

     Saul is traveling along the road to Damascus, when suddenly a bright light engulfs him. From this light came a voice, why do you persecute me? Terrifying and awesome. Exactly what one would expect as a religious experience or life changing event.

     Muhammad often left the company of men to meditate in a cave. During such excursions, angels visited him, dictating the early books of the Quran. A less frightening experience than Saul, yet still impressive.

     Hermes Thoth Trismegistus meditated often. During one meditation, he was greeted by a ball of fire, not unlike the sun. From this fiery ball emerged a Dragon, whom he beseeched to reveal to him the secrets of the Universe. The Dragon acquiesced. Exciting, isn’t it?

     A young man, no one in particular, climbs a pole, maybe twenty or thirty feet. Suffice to say the pole was high enough that those looking on beneath appeared very tiny. This high up, it would be foolish to close one’s eyes for fear of toppling. Yet, the young man did just that. During this brief moment, he saw the bottom portion of an eye lid, with a tear seeping out. Not quite as dramatic or inspiring as the previous portrayals.

     From each of these, came something profound.  While Jesus did not give us Christianity, he did, reinterpret the Judaic laws, providing the foundation for the New Testament. Paul taught us Christianity. Muhammad gave us the Quran. Hermes provided Hermetic Philosophy. Although there are only fragments left, it confounds the untrained mind. What of the last example? We’re not sure if he had a religious experience. After all, there was nothing grand about it. If it was a spiritual experience it would be considered more down-to-earth.[5]

     These examples have similar properties. They all appear to have a fantastic quality that may be considered enviable. When attending a mediumship class, meditation was part of the course. After a ten to fifteen-minute meditation, or something of that nature, we shared our experiences. Each of the others described having a fantastic vision. Wow, I thought, I want that. When it was my turn to share, I had no grand vision to relate. I had only darkness and clouds of color. I was embarrassed. Several years later, I learned that such visions were to be ignored because they were considered distractions.

     Each of these examples can be seen as distractions, profound distractions. They were so profound that when others read their descriptions, they focus on the distraction, ignoring the idea that these individuals were moved to do something. In each instance, each person set about the purpose of bringing their experience to others. Each one sought to bring the experience to others through teaching harmony or unification. Each one sought to teach others about a mystical understanding about the nature of Nature. The common thread is not the visual components of the experience. It is the connection experienced that motivated them.

     If a religious experience is important and is actively sought, beware of the distractions. It is not the vision that motivates. It is the not the booming voice that motivates. They are like stoplight at intersections. Their purpose is to gain your attention. The true religious experience occurs when the participant senses a connection to something else. When they realize there is more to their being than who they are. This is the religious experience. When you experience the Divine within your being, you may be having a religious experience. All else is a distraction.

     You have the experience more often than you think. While bicycling, writing, painting, driving, during sex or love play. These are opportunities for a religious experience. They are happening all the time. The trick is to expand the awareness and understand the meaning behind them. You are not alone. Not only are you a part of something grand and beyond your present concept, you are the interpreter. The experience may put life into a new perspective.

Luke, D. (2011). Discarnate entities and dimethyltryptamine (DMT): Psychopharmacology, phenomenology, and ontology. Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, 75(902), 26-42.

Tart, C. (1983). States of Consciousness. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.com, Inc.

Tthanissaro, P. N. (2015). The spirituality of Buddhist teens: Religious/ spiritual experiences and their associated triggers, attributes, and attitudes. International Journal of Children's Spirituality, 20(3/4), 218-232.

2018 copyright by Phillip Falcone

     Meditation is the attempt to still the mind, not to prevent thoughts from entering. If this were to happen, then we would not be on this plane. Of course, that is assuming thoughts do not enter the mind of a soul, but this may be a false assumption. The creation of thoughts is the responsibility of the brain, not the mind. Well, maybe. Let’s try to identify what Mind does, and perhaps gain insight.

     Freud developed a three-part system to express the personality, and in some cases, the mind of human beings. He used the id, the superego, and the ego to explain the extremities of Mind or the personality. The id represents our impulsive actions which pay no heed to those who may be affected. One might say the id represents Mind’s dark side if left to its own means. The superego reflects society’s rigidity, laws, and morals imposed upon us by institutions and the populace. These are the fundamental aspects of Mind. The id and the superego represent the extremes of Mind or personality. Both extremes exist in delusions.

     The ego is that aspect that lies in between the two. We could say the ego is the fulcrum balancing id and super-ego. In addition, the ego is influenced by both. To you and I, a person appears to swing back and forth between them in the same fashion as today moves between yesterday and tomorrow. Although the two may not appear related, they are.

     Two events exist that Mind cannot control, what has already been done and what might be done. Imagine the voice we often hear began to point out all the actions we did wrong. At this point, Mind is occupied with yesterday. After this review, the voice begins to develop a plan to prevent these mistakes from happening again. Here, we are focused on tomorrow. What has this to do with impulsive actions and morals?

     In the example given, those actions being pointed out as being detrimental reflect an impulse to act in a perfect manner. Western culture demands a person be number one in their profession. For this to occur, we must act in the correct manner. The id acts without thought, or criticizes our actions, and the superego demands perfection and high status. The purpose of ego is to control the swing of Mind from id to superego.

     Meditation is the attempt to reduce the movement of the ego, hoping to still Mind’s vacillations. By reducing the arc of the ego’s swing, tomorrow and yesterday become the present. One form of meditation is mindfulness. Mindfulness means Mind is full; we are fully present, fully aware, and fully connected.[i] What are we connected to? Being fully present means that we are consumed with our environment at a particular moment. The animals, plants, people, movement, etc., all of this is part of us at that moment.

     Meditation is not going to our special place within. When we do this, meditation may become an escape. Communication with those Souls about, celestial beings we call guides, and the Divine Essence of Life take place while we are in the present; consumed with the environment. Many have created an environment specifically for meditation. My environment often consists of the sounds of music, burning incense, and intention. My mind is filled with the awareness of these before penetrating the threshold. The Divine Essence of Life exists within everything, and everything exists within the Divine Essence of Life. These sounds and smells are all part of the Divine Essence of Life. If we have the divine spark of Life within us, we are part of everything. Even if the thought of you being Divine Essence, or Divine is frightening, we can at least acknowledge the existence of what we call the Christ light within. We shall be here when you seek to connect with the Divine Essence of Life. When connecting with the Divine Essence or what some call the Christ-self, we become a part of an artificial environment, the natural environment, and those environments become a part of us.

     We cannot truly connect with our Christ-self or Divine Essence in the imagined comfort of some imaginary place, which cannot be brought forth. In the Gospel of Thomas, Jesus tells us to make the outside like the inside and the inside like the outside. Some are able to bring their inner peace with them and surround themselves with it. Some cannot, and if we cannot then we begin with the outside.

Christ, being within, harmonizes the impulsive actions of Mind with the edicts of society. This may be accomplished through service. Action without thought is the impulsiveness of Mind, and when directed towards service, action becomes worship. Remember, Christ said, in truth, we will worship God in the spirit. The Bhagavad Gita tells us to act without thought of the fruit of our action is true worship. Society demands perfection and high status, when directed towards the service of our fellow beings, we inspire others. This is the purpose of taming Mind, the id, the superego, and dismissing yesterday and tomorrow.

     The environment is like water, ever changing and always seeking its own level via the path of least resistance. The environment will always seek to be in a natural state with itself, and in so doing will always be in the present. To be fully in the present, Mind must be fluid. When Mind is fluid, and we are conscious of the subtleties of change, we are fully aware. Being fully connected is not being in touch with the Christ-self. When we are fully connected, we are the Christ-self, we are the Divine Essence of Life, and we are at one with nature.

Rapaport, A. (1998). Then and Now. In A. Rapaport, Buddhism in America. Boston, MA: Tuttle Publishing.

     Moving forward is the process called evolution. Creation, or should I say Nature, goads us forward. Attractors exist throughout nature in a variety of forms. As the earth travels around the sun, we perform rituals announcing the closing of the day or the arrival of a new season. An infant grows inexorably into an adult. Evidence that the body is in silently marching towards its end regardless of thoughts or events. These different attractors have one thing in common; they act as though they are gravity.

     Gravity is an attractor. Its power traps everyone, and virtually everything. Gravity is caused by the spinning of objects such as the earth and sun, it’s found in black holes exerting their insidious influence. Oh, I’m sure gravity is found in other fashions, such as literary prose. I mean, when one thinks of the gravity of a situation, it sobers us up to the folly of whatever endeavor transpired beforehand. Gravity distorts space and time, but you knew that. This theory of relativity has become a household term, even if no one has a clue. Science fiction has been using this theory for decades, thanks to Albert Einstein and Gene Roddenberry.

     Rudolf Steiner, in his Outline of Occult Science, explains his concept of conscious development taking place in identifiable stages.[1] He begins with a Saturn level, which includes three different stages, we move on towards a Sun stage, and end with the Moon stage, each a level of development. Some of the beings taking part in this scheme chose to stop their progress at certain stages. This led to a system akin to care giving. Those in the higher stages slowed their evolution so they may assist those who had stopped or slowed. We can imagine them beckoning others towards them, as though they were some Divine being. What came into existence was a sort of spirit-care system. Let’s translate this into something more easily recognizable.

First, look at the obvious, today’s headlines, yesterday’s news, or even tomorrow’s predictions. We will not have to look far to catch glimpses of violence. The question being put to you is whether violence is a natural phenomenon of the human experience.

Let’s go back to Steiner. Each new level of conscious development or each reincarnation we attain is accompanied with re-experiencing all previous levels of development first. This would indicate that violence is a natural part of our conscious evolution. The acts we call negative are part of the growth process. Many seem to have chosen to stop along their path of becoming and immerse themselves in this type of energy. If we are thinking along similar lines, then together, we are wondering why someone would choose to stop evolving. More to the point, why stop there? After all, violence is something to be re-experienced before continuing our spiritual growth in the present incarnation.

     If any are interested in discovering the answer to this odd question, then ask yourself if you have stopped somewhere along your evolution. You may find yourself in a bit of a quandary. Either you have not stopped growing, or you are not sure if you have stopped.

     Those who have chosen to stop developing are holding onto something and are fearful of letting go. Are you holding onto something? When experiencing fear, you are grasping at something intangible. When my brain short-circuited, I became afraid. I was holding onto my old way of life because what had happened to me was sudden and disruptive. I was not ready to give up that lifestyle. Although my job did not offer much in the way of change, my spiritual work did. Weekends were jam packed with enough activities to balance the drudgery of a dead-end job. When I released my grip on the potential that had been offered and embraced the new opportunity that was covered in muck, fear was shoved under a glaring light. While holding onto my old life, which was intangible, I was choosing to halt my progress or at least bring it to a crawl.

     Obstacles such as this are opportunities of growth. Failure to avail ourselves of these fortuitous moments becomes an attractor of a sort most of us would rather not experience. When we fix our gaze on something tied to an event, our beliefs become an attractor for energy matching that signature. The Law of Attraction and the Manifesting process are tied to happenings. Fear calls to those events that will perpetuate it. On the flip side, excitement draws in those energies that evoke wonder and joy.

We implore you not to mistake fear as something to be avoided, because it is not. This misunderstood emotion that repels us causes us to overlook opportunities to expand our consciousness. We are attractors for situations that force us to evolve, and the higher our progression, the better we are to serve others. After all, Steiner tells of these energy beings on different planes radiating their energies towards those who seem to have lost their way. As we travel along our path of becoming, we too will stretch a hand to those reaching out while we grasp the one pulling us forward.

     Evolution cannot be halted. We can slow ours to the point that it appears to have stopped moving, but that is only a delusion. Our bodies continue to move on in the aging process. Daily life never stops presenting us with the need to decide. The choices we make determine whether our evolution is slow and torturous, filled with fun, or empty. Regardless, we shall continue to be drawn towards the unknown.

Steiner, R. (1972). An Outline of Occult Science. Anthroposophic Press, Inc.

     For most of us, meditation is a singular practice. We sound the depths of Mind in search of wisdom, expanding awareness, and the elusive religious experience. We are led to believe meditation leads us to altered states of conscious connecting us to something larger than the self,[1] an opportunity for Soul to briefly experience freedom from its entombment in the flesh.[2] However, we may be missing something extremely important.

     The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch opens with, ‘We Live in a Many and One Universe.[3] Several may interpret this in a more literal sense than we. We see the many universes as the many people who exist. Each can be a universe. For those who subscribe to reincarnation, there are the many incarnations that have led up this lifetime and the incarnations yet to be experienced. If we merely focus on consciousness, there are the many altered states of consciousness or discreet states of consciousness. What separates one from the other are their experiential components. Discreet states of consciousness are states of consciousness other than our waking non-dreaming state.[4] These are meditative, intoxicated, and dreaming states. Through such multiple states of consciousness, one may be considered a universe. Most of our experiences of the intentional meditative altered state are solitary in nature. What if that too were altered.

     Many universes, many minds offer potential connections,[5] attachments, unity, and interconnectedness on an intimate level.[6] We’re alluding to group meditation. Meditation through single minded focus potentially initiates an experience akin to what is described by the cave dwellers and Shaman in their artistic journals. A sensation of spinning or spiraling are common experiences during meditation. Native American Shaman describe their entry into the sacred realm as traveling through a tunnel that opens as they gaze into a rock face.[7] One may experience a sensation of being birthed into another reality. Such an experience is often reserved for the singular individual. What might a group whose focus is singular experience?

     While group meditation offers opportunities to connect with others, it may also offer an interconnected experience. Emotions are the language we communicate with. Words are merely a deceptive shell infused with emotions. One merely has to avail themselves of political rhetoric to confirm this. Interconnectedness through meditation may occur through focused emotion of the participants. Together, they begin to enhance their empathic connections forming a unified identity of larger sense of selves. In this fashion, we become the many and unified minds.

     Such an endeavor would not be successful in its first attempt. Like the seances of Spiritualism, a harmony of minds must develop, a resonance must be created. This can only occur through regular meetings of a dedicated group. Memories are dependent upon morphic resonance, [8] or the resonation of emotional, intellectual, and sensual fields. Social events are also based on resonating fields. Group meditation would also be dependent upon the same principle, that of repetition and resonance. The number of repetitions, or gatherings before success will vary from group to group, just as communications through seances were not always successful the first few sittings. Regardless, the potential remains.

     What anyone can expect to experience is dubious. The connection can be awe inspiring and may lead to deep appreciation for our fellow beings. Even a brief experience can initiate changes in the way life is experienced by an individual.

Hurtak, J. J. (1977). The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch. Gatos, CA: The Academy for Future Science.

Mantzios, M., & Giannou, K. (2014). Group vs. single mindfulness meditation: Exploring avoidance, impulsivity, and weight management in two separate mindfulness meditation settings. Applied Psychology: Health & Well-Being, 6(2), 173-91.

Segalla, R. A. (2003). Meditation and group psychotherapy. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 23(5), 784-99.

Sheldrake, R. (1981). Morphic Resonance: The Nature of Formative Causation. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press.

Tart, C. (2000). States of Consciousness. Lincoln, NE: iUniverse.com, Inc.

Taylor, T. (1891). The Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries. (A. Wilder, Ed.) New York: J.W. Bouton.

Whitley, D. S. (2009). Cave Paintings and the Human Spirit: The Origin of Creativity and Belief. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books.

Some of What Lies Hidden in the Symbols of Christmas

The story of Jesus’ birth is not a new one. Variations reach back to a time before the written language. Though to complete the story, or ritual, we may include Jesus’ death.

The story of the Virgin Mother is not unique. There may have been a time when mothers chose not to reveal the father of their child and would simply say, the father is Zeus, or some other male deity. There is a suggestion of the practice becoming so popular, a king of Greece decreed it was an insult to the male deity.[1] There are a number of names associated with the Goddess to support the practice. One case is a story of the birth of Osiris, whose mother was Ceres. He was even said to have been placed in a manger.[2] Another tale would be that of Attis, whose birth is said to have been a miraculous one, as his mother was also a virgin.[3] It is not the history of the story we should be concerned with, it is what it may represent, what it’s significance could suggest.

For us to consider the entire meaning, we’ll have to include Jesus’ death, because it is an integral part. For the moment, we’ll assume the story begins with a birth. Life being born through a vessel, one that is said to be a closed vessel. It is not the physical condition that is of interest. The vessel, being a virgin, may elicit a vision of purity, but we would be missing the truth. The virgin is one who has emptied themselves in order to be filled with something else. Often this is described as emptying the impure in exchange for the pure. The student, the initiate, the virgin, must ready themselves. When they have achieved this, they are ready to birth a new life. What might those conditions be?

As the story of Jesus’ birth goes, he is born in a stable surrounded by animals. What animals might be in a stable? In this case, there may be cows, a bull, sheep, goats, and rams. What might these represent? All are associated with birth, rebirth, renewal, and sacrifice. The bull suggests strength and virility,[4] whereas the cow suggests birth and nurturing.[5] Both represent the creative forces of nature, as do the sheep, goats, and rams. There are times though, when the goat is also considered to represent sacrifice as it is that which all wrong doings are heaped upon.[6] They are also associated with husbandry, which is the cultivation of crops and the caring of livestock. In the story of Attis, he was referred to as a god of husbandry.[7] Jesus is also referred to as a shepherd of people.

We assume the stable was open to the forces of nature. While this is doubtful, it does make a powerful message. The occupants are representative of the creative forces and principles of nature. There are the shepherds, often considered to be common people. There are the wise men, considered to be the elite. Both come to witness the birth. They represent the division of the populace, the duality we find in nature being growth and decay, birth, and death. What is it that brings them together? What is it that unites them? We can only find this at the end of the tale.

We associate the death of Jesus with the religious priests of the Jewish nation, but what may we also discern? Gathered there to witness against him and to witness his demise were the common people and the elite. They bore witness to his coming and going. Many of them none the wiser. What was it that Jesus did? He guided and nurtured a flock that chose to follow. All of this is there at his nativity.

There is an age-old ritual that we enact in a variety of ways. Before the early Christian organizers came together, there was a ritual that called for a symbolic death and rebirth. In this ritual, we must become Mary, the Virgin Mother. We must purge ourselves of impurities, of those habits and desires that prevent us from becoming alive. The Eleusinian teaching may have been, when born into the world, we are born dead,[8] and through philosophy is the soul purified.[9] When the purification has been accomplished, one of the practices is for the initiate to smear gypsum upon their body, thus making it appear to be dead.[10]

In most initiations into the Mysteries, the ritual occurs over a number of days, or nights. Upon the final event, the initiate encounters the Midnight Sun, when they meet the Goddess. Through the Goddess, they are reborn. Through Mary, we are reborn. During the Winter Solstice, the time of the longest night, we may encounter the Midnight Sun, and the birthing process begins, culminating at the Spring Equinox.

The whole of Nature is an expression of birth, death, and rebirth. These are the cornerstones of the Mystery Teachings and can be found in symbols. To the common people, these symbols are nothing more than superstition. To the curious, they are the keys to Nature’s Principles.

Blavatsky, H. P. (1888). The Secret Doctrine. London: The Theosophical Publishing Company, Ltd.

Frazer, J. G. (1922). The Golden Bough (3 ed.). London, United Kingdom: McMillian and Co. Ltd.

Graves, K. (1875). The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors or Christianity Before Christ (6th ed.). Boston: Colby and Rich.

Hall, M. P. (1928). The Secret Teachings of all Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. H.S. Crocker Co., Inc.

Pike, A. (1871). Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry.

Stone, M. (1976). When God was a Woman. San Diago, CA: A Harvest/ HBJ Book.

Taylor, T. (1891). The Eleusinian and Bacchic Mysteries. (A. Wilder, Ed.) New York: J.W. Bouton.

Willoughby, H. R. (1929). Pagan Regeneration. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

For some, the word religion has become offensive to Mind. In conversation, the word hypocrite, though not spoken, is clearly heard. The reason for this outcry may be due to those who spout religious diatribe and fail to express the corresponding behavior. Another cause for unrest may be because organized religion is continuously accused of instilling fear into the populace as a means of control. People claim religion’s only purpose is to control the masses. This is not entirely true.

The role of religion seems to have always been to explain the unexplainable. At least, that’s what some are led to believe. Mysterious events are often attributed to an unnatural authority. This appears to be the way of politics. Another common belief is that natural occurrences are attributed to a variety of gods or a single god. This is not a matter of convenience, but a means of preservation.

If we assume religion is superstitious nonsense, our assumption demonstrates contempt. To suggest science overrules religion, reveals our ignorance. Religion’s foundation resides within nature and its seeming serendipitous effect. Animism, one of the earliest forms of recognized religion proposes a simple belief that remains with us today. The world is permeated with a living force.[1] This living force does not recognize the value of good, bad, or any other adjective used to describe life. This foundation supports all religions and possesses no dualistic application. Animism is about invisible power or influence.[2] This power has been ascribed to a super-being, known as God. Historically speaking, we may suggest humans merely consolidated the many-fold belief system into something more efficient. Efficiency remains to be seen.

We assume religion has always been about the appeasement of some super-being many call God. With the development of philosophy, religion become something more than alleged sacrificial ceremonies. The notion of religion being a way to persuade people to act was adopted from philosophy. The idea of a supreme power did not come from religion, but from philosophy. The only known religion to have incorporated any practices beyond the appeasement of the gods is Eastern religious philosophy,[3] and only religious system to accept multiple applications and solutions.

So, what is philosophy anyway?  Philosophy is the pondering of life. Not how life came into being, but how one ought to experience life. The ‘either or’ application of religion may have ensued due to the determination of ‘is life good because God says life is good or is life good because God sees it as good?’ If the first is true, then the idea of free will may be an illusion. If the second is true, then the idea of humankind being at the mercy of a supreme being may be an illusion.

Philosophy may have come into societal awareness after religion had firmly established itself. We don’t know when this occurred. We do know that religion had already become firmly established before recorded history. Religion had transformed from Shaman into the priesthood some 11,000 years ago.[4] Given the evidence of the effects of meditation upon the human brain, we may be able to suggest philosophical inquiry owes its success to the earliest Shaman. From the recollections of a developing mind came the vestiges of the earliest form of scientific exploration.[5] Such endeavors didn’t occur until about 550-300 B.C.E.[6] Whether these questions addressed religion’s fundamental belief of the continuity of life[7] is unclear. The belief was already lodged in our memory. As with all human cornerstones regarding the life experience, philosophical inquiries are led by the observations of nature.

Psychology has its roots deep in philosophy because of the philosophical exploration of human behavior. Recall our example question, is life good because God says so, or because God sees it as good. In order to answer this question, the concept of what is good must be examined. After careful exploration we must then determine what actions are good.

While the science of mind has its roots in philosophy, religion draws heavily upon philosophy using it as a means of perpetuation. The idea of a supreme power or infinite intelligence based in religious doctrine may owe its application to philosophy. In traditional practice, the Father is supreme, then the Son, then the Holy Spirit, and then the orders of the Angels. This is a hierarchy, not an expression of the expanse of infinity. This is a reflection of the ancient order of gods.

The first to introduce the infinite concept of the divine was Anaximander (612-545 B.C.). For this early philosopher, the infinite was divine. “The infinite is eternally in motion and the source of time, space, matter, and mind[8].”  Six hundred years later, this would be recorded in the Gospel of Thomas,[9] verse 50:

“We have come from the light, from the place where the light came into being by itself, established itself, and appeared in their image.”  Jesus says, “If they say to you, ‘Is it you?’ say, ‘We are its children, and we are the chosen of the living Father.’

If they ask you, ‘What is the evidence of your Father in you?’ say to them, ‘It is motion and rest...” 

While Anaximander supplied the first part of this Gnostic explanation of the infinite, or the Absolute, Pythagoras supplied the second.

Pythagoras, who is well known for his involvement with the secret schools in Egypt, was the first to reduce all things to their simplest aspects. By doing so, he observed that life was based on a series of repeated events. From this, he deduced that there is nothing new in the universe[10]. When ideas or objects are reduced to their simplest forms, a root will be found.

Pythagoras introduced other ideas claimed by many religions. His followers found the body to be inferior to the soul[11]. Attempting to purify the body, they eliminated meat from their diet and regular exercise. They pursued music and science as a means of purifying the mind. These same concepts were adopted by the Gnostics, Adventists, and other religious groups. Unfortunately, Pythagoras was not responsible for the recognition of intention.

The Law of Attraction is not something coined by New Age or Spiritualism. Although Empedocles probably didn’t coin the phrase, he did present the theory. He found that two fundamental forces exist, attraction and repulsion[12]. He defined these forces as love and hate. Love was the unifying factor while hatred disruptive. In today’s science, magnetism is measured by how strong an object is repelled.[13] This corresponds with Empedocles’ description of love and hate.

Although we have not readily found an explanation regarding how early philosophers used the information, we can assume that the secret of attraction was discovered. Consider the frequency we have heard the clichés involving love. Love has always implied an attraction whereas hatred has always implied repulsiveness.

Empedocles may also be responsible for the idea of the world being composed of combinations of fire, air, water, and earth,[14] but it could just as easily come from other sources. These are the four elements while science claims life is based on four proteins.

Much of this information, we are sure was brought to us through the mystery schools. This was and is considered occult knowledge or secret knowledge. As we can readily see, religious leaders of the past were most likely educated in and applied philosophical examination to doctrinal development. Most likely, when people who were uneducated came into power, they sought to suppress knowledge. Perhaps it was to cover their lack of understanding. To believe otherwise is to ignore human nature, which is to appear to be competent.

Therefore, it is not religion that seeks to enthrall the populace, but the leaders that appear to have embraced it. Religion seeks power, but not in the fashion one might assume. Religion, when interpreted and practiced properly, encourages self-empowerment. When others use it to disempower others, it is an abuse. Therefore, beware those who seek to instill fear, for they are the real manipulators.

Bahm, A. (1964). The World's Living Religions: A searching comparison of the faiths of East and West. Carbondale and Edwardsville, IL: Souther Illinois University Press.

Farmer, S., Henderson, J. B., & Robinson, P. (2015). Commentary traditions and the evolution of premodern religious and philosophical systems: A cross-cultural model. Comparative Civilizations Review(72), 12-19.

Gift, S. (2009). A quantum theory of magnetism. Progress in Physics, 1, 12-18.

Hall, M. P. (1928). The Secret Teachings of all Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy. H.S. Crocker Co., Inc.

Haug, I. E. (1999). Boundaries and the use and misuse of power and authority: Ethical complexities for clergy psychotherapists. Journal of Counseling & Development, 77(4), 411.

Rosale, D. (2007). Ancient Egypt. In J. R. Hinnels, Handbook of Ancient Religions. New York: Cambridge University Press.

Singh, D., & Chatterjee, G. (2017). The evolution of religious belief in humans: A brief review with a focus on cognition. Journal of Genetics, 96(3), 517-524.

The Gospel of Thomas. (1984). In W. Barnstone, The other Bible. New York: Harper Collins.

The Pre-Socratics. (1998). In L. P. Pojman, Classics of Philosophy. New York: Oxford University Press.

     Sometimes when I think of harmony, I turn to nature. Whenever I think of Universal Principles, I think of nature. I remember that all nature can offer us is inspiration, but seldom any solutions.[1] Nature is like a book, and it is our responsibility to read it, to study it,[2] and to apply what we’ve learned. Many of the Spiritualist authors praise the Native Americans. Their beliefs being strong with nature.

     When Thanksgiving comes around, I am reminded of those Native Americans in the 1600s and their connection with nature. The story tells of two distinct different cultures having no reason to trust the other. There were the native people and the strangers travelling during a time when none should be about. Those strangers had no reason to accept assistance from a strange people. They clung to their beliefs. They embarked upon a journey of mystery and were greeted by strange people offering them assistance. We can say it was God’s will or we can look towards nature, specifically the primates and call this God’s will.

     Primates, like human beings, invest in alliances and community to encourage and maintain harmony.[3] They are not the savages an ignorant mind purports them to be. Such creatures are often more humane than those who claim to be their superior. Is it always harmonious within such clans or tribes? No, it is not. Tempers flare as often as they do within the human population, maybe less. When this happens, it is the females who settle and calm the male temper.[4] Within nature, there is no individual. Within nature there is interconnectedness, there is survival of the community.[5]

     That auspicious event that occurred during the 1600s was not about individuals but about communities. For that first community of Pilgrims to survive, they had to form an alliance. The Native Americans acted in a prosocial manner, and like those primate counterparts, it was natural for them to assist.[6] That is the message of our Thanksgiving celebration. It is not what we are thankful for. Anyone can make statements that boast of self-importance. The underlying message may be that we should act in like manner. The community that formed was and is the model to aspire towards. Two cultures radically different came together. Not Indians and Pilgrims. Not a superior culture usurping an inferior culture. Two vastly different cultures seeing the other as equals, as themselves and being at peace, being harmonious.

     If your thoughts include the devastation that followed decades of centuries later, then you have missed the lesson. If your thoughts become troubled due to current social unrest, then you have missed the point. If you are wondering what the point is, then you were not being attentive. We can follow the example provided by those in the seventeenth century and see each other as human beings, or we can be as those who seek to perpetuate ignorance.

De Waal, F. (2009). The Age of Empathy: Nature's Lessons for a Kinder Society. New York: Three Rivers.

Tiffany, J. (1856). Apiritualism Explained: Being a Series of Twelve Lectures Delivered Before the New York Conference of Spiritualists. New York: Graham and Ellinwood, Publishers.

     Now we turn to a startling development in the world of science. The brains of dead pigs have been partially revived in the lab hours after the animals were killed in a slaughterhouse. NPR's Nell Greenfieldboyce reports that scientists and ethicists alike are grappling with the implications. This was announced by Audie Cornish on National Public Radio April 17, 2019.

     This is not science fiction. Scientists purchased pig heads immediately after slaughter, cleaned the brains, and pumped a supply of oxygen, nutrients, and injury-repairing ingredients four hours after death.[1] Before we go any further, let’s think about this for a moment. Today, we use the term brain dead for a body that continues to function with no apparent conscious activity. Why the researchers were attempting this is unclear. However, they managed to resuscitate the brain of a pig for six hours.[2] Imagine what this may suggest.

     Was Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein story a prediction? Was she on to something? What does it mean to be dead?

     Before, philosophers, religious mystics, and metaphysicists speculated about the function of the brain, placing humankind as the ultimate creation of nature, the brain housed the soul. Ancient Egyptians taught the soul was the essence of a person and that essence was their personality.[3] With the onset of Spiritualism in the 1850s, came the teaching that the personality of the individual continues after the body no longer functions. Mind fulfills both teachings. Through science we have discovered that mind is a quantum event and may not be wholly dependent upon the brain. Science also tells us mind is merely the product of chemical reactions and electrical activity within the brain. After the shock of reviving a brain has worn off and the bioethicists, religious leaders, and naysayers have weighed in, we have to wonder what makes us or anything alive?

     Before we can answer anything regarding the nature of being alive, we have to determine what alive and living mean. Alive is interpreted as not dead. A second definition suggests active or animated. Does this satisfy our question, what makes us alive? If so, then science may have stumbled upon something remarkable. If we go further, alive also means alert. Alert is to be aware. If we follow this line, then we have to question the metaphysical aspect which says even inanimate objects are also alive. Applying this consideration, scientists caused the swine to become alive. What about the body? Only the brain was reanimated. Following this line of thought, any limb or organ may constitute the entire being. This is a possible avenue if we apply holographic theory; within a single particle the whole can exist. This may be too abstract. We must put this in terms easily understood before extrapolating.

     Let’s continue with our original direction, which is the experiment. The scientists administered a drug to prevent the occurrence of any structured electrical activity.[4] This suggests that alive may require a level of awareness. This also suggests that consciousness may be a structured event and requires some form of cohesion. In this instance we are discussing the idea of cohesive neuron activity, within a chemical and electrical system. Consciousness, then is a structured activity that relies upon some form of instruction or guidance. This also suggests the life-force, or the animating force may be separate from consciousness and is a type of electricity. This is something the early Spiritualist philosophers offered.

     In order to reach a reasonable conclusion, we must invoke Rupert Sheldrake’s theory of morphic field resonance. The gist of the theory is that invisible fields of instructions exist. These fields are an essential part of nature and easily influenced. We see these influences as genetic anomalies, mutations, and genetic manipulation. Scientists and breeders have interfered with the natural unfoldment of nature for centuries. Through genetic breeding we now have a variety of dog, rose, vegetable, and bovine breeds. Nature has provided her own variety of bird, fish, and host of other breeds through natural selection. The question that may be on the edge of our thoughts is how did these fields begin?

     Loosely put, morphic fields are patterns of repetition.[5] An anomalous occurrence is a chance corruption of the field. While a single occurrence is considered difficult to repeat, the pattern still exists. When similar conditions occur, the pattern is executed. Each time the pattern repeats, the more established it becomes. In the case of our science experiment with the brains of swine, each time they repeat the experiment to confirm findings, they strengthened the field. Presently, the electrical activity of the brain was incoherent. However, the pattern of reanimation is somewhat established. The natural cohesive neuronal activity of the brain of swine is already established. Eventually, the existing pattern will merge with the developing pattern and a level of consciousness will occur. We have taken a tiny step towards something that will one day have a huge impact upon our lives.

     While scientists wrestle with the potentiality of re-animation, and script writers prepare for another round of zombie movies, those of us with an affinity for spiritualty are faced with a far more serious question. Would a re-animated body retain an imprint of the original host? Can the host be forced back into a vacated body, or would another conscious be able to inhabit it? More importantly, are those messages given by Spiritualists truly from loved ones who have transitioned into another realm?

     We can continue to pose various esoteric questions, which may never be answered for a variety of reasons ranging from blasphemy to outright fear, or we can simply dismiss the experiment all together. The fact is, there is now the potentiality to literally resurrect the dead and possibly suggest immortality being possible. If this becomes the case, I will have to revise my opinions regarding the concept of immortality because it may no longer be wishful thinking. On a more serious note, what happens when hospitals begin forwarding bills for re-animation? Will insurance pick up the tab, leaving us with a co-pay? What about Medicare?

Greenfieldboyce, N. (2019, April 17). Health Shots. Retrieved from NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/04/017/714289322

Sheldrake, R. (1981). Morphic Resonance: The Nature of Formative Causation. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press.

The, T. o. (2010). Journey through the afterlife: Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead. (J. H. Taylor, Ed.) London: British Museum Press.

     A Gentile does not die, for he has never lived, in order that he may die. He who has believed in the truth has found life, and this one is in danger of dying, for he is alive. Ever since Christ came the world is created, the cities adorned, the dead carried out. When we were Hebrews, we were orphans and had only our mother, but when we became Christians, we had both father and mother.[1]

     This is taken from the Gospel of Philip, which is a collection of sayings. There is no fluid thought pattern exhibited, only an underlying current of ideology. It is wholly Christian with Gnostic interpretation. Our focus is not separation but of demonstration, or interpretation.

     A Gentile does not die, for he has never lived, in order that he may die. Loosely interpreted, a Gentile is one who is not Jewish, but this is too obvious. If we consider the indications of the Hebrews being the chosen children, then the term Gentile becomes equated with those who are not chosen, and because they are not the children of God, as loosely interpreted, they were never alive. We can also interpret this as being one who is asleep or spiritually dead or one who not awakened to the life experience and is not alive. Being alive is equated with awareness. Awareness is more than just being aware of the temperature outside, the status of our stocks, or if our lunch was worth the money. This is nothing more than information to be evaluated. Awareness is about perception and how we interpret life’s events and our relationship to them. Many are barely aware of the effect they have upon life, much less the influence they impose on others. Those who routinely get out of bed only to go work and return to bed with the occasional interlude between may find themselves oblivious. This is not life. At least, not the life being referred to.

     He who has believed in the truth has found life, and this one is in danger of dying, for he is alive. Some come to the realization there is more to life than the aforementioned routine. They know this, they believe this, but do not know how to discover this. They have become restless. Our ignorance is what puts us in danger of dying because it is written time and time again. Those who drink from the fount of the Living Water shall not perish. Those who desire to experience life more intimately shall not come to an end. Those who believe and desire intimate experience of life are restless for they are trying to awaken to something new. There are two deaths. We struggle against both. The one is what we call a spiritual death. The second is physical death. When they become aware of the life around them, aware of thoughts, emotions, and the awareness of others they no longer struggle against death for it no longer has a hold on them. Death can no longer hold them because there is no fear of Death. They see Death for what it is, opportunity. This is what is implied, they will not die because there is no end.

     Ever since Christ came the world is created, the cities adorned, the dead carried out. Christ is the light that reveals, the Savior leading us out of ignorance. When the light of life is revealed, we create a new vision, a new world. No longer do we reside in the world of darkness because a light emanates from us, attracting those like us. Jesus saw the foolishness of the law and re-interpreted it. If he was truly taught of the Mystery Schools, then he was also taught the ancient teachings. Such extend far beyond the written doctrines we so valiantly seek to understand. These teachings are more of Nature’s Principles rather than laws. Cities receive people. They are gatherings of like minds seeking communion. The dead carried out are those who resist Nature’s Principles and seek to control power. They are dead because they remain ignorant of the communion of life.

     When we were Hebrews, we were orphans and had only our mother, but when we became Christians, we had both father and mother. Throughout the history of the early Hebrews, there was the struggle between the teachings of the Levites and those of the Goddess.[2] There was the struggle between those who befriended Nature and those who sought to subdue Nature. They knew only of the nurturing of the Mother for the Father sought to conquer. Those desiring to dwell within the Principles of Nature had no father and were impotent. As Christians they gained a father. They gained the Father portrayed and taught by Jesus. Many of the teachings of mainstream religious thought follow the words of Paul the Apostle. If we follow the path of Jesus; if we follow the teachings of Jesus and gather instead of separating; nurture instead of debilitating; receive instead of expectation, then we have become part of the Light. We now have something much deeper. Gnostic teaching suggests the Light is both male and female and unifies the two. As beings of the Light, we gain the ability to multiply, to increase, to create, to life up, to demonstrate, because we have become aware.

     Esoterically, Mother is the highest aspect of receptivity. Female energy is emotional energy and left to its own leads to confusion. Only with male energy, intelligence, is it able to fulfill its nature, which is to complete, to nurture. Christ taught us the Father resides within. The body is the male aspect of God, and because God dwells within, God resides with the Goddess. For it is within that we receive. The body is male and is called the tomb of the soul. Within the tomb resides the Mystery, the female ability to receive. Within, we receive God and blend God and the Goddess, becoming more than the former.

     Male energy acts upon female energy because it is receptive. As orphans, we were left in confusion because we did not understand. We, like those who are filled with emotions and know not what to do, lacked the ability to apply them intelligently. Through intelligence, we gain experience and are able to use our emotions wisely. We must also be aware of intelligence without emotion, for it lacks empathy and the ability to nurture. As orphans coming to the Light, we gain wisdom.

     Religion is never about the obvious. Once the cover has been drawn back; once revealed, we are obligated to seek the hidden meaning, the Mystery, even if those meanings reside with us. We are being introduced to a different interpretation of religious practice. We are being introduced to the possibility that true religion is about the life experience. There is the common life witnessed by all, and there is another life hidden in plain sight.

Stone, M. (1976). When God was a Woman. San Diago, CA: A Harvest/ HBJ Book.

The Gospel of Philip. (1984). In W. Barnstone, The Other Bible (pp. 87-100). San Francisco: Harper Books.