When I lived in the DC/Virginia area I became a member of the
Washington Evolutionary Systems Society. This group consisted
of some fairly high-powered scientists. Me? Younger back then,
I was more on the junior level. Nonetheless I enjoyed myself,
attending some of the society's symposia at the Smithsonian--
and especially going to its monthly dinner meetings that featured
hot-shot speakers on various topics that related to systems
thinking.
At the time, I was beginning to move more progressively into
advanced study at Georgetown, not yet retired from government
but nevertheless preparing for a new career in Science and
Spirituality. So one night we were treated to a world-famous
British scholar (connected with both Oxford and Cambridge)
who was not only a biologist but also an Anglican priest. I had
read a couple of his books, so I really didn't want to miss this
particular fellow.
This good gentleman passed away several years back, so I
feel free relating this event. He talked about his work relating
Modern Biology with a sense of God. Nice, interesting--but
the real event took place at the dinner afterwards.
As it happened, I was sitting across the table from this British
gentleman. The dinner was good, the wine flowed. Everybody
loosened-up. I cannot remember the details, but someone
asked the speaker how in the world he became a priest. He
provided some detail, but added that he no longer put much
faith in his particular religion.
Whew! Dead silence, looks of incredibility all around. Couldn't
see my own face, but I know that I was shocked. It wasn't that
I am a paradigm of religious purity, but I did feel a deep devotion
towards Christ. I didn't speak (thank goodness), but one of the
honcho scientists exclaimed, "how can you be a priest and not
believe?"
The British gentleman signed deeply, and put it thus: "Christianity
is the best that we have." Well, that answer went nowhere. And I
wondered about all the other great world religions that might
compare with the "best."
Over the years that event remains sharp in my mind. After far
more study (and later my own work) when it came to Science
and Spirituality, I somewhat can relate to this British scientist's
dillemma. When it comes to an objective honesty, when it
comes to a certain integrity, when examining modern scientific
discoveries and theoretics, I have found it difficult linking any
religious system *specifically* with such.
There are those who have tried, such as one of my heros:
the Jesuit-paleontologist, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. He made
his case and faced "silencing" by his own religious authorities.
Today he is far more accepted, in that at least he is recognized as
a pioneer engaging natural theology. As for his "Christogenesis,"
it's a beautiful Mind Piece, but it comes out of his particular
background as a Jesuit priest. And he admits to having a
special experience that helped him to connect Christ and
his "Cosmogenesis."
I'm not familiar enough with the other great world religions, as
to whether there might have been similar efforts to link their
particular faith system with the findings of Science.
As for myself, I try to stick with the idea of God and God's
Creation when it comes to my own approach. It's a generic
approach, but at least there is some realistic hint when it
comes to at least approaching the "Contours of God," as I
put it. Maybe that will have to be enough for now, slowly
plodding, yet moving towards more *insight* as to Whom
we are trying to discover.
One thing for sure, it's an exciting adventure this business!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
(32) Freedom
This morning at church it was announced that next Sunday
a new series of sermons (homilies) would begin about
Freedom. I blinked, nearly sat straight in the pew, and
thought that this was different. Of course I had no idea
how the topic would be presented. Freedom is kind of
like the Janus Face, the two-sided face, in that it can be
used as a Yes or No, for Good or Evil, for Right or Wrong,
to Be or Not to Be, to Do or not to Do. And within these
categories, there's a myriad of action or non-action.
Later I wondered more over this topic of Freedom, especially
how it has actually been impacting upon me during this period
of shift that I have been undergoing. It's quite important I believe.
Indeed, for all the past challenges that I have worked through,
the baseline has been the existence of freedom.
I wanted to put my thought to writing, creating a certain
body of thought that I wanted to share with others--but all
this necessitated freedom, as it does unto this very day!
I am beginning to realize that my recent "transition" has really
been about freedom of thought. But now I am aware that I
must continue to employ that freedom carefully, so not as to
cause harm. Perhaps that was why I have decided to
"go Generic," if you will.
a new series of sermons (homilies) would begin about
Freedom. I blinked, nearly sat straight in the pew, and
thought that this was different. Of course I had no idea
how the topic would be presented. Freedom is kind of
like the Janus Face, the two-sided face, in that it can be
used as a Yes or No, for Good or Evil, for Right or Wrong,
to Be or Not to Be, to Do or not to Do. And within these
categories, there's a myriad of action or non-action.
Later I wondered more over this topic of Freedom, especially
how it has actually been impacting upon me during this period
of shift that I have been undergoing. It's quite important I believe.
Indeed, for all the past challenges that I have worked through,
the baseline has been the existence of freedom.
I wanted to put my thought to writing, creating a certain
body of thought that I wanted to share with others--but all
this necessitated freedom, as it does unto this very day!
I am beginning to realize that my recent "transition" has really
been about freedom of thought. But now I am aware that I
must continue to employ that freedom carefully, so not as to
cause harm. Perhaps that was why I have decided to
"go Generic," if you will.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
(31) Remembering a Dream
Long ago, I had a special dream that quite shook me
for awhile. I was walking down a sidewalk with a friend,
in a California town, and across the way stood one of
those stucco Mission churches. I cried out, "look, there's
the church." My friend responded, saying "no, there's
the church" as he pointed down towards the end of the
street. There stood an enormous statue, surely as big
as the Statue of Liberty.
I thought it must be a statue of Jesus, but as we came
near I saw that it was a statue of the Virgin Mary. And
to make sure I got the point, there were thousands of
cards of the Blessed Mother scattered around the pedestal.
Upon waking I was incredulous! Had I encountered the
Great Mother, the Feminine aspect of God? Perhaps so,
but why. Ever since I make sure that I honor this aspect.
But recently I *remembered* a second part of this dream
that seemingly I had forgotten. After encountering the
statue of the Virgin Mary I was suddenly transported to
the sea shore, looking out over the deep ocean.
Having done dreamwork, I was familiar with symbolism.
The ocean (or deep water) can symbolize the feminine,
but I have another "take" on this. Let me explain.
Remembering this, I re-analyzed this particular dream as
it seems to me today.
I believe the Virgin Mary represents the "Theotokos," the
one who brings forth the child Jesus. In cosmic terms,
I tend to think of the great Feminine figure more in terms
of the "Divine Milieu." Perhaps a Teilhardian sense in that
Matter provides the milieu in which God somehow requires
as a neccessity as we all trudge towards "Omega," that final
point of Completion.
So, as part of this Divine Milieu what might our role be?
The second part of this dream suggests that we need
come to ever greater consciousness. The deep water in
this dream is perhaps about plunging into the great
depths of our being, ever evolving our comprehension
when it comes to the Reality in which we live and have
our being.
My dream, I believe, is about the Integration of Mind and
Matter ever working towards something More.
for awhile. I was walking down a sidewalk with a friend,
in a California town, and across the way stood one of
those stucco Mission churches. I cried out, "look, there's
the church." My friend responded, saying "no, there's
the church" as he pointed down towards the end of the
street. There stood an enormous statue, surely as big
as the Statue of Liberty.
I thought it must be a statue of Jesus, but as we came
near I saw that it was a statue of the Virgin Mary. And
to make sure I got the point, there were thousands of
cards of the Blessed Mother scattered around the pedestal.
Upon waking I was incredulous! Had I encountered the
Great Mother, the Feminine aspect of God? Perhaps so,
but why. Ever since I make sure that I honor this aspect.
But recently I *remembered* a second part of this dream
that seemingly I had forgotten. After encountering the
statue of the Virgin Mary I was suddenly transported to
the sea shore, looking out over the deep ocean.
Having done dreamwork, I was familiar with symbolism.
The ocean (or deep water) can symbolize the feminine,
but I have another "take" on this. Let me explain.
Remembering this, I re-analyzed this particular dream as
it seems to me today.
I believe the Virgin Mary represents the "Theotokos," the
one who brings forth the child Jesus. In cosmic terms,
I tend to think of the great Feminine figure more in terms
of the "Divine Milieu." Perhaps a Teilhardian sense in that
Matter provides the milieu in which God somehow requires
as a neccessity as we all trudge towards "Omega," that final
point of Completion.
So, as part of this Divine Milieu what might our role be?
The second part of this dream suggests that we need
come to ever greater consciousness. The deep water in
this dream is perhaps about plunging into the great
depths of our being, ever evolving our comprehension
when it comes to the Reality in which we live and have
our being.
My dream, I believe, is about the Integration of Mind and
Matter ever working towards something More.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
(30) Going Generic
Without going into fine detail, I actually have lived out my
personal myth--at first unconsciously, later consciously. But
recently I seemed to have come to a standstill. I'm in the later
years of my life, so naturally I am not as active--yet, I have
enjoyed lots of mental experience, if you will.
In real life, when younger, I served in government, working
as a science and technology analyst, focusing on weapons
proliferation issues and arms control during the Cold War.
Later I studied both Theology and Philosophy, and specifically
focused on Science and Spirituality. Over the years I have
written essays and stories in this field.
Okay, fine and good. I engaged in an active life and later
tended towards a more solitary life. And now I wish to shed
any additional mental clothing I have put on myself. Now I
seriously want to express myself, my personal myth, even
more in generic terms.
To use an analogy, rather than buying brand names I'm
buying generic products. And what does this mean when
it comes to my personal myth? As a solitaire, a solitary, my
focus remains the same: I'm devoted towards "Seeking God."
I'm also fascinated by God's Creation, our wonderful universe,
and I'm always curious about Life's role, our role in it.
But I have reached the point that this focus must steam ahead,
far into the NEW--not only probing more our modern knowledge-
base, but moving into futurist thinking. This also means going
beyond medieval-based or even more archaic thinking oft found
in Religion, other than whatever *wisdom* in it might relate to
where we are HERE and NOW.
Unfortunately, there aren't many groups, organizations, or
even people who lend shelter to such a generic outlook.
So probably I'll be going it alone, finding companionship
when possible. However, as ever, my "seeking" is about God
and the universe. Hence I remain a panentheist ever devoted
to the Pantocrator.
As for these terms: "Panentheism" is about Creation existing
*within* God, but that God is more than hir Creation; and the
"Pantocrator" is an ancient icon representing the Lord of the
Universe, expressed by the Cosmic Christ.
Looking back I've long moved into the role of a panentheist,
in that my writing reflects such. But I just needed to be
more clear about this.
personal myth--at first unconsciously, later consciously. But
recently I seemed to have come to a standstill. I'm in the later
years of my life, so naturally I am not as active--yet, I have
enjoyed lots of mental experience, if you will.
In real life, when younger, I served in government, working
as a science and technology analyst, focusing on weapons
proliferation issues and arms control during the Cold War.
Later I studied both Theology and Philosophy, and specifically
focused on Science and Spirituality. Over the years I have
written essays and stories in this field.
Okay, fine and good. I engaged in an active life and later
tended towards a more solitary life. And now I wish to shed
any additional mental clothing I have put on myself. Now I
seriously want to express myself, my personal myth, even
more in generic terms.
To use an analogy, rather than buying brand names I'm
buying generic products. And what does this mean when
it comes to my personal myth? As a solitaire, a solitary, my
focus remains the same: I'm devoted towards "Seeking God."
I'm also fascinated by God's Creation, our wonderful universe,
and I'm always curious about Life's role, our role in it.
But I have reached the point that this focus must steam ahead,
far into the NEW--not only probing more our modern knowledge-
base, but moving into futurist thinking. This also means going
beyond medieval-based or even more archaic thinking oft found
in Religion, other than whatever *wisdom* in it might relate to
where we are HERE and NOW.
Unfortunately, there aren't many groups, organizations, or
even people who lend shelter to such a generic outlook.
So probably I'll be going it alone, finding companionship
when possible. However, as ever, my "seeking" is about God
and the universe. Hence I remain a panentheist ever devoted
to the Pantocrator.
As for these terms: "Panentheism" is about Creation existing
*within* God, but that God is more than hir Creation; and the
"Pantocrator" is an ancient icon representing the Lord of the
Universe, expressed by the Cosmic Christ.
Looking back I've long moved into the role of a panentheist,
in that my writing reflects such. But I just needed to be
more clear about this.
(29) Personal Myth
Carl Jung, the psychiatrist, and the mythologists Karl Kerenyi and
Joseph Campbell talk about or allude to the "personal myth."
This idea has led to everything from typology studies to Follow
Your Bliss, even to gods/goddesses types.
Long ago I wandered into this subject matter, trying to understand
better who I might be--or at least find myself in all this maze of
approaches. I already had a sense of my own archetypal structure
when I undertook some five years of dreamwork--on my own,
but with the help of a lot of psychological books as well as works
on symbolism. Anyway, I started out this project not knowing very
much about my self--and, in the end, I knew lots more.
So--is all this effort really narcissistic or actually rather meaningful?
Could be both, since a person who is interested in self no doubt
can be tinged with a certain amount of narcissism; however, on the
other hand, it can be quite helpful to discover one's personal myth.
Such can provide an archetypal infrastructure for one's life. And,
true, sometimes this special infrastructure can come in the guise
of archaic symbolism. Our mind and brain are both subject to
such historical-cultural residue, and psychiatrists have written
tomes about how to work through such mental material.
As for myself, long ago I learned about my own personal myth.
And a few years back I wrote two short stories--"Roman Trek"
and "Templar True" that were actually accounts of my own
archetypal infrastructure--albeit fictionally over-layed. Found
on the links margin of this essay site, one can click onto these
stories.
These stories are really about my *personal myth*, which has
unfolded over many years. They also encompasses my varied
interests. But now I am arriving towards the end of my personal
myth. This doesn't mean that I am going to slip away anytime soon--
I hope--but rather I have reached a new state-of-being when it
comes to my personal myth. It's about yet another transition within
my personal infrastructure that surely will involve new experience.
And who knows, but likely I will have to write yet another story
one day.
Joseph Campbell talk about or allude to the "personal myth."
This idea has led to everything from typology studies to Follow
Your Bliss, even to gods/goddesses types.
Long ago I wandered into this subject matter, trying to understand
better who I might be--or at least find myself in all this maze of
approaches. I already had a sense of my own archetypal structure
when I undertook some five years of dreamwork--on my own,
but with the help of a lot of psychological books as well as works
on symbolism. Anyway, I started out this project not knowing very
much about my self--and, in the end, I knew lots more.
So--is all this effort really narcissistic or actually rather meaningful?
Could be both, since a person who is interested in self no doubt
can be tinged with a certain amount of narcissism; however, on the
other hand, it can be quite helpful to discover one's personal myth.
Such can provide an archetypal infrastructure for one's life. And,
true, sometimes this special infrastructure can come in the guise
of archaic symbolism. Our mind and brain are both subject to
such historical-cultural residue, and psychiatrists have written
tomes about how to work through such mental material.
As for myself, long ago I learned about my own personal myth.
And a few years back I wrote two short stories--"Roman Trek"
and "Templar True" that were actually accounts of my own
archetypal infrastructure--albeit fictionally over-layed. Found
on the links margin of this essay site, one can click onto these
stories.
These stories are really about my *personal myth*, which has
unfolded over many years. They also encompasses my varied
interests. But now I am arriving towards the end of my personal
myth. This doesn't mean that I am going to slip away anytime soon--
I hope--but rather I have reached a new state-of-being when it
comes to my personal myth. It's about yet another transition within
my personal infrastructure that surely will involve new experience.
And who knows, but likely I will have to write yet another story
one day.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
(28) Birthday Break
Today is my birthday, and I'm as old as the hills! Still I am both
surprised and grateful that I am still alive, still somewhat capable.
Looking back I've gone through a varied number of life transitions--
and, lately, I have been edging towards yet another.
Whenever I seem to make a transition, I seem to percolate forever
so long. And though I try to force myself to make such a change,
in the end it usually is an event come from outside myself. And
that's what has happened to me in just the past few days.
Without going into detail, I just got pushed over the edge and
landed in another way of be-ing and do-ing. The situation
allowed for a "break," if you will. Hence I have left behind some
long term circumstances, and have finally started to move into
something over which I have been ruminating for quite a spell.
What is nice is that what I learned from my old role, I can bring
forth in a new way into my future role. Nicer yet, now I have lots
more freedom not only to expand my life and thinking, but I can
play into all that experience I had before and integrate it in
different ways into my new role.
Sound weird, all this? Maybe, but I'm willing to bet a goodly
number of perceptive folk engage in these transitions. Goodness!
People write books about these major transitions that must come
if you want to lead an ever more creative life.
Anyway, it's nice that this break in roles has spilled over into
my birthday. Keeps me ever young. :-)
surprised and grateful that I am still alive, still somewhat capable.
Looking back I've gone through a varied number of life transitions--
and, lately, I have been edging towards yet another.
Whenever I seem to make a transition, I seem to percolate forever
so long. And though I try to force myself to make such a change,
in the end it usually is an event come from outside myself. And
that's what has happened to me in just the past few days.
Without going into detail, I just got pushed over the edge and
landed in another way of be-ing and do-ing. The situation
allowed for a "break," if you will. Hence I have left behind some
long term circumstances, and have finally started to move into
something over which I have been ruminating for quite a spell.
What is nice is that what I learned from my old role, I can bring
forth in a new way into my future role. Nicer yet, now I have lots
more freedom not only to expand my life and thinking, but I can
play into all that experience I had before and integrate it in
different ways into my new role.
Sound weird, all this? Maybe, but I'm willing to bet a goodly
number of perceptive folk engage in these transitions. Goodness!
People write books about these major transitions that must come
if you want to lead an ever more creative life.
Anyway, it's nice that this break in roles has spilled over into
my birthday. Keeps me ever young. :-)
Sunday, June 13, 2010
(27) WebCam World
Following my electronic retreat, I cruised around the WebCam
World--and wow! Nearly covering every subject under the sun,
a seeker of knowledge can nearly put hirself through a college
education via the videos available on the Web in conjunction
with information, book reviews, etc, on a chosen subject,
I've been toying with working into Consciousness Research in
relation to Quantum Theory, as well as getting an elementary
background in Cognitive Science. One of the major universities
in my locale has a top department in this field--and the
luminaries in that department are on WebCam. Even my local
Natural History Museum has some of these people on video, in
conjunction with a Body/Mind exhibit they displayed recently.
So why would I get into Consciousness Research and Cognitive
Science? Well one reason is that I don't know much about these
subjects. Another reason is that as a seeker, trying to touch
upon the Contours of God, or Ultimate Reality, a number of
scholars (including me) believe that the Information of Such
flows into the Mind. And somehow we need make this special
Information intelligible. How? By becoming more conscious!
Anyway, Consciousness Research is one of the *hot topics*
these days--involving a number of disciplines. Indeed, academic
groups and universities are definitely getting into the act.
Me? I'll just tag along on the outskirts.
World--and wow! Nearly covering every subject under the sun,
a seeker of knowledge can nearly put hirself through a college
education via the videos available on the Web in conjunction
with information, book reviews, etc, on a chosen subject,
I've been toying with working into Consciousness Research in
relation to Quantum Theory, as well as getting an elementary
background in Cognitive Science. One of the major universities
in my locale has a top department in this field--and the
luminaries in that department are on WebCam. Even my local
Natural History Museum has some of these people on video, in
conjunction with a Body/Mind exhibit they displayed recently.
So why would I get into Consciousness Research and Cognitive
Science? Well one reason is that I don't know much about these
subjects. Another reason is that as a seeker, trying to touch
upon the Contours of God, or Ultimate Reality, a number of
scholars (including me) believe that the Information of Such
flows into the Mind. And somehow we need make this special
Information intelligible. How? By becoming more conscious!
Anyway, Consciousness Research is one of the *hot topics*
these days--involving a number of disciplines. Indeed, academic
groups and universities are definitely getting into the act.
Me? I'll just tag along on the outskirts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)