By Robert Searle
By Robert Searle
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to searchIn positive psychology, a flow state, also known colloquially as being in the zone, is the mental state in which a person performing some activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by the complete absorption in what one does, and a resulting transformation in one's sense of time.[1][2]
Named by the psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi in 1975, the concept has been widely referred to across a variety of fields (and is particularly well recognized in occupational therapy), though the concept has been claimed to have existed for thousands of years under other names.[3][need quotation to verify]
The flow state shares many characteristics with hyperfocus.[4] However, hyperfocus is not always described in a positive light. Some examples include spending "too much" time playing video games or becoming pleasurably absorbed by one aspect of an assignment or task to the detriment of the overall assignment. In some cases, hyperfocus can "capture" a person, perhaps causing them to appear unfocused or to start several projects, but complete few. Hyperfocus is often mentioned "in the context of autism, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder- conditions that have consequences on attentional abilities."[4]
Jeanne Nakamura and Csíkszentmihályi identify the following six factors as encompassing an experience of flow:[5]
Those aspects can appear independently of each other, but only in combination do they constitute a so-called flow experience. Additionally, psychology writer Kendra Cherry has mentioned three other components that Csíkszentmihályi lists as being a part of the flow experience:[6]
Just as with the conditions listed above, these conditions can be independent of one another.
Flow is so named because, during Csíkszentmihályi's 1975 interviews, several people described their "flow" experiences using the metaphor of a water current carrying them along: "'It was like floating,''I was carried on by the flow.'"[7][failed verification][8]
Mihaly Csikszentmihályi and others began researching flow after Csikszentmihályi became fascinated by artists who would essentially get lost in their work.[9] Artists, especially painters, got so immersed in their work that they would disregard their need for food, water and even sleep. The theory of flow came about when Csikszentmihályi tried to understand the phenomenon experienced by these artists. Flow research became prevalent in the 1980s and 1990s, with Csikszentmihályi and his colleagues in Italy still at the forefront. Researchers interested in optimal experiences and emphasizing positive experiences, especially in places such as schools and the business world, also began studying the theory of flow at this time.[5]
The cognitive science of flow has been studied under the rubric of effortless attention.[10]
In any given moment, there is a great deal of information made available to each individual. Psychologists have found that one's mind can attend to only a certain amount of information at a time. According to Csikszentmihályi's 2004 TED talk, that number is about "110 bits of information per second."[11] That may seem like a lot of information, but simple daily tasks take quite a lot of information. Just decoding speech takes about 40-60 bits of information per second.[12] That is why when having a conversation one cannot focus as much attention on other things.[13]
For the most part (except for basic bodily feelings like hunger and pain, which are innate), people are able to decide what they want to focus their attention on.[14] However, when one is in the flow state, they are completely engrossed with the one task at hand and, without making the conscious decision to do so, lose awareness of all other things: time, people, distractions, and even basic bodily needs.[15] According to Csikszentmihályi, this event occurs because all of the attention of the person in the flow state is on the task at hand; there is no more attention to be allocated.[16]
The flow state has been described by Csikszentmihályi as the "optimal experience" in that one gets to a level of high gratification from the experience.[3] Achieving this experience is considered to be personal and "depends on the ability" of the individual.[3] One's capacity and desire to overcome challenges in order to achieve their ultimate goals leads not only to the optimal experience but also to a sense of life satisfaction overall.[3]
There are three common ways to measure flow experiences: the flow questionnaire (FQ), the experience sampling method (ESM), and the "standardized scales of the componential approach."[17]
The FQ requires individuals to identify definitions of flow and situations in which they believe that they have experienced flow, followed by a section that asks them to evaluate their personal experiences in these flow-inducing situations. The FQ identifies flow as multiple constructs, therefore allowing the results to be used to estimate differences in the likelihood of experiencing flow across a variety of factors. Another strength of the FQ is that it does not assume that everyone's flow experiences are the same. Because of this, the FQ is the ideal measure for estimating the prevalence of flow. However, the FQ has some weaknesses that more recent methods have set out to address. The FQ does not allow for a measurement of the intensity of flow during specific activities. This method also does not measure the influence of the ratio of challenge to skill on the flow state.[17]
The ESM requires individuals to fill out the experience sampling form (ESF) at eight randomly chosen time intervals throughout the day. The purpose of this is to understand subjective experiences by estimating the time intervals that individuals spend in specific states during everyday life. The ESF is made up of 13 categorical items and 29 scaled items. The purpose of the categorical items is to determine the context and motivational aspects of the current actions (these items include: time, location, companionship/desire for companionship, activity being performed, reason for performing activity). Because these questions are open-ended, the answers need to be coded by researchers. This needs to be done carefully so as to avoid any biases in the statistical analysis. The scaled items are intended to measure the levels of a variety of subjective feelings that the individual may be experiencing. The ESM is more complex than the FQ and contributes to the understanding of how flow plays out in a variety of situations, however the possible biases make it a risky choice.[17]
Some researchers are not satisfied with the methods mentioned above and have set out to create their own scales. The scales developed by Jackson and Eklund are the most commonly used in research, mainly because they are still consistent with Csíkszentmihályi's definition of flow and consider flow as being both a state and a trait. Jackson and Eklund created two scales that have been proven to be psychometrically valid and reliable: the flow state scale-2 (which measures flow as a state), and the dispositional flow scale-2 (designed to measure flow as either a general trait or domain-specific trait). The statistical analysis of the individual results from these scales gives a much more complete understanding of flow than the ESM and the FQ.[17]
The flow state can be entered while performing any activity, although it is more likely to occur when the task or activity is wholeheartedly engaged for intrinsic purposes.[16][19] Passive activities such as taking a bath or even watching TV, usually do not elicit a flow experience because active engagement is prerequisite to entering the flow state.[20][21] While the activities that induce flow vary and may perhaps be multifaceted, Csikszentmihályi asserts that the experience of flow is similar whatever the activity.[22]
Flow theory postulates that three conditions must be met to achieve flow:
It has been argued that the antecedent factors of flow are interrelated, and as such, a perceived balance between challenges and skills requires that the goals are clear, and feedback is effective. Thus, the coordination of perceived demands and task skills can be identified as the central precondition of flow experience.[24]
In 1987, Massimini, Csíkszentmihályi and Carli published the eight-channel model of flow .[25] Antonella Delle Fave, who worked with Fausto Massimini at the University of Milan, calls this graph the Experience Fluctuation Model.[26] The model depicts the channels of experience that result from different levels of perceived challenges and perceived skills. The graph illustrates another aspect of flow: it is more likely to occur when the activity is a higher-than-average challenge (above the center point) and the individual has above-average skills (to the right of the center point).[16] The center of the graph where the sectors meet represents the average level of challenge and skill across all individual daily activities. The further from the center an experience is, the greater the intensity of that state of being, whether it is flow or anxiety or boredom or relaxation.[19]
Several problems of the model have been discussed in literature.[24][27] One is that it does not ensure the perceived balance between challenges and skills which is said to be the central precondition of flow experience. Individuals with a low average level of skills and a high average level of challenges (or the converse) do not necessarily experience a match between skills and challenges when both are above their individual average.[28] Another study found that low challenge situations which were surpassed by skill were associated with enjoyment, relaxation, and happiness, which, they claim, is contrary to flow theory.[29]
Schaffer (2013) proposed seven flow conditions:
Schaffer published a flow condition questionnaire (FCQ), to measure each of these seven flow conditions for any given task or activity.[30]
Some of the challenges to staying in flow include states of apathy, boredom, and anxiety. The state of apathy is characterized by easy challenges and low skill level requirements, resulting in a general lack of interest in the activity. Boredom is a slightly different state that occurs when challenges are few, but one's skill level exceeds those challenges causing one to seek higher challenges. A state of anxiety occurs when challenges are high enough to exceed perceived skill level, causing distress and uneasiness. These states in general prevent achieving the balance necessary for flow.[31] Csíkszentmihályi has said, "If challenges are too low, one gets back to flow by increasing them. If challenges are too great, one can return to the flow state by learning new skills."[6]
Csíkszentmihályi hypothesized that people with certain personality traits may be better able to achieve flow than the average person. These traits include curiosity, persistence, low egotism, and a high propensity to perform activities for intrinsic reasons. People with most of these personality traits are said to have an autotelic personality.[19] The term “autotelic” derives from two Greek words, auto, meaning self, and telos meaning goal. Being autotelic means having a self-contained activity, without the expectation of future benefit, but simply to be experienced.[32][unreliable source?]
There is scant research on the autotelic personality, but results of the few studies that have been conducted suggest that indeed some people are more likely to experience flow than others. One researcher (Abuhamdeh, 2000) found that people with an autotelic personality have a greater preference for "high-action-opportunity, high-skills situations that stimulate them and encourage growth" compared to those without an autotelic personality.[19] It is in such high-challenge, high-skills situations that people are most likely to experience flow.
Experimental evidence shows that a balance between individual skills, and demands of the task (compared to boredom and overload) only elicits the flow experience in individuals having an internal locus of control[33] or a habitual action orientation.[34] Several correlational studies found need for achievement to be a personal characteristic that fosters flow experiences.[35][36][37]
Autotelic Personality also has been shown in studies to correlate and show overlapping of flow in personal life and the Big Five Personality Traits of Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Openness to Experience. More particularly the traits of agreeableness and extraversion. Study of Autotelic Personality is difficult as most studies are performed through self-evaluation as observation of an Autotelic Personality is difficult to observe.[38][39]
Group flow (or team flow) is notably different from independent flow as it is inherently mutual. Group flow is attainable when the performance unit is a group, such as a team or musical group. When groups cooperate to agree on goals and patterns, social flow, commonly known as group cohesion, is much more likely to occur. If a group still has not entered flow, a team-level challenge may stimulate the group to harmonize.[40]
Only Csíkszentmihályi seems to have published suggestions for extrinsic applications of the flow concept, such as design methods for playgrounds to elicit the flow experience. Other practitioners of Csíkszentmihályi's flow concept focus on intrinsic applications, such as spirituality, performance improvement, or self-help. His work has also informed the measurement of donor momentum by The New Science of Philanthropy.
In education, the concept of overlearning plays a role in a student's ability to achieve flow. Csíkszentmihályi[3] states that overlearning enables the mind to concentrate on visualizing the desired performance as a singular, integrated action instead of a set of actions. Challenging assignments that (slightly) stretch one's skills lead to flow.[41]
In the 1950s British cybernetician Gordon Pask designed an adaptive teaching machine called SAKI, an early example of "e-learning". The machine is discussed in some detail in Stafford Beer's book "Cybernetics and Management".[42] In the patent application for SAKI (1956),[43] Pask's comments (some of which are included below) indicate an awareness of the pedagogical importance of balancing student competence with didactic challenge, which is quite consistent with flow theory:
If the operator is receiving data at too slow a rate, he is likely to become bored and attend to other irrelevant data.
If the data given indicates too precisely what responses the operator is required to make, the skill becomes too easy to perform and the operator again tends to become bored.
If the data given is too complicated or is given at too great a rate, the operator is unable to deal with it. He is then liable to become discouraged and lose interest in performing or learning the skill.
Ideally, for an operator to perform a skill efficiently, the data presented to him should always be of sufficient complexity to maintain his interest and maintain a competitive situation, but not so complex as to discourage the operator. Similarly these conditions should obtain at each stage of a learning process if it is to be efficient. A tutor teaching one pupil seeks to maintain just these conditions.
Around 2000, it came to the attention of Csíkszentmihályi that the principles and practices of the Montessori Method of education seemed to purposefully set up continuous flow opportunities and experiences for students. Csíkszentmihályi and psychologist Kevin Rathunde embarked on a multi-year study of student experiences in Montessori settings and traditional educational settings. The research supported observations that students achieved flow experiences more frequently in Montessori settings.[44][45][46]
Musicians, especially improvisational soloists, may experience a state of flow while playing their instrument.[47] Research has shown that performers in a flow state have a heightened quality of performance as opposed to when they are not in a flow state.[48] In a study performed with professional classical pianists who played piano pieces several times to induce a flow state, a significant relationship was found between the flow state of the pianist and the pianist's heart rate, blood pressure, and major facial muscles. As the pianist entered the flow state, heart rate and blood pressure decreased, and the major facial muscles relaxed. This study further emphasized that flow is a state of effortless attention. In spite of the effortless attention and overall relaxation of the body, the performance of the pianist during the flow state improved.[49]
Groups of drummers go through a state of flow when they sense a collective energy that drives the beat, something they refer to as getting into the groove or entrainment. Likewise, drummers and bass guitarists often describe a state of flow when they are feeling the downbeat together as being in the pocket.[50] Researchers have measured flow through subscales; challenge-skill balance, merging of action and awareness, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, total concentration, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time and autotelic experience.[51]
The concept of being in the zone during an athletic performance fit within Csíkszentmihályi's description of the flow experience, and theories and applications of being in the zone and its relationship with an athletic competitive advantage are topics studied in the field of sport psychology.[52]
Timothy Gallwey's influential works on the "inner game" of sports such as golf and tennis described the mental coaching and attitudes required to "get in the zone" and fully internalize mastery of the sport.[53]
Roy Palmer suggests that "being in the zone" may also influence movement patterns as better integration of the conscious and subconscious reflex functions improves coordination. Many athletes describe the effortless nature of their performance while achieving personal bests.[54][55][56]
In many martial arts, the term Budō is used to describe psychological flow.[57] Mixed martial arts champion and Karate master Lyoto Machida uses meditation techniques before fights to attain mushin, a concept that, by his description, is in all respects equal to flow.
The Formula One driver Ayrton Senna, during qualifying for the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix, explained: "I was already on pole, [...] and I just kept going. Suddenly I was nearly two seconds faster than anybody else, including my team mate with the same car. And suddenly I realised that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension. It was like I was in a tunnel."[58]
Former 500 GP rider Wayne Gardner talking about his victory at the 1990 Australian Grand Prix on The Unrideables 2 documentary said: "During these last five laps I had this sort of above body experience where actually raised up above and I could see myself racing. It was kind of a remote control and it's the weirdest thing I've ever had in my life. [...]" After the race Mick [Doohan] and in fact Wayne Rainey said: "How the hell did you do that?" and I said: "I have no idea."[59]
In yogic traditions such as Raja Yoga, reference is made to a state of flow[60] in the practice of Samyama, a psychological absorption in the object of meditation.[61]
Flow in games and gaming has been linked to the laws of learning as a part of the explanation for why learning-games (the use of games to introduce material, improve understanding, or increase retention) have the potential to be effective.[62][failed verification] In particular, flow is intrinsically motivating, which is a part of the law of readiness. The condition of feedback, required for flow, is associated with the feedback aspects of the law of exercise. This is exhibited in well designed games, in particular, where players perform at the edge of their competency as they are guided by clear goals and feedback.[63] The positive emotions associated with flow are associated with the law of effect. The intense experiences of being in a state of flow are directly associated with the law of intensity. Thus, the experience of gaming can be so engaging and motivating as it meets many of the laws of learning, which are inextricably connected to creating flow.
In games often much can be achieved thematically through an imbalance between challenge level and skill level. Horror games often keep challenges significantly above the player's level of competency in order to foster a continual feeling of anxiety. Conversely, so called "relaxation games" keep the level of challenges significantly below the player's competency level, in order to achieve an opposite effect.[citation needed] The video game Flow was designed as part of Jenova Chen's master's thesis for exploring the design decisions that allow players to achieve the flow state, by adjusting the difficulty dynamically during play.[64]
It improves performance; calling the phenomenon "TV trance," a 1981 BYTE article discussed how "the best seem to enter a trance where they play but don't pay attention to the details of the game."[65] The primary goal of games is to create entertainment through intrinsic motivation, which is related to flow; that is, without intrinsic motivation it is virtually impossible to establish flow.[66] Through the balance of skill and challenge, the player's brain is aroused, with attention engaged and motivation high.[63] Thus, the use of flow in games helps foster an enjoyable experience, which in turn increases motivation and draws players to continue playing. As such, game designers strive to integrate flow principles into their projects.[67] Overall, the experience of play is fluid and is intrinsically psychologically rewarding independent of scores or in-game successes in the flow state.[63]
A simplified modification to flow has been combined with the technology acceptance model (TAM) to help guide the design of and explain the adoption of intrinsically motivated computer systems. This model, the hedonic-motivation system adoption model (HMSAM) is modelled to improve the understanding of hedonic-motivation systems (HMS) adoption.[66] HMS are systems used primarily to fulfill users' intrinsic motivations, such for online gaming, virtual worlds, online shopping, learning/education, online dating, digital music repositories, social networking, online pornography, gamified systems, and for general gamification. Instead of a minor, TAM extension, HMSAM is an HMS-specific system acceptance model based on an alternative theoretical perspective, which is in turn grounded in flow-based concept of cognitive absorption (CA). The HMSAM further builds on van der Heijden's (2004) model of hedonic system adoption[68] by including CA as a key mediator of perceived ease of use (PEOU) and of behavioral intentions to use (BIU) hedonic-motivation systems. Typically, models simplistically represent "intrinsic motivations" by mere perceived enjoyed. Instead, HMSAM uses the more complex, rich construct of CA, which includes joy, control, curiosity, focused immersion, and temporal dissociation. CA is construct that is grounded in the seminal flow literature, yet CA has traditionally been used as a static construct, as if all five of its subconstructs occur at the same time—in direct contradiction to the flow literature. Thus, part of HMSAM's contribution is to return CA closer to its flow roots by re-ordering these CA subconstructs into more natural process-variance order as predicted by flow. Empirical data collection along with mediation tests further support this modeling approach.
Developers of computer software reference getting into a flow state as "wired in", or sometimes as The Zone,[69][70] hack mode,[71] or operating on software time[72] when developing in an undistracted state. Stock market operators often use the term "in the pipe" to describe the psychological state of flow when trading during high volume days and market corrections. Professional poker players use the term "playing the A-game" when referring to the state of highest concentration and strategical awareness, while pool players often call the state being in "dead stroke".
Conditions of flow, defined as a state in which challenges and skills are equally matched, play an extremely important role in the workplace.[73] Because flow is associated with achievement, its development may have specific implications for increased workplace satisfaction and achievement. Flow researchers, such as Csikszentmihályi, believe that certain interventions may be performed to enhance and increase flow in the workplace, through which people would gain 'intrinsic rewards that encourage persistence" and provide benefits. In his consultation work, Csikszentmihályi emphasizes finding activities and environments that are conducive to flow, and then identifying and developing personal characteristics to increase experiences of flow. Applying these methods in the workplace can improve morale by fostering a sense of greater happiness and accomplishment, which may be correlated with increased performance. In his review of Mihály Csikszentmihályi's book "Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning," Coert Visser introduces the ideas presented by Csikszentmihályi, including "good work" in which one "enjoys doing your best while at the same time contributing to something beyond yourself."[74] He then provides tools by which managers and employees can create an atmosphere that encourages good work. Some consultants suggest that the experience sampling form (EMS) method be used for individuals and teams in the workplace in order to identify how time is currently being spent, and where focus should be redirected to in order to maximize flow experiences.[75]
In order to achieve flow, Csikszentmihályi lays out the following three conditions:
Csikszentmihályi argues that with increased experiences of flow, people experience "growth towards complexity". People flourish as their achievements grow and with that comes development of increasing "emotional, cognitive, and social complexity."[74] Creating a workplace atmosphere that allows for flow and growth, Csikszentmihályi argues, can increase the happiness and achievement of employees. An increasingly popular way of promoting greater flow in the workplace is using the "serious play" facilitation methods. Some commercial organisations have used the concept of flow in building corporate branding and identity, for example, The Floow Limited, which created its company brand from the concept.
There are, however, barriers to achieving flow in the workplace. In his chapter "Why Flow Doesn't Happen on the Job," Csikszentmihályi argues the first reason that flow does not occur is that the goals of one's job are not clear. He explains that while some tasks at work may fit into a larger, organization plan, the individual worker may not see where their individual task fits it. Second, limited feedback about one's work can reduce motivation and leaves the employee unaware of whether or not they did a good job. When there is little communication of feedback, an employee may not be assigned tasks that challenge them or seem important, which could potentially prevent an opportunity for flow.
In the study "Predicting flow at work: Investigating the activities and job characteristics that predict flow states at work", Karina Nielsen and Bryan Cleal used a 9-item flow scale to examine predictors of flow at two levels: activity level (such as brainstorming, problem solving, and evaluation) and at a more stable level (such as role clarity, influence, and cognitive demands). They found that activities such as planning, problem solving, and evaluation predicted transient flow states, but that more stable job characteristics were not found to predict flow at work. This study can help us identify which task at work can be cultivated and emphasized in order to help employees experience flow on the job.[76] In her article in Positive Psychology News Daily, Kathryn Britton examines the importance of experiencing flow in the workplace beyond the individual benefits it creates. She writes, "Flow isn't just valuable to individuals; it also contributes to organizational goals. For example, frequent experiences of flow at work lead to higher productivity, innovation, and employee development (Csikszentmihályi, 1991, 2004). So finding ways to increase the frequency of flow experiences can be one way for people to work together to increase the effectiveness of their workplaces."[77]
Books by Csikszentmihályi suggest that enhancing the time spent in flow makes our lives more happy and successful. Flow experiences are predicted to lead to positive affect as well as to better performance.[3][78] For example, delinquent behavior was reduced in adolescents after two years of enhancing flow through activities.[31]
People who have experienced flow, describe the following feelings:
However, further empirical evidence is required to substantiate these preliminary indications, as flow researchers continue to explore the problem of how to directly investigate causal consequences of flow experiences using modern scientific instrumentation to observe the neuro-physiological correlates of the flow state.[80]
Flow is an innately positive experience; it is known to "produce intense feelings of enjoyment".[16] An experience that is so enjoyable should lead to positive affect and happiness in the long run. Also, Csikszentmihályi stated that happiness is derived from personal development and growth – and flow situations permit the experience of personal development.[78]
Several studies found that flow experiences and positive affect go hand in hand,[36][81] and that challenges and skills above the individual's average foster positive affect.[82][83][84] However, the causal processes underlying those relationships remain unclear at present.
Flow experiences imply a growth principle. When one is in a flow state, they are working to master the activity at hand. To maintain that flow state, one must seek increasingly greater challenges. Attempting these new, difficult challenges stretches one's skills. One emerges from such a flow experience with a bit of personal growth and great "feelings of competence and efficacy".[23] By increasing time spent in flow, intrinsic motivation and self-directed learning also increases.[85]
Flow has a documented correlation with high performance in the fields of artistic and scientific creativity,[86][87] teaching,[78] learning,[88] and sports;[89][90]
Flow has been linked to persistence and achievement in activities while also helping to lower anxiety during various activities and raise self-esteem.[31]
However, evidence regarding better performance in flow situations is mixed.[80] For sure, the association between the two is a reciprocal one. That is, flow experiences may foster better performance but, on the other hand, good performance makes flow experiences more likely. Results of a longitudinal study in the academic context indicate that the causal effect of flow on performance is only of small magnitude and the strong relationship between the two is driven by an effect of performance on flow.[35] In the long run, flow experiences in a specific activity may lead to higher performance in that activity as flow is positively correlated with a higher subsequent motivation to perform and to perform well.[23]
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2019) |
Csikszentmihályi writes about the dangers of flow himself:
...enjoyable activities that produce flow have a potentially negative effect: while they are capable of improving the quality of existence by creating order in the mind, they can become addictive, at which point the self becomes captive of a certain kind of order, and is then unwilling to cope with the ambiguities of life.
Further, he writes:
The flow experience, like everything else, is not "good" in an absolute sense. It is good only in that it has the potential to make life more rich, intense, and meaningful; it is good because it increases the strengths and complexity of the self. But whether the consequence of any particular instance of flow is good in a larger sense needs to be discussed and evaluated in terms of more inclusive social criteria.[91]
Keller and Landhäußer (2012, p. 56) advocate for a flow intensity model because many models of flow have trouble predicting the intensity of flow experiences that can occur under various circumstances where skill and task demands fit together to produce flow.[24]
Cowley et al. found that because self-reported flow happens after-the-fact, it does not really capture the aspect of flow that happens in the moment. Furthermore, that aspect of flow is prone to change, so the self-reported experience of flow cannot be trusted as much.[92]
Cameron et al. et al. Found that there is not a lot of information on group flow, and this may be hindering development in managerial and theoretical contributions.[93]
Cameron et al. Proposed a research program that focuses on how group flow is different from individual flow, and how group flow affects group performance. These ideas will address some of the issues in group flow research such as poor data collection and interpretation.[93]
Sridhar & Lyngdoh suggested that research should investigate how mobility affects the ethical performance of sales professionals. Furthermore, there should be longitudinal studies done in various fields to understand the ethical implications of flow in sales.[94]
From their study, Chen et al. found that there needs to be more research done on how competition affects game-based learning.[95]
Linden et al. Suggest that a neuroscientific model of flow would lead to new research questions that would guide future discoveries, experiments, and less obvious questions.[96]
Thissen et al. proposes that more research is recommended in 2020 to understand how traffic affects fiction reading for all types of readers.[97]
[The Zone] is a deeply creative space where inspiration is built. Anything which you perceive as beautiful, useful, or fun comes from someone stumbling through The Zone.
We all know that knowledge workers work best by getting into 'flow', also known as being 'in the zone' (...) Writers, programmers, scientists, and even basketball players will tell you about being in the zone.
When things go well, you can lose track of passing hours in the state psychologists call "flow." When things go badly, you get stuck, frozen between dimensions, unable to move or see a way forward. Either way, you've left the clock far behind. You're on software time.
Look up flow in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
DEFNITIONS
The following was found mysteriously in my gmail. It is quite interesting. However, Multi-Dimensional Science as it appears on the p2pfoundation offers a far more comprehensive picture in connection as to how to "prove" psi and spiritual phenomena to some extent RS/ https://wiki.p2pfoundation.net/Multi-Dimensional_Science
I think I may actually know the source of the following which is Lex Neale with whom I crossed swords unfortunately. See intro marked X after the text below.
Facebook site https://www.facebook.com/integralrelativity/
DIMENSIONS
These are akin to Hilbert Spaces, and the Kayas of Vedic cosmology, but not like the Many Universes theory. Like the Kayas, the Dimensions form a “layer cake”, each layer being a full spectrum extending from its Ground State, or Carrier Wave. As the Dimensions descend into greater density, from Causal 6D to Subtle 5D to Physical 4D and below, each successive Ground State is of lower frequency and higher amplitude. In this way the higher Dimensions are embedded in, and embodied by the lower Dimensions in an Information continuum.
The Physical Dimension is comprised of 4 sub-dimensions, each existing with their own energy laws and injunctions. Again, they rest in and emerge from the Ground State or Zero Point Field, which is the Aether or 0D. This is undifferentiated variable density Energy that embraces all the Information in accordance with Planck’s Constant. This is the Vedic Akashic Field as proposed by Ervin Laszlo.
Emerging from 0D is the Sub-Quantum Field or 1D. Here proto-forms begin to take shape, known as fluctuons due to their fluctuating nature as they appear out of and disappear back into 0D. This is how Information is transduced between 0D and 1D.
Emerging from 1D is the Quantum Field or 2D forms that obey quantum laws, and are the constituents of sub-atomic structure as per the Standard Model.
Emerging from 2D are the micro through macro structures comprising the visible 3D Physical Universe and its Newtonian laws.
Emerging from 3D locality is 4D non-locality and its Bohmian entanglement laws, according to wave properties operating at velocities that surpass the speed of light as “instantaneous” Information exchange throughout the 4 Lower Dimensions. Some classes of wave are beyond even non-local, providing an Information bridge between the 4D Physical and the 5D Subtle Dimensions.
Multi-Dimensional Science therefore differentiates and classifies Energy according to these Dimensions, thus preventing conflation between Dimensions and obviating the any dimensional confusion between the sciences.
AWARENESS, ENERGY AND INFORMATION
These are states and structures of the wave-form that are co-existent and inter dependent, which is possibly why science has not differentiated A, E and I as functional entities.
Integral Relativity’s First Tenet equates Awareness with Energy, as a direct extension of Special Relativity’s equation of Energy with Mass. SR is velocity based, via the speed of light constant; whereas IR is frequency based, via Planck’s Constant.
However, they coalesce to form a Multi-Dimensional Mass-Energy-Awareness continuum of Information.
Information is common to both Awareness and Energy, so we deal with Information first. Apart from the obvious in-forming of Awareness and Energy, Information itself has been shown to be a form of Energy with Mass in the 3D context, which is hardly surprising considering that its coding (dealt with later) requires the manipulation of the wave-form in its Amplitude, Frequency and Spin. Planck’s law basically states that the higher the frequency of a wave, the more Information it can hold. So the quasi-infinite frequency of any specified Ground State can hold a quasi-infinite amount of Information. This is Laszlo’s basis of the Akashic Field or universal memory.
Information is therefore experiential, such as a Multi-Dimensional Kosmos experiencing and retaining its entire evolutionary process. If Information is the experience, then who/what is the experiencer? Which brings us to the Awareness side of the equation.
Awareness etymologically comes from A-varus, meaning in Truth. This indicates that it was historically considered as an Absolute. This immediately suggests that Planck’s law is multi-dimensional. Multi-Dimensional Science then differentiates modes of Awareness according to its Dimension.
What is 0D Awareness? As the ZPF it would suggest a matrix with the omniscience afforded by Planck. 1D proto-awareness would then extend to Field sensitivity in transducing required Information via fluctuons. 2D proto-awareness would be an emerging quantum charge sensitivity. In 3D Awareness we witness a burgeoning complexity from micro to macro sates and structures. Elements and minerals, although 3D, retain their 2D quantum structure; but emerging complexity as life forms shifts to 3D Sensory Awareness. However, all life forms are also accompanied by a 4D Energy Body, which upholds 3D structures; and with further complexity becomes the vehicle of 4D Awareness called Mind. Again shifting to 5D Awareness we have Consciousness and its Energy vehicle Soul.
From this we can see that each dimensional mode of Awareness is accompanied by a correlated Energy body, in accordance with IR’s equation of Awareness and Energy. Which brings us to Energy.
Energy etymologically comes from En-ergia, meaning en-action or activity. Scientifically Energy is considered an Absolute, meaning that Integral Relativity equates the correlated Absolutes of Awareness and Energy. Historically this has always been the case, such as the reiteration of John the Divine’s “In the beginning was the Energy, and the Energy was with Awareness, and the Energy was Awareness”; or the Vedic cosmological Absolutes called Purusha (Awareness) and Prakriti (Energy); or the Greeks correlating a Knower (Awareness) with a means of knowing (Energy).
So how does Energy come into existence? In our Multi-Dimensional model we see the 0D Ground State as the matrix of all existence in any specified Dimension. In the Physical Dimension, we see the ZPF as that Ground State Carrier Wave of all resulting wave forms, The nature of the matrix is variable energy density, which means that even that formless state is in a state of vibration of pure potential Energy, as the Carrier Wave. This is its resting potential. However, if that formless state is also pure Awareness, then Awareness itself also has the capacity of variable Energy density when it shifts from potential to kinetic to produce waves with variable Amplitudes, Frequencies and Spins.
When we look at a wave’s structure as Amplitude, Frequency and Spin, we can see that Amplitude is a function of the Spin’s radius, and Frequency a function of the Spin’s speed. So it is Spin that is the core of a wave’s Energy. In other words, Awareness in any specified Dimension activates variable Energy density via Spin to produce the wave’s Information modulations..
This association between Awareness and Energy is because Energy is the activity of Awareness, where Energy is Awareness made existent. Science without Integral Relativity has had no choice but to see Energy as the doings without a Doer. But cause and effect is really all about their correlation, such as the Observer Effect. Popular science skewed Wheeler’s notion of this, where an observed does not exist without an observer. This is a ridiculous misinterpretation of the Observer Effect. In Truth (Avarus!) it is far more literal than that: Observer / Effect.
The coding of Information via Intention – Extension is to follow.
Integral Relativity of Awareness and EnergyThe Continuum of Consciousness, Energy, Mind and Matter Lex Neale ABSTRACT Integral Relativity, as an extension of General Relativity, Special Relativity and Advanced Relativity, has four proposed Tenets: (1) The Equation of Energy with Awareness; (2) The Conservation of Awareness; (3) The Continuum of Energy, Consciousness, Mind and Matter via the Kosmic Constant; (4) The Integral Relativity between Observers and Observed in Hilbert Spaces as specified Frequency Domains. It is corroborated by the Observer Effect in all the related double slit and interferometer experiments, most notably those of Dean Radin’s Sigma 7 rated results; by the “Unified Spacememory Network”, modeled by Nassim Haramein and William Brown; by Dirk Meijer’s 4D quantum modeling of “Consciousness in the Universe”; by Elizabeth Rauscher’s “Complex Eight Dimensional Model of Minkowsky Space; by Lex Neale’s octo-dynamic extension of Ken Wilber’s All Quadrants, All Levels “AQAL Integral model” called the “AQAL Cube”, which correlates non-physical existence with physical existence as an octo-dynamic fractal continuum; and Garret Lisi’s E8 Geometry underlying the unfolding of physical existence. Integral Relativity predicts that the Observer and observed are a mutually inclusive Consciousness/Mind/Energy/Matter continuum through 2D, 3D, 4D, 5D and nD Hilbert Spaces as full-spectrum Domains of correlated existence. We propose that the terms Consciousness and Mind be no longer used synonymously in the scientific community, but differentiated as an integral Awareness/Energy continuum between 4D and 5D Hilbert Spaces, where 5D Consciousness is Subtle intentional awareness, and 4D Mind is its correlated local or Concrete awareness and means of en-action, as per Meijer. Key Words: Observer Effect, Observer/Witness, Consciousness, Mind, Energy, Matter, Quantum Vacuum, Zero Point Field, Quantum Field, Unified Spacememory Network, Hilbert Spaces, Subtle Energy, Integral Theory, AQAL Cube, E8 Geometry, Holographic Fractals DOI Number: 10.14704/nq.2018.16.8.1267 NeuroQuantology 2018; 16(8):48-68 Introduction Integral Relativity was originally presented as a paper “AQAL Square to AQAL Cube – the Integral Relativity of Consciousness, Mind and Energy” at the Integral European Conference in Budapest (Neale, 2014). The paper was then commissioned by Integral Publishers as the book “Knowing the Knower – the Integral Science of Self” (Neale, 2015). “Integral Relativity of Consciousness, Mind and Energy” was presented at The Science of Consciousness Symposium, Tucson (Neale, 2016). By definition, an Integral Metatheory is inclusive of all Awareness and Energy states, structures and phenomena. Therefore, by definition, Integral Relativity correlates Energy in all states with Awareness in all states. The proposal of Integral Relativity as an Integral Metatheory is therefore by definition as a true TOE integrating self-awareness, organism energetics, cultural Corresponding author: Lex Neale Address: Integral Research Center, JFK University CA, USA e-mail lexneale.integral@gmail.com Relevant conflicts of interest/financial disclosures: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. Received: 4 March 2018; Accepted: 30 July 20
Basic Introduction to Multi-Dimensional Science
Another copy on MDS plus the "lesser" articles and inclusion of the early kheper version on the subject back in2005
Project by Robert Searle
It should be said that this presentation is a long "popular" article or "essay" rather than an academic paper per se but it does include a number of relevant references.
Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS represents a new revolutionary approach towards a more objective understanding of claimed psychic, and spiritual phenomena. If possible, and if ultimately correct it could in the future have extraordinary benefits for the advancement of the human race. Also, it should be said that this presentation is a long "popular" article rather than an academic paper per se but it does includes relevant references.
It should be noted that the "Science" word in MDS is ofcourse used in an entirely provisional sense.The subject can thus be known as the Multi-Dimensional Hypothesis,or MDH. This is arguably a more accurate term. At present, it is purely at the "pseudo-scientific" stage of evolution, and there is a long way to go.
The words "Multi-Dimensional" have been criticized, but in this context it clearly implies claimed "psychic", and "spiritual dimensions", or "worlds" variously called spheres, planes of existence, higher realms, et al. They could be seen as being akin to a certain extent with "scientific" concepts of Parallel Universes, the Multiverse, and ofcourse the Fourth (or the Fifth, Sixth, or more) Dimension(s).
A number of people have expressed some interest in MDS. They include Jean Houston, Stanley Krippner, Elisabet Sahtouris, Ronald Pearson (originator of Survival Physics), Bruce Lipton, David Peat, Jurgen Ziewe, and the noted author, Anthony Peake.
It should be said that like a "science" MDS may be falsifiable to some extent. Also, any relevant mathematical models (where possible) have yet to be developed. What is discussed here is purely a verbal presentation.
PS. Please note that the material here may be subject to corrections of one kind, or another (eg.text editing). It is a "work in progress" project. and must be seen as such. However, the basic concepts of MDS will probably remain unaltered.
Important to Understand, and Appreciate.
Most of all what follows is highly speculative, and theoretical. Unfortunately, this is unavoidable due to the nature of the subject in hand. Understandably, many mainstream scientists would regard MDS as nonsense, and too New Agey to have any credence.
Some people have claimed that it is "insane,""impossible", "a mad goose chase," and "..turns the esoteric inside-out". Yet, there are many others who are able to take it more seriously.
It should be stated here that some of the things said here may come across a little dogmatic but this is not intentional. But, it is not always easy to describe "concepts" such as these in neutral terms.
Anyhow, let us try if possible to proceed with an open-mind.
The Aim of the Multi-Dimensional Paradigm.
The basic aim of Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS is to prove albeit indirectly the existence of so-called non-physical psychic/spiritual energies, and the claimed realities in which they are said to exist. If possible, and if it can be done within the context of a new version of the scientific method it could have untold benefits for physics, biology, psychology, psychiatry, parapsychology, et al. This is a huge all-encompassing subject.
Anyway, most of what follows is essentially theoretical as already indicated, and would require in the goodness of time to be "proved" indirectly as far as possible via serious research studies, and later if possible via experimentation.
The Basic Methodology, and Keystone of MDS.
There are five methodological steps in the process of "objectifying" the claimed "subjective" encounters of the unseen psycho-spiritual universe. Since what we are discussing are said to be non-physical energies it should be obvious that we cannot use normal "scientific" protocol as they are physically undetectable in the main.
Anyway, the methods of research, and ultimately experimentation, are as follows.
STEP I.
Finding MDOs, or Multi-Dimensional Observers would be necessary, and a special directory could be created. These are specific psychics (concerned mainly with psychic development), and mystics (concerned mainly with self-development, and "God-Realization")who claim to have inner experiences of a "full" range of non-physical phenomena. They would notably include the manifestations of claimed ethereal inner sounds,and lights. They may among other things notably be able to view the so-called "subtle body", "auras", "the chakras","discarnate entities," or perhaps translate some of their more advanced experiences into "symbolic imagery" where necessary, et cetera.
Such data would in Western Philosophy be regarded as a form of phenomenology, a notable advocate of which was Edmund Husserl(1859-1938). Ofcourse,it should be added that people could be trained to become "reliable" MDOs via some form of meditation, or out-of-the body "technology".
STEP II.
A simple questionaire would probably be used first to ask MDOs what they experience. A detailed one(s) could follow, and some ad hoc(unplanned)questioning could also occur. The aim of this is to see how many major "obscure" pieces of data are independently corroborated beyond the laws of mathematical chance. In other words, we have as it were "objective" non-physical phenomena which may not be purely the product of subjective imagination of the MDO.
It may well be discovered that there are sets of detailed supersensory data which vary. In MDS this would be indicative that "phenomena" such as the subtle body, auras, psychic rays, non-physical structures, et al exist differently (to varying extents) on differenet sub-planes, or "worlds" of existence. Another factor in variation may be due to mental projections from the MDOs themselves. Further brief comment is expressed later on in the text.
STEP III.
Such attempted descriptions of "other worlds", and their "subtle energies" are translated from words into images. This would notably be true again in connection with the subtle body, auras, psychic rays, et al. Such data could ofcourse appear on a computer with the right programming (aided probably with "instant" Computer Generated Imagery, and Virtual Reality) when attempted descriptions are reported by memory, or ideally, in Real-Time. Such "descriptions" could also where necessary be converted into "scientific" diagrams.
STEP IV.
Mathematical models,(if possible) and theories could then be created using reported material from MDOs.
STEP V.
On the basis of step iii, and iv tests, or bona fide experiments could be undertaken to see how reliable, and objective the initial data really is. If all things go to plan we would have an approach in which we could understand on a more scientific basis the actual workings of claimed psycho-spiritual energies in both man, and the universe. All this could be a huge step forward, and may have profound implications.
The Unique MDS Methodology
The idea of trying to marry science with psychical research, esotericism, mysticism, and religion is in itself nothing new.But what is unique with MDS is that we have for the first time probably the complete Methodology to do just that. This could have revolutionary implications, and also open up utterly vast, and infinite sources of information, and understanding never seen before in our physical world.
Anyway, as indicated in the previous section of this presentation, there are infact four basic "components" of the Methodology. They are highlighted in the following listing:-
i. Attempting to use mathematics (and modelling) to try, and understand "other worlds" is nothing new. A "simplistic" example of this is the using of numbers in the Jewish mystical Tree of Life, or the Kabbalah.
ii. Trying to "depict" unseen realities, and energies into pictures, and indeed, diagrams has been done before. This has been proferred by the likes of Barbara Brennan, and notably Charles Leadbeater, and his famous images of the subtle bodies, and their auras created on the basis of his inner experiences.
iii. Utilising Questionaires, and indeed, ad hoc questioning are essential in the Methodology of MDS. Ofcourse, they have also been used to find out what people encounter during Near-Death Experiences, and Out-of-Body Experiences. Mystical Experiences have been subjected to "simplistic" analysis in a similiar manner. For example,the Sir Alistair Hardy Society for the Study of Spiritual Experience has on occasion used a similar approach as evidence based "science". However, those used in MDS would be much more detailed, and far more advanced. They would probably require "constant" development.
iv. Using psychics to try, and discover "physical" knowledge is nothing new. Besant, and Leadbeater in their famous clairvoyant researches into "occult" chemistry are a classic example. Ofcourse, psychics have also been used to contact "non-physical paranormal energies." Examples of this include Remote Viewing, Reichenbach, and the "Odic Force," and the controversial "aura" studies of Dr Kilner using special screens. Another good example of all this, was discussed by Mark Smith who gave workshops on seeing "auras" in which many participants gave largely accurate reports of specific psychic imagery in connection with a particular person. In other words, "objective" phenomena of sorts (ref Auras; See them in only 60 seconds, by Mark Smith, llewelyn Publications, 2002 edition, p50-52 notably/a "copy" of which appears in a later section of this presentation).
It should be stressed again that the Methodology of MDS for using the four above "components" appears to be unique. But as indicated ofcourse these "components" are nothing new in themselves. Professor Tart, and his State-Specific Science,or S-SS comes close to it, but in no way does it go far enough.
Some people would argue that Quantum Mechanics is enough to explain claimed psychic, and mystical/spiritual phenomena. This is probably incorrect because "mainstream" parapsychology is incomplete without detailed knowledge of the "inner" phenomenology involved.The latter is the "missing link" in the theoretical side of psi research..and may some day be taken more seriously if credible corroborative data emerges in future years. However, "relevant" mathematical interpretations of Quantum Mechanics could arguably be adapted to MDS.
Just Hallucinations?
It is well-known that ASCs, or Altered States of Conciousness (creating meditational, and out of body experiences) can be created artifically by certain electronic stimulations of the brain, and by specific drugs. Arguably, none of this though can fully explain away in purely materialistic, or scientific terms the "simple", or usually "complex" mental imagery (ie "hallucinations" of the sane) involved by the experiencers. They are clearly not identical to the neuron* nets, and neuron nerves firing electronic impulses (ie. "thoughts") in the brain.
However, some recent research into neuroscience suggests that it is possible to some extent to recreate "mental imagery" via computers from the brain. For example, the work of James Gallant et al is a case in point. But the phenomenon of self-awareness, or consciousness itself stubbornly remains a mystery, and is probably outside the confines of present day neuroscience altogether.
PS. Please note that at present, there are no basic reviews on present day psychiatry, neuroscience, western philosopy, physics, and other related subjects in connection with the development of Multi-Dimensional Science. What is presented here is "largely" focused on the esoteric, or theoretical nature of MDS. Serious credible research, and experimentation has yet to be undertaken on it.
Interfacing with the Physical, and Non-Physical.
If MDOs can collectively produce reasonably reliable data about the energies in, or around physical objects, and people it would be possible to measure them scientifically using physical instruments. For example, a microscope could be used to examine in detail certain materials.Reliable MDOs should in theory be able to largely come up with the same data concerning their non-physical psychic structure, and energies not seen by the "normal" naked eye.
In another example, a person may be able to produce claimed psychic rays from his, or her body. This could be accurately measured using some kind of physical object(s) with the help of what MDOs see, and may hear psychically in non-physical dimensions (ie.clairaudience).
A similiar process to the above could be had in which physical objects do not exist. In other words, research, and experimentation in the "other world".Thus, wholly non-physical "measurements" and other "quantifiable" findings could be recorded to a limited extent.
Different Distinguishing Sights, Lights, and Sounds in Different Planes, and Different Sub-Planes.
MDOs may be able to describe energies differently irrespective of whether they are focussed on something physical, or not. This suggests that they may see the supersensory "energies" of a physical, or non-physical object(s), or person(s) at different levels of conciousness in different planes, or rather sub-planes. Hence, the variations in the appearances of such "energies". In other words, they exist as different psi "frequencies" which produce their varying qualities in different "worlds", or states of consciousness. Ofcourse, certain key sights (eg."cities", "mountains,"unusual symbolic/psychic geometrical phenomena") in general may distinguish one sub-plane from another.
To help clarify the above, it may be best to take a simple example. Certain MDOs may describe the aura radiating around the subtle body as monochromatic, or one coloured. Others may describe it as polychromatic, or many coloured. Such colours may manifests themselves notably as rays, or concentric "circles" around the subtle body. This could again suggest that the "energies" seen are at a "higher", or "lower" world, or plane, or sub-plane of conciousness. In another instance, the aura may not appear ovoid, but have a different shape altogether around the individual, such as an illuminous pyrammidial triangle.
Some MDOs may be able in Real-Time to "go through" intermediate stages, or planes of being in which the aura, and subtle sub-planes (plus any other surrounding supersensory phenomena) may change in an orderly, or "disorderly" sequence via a light, or deep waking "trance"(involving a degree of withdrawal of consciousness to the "Third Eye"). In effect, they would see the inner sights, and energies change from one plane to another until the "final" one is reached (ie. the level of self-attainment of a MDO).
In specific cases, certain "energies" may be purely, or partly illusionary self-projections. In theory, or indeed,in "reality" we would be dealing ofcourse with mental "matter" which could be affected conciously, and unconciously by ones own mind to varying degrees. In other words, psycho-interactivity.
In MDS we are indicating here is that the science of the future may become increasingly more humanized, and less objective in the normal scientific sense. By "humanized" we are implying ofcourse that tested "reliable" MDOs, or "special" people would become more, and more a part of the experimental process gradually unlocking something of the secrets of the non-physical universe. To what extent, such experiments are repeatable, and indeed, reliable is presently unknown.
Materialising, and Dematerialising "Non-Physical" Energies, and Possible Subtle "Psychic" Energies in the Physical World.
It should perhaps be said that there is a belief largely founded, or unfounded that these subtle psychic energies may also exist as...
a) The finest forms of subtle energy existing to a certain extent in the invisible electromagnetic spectrum of the physical universe either temporarily, or permanently.
b) On occasion, they could be detectable to some degree with certain kinds of physical instruments. This in itself is a big subject, and one is reminded here of the work of the physicist William Tiller, and the independent researcher Harry Oldfield.
However, it should be noted that MDS tends in the main to go beyond this "limited" approach because it believes that it may be dealing with higher non-physical energies (ie undetectable altogether by physical means), and hence, this knowledge would arguably have greater psychic, and spiritual benefits than dealing with low level energies that may be detectable, or become "materialized" in the material world.
Basic Theoretical Representations of Higher Worlds, and Higher Energies.
Many mystical, and psychic writings claim that there are a series of higher worlds, and hence, higher energies in the non-physical Universe. Such psychic/spiritual cosmologies have often been illustrated as a set of seven or more lines either in concentric, or linear forms. They are on occasions sub-divided into smaller planes, or sub-planes. Sometimes, they are shown concentrically around our planet earth, and extending ultimately into infinity.
There are a number of Hermetic, and Alchemical texts which notably illustrate higher planes of existence as being concentric. Certain Buddhist depictions of the "after-life" realms indicate a linear, or concentric set of worlds, or planes. indeed, they can often, or not be described as colourful concentric "rainbows."
In the Alice Bailey Teachings, there is a scheme of spiritual cosmology in which there is in each plane a division of seven sub-planes.The reality of the situation is probably that there are an infinite number of planes, and sub-planes, and their number tends to vary from one esoteric, or mythological source to another.
Ofcourse, none of the above should be taken literally. They are ways of explaining something which in essence lies "largely" outside the mind to comprehend. The linear, and concentric sets of "worlds" are only representations, and simplifications for our limited intellectual understanding.
In spite of all this, some things can be "explained" at the level of mind. For instance, it is said that as one ascends from one higher reality to another the "skies" of each plane, or rather sub-planes(of a plane) becomes increasingly brighter, and there is growing expansion of superconciousness, or mystical experience. Simultaneously, the energies of each succeeding plane, and indeed, each sub-plane become increasingly subtle. The content of such visionary ascents can as one progresses "upwards" become more difficult, or impossible at times to describe accurately in the limited language of this world.
In relation to our physical world of the five limited senses, such realms could arguably exist as psycho-spiritual energies having a vibratory rate faster than the speed of light. Such a theoretical notion notably appears in Quantum Mechanics as the Bell Theorem, and Non-Locality. The thing to grasp here is that faster-than-light energies would transcend time, and space as we would understand it. It is believed that they may exist, and can where necessary interact in ways conceivable, and inconceivable to our visible physical world.
Moreover, there may be well be "frequent" manifestations of acausality in connection with the "mechanics" (or rather non-mechanics) of certain kinds of psychic, and spiritual phenomena. In other words, they just happen without any obvious causal factors at all. For example, telepathy in the "other world" would not always need a transmitter wave of psi energy. What is sent is not sent but already exists at the target receiver of the telepathic message.
The "Highest Truth", and "Objectivity"?
One "advanced" understanding of these other planes, realms, or dimensions of Being, or Higher States of Conciousness can be found in Sant Mat as propounded by the Radhasoami Faith notably. It claims among other things that most religions, and mystical sects reach only the lower "worlds" mistaking them to be the highest where true "God-Realization" or "salvation" occurs. Through meditation known as Surat Shabd Yoga the aspirant can "die while living" and gain contact to the "higher worlds" via the "jet propulsion" power of inner Light, and inner Sound. At the same time, the Radiant Form of the living Master acts as the inner Guide.
The point of all this is that the spiritual cosmology as revealed in Sant Mat give not only the claimed five major inner Sounds, but also their inner Lights, or key "symbolic" sights of each of the higher worlds, or planes. Thus, we have in effect an actual basic "roadmap" to "salvation",or "God-Realization" which also takes one ultimately beyond the Wheel of Rebirth, or so it is claimed. In Sufism the inner "ascent" to "higher realities" is sometimes referred to as a Journey in "Symbols."
However, if a mystic practioner is willing to disclose something of his, or her inner experiences for comparative analysis via questionaires, and ad hoc questioning, basic supersensory experiences may emerge concerning how "real," and "objective," they are. This is a big area of research.
To complicate matters, there are those mystics from both East, and West who would argue that unlike Shabd Yoga per se there is no basic set sequence of key inner Lights, and Sounds, or even key "symbolic" sights on the way "up" to the "highest" plane of superconciousness. These may even be regarded as being essentially hallucinations of the Mind. In other words, unlike Surat Shabd Yoga there may be no basic "guideposts" or "roadmap" to "God." However, the most likely Reality is that there maybe something akin to a Pathway to "God", and indeed, a Pathless "Pathway" to "God," or "Ultimate Enlightenment" existing at the same time. Remember that we are dealing probably with a super dynamic Spiritual Cosmos where anything, and everything can be "possible"....
Apart from what has been said these planes, or "other worlds" appear among other things to be polymorphic to varying extents along with their content. In other words, they can instantly change form, or "shape shift" to use the New Age expression. In effect, this means that how, and "when" they are seen is dependent to some extent on a visionaries background. Hence, a "hidden" psychic connection. Ofcourse, there could well be worlds which do not "shape shift" at all, and do not even have any direct psycho-interactivity (eg. the visible physical world).
Some have argued that the "higher inner realities" become more objective, and less subject to polymorphism, and subjective dynamics/projection. Thus, the "lower realms" or sub-planes of the lower planes are said to be very deceptive in an infinite number of ways unlike their higher "counterparts".
It is interesting to highlight the point that some mystics may describe each successive "plane" as becoming less illusionary, and more real than the preceeding ones. However, if the highest "plane" is reached the lower ones could be interpreted as merely illusions, or even as total projections of the Mind without any "objective" substance at all. Thus, for example, the five key "Spiritual Regions" or "planes" known in Sant Mat could be interpreted as just "hallucinations", or "illusions" due to the changes in perception mentioned here.
Moreover, possibly depending on one's psychological make up, and other factors unknown no experience of "movement" to "higher" planes, or higher states of Being, or Superconciousness may be had. In other words, "spatiality" as we would understand it can be transcended as "space-time" is "different" if not "non-existent" in certain inner visionary scenarios.
Subtle Bodies, or Vehicles of Conciousness.
A key feature in occult, or esoteric lore is the concept of subtle bodies (which also appears in the Radhasoami Faith). Here, we need to imagine the possibility of the human being consisting of a set of subtle bodies simultaneously existing in a number of planes of existence but "working" all together to a certain extent as if they were one.
It should also be said here that these "bodies" have special centres, or what in the East are referred to as chakras which can be translated as "wheels" which are to a degree replicated in the higher bodies. These involve the transmissions of psychological energies in the literal sense existing in the subconcious, and unconcious parts of the human psyche. They manifest as inner subtle lights, and sounds, and have direct connections to various planes, and sub-planes.
Anyhow, to return to the subtle bodies per se. The first of them traditionally is the etheric (or "health")body existing in the etheric world. Then there is the so-called astral, or emotional body inhabiting the plane of emotions. Next the mental body which inhabits the mental plane. Then, the the higher mental, or causal body which ofcourse exists in the higher causal, or higher mental plane. Finally, there is the Soul "Body" which is who, or what we really are but is largely controlled by the lower "bodies" corresponding to the "lower" planes.
Meditation, and the Chandian Effect.
Arguably, many forms of meditation are the means by which people can gain greater mastery over the Mind, and lower subtle bodies, or "forces" of the human being. The Soul is said to be a part of God, or the Absolute Reality, and is sometimes referred to as our God-Self or Higher Self which can manifest Itself independently of the Lower Self, and can act as a Spiritual Guide, or manifest ItSelf as the Ishta Dev (or Chosen Ideal such as Buddha, Christ, or some Guru etc) in the inner journey during meditation, or after death. This is sometimes referred to as Atma-Lila, or the Play of Self.
A respected mystic of Shabd Yoga called Faqir Chand claimed that though he was meant to be the physical "omniscient" manifestation of God he was unaware of his disciples experiences concerning their contact notably of his Radiant Form during meditation, or any inner/outer miracles connected with It.In Sant Mat this would have arguably implied that he was an "imperfect" master but he found that others like himself were also seemingly unaware of their disciples inner experiences. He came to conclusion that it was the faith, and belief of the followers which enabled them to have the inner, and outer phenomena connected with him.
Infact,Chand indicated that the inner Radiant Form was actually the manifestation of the disciples Self, or rather Higher Self (ie. ones Personal God beyond the lower subtle bodies) taking on the appearance of their Master (ie. Chand as the Ishta Dev, or Chosen Ideal). The implications of this are remakable because it also implies that a "criminal" teacher, or guru could also do the same thing. Yet, the disciple would still benefit spiritually.
All this seems to indicate that powerful "subjective" dynamics are involved which are to varying degree projected (from a lower, or higher part of ones self, or selves, or indeed, ones Higher Self in the case of the so-called Chandian Effect described)into an "objective" psycho-spiritual universe. This is notably true in spiritualist literature in which the "dead" conciously, or unconciously create their surrounding world to some extent with their "thought-energy." This factor has always to be taken into account into the "objective" investigations into psychic, and spiritual phenomomena using MDOs.
It is important to say that many spiritual Teachers of various traditions, and even some New Age groups have long known about all this, and expressed the above ideas in their own ways.
A Note. The term Chandian Effect was originated by David Christopher Lane, an academic, who is well-known for his work into the history, and practice of the Radhasoami Faith
The Kundalini Dimension.
In Eastern Mysticism Kundalini is claimed to be a psychic energy that exists within the "subtle body". This can bring about superconcious "God-Realization." By its adherents it is said to be the most advanced form of meditation, or Yoga. However, special mental exercises involving chanting, and especially visualization can in rare cases bring about premature psychological problems.
Odd as it may seem, many people may already be awakened to Kundalini activity, but are unaware of its true significance, or even conscious of its activity. It can involve mood swings, and other psychological phenomena. On the more positive scale, it can lead to greater creativity, or even genius. As the old adage goes "genius is akin to madness" as the awakening Kundalini can lead to some degree of "eccentricity" in some people.
Essentially, the human being is at a transitional stage in his, or her life in which there is a great influx of higher "creative" energies. This can lead to a "continous" tug-of-war with an "equal" influx of lower negative energies that can dangerously "unbalance" the personality.
It should also be stated that many people who have the Kundalini Syndrome may claim that any negative aspects of it have been publicly overstated, and often, or not, such inner experiences are positive. Quite commonly, this can be dependent on the right spiritual discipline (ie.some form of Kundalini Yoga, or some other type of meditation).It is then that Kundalini can be awakened gently, and naturally in its own time (without notably using direct visualization methods) via love for ones Teacher irrespective of whether he, or she may be a Hindu, Sufi, Buddhist,or anything else. This should be accompanied with little, or no negative side effects.
Kundalini is a universal phenomena as evidence from various religious, and mystical texts seem to indicate. The negative psychological energies of personality can be transmuted via meditation into something very positive. This can happen via a genuine Master in which one can receive a transmission of higher spiritual energy. This "transmission" can grow with greater, and greater love for a Teacher who acts as a living channel for It.
Esoteric Secrecy.
Inner mystical experiences via meditation are strictly speaking meant to be kept private, or "secret," and the reasons for this can be various. It can happen though that the "narrow" strictures concerned about non-disclosure are not always adhered to by disciples of some inner Paths. Thus, they may write, and/or talk about their internal visionary "ascents."
What follows though is a brief presentation of key reasons for non-disclosure.
i) Inner mystical experiences are not meant for the mind but for the awakening intuition. As such there may be "much" data which cannot be described accurately by the limits of earthly language. This is the foremost reason for non-disclosure.
ii) Divulging "higher" experiences of "other worlds", or planes of conciousness along with meetings with "advanced" spiritual beings may lead to ego inflation.
iii) Revealing "secret" initiation techniques plus inner experiences can be seen as showing disrespect to one's mystical tradition. Indeed, the case of visions they could be stopped if they are disclosed publicly.
iv) Attempting to "describe" the "workings" of "Divine Energies" in the language of this world can be viewed as being a trivialization, or belittlement. They are meant to be experienced, and not talked about as they cannot necessarily be described fully, or accurately.
v) Most mystical spiritual paths are concerned essentially with self-development as opposed to psychic development which could lead to psychic powers. Thus, using knowledge from one's inner experiences is not to be disclosed in such a way as to achieve psi phenomena. Inner mystical experience is normally meant for self-unfoldment usually culminating in "God-Realization," or "Enlightenment".
vi) Revealing inner knowledge to all, and sundry is wrong as it can be regarded as being "mad" by the uninitiated. Thus, esoteric knowledge is essentially for the few who are ready for it.
vii) Though not directly connected with non-disclosure of inner experiences as such it is something which needs to be said. Knowing, and revealing inner meditation practices from books, or from initiation may be "useless" unless one has a genuine Teacher of high repute (ideally) as he, or she has hopefully experienced the meditative Path, and can warn the Seeker of any "dangers" on the Way.
It should be added that in MDS most attempted descriptions of "other worlds" would probably come in the main from the so-called astral world, or astral "sub-planes." This is important to understand. Attempted written records of mystical ascents to even "higher realities" will probably be very limited, and ofcourse, "descriptions" of them would be far more difficult if not nigh impossible.
Entering the "Other World" via Waking Trance in Meditation.
Some hints, and clues are given in "rare" literature which can give some insight into the theory, and practice of some form of meditation. Also, on occasion references to inner experiences can also be found in a scattered, or in a more "condensed" form.
For example,Die to Live by Charan Singh, Shabd Yoga is discussed, and there is
i)Reference to "varied" initial inner experiences (notably "mystical" Lights, and Sounds)as the conciousness is withdrawn to the "Third Eye" during meditation so that it can be temporarily released into the "astral" world in an advanced form of "Soul Travel".
ii) Something akin to "lightning flashes" (or neuron nerves firing?) may be experienced.
iii) With increasing concentration "images" of the "Beyond" become clearer, and "less shaky." This indicates that conciousness acts as a "focus field" for tuning into "energies" of the "Beyond" which can be contacted along with their Sounds,and Lights.
iv) The meditator on the threshold of the "other worlds" may see in turn the "Star,""Sun", and "Moon World," but not necessarily in that sequence. These are "pierced through" via increasing concentration, so that the meditator, or "Soul Traveller" goes beyond them. The Sound of so-called Astral Bells may notably be experienced. Some critics regard this as merely tinnitus though esoteric lore indicates that this is something very different, and very "real".
To some degree, independent corroborations of this advanced form of astral projection, or meditation can be found in obscure texts. For example, Swami Sivananda in his Spiritual Experiences gives some interesting "descriptions" even though he taught Raja Yoga, and not Surat Shabd Yoga.
Incidently, The colour blue is on occasion associated with the "astral plane". This is sometimes mentioned for example in the healing literature of Reiki, and possibly in other like traditions.
The Association for Multi-Dimensional Science.
MDS is not just concerned about mysticism but also with parapsychology, or psychical research as it used to be commonly called. It may be that with the aid of MDOs we would be able possibly to understand, and even improve the potential development of a whole range of alleged psychic powers. Such "pseudo-scientific" subjects are slowly becoming to be taken more seriously through the long march of scientific, and intellectual evolution.
Yet, most forms of mysticism per se see these so-called powers, or siddhis (to use the Sanskrit term) as largely being unimportant, and possibly an obstacle from the direct path of "God-Realization", or "salvation," or "ultimate enlightenment," or "Nirvana." Thus, the onus on all this is arguably the need to focus on credible "scientific" research, and experimentation concerned with human potential technologies (ie. forms of meditation) for self-development, and "self-purification" via contact with claimed psycho-spiritual energies. This could act as the bedrock on the later "limited" use of the "psi powers" garnered via psychic development techniques.
Essentially, for such serious studies there is a need in the future for an Association for Multi-Dimensional Science, or AMS. Ideally, this would be a multi-disciplinary society hopefully in time attracting people with academic backgrounds in physics, biology, psychology, psychiatry, mathematics, and other relevant subjects.
AMS would have the following basic aims which can in time be expanded.
I. It would continue to search out willing MDOs for possible phenomenological studies, and possible experiments. Social networking on the internet for subjects could play a major role in this.
II. AMS would try to build an ever-expanding online global database directory of Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Shinto, Sufi, Kabbalistic, Hermetic, Gnostic, Rosicrucian, and other mystical type societies/traditions. This in itself would require detective work as most of them do not always "advertize" themselves. This would involve i) contacting scholars, and writers ii) contacting interfaith organisations iii) examining charity registers iv)looking through esoteric magazines v) examining existing occult/psychic directories....and so on. "Scientific" organisations could also be included in such searches.
At the same time, an online descriptive global database of a bibliography of relevant popular books, and magazines, scholarly books, and papers, and the like could be built up. Foreign titles could also be included along with blogs that have original material.
III. Apart from the two databases above another one could deal with disclosure reporting of non-physical interactions with the "other world". This would notably include questionaires, and the records of experiences of "other worlds," and "other energies" by various people. It could also act as a support group (like certain other sites online) to help those who have had psychic, and spiritual problems of one kind or another. Essentially, though it would be a highly comprehensive ongoing research site for those interested in claimed psychic, and spiritual phenomena.
Incidently, the best way generally to collect such data is to get phone contact, and record with permission what an experiencer has been experiencing using questionnaire(s), and ad hoc questioning where necessary. Such potential interviewees could be traced on a one to one basis via social media, or some other relevant resource. Simply putting up a general notice wanting experiencers to participate in such a study on the internet, or anywhere else is usually not as effective as direct personal contact. This usually works best.
Also, potential interviewees who belong to some esoteric sect could anonymously attempt to describe their own experiences. Yet, they must be comfortable about this. The reason being is that their sect may have strict rulings concerning confidentiality about the nature of practices involved, and also, the "exact" nature of their inner experiences.
Moreover, it may be possible to get volunteers to help collect such inner experience data. In other words, a citizen created P2P research who could possibly help out with the projected databases in the above paragraphs.
IV. Apart from data collection of inner esoteric experiences there is also a need for continuing research, and development of a general theory, or working hypothesis of the Unseen Universe. This would involve ideas from Theosophy, the Alice Bailey Teachings, Spiritualism, Maharishis Vedic Science, and Technology, Pearson's Survival Physics, Bohm's Implicate Order, and the like. Concepts from "mainstream" science could be included too such as Quantum Mechanics, the Multiverse, the Holographic Model, the Fourth Dimension, Tachyons, the Participatory Universe, et al.
It must also be remembered that Multi-Dimensional Science probably cannot give totally "provable" answers as to what the ultimate nature and purpose of Truth is really all about. It is quite possible that there is no Absolute Truth, and that everything exists as relativism in an infinite universe.
PS Another thing to fully understand, and appreciate is that some psychics, and some mystic disciples may suffer from a degree of "madness", or "psychosis" (eg. an obssession with certain far out conspiracy theories, or they may confuse themselves with sounds, or "people" that seem to be physical, but are not heard, or seen by "normal" individuals in their vicinity). They may have delusions about themselves, and others. This does not necessarily mean that their attempts at describing inner "energies" in the "other worlds" is invalid. Only by collecting testimonies from such people, and their "sane" counterparts can we determine whether "key" patterns emerge, and this could be suggestive of the "objective" nature of their "other-wordly" experiences. The problem of possible "psychosis" may be due to Kundalini activity as already suggested in another section of this presentation.
Basic Glossary
Please note an extended glossary may be included which would have terms, and defintions not found in the main body of the text.
A. Some Key References, and Notes.
1) Bohm, David, Wholeness, and the Implicate Order, Routledge, 2002
2) Karangulla, Shafica, Breakthrough to Creativity-Your Higher Sense Perception.De Vorss, 1970. Among other things, interesting "evidence" is presented from certain psychics to suggest that chakras, and subtle bodies are indeed "objective" phenomena
3) Capra, Fitjof, The Tao of Physics, Shambala 2010. The seminal text which popularised the connection of Quantum Physics with Mysticism.
4) Talbot, Michael, The Holographic Universe,Harper Perennial Books,1992. A brilliantly readable introduction to how holography can relate to Mysticism, and Psychic Phenomena.
5) Powell, Arthur, books by him The Etheric Body, The Astral Body, The Mental Body, and the Causal Body. A fascinating compilation of data from the literature of Theosophy notably the writings of Charles Leadbeater.
6) McTaggart, Lynne, The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe, HarperCollins, 2008
7) Radin, Dean, The Concious Universe; The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena, Harper Collins, 1997
8) Masters, Robert, and Houston, Jean, The Varieties of Psychedelic Experience: The Classic Guide to the Effects of LSD on the Human Psyche,Park Street Press,2000. An important seminal work on the phenomenology of drug induced experience.
9) Blackmore, Susan, Beyond the Body: An Investigation into Out-of-the-Body Experiences,Academy of Chicago Publisers, 2005 An important, and reasonably comprehensive account of "astral projection" by a sceptic.
10) Leadbeater, Charles, Man, Visible, and Invisible, Quest Books, 2000 edition. An intriguing work with the classic coloured plates of the auras of the different subtle bodies existing simultaneously in different planes of conciousness, and making up the "whole" man, or indeed, the "whole" woman.
11) Sanella, Lee, The Kundalini Experience: Psychosis, or Transcendence, Integral Publishing, 1987. A psychiatric study into Kundalini
12) Moen, Bruce, Afterlife Knowledge Guidebook: A Manual for Retrieval and Afterlife Exploration, Hampton Roads Publishing, 2005
13) Krishna, Gopi, Kundalini:The Evolutionary Energy in Man, Shambala, 1997
14) Goel, B.S., Third Eye, and Kundalini(An Experiential Account of the Journey from Dust to Divinity), Third Eye Publication, New Delhi, 1986.A rare, and unusual lengthy text of one mans experience of Kundalini activity. However, some of the images used are a bit crude.
15) Muktananda, Swami, Play of Conciousness: A Spiritual Autobiography, Siddha Yoga Publication, 2000 An extraordinary "detailed" account of inner experiences...
16) Singh, Sawan, Discourse on Sant Mat, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, 1997. This contains references from mystic poets of Sant Mat, and Surat Shabd Yoga which can be seen as being suggestive that the so-called "Spiritual Regions" may be "objective" realities to a certain extent.
17) Puri, Lekh Raj, Mysticism: The Spiritual Path, Vol II, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, nd. Important work that gives some insight into "higher planes" of conciousness accessed by Surat Shabd Yoga. Puri also produced another book called The Radha Swami Teachings, which also gave similiar insight.
18) James, William, The Varieties of Religious Experience, A Study in Human Nature.Longmans, Green, and Co, 1902.
19) Peake, Anthony, Is There Life After Death? Chartwell Book, 2006.
20) Stephens, Arran, Moth & the Flame,Adventures with Spiritual Adepts of our Times, Here, the focus is on Sant Kirpal Singh Ji who wrote a coded diary of his inner experiences (intended for the attention of his Master,Sawan Singh Ji)about his inner ascents into "higher" worlds by means of mystical Sound, and Light. Most remarkably, he claimed that there was a "secret" set pattern of visionary phenomena of what is to be experienced before entering the "highest" Spiritual Region of "God-Realization." In other words, something akin to an "objective" reality which other initiates had to experience.
http://www.arranstephens.com/Arran/Moth_%26_the_Flame.html
21) Grof, Stanislav, Beyond Death, The Gates of Conciousness (Art & Imagination) Thames, and Hudson, 1980.
22) Crookall, Robert, The Supreme Adventure, Analyses of Psychic Communications, James Clark, and Co, 1975
23) Parmahansa, Yogeshwaranand,Science of Soul : Atma-Vijnana (A Practical Exposition of ancient method of visualisation of Soul)Science of Soul : Atma-Vijnana (A Practical Exposition of ancient method of visualisation of Soul) Yoga Niketan Publication, 1997
Some Relevant Videos
Thought Forms: A Record of Clairvoyant Investigation
Thought-Forms: Animated Audiobook--- Part 1--- Besant, Leadbeater
B. A Few Examples of a Questionaire(s).
In MDS the evolution of more, and more detailed questionaires could be seen as a continous process along with ad hoc questioning. To gain any idea of the kinds of questions required would ofcourse require an "initial" reporting from MDOs of their inner experiences. The following is just a brief example of examples so to speak of the kinds of questions which could be asked from memory, or better still in real-time.
i) The Chakras.
Do these have specific Sounds?
Do the colours change?
Do you see thoughts travelling in, and out of them?
Do the Chakras have specific patterns, or images......................? (ie. etcetera)
ii) The Aura.
Does the Aura emanate as rays from the subtle body?
If not how can they best be described?
For example, do they manifest as blobs of moving coloured lights?
Do the coloured rays, or "lights" have Sounds?
Is it possible to describe, or even transcribe these Sounds....................?
iii) Inner Sounds.
Do you hear inner Sounds during concentration, and vision of inner worlds?
Do they become clearer with greater concentration?
Do these Sounds create "music" of somekind?
Can you hear them from physical, and non-physical "objects".....................?
iv) Inner Lights.
Do you sometimes see different kinds of "disembodied" lights in psychic "space?"
Do these lights communicate, or create music of some "description?"
Do they change shapes?
Do they react to thoughts coming from you? (ie. psycho-interactive)
Do the lights move rapidly, and in what ways (eg. zigzaging).....................?
C What follows is a brief on the hoof basic questioning of the visionary, David Harrington, and his inner experiences. Ofcourse, alot more could have been garnered if a more structured, and far more comprehensive approach had been initiated...
RS.I assume you had experience with inner Sounds
DH.Oh yes Voices, Visions, etc
RS.Do you normally hear a specific Sound like Bells, or thunder or drums? Does the colour blue often feature in your experiences?
DH.Lots of thunder and voices, water
RS.Very interesting
DH.Blue? A little but not overly so.
RS.Interesting...what about the colour red?
DH.About the same....Lots of rainbows in my visions.
RS.Do you see things during normal waking conciousness rather than via trance, and astral travel Or is the former a rare phenomenon
DH.Normal waking conciousness..usually with very little warning.
RS.I see. It happens suddenly
DH.I have been transported to spiritual realms you might say.
RS.And do the phenomena suddenly go as well rather than fade away..have you come across Surat Shabd Yoga?
DH.Yes suddenly, usually my ears will plug up and I am compelled by a strong urge to seclude myself somewhere quiet where I can receive the vision(s) without interruptions.
RS.Very interesting... And Shabd Yoga...heard of it? It teaches advanced soul travel, and uses the Sound as a means of mystic transport
DH.I've heard of it but not familiar with it though. Sounds very interesting indeed.
RS.But do you use Sound to transport upwards, or do you have a whirlwind type off experience Do you merge into the Sound, and does it pull you up or not? In other words, spiritual levitation.
DH.Hmm....it has a couple of times I would say.
RS. Interesting... And you have met beings, and have had a telepathic rapport with them
DH.I have ascended to higher realms and then back down to earth again several times in my visions.
RS.Do the beings change forms at all...maybe I should read the book!!
DH.Yes you should read the book for sure. Yes there are creatures that change forms to adapt to their surroundings.
RS.Do any appear alien like as understood in UFO "mythology".
DH.No mostly animal forms or humans who take on animal forms..........................
Some Interesting Links.
http://www.spr.ac.uk/main/ This Society for Psychial Research was the first "credible" organisation to seriously investigate psi phenomena in a serious scientific fashion. Founded in 1882.
http://www.spr.ac.uk/main/links This an important source of links for more scientifically orientated societies concerned with psychic phenomena (eg. The Rhine Research Center).
Please note that the following tend to be less credible, and less "scientific" However, they are still important especially in the potential development of Multi-Dimensional Science.
http://www.monroeinstitute.org/ Founded by Robert Monroe, a respected populariser of out-of-body experiences.
http://www.astralinfo.org/about-the-author/
http://www.journeyoftruth.co.uk/testimonials.html
http://www.multidimensionalman.com/Multidimensional-Man/Astral_Travel_and_life_after_death.html
http://www.astraldynamics.com/
http://www.kurtleland.com/my-books/multidimensional-human/89-the-multidimensional-human-outline
http://www.grahamnicholls.com/out-of-body-experience-coaching/
http://www.spiritualresearchfoundation.org/ This link has some interesting attempts to depict psychic interactions. However, some of its pics of "spirits" look comical, and unprofessionally drawn. Furthermore, some of its notions about the world appear at times questionable, and "unscientific".
http://www.issseem.org/index.cfm
http://www.esotericscience.org/ This has some interesting writings, and is promoting a book.
http://www.alisterhardysociety.org/
http://www.ehe.org/display/splash.html
http://www.scpr.org/programs/patt-morrison/2011/09/29/20837/jackgallantucberkeleyShinjiNishimotobrainimaging/ The link presents a short intro into brain imagery research undertaken by Gallant, et al as mentioned in the main body of the text to MDS. Also, this other link may be of interest http://gallantlab.org/brainviewer/cukuretal2013/
Two Important Blogs
http://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/neurocosmology_26.html
http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/subtle-perceptions.html
D. Pictures of "Psychic Energies".
The following are from basic image searches on the internet
Depictions of "Auras". http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q=aura&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35466521&biw=1280&bih=771&wrapid=tlif135150329084810&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=mk2OUOjmOYvM0AWYq4DoAQ
Depictions of "Subtle Body." http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&cp=11&gs_id=w&xhr=t&q=subtle+body&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bpcl=35466521&biw=1280&bih=771&wrapid=tljp1351503699870020&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=NU-OUKmBC_Pa0QWQyoGQCw
Depictions of "Chakras." https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=chakras&hl=en-GB&gbv=2&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=MV9BU_blPMaxhAeBhoHYAg&ved=0CAUQ_AU
Depictions of "Planes of Existence." https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=planes+of+existence+buddhism&hl=en-GB&gbv=2&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=_A9EU-CdMKjG7AaD7IDgAg&ved=0CAUQ_AU
Depictions of Psychedelic-like "Worlds." Sometimes reports from the "other world" suggest that the colours of various beings, and objects can be more "stunning," and "more real" than anything known in the physical universe. In other words, "psychedelic-like". https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=psychedelic+art&hl=en-GB&gbv=2&tbm=isch&oq=psychedelic+art&gs_l=img.12...0.0.0.2844.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0....0...1ac..34.img..0.0.0.gbUOqAcVfMI
Buddhist Thangka Art Such art is meant to represent "higher states," or "worlds" of conciousness. Ofcourse, they can possibly link with "other worlds". https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=tangpa+buddhist+tibetan&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=pxxpUqypGfGY1AWxwICwDg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1280&bih=933#q=buddhist%20thangpa%20art&tbm=isch
Kirlian Photography. By using electricity, and using a special Kirlian "camera" (or something similiar) it is possible to artifically create what appear to be "auras", and other kinds of colourful "psychic energies". However, these are probably not "real" energies as seen by certain types of psychics. Yet, the examples of Kirlian Photography presented here are arguably a good "representation" of what they could look like without artist representations of them seen on other links of this section on Multi-Dimensional Science https://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&noj=1&biw=1280&bih=770&q=kirlian%20photography&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=iPWQUc7aGsqu0QW4u4HoAw
Surrealism The "lower" psychic "realms" are said to be similar in nature to Surrealism in art https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=surrealism&safe=strict&biw=1600&bih=752&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=Z_2cVYDYK_Hd7QbI8IK4Bw&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
What Dreams May Come The images are from a film, and they often depict scenery in the "afterlife" as being "extra colourful" like psychedelic experiences. https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=what+dreams+may+come&safe=strict&biw=1600&bih=752&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=APicVYPwKYG9UvKPgbAL&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAg#imgrc=_
Patterns Inner experiences may involve in part seeing a variety of patterns that maybe describable, semi-describable, or indeed, indescribable "altogether". https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=patterns&biw=1280&bih=930&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=MbefVdK6OIWjU4rcjrgL&ved=0CC0Q7Ak
Geometry "Other Worlds" may have a variety of geometrical shapes in "certain places". Again, they maybe describable to some extent, or indeed, "indescrible". https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=geometry&hl=en-GB&biw=1280&bih=930&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=zbifVff5IcvkUty1g7AL&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ
Esoteric Geometry https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=esoteric+geometry&safe=strict&biw=1680&bih=897&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&sqi=2&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIypia1OeRxwIVro_bCh2BDQe6
Leadbeater, Man Visible, and Invisible https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=leadbeater+man++visible+and+invisible&biw=1280&bih=930&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAWoVChMIkM3et9z2xwIVyZceCh1teguw
Spiritual Science Research Foundation
The following is from pinterest as opposed to google image search
https://www.pinterest.com/ssrf/
Hypnagogic
"Hallucinations" experienced by some people as they slowly enter the sleeping state
Thought Forms The following pics are from an important text by the title of Thoughts Forms by Annie Besant, and Charles Leadbeater https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=thought+forms&biw=1280&bih=930&tbm=isch&source=lnms&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjIxuvO3PLNAhXIIMAKHXOvDAIQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=thought+forms+leadbeater+besant
Some Depictions of "Energy" from Barbara Brennan Brennan is a well-known healer and has given some quite deep insight into the "aura", "psychic energies", and the like https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=2xwyW6XIHKiRgAaLzbWoDQ&q=barbara+brennan+energy+aura+light&oq=barbara+brennan+energy+aura+light&gs_l=img.12...18018.23637.0.25869.18.13.0.5.5.0.127.839.9j3.12.0....0...1c.1.64.img..1.7.432...0j0i30k1j0i8i30k1j0i24k1.0.VAIuiu-iFys
Maps of Conciousness https://www.google.com/search?q=maps+of+consciousness&rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB837GB837&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjpz_Pi2MfgAhW1D2MBHeU_Bw0Q_AUIDigB&biw=1280&bih=913
Etheric Body and its "Layers" https://www.google.com/search?rlz=1C1GCEA_enGB837GB837&biw=1280&bih=913&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=iehrXKTwLreT1fAPps-3kAg&q=etheric+body+layers&oq=etheric+body&gs_l=img.1.1.0l5j0i24l5.5617.11506..13386...0.0..0.63.1509.32......0....1..gws-wiz-img.....0..0i67j0i10.jKTafCRenYM
E.Some Interesting Articles
The following link on so-called hyperreality may well have relevance to the above link, and to other aspects of the MDS project.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperreality
An interesting article on Kundalini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kundalini_Syndrome
The following link suggests that kundalini is largely safe if it is arounsed naturally. It is also a brief critique of the above kundalini link which appears to "overemphasise" the negative.
http://www.raviana.com/faq_125.html
The following link has links so to speak to certain key diagrams of planes of existence in the Radhasoami/Sant Mat Tradition.
http://santmat.livingcosmos.org/
The following maybe of interest, and was originally taken from the Kheper website, and put on Esoteric Other Worlds blog http://esotericotherworlds.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/how-real-and-objective-are-chakras.html
The original Kheper essay on MDS which appeared back in 2005.
http://kheper.net/essays/Multi-Dimensional_Science.html
F."Relevant" Articles.
All articles in this section are by Robert Searle.
I. The Two Inner Awakenings; A Personal Account.
Meeting Dr Sharma In London 1990.
Back in summer 1990, I met up with Dr Sharma also referred to as Manav Dayal a teacher of "Shabd Yoga" in the Faqir Chand tradition. I came across him via a contact, who claimed that it might be best to meet him at Heathrow Airport which was not far from where I lived at the time (ie Slough). This I did, and went to the correct arrival point for passengers. I had a sign with his name on it. The only pic I had of him was as a younger man, and it was not a particularly good reproduction. Anyway, I waited awhile as the passengers left the plane, and then I saw an Asian go towards a portly elderly man from the crowd of onlookers. He put a garland around the new arrival to Britain. This I knew to be a traditional gesture of respect to someone of importance, and I rightly guessed that it was Dr. Sharma being honoured. The Asian devotee though seemed taken aback by this as he could not understand how I could have known the identity of his guru....
Anyway, I talked briefly to Dr. Sharma, and for whatever reasons he mentioned something about psychic odours. Personally, I found this an odd subject compared with the high brow thinking of "Shabd Yoga", and Sant Mat. Indeed, I have to confess that I found Sharma to be somehow eccentric in manner.
After that, I drove down to Hammersmith, London to a certain address to meet him again for an interview I was doing for the magazine Yoga and Healing. Dr. Sharma was staying with some devotees, and I hardly got any questions out as he seemed to be intent in giving a long rambling intellectual discourse on Hindu mysticism. This was recorded ofcourse but unfortunately the tape was later lost. Anyway, he referred to Sant Mat as Sat Mat, or the Path of Truth, and regarded Beas Satsang as ".....being like an empire." He may well have got these two points from his own master Faqir Chand, and simply repeated them to me. He also gave the old traditional interpretation of the word Radha, and reversed it by repeating it as "Dhara, Dhara, Dhara,"......meaning spiritual current! At some point during the interview (or should I say discourse from Dr Sharma!) I thought I heard him say the following......"I do not know who is saying this. Some current is flowing through me.." or words to that effect. Again, I must stress the word "thought" of him saying this as I do not fully recall whether this actually appeared on the tape, or not! Maybe a trick of the mind........After all this, I had an informal chat with him. At one point, he left the room, and thereupon re-appeared, and said "I am your Satguru!" Later, we had a wonderful vegetarian lunch.
When I left to return to Slough in my car I had an extraordinary experience. I became aware of a power flowing through me. It was controlling me in the most NATURAL, and SPONTANEOUS manner. There was no fear of any sort involved. It was as if something truly wonderful had been re-discovered from ages past. This energy was incredibly subtle in a way that is difficult to describe. It was a super-tactile experience. No sounds, or lights, or anything similiar was had. It was a PROCESS of AWAKENING from the dream-like creation of the physical universe. Though I used the word "natural" just now in capitals it was somehow more than "natural". This experience went on for a long while. The following day after my encounter with Dr. Sharma I rang him about it. He commented to his surprise "......that it was happening already " (spontaneous initiation). However, I felt that this subtle energy seemed to be trying to "control" me too much, and I managed to break away from it. I would have loved the intensity of that experience to have continued but the problem was that I did not really take Dr. Sharma very seriously, and did not regard him as my real Satguru. Yet, as Jashan Vaswani once informed me that "THE REAL SATGURU IS WITHIN YOU" Oddly enough, this was what Faqir Chand claimed...that the physical master only acts as a catalyst for psycho-spiritual experiences. This was something I did not appreciate at the time.
Sadly, Dr. Sharma passed on several years ago, but the teachings continue through various lines of "masters".
Postscript. I should also said that at the interview Dr Sharma claimed that the Sound Om could be heard not just in the lower realm but also in the higher ones. A Sant Mat purist might well interpret this as indicative that his "version" of "Shabd Yoga"s did not lead beyond the planes of Kal, and Maya. Morever, it is not seen as the highest spiritual meditation, but seen as being one of many.
Meeting Sant Harjit Singh in Southall.
In January 2007 I made contact with Sant Harjit Singh. He is one of the recognized successors of Faqir Chand. Before actually visiting him in Southall I viewed his website, and on occasions listened to his mantric "music", or rather extracts of it to be more precise. It definitely carried a highly subtle energy, and helped to create a devotional "atmosphere" in me (ie. a heightening of conciousness).
What occured was a PROCESS largely identical to that experienced after visiting Dr. Sharma back in 1990. This could be suggestive that both teachers reached the same "highest", or "ultimate" level of superconciousness usually indicative of "God-Realization" though ofcourse there are an infinity of different "planes". The key features of the PROCESS OF AWAKENING are as follows.
i) An awareness that ones own inner lower self was being slowly transmuted into something else in the most NATURAL, and SPONTANEOUS manner. In other words, I was "dying" to gradually be reborn into a higher state of being......
ii) An awareness of being surrounded by the unseen energies of higher conciousness especially in the evening, and indeed, the morning.
iii) An awareness at times of being "possessed" in the most NATURAL, and SPONTANEOUS fashion by these extremely subtle "forces" without any sense of fear at all. Yet, there was something akin to awe by the growing onset of these experiences, and at times an overwhelming sense of gratitude. This was ones feeble response to the awakening process.
iv) An ability to spontaneously control, and dissolve any improper thoughts entering the mind.
v) A greater ability as never before to actually calm the mind without any mental chatter. In other words, I often became one-pointed with the repetition of the Five Holy Names in a wonderfully NATURAL way. I suspect the unseen energies were stilling my mind oftentimes to perform "real" meditation.
The above is all GRACE without which any kind of spiritual practice is virtually impossible. Infact, I am coming to the conclusion that a true Master of any degree should be able to successfully transmit such experienes irrespective of the evolution of the disciple. However, I suspect that it depends on ones sincerity for it to happen rather upon the amount of purity an individual soul may, or may not have.
Anyway, I met Sant Harjit Singh at his Southall home. Just before that, and earlier on at home in Slough I was acutely aware of energies of higher conciousness. When I arrived at Harjits home positive vibrations were virtually palpable, and inspiring. As I entered the front room I shook hands with him. He was dressed in orange, and wore a homemade turban if I recall correctly.
I explained I had some experiences before meeting him. I claimed that the higher conciousness which was trying to "posses" me in the most SUBTLE, NATURAL, AND SPONTANEOUS fashion was influencing my behaviour for the good. Submission to it was proving beneficial.
I mentioned being suddenly awoken in the bed when I felt a transmission of energy shoot right though me. This caused my body to jerk. Harjit claimed that this was something due to the (spiritual) heart though I did not fully understand what he meant by this.. I mentioned my contact with a certain Sound though this may well have been a trick of the mind.
Though I asked only a few questions, Harjit two, or three times asked "Can I go now?" as he was wanting to do some meditation upstairs. Admitedly, he did have some doubt about the genuiness of my experiences (though I did not fully describe them).
He also seemed to regard Dr. Sharma, the chief successor of Faqir Chand a little questionable too. This was evident in the way he spoke. Like many devotees of the latter Master the former was not liked particularly. However, Sharma did visit Harjit Singh on a certain occasion.
One thing that did clearly tanspire in the meeting was this. Harjit Singh clearly revealed that there was no set sequence of key planes as indicated in the Radhaswami literature. Indeed, such things were merely mental projections....nothing more.
Harjit Singh understandably wanted his exact address secret. The reason was that he wanted to make sure that whoever visited him was "genuine" in their desire for spiritual progress rather than someone who was merely interested in intellectual "games".
PS. Sometime before I met Harjit, and had the above experience a woman unknown to me used to say to me in the high street in Slough that "You will be reborn." At one point, I followed her into the mall, and asked for an explanation. It turned out that she was a Peruvian, and a spiritist. She believed to in reincarnation, and even suggested that I might have been her husband in one of her previous lives. What her strange statement of "You will be reborn" was probably a kind of prediction in which I would be reborn in the spiritual sense via my encounter with Harjit Singh.
Significantly, a link to my awakening process appeared on a yahoo forum. This was the forum connected with Harjit Singh which seemed to validate the genuiness of my experience. Morever, Mushin Schilling on his blog seemed to regard it as such, as it was probably like those of his group which had "awakenings".
II. Psycho-Electronic Connection Testing (PECT)
Ref Esoteric Other Worlds Blog, 2013
What is suggested here may seem strange. But if one understands the basic reasoning behind it then all should appear clear, and "obvious"..
...One important way to "prove" that there are such things as subtle energies from some form of psycho-spiritual universe is to actually experience them. This can happen via meditation (or indeed, via a "healing" session) in which degrees of a highly subtle bliss may be experienced, and visions even may be had. However, one way way to facilitate any "connection" may be through being in the prescence of some esoteric Teacher of any tradition. He, or she may give out "positive vibes". Depending on ones degree of sensitivity these can be picked up, and may even include visual phenomena such as seeing an aura, or coloured rays, et cetera. Such experiences with a Teacher may lead to some degree of "mystical" awakening. How long this awakening continues probably depends on the amount of purity, and genuine desire to seek self-unfoldment. This process is a spontaneous initiation. A Teacher may be willing to disclose some form of meditation which helps to enhance the awakening into something more permanent, and more purifying. Yet, some awakenings may involve an official initiation in which subtle energies may then be experienced. In India, just looking at the Guru to receive such inner experiences, or "Grace" is known as Mouna Upadesa, or Silent Initiation.
I, the originator of PECT had two awakenings from Dr, Sharma, and Sant Harjit Singh who belonged to the same lineage of the originating Master, Faqir Chand. The descriptions which I gave, and published in Thoughts, and Visions blog were almost identiical to one another but difficult ofcourse to describe completely. This seemed to be suggestive that both Gurus emanated from the "same" spiritual level of superconciouness.
Apart from this, for many years I associated myself with a sect known as Radha Soami Satsang Beas. This involved attending various spiritual meetings along with their rareified "atmosphere" or "energies" which probably increased my sensitivity to essentially positive "vibrations". What was later discovered when I had contact with Sant Harjit Singh in 2007 is that I became even more aware of waves of highly subtle energy.....notably via a landline telephone which seemed to be "less" effective than a mobile phone which ofcourse has no "wire" connections..
Anyway, a respected devotee of Harjit Singh, James Chagula also had a like experience, and probably others likewise.. It was as if the electronic transmission of the telephonic communication was not only transmitting physical energy but also uplifting psycho-spiritual energies at the sametime. This in turn lead to a raising of conciousness to a "high". However, the afteraffects of this awareness may last for sometime after communication with the Guru on the phone. It also appears too that just looking at a photo of some live, or dead Master may also stimulate "higher conciousness". It is suspected though that the voice transmited via electronic means is perhaps the most potent means to bring about "connection" But it must be said that what is experienced is probably in most cases a low grade form of higher energy.
Another bizarre thing happened when I started to realize that I could actually feel different grades of this subtle energy from various voice (and visual) recordings of Gurus,and other advanced Teachers on the internet. It seemed immaterial whether they were living, or dead. Their recorded words still carried energies which could transcend time, and space. Virtually no visual "phenomena" were involved.
A fascinating aspect to this which needs to be fully tested is to see if certain Adepts came from the same plane of superconciousness. Thus, one line of Teachers from one tradition teaching the same meditation practice should have the "same" energy as his, or her predecessor. If so, this could be suggestive of them being from the same plane of higher concioussness. Such a notion has already been mooted at in connection with Dr Sharma, and Sant Harjit Singh.. but is worth repeating. It indicates a degree of objective dynamics at work.
Creating PECT as a Structured System.
It should become obvious that such Psycho-Electronic Connection Testing, or PECT could be a structured system in which people could make deliberate attempts to contact energies via spiritual Teachers of one sort, or another. Such an approach may inspire those who are really keen for spiritual development to have their progress quickened possibly. Yet, as indicated this will be only temporary in most cases but at least it would be a step in the right direction.
The internet could play a major part in the development of PECT in which a series of Teachers, and/or advanced disciples could be filmed in real-time, or otherwise. People staring at them on their computer screens may receive experiences. This in the main may be super tactile as opposed to visual. Attempted discriptions of the resulting PECT experiences could be recorded, and compared at a "centralised" point of researchers in the network of internet users.
No doubt other ideas could be developed in the structuring of PECT. But the present should suffice....
.......On the internet somewhere (if it still exists) there was an image of guru, or yogi who claimed to cure illnesses just by looking at his picture.Whether anyone had any success at this at all is another matter, and could result in a placebo effect!
One is also reminded here that someone went to a healer, and later discovered through meeting him, or her that the "gift" of healing had been "transmited" to them. Incidently, feeling healing energies, or being "healed" is usually an easy, and quick way of experiencing "subtle energies". Unlike PECT though, none of this involved physical electrical energy as a "carrier" of psycho-spiritual energy save for the case of the guru, or yogi mentioned in the above.
Some "Relevant" Links.
The links below originated notably from my blog entitled Thoughts, and Visions. Here again, they do not deal with the use of electronic energy to facililtate human connection, but the matters discussed here may still be of relevance, and interest. Electrical energy, and its relationship with "psychic" energy is still esentially terra incognito from a more scientific point of view. http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2010/08/meeting-dr-sharma-in-london-1990.html http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/08/more-light-on-two-inner-awakenings.html http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/anyone-can-feel-energies.html
The following is a copy of a section from the following link. http://thoughtsandvisions-searle88.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/religare-gurinder-and-beas-satsang-part.html
"...Depending on ones sensitivity when I have attended Satsang at Southall there is an intense concentration of the subtle energies of higher conciousness. This awareness I believe has been increased after my experiences with Sant Harjit Singh. What is significant is that this "sea" of higher energies does NOT come from the Satsangis alone. In other words, it may well have a divine source, or sources. I recall feeling this Power descending from the ceiling of the Satsang Hall in a most gentle, and spontaneous manner. Sometimes ofcourse one can see a white glow in some of the Satsangis themselves which is extremely subtle.
When I leave the Southall Satsang this higher energy of conciousness can be experienced in the wonderful park nearby. I also recall Sant Harjit Singhs energy not only in his house but also outside...and beyond ofcourse. This is a matter of personal experience, and I cannot prove it unfortunately...
Ofcourse, critics would say that the above is experienced in places like football matches, and pop music festivals...when the atmosphere becomes electric!! However, what I experienced (along with many others) is something far more than this. It is A POWER unlike anything of this world..."
The following link is of great interest in regards to PECT, and comes from a google discussion group, and it is clear that a devotee of Harjit Singh received "energies" via a telephonic conversation....to quote in brief ... ".......as I (James Chagula ) listened to the Saint's voice; a very tangible, warm, Love-energy began to seep directly from the telephone handset into my earlobe. The shakti (energy) then permeated my body and began to flood my mind................
Full text
https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/alt.meditation.shabda/UlWFECaGFyU
III. A Spontaneous "Initiatory" Transmission....
Ref Esoteric Other Worlds, 2013
The blogger of this site has had a connection with the Teachings of Faqir Chand, and with one of his authorized successors, Sant Harjit Singh. The following is a brief account of one of the possible outcomes of being associated with an advanced mystical Path.
Sometime ago, I had real-time contact called "John" on the internet who seemed to be "fascinated" in a positve manner with myself. Anyway, he was trying to find someone, or some organisation which could rid him of certain re-occuring negative psychic experiences. I suggested that if he followed Sant Harjit Singh his problem might disappear. Indeed, just talking with the latter on the phone could lead to an awareness of protective spiritual energies. I suggested to John that these "energies" could have a healing effect, and possibly help "cure" him of his negative psychic experiences.
Around this point of the internet "conversation" I became pleasantly aware of changing into a higher state of conciousness. Simultaneously, I was aware of an "energy" along my head, and shoulders. It was as if it was creating this higher state of conciousness so that it could transmit some form of indescribable "energy". This was a highly subtle, and spontaneous experience. It was totally unexpected. The energy transmitted itself from the upper right side of my physical body. Just before this experience happened I tried to resist it but this resistence totally "dissolved" itself in my mind in the most unimaginably loving, and subtle way. It totally overcame my resistence into a state af total unconditional acceptance. Thus,I felt that there was nothing wrong at all with this spontaneous "initiatory" transmission...
I explained to John what had happened via our internet contact, and he seemed impressed. But it is not clear whether he experienced anything at the other end...possibly not, but the experience was real to me. However, I told him in no uncertain terms that if he thought I was somekind of bona fide spiritual guru he was sorely mistaken. I had no official authority to initiate anyone, and instead, he should contact Sant Harjit Singh, a real Master to perhaps get a genuine initiation (which is a spontaneous energy phenomenon).
It is interesting to point somethng out. In the Teachings of Faqir Chand it is revealed that the Guru is regarded as the physical manifestation of God. However, Chand claimed that he was not all-knowing. Thus, he was unaware of the experiences of his disciples in connection with him. He believed it was their belief, and faith in him that created inner, and outer "miracles." Thus, the "Faqir Chand" experienced by the disciples in meditation notably was infact a manifestation of their Higher Self. This also implies that even imperfect "gurus" could have the same effect on disciples, and yet, turn them possibly to their own worldly advantage. Indeed, they could even give something akin to a spontaneous initiatory transmission.......irrespective of whether they were aware of it, or not..
Important (PS)
A certain person who who undertook a form of meditation claimed that he saw a tv programme on Swami Muktananda a long time ago. At the time, he experienced Shaktipat (ie a spontaneous "initiatory" transmission) from the televisual image of this controversial guru. He had a few days of bliss, and then claimed that Muktananda "possessed" him for awhile. He felt as if he were this guru. However, this "possession" later ended.
In my case, when I was with Dr Sharma, another guru, I had the "initiatory" experience, but ultimately pulled away from his subtle energy transmission as It seemed to become more of a projection of his lower ego trying to "control" me. I did not experience this with Sant Harjit Singh.
IV. Some Light on Instant "Spiritual" Experiences.
The following is extracted from Esoteric Secrecy originally published online on the Kheper site
There are some mystical societies which claim that they can give instant "spiritual" experiences. Though such phenomena can be very encouraging for the disciple it does not mean that he, or she is any more special than anyone else in terms of spiritual growth. This is the key point to grasp. Depending on where one goes anyone can infact have an instant "spiritual" experience. I, the author for example once attended a Sahaja Yoga meeting in which the now controversial guru Mataji Nirmala Devi was presiding. She claims that the kundalini can be activated by following her instructions, and that it is not experienced as heat, but rather as coldness, and/or wind. In one of her meditational "exercises" I suddenly became aware of a "vortex", or whirlpool of "wind" from the top of my head. Other people claimed to have had the same thing, and it is interesting to point out that psychic depictions of this energy exist. At the time of the first initiation certain kriya yoga Teachers can make one aware of the kundalini going up, and down the spine. This instant spiritual experience can only continue if one is prepared to regularly undertake certain meditation practices which ofcourse are meant to be "secret". . for the disciple only. However, some spiritual teachers believe that such inner phenomena are really just tricks. This may well be true in some cases but surely not all. Sometimes due to past karmas, or actions (if we believe in reincarnation) one may across a specific mystical path, and may have an instant spiritual experience at the time of initiation, or even long before (eg. having a vision of seeing ones Master before physically meeting him or her). Back in 1990 when I had finished interviewing Dr. Sharma (a "Satguru" of Shabd Yoga, and a successor of Faqir Chand) I became aware of being surrounded by highly subtle invisible energies of higher conciousness. The whole process of being possessed by them was so natural, and so spontaneous. Postscript: I was once initiated "by mistake" into a Sufi sect headed by Sheikh Nazeem from Cyprus. At the Mosque I was suddenly surrounded by the "brothers" in their special robes, and hats. I was trapped I could not run away, and even if I did I felt it would be very rude of me. So, I just played along. Unfortunately, no instant spiritual experiences were involved.
V. Free Will, Reincarnation, and Karma
Ref Esoteric Other Worlds Blog, 2013
Introduction
The following essay is concerned with free will, and reincarnation. The idea of the former has been a thorn in the side of Western Philosophy for centuries. What we propose here is that free will probably does not exist. Yet, there may be a very limited form of it. With potential future advances in the emerging paradigm of Multi-Dimensional Science it may become possible to find out to what extent free will does, or does not exist. The same goes for reincarnation.
The Mind
In Eastern Philosophies notably, the individual Mind has sometimes been regarded as being a problem in the way of inner spiritual progress. It is seen often, or not as being like a machine, or a computer. Unfortunately, the Soul, or a lower manifestation of Its energies have been "entangled" with It. Thus, it can be seen that the Mind is essentially in control of the Soul. To gain an idea of how powerful it is, meditation, or attempting to meditate can often be impossible to begin with. The Mind behaves like a monkey continually active with any number of "unnecessary" inner thoughts. A set of phrases are usually required to help still the mental activity. But even then the task can be difficult, if not impossible for some.
Four Key Reasons Against The Existence Of "Free Will"
They are as follows:-
i) Most scientists, and philosophers tend to think that our Minds are largely, if not wholly deterministic in complex ways.
ii) Quite a number of Mystics such as Kabir, and Guru Nanak believed that free will is an "illusion."
iii) The Subconscious, and the Unconscious Mind in Western Psychology clearly suggests that we probably have no "real" free will.
iv) A claim made in neuroscience appears to indicate that our decision-making has its initial origins first in the Subconcious, and Unconcious Mind before it becomes a concious desire leading possibly to an action.
The Spiritual Will = Free Will?
It could be argued that the Spiritual Will is genuine free will because it is said to be unconditioned by anything. It is pure instantaneous Knowledge. It can be intuitive in which It can present knowledge inwardly without recourse to reasoning. On the other hand, the Mind can be conditioned positively, and negatively by the outer world, and by other factors.
Reincarnation.
The concept that we have lived many, many lives before is very ancient. Reincarnation, along with the Law of Karma (implying Action) is arguably the only explanation for the injustices of the world. Such "injustices" are due in the main to bad actions of a past life, or lives of an individual. Generally speaking, we have no memories of our previous birth, or births in the physical world. This is said to be a good thing as it might overwhelm us.
There is evidence to suggest that Christianity originally had reincarnation as a part of it teachings. But this was regarded as anathema by people in power who probably had little, or no real spiritual vision.
The mystical dimension of Islam is known as Sufism. Some of its sects also indicate that reincarnation exists.
Similiarly, Judaism may have had some belief in the doctrine of rebirth. This is indicated at times in the interpretation of the Kabbalah, or the Tree of Life.
Ofcourse, reincarnation plays a prominent part in Hinduism, and Buddhism. However, ideas may vary as to how reincarnation, and karma "work".
There is some serious scientific evidence suggestive of reincarnation. Here, we point to the often quoted work of Professor Ian Stevenson. This involved a huge number of cases of notably children who claimed to remember a past life, and often, or not, their obscure details of their previous family, and friends were proven correct. Furthermore, birthmarks appeared on certain persons which were "due" to certain types of death (eg. gunshot wounds) in a "previous life."
The Law of Karmic Justice
There are many examples of the possible "workings" of Karma. Here, are some such instances, but it must stressed that the brief examples here may be offensive.
i) A man is born blind, or develops blindness in early life. In a previous life he had blinded someone deliberately (ie Role-Reversal).
ii) A man is defrauded of the monies of his business by an accountant. In a previous life, he is the perpetrator of a like crime, and now becomes the victim in the present incarnation.
iii) Some children during a War in the Middle East are murdered by irresponsible soldiers. In a previous birth, or births, the children possibly in separate incidents did the same thing as adults.
Incidently, Spiritualists claim that children may grow up in the "Spirit World," and hence, complete their cycle of life.
iv) A child is abducted, and murdered by a perpetrator. In a previous life, the child is an adult, and committed the same offence as the perpetrator.
v) A woman in life A aborts a child she does not want. In life B she gives birth (or re-birth) to a child she wants but shortly dies afterwards.
Again, Spiritualists have claimed that sometimes a young soul "decides" after birth not to continue in the tiny physical form, and hence, leaves it for another.
Many other examples could be conjured up. Unlike the above, there could be "non-specific," or "blanket" causes(notably natural disasters) in which accumulated types of past karmas are paid off via varying degrees of suffering. However, some degree of remission may occur. This, too, may be dependent on "good" past karmas.
It is said a Guru, or some other non-Indian Teacher has the power to give remission, but the pralabdh, or fate karma has to be generally gone through. An example of this is the shortening of the duration period of a fated illness. To what extent this can occur, probably depends on the spiritual status of the Teacher.
Diseases, and disabilities of one sort, or another may also reflect the paying of certain kinds of actions of a past birth, or birth. The aim of all this (including the above) is not purely retributive, but meant to help achieve positive psychological changes within a person, and act as a goad towards greater spiritual evolution. Indeed, it has been claimed that people in the post mortem state may actually "choose" certain ailments, and/disabilities irrespective of whether they karmically deserve it, or not in the interest of spiritual "evolution".
So-called hypnotic regressions can throw some light on how karmas works. The psychic readings of Edgar Cayce is possibly a good instance of this, and the authoress Gina Cerminara wrote a number of eye opening books in connection with him, and his work. The Seth Material is also another interesting example of greater light on the matter.
As can be seen the subject of reincarnation, and karma is a huge, and indeed, complex subject. As such it is well beyond the scope of this essay.
A NOTE. The following section may require greater elucidation /RS
Creation
Many mystical traditions indicate that the purpose of our life is to re-discover who, and what we really are....the Higher Self, or the God Within which is meant to be our real Spiritual Being. The seemingly "endless" rounds of reincarnation aim to achieve this via the accumulation of more, and more good actions which takes us towards that Power. In other words, the increased positive conditioning of the individual Mind, and individual Will. In turn, this makes It more responsive, and agreeable to the Higher Power notably via some form of meditation.
At the "start" of creation since God, or the Higher Power could not separate Itself from Itself, parts of It could not help wanting to experience ItSelves in the lower worlds for the first time. Unfortunately, with further, and further reincarnations (into various living forms) It became more, and more under the sway of the Mind. As a result, It came to know more, and more of what suffering is, and what degrees of happiness are for the first time.
From the highest planes everything that has happened, or will happen in the lower planes already exists in a "timeless" Eternal Now....
...However, there may be a kind of progressive Spiritual Relativity. For example, if we enter plane A we may, or may not experience at some point the "past," and "future" of that plane. Then, we may enter plane B which is more subtle, more real, and more fantastic than plane A. Again, we may be able to see the "past", and "future" of this plane in a state of superconciousness. In other words, there could be an advanced non-physical form of what might be called "space-time" or Spiritual Relativity as mentioned.
Meditation
The aim of many forms of meditation is to connect in some way with the "Higher Self". The ultimate aim ideally is to achieve liberation from reincarnation, and attain the highest planes/levels of superconcious bliss where the desires for anything of this, and the next world are totally extinguished. This liberation is the ultimate purpose of human life. Through endless rebirths the Soul is largely imprisoned by the individual conditioned Mind, and through various objects, and people of this physical world It has been trying to find Real Happiness. Yet, to no avail as everything is temporary. Deep down It actually wants to return to the "highest" Regions to true, and lasting Bliss. Via the accumulation of good actions, or karmas, and Grace (unearned spiritual help) one may get help from the Higher Power via a living Guru, or by some other means (eg. an inner "Master").
In the following we list some basic aspects of the meditational experience. It does not pretend to be totally comprehensive, but it may be of some interest.
a) The Emergence of the "Higher Self."
With the correct practice of meditation one may experience a gradual emergence of a Higher Conciousness which can become part of ones Lower Self, and the individual Mind. Yet, It should have a growing control over ones thoughts, and can still them in an inner "sea" of internal Bliss.
b) Effort, inspires Subtle Inner Grace, Subtle Grace inspires Greater Effort
The likely reality is that we cannot by a sheer effort of our conditioned Mind, and our individually conditioned Will be able to transform ourselves into a better human being (unless there has been some positive conditioning in former lives). This requires the gradual subtle emergence of a Higher Power. It acts as Grace to inspire greater effort in meditation.
The idea of "I" doing spiritual practice is probably illusionary as it is only this Inner Power which inspires the Mind to carry on. Thus, if a guru says he, or she has been meditating for many years this in a sense is a huge lie, and deception. It is the Higher Power, or the "Higher Self" attempting to control the individual Mind, more, and more. Most, if not all the credit should go to this Power.
c) The Flow of Devotional Energy.
Ideally, the disciple, especially if he, or she has an outer living Master should carry out his, or her actions selflessly as if He, or indeed, She were physically present. This is very powerful, but one needs to be fully committed for any success to occur. One may experience at times the flow of intense ecstasy, and become aware of some of the impurities being "washed away" naturally, and spontaneously.
Some Serious "Ethical" Problems
If the individual conditioned Mind appears to largely control the Soul then this is an unnatural situation. Meditation can help bring about the reverse situation as already indicated. However, the success on this may depend on what ones spiritual connection is, be it a living outer Teacher, or even an inner One. Moreover, the progress "upward" into higher planes represent higher energies of the Spirit. The highest realms represent the more purer, and more subtler ones, and if one is connected with a Teacher (or indeed, the Higher Self probably) from that level, the degree of purification, and control of the Mind would be far better. Unfortunately, there is no "objective" way of ascertaining this situation.
The idea of the Mind as being largely conditioned raises powerful ethical considerations.
i) How can one be made liable to the punishments (or indeed rewards) of certain actions in this life? Evidence suggests that the "Soul" judges the Mind Itself via the life review in near death experience, and ofcourse after death itself. This is an absurdity in one sense, and arguably a form psychic entrapment as the Mind of the Soul feels guilt, and feels the need to make amends. In other words, the former has been "tricked" in the interests of "spiritual evolution".
ii) How can it be right if a person "can be made" to do wrong actions so that the victim receives his, or her "just desserts" from another life? In effect, it implies that the perpetrator is in a sense acting out a Play in which he, or she has to act "unwittingly" as an agent for the Law of Karma metering out "punishment(s)"? And if what someone did was right to ensure "punishment" for the victim it implies that the whole world of karmic credits, and debits is a highly "exact." If this were not so there would be no "real justice?" In other words, a set-up.
Yet, it may be perfectly possible that there are "injustices" which are not karmically caused by a previous life, or lives. Yet, they may have somekind of effect which helps to "cleanse" the individual psychically, and "spiritually".
iii) All this indicates something very important. Maybe we are meant to realize via experience that karma is a form of "sham" justice? In one sense, it appears right, but there is also another way of looking at it.
iv) If the Soul has been tricked by the conditioned Mind to suffer more,and more...why should It partake in reincarnation? After all the former is meant to be a part of God, or some Higher Power?
v) If it is largely, or wholly the Higher Power which can ultimately take us to the higher worlds, and not really our individual efforts then the whole thing can be seen as an elaborate "farce".
vi) Morever, if God, or the Higher Power is qualitively the same as the Soul then potentially It is the manifestation of the Supreme. But since the "beginning" of creation parts of ItSelf have trapped ItSelf in Its own creation in the process of experience. Again, if God ultimately equals Soul then at a simple whim It should be able to return to the highest planes were reincarnation does not exist irrespective of any bad actions, or karmas.
Yet, it is claimed that if one tried to do this in the post mortem state it would take alot longer as life is far easier. Thus, reincarnation into the physical world is "necessary" as life is a lot more difficult, and spiritual progress is much quicker.
A Form of Spiritual Compensation?
What we are suggesting now may seem fantastic. The creation of the visible, and invisible creation may be a "mistake" in part. At the "start" of creation,the Soul(s)(or "God") experienced the "need" to experience the degrees of difference between good, and evil in order to achieve an understanding of Itself, and Its Real relationship with Its own Creation. The seemingly only way to do this is to let the projected part of the Soul to be more, and more enslaved by the individual Mind (Lower energy). This could also be seen as an "educative deception," or a grave injustice (or "mistake" mentioned earlier). As ongoing "compensation" for this the Soul before, and after Its "death" may get greater Grace. If the Soul were totally responsible for Its karmas, or actions in the physical world this would not be the case, and It would suffer alot more.
Furthermore, the seeming "fact" that we,(our Selves, or Souls) have to go through "countless" rebirths probably suggests that our spiritual evolution is largely the outcome of "trial, and error." It may also indicate that we have little, or no free will, or else we could have arguably achieved spiritual liberation from reincarnation, and the lower worlds a longtime ago....simply by force of reason.
There are many aspects of this metaphysical subject which are beyond the scope of this essay. Anyway, it should be food for thought
VI. A Certain Ethical Problem in Esotericism
The following essay(2006)comes the Kheper website, and is similiar to the last metaphysical "discourse," .
This short "thought-piece" challenges the esoteric orthodoxy of many traditions. It centres on the concept, and likely reality of reincarnation, and the so-called law of karma, or "perfect justice". It is accepted without question especially in the Buddhist, and Hindu traditions.
Reincarnation is also the "only" real explanation for the so-called injustices of life itself. Yet, it is believed rightly, or wrongly that there is a fundamental "flaw" in it which undermines the need for the "continous necessity" of re-birth, and indeed, the law of karma itself. This can no longer be ignored, and needs to be openly discussed as never before. Here, we will just touch upon the key areas.....
1. Free Will, or Conditioned Free Will?
It is not our intention here to review the notion of free will in Western Philosophy. Most people though would agree that our thoughts, words,and actions are largely conditioned by our past. Pure unconditioned free will is largely, if not wholly "non-existent". As such the rewards, and punishments we receive in this life due to the present, or past actions of another former birth are in the main due to our mental conditioning.
2. Virtual Non-Awareness of Subconcious, and Unconcious Forces Moulding the Concious Mind.
The central ethical problem is this. Since we are largely unaware of what makes us decide the way we do then it becomes clear that "we" are not totally responsible for our actions. In various esoteric traditions it can be said that our (mechanical) mind is in control of the soul (both can be seen as independent "entities" which interact with one another). The injustice of this is that we are really unaware of this predicament, and how it so greatly influences us to do right, or wrong. How many times have we heard people say that "I did not mean to do it", or "I cannot help the way I am"?
Western, and eastern psychologies recognize this in their own ways. If we were fully aware of how, and why we do certain things, and were in true concious control then the law of karma would be rightly applicable. The opposite situation appears to be true, and makes a mockery of the resulting "justice". The question is why? There are esoteric answers but they do not seem to fully justify this situation as we shall shortly see.
Furthermore, with the possible future emergence of Multi-Dimensional Science we may well be able to find how much of our minds are conditioned from actions in this, and previous lifetimes. This could be undertaken via controlled experiments.
3. Four Basic Pro, and Con Arguments, and the Possible Interactions of the Higher Self.
Many psychic communications from the "lower planes" usually claim that "free will" exists. Man is seen as the concious architect of his destiny. However, when we come to great mystics such as the Sufi, and Christian ones (eg. Rumi, and Boehme) it would appear that "free will" is nothing but an illusion as perceived from the "higher planes" of Being. Everything is seen in this world, and the next as the outworkings of the Divine.
Anyway, let us see the key arguments for, and against what has so far been discussed.
1a) In order to achieve spiritual evolution (ie. learning via experience to try, and hopefully bring about higher virtues, and greater purification in ourselves from one life to another) people have no choice but to have a mind through which the soul has to somehow function. Reincarnation notably into the limited physical universe is the only way to do this.
2a) The above claim assumes wrongly that an almighty, and super intelligent God, or the Universal Power cannot come up with something far better, and much fairer to achieve spiritual unfoldment, and ultimately union with the Divine after seemingly endless incarnations. In other words, we do not have full justification for the present "universal" predicament.
1b) The amount of suffering via life after life is nothing compared with the infinite bliss, and final union with the Divine.Thus, whether the process is"unfair" in any way is largely immaterial.
2b) Again, this does not address the central ethical problem of human beings making, and paying off good, and bad actions which are largely the outcome of conditioned free will. This is naturally confounded by the seeming fact that we are unaware of the subconcious, and unconcious influences of our minds!
3a) It has been claimed that what we are discussing here is simply beyond the mind, and the reasons for it can only be understood intuitively.
3b) Many people would regard this "argument" as a cop out when perhaps we have not really thought, and/or researched hard enough. Yet, to be fair it would also be right to say that we cannot explain everything in esotericism by the mind as there are always worlds, and forms of knowledge which are totally ineffable.
4a) In certain hypnotic regressions into past lives, and especially what happens between lives it has been claimed that souls are usually given a plan for the next incarnation. Indeed, they may well agree to receive specific negative experiences (meant to be remedial rather than retributive) that may help them to "grow" more spiritually. These are usually the result of "their" past actions. More incredibly, certain "advanced" souls may "volunteer" to experience bad things for the ultimate aim of speeding up their progress towards total perfection (the ultimate goal of spiritual evolution via experience after "endless" rounds of rebirth. and probable union with the "Divine").
4b) From the general mystical perspective, lives on earth,and other planets are meant to be a means of learning via experience for the pressing need to develop greater, and greater spiritual qualities. This ofcourse can be an uneven path, and may result in a certain amount of spiritual "devolution".
An added dimension to this is the Higher Self which is our Pure Being working to a certain extent via the lower subtle bodies including the mind (ie. the mental body). It is the "God Within", and at the same time is part of the Infinite Power. It is who, or what we really are. Reincarnation is the way in which we re-discover our Selves. Since It can manifest ItSelf as our Chosen Ideal (eg. Christ, Krishna et al), and act as an inner guide before, or after death. It emanates from realms well beyond our limited understanding of time, and space.
In the light of what has been said the Higher Self may during the intermediate stage between births, and deaths may make the lower self, and lower mind accept certain future negative experiences to encourage spiritual growth. This whole process is laid bare in a state of superconciousness when one can see ones previous lives instantaneously, and objectively. It is then that we understand "everything". But is this really a full moral justification? Is it right that when one is incarnate that one is largely unaware of this arrangement if we had agreed to it conciously in the intermediate stage? Again, let us repeat ourselves is there not a better way of doing things? The answer we think is yea!
If what we have been discussing are part justifications rather than full ones it could perhaps even be argued that to a large degree reincarnation, and the so-called law of karma are "null,and void." In the physical world we could perhaps get legal recompense for such an "injustice!" In the spiritual one we have a different ball game. The person, or rather Being to be blamed ofcourse would be our own Higher Self which ofcourse to the limited vision, and understanding of our human mind is absurd! All the same, if our initial claim is indeed correct it should be possible to change things on the "other side" (or via controlled OOBEs, or meditation) with the help possibly of like-minded beings. It could be powerful bargaining counter for the lower mind, and self to achieve liberation from the wheel of births, and death (plus possible other matters) since the very ethical basis of this whole process of "evolution" is seriously in doubt.
4.Beyond the Mind, Beyond All Reason?
In a most bizarre fashion all that has been said for, and against this major ethical issue in esoterism is all correct. If we assume that the infinite psycho-spiritual universe consists of non-absolute truths then this would be possible, and "acceptable!" In other words, Esoteric Relativism.
On the other hand, the endless unseen realities would have absolute truths. Such Esoteric Universalism seems to be more "rational", and acceptable. Yet, it could be said that if the unseen (and indeed, the visible) universe is infinite then everything, and anything is, and can be possible. In effect, it goes beyond all reason which would be seen as the "ultimate(!)" limited illusion.
There are certain arguments which could be used in support for Esoteric Relativism,and they could include the following;-
i) Who created God? This is the classic question notably found in Western Philosophy. One answer is ofcourse is that He created Himself..... and we as the Higher Self are a part of It,and potentially It! This whole notion ofcourse defies reason...
ii) The universe in its "totality(!)" is probably infinite. This too defies reason because how can anything be limitless, and beyond our ability to imagine, and completely quantify in any "scientific" manner?
iii) In the "scientific" many worlds theory it is perfectly possible that parallel universes exist with an infinite number of alternate histories. Ofcourse, if correct this has some rather interesting implications for mysticism, and especially our claimed "unfairness" of the reincarnation process in connection with the mind, and conditoned free will.
No doubt we could present some more "evidence" that Esoteric Relativism could be the Absolute Reality so to speak. Whether it is, or not is largely unprovable by normal means, and will probably remain an Eternal Mystery. Yet, the claimed "unfairness" of reincarnation just mentioned would be fully, or partly justified in an infinite number of ways, and indeed, in an infinite number of worlds. This point was already expressed differently right at the start of this section of the present essay.
Indeed,there would probably be realities where reincarnation as a means of spiritual evolution would not exist. Again, such realities would inhabit countless numbers of different universes, and have their own kinds of "justifications." In the end the Truth cannot really be limited by finite reality but is boundless, and creative in any infinite number of ways both conceivable, and inconceivable to our limited mind, and vision.
What we have been reading here is very important. It can also be expanded by further debate, and research in the future. It is something which is well worth exploring.
VII The Anatomy of Thoughts
Ref Thoughts, and Visions Blog, 2011
The following is an extract from another article which may be of interest, and relevance.
.......I began to develop a questionaire about thought structure, and contents of the human mind. Unfortunately, I do not have a copy of it. But I can give some idea of the questions presented....
1. Do your thoughts appear visual most of the time?
2. If you close your eyes, and see an image what is the appearance of its surrounds. Is it fuzzy? Is it grainy? Is it firelike? etc
3. Does the surround of your image change, or not? If so, what shape manifests itself?
4. Do you feel thoughts as images enter different points of the human body? Do your thoughts of love for example enter the heart area? Do mainly intellectual thoughts enter the top the head....et cetera.
5. Do you sense thoughts sometimes enter your head as if they were "disembodied" energies? (Here, the notion is like question 4) For example, people sometimes say that a thought just struck them, or it just came into their mind out of the blue...and so on.
The above are just some examples of the thoughts questionaire.
A member of the Slough Writers Group called Miss Portsmouth actually undertook answering the questions. She found it very interesting, and incidently, she was studying psychology! She gave some intriguing answers but unfortunately I do not have a record of it.
In occult circles "thoughts are things". I recall once doing a telepathic experiment with a friend. The latters thought with the actual word sent was seen by my minds eye as it flashed into my head.
I recall too when I was in a watch repair workshop which was close to East Berks College in Windsor, that I was gaining a strong mental rapport with a friend, Steven Stroud. All of a sudden I was aware for a few seconds of a coloured "field" of energy connecting me with him in a kind of telepathic link.
PS Sir Francis Galton was apparently the first known person to actually create something like the thoughts questionaire mentioned above.
VIII. Brief Introduction to Key Indian Esoteric Societies
From the Kheper site
The following is a brief listing of 17 Indian esoteric societies. They represent the key ones which Westerners have come across, and have become influential to varying degrees. There are of course many other ones which are largely, or wholly unknown. Most of them do not have any formal organization at all, and as such we will probably hear nothing about them, or their "background".
This though for a truth-seeker is largely unimportant because the informal "societies" ( if such they can be called) largely teach types of meditation that are already known to the key ones in the 17 given below.
1. The Ramakrishna Mission.
Regarded as arguably being the first Indian society, or movement to seriously introduce mainstream yogic meditation practices, and Vedanta to the West. This occured through the pioneering work of Swami Vivekananda who succeeded Ramakrishna as the chief guru. He tried to present it as being like a "science" rather than purely as a faith in which the unseen spiritual universe could be proved directly to oneself along with the superconcious realization of "God".
2. The Divine Life Society.
This was started by the highly influential Swami Sivananda who wrote many authorative works on various types of yogic meditation. His chief successor was the noted Swami Chidananda who was a highly respected mystic of great influence. Ma Yogashakti, and Vishnu Devananda are a few notable teachers who drew their inspiration from the life and work of Swami Sivananda.
http://www.sivanandaonline.org/public_html/
3. Ramana Maharshi.
He taught a form of yogic (jnana, or knowledge) meditation in which one could find ones Inner God, or "Higher Self" through a form of "self"-discrimination. His ideas became known in the West, notably through the writings of Arthur Osborne. As with the other societies mentioned here there are a number of recognized, and unrecognized successors.
http://www.kheper.net/topics/gurus/Ramana_index.html
4. Sri Aurobindo Society.
Sri Aurobindo was a highly educated, and brilliant spiritual teacher who developed Integral Yoga via his published writings.It claims that one can become a channel for the Divine which can be experienced in the physical world, and at the same time help to spiritually transform it. His partner Mira Richard helped his movement to flourish, and was known respectively as the Mother. Auroville in Pondicherry, India is a large evolving "New Age" township of people concerned with putting Integral Yoga into action.
Among many other subjects, Sri Aurobindo himself also wrote some interesting ideas concerned with dream interpretation. He was also originally a political activist who wanted Self-Rule for India but his interest later turned to higher matters especially after some visionary experiences.
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Aurobindo/index.htm
5. Siddha Yoga Dham.
This society was inspired by the controversial Swami Muktananda whose practices notably involve chanting mantras, or words of power as a way of awakening the psycho-spiritual energy known as kundalini. He also wrote a remarkable book in which he gave a highly detailed description of his inner experiences. It is called Play of Conciousness, and it has been claimed to initiate "awakenings" in people who are new to Siddha Yoga Dham.
6. Sahaja Yoga.
This was founded by Mataji Nirmala Devi who is able to awaken the kundalini directly in people either "en masse," or on a one to one basis. She claims that this is experienced as a "psychic" wind rather than as "heat". The latter phenomenon it is claimed only happens to those gurus, and students who "misuse" the Kundalini which appears at first sight to contradict centuries of tradition, and understanding on the subject!
http://www.kheper.net/topics/gurus/Mataji.htm
7. Ananda Marg.
This society was founded by the controversial Anandamurti who believed that the world could be seriously transformed with the aid of kundalini which could create something akin to a "super-race" existing in proposed "anti-capitalist" type communities. It has also has involved itself in politics, and has notably been "persecuted" by the Indian government.
8. The Brahma Kumaris, or BKs.
This large organization teaches "RajaYoga" meditation but is not the same as Patanjalis system, and claims to get messages en direct from Shiv Baba, or "God". Like some Christian sects it believes that its followers will be reborn into a Golden Age on earth after the world as we know it has been largely destroyed.
The BKs, or "Raj Yogis" have tried to do much good in the world, and have helped to raise the social status of women in India.
9. Shiva Yoga.
This form of meditation was notably expounded by Kumarswamiji, and has had some influence in the West. It involves meditating on the lingam (in this instance an egg-shaped object, and symbol of Lord Shiva) which along with repetition of a mantra can arouse the kundalini into activity, and lead to "Enlightenement", or "God-Realization."
10. Transcendental Meditation/TM.
This was introduced to the world by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi notably with help from the Beatles. Essentially via a "mantra" ones thoughts can be ultimately traced back to their origin which is seen as the Ground of Being of Everything in Existence (ie. the "Absolute Reality," or "God"). This ofcourse is Transcendental Meditation, or TM the physical, and mental benefits of which have been studied scientifically. It along with its worldwide organization has drawn much public attention especially its "yogic flying" which is said to release positive collective spiritual energy to influence the world for the good (eg. reducing crime....).
11. International Society for Krishna Conciousness/ ISKCON.
Very well-known Indian society which claims that repeating the Holy Name of Krishna can link directly to the Supreme Personality of the Godhead. Unlike most Indian societies it does not believe that its recognized teaching "gurus" are the physical manifestations of God.
Sri Prabhupada in his seventies left India virtually penniless to start up ISKCON in America, and helped many of the youth to adopt a high ethical life free of drugs, and alcohol. He also wrote many interesting, but "simplistic" books on Krishna, and the ancient Vedic scriptures.
12. 3HO Yogi Bhajan.
It involves a wide variety of meditational, and physical exercises to awaken the kundalini into activity. The 3 HOs mean Healthy,Happy, and Holy Organization. Yogi Bhajan its original teacher was among other things responsible in helping to popularize genuine interest in Sikhism, and like ISKCON (and other "movements") helped to reform many young people.
13. Shivabalayogi.
After many years of austerity Shivabalayogi introduced to the world his dhyana, vibuhti, bhajan, bhava samadhi, or respectively his meditation, holy ash (said to have healing powers), spiritual songs, and divine trance. The last item can be facilitated by "energy" emitted from one of the successors of this tradition. During spiritual songs some, or indeed, many people can enter into a trance, and temporarily leave the body in a state of higher conciousness, and see their Ishta Dev, or Chosen Ideal (eg. Christ, Shiva, etc), and become "possessed" ecstatically by It).
14. The Self-Realization Fellowship.
This society was originated by the "ageless", and "mythical" Mahavatar Babaji. The specific line of Masters in the Self-Realization Fellowship included the illustrious Sri Yukteswar whose chief successor was Paramahansa Yogananda. They taught Kriya Yoga which involves the awakening of kundalini via a series of initiations, or "grades" of development using a variety of meditation techniques... which tend to vary from one "sect" to another teaching the "same system" with the same name!
Yogananda took this teaching to the world to much acclaim, and authored the classic book on the subject "The Autobiography of a Yogi"
15. Osho Shree Rajneesh.
Controversial Osho Shree Rajneesh was a very prolific author of books especially concerned with mysticism.Essentially,he belived that "anything goes" including sex. By indulging in it we could ultimately go beyond it, and attain "Enlightenment". In other words, a form of Tantra Yoga.Moreover, his ideas, and his meditational practices notably included "Western pop psychology" in which via certain forms of pent-up emotions (eg crying, wild laughing, etc) could be released in a structured manner (eg in Dynamic Meditation) so that they could no longer ultimately become a problem in life.
16. The Meher Baba Association.
Meher Baba regarded himself as the "Highest of the High, the first Perfect Master, or Avatar". He went through several phases of his "Universal Work", and became well-known in India, and abroad. From July 10th 1925 he maintained silence, and communicated via an alphabet board, and special hand gestures.
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Meher_Baba/index.htm
17. The Radhasoami Faith / Sant Mat, or the Teachings of the Saints. This believes that one can "die before death" in a meditation referred to as surat Shabd Yoga. It claims to have a "complete" understanding of the Spiritual Regions, and claims rightly, or wrongly to go beyond the reach of all other forms of eastern, and western meditation practices. This inner journey involves guidance from the Radiant Form of a Master, and utilizes the inner mystical Sound, and indeed, the inner Light as a means of visionary "ascension," or Mystic Transport.
The best known "movement" to spread Surat Shabd Yoga especially in the West is the Radha Soami Satsang Beas notably via the classic book The Path of the Masters (1939) by Dr. Julian Johnson. Ofcourse, other groups exist each with their own teacher, or Satguru, or Perfect Master.
http://www.kheper.net/topics/Sant_Mat/index.html
There are a number of other gurus/socieites which have been excluded for one reason or another. They include Guru Maharaj, Sathya Sai Baba, Jashan Vaswani, Amritanandamayi, Swami Ramdas, Gururaj Ananda Yogi, Shri Chinmoy, Brahmarishi Kumar Swami, et al..........
IX. Auras and Mark Smith
The following extracts come from a fascinating book entitled Auras; See Them In Only 60 Seconds. It was written by Mark Smith, and he reveals on odd occasion the "objective" nature of the Auras. In other words, they are not purely projections of the imagination, but are something more. Such evidence came about in Smith's Workshops for his students. However, a far more "scientific" approach (ie.Multi-Dimensional Science)is needed to gather such data on Auras, and other related phenomena.
Auras in a Box
Ref Thoughts and Vision Blog (edited)
"..................the shape of the aura is related to certain professions as well. Unusual, for all but engineers, is the square, or box halo.
One of the most dramatic examples of a box halo was witnessed by an entire class, as I had them write down what they saw without any prior commentary on my part. This person had a perfectly square aura, which extended laterally out the left side of the head and was dark blue in colour. As the classs began to see it murmurs and exclamations could be heard throughout the room. I shushed them and told them to draw or write about what they saw.
Fully three-quarters of the nearly sixty people in the room had drawn the box coming out the left side of the head and written that the colour was blue or violet. There was no surprise when the subject said he was the head of an architectural firm in Washington. He certainly had geometric shapes firmly in mind that night!"
P 50
".......The triangle, or dunce cap, is far less rare but also somewhat unusual. This was seen numerous times in class and usually seems to be either golden or violet/purple in colour. No pattern of lifetstyle or professional association is apparent, although some subjects report higher than normal awareness of spiritual matters, or psychic phenomena.
I have been told by some of my students that I appear on occasion to have a triangular light above my head, or sometimes rays of light pointing up in a wedge shape or inverted triangle. The triangle shape is most often in my auric field when I'm rested and unstressed, frequently right after an extended prayer or meditation period. Colours seem more vibrant at the time as well, tending toward bright yellow or gold in the etheric(inner) aura and purple in the astral (secondary) field.
Standing in front of the class, breathing deeply and thinking loving thoughts, I can feel the warmth spreading throughout my body, with a tingling sensation shooting up my spine, energizing my hands and head. As this rush of energy develops, some members of the class will start to remark about shapes or rays of golden or silver light seen extending far above and around my body. When the feelings start to subside, often someone will remark at that moment how the "light has been turned off", and the the aura changes shape or colour and reverts "back to normal". Whatever that is." P 51-52
X. Islamic Explorations of Consciousness
Theories of Occult Radiation
One of the greatest Arab occult scholars was Ya'kub ibn Sabbah al Kindi who died in 873 A.D. and is simply known as Alkindi. He translated the works of Aristotle and other Greeks into Arabic, and wrote books about philosophy, politics, mathematics, medicine, music, astronomy and astrology. He developed his own very detailed philosophy based on the concept of the radiation of forces or rays from everything in the world. Fire, color and sound were common examples of this radiation. Alkindi was quite careful to distinguish between radiation that could be observed through the science of physics -- due to the action of objects upon one another by contact -- and radiation of a more hidden interaction, over a distance, which sages perceive inwardly. Radiant interactions were for him the basis of astrology. Human imagination, was capable of forming concepts and then emitting rays that were able to affect exterior objects. Alkindi claimed that frequent experiments have proven the potency of words when uttered in exact accordance with the imagination and intention. Favorable astrological conditions were capable of heightening these "magical" effects. Furthermore, the rays emitted by the human mind and voice became the more efficacious for moving matter if the speaker had his mind fixed upon the names of god or some powerful angel. Such an appeal to higher powers was not necessary however when the person was attuned to the harmony of nature (or in Chinese terms, the Tao). Alkindi also advocated the use of magical charms and words:
The sages have proved by frequent experiments that figures and characters inscribed by the hand of man on various materials with intention and due solemnity of place and time and other circumstances have the effect of motion upon external objects. He further recognized that humanity's psychic vision is heightened when the soul dismisses the senses and employs the formative or imaginative virtues of the mind. This happens naturally in sleep. Unfortunately, the details of the experimental techniques of Alkindi and his associates have not been handed down. Nevertheless he does deserve credit as an important pioneer. One of the most sophisticated critics of psychic phenomena, a contemporary of Alkindi, was Costa ben Luca of Baalbek who wrote an important work on magic called The Epistle concerning Incantations, Adjurations and Suspensions from the Neck. In this document he strongly asserts that the state of one's consciousness will have an effect on their body. If a one believes a magical ritual or incantation will help, one will at least benefit by his or her own confidence. Similarly, if a person is afraid magic is being used against him, he may fret himself into illness. Ben Luca did not accept the notion of the occult virtues of stars or demons but did admit that strange phenomena were possible and would one day be understood. He listed a number of ancient magical techniques and maintained these were useful in treating people who felt they were enchanted. Although both Alkindi and ben Luca lived in Arab countries and wrote in Arabic, neither of them were Moslems. Like Judaism and Christianity, Islam was essentially an historical religion with primary emphasis on the law. Yet within Islam the perennial philosophy was maintained by the Sufi mystics who were often persecuted.
References . Lynn Thorndike, op. cit., Vol. I. p. 643. . Ibid.
Ref Roots of Consciousness by Geoffrey Mishlove http://www.williamjames.com/Intro/CONTENTS.htm
XI.The Esoteric Philosophy of Henry Corbin
(this material is from Wikipedia link Wikipedia, and was notably reproduced on the Kheper site http://www.kheper.net/
Though an exhaustive list would be difficult to produce, there are several main themes which together form the core of the spirituality that Corbin defends. The Imagination plays a crucial role in the human and divine orders. It is the primary means by which we engage with Creation and provides the link “without which the worlds are put out of joint.” Prayer is the supreme form of the creative imagination, and as such is the ultimate exercise of human freedom. Opposing the imagination is rigid literalism in its myriad forms. Corbin presents a vehement triple critique of idolatry, dogma and the institutionalization of religion, coupled with a radical assessment of the doctrine of the Incarnation. He considered himself a Protestant Christian but he abandoned a Christocentric view of history. The grand sweep of his theology of the Holy Spirit embraces Judaism, Christianity and Islam as manifestations of a single coherent story of the ongoing relationship between the individual and God. He pleaded for recognition of the over-arching unity of the religions of Abraham. He was a passionate defender of the central role of the individual as the finite image of the Unique Divine. It is the bond between the human soul and the face of the Heavenly Twin, the Angel Holy Spirit, who appears uniquely to each of us, which is the ethical bond par excellence. This mystical spirituality depends upon the capacity of the human soul to travel a path towards the Angel, and towards perfection. The status of Person is not simply bestowed upon us at birth – it is a goal to be achieved. The true journey of our lives is measured on a vertical scale. Our progress on this path is gauged by our capacity for love and, linked to this, our ability to perceive beauty. His mysticism is no world-denying asceticism but regards all of Creation as a theophany of the divine. Beauty is the supreme theophany, and human love for a being of beauty is not a hindrance to our union with the Divine, but a threshold to Divine Passion. This vision has much in common with what has become known as Creation Spirituality, and the figure of the Angel Holy Spirit is similar to what is sometimes called the Cosmic Christ. Some who desire a future for the prophetic tradition which transcends mutual suspicion, hatred and violence postulate one in which Corbin’s work can play an important role.
An example of Corbin's lucid articulation of metaphysical concepts, which is not unrelated to his own spiritual hermeneutics, is finely demonstrated in his Creative Imagination in the Sufism of Ibn ‘Arabi. Despite the fact that much of the information- both historical and doctrinal- presented in this book has been corrected and updated in more recent Ibn Arabi scholarship- particularly the works of William Chittick, Michel Chodkiewicz, Claude Addas, James Morris, and Gerald Elmore- Corbin's elucidations of such concepts as the metaphysics of the heart and the function of imagination are phenomenal. In a chapter entitled "Theophanic Imagination and Creativity of the Heart", Corbin makes a sharp distinction between two functions of imagination. On the one hand, it deals specifically with "theogony", that is, the Divinization of the Cosmos through the Divine Names. Corbin distinguishes theogony from creatio ex nihilo, which understands the cosmogonic process as beginning in one point in time, and which insists on maintaining some type of a ‘distance’ between the Principle and Its creation. Corbin uses the phase "theogony of the cosmos" to refers specifically to cosmology, but that type of cosmology which takes place within the Primordial Cloud (the linguistic place where words become articulated or ‘existentiated’), in which the Principle and Its manifestation are not separate from one another, except from the standpoint of the manifestations’ multiple levels of being as descents from their Principle. Since reason can only understand creatio ex nihilo, imagination is required in order to understand the cosmos as theophany. The other function of imagination which Corbin identifies is its purely spiritual/psychological role as “an imaginative potency in man”.
The purely psychological functions of the imagination also play a ‘creative’ role in that the imaginal faculty allows for certain modes of ‘creation’ to come about. How this takes places is related to the fundamental distinction between the two types of imagination (to be distinguished from the two functions of imagination mentioned above) articulated by Ibn Arabi: "conjoined imagination" (al-khayal al-muttasil) and dissociable or, as Corbin suggests, autonomous imagination (al-khayal al-munfasil). The former denotes the existence of an imagination connected to the imagining subject, whereas the latter denotes an imagination which is entirely separate from the subject, subsisting in its own right in the World of Images or the Imaginal World (‘alam al-mithal). It is the autonomous imagination that allows the emergence of the images which present themselves to the "conjoined imagination". The way in which imagination is ‘creative’ is intimately related to an understanding of these two types of imagination. When an image from the World of Images presents itself to the subject, its (re)presentation takes place in the imagining subject’s imaginal faculty (Phenomenological reality), thus allowing for the significance of the image proceeding from the World of Images to emerge, that is, the significance that that image holds for the imagining subject. The (re)presentation of the image depends entirely on two concepts, that of the heart (qalb)- which Corbin astutely refers to as the ‘organ of mystic physiology’- and that of spiritual will (himma), or, perhaps more accurately in this context (Corbin does not translate the term), ‘creative imaginal potency’.
But it is important to keep in mind that when the Image from the World of Images represents itself to the imagining subject, it reflects in his ‘heart’ which itself functions like a mirror. The mirror of the heart reflects that Image which is cast upon it, thus producing a purely imaginal representation of the Image’s true ‘mode’ of being. Objects in mirrors are both real and unreal. They are real because they convey to us, rather accurately, the reality of that image which is reflected in it, yet they are also unreal in that the image is, actually, not ‘there’, and is, in fact, non-existent. Images in mirrors are, therefore, at once existent and non-existent, which is precisely the way Ibn Arabi envisions the ‘situation’ of the cosmos. When the Image from the World of Images reflects into the heart of the mystic, it is the mystic’s imaginal faculty, his Active Imagination as governed by his himma, which can then ‘create’ that image into a ‘representation’ or ‘apparition’ of the Image itself, thus reproducing the Image in a purely ‘imaginal’ way which stands ‘outside’ of the imagining subject. It is with this important concept in mind that the notion of ‘theophanic prayer’ may be understood, and which Corbin discusses in detail in the following chapter. Theophanic prayer refers to a method in which God reveals Himself to the mystic in the mystic’s ‘act’ of prayer, or, rather, how the mystic ‘creates’ an Image of God for himself in prayer. The formless form of God is made manifest to the mystic by virtue of his himma, thus producing an Image of the Divinity to whose qiblah he has turned his attention. But it is through the Image of the Divine produced in the heart of the mystic that this can, in fact, take place. God at this point is reminiscent of the vaporware of a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is actually God who reveals Himself to Himself in the act of prayer, but it is to the degree of the purity of the mystic’s heart (read ‘spiritual consciousness’), that he will have a vision of God’s Image and, by the same token, that God will have a vision of Himself, His own Image. Thus prayer is a purely ‘creative’ act for the Gnostic because it allows him to recast the Image of the Divine presented to his heart by virtue of the creative power of his himma. This imaginal power creates a mode of presence of the Divine which simply would be unperceivable without recourse to imagination. It should also be noted that Corbin looks at how the notion of creative imagination plays itself out in several key events related in the Qur’an and hadith. For example, the Qur’an mentions one of Prophet Solomon’s companions (someone who had “Knowledge of the Book”) who was able to reproduce, in an instant, the throne of the Queen of Sheba. What happened was “that the “transfer” of the throne took place on the plane of Imaginative Presence…”. This example finely illustrates the importance of the power of imagination in producing images instantaneously, but which can only take place on the plane of Imagination itself, the possibility of which is entirely determined by one’s himma.
Final Notes.
Some bio-data http://www.p2pfoundation.net/Robert_Searle
The above link also includes sections of articles published onsite, and links to other articles which may be of interest.
XII. Metaphors for Emotions ....A Psychic Connection?
By Robert Searle, August 1st 2019
In the English tongue, and in many other languages emotions of people are often described as if they are some form of "energy." There are many examples some of which are listed below in a relevant context. Could the descriptions of "energy" be an actual intuitive sense that human beings consist of personalities made up of highly subtle psychic "energies?"
1.She was flowing with love
2.He had a fiery personality
3.She had a bubbly character
4.He was positively fizzing with energy...
5.He had a bright mind
6.His eyes flashed with anger.
7.She lit up the room by her presence
8.He lit up the room like rainbow (aura?)
9.A sparkling personality
10.He exploded with rage
11.His mind was flooded with inspiration
12.He was struck by astonishment
13.He was green with envy
14.She saw red!* (see footnote)
15.We are bouncing off memories with each other!
16.He was in a grey mood
17.He was in a brown study (ie gloomy)
1.He was under a cloud (or an accurate representation of negative "psychic energy?"
19.He had a flashy personality
20.He looked at me like daggers (an expression of hatred manifesting itself as "psychic energies"?)
21.He was beaming with enthusiasm
22.He had an "air" of uncertainty about him.
I may add more if I can....
The next listing (comes from another source not created by the author of the brief "article" above! However, it does include one, or more repeats...
Emotions as Object/Burden
•“I carry the burden of guilt.” •“The guilt weighs me down.” •“I carry the weight of the world on my shoulders.” •“I have a lot on my mind.”
Self as a Container for Emotions
•“I am full of anger.” •“I am brimming over with rage.” •“I am full of love.” •“I feel empty inside.”
Emotions as Containers
•“I am in a state of despair.” •“I am living in fear.” •“I am in love.” •“I am in a great frame of mind.”
Emotions as Temperature
•“That leaves me cold.” •“I’m all hot and bothered.” •“I am boiling with anger.” •“She is an ice-queen.” •“I am cold-hearted.”
Emotions as Pressure
•“I am going to explode in a minute.” •“He just erupted without warning.” •“He’s like a volcano about to explode.” •“I need to let off steam.” •“I’m under a lot of pressure.”
Source reference link https://metaphorsofmovement.co.uk/metaphors-of-movement-and-motion/metaphors-of-emotion/
The following is the first version of an essay on Multi-Dimensional Science which appeared on the Kheper website back in 2005. However, the one at the top of this long "page" is the most authorative and accurate one.
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Multi-Dimensional Science by Robert Searle
Introduction Multi-Dimensional Science, or MDS is an attempt to fully integrate science with mysticism, and religion. Naturally enough, it includes parapsychology, or psychical resarch which is the evolving science into claimed "supernatural" phenomena.
Before proceeding further, it must be made very clear that in NO way is MDS a religion, cult, or sect even though it may use terms associated with them. Admitedly, most of this new "science" consists of speculative metaphysical issues such as reincarnation, post mortem existence, pre-destination, other worlds, et al. Essentially, MDS hopes to largely indirectly prove, or alternatively disprove the the reality, or non-reality of such "revelations".
This article, or paper is a simple brief non-technical account of the above subject. Incidently, MDS is in the process of research, and development which may take several years to complete.
The basic thesis, and methodology of Multi-Dimensional Science (MDS). Central to mysticism, and religion is the concept of an unseen non-physical psychic, or spiritual universe. It is undetectable by our by five limited senses, and by other means. In religion, and indeed, in western philosophy it can only be accepted on grounds of faith, or belief. In mysticism though such non-physical realms can be "proven" via direct experience by the awakening sixth sense of mind, and conciousness during some form of meditation, or spiritual technology. This whole process involves "going within" oneself, and entering the inner realms, or planes of higher conciousness.
This normally invisible non-physical universe may well be a shared objective reality rather than the figment of the imagination. Those who claim to visit it via some form of meditation, or indeed, through deliberately induced out-of-body experiences (or OOBEs) should be able to independently come up with corroborative information concerning the major sights, and energies witnessed. This is the main underlying concept of MDS. Moreover, it puts emphasis on the need to collect data on the psycho-spiritual "energies" which are said to exist. Such claimed forces manifest themselves in a variety of ways such as colourful auras, pulsating lights, and sounds along with rays coming out of beings, and objects, et al.
To see whether such reports are indeed independently correlative, or not requires in MDS five special steps. They are explained in the following:-
Step One: A search for specific willing psychics, and mystics who have regular if not daily inner experiences of various "energies". They are termed as Multi-Dimensional Observers, or MDOs for short. A large number of them may well emanate from the psychic healing field.
Step Two: The aim here is to find out what kind of experiences they have via an initial questionaire. A more elaborate, and detailed one(s) may follow.
Step Three: When the data via the questionaires has been collected it may well be found that the "energies" described are independently corroborated beyond the mathematical laws of chance. If so such information should be converted on paper, and computer into images, or pictures of the Unseen.
Step Four: Such visible depictions of the "energies" should be interpreted into mathematical models for an on-going theory, or working hypothesis concerned with the nature, and purpose of the "Great Beyond".
Step Five: If MDOs continue to give largely reliable data concerning their inner experiences then they should be involved in various studies, and experiments. They may be able to help us see how psycho-spiritual "energies" can benefit humanity. In effect, MDS could be the greatest scientific breakthrough in the world because it offers for the first time methods that can prove (albeit indirectly) the non-physical psychic, and spiritual reality of life. This could have massive untold implications for medecine, psychology, physics, biology, parapsychology, et al. In academia the inner experiences discussed here are referred to as phenomenology.
Furthermore, for the individual it would mean that their existence would become more happier, and fulfilling as never before imaginable. The reason being that a new generation of meditational methods would come into existence based on scientific research rather than just on purely faith, and belief.
Knowledge concerning the psychology of human beings would include serious objective information concerning their "energies", and how they could be best used.
Moreover, there would be a far greater scientific understanding of claimed psychics powers, and their actual modus operandi will become clearer. Though mainstream science has given humanity many great technological benefits such as computers, television, aeroplanes, better medecine, and the like it will probably be nothing compared with the advances made by MDS. It may well be that in the far future people will become like "gods" self-reliant with "full" authentic knowledge concerning spiritual, and psychic development. Such evolution would ultimately supersede modern technology, and even Multi-Dimensional Science itself.
Apart from the above another suprising, and controversial aspect of our subject is that it may well be possible to quantify non-physical energies. This would be in keeping with true science. Let us take an example of what we mean. Suppose Mr. Z has an aura which is a certain measurement from the body. Tested, and reliable MDOs should by means of a simple physical "tool" be able to gauge its length. With their inner vision opened they should independently come up with the correct measurement. In a similiar manner other properties such as weight, and velocity concerned with psycho-spiritual energies should be quantifiable with the aid of physical detectors, or by non-physical methods not discussed here.
Of course, all that we have said may be utter nonesense. But, it is not, because its own inbuilt reasoning is simply alien to our normal ways of understanding. Moreover, counter-arguments could be created against MDS even if it produces correlative results via its questionaires of the MDOs. This could notably include that brain physiology being similiar from one person to another may be the real reason why mental "illusions" appear to be independently corroborative. In the philosophy of science such counter-arguments like this would appear to be in line with the concept of falsification posited by the philosopher Karl Popper.
The success, or failure of MDS largely rests on collecting sufficient corroborative data on the inner experiences of MDOs. As yet this needs to be done. Critics will undoubtedly claim that most of the ideas presented here are totally premature but the author, and indeed, originator of this unique system is confident that the necessary correlative information will emerge from the questionaires. This admitedly suggests bias, and an unscientific approach to the subject concerned. However, when the data has been brought together the evidence, or rather "proof" will speak for itself.
Multi-Dimensional Science is a new paradigm. At first sight MDS may appear similiar to other scientific, or "new age" ideas. This is incorrect. It is though made up of old methods brought together for the first time into one system. This is the key point to understand.
Firstly, the notion that MDOs, and other "senstive " people can be used by researchers to give hopefully correct information concerning "higher" energies is not completely new. Von Reichenbach for example used this method, and succeeded in getting corroborative data concerning the existence of the so-called Odic Force.Secondly, simple, and complex questionaires have been used by researchers, and organisations to explore Near-Death-Experiences (or NDEs), and Religious, or Mystical Experiences. Thirdly, converting images of the Unseen into visible pictures is again nothing new.
Charles Leabeater, a leading light in the Theosophy movement notably had changes in the human aura recorded as "accurate" colourful depictions for all to see. Fourthly, using mathematics to try to describe something of the "other world" is by no means unique.
Developing elaborate, and detailed questionaires. There are a number of existing descriptions published of the "Great Unseen" which can help us frame questionaires. New unpublished reports about it from MDOs would also prove beneficial especially in connection with the "existence" of psycho-spiritual energies.
An important aspect of all this is that one needs to be aware that some of these inner experiences may to varying degrees be indescribable in the language of this world. Sometimes, symbols may be used, and these may still have a scientific value if they crop up again elsewhere. Infact, the questionaires themselves should give researchers some idea as to what extent, and in what way inner experiences, or visions if you will would be totally indescribable, or ineffable.
To get some notion of how elaborate, and detailed a questionaire could be the following should suffice. Readers can skip it, and go to the next section of the article/paper if they desire..
Auras: How large is it around the body usually? Does it have a specific colour? Do you see thoughts leaving, and entering it? What sounds does it usually make? Do you get specific "smells" from particular types of auras? Does it change shape around the body? Are there different layers in the aura? et cetera. Inner Sounds: Do you hear sounds during waking conciousness from people, and objects which may be non-physical? Is there a specific one in meditation? If you hear more than just one inner sound then what is it like? Maybe they are instrumental, choral, or something else? Does the sound, or sounds enter the top of the head, through the ears, or wherever else? et cetera.
Inner Lights: Do you see disembodied lights now, and again in the physical, and non-physical worlds? How do they appear? Do they have colours which change? Do they "shape-shift" into particular objects that are easily describable? Do the inner lights create specific sounds? et cetera........
. The Chakras ( or energy centres of the psychic body). Do they create specific sounds? Do their coloured lights change? Are thoughts seen to enter, and leave them? Do they change shape sometimes? Do patterns appear in the centres? Can rays be seen entering them? et cetera...........
Some important theoretical points about "The Hidden Reality". No doubt many ordinary mainstream scientists will regard the following as being "pseudo-scientific".
However, this is unimportant as the following is only meant to be a brief non-technical account easily understood by anyone in connection with the "the higher worlds" of being.
It is believed that these realms exist at a vibratory rate beyond the speed of light itself. They consist of various levels, or Spiritual Regions in ascending order around our planet, and beyond. They can be simply illustrated diagrammatically by using horizontal (or circular lines)lines. The spaces in between them represent the Spiritual Regions. Each of these Realities can be sub-divided further by thinner lines which make up the intermediate planes, or spheres of existence. In other words, ("minor") worlds within Worlds (ie. the Spiritual Regions). Their number altogether is probably infinite. Traditionally, from an occult, or esoteric viewpoint they are seven Spiritual Regions, and seven intermediate planes. Yet, the number of these different levels tends to vary in mythology, and in mystical writings.
Each Spiritual Region is said to have distinguishing key sights along with inner Sounds, and (Coloured) Lights. As one ascends the "matter" of these worlds becomes increasing self-luminious, and more subtle in nature. At the same time, conciousness is progressively expanded.
To contact such realities via meditation, or OOBEs requires ones personal awareness to become like a mental radio. It tunes into the energy levels, or frequencies of the different intermediate planes. By doing so via concentrated effort one does not only see, and hear them but one can actually enter, and interact with them.
At this point, it is important to appreciate the fact that the simple, or complex visionary experiences cannot (as yet) be fully explained in purely materialistic terms in spite of the many decades of brain research. This is also true about certain powerful drugs, and electrical stimulations (ie. Neuro-Theology) which can cause such subjective experiences to manifest. But, it does not provide a scientific answer as to how the actual mental imagery itself is created. MDS takes the view that such visual thoughts may largely be a non-physical phenomena which is intimately related to the "wiring", or neuron nerve networks of the brain.
Esoteric tradition believes that human beings consist of multiple-parts referred to as subtle energy bodies.
They exist simultaneously in different worlds. They belong respectively to the vital, emotional, mental, higher mental, and soul Regions.
The MDS questionaires may well reveals variations in what groups of MDOs may well describe in the Unseen Universe. This is because they may be able to tune into different intermediate planes, or spheres of being.
Deception (deliberate, or otherwise) and self-deception may cause problems, and experiments needed to determine such situations need to be carefully thought out. There may be beings, and powers that may bring about difficulties with future MDS studies.
The question of truth, and "unknowingness"? Many religions, and their (mystical) sects have a tendency to believe that theirs is the only pathway to "God", or the "Ultimate Reality". Whether this is true, or not is essentially a matter of personal belief. However, MDS may be able to throw some light on this subject, but admitedly it would probably be unable to fully prove it.
Here, it is suggested that the Radhasoami Faith could be the key to this great mystery. It believes that during what is called surat shabd yoga the soul can by means of inner Sound, and Light enter the highest Spiritual Region in which God can be realized. The Radiant Form of the inner living Perfect Master, or Satguru may well manifest itself. This acts as the essential guide to the Spiritual Regions. Like most eastern "groups" the Sikh sect of the Radhasoamis believes in reincarnation, and via shabd yoga one can be liberated from births, and deaths.
Anyway, it is claimed that it has as it were an accurate,and complete basic "road-map" to God in the highest Spiritual Region. It is interesting to point out that virtually all religions, and sects emanate from this "other world". Yet, the Radhasoamis claim that they all have their source of origin in the lower intermediate planes of the Spiritual Regions. In other words, their founders (eg. Buddha, and Mohammed) and indeed mystical practices (eg. raja yoga, kundalini yoga of the Indian tradition), and their practioners have mistaken these realms for being the final destination of their teachings. Incidently, such realms may have a residing "god" which would be easily mistaken for the highest of the highest. In other words, their spiritual knowledge is incomplete, and inaccurate.
Of course, the way to ascertain whether such claims are true, or false would be an elaborate comparative study via questionaire of the inner experiences had by them, and by those who follow surat shabd yoga.
Unfortunately, in keeping with esoteric tradition the world over such personal information is generally never disclosed.
Strictly speaking, the methods of some meditation, and resulting experiences are for the awakening intuition and not for the mind. They are thus meant to be experienced, and not discussed. As such they are largely kept "secret" from the masses, and are only intended for real seekers after Truth. Moreover, such knowledge in the wrong hands could be misused for personal rather than spiritual gain. In spite of all this alot already exists in the public domain.
As already mentioned the Radhasoamis not only believe in an inner Perfect Master but also in an outer one in the physical world. There are number of organisations which purport to have one. Such an Adept of shabd yoga is seen as being the visible material incarnation of the Supreme Power. However, Faqir Chand the "unknowing mystic" claimed that devotees came to him about their inner, and indeed, outer "miracles" with his spiritual form. Yet, though he was supposed to be omniscient he said he knew nothing about all these things. This same "unknowingness" appears in many present day "Perfect Masters". Some have argued that if they did display "knowingness" they would be openly using psychic powers to attract a following which is contrary to the teachings of the Radhasoami Faith.
Thus, they pretend to be "human" when actually they are not.
Faqir Chand though came up with a simple theory. He believed that it was the devotees faith, and belief in him as the Master which prompted the inner, and outer experiences of his spiritual form. He, himself had nothing to do with it! He suggested, or so it would seem that it was the devotees Higher Self, or ones pure personal God within which actually acted as the Master on the inner, and outer worlds of reality. In other words, belief, and faith in the outer Teacher was essential for spiritual phenomena. This ofcourse also implied that even a criminal posing as a guru could have the exact same effect. This also may be the reason why a few Radhasoami Satgurus past, and present may have experienced "moral falls", and yet, in spite of this their outer form, and teachings could still be valid as it was the devotees Higher Self which ultimately was the real cause of spiritual evolution. Incidently, devotees claim that since the Master is "God" he, or indeed she can do anything as a test of faith. Who can question the Almighty?
This is a big subject which we cannot further expand upon here.
The Association for Multi-Dimensional Science. If the questionaires yield valuable correlative material the next possible stage would be to set up a non-profit Association for Multi-Dimensional Science.
It would have the following basic aims:-
It would continue to search out willing MDOs for possible studies, and experiments. It would try to build an ever-expanding directory of Buddhist, Hindu, Sikh, Judaic, Shinto, Sufi, and other mystical sects. This in itself would require detective work as most of them do not advertize themselves. This would involve i) contacing scholars, and writer ii) the internet iii) interfaith organisations iv) charity registers v) esoteric magazines vi) existing directories....and so on. The need for on-going research, and development into a general theory, or working hypothesis of the Unseen Universe. This would involve ideas from Theosophy, the Alice Bailey Teachings, Spiritualism, Maharishis Vedic Science, and Technology, Pearsons Survival Physics, Bohms Implicate Order,and the like. As well as this concepts from "mainstream" science would have to be included such as Quantum Mechanics, the Multi-verse, the Fourth Dimension, Tachyons, Anti-Matter Worlds, et al.
Finally, it must be remembered that the proposed Multi-Dimensional Science probably cannot give totally provable answers as to what the ultimate nature and purpose of Truth is really all about. It is quite possible that there are no absolute truths, and that the universe is itself infinite. Science can only go so far, and at the end of the day it is arguably our own personal experience that really matters.<./p>
Finally, MDS is a huge subject, and what has been presented cannot do it true justice. There are many many aspects to it.
An Important Notice. Readers should understand, and appreciate another factor in the research, and development of MDS which was not fully high-lighted in the above body of the text. It is this. One of the big problems with "higher worlds" is that their lower intermediate planes, or spheres can be partly, or wholly made up of subjective projections externalised into objective realities. Such mental phenomena can be active, or static, or in between so to speak. Yet, the difference between genuine shared reality, and such self-created objects, and "beings" must be carefully determined with the Questionaire process already described.
It has been pointed out that MDS is similiar but not identical with Professor Tart's ideas referred to as State-Specific Science. However, the former arguably offers by far the most advanced, and complete set of methods for "scientifically" investigating "higher worlds," and so-called altered states of conciousness, or ASCs. This is the key point.
It is also interesting to claim that though genuine "objective" inner sights in shabd yoga, and other forms of meditation may not be necessarily experienced. In other words, it is possible to make spiritual progress, and "ascension" without even being aware of it during life....
Some References. Ash, David, and Peter Hewitt, The Vortex; Key to Future Science. McMillans, 199O.
Bohm, David, Wholeness, and the Implicate Order, Routledge, and Kegan Paul, 198O
Capra, F. Tao of Physics, Shambhala, 2OOO edition.
Hardy, Alistair. The Spiritual Nature of Man. Oxford University Press, l979.
Karagulla, Shafica, Breakthrough to Creativity: Your Higher Sense Perception, De Vorss. n.d.
Leadbeater, C.W. Man, Visible, and Invisible, Quest Publishing. n.d.
McKinney, Neuro-Theology; Virtual Religion in the 21st Century. American Institute of Mindfulness 1994.
McTaggert, The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe, Harper Collins 2001.
Muktananda, Play of Conciousness, Siddha Yoga Meditation Publications, 1994.
Moody, Raymond, Life Afte Life, Bantam, 1976 edition.
Puri, J R, The Radhaswami Teachings, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, l979, and also his two vol Mysticism: the Spiritual Path by the same publisher.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to searchImagination is the production or simulation of novel objects, sensations, and ideas in the mind without any immediate input of the senses. Stefan Szczelkun characterises it as the forming of experiences in one's mind, which can be re-creations of past experiences, such as vivid memories with imagined changes, or completely invented and possibly fantastic scenes.[1] Imagination helps make knowledge applicable in solving problems and is fundamental to integrating experience and the learning process.[2][3][4][5] As an approach to build theory, it is called "disciplined imagination".[6] A basic training for imagination is listening to storytelling (narrative),[2][7] in which the exactness of the chosen words is the fundamental factor to "evoke worlds".[8]
Imagination is a cognitive process used in mental functioning and sometimes used in conjunction with psychological imagery. It is considered as such because it involves thinking about possibilities.[9] The cognate term, "mental imagery" may be used in psychology for denoting the process of reviving in the mind recollections of objects formerly given in sense perception. Since this use of the term conflicts with that of ordinary language, some psychologists have preferred to describe this process as "imaging" or "imagery" or to speak of it as "reproductive" as opposed to "productive" or "constructive" imagination. Constructive imagination is further divided into voluntary imagination driven by the lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and involuntary imagination (LPFC-independent), such as REM-sleep dreaming, daydreaming, hallucinations, and spontaneous insight.[10] The voluntary types of imagination include integration of modifiers, and mental rotation. Imagined images, both novel and recalled, are seen with the "mind's eye".
Imagination, however, is not considered to be exclusively a cognitive activity because it is also linked to the body and place, particularly that it also involves setting up relationships with materials and people, precluding the sense that imagination is locked away in the head.[11]
Imagination can also be expressed through stories such as fairy tales or fantasies. Children often use such narratives and pretend play in order to exercise their imaginations. When children develop fantasy they play at two levels: first, they use role playing to act out what they have developed with their imagination, and at the second level they play again with their make-believe situation by acting as if what they have developed is an actual reality.[12]
Aristotle in On the Soul considered the imagination () as a capacity for making mental images, and distinguished it from perception and from thinking. He held however that thought was always accompanied by an image.[13]
The notion of a "mind's eye" goes back at least to Cicero's reference to mentis oculi during his discussion of the orator's appropriate use of simile.[14]
In this discussion, Cicero observed that allusions to "the Syrtis of his patrimony" and "the Charybdis of his possessions" involved similes that were "too far-fetched"; and he advised the orator to, instead, just speak of "the rock" and "the gulf" (respectively) — on the grounds that "the eyes of the mind are more easily directed to those objects which we have seen, than to those which we have only heard".[15]
In medieval faculty psychology, the imagination was one of the inward wits along with memory and the sensus communis. It allowed the recombination of images, for example by combining perceptions of gold and mountain to obtain the idea of a golden mountain.[16][17]
The concept of "mind's eye" appeared in English in Chaucer's (c.1387) Man of Law's Tale in his Canterbury Tales, where he tells us that one of the three men dwelling in a castle was blind, and could only see with "the eyes of his mind"; namely, those eyes "with which all men see after they have become blind".[18]
Galileo used the imagination to conduct thought experiments, such as asking readers to imagine what direction a stone released from a sling would fly.[19]
The common use of the term is for the process of forming new images in the mind that have not been previously experienced with the help of what has been seen, heard, or felt before, or at least only partially or in different combinations. This could also be involved with thinking out possible or impossible outcomes of something or someone in life's abundant situations and experiences. Some typical examples follow:
Imagination, not being limited to the acquisition of exact knowledge by the requirements of practical necessity is largely free from objective restraints. The ability to imagine one's self in another person's place is very important to social relations and understanding. Albert Einstein said, "Imagination ... is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited. Imagination encircles the world."[20]
The same limitations beset imagination in the field of scientific hypothesis. Progress in scientific research is due largely to provisional explanations which are developed by imagination, but such hypotheses must be framed in relation to previously ascertained facts and in accordance with the principles of the particular science.
Imagination is an experimental partition of the mind used to develop theories and ideas based on functions. Taking objects from real perceptions, the imagination uses complex If-functions that involve both Semantic and Episodic memory to develop new or revised ideas.[21] This part of the mind is vital to developing better and easier ways to accomplish old and new tasks. In sociology, Imagination is used to part ways with reality and have an understanding of social interactions derived from a perspective outside of society itself. This leads to the development of theories through questions that wouldn't usually be asked. These experimental ideas can be safely conducted inside a virtual world and then, if the idea is probable and the function is true, the idea can be actualized in reality. Imagination is the key to new development of the mind and can be shared with others, progressing collectively.
Regarding the volunteer effort, imagination can be classified as:
Psychologists have studied imaginative thought, not only in its exotic form of creativity and artistic expression but also in its mundane form of everyday imagination.[22] Ruth M.J. Byrne has proposed that everyday imaginative thoughts about counterfactual alternatives to reality may be based on the same cognitive processes on which rational thoughts are also based.[23] Children can engage in the creation of imaginative alternatives to reality from their very early years.[24] Cultural psychology is currently elaborating a view of imagination as a higher mental function involved in a number of everyday activities both at the individual and collective level[25] that enables people to manipulate complex meanings of both linguistic and iconic forms in the process of experiencing.
The phenomenology of imagination is discussed In The Imaginary: A Phenomenological Psychology of the Imagination (French: L'Imaginaire: Psychologie phénoménologique de l'imagination), also published under the title The Psychology of the Imagination, a 1940 book by Jean-Paul Sartre, in which he propounds his concept of the imagination and discusses what the existence of imagination shows about the nature of human consciousness.[26]
The imagination is also active in our perception of photographic images in order to make them appear real.[27]
Memory and mental imagery, often seen as a part of the process of imagination, have been shown to be affected by one another.[28] "Images made by functional magnetic resonance imaging technology show that remembering and imagining sends blood to identify parts of the brain."[28] Various psychological factors can influence the mental processing of the brain and heighten its chance to retain information as either long-term memories or short-term memories. John Sweller indicated that experiences stored as long-term memories are easier to recall, as they are ingrained deeper in the mind. Each of these forms require information to be taught in a specific manner so as to use various regions of the brain when being processed.[29] This information can potentially help develop programs for young students to cultivate or further enhance their creative abilities from a young age. The neocortex and thalamus are responsible for controlling the brain's imagination, along with many of the brain's other functions such as consciousness and abstract thought.[citation needed] Since imagination involves many different brain functions, such as emotions, memory, thoughts, etc., portions of the brain where multiple functions occur—such as the thalamus and neocortex—are the main regions where imaginative processing has been documented.[30] The understanding of how memory and imagination are linked in the brain, paves the way to better understand one's ability to link significant past experiences with their imagination.
Piaget posited that perceptions depend on the world view of a person. The world view is the result of arranging perceptions into existing imagery by imagination. Piaget cites the example of a child saying that the moon is following her when she walks around the village at night. Like this, perceptions are integrated into the world view to make sense. Imagination is needed to make sense of perceptions.[31]
A study using fMRI while subjects were asked to imagine precise visual figures, to mentally disassemble them, or mentally blend them, showed activity in the occipital, frontoparietal, posterior parietal, precuneus, and dorsolateral prefrontal regions of the subject's brains.[32]
Phylogenetic acquisition of imagination was a gradual process. The simplest form of imagination, REM-sleep dreaming, evolved in mammals with acquisition of REM sleep 140 million years ago.[33] Spontaneous insight improved in primates with acquisition of the lateral prefrontal cortex 70 million years ago. After hominins split from the chimpanzee line 6 million years ago they further improved their imagination. Prefrontal analysis was acquired 3.3 million years ago when hominins started to manufacture Mode One stone tools.[34] Progress in stone tools culture to Mode Two stone tools by 2 million years ago signify remarkable improvement of prefrontal analysis. The most advanced mechanism of imagination, prefrontal synthesis, was likely acquired by humans around 70,000 years ago and resulted in behavioral modernity.[35] This leap toward modern imagination has been characterized by paleoanthropologists as the "Cognitive revolution",[36] "Upper Paleolithic Revolution",[37] and the "Great Leap Forward".[38]
Moral imagination usually describes the mental capacity to find answers to ethical questions and dilemmas through the process of a mental and intellectual imagination and visualization.
Different definitions of "moral imagination" can be found in the literature.[39]
One of the most prominent definitions was provided by the philosopher Mark Johnson: "An ability to imaginatively discern various possibilities for acting in a given situation and to envision the potential help and harm that are likely to result from a given action."[40]
In an article recently published in the Journal of Management History, the authors argued that Hitler's assassin Claus von Stauffenberg decided to dare to overthrow the Nazi regime in particular (among other factors) as a result of a process of "moral imagination." His willingness to kill Hitler was less due to his compassion for his comrades, his family or friends living at that time (actual people living at that time), but originated rather from the fact that he was already thinking about the potential problems of later generations and people he did not know. In other words, through a process of “moral imagination” he developed empathy for "abstract" people (for examples, Germans of later generations, people who were not yet alive).[41]
To imagine is to form experiences in the mind. These can be recreations of past experiences as they happened such as vivid memories with imagined changes, or they can be completely invented and possibly fantastic scenes.
Basically what this means is that the children use their make-believe situation and act as if what they are acting out is from a reality that already exists even though they have made it up.imagination comes after story created.
Three philosophers for whom imagination is a central concept are Kendall Walton, John Sallis and Richard Kearney. See in particular:
The dictionary definition of imagination at Wiktionary
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Haruhisa Handa | |
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半田 晴久 | |
Born | 18 March 1951 (age 71) Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan |
Nationality | Japanese |
Other names | Toshu Fukami, Shingeki no Hanshin, Toto Ami, Leonardo Toshu |
Alma mater | Doshisha University |
Occupation | Religious leader, businessman |
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Haruhisa Handa GCM (半田 晴久, Haruhisa Handa, born 18 March 1951) is a Japanese religious leader and a businessman. Handa is the Chairman and spiritual leader of the Shinto-based religion World Mate.[1] He is also known by the name Toshu Fukami (深見 東州, Tōshū Fukami) in his artistic career, as well as the pen name Toto Ami (戸渡阿見, Toto Ami). He also uses the pseudonym Leonardo Toshu (レオナルド東州, Leonarudo Tōshū), which is used as his radio personality.
Handa is the founder of the Japanese Blind Golf Association.[2] He is a chancellor and professor of the University of Cambodia, a professor of Japan Culture Research Institute at Zhejiang Gongshang University,[3] and an honorary consulate of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Fukuoka, Japan.[4]
Handa was born in 1951, in Nishinomiya, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan,[5] into a multi-generation sake-barrel manufacturing family.[6] In his adolescence, Handa began reading approximately a book a day.[7] He graduated from Doshisha University in Kyoto with a Bachelor's Degree in Economics, with an emphasis in international economics. In 1998 he enrolled in the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Western Australia. In December 2002 at 51, he completed the course and was awarded a master's degree and bachelor's degree of Fine Arts and Creative Arts by WAAPA.[8] In 2006 he completed his Doctor of Letters at the Academy of Arts and Design of Tsinghua University, China and was awarded the Doctor of Chinese Classics from Zhejiang University, China.[9][10] Over his career he has earned an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from The Juilliard School,[11] been named an Honorary Fellow of Corpus Christi College at the University of Oxford,[12] an Honorary Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies of London University (SOAS),[13] and an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucestershire.[14] He has also received honorary doctorates from the University of Western Australia, Curtin University, and Edith Cowan University in Western Australia.[10]
After undergraduate school, Handa began his employment at Daiwa House located in Tokyo. In 1978, he resigned from his position and established Misuzu Gakuen, a prep school run by Misuzu Co. Ltd.[15]
During the early 1980s, Handa began developing businesses in Perth, Western Australia.[1] In 1988, he was introduced to blind golf after he had met with those in Australia who had formed it in Perth; he then brought it to Japan and established the Japanese Blind Golf Association[16] and in 1997, he started the International Blind Golf Association (IBGA).[17] In 1996 he established the International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC).[18] Handa is also the cofounder of the Sihanouk Hospital in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.[19]
In 2000 Handa cofounded the Spring Bud elementary school in China.[20] In 2006 he established the International Sports Promotion Society (ISPS)[21] and founded the University of Cambodia, later serving as the Chancellor[22] and as a professor. He launched Akarusugiru Gekidan Tōshu (明るすぎる劇団・東州, The Too Lighthearted Theater Company – Toshu) for popular Japanese theater in May 2007, at the age of 56.[23][24] In 2008 he established Worldwide Support for Development (WSD), where he currently serves as chair.[25]
Handa received no formal musical education during his childhood, and began training in various art forms during his thirties and forties, including in tea ceremonies, Noh theatre, the piano, the violin, musical composition, Peking opera, conducting, music theory,[1] and then ballet at the age of 42.[26] In 1994 he worked as a conductor at the Albert Hall, when he booked the building in order to produce a multi-genre dance and musical performance.[27] His debut in opera came in March 1997 (see below), and in the same year, at the age of 46, he completed Musashino Academia Musicae Parnassos Eminence.[1] On September 21, 1997, he held the Toshu Fukami Calligraphy and Painting Charity Exhibition, the first exhibition of his calligraphy and paintings.[28]
In 1999, he led the Alps Choir in performances of both original songs and traditional Japanese songs at the Vatican, having been granted an audience with the Pope.[29] In 2000, he created a new stage art in the form of Hagoromo (羽衣),[30] a production fusing Noh and ballet,[31] where he performed classical ballet alongside a prima ballerina.[31] That year he exhibited his eight-meter ink painting Great Long View of Lake Motosu, among others, at the Toshu Fukami – Japanese Calligraphy and Painting Exhibition, held at the Forbidden Castle, Beijing, and demonstrated impromptu painting in ink at the venue.[32]
In October 2002 he was awarded the title of First Grade Opera Singer by the China National Opera & Dance Drama Theater, for the first time outside of China, and became a regular member and international arts adviser to the company.[33][34] On November 14, 2002, he performed the role of Prince Shōtoku in the opera Shotoku Taishi – Wa o Motte Toutoshi to Nasu (『聖徳太子』和を以て貴しとなす, literally, Prince Shōtoku – Harmony is to be valued), for which he was also the executive producer.[35][36]
In December 2003, he held a concert with the Australian and Chinese performers called Great Japanese, Chinese and Australian Singers' Joint Performance – An Evening of Classical Opera, featuring himself as the Japanese singer, at the Grand Palace of the People's Theater in Beijing.[37][38] On September 2, 2004, he performed the role of Marcello in the opera Taishō Jidai no La bohème (大正時代のラ・ボエーム, literally, La bohème in the Taishō Era).[39] On May 30, 2004, he premiered of the opera Yang Guifei in Beijing, performing the role of Akao,[35] which received generally favorable reviews in the Chinese press.[40] On September 15, 2005, he performed the title role of The Marriage of Figaro in the opera Hinamatsuri no Figaro no Kekkon (雛祭りのフィガロの結婚, literally, The Marriage of Figaro at the Hinamatsuri).[41] During this time, The Shaanxi Daily wrote about his dedication towards contributing to China-Japanese cultural exchange.[42] On September 27, 2009, he performed the title role in the opera Zeus no Keshin Kaijin Don Giovanni.[43][44] In 2012, he performed the title role in Don Pasquale in the first Grand Opera Japan, a performance with Opera Australia in Japan, and the first joint production in Japan.[45]
He is an chief patron and guest artist of Opera Australia which has staged every year since 2012 Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, an outdoor opera production using a special floating stage.[46]
In addition to opera, he is also active as a singer-songwriter of popular music,[47] and has conducted more than 30 concerts both in Japan and other countries.[48] In 2008, he gave eight songs he wrote and composed, including "Jidanda!" (ジダンダ!, kick oneself), to Akira Kobayashi. "Jidanda!" reached number 1 on the Weekly Hit Enka Ballad/J-pop USEN Chart and ranked 28th in requests for the entire year of 2009.[49] Handa funds charity concerts to raise awareness about human rights and poverty issues.[50] In September, he performed together with Michael Bolton and Peter Cetera at the Toshu Fukami and His Friends from Around the World Concert Tour.[50][51] In August 2010, The Works of Toshu Fukami, featuring 154 of Handa's works, was published by Kyūryūdo.[28]
He is on the board of trustees of the Japan Design Cultural Association and markets his own fashion label.[52][53] As a visual artist, he received the title Honorary Artist by the City of Perth, Australia[54]
Handa has worked in association with Michael Bolton, Jimi Jamison, and Peter Cetera.[55] Bolton and Handa specifically have worked on various projects regarding the promotion of human rights activities.[56] He has also worked with Bill Clinton.[57][58][59] When David Helfgott visited Japan for the first time in 1991, he played and recorded works composed by Handa for Helfgott, including the Andromeda Fantasia and a collection of small piano pieces.[60] Helfgott Live in Japan 91 is the only existing video recording in the world of Helfgott playing live. Handa has partnered with Nick Faldo to produce the Handa Faldo Cambodian Classic. Handa also serves as the Official International Ambassador for the Faldo Series Asia[61] and as Honorary Advisor to the Faldo Trust for Tomorrow's Champions (Asia) Limited.[62]
In 2007 Handa published the novel Tokage. In November 2008, his second novel, Batta Ni Dakarete, was selected as a Japan Library Association Recommended Book.[note 1] In 2000 he published his first collection of haiku, Kagerō. In 2009 his second haiku collection, Shinshu (New Autumn), was published, with 59 haiku selected by Junko Ito and another 159 selected by Touta Kaneko. As a poet, in 2009, he published Asu ni Nareba – Toto Ami Shishū in March, Halley Suisei – Totoami Shishū in April and Awadatsu Kocha – Toto Ami Shishū in August. He then published Majo no Medama – Toto Ami Shishū in May 2011. He is Director of the Toshu Haiku Society and a member of the Gendai Haiku Association. His haiku are included in the Gendai Haiku database.[63]
Handa is a member of the Nohgaku Performers' Association and a lead actor in the Hosho School of Noh theater[64] and the sponsor representative of the Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh (Tokyo Grand Open-Air Noh). As of September 2012, he had made over 40 appearances as lead actor.[65] He is also the head of the Toshu Hosho Noh Troupe, which has over 1,500 affiliated members.[66] In 1998 Handa established the Hosho Toshu Noh Troupe.[67] In 1999 he performed in the lead roles in the Noh play Fuji at the Hosho Nohgaku Theater, and on June 1 and 2 he held public Noh performances alongside the head of the Hoshu School at the United Nations Plaza and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.[68] Later that year, on September 28, he performed in the lead roles in the Noh play Iwafune at the second Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh, at the Citizens Plaza, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.[69]
In 2000 Handa staged a takigi Noh at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts and Peking University, performing the lead role in Midare,[70] and held public performances of Hosho School Noh in China, at Peking University and at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts, where he performed the lead role in the Noh play Midare (乱).[71]
On June 1, 2001, he staged the Egyptian Sphinx Takigi Noh, a performance of Noh, which was inscribed on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage List (as intangible heritage) in May of the same year. In the performance he played the lead role (White lion) in the Half-Noh play Shakkyō (Renjishi), in front of the Great Sphinx of Giza, which was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1979.[72][73][74] Later that year on September 19, he performed the lead role (White lion) in the Noh play Shakkyō at the China National Children's Theatre in Beijing. And on September 25, he performed the lead role (White lion) in the Noh play Shakkyō (Renjishi, 石橋連獅子), at the 4th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh.[75]
In 2002 he played the lead role in the Noh play Okina (Old Man) at the Hosho Toshu Noh Troupe National Festival. Two days later, on August 6, he staged a takigi Noh performance at Kashima Shrine in the Kashima Shrine Boat Festival Offertory Performance, performing the lead role in the Noh play Okina, which was so well attended there was little room for the standing crowd to move.[76] Then on September 27, he performed the lead role in Okina again, at the 5th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh at Telecom Center.[77]
In 2003, on August 3, he staged the Hosho Toshu Noh Troupe 5th Anniversary Festival at the Hosho Noh Theater, performing the lead role (the emperor) in the Noh play Tsurukame (鶴亀). Then on September 30, he staged the 6th Tokyo Dai Takigi Noh at Sun Plaza in Shiokaze Park, Odaiba, performing the lead role (the emperor) in the Noh play Tsurukame.[78]
Handa introduced blind golf to Japan in 1988 by establishing its first Blind Golf Club[2][79] and today is Honorary Chairman of the Japanese Blind Golf Association[80] and Honorary President of the International Blind Golf Association.[note 2][81] He has stated that because the blind golfers he witnessed playing in Australia were the most cheerful, pleasant, and happy people with a disability he had ever met, he began developing worldwide activities to promote blind golf as social contribution through golf in the private sector.[82][2]
In 1997, he established the International Blind Golf Association (IBGA).[83] As of March 2014, 18 organizations had joined the International Blind Golf Association,[84] with he serving as Honorary President.[62] Handa launched the ISPS Handa PGA Academy Program in January 2012 to disseminate disability classification in golf and to provide British PGA pro golfers with the qualifications to coach disabled golfers, through the ISPS and the PGA in the United Kingdom.[85] He has also been involved with working to spread disabled golf internationally, with the goal of it becoming an official sport in the Paralympics.[2][86]
Handa is the first Japanese person to serve as Vice President of The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).[87][88] In 2010, he was bestowed with the Asia-Pacific Golf Personality Award.[89] His work with women's golf led to the 2006 launch of an annual women's senior pro tournament sponsored by the Legends Tour,[90] the Handa Cup (Handa being his real surname), as a Legends Tour event in the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup.[91][92] The tournament's title was changed to the ISPS Handa Cup in 2013. He serves as a Golf Australia Advisor and International Ambassador.[93]
In the 2016 New Zealand Queen's Birthday Honours, Handa was appointed an honorary Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to golf and philanthropy.[21]
Hansa serves as Trustee[94] of World Faiths Development Dialogue (WFDD) and Honorary International Advisor[95] on the International Advisory Committee in the Parliament of the World's Religions, an organization that promotes international interfaith dialog. He founded and serves as Chairman of the Asia Faiths Development Dialogue (AFDD),[96] which promotes development of dialog among religions in Asia.[94] He is also one of the Presidents of Religions for Peace USA.[97]
Handa began studying and practicing Zen, Shinto, and Chinese philosophy at the age of 25.[15][98] In 1984, he founded the Shinto-based religious organization World Mate.[99] In 2001, he established the Toshu Fukami Shinto Studies chair in the Religious Studies Department at Columbia University.[100] As head of ISF, he cosponsored the 4th Inter-Faith Action for Peace in Africa (IFAPA) Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa from October 28 to 30, 2012. He was one of two religious leaders representing Japan, who propounded a means of resolving problematic issues.[101]
He is an Honorary Advisor to the Human Rights Council of Australia,[102] established the first chair in human rights education in Australia, at Curtin University, Western Australia, and was bestowed the title of Citizen of Humanity by the Human Rights Council of Australia. He also established the WSD HANDA Center for Human Rights and International Justice at Stanford University.[103] Handa serves as Chairman of the Kyowa (Harmony of All People) Foundation.[104]
Handa serves as a director at The Japan Forum on International Relations, a private policy think tank.[105] He also serves as Chairman of Worldwide Support for Development, which engages in international cooperation and support projects in welfare, scholarship, and education.[22][106] Additionally Handa also served as Chairman of the Cambodian international meetings titled Bridge, held from April 2009 to April 2010.[107]
He serves as the Chancellor of the University of Cambodia, which was opened in 2003.[22] He has served as a professor at the university since January 2006.[108]
The name of the library on campus was changed to Toshu Fukami Library on April 30, 2004. The library houses a collection of some 50,000 books, making it one of the best libraries in Cambodia.[109] In 2007, World Mate provided funds for the Samdech Hun Sen – Handa National scholarship, which bears the names of the Prime Minister Hun Sen and him. The scholarship enables 500 students with outstanding grades to enroll at the University tuition-free each year and obtain a bachelor's degree. The scholarship funded 500 students each year between 2007 and 2009, for a total of 1,500 students.[110][111] He established the Chancellor's Honors Scholarship Fund in 2012 and has been providing full tuition fees to academically advanced students since then.[112]
In December 2008, he was bestowed with the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon as the representative of the International Foundation for Arts and Culture.[113]
He has held posts as Visiting Professor at the Post-Graduate Japanese Culture Research Center in Zhejiang University since September 1998 and as Professor of Japanese Arts and Culture at the School of Japanese Language and Culture at Zhejiang Gongshang University since September 2007, both in China. Currently, he is Professor of Japanese Arts and Culture at the Institute for Japanese Culture Studies at Zhejiang Gongshang University. In his work at the university, he specializes in lectures on the topic of Japanese culture and its spiritual background and demonstrates culture and arts including Noh, calligraphy, Japanese painting and haiku; and his discussions focus on the impact that Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism have had on Japanese culture, including topics such as Japanese myths and management practices, and the Japanese syncretized Shinto-Buddhist artistic view manifest in the Noh play Fuji (Wisteria).[114]
He serves as Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Fukuoka.[4] Every year since 2009, the Consulate of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Fukuoka has publicly called for applicants for the Handa scholarship – Study in Cambodia, which provides short study trips to Cambodia.[115]
Sources
For "ultraterrestials", see Interdimensional hypothesis.
An interdimensional being (also extra-dimensional, intra-dimensional) suggests an entity that can "time-travel and move out of the physical body into a spiritual one".[1] The NASA website has a somewhat dated article called "The Science of Star Trek", by physicist David Allen Batchelor (5 May 2009), which considers some of the implementations in Star Trek. He says it's "the only science fiction series crafted with such respect for real science and intelligent writing", with some "imaginary science" mixed in; and considers it to be the "only science fiction series that many scientists watch regularly", like himself. He says it's "more faithful to science than any other science fiction series ever shown on television".[2]
The Time Machine by H. G. Wells describes time travelers as interdimensionally capable.
The protagonist describes the passing of time, and also treats it as if it were a spatial dimension. This is exactly how H. G. Wells devises the time machine mechanism in this particular work of fiction. H. G. Wells supposes that if time could simply be treated as space, then time machines would indeed operate correctly.[3] In this case, the H. G. Wells definition of a time traveler must be equivalent to that of an interdimensional being – an entity capable of traveling through unusual dimensional rifts that few other entities can enter.
From H. G. Wells' work: "'Clearly,' the Time Traveller proceeded, 'any real body must have extension in four directions: it must have Length, Breadth, Thickness, and—Duration. But through a natural infirmity of the flesh, which I will explain to you in a moment, we incline to overlook this fact. There are really four dimensions, three which we call the three planes of Space, and a fourth, Time. There is, however, a tendency to draw an unreal distinction between the former three dimensions and the latter, because it happens that our consciousness moves intermittently in one direction along the latter from the beginning to the end of our lives."
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams describes that mice are "merely the protrusion into our dimension of vast hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings". The protagonist Arthur Dent discovers that Earth "was commissioned, paid for, and run by mice" and that the mice were furious when it was destroyed.
Flatland by Edwin Abbott Abbott describes the interactions of a two-dimensional square with an interdimensional being from a coexisting three-dimensional spacetime.
An additional fictional work that does include universe dimensionality of some sort includes the Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, according to a particular academic source.[4]
m Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to searchClairvoyance (/klɛərˈvɔɪ.əns/; from French clair 'clear', and voyance 'vision') is the magical ability to gain information about an object, person, location, or physical event through extrasensory perception.[2][3] Any person who is claimed to have such ability is said to be a clairvoyant (/klɛərˈvɔɪ.ənt/)[4] ("one who sees clearly").
Claims for the existence of paranormal and psychic abilities such as clairvoyance have not been supported by scientific evidence.[5] Parapsychology explores this possibility, but the existence of the paranormal is not accepted by the scientific community.[6] The scientific community widely considers parapsychology, including the study of clairvoyance, a pseudoscience.[7][8][9][10][11][12]
Pertaining to the ability of clear-sightedness, clairvoyance refers to the paranormal ability to see persons and events that are distant in time or space. It can be divided into roughly three classes: precognition, the ability to perceive or predict future events, retrocognition, the ability to see past events, and remote viewing, the perception of contemporary events happening outside the range of normal perception.[13]
Throughout history, there have been numerous places and times in which people have claimed themselves or others to be clairvoyant.
In several religions, stories of certain individuals being able to see things far removed from their immediate sensory perception are commonplace, especially within pagan religions where oracles were used. Prophecy often involved some degree of clairvoyance, especially when future events were predicted. This ability has sometimes been attributed to a higher power rather than to the person performing it.
A number of Christian saints were said to be able to see or know things that were far removed from their immediate sensory perception as a kind of gift from God, including Columba of Iona, Padre Pio and Anne Catherine Emmerich. Jesus Christ in the Gospels is also recorded as being able to know things that were far removed from his immediate human perception. Some Christians today also share the same claim.
In Jainism, clairvoyance is regarded as one of the five kinds of knowledge. The beings of hell and heaven (devas) are said to possess clairvoyance by birth. According to Jain text Sarvārthasiddhi, "this kind of knowledge has been called avadhi as it ascertains matter in downward range or knows objects within limits".[14]
Rudolf Steiner, famous as a clairvoyant himself,[15][16] claimed that for a clairvoyant, it is easy to confuse his own emotional and spiritual being with the objective spiritual world.[17][18]
The earliest record of somnambulist clairvoyance is credited to the Marquis de Puységur, a follower of Franz Mesmer, who in 1784 was treating a local dull-witted peasant named Victor Race. During treatment, Race reportedly would go into trance and undergo a personality change, becoming fluent and articulate, and giving diagnosis and prescription for his own disease as well as those of others.[19] Clairvoyance was a reported ability of some mediums during the spiritualist period of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and psychics of many descriptions have claimed clairvoyant ability up to the present day.[20]
Early researchers of clairvoyance included William Gregory, Gustav Pagenstecher, and Rudolf Tischner.[21] Clairvoyance experiments were reported in 1884 by Charles Richet. Playing cards were enclosed in envelopes and a subject put under hypnosis attempted to identify them. The subject was reported to have been successful in a series of 133 trials but the results dropped to chance level when performed before a group of scientists in Cambridge. J. M. Peirce and E. C. Pickering reported a similar experiment in which they tested 36 subjects over 23,384 trials which did not obtain above chance scores.[22]
Ivor Lloyd Tuckett (1911) and Joseph McCabe (1920) analyzed early cases of clairvoyance and came to the conclusion they were best explained by coincidence or fraud.[23][24] In 1919, the magician P. T. Selbit staged a séance at his own flat in Bloomsbury. The spiritualist Arthur Conan Doyle attended the séance and declared the clairvoyance manifestations to be genuine.[25][26]
A significant development in clairvoyance research came when J. B. Rhine, a parapsychologist at Duke University, introduced a standard methodology, with a standard statistical approach to analyzing data, as part of his research into extrasensory perception. A number of psychological departments attempted to repeat Rhine's experiments, with failure. W. S. Cox (1936) from Princeton University with 132 subjects produced 25,064 trials in a playing card ESP experiment. Cox concluded, "There is no evidence of extrasensory perception either in the 'average man' or of the group investigated or in any particular individual of that group. The discrepancy between these results and those obtained by Rhine is due either to uncontrollable factors in experimental procedure or to the difference in the subjects."[27] Four other psychological departments failed to replicate Rhine's results.[28][29] It was revealed that Rhine's experiments contained methodological flaws and procedural errors.[30][31][32]
Eileen Garrett was tested by Rhine at Duke University in 1933 with Zener cards. Certain symbols that were placed on the cards and sealed in an envelope, and she was asked to guess their contents. She performed poorly and later criticized the tests by claiming the cards lacked a psychic energy called "energy stimulus" and that she could not perform clairvoyance to order.[33] The parapsychologist Samuel Soal and his colleagues tested Garrett in May 1937. Most of the experiments were carried out in the Psychological Laboratory at the University College London. A total of over 12,000 guesses were recorded but Garrett failed to produce above chance level.[34] In his report Soal wrote "In the case of Mrs. Eileen Garrett we fail to find the slightest confirmation of Dr. J. B. Rhine's remarkable claims relating to her alleged powers of extra-sensory perception. Not only did she fail when I took charge of the experiments, but she failed equally when four other carefully trained experimenters took my place."[35]
Remote viewing, also known as remote sensing, remote perception, telesthesia and travelling clairvoyance is the alleged paranormal ability to perceive a remote or hidden target without support of the senses.[36]
A well known study of remote viewing in recent times has been the US government-funded project at the Stanford Research Institute during the 1970s through the mid-1990s. In 1972, Harold Puthoff and Russell Targ initiated a series of human subject studies to determine whether participants (the viewers or percipients) could reliably identify and accurately describe salient features of remote locations or targets. In the early studies, a human sender was typically present at the remote location, as part of the experiment protocol. A three-step process was used, the first step being to randomly select the target conditions to be experienced by the senders. Secondly, in the viewing step, participants were asked to verbally express or sketch their impressions of the remote scene. Thirdly, in the judging step, these descriptions were matched by separate judges, as closely as possible, with the intended targets. The term remote viewing was coined to describe this overall process. The first paper by Puthoff and Targ on remote viewing was published in Nature in March 1974; in it, the team reported some degree of remote viewing success.[37] After the publication of these findings, other attempts to replicate the experiments were carried out [38][39] with remotely linked groups using computer conferencing.[40]
The psychologists David Marks and Richard Kammann attempted to replicate Targ and Puthoff's remote viewing experiments that were carried out in the 1970s at the Stanford Research Institute. In a series of 35 studies, they were unable to replicate the results so investigated the procedure of the original experiments. Marks and Kammann discovered that the notes given to the judges in Targ and Puthoff's experiments contained clues as to which order they were carried out, such as referring to yesterday's two targets, or they had the date of the session written at the top of the page. They concluded that these clues were the reason for the experiment's high hit rates.[41][42] Marks was able to achieve 100 per cent accuracy without visiting any of the sites himself but by using cues.[43] James Randi has written controlled tests by several other researchers, eliminating several sources of cuing and extraneous evidence present in the original tests, produced negative results. Students were also able to solve Puthoff and Targ's locations from the clues that had inadvertently been included in the transcripts.[44]
In 1980, Charles Tart claimed that a rejudging of the transcripts from one of Targ and Puthoff's experiments revealed an above-chance result.[45] Targ and Puthoff again refused to provide copies of the transcripts and it was not until July 1985 that they were made available for study when it was discovered they still contained sensory cues.[46] Marks and Christopher Scott (1986) wrote "considering the importance for the remote viewing hypothesis of adequate cue removal, Tart's failure to perform this basic task seems beyond comprehension. As previously concluded, remote viewing has not been demonstrated in the experiments conducted by Puthoff and Targ, only the repeated failure of the investigators to remove sensory cues."[47]
In 1982 Robert Jahn, then Dean of the School of Engineering at Princeton University wrote a comprehensive review of psychic phenomena from an engineering perspective. His paper included numerous references to remote viewing studies at the time.[48] Statistical flaws in his work have been proposed by others in the parapsychological community and within the general scientific community.[49][50]
According to scientific research, clairvoyance is generally explained as the result of confirmation bias, expectancy bias, fraud, hallucination, self-delusion, sensory leakage, subjective validation, wishful thinking or failures to appreciate the base rate of chance occurrences and not as a paranormal power.[5][51][52][53] Parapsychology is generally regarded by the scientific community as a pseudoscience.[54][55] In 1988, the US National Research Council concluded "The committee finds no scientific justification from research conducted over a period of 130 years, for the existence of parapsychological phenomena."[56]
Skeptics say that if clairvoyance were a reality, it would have become abundantly clear. They also contend that those who believe in paranormal phenomena do so for merely psychological reasons.[57] According to David G. Myers (Psychology, 8th ed.):
The search for a valid and reliable test of clairvoyance has resulted in thousands of experiments. One controlled procedure has invited 'senders' to telepathically transmit one of four visual images to 'receivers' deprived of sensation in a nearby chamber (Bem & Honorton, 1994). The result? A reported 32 percent accurate response rate, surpassing the chance rate of 25 percent. But follow-up studies have (depending on who was summarizing the results) failed to replicate the phenomenon or produced mixed results (Bem & others, 2001; Milton & Wiseman, 2002; Storm, 2000, 2003).
One skeptic, magician James Randi, had a longstanding offer of U.S. $1 million—"to anyone who proves a genuine psychic power under proper observing conditions" (Randi, 1999). French, Australian, and Indian groups have parallel offers of up to 200,000 euros to anyone with demonstrable paranormal abilities (CFI, 2003). Large as these sums are, the scientific seal of approval would be worth far more to anyone whose claims could be authenticated. To refute those who say there is no ESP, one need only produce a single person who can demonstrate a single, reproducible ESP phenomenon. So far, no such person has emerged. Randi's offer has been publicized for three decades and dozens of people have been tested, sometimes under the scrutiny of an independent panel of judges. Still, nothing. "People's desire to believe in the paranormal is stronger than all the evidence that it does not exist." Susan Blackmore, "Blackmore's first law", 2004.[58]
Clairvoyance is considered a hallucination by mainstream psychiatry.[59]
The overwhelming majority of scientists consider parapsychology, by whatever name, to be pseudoscience.
Parapsychology has failed to gain general scientific acceptance even for its improved methods and claimed successes, and it is still treated with a lopsided ambivalence among the scientific community. Most scientists write it off as pseudoscience unworthy of their time.
Many observers refer to the field as a 'pseudoscience'. When mainstream scientists say that the field of parapsychology is not scientific, they mean that no satisfying naturalistic cause-and-effect explanation for these supposed effects has yet been proposed and that the field's experiments cannot be consistently replicated.
The essential problem is that a large portion of the scientific community, including most research psychologists, regards parapsychology as a pseudoscience, due largely to its failure to move beyond null results in the way science usually does. Ordinarily, when experimental evidence fails repeatedly to support a hypothesis, that hypothesis is abandoned. Within parapsychology, however, more than a century of experimentation has failed even to conclusively demonstrate the mere existence of paranormal phenomenon, yet parapsychologists continue to pursue that elusive goal.
The explanation used by Marks and Kammann clearly involves the use of Occam's razor. Marks and Kammann argued that the 'cues'—clues to the order in which sites had been visited—provided sufficient information for the results, without any recourse to extrasensory perception. Indeed Marks himself was able to achieve 100 percent accuracy in allocating some transcripts to sites without visiting any of the sites himself, purely on the ground basis of the cues. From Occam's razor, it follows that if a straightforward natural explanation exists, there is no need for the spectacular paranormal explanation: Targ and Puthoff's claims are not justified.
Clairvoyance
Also known as lucidity, telesthesia, and cryptestesia. Clairvoyanceis French for seeing clearly. The term is used in the parapsychological literature to denote a * visual or * compound hallucination attributable to a metaphysical source. It is therefore interpreted as * telepathic, * veridical or at least * coincidental hallucination.
Reference
Guily, R.E. (1991) Harper's encyclopedia of mystical and paranormal experience. New York: Castle Books.
If you can clearly and vividly imagine what you want, why does it take so long for that vision to show up in physical reality? I’ve addressed this question once before in the article “Why Do Intentions Take So Long to Manifest?” In this article I’ll answer this question from a different angle.
The first step to change your reality — your experience of reality, that is — is to intend precisely what you want to experience. You do this by imagining it as already real and by getting excited about it. The excitement will draw it into your world. Your excitement can be rooted in fear or love. It will work either way. It’s best to favor one polarity or the other — whichever you feel is more powerful for you — but in truth you can use either frequency.
Once you put out your intention, you must then become a vibrational match for it. First, realize that when you’re excited, your intention has already been received and acknowledged. You don’t even need an alpha reflection because this part is instantaneous. Just know that it works. But the part that seems to take time — and time is part of the illusion you call physical reality — is your becoming a match for your intention. This requires adjusting your frequency (of your lower self or your manifested self) to fit the new reflections you’re creating.
In practice the way you do this varies. My recommendation is for you to sit in quiet meditation for about 20 minutes each day, and imagine yourself already where you want to be. But imagine yourself changing into the kind of person who already has your desires manifested. Feel what he feels. Think what he thinks. Vibrate as he does. Alter the vibrational energy of your lower self to match.
This practice allows your lower self — your physical, manifested being — to enter into the new reality you’ve created with your thoughts. If you don’t align your lower self with your new reality, then you can only access your new reality in your imagination, but you can’t bring your physical body with you. If you want to bring your physical body, you must change its frequency/vibration, so your body becomes compatible with your new reality.
Note that you are not your lower self. Your physical being is just one of your many manifested creations. But it has its own frequency, and that frequency limits its range of experience. Your true self is unlimited, and you’re free to imagine anything you desire. When you imagine something, it becomes real instantaneously. But initially you can only access it non-physically through your non-physical senses. You can feel its presence in your thoughts, but you won’t yet “see” it in your physically perceived reality with your physical senses. The reason is that you haven’t yet taken your body with you, and your body includes your physical senses. Your physical senses remain at their old frequency (the last frequency you adjusted them to), so they can only continue feeding you sensory information that falls within their frequency range.
In practice this means you may detect some change in your physical reality, which you might refer to as an alpha reflection. A more accurate term would be an alpha projection. What you are experiencing is the projection of the new, non-physical reality you just created onto the frequency range of your physically perceived reality. Depending on the current sensory range of your physical being (based on its vibrational frequency), you may perceive virtually no physical change at all, or you may perceive a great deal of change very quickly.
Time is one of the perceptual factors of your physical self. You may cast out a new intention, and it immediately manifests in the non-physical frequency range. However, your physical self perceives the manifestation as occurring hours, days, or weeks later — or perhaps never. This is because time itself is part of the projection of input that your physical self perceives. What makes time appear real is trying to filter reality through your physical being’s sense perceptions. You aren’t perceiving reality itself; you’re perceiving a projection of reality into a time-bound perceptual matrix.
Imagine a human baby. The baby has no sense of time. It is fully in the present moment. It has no patience. When it’s hungry it cries for food. It has no sense that food is coming later. It only perceives the now. But as that baby adjusts the frequency range of its senses to match the physical reality of the earth plane, its senses align themselves with being able to perceive reality through the lens — the projection — of linear time. Time, therefore, is an artifact of your physical senses. Disconnect yourself from your physical senses, and time no longer has meaning. There is no way to measure time without access to your physical senses. Even if you count numbers in your mind, all you have is the current count, your present-moment memories of the “past,” and your present-moment projection of the “future.” Both past and future are present-moment projections, but they are not real in the sense of having a position in space-time.
The notion of using numbers (i.e. time units) as a measure of temporal distance is strictly rooted to your physical sense perceptions — outside of those physical senses, time is strictly an imaginary concept. Time is irrelevant in a universe of pure consciousness devoid of physicality.
How limited is the sensory range of your physical being? Can you train your eyes and ears to perceive a broader range of frequencies? To some degree the answer is yes, but those frequencies must be in some way compatible with physicality. There must be a way to project the non-physical frequencies you wish to perceive onto the physical plane. That isn’t always possible. You can use devices like radios to turn non-physical frequencies into physically perceivable projections. Electromagnetic frequencies can be translated into sound waves. But you cannot use a radio to listen to the frequency of love, which is also a non-physical frequency. If you try to project love into a sound, it’s like trying to squeeze a whale through the eye of a needle. What comes out the other side won’t remotely resemble a whale, although it will still consist of whale parts. The projection matrix of physicality is simply inadequate to the task of representing the full range of non-physical frequencies as physical sense perceptions. Only some non-physical frequencies can be projected onto physicality without excessive loss of information.
Fortunately you are much more than a physical being. Your physical self and your physical sense projections are merely equipment that you have access to. Don’t make the mistake of thinking they are you. That would be like listening to the radio and thinking that the device is equal to your ear. Your physical senses are merely frequency translators with a limited operating range. There is a great deal they cannot accurately detect. If the only input you consider is that which can be projected through your physical senses, you are practically senseless.
In order to detect a broader range of frequencies, you must tune out from your physical senses and tune into your non-physical senses. The best way to do this is to physically relax your body and eliminate as much physical sensory input as you can. Close your eyes, quiet the environment, go to a place where the smell is neutral and the temperature comfortable. Breathe deeply for a while until your sense of touch becomes numb. This will happen automatically if you remain still and allow the repetitive, non-changing input to saturate your physical nerves. With practice you should be able to enter this state very quickly, within minutes. Again, the sense of time passing is merely part of the physical sensory projection matrix. Once you disconnect from your physical senses completely, you will no longer perceive the passage of time (except to the degree that you continue to associate with your physical senses and translate your non-physical experience into a physical sensory equivalent).
Once you’ve turned your attention away from your physical senses, you can begin listening to your non-physical senses. Try not to sense anything at all in your physical body. Remember that you’re a conscious being and that your body is merely a tool, much like a radio. If you want to perceive frequencies the radio cannot detect, you must turn the radio off and put it down for a while. If you try to watch TV and listen to the radio at the same time, it will be very difficult to hear the TV. Similarly, if you want to perceive reality through your non-physical senses clearly, it’s easiest if you tune out from your physical senses.
How do you “listen” to your non-physical senses? First, realize that this form of listening is an activity. If you tune out from your physical senses but don’t subsequently open your non-physical senses, you may remain tuned out from all sensory input and perceive nothing at all. You may perceive this to be a pleasant state for a while, but you’ll eventually want to move past it and start listening to other frequencies that are available to you.
Let’s explore some of your non-physical senses.
One of your most basic, primitive non-physical senses is your intuition. This is the easiest to access even while you’re still associating with your physical senses because it’s essentially the “loudest” non-physical frequency. Even so, it is far more subtle than the grosser physical frequencies. To access your intuition, simply intend to perceive your intuition channel once you’ve turned off your physical senses. Since you’re already so accustomed to physical sensory forms, it’s a virtual certainty that you’ll project your intuitive channel into mental imagery, sounds, and emotions. With practice, however, you can overcome this limitation and learn to perceive a broader range of intuitive information. You will eventually learn to distinguish your intuition channel from your imagination and your emotions, just as an infant learns to distinguish the separate input channels of sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell.
Think of your intuition as a broad-range antenna that you’re holding out into the non-physical universe. It picks up the strongest signals that broadcast loudly. Through your intuition you can perceive the strongest non-physical energy patterns. Many of these will already be in physical form and will be familiar to you. For example, you can perceive strong energies from other people in your life, strong energies in the world at large such as war and violence and love and joy, and strong energies within your own non-physical self like a sense of compassion or a feeling of power.
Your intuition can sense and interpret a broad range of frequencies. It is very flexible. You can mentally request information on any subject, and if there are strong frequencies present, your intuitive antenna will pick them up and translate them into some kind of inner sensory experience. Usually this will be projected into dream-like imagery, sounds, and feelings, but again, with practice your inner perceptions needn’t be limited to their physical equivalents.
The best way to develop your intuition is practice, practice, practice. Keep tuning in and listening to this channel. The more you do this, the more your intuition will self-calibrate for greater clarity and accuracy. Of course the less you use your intuition, the more its calibration will drift. Don’t expect your intuition to be accurate and reliable if you hardly ever pay attention to it.
Another non-physical sense you can tune into is telepathy. By listening and broadcasting thoughts on the right frequency (controlled by your intentions), you can communicate with non-physical beings. This includes communicating with the non-physical parts of any human beings you perceive with your physical senses.
One caution is that telepathic information is most accurate when it remains in non-physical form. Once you start mixing non-physical telepathic communication with physical sensory communication, don’t expect the two to convey the same information. That would be like expecting your radio and your television to broadcast the same information. Sometimes different devices will pick up information that sounds similar, but it’s never exactly the same.
More often than not, your non-physical telepathic perceptions will be very different from your physical sensory communication (with your eyes, ears, and mouth). Physical communication is limited to a very narrow band of frequencies and loses tremendous accuracy when you try to communicate non-physical ideas. Non-physical communication, however, has much more bandwidth.
For example, suppose you telepathically channel information from a non-physical entity, and then you put it in written form to share with other people. The information may have seemed crystal clear to you when you perceived it non-physically. But when you share that text in physical form, and other people read it through their physical senses, much of the meaning will be “lost in translation.” However, if the text serves as a “station identifier” that allows other people to telepathically connect with the same non-physical communication channel that you used, they’ll be able to pick up the information much more accurately through their non-physical senses than they will by trying to analyze the text itself.
Imagine that you see Niagara Falls, and you want to share it with a friend. If you simply show her a photograph you took, the ineffable quality of your experience will not be shared. To get close to your experience, you would have to physically take her to Niagara Falls, so she could experience the same frequencies you did. When you compress those frequencies to a photograph, you lose too many channels of sensory input.
The third and final non-physical communication frequency we’ll cover here is desire. Intuition is similar to looking around with your eyes. Telepathy is like using your mouth and ears to communicate. Desire is the non-physical equivalent to physical movement and action. Desire is a creative channel.
When you create something non-physically by desiring it, it manifests immediately in non-physical form. If you wish to imagine an apple, you need only hold the desire, and the non-physical apple is immediately created. You can non-physically perceive its presence by sensing its energy through your intuitive channel. You may even visualize it, but visualization isn’t necessary. All it takes to create a non-physical apple is to desire to create it, and it is done.
If you are in the presence of other non-physical beings, they can share in your creations instantly. If you create an apple in your imagination right now, I can perceive it with you. If I create something non-physical and you are listening with your intuition and/or telepathy to the frequency output of my desire, you will perceive what I create as well. In this manner I can share ideas or experiences with you instantly and immediately.
However, it is much more difficult for the desire channel to be perceived through your physical senses in the physical universe. Your desires manifest instantly in non-physical form, but your physical senses will rarely be able to perceive those changes immediately. For starters your physical senses are limited by the projection of time, so even though your non-physical desire manifests immediately, your physical senses will at best only pick up a slight energetic shift in the direction of your desire as your senses adjust themselves to perceive the new frequencies you’ve created. It’s as if your desires have immediately manifested behind you, but in order for you to see them in physical form, you must turn your head.
In truth whenever you physically perceive a manifestation of your desires, you’re perceiving the projection of the non-physical desire.
Focus on creating non-physical manifestations. Don’t try to manifest physical projections. This is a key distinction. What you truly want is never physical in nature. Your truest, deepest desires are always in the non-physical frequency range. For example, wanting money, sex, or a stronger physical body are false desires because they’re merely projections of the non-physical. You never actually desire a projection, so when you try to manifest physical forms directly, your intention will always be weak. It’s like trying to satisfy your appetite with a photo of a banana instead of a real banana. You may be able to do it, but the banana photo cannot satisfy you in any meaningful sense, no matter how delicious it may look. The whole attempt will probably frustrate you, and in the end you’ll only be hungrier.
Instead of money what you really want to experience is abundance, gratitude, and variety. Instead of sex you want to experience love, connection, pleasure, and communion with other conscious beings. Instead of a strong body, you want to experience radiance, confidence, and power. You can manifest all of those desires in non-physical form right now.
Whatever you think you desire in physical form, look to the real non-physical desire behind it. Then put all your energy into creating and manifesting your non-physical desires since that’s what you truly want. Eventually your physical senses will catch up, and you’ll soon see those desires projected into physical form. But it won’t be the physical form that satisfies you. The deeper meaning is always carried by the non-physical frequencies.
Never intend anything physical. Always intend the non-physical, and allow the physical projection to take care of itself.
There are other non-physical perceptual channels such as dreams, but intuition, telepathy, and desire are the easiest to access consciously.
The reason you chose to experience life as a physical being is so you can have the experience of growth. You wanted to experience reality as a progressive continuum, so you could explore the gaps between your thoughts. These gaps cannot be visited in non-physical reality, so you have to come into the physical frequency range to delve into them. You need the concept of linear time to help you explore these gaps.
In strictly non-physical frequencies, there is no growth, no sense of change occurring over time. Every thought projects itself instantly. Reality doesn’t glide smoothly from one moment to the next; it frequently jumps around. Simply hold a thought and it becomes real. There is no sense of progression from one reality to the next. Since your thoughts can jump around randomly, your reality jumps as well.
Enforcing a sense of continuity in purely non-physical frequencies is effectively impossible. Can you hold your thoughts in a continuous stream of logical progression, where there are no discontinuities, no jumps out of sequence? You probably can’t even do this for five minutes.
In truth there are multiple frequency ranges where continuity can be enforced. The physical universe is just one of them.
The reason you find yourself projected into the physical frequency range is specifically to experience time. Time allows you to witness a progressive unfolding from one physical reality to the next. Physical reality is always playing catch-up with your strongest thoughts. If you hold strong, consistent thoughts, your physical reality will soon reflect those thoughts. If, however, your thoughts jump around wildly and inconsistently, your physical reality will keep changing directions too.
Imagine that physical reality is your pet dog. Suppose that the dog has a position on some kind of virtual map, where every spot on the map represents a present-moment physical reality you could be experiencing. So the dog’s position corresponds to your present-moment experience of physical reality. When the dog moves, your physical reality changes. For example, if your dog moves from a position labeled scarcity to a position labeled abundance, in your physical reality you’ll see yourself becoming wealthier as the dog moves.
Whenever you hold a strong thought, you call your dog to you: “Here, boy!” Your dog then starts running toward you. But if you jump to a different thought before your dog reaches you, it’s like teleporting to a new location and calling, “Here, boy!” again. Now your dog switches directions and starts running toward you once again. If you keep jumping around wildly, calling your dog from different spots, your dog’s trajectory will appear chaotic and random. However, if you stand in one spot and keep calling your dog from the same location, he’ll run straight to you.
In the non-physical frequency ranges, when you call your dog, he appears at your side instantly. Your desires manifest instantly. This may seem like a nice experience to have, and it surely is, but the downside is that you can never explore the gaps between your desires. If you want to experience a particular reality, you must intend it precisely. You cannot explore the potential realities that lie within the gaps between your thoughts. So your own imagination actually limits what experiences you can have. If you can’t imagine it, you can’t experience it.
The wonderful benefit of physical reality is that you can get your dog to run through areas you’ve never visited, places you couldn’t even imagine. This means you can experience realities you cannot even imagine. This is an enormously powerful, consciousness-raising, imagination-expanding experience for any non-physical being to have. Consequently, the physical universe is an immensely popular frequency range to visit.
What you may have forgotten is that your dog is always responding to your calls. If you forget this, you may start chasing your dog instead of calling your dog to you. You may even blame your dog for leading you to an undesirable location (such as poverty, loneliness, an unfulfilling job, poor health, etc). But you can’t blame your dog for this. Even so, this is actually a perfectly valid way to live. Some beings who come here will decide, “I’m fine letting the dog run wild for a while.” You can still learn a lot this way because the dog will visit places you’ve never been to.
Your physical senses may tell you, “This is an unpleasant reality to experience.” But at the same time, your non-physical self is sensing, “This is a reality I’ve never experienced before. I am learning so much from it. I couldn’t even imagine something like this if I tried.”
If you want to change your experience of physical reality, you must lead your dog. It will faithfully follow you. But you must consistently intend a new position and allow your dog to come to you. Hold your intentions clearly, and allow your physical reality to gradually catch up. If you keep revisiting your dog’s location to check on it (i.e. by reacting to reality instead of consciously creating it), you are meeting your dog and tell him, “Stop!” Whenever you do this, your reality will stagnate. This is fine if you want to soak up a certain experience for a while, but if you wish to continue growing, you must take charge and lead your dog where you want to go.
* * *
There is no “wrong” way to experience physical reality. You will learn a lot whether you actively take charge of the experience or passively allow it to unfold. But if you find your current physical reality unpleasant or if you’ve been stuck in a certain location longer than you’d like, realize that this is happening because you’re holding your physical body and physical senses there with your own thoughts. You are calling your dog to this spot again and again. Your dog is very obedient, so he will not leave you. If you want to experience something new, then you must first create it in your imagination and hold those thoughts long enough for your dog to catch up.
As you do this, allow yourself to fully experience the unfolding pathway from one physical reality to the next. After all, this is why you’re here.
For more than three centuries, scientists have studied the world as detached observers. In doing so, science has achieved marvelous results, but it has also lost the sense of the whole that earlier cultures possessed. By concentrating on the "text" of the physical world, science has lost the context--the etheric world of life forces.
Goethean phenomenology (so named for Goethe's observations) is a scientific method capable of bringing the clarity of natural science to this context of phenomena. Unconsciously, scientific observers have always been using the context to read the text. The phenomenological method involves training observers to look at the activity of thinking itself as it perceives intentionally. It then uses this activity itself as a means of perception. The observer thus becomes conscious that physical nature is indeed a text, and that its meaning derives from the etheric context.
Unlike the more common hypothetical and deductive methods--which presupose a detached observer--the phenomenological method is based on active participation by the observer. This eliminates the need to construct speculative hypotheses; the observer's awareness of his or her own intentionality ensures the veracity of the observations. The etheric world is not a new hypothesis; it is, however, a new domain of observation.
The authors--Jochen Bockem�hl, Christof Lindenau, Georg Maier, Ernst-August M�ller, Hermann Poppelbaum, Dietrich Rapp, and Wolfgang Schad--have all written extensively on "participatory" science and related matters. In this ground-breaking collection, they each explore an aspect of the etheric world and its relationship to human thinking. They systematically lead the reader into the "formative movements" of nature and offer genuine insight into the far-reaching mystery of life.
The above book draws its inspiration from the work of Rudolf Steiner
The following are some material in connection with the recent advances of the emerging "mind-reading" of the brain through conventional scientific means. It has some relevance to the reasearch and development of Multi-Dimensional Science
AI and Brain Reading Google Listings
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Brain-reading or thought identification uses the responses of multiple voxels in the brain evoked by stimulus then detected by fMRI in order to decode the original stimulus. Advances in research have made this possible by using human neuroimaging to decode a person's conscious experience based on non-invasive measurements of an individual's brain activity.[1] Brain reading studies differ in the type of decoding (i.e. classification, identification and reconstruction) employed, the target (i.e. decoding visual patterns, auditory patterns, cognitive states), and the decoding algorithms (linear classification, nonlinear classification, direct reconstruction, Bayesian reconstruction, etc.) employed.
In 2007, Professor of neuropsychology Barbara Sahakian qualified, "A lot of neuroscientists in the field are very cautious and say we can't talk about reading individuals' minds, and right now that is very true, but we're moving ahead so rapidly, it's not going to be that long before we will be able to tell whether someone's making up a story, or whether someone intended to do a crime with a certain degree of certainty."[2]
Identification of complex natural images is possible using voxels from early and anterior visual cortex areas forward of them (visual areas V3A, V3B, V4, and the lateral occipital) together with Bayesian inference. This brain reading approach uses three components:[3] a structural encoding model that characterizes responses in early visual areas; a semantic encoding model that characterizes responses in anterior visual areas; and a Bayesian prior that describes the distribution of structural and semantic scene statistics.[3]
Experimentally the procedure is for subjects to view 1750 black and white natural images that are correlated with voxel activation in their brains. Then subjects viewed another 120 novel target images, and information from the earlier scans is used reconstruct them. Natural images used include pictures of a seaside cafe and harbor, performers on a stage, and dense foliage.[3]
In 2008 IBM applied for a patent on how to extract mental images of human faces from the human brain. It uses a feedback loop based on brain measurements of the fusiform gyrus area in the brain which activates proportionate with degree of facial recognition.[4]
In 2011, a team led by Shinji Nishimoto used only brain recordings to partially reconstruct what volunteers were seeing. The researchers applied a new model, about how moving object information is processed in human brains, while volunteers watched clips from several videos. An algorithm searched through thousands of hours of external YouTube video footage (none of the videos were the same as the ones the volunteers watched) to select the clips that were most similar.[5][6] The authors have uploaded demos comparing the watched and the computer-estimated videos.[7][8]
Brain-reading has been suggested as an alternative to polygraph machines as a form of lie detection.[9] Another alternative to polygraph machines is blood oxygenated level dependent functional MRI technology (BOLD fMRI). This technique involves the interpretation of the local change in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the brain, although the relationship between this blood flow and neural activity is not yet completely understood.[9] Another technique to find concealed information is brain fingerprinting, which uses EEG to ascertain if a person has a specific memory or information by identifying P300 event related potentials.[10]
A number of concerns have been raised about the accuracy and ethical implications of brain-reading for this purpose. Laboratory studies have found rates of accuracy of up to 85%; however, there are concerns about what this means for false positive results among non-criminal populations: "If the prevalence of "prevaricators" in the group being examined is low, the test will yield far more false-positive than true-positive results; about one person in five will be incorrectly identified by the test."[9] Ethical problems involved in the use of brain-reading as lie detection include misapplications due to adoption of the technology before its reliability and validity can be properly assessed and due to misunderstanding of the technology, and privacy concerns due to unprecedented access to individual's private thoughts.[9] However, it has been noted that the use of polygraph lie detection carries similar concerns about the reliability of the results[9] and violation of privacy.[11]
Brain-reading has also been proposed as a method of improving human–machine interfaces, by the use of EEG to detect relevant brain states of a human.[12] In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in patents for technology involved in reading brainwaves, rising from fewer than 400 from 2009–2012 to 1600 in 2014.[13] These include proposed ways to control video games via brain waves and "neuro-marketing" to determine someone's thoughts about a new product or advertisement.
Emotiv Systems, an Australian electronics company, has demonstrated a headset that can be trained to recognize a user's thought patterns for different commands. Tan Le demonstrated the headset's ability to manipulate virtual objects on screen, and discussed various future applications for such brain-computer interface devices, from powering wheel chairs to replacing the mouse and keyboard.[14]
It is possible to track which of two forms of rivalrous binocular illusions a person was subjectively experiencing from fMRI signals.[15]
When humans think of an object, such as a screwdriver, many different areas of the brain activate. Marcel Just and his colleague, Tom Mitchell, have used fMRI brain scans to teach a computer to identify the various parts of the brain associated with specific thoughts.[16] This technology also yielded a discovery: similar thoughts in different human brains are surprisingly similar neurologically. To illustrate this, Just and Mitchell used their computer to predict, based on nothing but fMRI data, which of several images a volunteer was thinking about. The computer was 100% accurate, but so far the machine is only distinguishing between 10 images.[16]
The category of event which a person freely recalls can be identified from fMRI before they say what they remembered.[17]
December 16, 2015, a study conducted by Toshimasa Yamazaki at Kyushu Institute of Technology found that during a rock-paper-scissors game a computer was able to determine the choice made by the subjects before they moved their hand. An EEG was used to measure activity in the Broca's area to see the words two seconds before the words were uttered.[18][19][20]
Statistical analysis of EEG brainwaves has been claimed to allow the recognition of phonemes,[21] and at a 60% to 75% level color and visual shape words.[22]
On 31 January 2012 Brian Pasley and colleagues of University of California Berkeley published their paper in PLoS Biology wherein subjects' internal neural processing of auditory information was decoded and reconstructed as sound on computer by gathering and analyzing electrical signals directly from subjects' brains.[23] The research team conducted their studies on the superior temporal gyrus, a region of the brain that is involved in higher order neural processing to make semantic sense from auditory information.[24] The research team used a computer model to analyze various parts of the brain that might be involved in neural firing while processing auditory signals. Using the computational model, scientists were able to identify the brain activity involved in processing auditory information when subjects were presented with recording of individual words.[25] Later, the computer model of auditory information processing was used to reconstruct some of the words back into sound based on the neural processing of the subjects. However the reconstructed sounds were not of good quality and could be recognized only when the audio wave patterns of the reconstructed sound were visually matched with the audio wave patterns of the original sound that was presented to the subjects.[25] However this research marks a direction towards more precise identification of neural activity in cognition.
Some researchers in 2008 were able to predict, with 60% accuracy, whether a subject was going to push a button with their left or right hand. This is notable, not just because the accuracy is better than chance, but also because the scientists were able to make these predictions up to 10 seconds before the subject acted – well before the subject felt they had decided.[26] This data is even more striking in light of other research suggesting that the decision to move, and possibly the ability to cancel that movement at the last second,[27] may be the results of unconscious processing.[28]
John Dylan-Haynes has also demonstrated that fMRI can be used to identify whether a volunteer is about to add or subtract two numbers in their head.[16]
Neural decoding techniques have been used to test theories about the predictive brain, and to investigate how top-down predictions affect brain areas such as the visual cortex. Studies using fMRI decoding techniques have found that predictable sensory events[29] and the expected consequences of our actions[30] are better decoded in visual brain areas, suggesting that prediction 'sharpens' representations in line with expectations.
It has also been shown that brain-reading can be achieved in a complex virtual environment.[31]
Just and Mitchell also claim they are beginning to be able to identify kindness, hypocrisy, and love in the brain.[16]
In 2013 a project led by University of California Berkeley professor John Chuang published findings on the feasibility of brainwave-based computer authentication as a substitute for passwords. Improvements in the use of biometrics for computer authentication has continually improved since the 1980s, but this research team was looking for a method faster and less intrusive than today's retina scans, fingerprinting, and voice recognition. The technology chosen to improve security measures is an electroencephalogram (EEG), or brainwave measurer, to improve passwords into "pass thoughts." Using this method Chuang and his team were able to customize tasks and their authentication thresholds to the point where they were able to reduce error rates under 1%, significantly better than other recent methods. In order to better attract users to this new form of security the team is still researching mental tasks that are enjoyable for the user to perform while having their brainwaves identified. In the future this method could be as cheap, accessible, and straightforward as thought itself.[32]
John-Dylan Haynes states that fMRI can also be used to identify recognition in the brain. He provides the example of a criminal being interrogated about whether he recognizes the scene of the crime or murder weapons.[16]
In classification, a pattern of activity across multiple voxels is used to determine the particular class from which the stimulus was drawn.[33] Many studies have classified visual stimuli, but this approach has also been used to classify cognitive states.[citation needed]
In reconstruction brain reading the aim is to create a literal picture of the image that was presented. Early studies used voxels from early visual cortex areas (V1, V2, and V3) to reconstruct geometric stimuli made up of flickering checkerboard patterns.[34][35]
EEG has also been used to identify recognition of specific information or memories by the P300 event related potential, which has been dubbed 'brain fingerprinting'.[36]
Brain-reading accuracy is increasing steadily as the quality of the data and the complexity of the decoding algorithms improve. In one recent experiment it was possible to identify which single image was being seen from a set of 120.[37] In another it was possible to correctly identify 90% of the time which of two categories the stimulus came and the specific semantic category (out of 23) of the target image 40% of the time.[3]
It has been noted that so far brain-reading is limited. "In practice, exact reconstructions are impossible to achieve by any reconstruction algorithm on the basis of brain activity signals acquired by fMRI. This is because all reconstructions will inevitably be limited by inaccuracies in the encoding models and noise in the measured signals. Our results[who?] demonstrate that the natural image prior is a powerful (if unconventional) tool for mitigating the effects of these fundamental limitations. A natural image prior with only six million images is sufficient to produce reconstructions that are structurally and semantically similar to a target image."[3]
With brain scanning technology becoming increasingly accurate, experts predict important debates over how and when it should be used. One potential area of application is criminal law. Haynes states that simply refusing to use brain scans on suspects also prevents the wrongly accused from proving their innocence.[2] US scholars generally believe that involuntary brain reading, and involuntary polygraph tests, would violate the 5th Amendment's right to not self incriminate.[38][39] One perspective is to consider whether brain imaging is like testimony, or instead like DNA, blood, or semen. Paul Root Wolpe, director of the Center for Ethics at Emory University in Atlanta predicts that this question will be decided by a Supreme Court case.[40]
In other countries outside the United States, thought identification has already been used in criminal law. In 2008 an Indian woman was convicted of murder after an EEG of her brain allegedly revealed that she was familiar with the circumstances surrounding the poisoning of her ex-fiancé.[40] Some neuroscientists and legal scholars doubt the validity of using thought identification as a whole for anything past research on the nature of deception and the brain.[41]
The Economist cautioned people to be "afraid" of the future impact, and some ethicists argue that privacy laws should protect private thoughts. Legal scholar Hank Greely argues that the court systems could benefit from such technology, and neuroethicist Julian Savulescu states that brain data is not fundamentally different from other types of evidence.[42] In Nature, journalist Liam Drew writes about emerging projects to attach brain-reading devices to speech synthesizers or other output devices for the benefit of tetraplegics. Such devices could create concerns of accidentally broadcasting the patient's "inner thoughts" rather than merely conscious speech.[43]
Psychologist John-Dylan Haynes experienced breakthroughs in brain imaging research in 2006 by using fMRI. This research included new findings on visual object recognition, tracking dynamic mental processes, lie detecting, and decoding unconscious processing. The combination of these four discoveries revealed such a significant amount of information about an individual's thoughts that Haynes termed it "brain reading".[1]
The fMRI has allowed research to expand by significant amounts because it can track the activity in an individual's brain by measuring the brain's blood flow. It is currently thought to be the best method for measuring brain activity, which is why it has been used in multiple research experiments in order to improve the understanding of how doctors and psychologists can identify thoughts.[44]
In a 2020 study, AI using implanted electrodes could correctly transcribe a sentence read aloud from a fifty-sentence test set 97% of the time, given 40 minutes of training data per participant.[45]
Experts are unsure of how far thought identification can expand, but Marcel Just believed in 2014 that in 3–5 years there will be a machine that is able to read complex thoughts such as 'I hate so-and-so'.[40]
Donald Marks, founder and chief science officer of MMT, is working on playing back thoughts individuals have after they have already been recorded.[46]
Researchers at the University of California Berkeley have already been successful in forming, erasing, and reactivating memories in rats. Marks says they are working on applying the same techniques to humans. This discovery could be monumental for war veterans who suffer from PTSD.[46]
Further research is also being done in analyzing brain activity during video games to detect criminals, neuromarketing, and using brain scans in government security checks.[40][44]
Episode Black Hole of American medical drama House, which aired on March 15, 2010, featured an experimental "cognitive imaging" device that supposedly allowed to see a patient's subcounscious. The patient was first put in a preparation phase of six hours while watching video clips, attached to a neuroimaging device looking like electroencephalography or Functional near-infrared spectroscopy, to train the neuroimaging classifier. Then the patient was put under twilight anesthesia, and the same device was used to try to infer what was going through the patient's mind. The fictional episode somewhat anticipated the study by Nishimoto et al. published the following year, in which fMRI was used instead.[5][6][7][8]
Ronald Allen and Kristen Mace discern 'universal agreement' that the (Mind Reader Machine) is unacceptable.
The Theory of Multidimensional Reality
Multidimensional Reality Video
Maybe of "controversial" interest
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The term Multidimensional is used in Multi-Dimensional Science and implies the existence of many worlds or rather an infinite number of them. In the context of MDS they are essentially non-physical.
he adjective multidimensional describes anything with many different parts or aspects. You might talk about your relationship with the next door neighbor as multidimensional if, say, he's also your teacher, and if his son is married to your older sister.
Describing something as multidimensional implies that it's complex. You could talk about a multidimensional book filled with intricate themes, characters, plots, and symbols; or you could even call a person multidimensional if she had a particularly complicated personality. The word dimension forms the root of multidimensional, so if you imagine "many dimensions," you'll have a clear idea of what the word means.
Below is in part a mathmatical presentation of a so-called multidimensional system...
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In mathematical systems theory, a multidimensional system or m-D system is a system in which not only one independent variable exists (like time), but there are several independent variables.
Important problems such as factorization and stability of m-D systems (m > 1) have recently attracted the interest of many researchers and practitioners. The reason is that the factorization and stability is not a straightforward extension of the factorization and stability of 1-D systems because, for example, the fundamental theorem of algebra does not exist in the ring of m-D (m > 1) polynomials.
Multidimensional systems or m-D systems are the necessary mathematical background for modern digital image processing with many applications in biomedicine, X-ray technology and satellite communications.[1][2] There are also some studies combining m-D systems with partial differential equations (PDEs).
A state-space model is a representation of a system in which the effect of all "prior" input values is contained by a state vector. In the case of an m-d system, each dimension has a state vector that contains the effect of prior inputs relative to that dimension. The collection of all such dimensional state vectors at a point constitutes the total state vector at the point.
Consider a uniform discrete space linear two-dimensional (2d) system that is space invariant and causal. It can be represented in matrix-vector form as follows:[3][4]
Represent the input vector at each point by , the output vector by the horizontal state vector by and the vertical state vector by . Then the operation at each point is defined by:
where and are matrices of appropriate dimensions.
These equations can be written more compactly by combining the matrices:
Given input vectors at each point and initial state values, the value of each output vector can be computed by recursively performing the operation above.
A discrete linear two-dimensional system is often described by a partial difference equation in the form:
where is the input and is the output at point and and are constant coefficients.
To derive a transfer function for the system the 2d Z-transform is applied to both sides of the equation above.
Transposing yields the transfer function :
So given any pattern of input values, the 2d Z-transform of the pattern is computed and then multiplied by the transfer function to produce the Z-transform of the system output.
Often an image processing or other md computational task is described by a transfer function that has certain filtering properties, but it is desired to convert it to state-space form for more direct computation. Such conversion is referred to as realization of the transfer function.
Consider a 2d linear spatially invariant causal system having an input-output relationship described by:
Two cases are individually considered 1) the bottom summation is simply the constant 1 2) the top summation is simply a constant . Case 1 is often called the “all-zero” or “finite impulse response” case, whereas case 2 is called the “all-pole” or “infinite impulse response” case. The general situation can be implemented as a cascade of the two individual cases. The solution for case 1 is considerably simpler than case 2 and is shown below.
The state-space vectors will have the following dimensions:
Each term in the summation involves a negative (or zero) power of and of which correspond to a delay (or shift) along the respective dimension of the input . This delay can be effected by placing ’s along the super diagonal in the . and matrices and the multiplying coefficients in the proper positions in the . The value is placed in the upper position of the matrix, which will multiply the input and add it to the first component of the vector. Also, a value of is placed in the matrix which will multiply the input and add it to the output . The matrices then appear as follows:
In ontology and the philosophy of mind, a non-physical entity is an object that exists outside physical reality. The philosophical schools of idealism and dualism assert that such entities exist, while physicalism asserts that they do not. Positing the existence of non-physical entities leads to further questions concerning their inherent nature and their relation to physical entities.[1]
Philosophers generally do agree on the existence of abstract objects. The mind can conceive of objects that clearly have no physical counterpart. Such objects include concepts such as numbers, mathematical sets and functions, and philosophical relations and properties. If such objects are indeed entities, they are entities that exist only in the mind itself, not within space and time. For an example, an abstract property such as redness has no presence in space-time.[2][3] To make a distinction between metaphysics and epistemology, such objects, if they are to be considered entities, are categorized as logical entities to distinguish them from physical entities. The study of non-physical entities can be summarized by the question, "Is imagination real?" While older Cartesian dualists held the existence of non-physical minds, more limited forms of dualism propounded by 20th and 21st century philosophers (such as property dualism) hold merely the existence of non-physical properties.[4]
Dualism is the division of two contrasted or opposed aspects. The dualist school supposes the existence of non-physical entities, the most widely discussed one being the mind. But beyond that it runs into stumbling blocks.[5] Pierre Gassendi put one such problem directly to René Descartes in 1641, in response to Descartes's Meditations:
[It] still remains to be explained how that union and apparent intermingling [of mind and body …] can be found in you, if you are incorporeal, unextended and indivisible […]. How, at least, can you be united with the brain, or some minute part in it, which (as has been said) must yet have some magnitude or extension, however small it be? If you are wholly without parts how can you mix or appear to mix with its minute subdivisions? For there is no mixture unless each of the things to be mixed has parts that can mix with one another.
Descartes' response to Gassendi, and to Princess Elizabeth who asked him similar questions in 1643, is generally considered nowadays to be lacking, because it did not address what is known in the philosophy of mind as the interaction problem.[5][6] This is a problem for non-physical entities as posited by dualism: by what mechanism, exactly, do they interact with physical entities, and how can they do so? Interaction with physical systems requires physical properties which a non-physical entity does not possess.[7]
Dualists either, like Descartes, avoid the problem by considering it impossible for a non-physical mind to conceive the relationship that it has with the physical, and so impossible to explain philosophically, or assert that the questioner has made the fundamental mistake of thinking that the distinction between the physical and the non-physical is such that it prevents each from affecting the other.
Other questions about the non-physical which dualism has not answered include such questions as how many minds each person can have, which is not an issue for physicalism which can simply declare one-mind-per-person almost by definition; and whether non-physical entities such as minds and souls are simple or compound, and if the latter, what "stuff" the compounds are made from.[8]
Describing in philosophical terms what a non-physical entity actually is (or would be) can prove problematic. A convenient example of what constitutes a non-physical entity is a ghost. Gilbert Ryle once labelled Cartesian dualism as positing the "ghost in the machine". [9][10] However, it is hard to define in philosophical terms what it is, precisely, about a ghost that makes it a specifically non-physical, rather than a physical entity. Were the existence of ghosts ever demonstrated beyond doubt, it has been claimed that would actually place them in the category of physical entities.[10]
Purported non-mental non-physical entities include things such as gods, angels, demons, and ghosts. Lacking physical demonstrations of their existence, their existences and natures are widely debated, independently of the philosophy of mind.[11][12]
Having been born and raised in Iran, I always had an interest in Sufism, a spiritual practice aimed at the inner journey of self-exploration and knowing one’s “true self." Among the most famous thinkers of this philosophy in the West, are Rumi and Hafiz from Iran. In my opinion, Sufism resonates with psychological thinking of getting to know the "true self," and unshackling from the false perception of oneself, which is acquired from the environment, prejudices, and others. A belief that if we get to the core of our true being, we would be in harmony with the universe, and its creator.
I had the opportunity to learn about “Sufi psychology” at the Sufi Youth Conference, where I was invited to talk about my specialty: fear. There I met Dr. Saloumeh Bozorgzadeh, the president of the Sufi Psychology Association, and she agreed to tell me more about Sufi psychology. The questions are mine, the answers are hers:
What is Sufism?
Saloumeh: Sufism is a discipline in self-knowledge. The goal is for one to know themselves. Not just the physical dimension of their being, which consists of their personality, emotions, body, social identity, etc., but also the spiritual dimension. The part of ourselves where we gather our strength, courage, compassion. The ineffable part of us that, although all aspects of the physical dimensions are constantly changing, this part has remained stable and unaffected. The part that makes you, you.
How did you get involved with Sufism?
Saloumeh: I‘ve been going to the M.T.O. Shahmaghsoudi®️School of Islamic Sufism®️ since I was a child. I would go with my father. However, as is part of the teachings of Sufism, you have to sort through what your true intention is with everything you do. You must separate out the things you do out of habit or due to social/cultural/familial expectations and customs, and truly explore what your goal and purpose is. That process was rather difficult because I realized how much I rely on and live my life based on the decisions that have been placed before and have been made for me. I noticed that I had a fear in determining what is best for me. I didn’t know and was crippled by making the “wrong” decision. The aspects that I knew as myself (my thoughts, emotions, etc.) all changed constantly. How could I possibly make a decision when the foundation that I am basing the decision on is so shaky?
The Sufi Master, Professor Sadegh Angha in his book Principles of Faghr and Sufism has said, “First you must know who you are, then you can determine what you need.” The fear and uncertainty of who I am when all my roles, customs, self-narratives have been stripped away is what made me actively seek out this path of self-knowledge and made me want to be a student of this school. There was no other option, I must learn who I am so I have something stable. As I learn more about who I am, the lessons also teach me a great deal about psychology and how we operate.
What is Sufi psychology?
Saloumeh: Sufi psychology is taking the principles and teachings of Sufism and applying them to contemporary psychology. Through this lens, our distress and pain stem from a lack of knowledge of who we are. We get caught up in the stories and limitations we tell ourselves, how the past has affected us, or fear of our ability to navigate circumstances in the future. All of this is because I don’t know who I am or what my capabilities are. Sufi psychology seeks to remind each individual that there is more to them than these aspects that are reactive to the environment. By going deeper into ourselves and tapping into the constant and stable part of my being, I am less likely to sway with what’s happening outside of me and the fluctuations that life has
How is it different from other ways of psychology?
Saloumeh: Western psychological practices focus on what was described above as the physical dimension. It helps us navigate our thoughts, emotions, and social relationships which are important for this dimension. Sufi psychology brings in the spiritual dimension. The Sufi Master, Professor Nader Angha, uses the analogy of a lamp [Wilcox, 1995, pg. 3]. Western psychology is focusing on all aspects of this lamp; is the wiring frayed, does the shade match the stand, is this the proper lamp for the room, etc. Sufi psychology is more concerned with the light source and plugging it in.
How is it different from other eastern philosophies?
Saloumeh: Each practice has its own paradigm, its own verbiage, which resonates with different people in different ways. To compare them is to isolate aspects of them for the purpose of comparison. This becomes reductionist which does not provide a comprehensive understanding of either. What I can say is that a student of Sufism seeks to know. It is not enough to observe ourselves, we want to know who the observer is, connect with it, and like a drop, annihilate the self-created boundaries and narratives and become the sea.
Arash: The metaphor I have heard often used is comparing "knowing about a river in India," vs. swimming in that river—totally different experiences.
Which area of psychology overlaps more with Sufi psychology?
Saloumeh: Humanistic psychology is the closest due to its focus on self-actualization. However, I should mention that in Sufi psychotherapy, we use other theoretical orientations as well. Current, psychological schools of thought are ways to provide relief to the physical dimension. They help us become aware of emotions and thoughts, adapt socially, explore the effects of the past and relationship patterns, target the experience of trauma in the body, etc. This is necessary for functioning in the world. With Sufi psychology we add another element, we aim to redirect clients to seek that source within. The essence which has remained constant and stable, and though all around us shifts, that “source of life” shines, without pause. Even in the most difficult moments, it is our companion.
References
Wilcox. L. (1995) Sufism and psychology. Abjad: Chicago.
The ideas of the EPRC is a good start in the right direction...However, Multi-Dimensional Science goes beyond it....
The Mission
What many might call “spiritual”, “mystical”, “energetic”, etc. experiences and effects, we refer to as emergent phenomena. We refer to practices designed to lead to emergent phenomena, such as meditation, psychedelics, yoga, prayer, etc., as emergent practices.
As emergent practices continue to scale up in society, our aim is to give health care systems, mental health providers, and those who are helping to teach and promote various practices the information they need in order to make better decisions about how to both promote the benefits of these practices and manage the various effects that they can produce.
The Emergent Phenomenology Research Consortium’s mission is to use ontologically-agnostic, multidisciplinary, first-person, psychometric, neurophenomenological, biochemical, and clinical scientific methods to conduct studies on emergent practices and phenomena to generate clinically-relevant information that can add value to practitioners, patients, clinicians, and healthcare systems.
By finding the skilfull overlap of the perspectives of science, spirituality, religion, clinical medicine, and mental health, we can generate outcomes that are as beneficial as possible for all concerned.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to searchCharles Howard Hinton (1853 – 30 April 1907) was a British mathematician and writer of science fiction works titled Scientific Romances. He was interested in higher dimensions, particularly the fourth dimension. He is known for coining the word "tesseract" and for his work on methods of visualising the geometry of higher dimensions.
Hinton's father, James Hinton, was a surgeon and advocate of polygamy. Charles Hinton was born in the United Kingdom. His siblings included the costume designer Ada Nettleship (1856 – 1932).[1]
Hinton taught at Cheltenham College[2] while he studied at Balliol College, Oxford, where he obtained his B.A. in 1877. From 1880 to 1886, he taught at Uppingham School in Rutland, where Howard Candler, a friend of Edwin Abbott Abbott's, also taught.[3] Hinton also received his M.A. from Oxford in 1886.
In 1880 Hinton married Mary Ellen, daughter of Mary Everest Boole and George Boole, the founder of mathematical logic.[4] The couple had four children: George (1882–1943), Eric (*1884), William (1886–1909)[5] and Sebastian (1887–1923) (inventor of the jungle gym and father of William and Joan Hinton).
In 1883 he went through a marriage ceremony with Maud Florence, by whom he had had twin children, under the assumed identity of John Weldon. He was subsequently convicted of bigamy and spent three days in prison, losing his job at Uppingham.[6] His father James Hinton was a radical advocate of polygamous relationships,[7] and according to Charles' mother James had once remarked to her: "Christ was the saviour of Men but I am the saviour of Women and I don't envy him a bit."[8]
In 1887 Charles moved with Mary Ellen to Japan to work in a mission before accepting a job as headmaster of the Victoria Public School. In 1893 he sailed to the United States on the SS Tacoma to take up a post at Princeton University as an instructor in mathematics.[6]
In 1897, he designed a gunpowder-powered baseball pitching machine for the Princeton baseball team's batting practice.[6][9] The machine was versatile, capable of variable speeds with an adjustable breech size, and firing curve balls by the use of two rubber-coated steel fingers at the muzzle of the pitcher.[10] He successfully introduced the machine to the University of Minnesota, where Hinton worked as an assistant professor until 1900, when he resigned to move to the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C.[6]
At the end of his life, Hinton worked as an examiner of chemical patents for the United States Patent Office. At age 54, he died unexpectedly of a cerebral hemorrhage on 30 April 1907 in Washington, D.C.[11][12] After Hinton's sudden death his wife, Mary Ellen, committed suicide, also in Washington, D.C., in May 1908.[13]
In an 1880 article entitled "What is the Fourth Dimension?", Hinton suggested that points moving around in three dimensions might be imagined as successive cross-sections of a static four-dimensional arrangement of lines passing through a three-dimensional plane, an idea that anticipated the notion of world lines. Hinton's explorations of higher space had a moral basis:
Hinton argues that gaining an intuitive perception of higher space required that we rid ourselves of the ideas of right and left, up and down, that inheres in our position as observers in a three-dimensional world. Hinton calls the process "casting out the self", equates it with the process of sympathizing with another person, and implies the two processes are mutually reinforcing.[14]
Hinton created several new words to describe elements in the fourth dimension. According to the OED, he first used the word tesseract in 1888 in his book A New Era of Thought. Alicia Boole Stott, his sister in law who knew him at Oxford supervised the publication of the book whilst he was abroad.[15] He also invented the words kata (from the Greek for "down from") and ana (from the Greek for "up toward") to describe the additional two opposing fourth-dimensional directions (an additional 4th axis of motion analogous to left-right (x), up-down (y), and forwards-backwards (z)).[16]
Hinton's Scientific romances, including "What is the Fourth Dimension?" and "A Plane World", were published as a series of nine pamphlets by Swan Sonnenschein & Co. during 1884–1886. In the introduction to "A Plane World", Hinton referred to Abbott's recent Flatland as having similar design but different intent. Abbott used the stories as "a setting wherein to place his satire and his lessons. But we wish in the first place to know the physical facts." Hinton's world existed along the perimeter of a circle rather than on an infinite flat plane.[17] He extended the connection to Abbott's work with An Episode of Flatland: Or How a Plane Folk Discovered the Third Dimension (1907).
An Episode of Flatland or How a Plane Folk Discovered the Third Dimension, to which is bound up An Outline of the History of Unæa [18] made its public debut in 1907, even receiving a paragraph review (though not particularly flattering) in the British scientific journal Nature (1907).[19] The action plays out in the planar world of two-dimensional "Astria" with the primary characters partaking in various adventures, scientific and romantic. Ultimately, some "Astrians" come to accept and comprehend the reality and fullness of three-dimensions in a world beyond their immediate comprehension. The book consists of a Preface, Introduction, a post-introductory section titled The History of Astria, and the Episode (referred to in the title) composed of twenty short chapters. Overall, it is longer than Edwin A. Abbott's novella Flatland… (1884); Hinton's narrative contains approximately 53,720 words.
Hinton's work combines various literary and scientific features, with the author intent on popularizing the idea of "higher dimensions" among educated Edwardian readers including such diverse groups as religious thinkers and believers, experimental scientists, artists, stodgy academics, engineers, politicians, and others of various persuasions and agendas. Recognizing the existence of, and even reaching, a "higher dimension" was not simply part and parcel to a strictly mathematical game; for Charles H. Hinton (1907), during an era when spiritualism (with the obligatory séances) was running rampant, it was important to point the way toward a higher realm of existence in both intellectual and genuinely spiritual terms.
Hinton's advocacy of the tesseract as a means to perceive higher dimensions spawned a long lineage of science fiction, fantasy, and spiritual works that similarly refer to the tesseract as a way to understand—or even access—higher dimensions, including Charles Leadbeater's Clairvoyance (1899), Claude Bragdon's A Primer of Higher Space (1913), Algernon Blackwood's Victim of Higher Space (1914), H. P. Lovecraft's The Shadow Out of Time (1935), Robert Heinlein's "—And He Built a Crooked House—" (1941), Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time (1962), and Christopher Nolan's film Interstellar (2014).[20]
Hinton was one of the many thinkers who circulated in Jorge Luis Borges's pantheon of writers. Hinton is mentioned in Borges' short stories "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius", "There Are More Things" and "El milagro secreto" ("The Secret Miracle"):
He judged A Vindication of Eternity to be less unsatisfactory, perhaps. The first volume documents the diverse eternities that mankind has invented, from Parmenides' static Being to Hinton's modifiable past; the second denies (with Francis Bradley) that all the events of the universe constitute a temporal series.[21]
Hinton influenced P. D. Ouspensky's thinking. Many of ideas Ouspensky presents in "Tertium Organum" mention Hinton's works.
Hinton's "scientific romance", the "Unlearner", is cited by John Dewey in Art as Experience, chapter 3. The story described by John Dewey is actually titled "An Unfinished Communication" and is part of the second series of "Scientific Romances". The Unlearner is a character in this story, which might explain why John Dewey confused the title of the story.
Hinton is the main character in Carlos Atanes's play Un genio olvidado (Un rato en la vida de Charles Howard Hinton) ("A Forgotten Genius (The Life and Time of Charles Howard Hinton)"). The play premiered in Madrid during May 2015, and was published in May 2017.
Hinton is mentioned several times in Alan Moore's graphic novel From Hell; his theories regarding the fourth dimension form the basis of the book's final chapter. His father, James Hinton, appears in chapters 4 and 10.[citation needed]
He is mentioned twice in Aleister Crowley's novel Moonchild. The first mention mistakenly names his father, James Hinton.
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Psychonautics (from the Ancient Greek ψυχή psychē 'soul, spirit, mind' and ναύτης naútēs 'sailor, navigator')[1] refers both to a methodology for describing and explaining the subjective effects of altered states of consciousness, including those induced by meditation or mind-altering substances, and to a research cabal in which the researcher voluntarily immerses themselves into an altered mental state in order to explore the accompanying experiences.[2]
The term has been applied diversely, to cover all activities by which altered states are induced and utilized for spiritual purposes or the exploration of the human condition, including shamanism, lamas of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition,[3] sensory deprivation,[1] and archaic/modern drug users who use entheogenic substances in order to gain deeper insights and spiritual experiences.[4] Self-experimentation of psychedelics in groups may foster innovation of alternative medication treatment.[5] A person who uses altered states for such exploration is known as a psychonaut.
The term psychonautics derives from the prior term psychonaut, which began appearing in North American works in the late 1950s. The first reference that corresponds to contemporary usages of the term was in the 1965 edition of the Group Psychotherapy journal. A 1968 magazine, Beyond Baroque, refers to Timothy Leary as a psychonaut.[citation needed]
German author Ernst Jünger used the term to describe Arthur Heffter in his 1970 essay on his own extensive drug experiences Annäherungen: Drogen und Rausch (literally: "Approaches: Drugs and Inebriation").[1][6] In this essay, Jünger draws many parallels between drug experience and physical exploration—for example, the danger of encountering hidden "reefs."
Peter J. Carroll made Psychonaut the title of a 1982 book on the experimental use of meditation, ritual and drugs in the experimental exploration of consciousness and of psychic phenomena, or "chaos magic".[7]
The term's first published use in a scholarly context is attributed to ethnobotanist Jonathan Ott, in 2001.[8]
Clinical psychiatrist Jan Dirk Blom describes psychonautics as denoting "the exploration of the psyche by means of techniques such as lucid dreaming, brainwave entrainment, sensory deprivation, and the use of hallucinogenics or entheogens", and a psychonaut as one who "seeks to investigate their mind using intentionally induced altered states of consciousness" for spiritual, scientific, or research purposes.[1]
Psychologist Dr. Elliot Cohen of Leeds Beckett University and the UK Institute of Psychosomanautics defines psychonautics as "the means to study and explore consciousness (including the unconscious) and altered states of consciousness; it rests on the realization that to study consciousness is to transform it." He associates it with a long tradition of historical cultures worldwide.[9] Leeds Beckett University offers a module in Psychonautics[10][11] and may be the only university in the UK to do so.[citation needed]
American Buddhist writer Robert Thurman depicts the Tibetan Buddhist master as a psychonaut, stating that "Tibetan lamas could be called psychonauts, since they journey across the frontiers of death into the in-between realm."[3]
The aims and methods of psychonautics, when state-altering substances are involved, is commonly distinguished from recreational drug use by research sources.[1] Psychonautics as a means of exploration need not involve drugs, and may take place in a religious context with an established history. Cohen considers psychonautics closer in association to wisdom traditions and other transpersonal and integral movements.[9]
However, there is considerable overlap with modern drug use and due to its modern close association with psychedelics and other drugs, it is also studied in the context of drug abuse from a perspective of addiction,[2] the drug abuse market and online psychology,[12] and studies into existing and emerging drugs within toxicology.[4]
These may be used in combination; for example, traditions such as shamanism may combine ritual, fasting, and hallucinogenic substances.
Works such as Confessions of an English Opium-Eater by Thomas De Quincey, The Hasheesh Eater by Fitz Hugh Ludlow, and On Hashish by Walter Benjamin have psychonautic elements insofar as they explore human and drug-induced experiences. They may be considered precursors to psychonautic literature, but they are not psychonautic works in their own right.
One of the best known psychonautic works is Aldous Huxley's The Doors of Perception, which recounts his experience after taking 400mg of mescaline.[14][15][16][17] The American physician, neuroscientist, psychoanalyst, philosopher, writer and inventor John C. Lilly was a well-known psychonaut. Lilly was interested in the nature of consciousness and, amongst other techniques, he used isolation tanks in his research.[18]
Ken Kesey is an author well-known for accounts of his experimentation with psychedelic drugs. Philosophical- and Science-fiction author Philip K. Dick has also been described as a psychonaut for several of his works such as The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch.[15]
Another influential figure is the psychologist and writer Timothy Leary.[16] Leary is known for controversial talks and research on the subject; he wrote several books including The Psychedelic Experience. Another widely known name is that of American philosopher, ethnobotanist, lecturer, and author Terence McKenna.[19][20] McKenna spoke and wrote about subjects including psychedelic drugs, plant-based entheogens, shamanism, metaphysics, alchemy, language, culture, technology, and the theoretical origins of human consciousness.
Among the most influential figures are undoubtedly Alexander Shulgin and Ann Shulgin who together authored PiHKAL and TiHKAL, a pair of books which contain fictionalized autobiographies and detailed notes on over 230 psychoactive compounds. Some present-day psychonauts refer to themselves as "Shulginists" to denote a belief in the principles they identify in Shulgins' work.[21]
Picatrix is the Latin name used today for a 400-page book of magic and astrology originally written in Arabic under the title Ghāyat al-Ḥakīm (Arabic: غاية الحكيم), which most scholars assume was originally written in the middle of the 11th century,[1] though an argument for composition in the first half of the 10th century has been made.[2] The Arabic title translates as The Aim of the Sage or The Goal of The Wise.[3] The Arabic work was translated into Spanish and then into Latin during the 13th century, at which time it got the Latin title Picatrix. The book's title Picatrix is also sometimes used to refer to the book's author.
Picatrix is a composite work that synthesizes older works on magic and astrology. One of the most influential interpretations suggests it is to be regarded as a "handbook of talismanic magic".[4] Another researcher summarizes it as "the most thorough exposition of celestial magic in Arabic", indicating the sources for the work as "Arabic texts on Hermeticism, Sabianism, Ismailism, astrology, alchemy and magic produced in the Near East in the ninth and tenth centuries A.D."[5] Eugenio Garin declares, "In reality the Latin version of the Picatrix is as indispensable as the Corpus Hermeticum or the writings of Albumasar for understanding a conspicuous part of the production of the Renaissance, including the figurative arts."[6] It has significantly influenced West European esotericism from Marsilio Ficino in the 15th century, to Thomas Campanella in the 17th century. The manuscript in the British Library passed through several hands: Simon Forman, Richard Napier, Elias Ashmole and William Lilly.
According to the prologue of the Latin translation, Picatrix was translated into Spanish from the Arabic by order of Alphonso X of Castile at some time between 1256 and 1258.[7] The Latin version was produced sometime later, based on translation of the Spanish manuscripts. It has been attributed to Maslama ibn Ahmad al-Majriti (an Andalusian mathematician), but many have called this attribution into question. Consequently, the author is sometimes indicated as "Pseudo-Majriti".
The Spanish and Latin versions were the only ones known to Western scholars until Wilhelm Printz discovered an Arabic version in or around 1920.[8]
The work is divided into four books, which exhibit a marked absence of systematic exposition. Jean Seznec observed, "Picatrix prescribes propitious times and places and the attitude and gestures of the suppliant; he also indicates what terms must be used in petitioning the stars." As an example, Seznec then reproduces a prayer to Saturn from the work, noting that Fritz Saxl has pointed out that this invocation exhibits "the accent and even the very terms of a Greek astrological prayer to Kronos. This is one indication that the sources of Picatrix are in large part Hellenistic.":
O Master of sublime name and great power, supreme Master; O Master Saturn: Thou, the Cold, the Sterile, the Mournful, the Pernicious; Thou, whose life is sincere and whose word sure; Thou, the Sage and Solitary, the Impenetrable; Thou, whose promises are kept; Thou who art weak and weary; Thou who hast cares greater than any other, who knowest neither pleasure nor joy; Thou, the old and cunning, master of all artifice, deceitful, wise, and judicious; Thou who bringest prosperity or ruin, and makest men to be happy or unhappy! I conjure thee, O Supreme Father, by Thy great benevolence and Thy generous bounty, to do for me what I ask [...][9]
According to Garin:
The work's point of departure is the unity of reality divided into symmetrical and corresponding degrees, planes or worlds: a reality stretched between two poles: the original One, God the source of all existence, and man, the microcosm, who, with his science (scientia) brings the dispersion back to its origin, identifying and using their correspondences.[10]
According to the Prologue, the author researched over two hundred works in the creation of Picatrix. [11] However, there are three significant Near/Middle Eastern influences: Jabir ibn Hayyan, the Brethren of Purity, and ibn Wahshiyya's Nabataean Agriculture. The influence of Jabir ibn Hayyan comes in the form of a cosmological background that removes magical practices from the context of diabolical influences and reasserts these practices as having a divine origin. The author of Picatrix utilizes Neoplatonic theories of hypostasis that mirror the work of Jabir ibn Hayyan.[12][13]
While tracing the correlates for the Kabbalistic notion of the astral body (Hebrew: tselem),[14] Gershom Scholem cited its occurrence in the Picatrix, and pointed out the background of this concept in Greek papyri and philosophical texts,[15] in Gnostic texts,[16] in Iranian eschatology, and in Islamic and Renaissance Neoplatonism. Scholem also specifically noted Henry Corbin's work in documenting the concept of the perfected nature in Iranian and Islamic religion.[17]
According to Scholem, the following passage from the Picatrix (itself similar to a passage in an earlier Hermetic text called the Secret of Creation) tracks very closely with the Kabbalistic concept of tselem:[18]
When I wished to find knowledge of the secrets of Creation, I came upon a dark vault within the depths of the earth, filled with blowing winds. ... Then there appeared to me in my sleep a shape of most wondrous beauty [giving me instructions how to conduct myself in order to attain knowledge of the highest things]. I then said to him: "Who are you?" And he answered: "I am your perfected nature."
The Arab historian, Ibn Khaldun, in his Muqaddimah, ascribed authorship of Picatrix (referring to the original Arabic version, under the title Ġāyat al-Ḥakīm غاية الحكيم ) to the astronomer and mathematician Maslama Al-Majriti, who died between 1005 CE and 1008 CE (398 AH).[19] This attribution is problematic: the author of the Arabic original states[20] in its introduction that he completed the book on 348 AH, which is ~ 959 CE. Moreover, the author states that he started writing the Picatrix after he completed his previous book, Rutbat al-Ḥakīm رتبة الحكيم in 343 AH (~ 954 CE).[21] This makes the authoring more than five decades before Al-Majriti's death, and if his estimated birth year is to be accepted, he would be only around 5 years old when he started writing it. As well, according to Holmyard, the earliest manuscript attribution of the work to Maslama al-Majriti was made by the alchemist al-Jildaki, who died shortly after 1360, while Ibn Khaldun died some 20 years later. However, no biography of al-Majriti mentions him as the author of this work.[22]
More recent attributions of authorship range from "the Arabic version is anonymous" to reiterations of the old claim that the author is "the celebrated astronomer and mathematician Abu l-Qasim Maslama b. Ahmad Al-Majriti".[23] One recent study in Studia Islamica suggests that the authorship of this work should be attributed to Maslama b. Qasim al-Qurtubi (died 353/964), who according to Ibn al-Faradi was "a man of charms and talismans".[24] If this suggestion is correct it would place the work in the context of Andalusian sufism and batinism.[25]
The odd Latin title is sometimes explained as a sloppy transliteration of one "Buqratis", mentioned several times in the second of the four books of the work.[26] Others have suggested that the title (or the name of the author) is a way of attributing the work to Hippocrates (via a transcription of the name Burqratis or Biqratis in the Arabic text).[27] Where it appears in the Arabic original, the Latin text does translate the name Burqratis as Picatrix, but this still does not establish the identity of Burqratis. Ultimately, linking the name, Picatrix, with Hippocrates,[28][29] has fallen into disfavor because the text separately cites Hippocrates under the name Ypocras.[30]
Martin Plessner suggests that a translator of the Picatrix established a medieval definition of scientific experiment by changing a passage in the Hebrew translation of the Arabic original, establishing a theoretical basis for the experimental method: "the invention of an hypothesis in order to explain a certain natural process, then the arranging of conditions under which that process may intentionally be brought about in accordance with the hypothesis, and finally, the justification or refutation of the hypothesis, depending on the outcome of the experiment".
Plessner notes that it is generally agreed that awareness of, "the specific nature of the experimental method–as distinct from the practical use of it–is an achievement of the 16th and 17th centuries." However, as the passage by the translator of the Hebrew version makes clear, the fundamental theoretical basis for the experimental method was here established prior to the middle of the 13th century.
The original passage in Arabic describes how a man who witnessed a treatment for a scorpion's sting (drinking a potion of frankincense that had received seal imprints) had gone on to experiment with different types of frankincense, assuming that this was the cause for the cure, but later found that the seal images were the cause for the cure, regardless of the substance upon which they were impressed. The author of the Picatrix goes on to explain how the explanation of the effectiveness of cures passed on to him by authorities was then proved to him by his own experience.
The Hebrew translator changed the passage in question to include the following:
And that was the reason which incited me [to devote myself to astrological magic]. Moreover, these secrets were already made known by Nature, and the experience approved them. The man dealing with nature has nothing to do but producing a reason of what the experience has brought out.
Plessner also notes that "neither the Arabic psychology of study nor the Hebrew definition of the experiment is rendered in the Latin Picatrix. The Latin translator omits many theoretical passages throughout the work."[31]
In exploring the cross-cultural circulation of the text Avner Ben-Zaken enlisted to the Picatrix's scholarship the “Yates thesis,” and argued that the text played a latent, though central, role in shaping the philosophy of Renaissance natural magic and in giving the stimulus needed to transform occultist notions into experimental science. For Renaissance thinkers unfriendly to the establishment, natural magic offered an alternative program for natural philosophy, and some turned it against Aristotelian philosophy, which they viewed as hegemonic. Moreover, these rebels presented natural magic as a scientific practice, a culture deeply grounded in non-European contexts. For Ficino and Pico, natural magic originated in the ancient Near East, brought Renaissance Europe through cross-cultural exchanges that involved Kabalistic texts and Arabic works on magic. For Agrippa, natural magic carried a new program for science, as well as new practices and new personas. For him, the magus—the new experimental naturalist—was a figure that first came to life in the ancient East. For Campanella, natural magic offered a bottom-up construction of natural philosophy that also entailed a new organization of society, in which reason and firsthand experience order both nature and society. All perceived Picatrix as a text that embodied both: a strong alternative program for the study of nature, and a strong cultural program for challenging European culture from outside. In imagining this alternative, they eventually returned their science to its historical point of origin, the East. Ficino, Agrippa, and in a sense Campanella pushed the argument further, laying a foundation for a heliocentric worldview, initiating the search for the hidden forces of nature, and casting the magician virtuoso as the godfather of natural philosophy. Thus, the Picatrix was essential for turning natural magic into philosophy, for transforming the magus into an experimentalist, and for transforming the practice of natural magic into an institutional system of education. It inspired the proposal that scholars shift their focus from Scholasticism to the distant sources of natural magic.[32]
We live under a materialist metaphysics: all that supposedly exists is matter, an abstract entity conceptually defined as being outside and independent of consciousness. This metaphysics is often conflated with science itself, even though the scientific method only allows us to determine how nature behaves, not what nature is in and of itself.
The mainstream cultural endorsement of metaphysical materialism became firmly established in the second half of the nineteenth century. Since then, however, its strength has been derived mainly from intellectual habit and inherited assumptions, not from clear reasoning, evidence or explanatory power. As a matter of fact, over the past few decades evidence has been accumulating in foundations of physics, neuroscience and analytic philosophy that materialism is false.
Nonetheless, the cultural prevalence of metaphysical materialism has myriad—and arguably dysfunctional—implications at both individual and social levels: it impacts our sense of meaning and purpose, our value systems, our understanding of health, disease and death, as well as the way we relate to others, the planet and even o
Essentia Foundation aims at communicating, in an accurate yet accessible way, the latest analytic and scientific indications that metaphysical materialism is fundamentally flawed. Indeed, clear reasoning and the evidence at hand indicate that metaphysical idealism or nondualism—the notion that nature is essentially mental—is the best explanatory model we currently have. This is known in specialist communities, but hasn’t yet been openly communicated, in an accessible manner, to the culture at large. Essentia Foundation hopes to help close this communication gap.
Although we acknowledge that analytic or scientific understanding, in and of itself, isn’t life- or behavior-changing—only felt experience or knowledge by direct acquaintance is—in modern culture the intellect is the bouncer of the heart. Therefore, we aim to create intellectual space and legitimacy for the notion that, at its most fundamental level, all reality unfolds in an extended field of mentation.urselves.
Essentia Foundation questions metaphysical materialism and argues for the plausibility of idealism by leveraging the exact same epistemic values our culture reifies today: coherence, internal logical consistency, conceptual parsimony, empirical adequacy and explanatory power. We show that, if applied objectively and consequently, these values point directly at idealism, while contradicting materialism.
Operationally, Essentia Foundation identifies and helps to promote scientific and philosophical work relevant to metaphysical idealism or nondualism. As such, we can be regarded as an information hub—strictly and thoroughly curated to weed out nonsense and pseudo-science—for the latest developments in science, analytic philosophy and other areas of scholarly work with a bearing on our culture’s metaphysical views. Our community of authors lists a growing number of academics, scholars, philosophers, scientists and authors whose works are opening the way for a new, more functional and true understanding of ourselves and reality at large.
Essentia Foundation is not philosophically neutral: we were created precisely to address an imbalance in how the metaphysical implications of results from science and philosophy are communicated by the media.
That said, you can expect from us editorial rigor, accuracy and careful selection of the material we choose to publish. Strict curation—erring rather on the side of caution in cases of high uncertainty—is what characterizes our approach. To put it simply, we only publish credible work. And although we do try to communicate in an accessible manner—dispensing with jargon and academic obscurantism as much as possible—we are committed to not allowing these simplifications to misrepresent the original material.
Again, Essentia Foundation shall never promote nonsense, pseudo-science or gullible, unsubstantiated claims of the kind often associated with mind-first ontologies in the popular culture. This is our firm commitment to you. Whatever you see in our material may be polemical—in the spirit that every major scientific or philosophical advancement has originally been polemical—but shall never be unsubstantiated, irrational or deceiving. In cases where the solidity or credibility of a relevant result isn’t clear, we consult our Academic Advisory Board before publishing it.
The following maybe of interest. It is an unusual way of trying to "measure" happiness or well being, but with Multi-Dimensional Science this might become a "serious" possibility with the "scientific" studies into inner energies of human beings...! A big subject yet to fullybe! RS
The felicific calculus is an algorithm formulated by utilitarian philosopher Jeremy Bentham (1747–1832) for calculating the degree or amount of pleasure that a specific action is likely to induce. Bentham, an ethical hedonist, believed the moral rightness or wrongness of an action to be a function of the amount of pleasure or pain that it produced. The felicific calculus could, in principle at least, determine the moral status of any considered act. The algorithm is also known as the utility calculus, the hedonistic calculus and the hedonic calculus.
To be included in this calculation are several variables (or vectors), which Bentham called "circumstances". These are:
To take an exact account of the general tendency of any act, by which the interests of a community are affected, proceed as follows. Begin with any one person of those whose interests seem most immediately to be affected by it: and take an account,
To make his proposal easier to remember, Bentham devised what he called a "mnemonic doggerel" (also referred to as "memoriter verses"), which synthesized "the whole fabric of morals and legislation":
Intense, long, certain, speedy, fruitful, pure—
Such marks in pleasures and in pains endure.
Such pleasures seek if private be thy end:
If it be public, wide let them extend
Such pains avoid, whichever be thy view:If pains must come, let them extend to few.
Based on the first volume of his complete works there are four deriving classifications or distinct objects of civil law [2] that is known as known in his penal laws: of Security, Subsistence, Abundance, Equality. There are also four sanctions that he defined, they are: Physical, Political, Moral (this is as a result social or legal and can lead to popular sanction), and Religious.
“Sanctions. Since the Traites, others have been discovered. There are now, I. Human: six, viz. 1. Physical; 2. Retributive; 3. Sympathetic; 4. Antipathetic; 5. Popular, or Moral; 6. Political, including Legal and Administrative.
“II. Superhuman vice Religious: all exemplifiable in the case of drunkenness; viz. the punitory class.
“Note—Sanctions in genere duæ, punitoriæ et remuneratoriæ; in serie, septem ut super; seven multiplied by two, equal fourteen.
“The Judicatory of the popular or moral sanction has two Sections: that of the few, and that of the many: Aristocratical and Democratical: their laws, their decisions, are to a vast extent opposite.”[3]
Further, he bases a pleasure or a pain, or of benefit and mischief, that is in the method applied by knowing more of it from those seven above-mentioned references that are after to apply it to a respective purpose, else it is blindfolded. [4]
Property and law are born and must die together. Before the laws, there was no property: take away the laws, and all property ceases. [5]
The units of measurements used in the felicific calculus may be termed hedons and dolors.[6]
Psychic perception may come to us through any of our five senses. If through the sense of sight, it is called “clairvoyance,” which literally means “to see clearly.” If through the sense of hearing, it is “clairaudience.” If through the sense of touch or feeling, it is “clairsentience.” If through the sense of smell, it’s called “clairolfaction.”
I don’t know what it’s called if the psychic information comes through the sense of taste, if there’s such a thing.
However, I have come across at least two persons who receive psychic information through the sense of smell. They discovered such a gift or talent in my class on ESP. Since they attended my seminars many years ago, I have never heard of anybody else with the same psychic ability. It seems this is not a very common one.
Interesting letter
But recently, I received a very interesting letter about this rare psychic ability from a reader named Karen Padayhag. Here’s her letter:
“After reading your book “Understanding The Psychic Powers of Man,” containing the different psychic manifestations, I was amazed. I remembered that I usually smell something different in places that are considered to be haunted or in funerals.
“During my father’s funeral, I smelled this unusual smell—and I continue to smell this in every funeral I go to.
“I also smell it in my school building for my class in home Economics (H.E). At first I didn’t think it was something important. However, one day, in the same building, we gathered there to eat. We brought food to our H.E room. When I got near the table, the unusual smell in that room became more intense. Again, I did not bother with it.
“After the gathering, I became very sick. Getting sick after smelling that unusual smell usually happened to me. I also smell the same smell when the death anniversary of my father is near.
“I do not know what it means. I can’t describe it except that it is unusual and not normally smelled by people.
“Here’s one other thing. Every time I would reminisce or imagine things, they would be accompanied by certain smells. For me, everyday would be a different smell and I clearly sense them when I remember those events.”
Highly developed
Karen, you are definitely one of those rare individuals who receive psychic information through the sense of smell. As mentioned earlier, yours is a very rare psychic gift or ability. Your sense of smell is so highly developed that you can even smell things that you merely imagine, and that you can associate each day with a different smell.
Others can see people as “beings of light” and in color. They can see the human aura that is not normally visible to everybody. These are people with a highly developed sense of sight, that’s why it is commonly called “The Third Eye.”
Try to experiment with this rare psychic ability of yours, so that you can use it in a practical way. One of the students I mentioned above can smell sickness in people, even if he has a cold. That’s why he is able to diagnose or tell what’s wrong with a person simply by being aware of that smell.
Can you imagine the tremendous possibilities this rare ability of yours can have? People with this psychic ability, when meeting a friend, will not say, “You don’t look well today.” They are more likely to say, “You don’t smell good today!”
NOTE:
My next Inner Mind Development seminar will be on Oct. 8-9, 2011 from 9am-5pm, while the next Soulmates, Karma & Reincarnation seminar will be on Oct. 22, 2011 1pm-7pm at Rm. 308 Prince Plaza 1, Legaspi St., Legaspi Village Makati. For details and reservations, pls. call tel. no. 810-7245/ 815-9890 or cell phone no. (0920) 981-8962; email jaimetlicauco@yahoo.com Visit our website: www.jimmylicauco.com
Reality shifting refers to a practice where individuals attempt to shift their consciousness or awareness to alternate realities or “realms” through various techniques, often involving meditation, visualization, scripting and intense focus. These alternate realities might be based on existing fictional worlds, personal fantasies or entirely new creations.
At present, there is no scientific consensus on whether individuals can actually shift their consciousness to alternate realities outside of dreams or mental constructs. Reality shifting is primarily seen as a subjective and personal experience of imaginative play rather than a literal alteration of reality.
However, some online communities swear by it. Reality shifting gained prominence on platforms like TikTok, YouTube, Wattpad and Reddit following the Covid-19 pandemic and captivated widespread interest long after, with posts on the subject amassing over 1.8 billion views online. Many interested users are teenagers and young adults.
Individuals may prepare to “shift realities” using mindfulness meditations, subliminal audios and affirmations and by creating a detailed script of the desired reality they wish to shift to, including sensory details, emotions and specific events they want to experience.
Here are two examples of commonly reported reality shifting methods:
A 2021 study examined the psychological characteristics of “reality shifters” and found that they likely share certain unique traits that allow them to engage in the practice.
Here are three psychological traits that may enable reality shifting experiences, according to the study.
Absorption refers to an individual’s capacity to become deeply immersed in sensory experiences, fantasies or imaginative activities. Individuals with high capacities for absorption tend to have vivid imaginations, a heightened ability to concentrate and a propensity for intense emotional and sensory experiences.
Individuals who engage in reality shifting seem to leverage their capacity for absorption to enhance their ability to mentally simulate and immerse themselves in alternate realities.
Researchers suggest that such individuals may also be more susceptible to altered states of consciousness, including trance-like or hypnotic states. Reality shifters may use this susceptibility to induce a state of deep relaxation or suggestibility, which they believe can enhance their ability to reality shift.
“Those succeeding in initiating RS (reality shifting) are presumably high in absorption in that they can narrow their attention and ignore external distractions and can experience their DR (desired reality) as a vivid and life-like alternate reality,” the researchers explain.
Dissociation is a psychological phenomenon characterized by a disconnection between thoughts, identity, consciousness and memory. It can manifest in various forms, ranging from mild detachment or spacing out to more severe experiences of depersonalization and derealization, where individuals feel disconnected from themselves or their surroundings.
Individuals who engage in reality shifting may exhibit dissociative absorption, which involves becoming deeply absorbed in an alternate reality to the point of temporarily losing awareness of their actual surroundings or sense of self.
During periods of dissociative absorption, individuals may experience distortions in their perception of time and space, further blurring the boundaries between reality and fantasy.
Dissociation in the context of reality shifting may not necessarily be diagnosed as a dissociative disorder or form of pathology. Instead, it reflects a temporary and voluntary alteration of consciousness that individuals may actively seek out as part of their exploration of alternate realities. However, it can be dangerous if it comes at the expense of meaningfully engaging with their actual reality.
Fantasy-proneness is characterized by a heightened tendency to have intense and vivid fantasies, daydreams or imaginary experiences. Individuals who are fantasy-prone often find it easy to immerse themselves in imaginative worlds, sometimes to the extent that they have difficulty distinguishing between fantasy and reality.
Fantasy-prone individuals typically have a rich and detailed imagination, allowing them to conjure elaborate mental images and scenarios.
Fantasy-prone individuals may also develop strong emotional connections to fictional characters or imaginary companions. Similarly, reality shifters may form attachments to the characters and settings of their desired realities, investing emotionally in their interactions and experiences within these alternate worlds.
“Before I plan on shifting, I write myself a script in the notes app on my phone, in which I plan exactly what happens in the desired reality. This makes it easier to visualize exactly what I want to happen, so I might script that I want to go to Hogwarts and for Draco to be my boyfriend, or that he will flirt with me,” writes a TikTok user.
Fantasy-prone individuals may use their imaginative worlds as a means of escape from stress, boredom or dissatisfaction with reality. Reality shifting can be motivated by a desire for temporary respite from the challenges of everyday life and instead spending time in alternate realities where one experiences a greater sense of control.
However, according to some users, reality shifting can also feel addictive, making them feel a lack of personal agency even in their chosen reality. Over-reliance on alternate realities to cope with stress or discomfort can also impede the development of psychological resilience and adaptive coping skills.
Overall, it is essential to approach reality shifting with caution and critical thinking. While it may offer benefits such as creative expression, relaxation and access to fascinating inner worlds, it’s essential to maintain a balanced perspective and stay grounded in one’s present reality.
Do you escape to imaginary worlds to experience alternative intimacy? Take the Emotional Promiscuity Scale to gain clarity.
Mark Travers, Ph.D., is an American psychologist with degrees from Cornell University and the University of Colorado Boulder. He is the lead
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