The dialogue between the Mystical Protagonist and the InQuiring Mind continues:

P: Religious issues tend to be irrelevant or even unhelpful to Spiritual growth. I emphasize that our religion is a human creation. But our Spirituality is GOD's creation. Religion should nourish Spiritual development among its member adherents. But history documents it has too often been destructive. Spirituality is a Divine creation, a Divine potential which is independent of any human meddling, and we are blessed by having direct access to It ourselves, something that self-serving clergy have always hated and often attempted to suppress (re the destruction of the Gnostics within the first 200 years of the early Christian by its power oriented church fathers.)

Q: I recall your discussion in our Introductory Dialogue about how the Spiritual dimensions of Christianity were corrupted by the Apostolic Successors during the first 500 years of the church [revisit]. So I presume since Spirituality is a personal thing, it appears obvious even to me that some of us are further along that path. Is there a way to estimate where I am?

P: You may first need to review the definition of Religion [definition] as compared to Spirituality [definition] as used in the MP.  Here is a classification scheme that defines levels of attainable Spiritual Consciousness. Your intellect will like that. The following classification is only a means to think about the process of Spiritual awakening. I have organized these levels into seven categories.  I begin with the most advanced status of achieved Spiritual Consciousness and then describe progressive states of Spiritual decline into ultimate Spiritual impoverishment. The top category or level is humanity's highest earthbound attainable level of Spiritual Consciousness. Review this taxonomy:

TECHNICAL DISCUSSION OF LEVELS
NOTE: for the basic technical definitions re C/consciousness versus intellect click here ...
Category 7--Avatar: The highest Spiritual attainment. Persons, e.g., Jesus, in this Mystical state have been able to reach a quality of UNITY by application of their will. They as observer, that which they observe and the process of observing become ONE. This is a profoundly transcendent experience, a complete fulfillment of ECSTASY, KNOWING and LOVE. The separated person becomes ONE with the Totality of GOD. Here occurs the permanent death of the ego, and where one's Consciousness becomes transformed into an AT-ONE-MENT with a complete and full Spiritual CONSCIOUSNESS. This achievement is called Samadhi by the Hindus. It is created by means of the discipline of will called "one-pointed" concentration. This discipline permits achievement of a state of completely absent ego which in turn which permits willful UNITY with the ONE. Achievement of this state is prelude to that ephemeral state of permanent bliss the Buddha called Nirvana. This achievement is in fact the ultimate goal and achievement of the deepest, most extended and most disciplined practice of meditation or prayer. Examples include Pythagoras, Buddha, Laotse, and the most recent, Jesus.
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Category 6--Mystic (Sage, Apostle, or Messenger): In this state, the individual has the experience of themselves as Consciousness departing their physical body and entering into a larger realm of Spiritual Order. There their experience is as though they were still a physical entity. In these Dialogues, this realm is called the Super Consciousness. In this SuperOrdinate state they can approach becoming ONE with the Cosmos, but still feel themselves as a participant in and not a UNITY experience of Oneness. This is a state of finding one's self experiencing enormous but ineffable realms of Spiritual Realities, transcendent visions, profound states of Noetic (complete Knowing) Consciousness, landscaped splendor, ephemeral beauty of light and sound, extraordinary Peace and LOVE, all shared amidst the Loving Presence of Spiritual Others. In addition to achieving this state through meditation, individuals who have experienced what is called NDE (Near Death Experiences) have also been brought to this state by externally imposed physical trauma, through either severe illness or injury. In such cases, their beating heart and breathing has temporarily stilled. But the identical state may be achieved by Mystics in the early stages of their intentional development as did the Yoga named Milarepa whose journey is summarized in Dialogue 6. [visit allegory] Blavatsky is an example who apparently achieved this level of development from which she was guided to make her literary contributions to the world. [ref The Secret Doctrine] From the descriptions they provide, both David Hawkins [1995] and Richard Bucke [1923] apparently have reached this state. Access to this stage may be given as a gift, by "Grace" as happened to Edgar Cayce, the "Sleeping Prophet." [Sterns, 1967]  After suffering a severe illness he found he was able to enter into a Noetic relationship with the Super Consciousness. In a trance state of deep meditation he provided many verifiable answers to a variety of questions which he gave to his observer and transcribed. He was unable to remember these details himself upon awakening from his trance.
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Category 5--Disciple: In this state, a lower order Mystical discipline, emotional trauma, (or Grace) instantly yields a completely rearranged and expanded mental consciousness. There is an awakened Knowing that one can have access to higher realms. One's Knows they have a capability of reaching them but must confront the lack of required discipline. The relationship among life's events, processes, experiences and one's comprehension and interpretation of them abruptly becomes coherent, meaningful and clear. One experiences a strong sense of Illumination and being protected, guided and sustained in an atmosphere of profound peace, love and trust. The meaning of suffering is clarified. Any harm, injustice or suffering that one may have suffered is interpreted as a contribution to Spiritual development, a necessary suffering in preparing one's mind and Soul for a transformation. The place one finds one's self in life is given direction, meaning and excitement, and one joyfully feels duty-bound to fulfill this destiny. However, at this level of Mystical experience, one still suffers from the momentum and burdens of one's prior obsessive mental and emotional consciousness. One still remains vulnerable to succumbing to the ebb and flow of sensate feelings such as resentment, fear, anger, distrust, and sensual and erotic lust. There remains a residual dependence on that damning illusion that everything has to be rational, or "make sense." Once the Category 3 Illumination occurs, the blessed one relentlessly pursues the distant and elusive but promised experience of the Whole. She/he begins to develop the necessary mental and Spiritual discipline and progressively enters with deepening faith and trust into the willful death of their ego. In this commitment they "die daily." Their life is transformed into one of unconditional Love forgiveness, compassion, trust in and service to others. Once begun, the transformation does not stop. For those who have experienced one of these first three categories of Mystical experience, nothing need be said for them to relate to others who have enjoyed such events. For those who have not yet experienced even the least of these three levels of Mystical experience, not enough can be said to convince their rational minds of the reality of it, that others have experienced it, or that they have their own potential to experience it. Does this feel familiar?
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Category 4--Spiritually Inclined:  At this pre transcendent level prior to some form of a actual Mystical Illumination, one may have an intuitive sense and a mental picture that creates in the mind's consciousness the necessity of GOD and one's innate capacity to relate to that POWER. The nature of the vision varies with the individual's life experience. One may believe on simple faith from the teachings of others. But mostly one is convinced by the obvious incredible density, complexity, subtly and regularity of visible nature and the cosmos. Such persons may experience God as the workings of nature. Such a person can approach GOD as an intellectual belief or simple faith in GOD's impersonal existence. At this level one is most vulnerable to Spiritual abuse at the hands of corrupt religious practices.  One's intuitive sense becomes sufficiently empowered and compelled to resist, if not oppose, religionist claims describing an external, simplified, human like anthropomorphic definition of God. God somehow becomes acceptable only as a comprehensive, dispassionate and ineffable but real Force. For those Spiritually quickened at this level, using eastern terminology, in this state they remain hostage to a kind of mental consciousness called Samsara. Samsara is the state of bondage to mental illusion and vulnerability to seduction or temptation of the senses (Maya.) Maya condemns one to a continuing cycles of birth, death and rebirth, the endless wheel of Karma (Cause and Effect). Such believers are easily susceptible to the seduction of secular power, and may apply their religion to that purpose.
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Category 3--Believer: At this level, God exists on faith and is usually accepted as being externally located in some anthropomorphic form and must be described and related to in familiar human terms. This God has a personality defined by a variety of human qualities--such as the compassionate capacity to love and forgive, but also the wrathful capacity for vengeance and destruction. This God must be constantly feared and appeased. Persons at this level are vulnerable to being cajoled and coerced by the religious leaders of certain faith groups or cults. Such a person must apply their life decisions to accommodate and cope with various levels of guilt and fear due to admitted or possible violations of the tenets of their faith. They may defensively feel themselves and their group to be "chosen" and superior to and above all others. They may endure feeling vulnerable to retribution and harm by being cast out and forsaken either by their God's wrathful justice or by his mere caprice. Others are judged, approved or disapproved, by the earnestness of their acceptance of the group's definitions and dogma. Because of incipient fear and doubt, believers at this level must defend their God, must aggressively promote his acceptance, and must acquire adherents to their vision. Disloyalty to the beliefs of the group lead to persecution, banishment and in some cases death. They must act to discredit, dilute, diminish or even destroy all unbelievers or belief systems that appear to compete with theirs, or those who are unfaithful to their teachings and demands. Here one most likely finds the zealots and the cultists.
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Category 2.  Primitive Structures and Processes: but God must take on explicit form of various visible structural formations found in one's experience. These can be geologic formations, animals or plants to which a personality and selected human qualities are assigned. This externalized god or gods have various capricious expressions of magical or supernatural powers. They must be served or appeased by formal ritual and/or by various informal obsessions in order to assure that their powers are controlled, and will treat the believers kindly, promote their interests, or at least preserve them from harm.
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Category 1--Atheist: Absence of Spiritual awareness. For persons at this level, there is no god of any kind. There is only the mechanical and dispassionate existential order of the universe. One is caught up in this as a kind of biological machine. Metaphysical questions of a SuperOrdinate first cause based on a "Being" or Creator, and a presumption of continuity to a post death Consciousness experience are presumed not to be possible. Such claims are dismissed or defined as "silly" or irrelevant and are typically refused debate. While abstract concepts descriptive of the psychology of personality and mind may be acceptable, these are always tied to the biological brain and nervous system. Abstractions such as "creativity" only exist in reference to abstract bio-mechanical processes which are dismissed as unknown only because of their subtly and complexity. Alleged spiritual or mystical experiences are dismissed as artifacts of body chemistry. Knowledge can only be trusted when it is validated by one or more of the senses or their technological extensions. Deepak Chopra has called this obsession the "superstition of science" [1990a, op cit.] All claims as to the existence of any higher order, ineffable or transcendent intelligence or force, are dismissed as magic, supernatural and incredible. Persons of this category can become sociopathic or psychopathic. They may be especially intractable and militant when they have been physically, emotionally and Spiritually abused as children. Spiritual abuse includes being forced to endure the religious or other emotional excesses of parents and adults who are arrested at Category 3 or 2 consciousness. But such person's remain entirely capable of psycho pathological invoking religious icons and imagery to manipulate the faithful in order to achieve antithetical personal or political ends. END TECHNICAL DISCUSSION

Q: I presume then that a religion can be created to serve any one of these levels.

P: A "religion" can function to nourish a receptive person at any level except of course, Category 1. Its members would fiercely exclude themselves. Persons in Category 7 through Category 5 will intuitively understand and accept the core principles of the Mystical Paradigm even though they may take issue with some of its conceptual detail. They have already directly experienced at some level, the foundation Truths upon which it rests. For them these Dialogues will be a working out of a rationale for applying their awareness. They could use it to reach and assist others less fortunate, or more vulnerable, or who are seriously caught up in self-imposed conditions of limit, lack, stress and anxiety. Such victim persons do not know that these conditions are only the products of their own limited consciousness.

For a person who is found in Category 4 these Dialogues ought provide an intellectual platform and motivation for them to enter into a life of mental discipline and concentration leading to their first validating Mystical experience. For those at Category 3 or lower, the evidence presented in these Dialogues will be increasingly challenging, threatening and tedious to accept. To the extent a religion to which they adhere and on which they depend is being challenged by the Paradigm, then the more likely they will become confused, defensive or hostile. To the extent they are not overcome by the traps of the mind which we will discuss beginning with our next Dialogue, the Mystical Paradigm can offer for them as well, a springboard to greater Spiritual freedom and open-mindedness. But they must first become sensitive and responsive to some deep and moving intuition within their hearts. So I ask you, where do you now place yourself now in this hierarchy of Spiritual Consciousness?

Q: I hate to say it, but you have probably figured out that I am at the first level.

P: To keep you faithful to the terms I am developing, I would prefer you to say that I "Know" you're an atheist. It was not necessary for me to "Figure it out."

Q: Nevertheless, I don't believe in God. Most of what I heard about God fell on me from the hypocrites out of your Category 3--the superstitious stuff, a real turn off. Then when I look around today and see the televangelists absolving guilt and marketing salvation for money, or Falwell, Robertson and their followers from the religious right trying to take over our country to impose their will on me, I get really angry. Then there is the disgusting, hypocritical and even criminal behavior of Swaggart and the Bakkers. Well, I give contempt for it. And then when I pass by during channel flipping and see rooms full of stiff collared tight assed people sucking it all up from some hysterical pulpiteer and his/her ranting and raving--I am reminded that they too can and do vote. Depressing. That to me is religion. Religion is a sickness.

P: That is why I want you to disassociate the Spiritual potential within yourself from religion. I am going to show some Scripture to help address that objective. Sacred Scripture must be examined for its Truth, not for its adherence to a particular religious dogma or doctrine.  My goal for you is to give you enough information to help you develop at least to reclassify yourself to Category 4. Then you can begin apply your intellectual frame of reference that allows for the possibility of GOD. With sufficient command of the techniques of meditation you will at some point be able to transcend your bondage to Samsara, (that state of commitment to beliefs derived only from the senses.) This is the level of consciousness in which I see you now revel. This bondage carries a burden that has denied you any hint of the Realms beyond your mind. Of course there are numerous cases of people leaping immediately into Spiritual Consciousness for reasons of Near Death Experiences, or by simple Grace--by the gift of GOD. There are reasons beyond our Knowing for such an apparently undeserved transition or illumination that we call Grace. Religion can come later for you, if then.

Q: Well, my style is to take your challenges head on.

P: Then lets get past the religious block. Lets deal with it up front right now. Now I ask you to read the following which is a Holistic statement consistent with current General Systems Theory, except that is New Testament Scripture.  But I ask you to Interpret it independent of any association with church or mainstream religion. This happens to be from First Corinthians. But its contents amount to Spiritual guidance in the science of Holistic thinking. Read it now in the context of what you have just learned in this Dialogue. Be aware that this Scripture is Systems thinking tailored to the simple minds of an agrarian and herding culture, First Century style:

"But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom [MP Definition] through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills. For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body; whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free; and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. And the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you"; nor again the head to the feet, "I have no need of you." No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually." 1Cor 12:7-27

P: Look. I'm not calling down lightning. I'm reaching for your enlightenment. Get with the program. The term "Christ" in the Mystical Paradigm means Spiritual Consciousness. You see--Spiritual Consciousness is Holistic thinking, the root of the term of today's word, Holy. Any religion is simply a gathering of like minds presumably with the sole objective of supporting and nourishing each other in order to draw closer to this Spiritual Truth.  When you smell the stench of secular or religious politics and infighting in any religion, forget sacred, and read power and control.

As an aside, the sexual zealots ought consider their anti-sex obsessions in light of the subtle messages of that passage. I will revisit that topic in a subsequent Dialogue. In the above metaphor, quoted from First Corinthians, we are presented a Scriptural version of the metaphysics that defines the Mystical Paradigm. "Christ" means Spiritual Consciousness, such that, "Jesus the Christ," refers to a man (Jesus) who was fully Conscious of the LAW of GOD, i.e., He was of perfect Mind. Hence He had total control over His mind's illusions and the demands of His senses which were totally under the disciplined control of his Spiritual Consciousness, i.e., His "Christ Self." The "Body of Christ" simply means all of those persons who have also achieved a workable level of Spiritual Consciousness. The size of the actual Body of Christ is considerably smaller than the number of those who name themselves among its members, but who are in fact not Spiritually qualified.

Q: O.K. So where do we go from here. I have a lot to think about.

P: You mean meditate on. When you come back for our subsequent Dialogues, I will explain a combination of mental phenomenon I call the "Three Traps of the Mind." These corruptions create the schisms in the body of Spiritual Truth. They can explain many of the factors that lead to the terrible corruptions in religion we have just spoken of.

Q: OK, but so what? I simply can't cope with religion. I guess I'm Spiritually injured.

P: As I said, you will find it helpful for now, to entirely disassociate religion from Spirituality. Once you master and take within yourself the concepts of Spirituality and its personal relationship to you, then you can see if any particular religion or religious teaching qualifies on your terms to deserve some credibility. You will be surprised then how often religion is deserving of respect. But when that respect has been betrayed, how tragic it is for those who have been adversely affected as you have apparently been. To be Spiritually injured is a terrible tragedy for it affects the Sacred unfoldment of each Soul.

Q: How do I know whether I'm Spiritually injured or not?

P: Your anger is a clue, but you don't have enough information right now to properly confirm this diagnosis. Rather than deal with that now, the following Dialogues are going to empower you to understand your present relationship of your ego owned and operated intellect and and how it cuts you off from your innate Spirituality. Persons who have benefited from a positive experience with religion will have a better grasp of why. People who were simply left out of religious influences can examine what follows more objectively than you. Persons like you who were abused by religion can also develop a healing grasp of why and how the abuse worked its damage and how to heal it.

For now, I challenge you by introducing you to the the workings of the three traps of mind as an antidote to your recover from your dependence on obsessive mentality.

Dialogue on the First of the Three Traps of Consciousness, The Agendas

Prior Discussion of Models of C/consciousness
(For Technical Readers) Begin Advanced Discussions of the Metaphysics of Consciousness

Return to Introduction
Return to Index of Contents of OT/MP
Return to Master Page of OT/MP

This page created on May 28, 1997.
Still under development.
Current revision  on October 16, 2006.