Tuesday, December 26, 2006
The Yearning for Transcendence
All of us yearn, I think, for transcendent experience in one form or another. Many turn to religious or spiritual ceremony to go beyond the "quotidian." to forget, for the moment, the small self in the familiar world of routine activity. The mystic finds great solace in a sense of connection with nature or the divine. Art in its many forms provides us with a deep sense of heightened consciousness, whether we are artist or audience. Some seek "release" through alcohol or drugs, or trance ceremony, or dancing, or running until they reach the "runner's high", or even through violence.
Recently, I watched a program on PBS entitled "The Mystery of Love." This program explored the experience of love in its many forms--romantic love, friendship, kindness and charity, dedication to a special activity, and other areas. The famous psychologist James Hillman spoke on the love of warfare, which can be a prime motivating factor for those who enjoy violence masked as duty. The soldier can experience a thrilling energy in the press of battle. Many veterans look longingly on their past military experience as the most meaningful time of their lives, for then life had a purpose, a sharp edge, an intensity seldom found in other realms. Survivors of the London blitz often reported the same kind of nostalgic yearning.
Another program brought out the importance of the small unit as the secret of success in military actions. A few men in combat may bond closely, so that their primary loyalty is not to self, but to their unit, their "band of brothers", and they are less concerned with things outside their own special group. Together, they reach levels of allegiance to one another seldom found in the world at large.
So it is this sense of transcendent "meaning" that most of us are seeking in our lives. Kundalini, in some of its aspects, can supply certain forms of ecstasy, a joyous sense of the union of the inner limited self and the Spirit in its highest form. No wonder we crave such sense of expanding consciousness to carry us beyond the ordinary. Even when the bliss is admixed with pain, we seek the primal bliss of pure rapture (and spiritual experience without the somatic component can likewise lead to exaltation). Where would our lives be without such moments? We, too, would be lost and stumbling, like so many in our world today, who seek transcendence through other, less benign means.
Whatever else kundalini offers, it does bestow a sense of encounter with something beyond the ordinary, entry into mystical and esoteric realms. It certainly keeps our lives interesting, in all its phases. As one friend commented, "It's the only game in town."
Recently, I watched a program on PBS entitled "The Mystery of Love." This program explored the experience of love in its many forms--romantic love, friendship, kindness and charity, dedication to a special activity, and other areas. The famous psychologist James Hillman spoke on the love of warfare, which can be a prime motivating factor for those who enjoy violence masked as duty. The soldier can experience a thrilling energy in the press of battle. Many veterans look longingly on their past military experience as the most meaningful time of their lives, for then life had a purpose, a sharp edge, an intensity seldom found in other realms. Survivors of the London blitz often reported the same kind of nostalgic yearning.
Another program brought out the importance of the small unit as the secret of success in military actions. A few men in combat may bond closely, so that their primary loyalty is not to self, but to their unit, their "band of brothers", and they are less concerned with things outside their own special group. Together, they reach levels of allegiance to one another seldom found in the world at large.
So it is this sense of transcendent "meaning" that most of us are seeking in our lives. Kundalini, in some of its aspects, can supply certain forms of ecstasy, a joyous sense of the union of the inner limited self and the Spirit in its highest form. No wonder we crave such sense of expanding consciousness to carry us beyond the ordinary. Even when the bliss is admixed with pain, we seek the primal bliss of pure rapture (and spiritual experience without the somatic component can likewise lead to exaltation). Where would our lives be without such moments? We, too, would be lost and stumbling, like so many in our world today, who seek transcendence through other, less benign means.
Whatever else kundalini offers, it does bestow a sense of encounter with something beyond the ordinary, entry into mystical and esoteric realms. It certainly keeps our lives interesting, in all its phases. As one friend commented, "It's the only game in town."
Sunday, December 24, 2006
The Next Level
Recently, I visited a small "spiritual gift shop" located in a more or less out of the way place about an hour or so north of San Francisco. When I entered, I knew at once that I had discovered something very special. Later, as I was describing this experience to a long time (mostly telephone) friend, we together marveled at how many things that were on display there had in fact "come into being" (entered Western consciousness) only in the last 20 years or so.
There were many beautiful thongkas (wall hangings of Buddha, mostly made in Nepal), something many of us have only recently begun to discover There were goddess images and goddess books throughout. There were various crafted objects from various parts of the world, mostly the product of native artisans. The store literally reeked of spirituality, with Tibetan bowls, spiritual greeting cards, incense and perfumes.
Today, many tend to take such offerings for granted, but twenty or thirty years ago, few people in our society were aware of the goddess, sacred objects from Tibet were generally unknown, and the idea of the evolution of consciousness was virtually unheard of. Yoga, Tarot, acupuncture, tai chi, even massage--these were still viewed as esoteric practices which were far from the mainstream awareness. An entire spiritual culture has come into being, almost as if orchestrated elsewhere. Likewise, major shifts have come about in society's thinking about racial equality, women's rights, gay rights and similar areas. Not all problems have been solved, but seeds that were planted many years ago have grown and borne measurable fruit.
My friend (who is near my age) and I reflected on how many of these changes we have witnessed in our own lifetimes. Like me, she herself has gone through major spiritual awakening, and we often share stories of our various "weird" experiences. And, like me and many, many others on this path, she also carries a deep sense of isolation and loneliness, particularly with respect to her family and others with whom she still cannot speak comfortably of her personal kundalini experiences (what would they think?) We agreed, as always, that this is a long and lonely journey, one which offers many challenges as well as immeasurable rewards.
And, as always, we compared notes on how the world seems in certain ways to be getting worse, not better. Nonetheless we both felt that what is emerging is indeed a rebirth of spirit, an acceleration of consciousness that is growing at ever faster speeds.
And, for us both, this is our hope for the new year and the new era. Something special is being born among the ruins. Something unique in human history is happening all around. Those of us who have been awakened (or propelled) into this new awareness are convinced that something is going on that is rare indeed.
So this is my wish for the New Year: may we all be carried toward that light which ever beckons, and may each be blessed with fundamental love as we move into the new era of ever expanding spirit.
There were many beautiful thongkas (wall hangings of Buddha, mostly made in Nepal), something many of us have only recently begun to discover There were goddess images and goddess books throughout. There were various crafted objects from various parts of the world, mostly the product of native artisans. The store literally reeked of spirituality, with Tibetan bowls, spiritual greeting cards, incense and perfumes.
Today, many tend to take such offerings for granted, but twenty or thirty years ago, few people in our society were aware of the goddess, sacred objects from Tibet were generally unknown, and the idea of the evolution of consciousness was virtually unheard of. Yoga, Tarot, acupuncture, tai chi, even massage--these were still viewed as esoteric practices which were far from the mainstream awareness. An entire spiritual culture has come into being, almost as if orchestrated elsewhere. Likewise, major shifts have come about in society's thinking about racial equality, women's rights, gay rights and similar areas. Not all problems have been solved, but seeds that were planted many years ago have grown and borne measurable fruit.
My friend (who is near my age) and I reflected on how many of these changes we have witnessed in our own lifetimes. Like me, she herself has gone through major spiritual awakening, and we often share stories of our various "weird" experiences. And, like me and many, many others on this path, she also carries a deep sense of isolation and loneliness, particularly with respect to her family and others with whom she still cannot speak comfortably of her personal kundalini experiences (what would they think?) We agreed, as always, that this is a long and lonely journey, one which offers many challenges as well as immeasurable rewards.
And, as always, we compared notes on how the world seems in certain ways to be getting worse, not better. Nonetheless we both felt that what is emerging is indeed a rebirth of spirit, an acceleration of consciousness that is growing at ever faster speeds.
And, for us both, this is our hope for the new year and the new era. Something special is being born among the ruins. Something unique in human history is happening all around. Those of us who have been awakened (or propelled) into this new awareness are convinced that something is going on that is rare indeed.
So this is my wish for the New Year: may we all be carried toward that light which ever beckons, and may each be blessed with fundamental love as we move into the new era of ever expanding spirit.
Friday, December 22, 2006
The Aphorisms of Siva
Who could resist a book titled "The Aphorisms of Shiva?" Certainly, not me. I picked this one up recently in a second hand book store and have enjoyed exploring its sacred wisdom. According to ancient legend, the aphorisms were given to the great rishi called Vasugupta in a dream. They were then passed down master to pupil through the ages. This version, edited by Mark S. G. Dyczkowski, was published by the State University of New York Press as part of its important series in Tantric studies.
Here is what I opened to a few days ago:
(first, a question from the pupil to Lord Shiva):
How is the yogi who is constantly dedicated to this practice?
The Lord said:
Among all the causes that concur (to give rise to phenomenal existence) Shiva stands supreme. His nature is consciousness and (his)form boundless Light. Thus because Shiva is such and the adept constantly applies himself to the practice of Yoga, he is like Him in all respects even while he acts in this world and (thus he) is liberated in this life by the vitality of that higher knowledge.
Here is the explanation of the passage:
The yogi who is constantly dedicated to this practice has attained, through his pursuit of Shiva's pure nature, Shiva's own level of existence and so savors the bliss of liberation in this very life even while the energies which function through the body continue to operate and so is like Shiva. Eventually, when the worldly experience which has fallen to his lot and that which he must still enjoy is exhausted, he is liberated after the death of the body and then attains a share of identity with Shiva.
It seems to me that this passage expresses a universal truth and desire. All of us are in our hearts "yogis" (aspirants), striving to bring outselves into closer attunement with divinity, by whatever name we may call it, or however we may envision it. We hope that we can, in Christian terms, "put on the body of Christ," or express more fully in our own essence what is called "Buddha nature." We constantly strive to make ourselves more complete, more nearly whole, by contemplating and emulating sacred power in its highest manifestation, which is by nature beyond the material realm. And we hope that by our devotion and dedication we too may come closer to the state of the "Siddha," the perfected being. And many of us hope and believe that once we leave the earthly (confined) condition we will be able to merge more fully with the Divine Essence, in a state some call heaven
And here is a further commentary on how dreams may reveal hidden sacred truth, by the editor of the series, Paul E. Muller-Ortega:
For most of us, to dream is to partake of the evanescent, to float nightly in images of unreality, shards of memory, bizarre and frightening episodes that may yield without warning to beautiful and alluring scenes. But the luminous dreams of a Siddha, a perfected being, escape this chaotic fragmentation and function as transparent filters for the apprehensions of truth. Having recognized the living truth of the freedom-imbued declaration, "Shivo'ham"--"I am Shiva"--the Siddha lives in a state of attunement, a powerful, sacrificial translucence through which the great light can shine. While the ordinary, contracted being exhibits only a resistive opacity, the Siddha yields to the truth even in dreams.
Many other cultures also believed that in dreams the gods speak to us. Dreamwork (dream analysis) has become more and more common in recent years.
May the gods speak to you in your dreams!
Here is what I opened to a few days ago:
(first, a question from the pupil to Lord Shiva):
How is the yogi who is constantly dedicated to this practice?
The Lord said:
Among all the causes that concur (to give rise to phenomenal existence) Shiva stands supreme. His nature is consciousness and (his)form boundless Light. Thus because Shiva is such and the adept constantly applies himself to the practice of Yoga, he is like Him in all respects even while he acts in this world and (thus he) is liberated in this life by the vitality of that higher knowledge.
Here is the explanation of the passage:
The yogi who is constantly dedicated to this practice has attained, through his pursuit of Shiva's pure nature, Shiva's own level of existence and so savors the bliss of liberation in this very life even while the energies which function through the body continue to operate and so is like Shiva. Eventually, when the worldly experience which has fallen to his lot and that which he must still enjoy is exhausted, he is liberated after the death of the body and then attains a share of identity with Shiva.
It seems to me that this passage expresses a universal truth and desire. All of us are in our hearts "yogis" (aspirants), striving to bring outselves into closer attunement with divinity, by whatever name we may call it, or however we may envision it. We hope that we can, in Christian terms, "put on the body of Christ," or express more fully in our own essence what is called "Buddha nature." We constantly strive to make ourselves more complete, more nearly whole, by contemplating and emulating sacred power in its highest manifestation, which is by nature beyond the material realm. And we hope that by our devotion and dedication we too may come closer to the state of the "Siddha," the perfected being. And many of us hope and believe that once we leave the earthly (confined) condition we will be able to merge more fully with the Divine Essence, in a state some call heaven
And here is a further commentary on how dreams may reveal hidden sacred truth, by the editor of the series, Paul E. Muller-Ortega:
For most of us, to dream is to partake of the evanescent, to float nightly in images of unreality, shards of memory, bizarre and frightening episodes that may yield without warning to beautiful and alluring scenes. But the luminous dreams of a Siddha, a perfected being, escape this chaotic fragmentation and function as transparent filters for the apprehensions of truth. Having recognized the living truth of the freedom-imbued declaration, "Shivo'ham"--"I am Shiva"--the Siddha lives in a state of attunement, a powerful, sacrificial translucence through which the great light can shine. While the ordinary, contracted being exhibits only a resistive opacity, the Siddha yields to the truth even in dreams.
Many other cultures also believed that in dreams the gods speak to us. Dreamwork (dream analysis) has become more and more common in recent years.
May the gods speak to you in your dreams!
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Kundalini and Its Woes
Textbook entries on kundalini generally stress the benefits--ranging from total health to the solution of all life's problems. And indeed, at the beginning of the awakening process, it is common for aspirants to experience a sense of total well being, even bliss or ecstasy. Some report improved health, including weight loss, lowered blood pressure, and the like. The plaguing issues of the psyche seem at last to be resolved, the old nagging bodily aches and pains vanished at last. One many feel (as if for the first time), whole, healed, a completed being.
Oftentimes, this early euphoria does not last. It may continue for weeks or months or perhaps even longer, but frequently stresses again arise to plague the body and mind, creating symptoms of illness or psychological difficulties.
However, now there is a difference. The difference is that the body/mind (which may have been unduly sensitive to begin with) is now even more highly sensitized. The least little interruption or disturbance, the slightest irritation or difficulty in personal relations, may produce symptoms even more acute than those experienced previously. Indeed, some become so sensitive that it is difficult for them to remain in this world, with its many buffetings and challenges.
Most of the people I know who have undergone deep kundalini, perhaps with great initial bliss, have, later, encountered serious psychological or physical difficulties. Perhaps if we were able to retreat into monasteries or caves, where life was less stressful, we might fare better. But positioned as we are in the world at large (and many of us feel that here is where we belong if want to improve the state of the planet)--we are vulnerable, and must, along with the rest of society, experience our share of pain and suffering.
The textbook descriptions are based on an ideal model, a perfect awakening into a perfect state of being. The truth is that very few (if any) attain this state permanently. Even the gurus and masters who are in continuous ecstasy are often susceptible to the usual human complaints, and many die young.
I cling to the notion that kundalini awakening, now becoming ever more widespread, is part of the evolutionary process, and that those of us undergoing both its rewards and its stresses at this time in history are, in fact, the early models, the trial efforts. We are in fact helping to create Rupert Sheldrake's "morphogenetic field," which (for us) is a universe of higher vibrations, one less material, more spiritual in a literal sense. Only later will those appear who will not have to undergo such difficulties of adjustment. They will be well equipped to "breathe the new air," accommodate the new vibrations.
Gopi Krishna was the first to assert that kundalini is the agent by which human evolution will occur. I think he was right.
Oftentimes, this early euphoria does not last. It may continue for weeks or months or perhaps even longer, but frequently stresses again arise to plague the body and mind, creating symptoms of illness or psychological difficulties.
However, now there is a difference. The difference is that the body/mind (which may have been unduly sensitive to begin with) is now even more highly sensitized. The least little interruption or disturbance, the slightest irritation or difficulty in personal relations, may produce symptoms even more acute than those experienced previously. Indeed, some become so sensitive that it is difficult for them to remain in this world, with its many buffetings and challenges.
Most of the people I know who have undergone deep kundalini, perhaps with great initial bliss, have, later, encountered serious psychological or physical difficulties. Perhaps if we were able to retreat into monasteries or caves, where life was less stressful, we might fare better. But positioned as we are in the world at large (and many of us feel that here is where we belong if want to improve the state of the planet)--we are vulnerable, and must, along with the rest of society, experience our share of pain and suffering.
The textbook descriptions are based on an ideal model, a perfect awakening into a perfect state of being. The truth is that very few (if any) attain this state permanently. Even the gurus and masters who are in continuous ecstasy are often susceptible to the usual human complaints, and many die young.
I cling to the notion that kundalini awakening, now becoming ever more widespread, is part of the evolutionary process, and that those of us undergoing both its rewards and its stresses at this time in history are, in fact, the early models, the trial efforts. We are in fact helping to create Rupert Sheldrake's "morphogenetic field," which (for us) is a universe of higher vibrations, one less material, more spiritual in a literal sense. Only later will those appear who will not have to undergo such difficulties of adjustment. They will be well equipped to "breathe the new air," accommodate the new vibrations.
Gopi Krishna was the first to assert that kundalini is the agent by which human evolution will occur. I think he was right.
Monday, December 18, 2006
N. M. Rai and Visual Poetry
If you want to see how stunningly beautiful visual images and lovely poems can be when married on the screen, go to the following site:
http://eye-po. blogspot. com
I have spoken of my friend N. M. Rai's work before, but this site is especially impressive.
Also, the site for spoken poetry by Eric Ashford continues to present new offerings. I continue to explore the jeweled facets of his poems.
This is an exciting time for poetry, as it becomes ever more multi-media in its presentation.
http://eye-po. blogspot. com
I have spoken of my friend N. M. Rai's work before, but this site is especially impressive.
Also, the site for spoken poetry by Eric Ashford continues to present new offerings. I continue to explore the jeweled facets of his poems.
This is an exciting time for poetry, as it becomes ever more multi-media in its presentation.
Friday, December 15, 2006
To Do This
Many of us keep returning to "the moment which changes everything" (Katherine Anne Porter's phrase), going over what led up to it, how we prepared consciously or unconsciously for this momentous shift in our lives.
This little poem is a fanciful reflection on such a preparation. It has to do not with alien abduction, but rather with the total transformation which can occur in a single second. It suggests what we must relinquish, how ready we must be when the moment arrives.
At Midnight
To do this
you must surrender
all the advice which
was planted in you
by your grandmother,
your ancient aunt,
the old men by the fire.
You must give up
your convictions
of right and wrong,
notions of the line between possibility
and the unattainable.
You must breathe deep,
drink bitter herbs,
put a talisman
beneath your pillow.
At midnight,
when you are neither
waking or sleeping,
they will come for you,
arriving in sledges
or else in fleets
of wheeled airy transports.
You will not know them,
but you will recognize their voices
speaking a language
you cannot hear.
Be ready to go,
spring out from your resting place,
don’t even stop to
check the fire
or scribble
a final note.
Dorothy Walters
December 15, 2006
This little poem is a fanciful reflection on such a preparation. It has to do not with alien abduction, but rather with the total transformation which can occur in a single second. It suggests what we must relinquish, how ready we must be when the moment arrives.
At Midnight
To do this
you must surrender
all the advice which
was planted in you
by your grandmother,
your ancient aunt,
the old men by the fire.
You must give up
your convictions
of right and wrong,
notions of the line between possibility
and the unattainable.
You must breathe deep,
drink bitter herbs,
put a talisman
beneath your pillow.
At midnight,
when you are neither
waking or sleeping,
they will come for you,
arriving in sledges
or else in fleets
of wheeled airy transports.
You will not know them,
but you will recognize their voices
speaking a language
you cannot hear.
Be ready to go,
spring out from your resting place,
don’t even stop to
check the fire
or scribble
a final note.
Dorothy Walters
December 15, 2006
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Eric Ashford Speaking His Poems
As many of you know, I think very highly of Eric Ashford's poems. Now a new blogsite, originated by his (and my) friend N. M. Rai, has a special offering--Eric saying his own poems (plus a few by N. M. Rai).
Poetry itself began as an oral art form. Only in recent centuries has it become primarily a written form. Through this site, and others like it, it is gradually reclaiming its rightful place as an experience of hearing.
Eric is English. His voice matches his lines. His work is nuanced, elegant, and exciting. I would compare his writing to Dillon Thomas in its brilliant imagery, to Pablo Neruda in its deft presentation of the language of love. His work is above all alive with passion. His reading is totally professional. I continue to rank him among the best poets writing today, and only marvel that he has (as yet) not been "discovered." Will someone not "find" this gifted poet and give him the encouragement and publication which he deserves? If you have any thoughts on this, let me know. In the meantime, enjoy his stunning poems at:
http://spiritreadings.blogspot.com
Thanks, Eric and Naggie, for making such a rich experience possible for all of us.
Poetry itself began as an oral art form. Only in recent centuries has it become primarily a written form. Through this site, and others like it, it is gradually reclaiming its rightful place as an experience of hearing.
Eric is English. His voice matches his lines. His work is nuanced, elegant, and exciting. I would compare his writing to Dillon Thomas in its brilliant imagery, to Pablo Neruda in its deft presentation of the language of love. His work is above all alive with passion. His reading is totally professional. I continue to rank him among the best poets writing today, and only marvel that he has (as yet) not been "discovered." Will someone not "find" this gifted poet and give him the encouragement and publication which he deserves? If you have any thoughts on this, let me know. In the meantime, enjoy his stunning poems at:
http://spiritreadings.blogspot.com
Thanks, Eric and Naggie, for making such a rich experience possible for all of us.
Saturday, December 09, 2006
The Global Consciousness Project
One of the more interesting studies going on at this time is the Global Consciousness Project which has the purpose of determining whether or not extraordinary events which affect the consciousness of great numbers of people (such as 9-11 or Katrina) can also affect mechanical measuring devices. Conceived of and operated by a group of respected scientists, it has been underway for several years, with some truly fascinating results. I won't try to explain the project here, but simply present the following information taken from the site itself. The material includes a brief description plus a listing of the topics covered on the site.
See http://noosphere.princeton.edu
Global Correlations in Random Data
The Global Consciousness Project, also called the EGG Project, is an international and multidisciplinary collaboration of scientists, engineers, artists and others. This website introduces methods and technology and empirical results in one section, and presents interpretations and applications in another.
We have been collecting data from a global network of random event generators since August, 1998. The network has grown to about 65 host sites around the world running custom software that reads the output of physical random number generators and records a 200-bit trial sum once every second, continuously over months and years. The data are transmitted over the internet to a server in Princeton, NJ, USA, where they are archived for later analysis. Individual data create a tapestry of color. The dot below shows coherence.
The purpose of this project is to examine subtle correlations that appear to reflect the presence and activity of consciousness in the world. The scientific work is careful, but it is at the margins of our understanding. We believe our view may be enriched by a creative and poetic perspective. Here we present various aspects of the project, including some insight into its scientific and philosophical implications.
ON THE LEFT
scientifically treated results
a study of apparent patterns that should not exist in truly random sequences
analysis providing details and context to support building good models
an unambiguous picture of data with minimal interpretation
the goal is to learn the sources of structure and understand mechanism
SCIENTIFIC
WORK
introduction
random sources
egg data archive
basic experiment
the primary results
hypothesis registry
normalizing the data
control comparisons
eventbased analysis
analytical extension
long trend example
models and theory
free data access
conclusions
AESTHETIC
VIEW
introduction
a poetic history
hatching an egg
egg host network
media information
noosphere's status
the realtime display
weaving a tapestry
a musical interlude
the original website
production credits
how to contribute
what you can do
implications
ON THE RIGHT
poetic interpretation and art
a free hand with possiblities touching eye and ear, seeking the heart of the matter
aesthetic and spiritual issues that are central to creative cultural evolution
the meaning of evident links between events and observers
the goal is to see interconnection as real & creative mind as magical
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Results FAQ Media & Information Links
Realtime Display EggAnalysis Independent Analyses Participation
Data-driven Music The EGG Story Site Map & Search Website Usage
French Spanish Portuguese Babel Fish
You can use PayPal to
MAKE A DONATION
to the GCP.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a new version of the website, still under development
Copyright © 1999 and 2005 Global Consciousness Project. All rights reserved
Original website design by Innovative Software Design
consciousness, parapsychology, group consciousness, mind, world, global, anomalies, parapsychology, psi, random event, REG, RNG, subtle energy consciousness, group consciousness, mind, world, global, anomalies, parapsychology, psi, random event, REG, RNG, subtle energy, millennium
See http://noosphere.princeton.edu
Global Correlations in Random Data
The Global Consciousness Project, also called the EGG Project, is an international and multidisciplinary collaboration of scientists, engineers, artists and others. This website introduces methods and technology and empirical results in one section, and presents interpretations and applications in another.
We have been collecting data from a global network of random event generators since August, 1998. The network has grown to about 65 host sites around the world running custom software that reads the output of physical random number generators and records a 200-bit trial sum once every second, continuously over months and years. The data are transmitted over the internet to a server in Princeton, NJ, USA, where they are archived for later analysis. Individual data create a tapestry of color. The dot below shows coherence.
The purpose of this project is to examine subtle correlations that appear to reflect the presence and activity of consciousness in the world. The scientific work is careful, but it is at the margins of our understanding. We believe our view may be enriched by a creative and poetic perspective. Here we present various aspects of the project, including some insight into its scientific and philosophical implications.
ON THE LEFT
scientifically treated results
a study of apparent patterns that should not exist in truly random sequences
analysis providing details and context to support building good models
an unambiguous picture of data with minimal interpretation
the goal is to learn the sources of structure and understand mechanism
SCIENTIFIC
WORK
introduction
random sources
egg data archive
basic experiment
the primary results
hypothesis registry
normalizing the data
control comparisons
eventbased analysis
analytical extension
long trend example
models and theory
free data access
conclusions
AESTHETIC
VIEW
introduction
a poetic history
hatching an egg
egg host network
media information
noosphere's status
the realtime display
weaving a tapestry
a musical interlude
the original website
production credits
how to contribute
what you can do
implications
ON THE RIGHT
poetic interpretation and art
a free hand with possiblities touching eye and ear, seeking the heart of the matter
aesthetic and spiritual issues that are central to creative cultural evolution
the meaning of evident links between events and observers
the goal is to see interconnection as real & creative mind as magical
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Results FAQ Media & Information Links
Realtime Display EggAnalysis Independent Analyses Participation
Data-driven Music The EGG Story Site Map & Search Website Usage
French Spanish Portuguese Babel Fish
You can use PayPal to
MAKE A DONATION
to the GCP.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a new version of the website, still under development
Copyright © 1999 and 2005 Global Consciousness Project. All rights reserved
Original website design by Innovative Software Design
consciousness, parapsychology, group consciousness, mind, world, global, anomalies, parapsychology, psi, random event, REG, RNG, subtle energy consciousness, group consciousness, mind, world, global, anomalies, parapsychology, psi, random event, REG, RNG, subtle energy, millennium
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
John White on the Body of Light
The following excerpt comes from an article by John White reprinted on the site for the journal "What Is Enlightment?" See http://www.wie.org.j21/white.asp (spring/summer edition, 2002 on Spiritual Evolution). John White writes on kundalini and the evolution of consciousness.
Sacred Traditions for Higher Human Development
If there is an inner unity or transcendent common core to world religions and sacred traditions, we should expect that the human potential for transubstantiation would be understood by all of them. Indeed, that is just what we find. Some of the names given to the body of light are as follows:
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, it is called "the resurrection body " and "the glorified body." The prophet Isaiah said, "The dead shall live, their bodies shall rise" (Isa. 26:19). St. Paul called it "the celestial body" or "spiritual body " (soma pneumatikon) (I Corinthians 15:40).
In Sufism it is called "the most sacred body " (wujud al-aqdas) and "supracelestial body " (jism asli haqiqi).
In Taoism, it is called "the diamond body," and those who have attained it are called "the immortals" and "the cloudwalkers."
In Tibetan Buddhism it is called "the light body."
In Tantrism and some schools of yoga, it is called "the vajra body," "the adamantine body," and "the divine body."
In Kriya yoga it is called "the body of bliss."
In Vedanta it is called "the superconductive body."
In Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, it is called "the radiant body."
In the alchemical tradition, the Emerald Tablet calls it "the Glory of the Whole Universe" and "the golden body." The alchemist Paracelsus called it "the astral body."
In the Hermetic Corpus, it is called "the immortal body " (soma athanaton).
In some mystery schools, it is called "the solar body."
In Rosicrucianism, it is called "the diamond body of the temple of God."
In ancient Egypt it was called "the luminous body or being" (akh).
In Old Persia it was called "the indwelling divine potential" (fravashi or fravarti).
In the Mithraic liturgy it was called "the perfect body " (soma teilion).
In the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, it is called "the divine body," composed of supramental substance.
In the philosophy of Teilhard de Chardin, it is called "the ultrahuman."
There probably are other traditions that have analogous terms, and I would be glad to be informed of them. As I see it, these are different terms for the same ultimate stage of human evolution. (I feel quite tentative about Teilhard de Chardin because he is not specific in his writings about the somatic changes which lead to the evolved human. I have excluded Nietzsche's ubermensch altogether for that and other reasons.)
The traditions speak of the process in different ways. Is the immortal body created or released, attained or manifested? Is it preexistent within the individual and the gross matter of the body simply "burned " away? Or is the gross matter of the body altered through a process not yet recognized by physical science, which changes the atoms of flesh into something unnamed on the Periodic Table of Elements? Is there more than one route to the final, perfected form of the human body-mind? Is it necessary to actually die biologically, or is there an alternate path to the light body that bypasses physical death? These are provocative questions which remain to be explored. However this state is achieved, the perfected individual is then capable of operating within ordinary space-time through that altered vehicle of consciousness which is immortal. That vehicle of consciousness is no longer carbon-based as is biological flesh. Rather, it is composed of a finer, more ethereal form of energy-substance unknown to conventional physics, but long known to metaphysics and higher mysticism. That condition is, for the individual, the most exalted stage of higher human development; for humanity in general, it is the final stage of evolution.
Sacred Traditions for Higher Human Development
If there is an inner unity or transcendent common core to world religions and sacred traditions, we should expect that the human potential for transubstantiation would be understood by all of them. Indeed, that is just what we find. Some of the names given to the body of light are as follows:
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, it is called "the resurrection body " and "the glorified body." The prophet Isaiah said, "The dead shall live, their bodies shall rise" (Isa. 26:19). St. Paul called it "the celestial body" or "spiritual body " (soma pneumatikon) (I Corinthians 15:40).
In Sufism it is called "the most sacred body " (wujud al-aqdas) and "supracelestial body " (jism asli haqiqi).
In Taoism, it is called "the diamond body," and those who have attained it are called "the immortals" and "the cloudwalkers."
In Tibetan Buddhism it is called "the light body."
In Tantrism and some schools of yoga, it is called "the vajra body," "the adamantine body," and "the divine body."
In Kriya yoga it is called "the body of bliss."
In Vedanta it is called "the superconductive body."
In Gnosticism and Neoplatonism, it is called "the radiant body."
In the alchemical tradition, the Emerald Tablet calls it "the Glory of the Whole Universe" and "the golden body." The alchemist Paracelsus called it "the astral body."
In the Hermetic Corpus, it is called "the immortal body " (soma athanaton).
In some mystery schools, it is called "the solar body."
In Rosicrucianism, it is called "the diamond body of the temple of God."
In ancient Egypt it was called "the luminous body or being" (akh).
In Old Persia it was called "the indwelling divine potential" (fravashi or fravarti).
In the Mithraic liturgy it was called "the perfect body " (soma teilion).
In the philosophy of Sri Aurobindo, it is called "the divine body," composed of supramental substance.
In the philosophy of Teilhard de Chardin, it is called "the ultrahuman."
There probably are other traditions that have analogous terms, and I would be glad to be informed of them. As I see it, these are different terms for the same ultimate stage of human evolution. (I feel quite tentative about Teilhard de Chardin because he is not specific in his writings about the somatic changes which lead to the evolved human. I have excluded Nietzsche's ubermensch altogether for that and other reasons.)
The traditions speak of the process in different ways. Is the immortal body created or released, attained or manifested? Is it preexistent within the individual and the gross matter of the body simply "burned " away? Or is the gross matter of the body altered through a process not yet recognized by physical science, which changes the atoms of flesh into something unnamed on the Periodic Table of Elements? Is there more than one route to the final, perfected form of the human body-mind? Is it necessary to actually die biologically, or is there an alternate path to the light body that bypasses physical death? These are provocative questions which remain to be explored. However this state is achieved, the perfected individual is then capable of operating within ordinary space-time through that altered vehicle of consciousness which is immortal. That vehicle of consciousness is no longer carbon-based as is biological flesh. Rather, it is composed of a finer, more ethereal form of energy-substance unknown to conventional physics, but long known to metaphysics and higher mysticism. That condition is, for the individual, the most exalted stage of higher human development; for humanity in general, it is the final stage of evolution.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Shree Nathji
Browsing through the internet entries on Shree Nathji (which I understand to be a version of Krishna) I came across the following entry. I cannot offer a translation of the various terms,yet I think the gist of the philosophy comes through,and, in many respects, is confirmed once one experiences the energies of kundalini. Unfortunately, I lost the url for the site before I could copy it. However, here is a related site: http://www.geocities.com/pushti_marg/bhav.htm Be sure to give special notice to the last section having to do with devotion for the deity expressed through pure love, which asks for nothing but offers all.
Certainly, some of the basic assumptions in the discussion follow naturally from kundalini awakening:
1). Everything in the universe is god: thus we ourselves are part of the divine reality in a literal sense.
2). The devotee experiences great sadness when he/she is separated from the sense of oneness.
3). Divine bliss (of awakening) occurs only by grace, not from practice or deeds or desire.
These simple yet fundamental truths must be experienced anew by each devotee who encounters and is transformed by this holy presence.
Images of Shree Nathji are found in Rajasthan, among other places. This is the rather "chunky" blue bodied Krishna, sometimes with four arms. One of the places you can see these images is the city Udaipur. The images are highly stylized, and represent the central devotional figure of certain indigenous sects. As one traveler remarked, Krishna is the equivalent of the Black Madonna (that is, found and revered in many places) in India.
Here is the entry from the site:
Basic Concept & some terms and terminology
According to the Shudhadvait philosophy of Maha-Prabhu Shri Vallabhacharyaji, the entire universe is part and parcel of the Sachidanand - the eternally omnipresent and blissful Lord. By this definition, the Lord and His creation are one and the same. Hence, the "joy" and bliss associated with the Lord are ever present in His creation. The only reason why we do not all "feel" or experience this joy, bliss and completeness, is because we have forgotten our true nature - that of being one with the universal Lord. As a result, we do not appreciate that we too are a part of the eternal Venu-geeta of the Lord and we too are part of the "Rakhilam Madhuram" that Shri Vallabhacharya sings about in the Madhurastakam.
Rudra Marg Because Shri Vallabh cried when he realized the pain and pleasure of his separation from his beloved Lord Shri Krshna.
Pushti Marg Because the Lord is accessible only through His own grace. The Lord cannot be attained by a given formula - He is attainable only if He wants to be attained !
Shuddha-Advaita Pure Monism where there is no difference between the creator and the created.
Bhrahmavada Brahman, the source and cause of all that is in the Universe, IS the universe. Purest form of monism anywhere, in any religion. Uniquely, this is the only philosophy that states, categorically, that everything, absolutely everything, is perfect just the way it is. Everything is imbibed with the sprite of the Lord and as the Lord is eternally perfect, everything is perfect.
Certainly, some of the basic assumptions in the discussion follow naturally from kundalini awakening:
1). Everything in the universe is god: thus we ourselves are part of the divine reality in a literal sense.
2). The devotee experiences great sadness when he/she is separated from the sense of oneness.
3). Divine bliss (of awakening) occurs only by grace, not from practice or deeds or desire.
These simple yet fundamental truths must be experienced anew by each devotee who encounters and is transformed by this holy presence.
Images of Shree Nathji are found in Rajasthan, among other places. This is the rather "chunky" blue bodied Krishna, sometimes with four arms. One of the places you can see these images is the city Udaipur. The images are highly stylized, and represent the central devotional figure of certain indigenous sects. As one traveler remarked, Krishna is the equivalent of the Black Madonna (that is, found and revered in many places) in India.
Here is the entry from the site:
Basic Concept & some terms and terminology
According to the Shudhadvait philosophy of Maha-Prabhu Shri Vallabhacharyaji, the entire universe is part and parcel of the Sachidanand - the eternally omnipresent and blissful Lord. By this definition, the Lord and His creation are one and the same. Hence, the "joy" and bliss associated with the Lord are ever present in His creation. The only reason why we do not all "feel" or experience this joy, bliss and completeness, is because we have forgotten our true nature - that of being one with the universal Lord. As a result, we do not appreciate that we too are a part of the eternal Venu-geeta of the Lord and we too are part of the "Rakhilam Madhuram" that Shri Vallabhacharya sings about in the Madhurastakam.
Rudra Marg Because Shri Vallabh cried when he realized the pain and pleasure of his separation from his beloved Lord Shri Krshna.
Pushti Marg Because the Lord is accessible only through His own grace. The Lord cannot be attained by a given formula - He is attainable only if He wants to be attained !
Shuddha-Advaita Pure Monism where there is no difference between the creator and the created.
Bhrahmavada Brahman, the source and cause of all that is in the Universe, IS the universe. Purest form of monism anywhere, in any religion. Uniquely, this is the only philosophy that states, categorically, that everything, absolutely everything, is perfect just the way it is. Everything is imbibed with the sprite of the Lord and as the Lord is eternally perfect, everything is perfect.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Intelligent Design vs. Chance
This reflection might be subtitled: A Musing on the Imponderables.
Teilhard de Chardin (the French priest/mystic/philosopher) asserted that we are in an evolutionary process of expanding intelligence, which will lead us ultimately to the "Omega Point" where the divine and the human will merge. Others have spoken of the "Divinization of Matter" as humans draw nearer to a "godlike" state of consciousness.
Currently, a debate is going on between certain religious groups and certain scientists as to whether the universe indeed displays features of an "intelligent design" or whether it was created by and evolves according to mere chance. This topic tends to reveal some biases on both sides when it comes up for discussion, the academics and intellectuals opting for chance, and the religious folk for the opposite.
I watched an interesting documentary last night on this subject and learned a great deal. First of all, the basic theory of "intelligent design" relies on very convincing scientific evidence. The conditions essential for life itself to appear on earth are so specific that only if they are met within strict boundaries, could life arise at all. The odds against this happening by chance are staggering--something like one in a trillion trillion.
Then (and here the going gets tricky for a non-scientist like me), basic features of life itself could not (according to the presentation) have arisen through a blind "selection of the fittest" (Darwinian evolution.) Some aspects of life could not have merely "evolved." Rather, they had to appear all at the same time.
This essential feature is called "irreducible complexity." This term is used when all the components of a functioning element must be present for any of it to work. (I have heard of similar arguments before--thus it would not help for a bird to evolve one wing--it must have two to fly.)
Perhaps the most compelling example was that of (what I thought they called) the bacterium flagellum--a strange infinitely small "thing" which is constructed exactly like a wee machine with mutually co-dependent parts and which is essential to the life process. This curious "living mechanism" requires 48 proteins to work. These cannot arise in such simultaneity through spontaneous processes.
Hence the initial part of the theory rests on basic scientific observation, rather than religious faith.
The second part of the theory is perhaps more arguable. The presenters reason that anything that is made must have a maker. Hence the universe must have been created by an overreaching intelligence, who designed with deliberate intent and purpose. And they then go further to posit certain characteristics of that original creator.
Would science be more likely to accept the underlying premise for this theory under some other name--such as "not by chance" since the odds against chance are so strong? They then could choose not to comment on the implications, leaving that to the metaphysicians in our midst, or to individual observers. In any event,it seems that Darwin alone does not fully account for the emergence and progress of life on earth.
Personally, I do not think that we can ever think our way to truth about our universe and how it was created or operates. I think we can make progressive discoveries, which lead us ever closer, but never reveal to us the full narrative. We can, however, experience the universe in various ways. When we "open" we know that we ourselves are a minute particle in this vast web, and we can feel the creative energies stir in our bodies. These, I am convinced,flow from the very source of all existence, and offer us glimpses of the ultimate. They reveal our connection to the vast imponderable from which we come. The imponderable is named Love.
Teilhard de Chardin (the French priest/mystic/philosopher) asserted that we are in an evolutionary process of expanding intelligence, which will lead us ultimately to the "Omega Point" where the divine and the human will merge. Others have spoken of the "Divinization of Matter" as humans draw nearer to a "godlike" state of consciousness.
Currently, a debate is going on between certain religious groups and certain scientists as to whether the universe indeed displays features of an "intelligent design" or whether it was created by and evolves according to mere chance. This topic tends to reveal some biases on both sides when it comes up for discussion, the academics and intellectuals opting for chance, and the religious folk for the opposite.
I watched an interesting documentary last night on this subject and learned a great deal. First of all, the basic theory of "intelligent design" relies on very convincing scientific evidence. The conditions essential for life itself to appear on earth are so specific that only if they are met within strict boundaries, could life arise at all. The odds against this happening by chance are staggering--something like one in a trillion trillion.
Then (and here the going gets tricky for a non-scientist like me), basic features of life itself could not (according to the presentation) have arisen through a blind "selection of the fittest" (Darwinian evolution.) Some aspects of life could not have merely "evolved." Rather, they had to appear all at the same time.
This essential feature is called "irreducible complexity." This term is used when all the components of a functioning element must be present for any of it to work. (I have heard of similar arguments before--thus it would not help for a bird to evolve one wing--it must have two to fly.)
Perhaps the most compelling example was that of (what I thought they called) the bacterium flagellum--a strange infinitely small "thing" which is constructed exactly like a wee machine with mutually co-dependent parts and which is essential to the life process. This curious "living mechanism" requires 48 proteins to work. These cannot arise in such simultaneity through spontaneous processes.
Hence the initial part of the theory rests on basic scientific observation, rather than religious faith.
The second part of the theory is perhaps more arguable. The presenters reason that anything that is made must have a maker. Hence the universe must have been created by an overreaching intelligence, who designed with deliberate intent and purpose. And they then go further to posit certain characteristics of that original creator.
Would science be more likely to accept the underlying premise for this theory under some other name--such as "not by chance" since the odds against chance are so strong? They then could choose not to comment on the implications, leaving that to the metaphysicians in our midst, or to individual observers. In any event,it seems that Darwin alone does not fully account for the emergence and progress of life on earth.
Personally, I do not think that we can ever think our way to truth about our universe and how it was created or operates. I think we can make progressive discoveries, which lead us ever closer, but never reveal to us the full narrative. We can, however, experience the universe in various ways. When we "open" we know that we ourselves are a minute particle in this vast web, and we can feel the creative energies stir in our bodies. These, I am convinced,flow from the very source of all existence, and offer us glimpses of the ultimate. They reveal our connection to the vast imponderable from which we come. The imponderable is named Love.
