Tag Archives: Spirituality

The Spiritual Experience of Knowing

Altered States of Consciousness

Altered States of Consciousness

What is the spiritual experience of Knowing and how does it differ from religious faith or belief? I will try to answer these questions based on my own spiritual experiences. It is an event that may be difficult to grasp through description, and for some difficult to believe without experiencing it themselves.

The spiritual type of knowing discussed here does not refer to factual knowledge, languages, or memory. Rather, as used here, it refers to an inexplicable revelation of spiritual truths of which one suddenly somehow knows with absolute certainty.

The Knowing may take place in a brief, spontaneous altered state of consciousness,  or simply by an abrupt, strong flood of thought. Either mode is sure to get one’s attention and there will be no doubt that something extraordinary has occurred. The knowledge given in this manner may be previously unknown to the recipient, or it may involve something of which the recipient had prior knowledge, but which had not taken deep root in their spiritual awareness.

A characteristic aspect of this type of knowing is that it is  unexpected, and sometimes powerful and overwhelming. It is a spiritual experience unlike anything you may have witnessed before. This is in contrast to faith and belief which are somewhat abstract, intentional commitments that one makes regarding religious and spiritual matters. That is not to say that spiritual experience cannot arise from foundations of faith, but rather faith and belief are not experiences in and of themselves.

For example, one may have faith and believe that there is a God, accepting His existence as a concept. Whereas, a Knowing would be to palpably experience His presence and qualities in an altered state of awareness.

In my book, I describe some of my spiritual experiences of Knowing. Each one was transformative and together they have changed the way I live, think, and view the world. They provided much of the impetus for this website.

The experience of Knowing is not something that one can willfully create. One must be spiritually ready to receive the knowledge it brings. A Knowing is a spontaneous event for which the factors or circumstances needed for its occurrence are largely unknown. It is my belief that if one has an open mind concerning spirituality, a genuine desire for spiritual truth, and strives for purity of heart that they may become fertile ground for the spiritual experience of Knowing.

You may like to see the following related articles:

What is Spiritual Awareness?

Faith and Spiritual Awareness

 

With Spirit Eyes I see

With spirit eyes I see you…

With spirit eyes I see you and I are kindred spirits.

With spirit eyes I see we are all connected parts of a whole.

With spirit eyes I see many paths leading to higher levels of spiritual awareness.

With spirit eyes I see a powerful being unaware of its spirit-self.

With spirit eyes I see your spirit body (the real you)—so beautiful and perfect.

With spirit eyes I see your potential for unconditional love for all living things.

 

With spirit eyes I see me…

With spirit eyes I clearly see and understand my transgressions.

With spirit eyes I see that my suffering can lead to redemption and greater awareness.

With spirit eyes I see the invisible ones always close at hand to help me.

With spirit eyes I see the beautiful light and love that radiates from them.

With spirit eyes I see that my purpose is to serve.

With spirit eyes I see that this is what gives life meaning.

*******

Each of us has the potential to see the world through our spirit eyes. It is a choice we can make, but one that must come from purity of intent. That is, a desire to not only see as spirit, but to also live life according to what spirit shows us.

Copyright 2016 by Blair Atherton

On the Nature of God

Mysterious Landscape by lxrowe From deviantart.com

Mysterious Landscape by lxrowe
From deviantart.com

Who or What is God? I wondered about the nature of God, and when I sat down at the computer the verse below is what came out. The qualities that we imagine God or a higher being would have are to some extent ineffable, a paradox, enigmatic, and most certainly beyond our limited awareness and understanding.

An Ineffable Paradox

I am the uncreated One.
I cannot be created or destroyed.
I exist apart from the bounds of space and time.
I am beyond beginning and end
For I have always existed and always will.

I am both the Creator, and that which I created
For I made everything in heaven, Earth, and the universe.
I am everywhere and in all things.

I can transform myself into countless forms.
Yet, I am without form.

I am unknowable and unseen, but everywhere you look.
I am Love which is testimony to my existence!
I am what I am.

Copyright 2014 by Blair Atherton

You might like the following related articles:

I Am Spirit

The Quintessence of Life

To What Doth My Heart Hearken? Part 1

The Law of Retribution and Compensation

From WallpaperUp.com

From WallpaperUp.com

**For this Law’s relationship to the Law of Cause and Effect see How Life Works.

If we do not comply with God’s laws and neglect or hurt others, then there will be a price to pay. Punishment may be in the form of pain and suffering, through karmic experience, and/or other forms of which we are unaware. There must be consequences for our thoughts and actions or we would not learn and grow spiritually.

While the foregoing is easily understood, what is not clear is the extent to which we may be able to compensate or offset our wrongdoing with good deeds or by setting things right once again. There may be transgressions that are just too serious to be offset in some way. Further, compensation may only reduce the punishment, rather than totally avoid it.

Nevertheless, it is good to know that the opportunity for compensation exists, and we should always strive to do so. Based on the Law of Cause and Effect, good deeds done with purity of intent will always have a positive effect whether or not they provide compensation for our transgressions.

I hope that all readers will take seriously all of the natural and spiritual laws discussed in this series of short articles. Do not allow their simplicity or familiarity lead you to think them trivial or prevent you from using them as a guide for how you live your life. They have and will continue to govern what your life will be like now and in the future.

Try very hard to love your neighbor as yourself. Be honest and kind, and have compassion for others. Help those in need whenever you can. The extent to which you are able to do so will determine the degree to which you will progress spiritually and whether you will find true happiness in this life.

 

Author’s Note

Another spiritual law, the Law of Service, was discussed in a previous article (see below).

You might like the following related articles:

What is Salvation?

The Law of Service

What Natural or Spiritual Laws Govern Our Lives?

Matte Painting Appearing as Background in the Hollywood Movie The Ten Commandments Source: http://nzpetesmatteshot.blogspot.com

Matte Painting Appearing as Background in the Hollywood Movie The Ten Commandments
Source: http://nzpetesmatteshot.blogspot.com

This question will be covered in a short series of articles over the next few weeks. In my view, there are two types or classes of God’s laws. There are laws like the Ten Commandments and some of the teachings of Jesus that make clear what we should not do and others that direct how we should live our lives.

In addition, there are spiritual laws that determine how our lives will proceed in this world and the next based on how we live and behave now. Upcoming articles will focus on this group. The beauty and elegance of these laws is in their simplicity. There is no escape from their application as they operate automatically. Both sets of laws determine the degree to which we progress and evolve spiritually.

Below I have listed a summary of the Ten Commandments. How many of them can you recall before looking at the list? While perhaps the majority would say they know them, when was the last time they called them to mind and reflected upon them? How many people hold the commandments in constant memory to guide their actions on a daily basis?

The Ten Commandments

1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

2. Thou shalt not worship, bow down to, or serve idols.

3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

5. Honor thy father and thy mother.

6. Thou shalt not kill.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.

8. Thou shalt not steal.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

10. Thou shalt not covet anything that is thy neighbor’s.

There are two additional commandments put forth by Jesus that are said to be the greatest of all commandments and encompass the Ten.

• “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”

• “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

I think many of us would agree that violations of many of these commandments run rampant in today’s society. With increasing numbers of people turning away from religion, perhaps they have forgotten them or chosen to ignore them.

To me, the Ten Commandments along with love thy neighbor represent, in large part, a set of fundamental principles to govern and assure the integrity of human relationships. In this regard, I believe love thy neighbor stands above and drives compliance with Commandments 5-10. If we strive to treat all people with whom we come in contact the way we would like to be treated, then we would not do any of the things listed in 5-10.

Sadly, it seems that honesty and integrity are attributes that too many members of society have put aside in order to satisfy their physical and material desires. Little do they know what they have lost in doing so.

The Bible says love is fulfillment of the law. To love is our divine nature. If we let love guide everything we do in all of our interactions with others, then we will have fulfilled our spiritual imperative.

For a discussion of the Law of Cause and Effect, and the Law of Compensation and Retribution please go to How Life Works.

Harmony and Health

Credit: WallpaperUp.com

Credit: WallpaperUp.com

I have said many times in my various writings that I believe that our true life is spiritual, not physical. Our spirit gives the body life, but when the body withers away, the spirit remains—eternal.

The spirit-self will never die, and there is nothing in this world that can cause it permanent injury. Only we can cause “injuries” to our spirit by our negative, selfish, and destructive mental attitudes, bad behavior, and neglect of those who need our help.

These are failures of character that prevent harmony between spirit, mind, and body. This can cause an imbalance that makes us susceptible to disease. The disharmony is the cause and illness is the resulting effect. Perhaps it is the widespread focus on materialism, rather than spirituality, that contributes to the rise in poor health and disease worldwide.

God will always provide what is necessary for us to fulfill our life plan. With faith in this edict, what need have we for anxiety, worry, stress, or fear? Those who have achieved harmony between spirit, mind, and body are free of these negative states of mind that can contribute to poor health. They are happy and healthy individuals who have chosen a life of spirit over one of materialism.

As Silver Birch has often said, “If the spirit is aright, then the body will be aright.” There likely would be no illness if our spirit, mind, and body were in perfect harmony.

How does one achieve this hard to reach harmony? The anchor, the rock upon which this harmony is built is expression of the spirit. If we are not aware of (or acknowledge) our spirit and its purpose in our physical life, then harmony will remain elusive, and we will have missed the opportunity to have a truly vibrant, healthy, and (spiritually) rewarding life.

Expression of the spirit is one of the main themes of articles published on this web site. Selflessness and a strong desire to help others are the hallmarks of spiritual expression. If we strive to consistently live a life of goodness, virtue, love and compassion, our spirit will begin to express its innate divinity and we will not only achieve harmony between spirit, mind, and body, but also among our fellow human beings.

You may like the following related articles:

Harmony between Spirit, Mind, and Body
The Spiritual Mind

The Privilege of Special Abilities

Christ Healing the Sick Painting by Washington Allston, 1813 Source: Wikimedia Commons

Christ Healing the Sick
Painting by Washington Allston, 1813
Source: Wikimedia Commons

I recently saw the movie Lucy which is about a woman who is exposed to a drug that enables her to use 100 percent of her brain. In the movie, it is said that we use only approximately 10 percent of our brain. However, I am not aware of any evidence that substantiates this claim or hypothesis. Brain scans show neuronal activity throughout the brain.

But I do not wish to debate whether we use all or a part of our brain. What interests me is the idea that the human race has not accessed or expressed its full potential regarding powers of the mind and body. No wonder considering that so few appear to have expressed the third aspect of being—the spirit-self.

I believe that humanity has indeed tapped into only a tiny fraction of its physical and mental abilities. Any uncommon, extraordinary, or special abilities or powers that we observe in a small percentage of the population provide a glimpse into some of the amazing human potential that lays dormant in all of us.

I must stress potential because, as noted, only a very few display extraordinary abilities, and usually only one special ability is seen in an individual. Perhaps some day, special abilities will become more commonplace. However, it may require many millennia of spiritual evolution of the human species before this can happen.

Why is it that we cannot access and express the full range of special abilities that we know to exist, as well as a host of others of which we are not yet aware? I believe that the human race is not spiritually ready for the awesome power that lies latent within it. Humanity’s potential power will gradually unfold and express in accord with its level of spiritual progression and evolution. We must as a species demonstrate that we understand the responsibility that comes with knowledge and special abilities. That is, we are expected to use these only for good and to unselfishly help, heal, inspire, and uplift our fellow human beings.

We can begin to see the danger in jumping ahead too quickly. Man had progressed in his scientific knowledge and ability to learn how to split the atom. However, he was not ready spiritually to use its power only for good. Instead, one of the first applications of that knowledge was to make an atomic bomb.

Although extraordinary and special abilities are seen to manifest physically, I believe that they are actually powers of the spirit that are being expressed through the body. The privilege of such power must be earned. In order for uncommon abilities to be expressed, one must be at a level of spiritual awareness and evolution that is sufficient to assure that they will be used responsibly.

One Species Among Millions

Every now and then when I see a story about how we are gradually destroying our planet, I get a bit depressed. When I get angry about this issue I have been known to say that humanity is a destructive infestation of the planet that deserves to be removed so that the myriad other life forms will be left undisturbed to continue their evolution in peace. It is amazing how much destruction so few (humans) can do to the planet.

It seems that since time immemorial man has seen himself as above all other life. Perhaps the only superiority we can claim is intelligence. However, even that is questionable.

Look at all of the stupid things we have done that endanger, not only our existence, but that of all life on earth. Things like creating weapons of mass destruction, releasing toxic chemicals into the environment, putting chemicals in our food, pumping huge amounts of greenhouse gases into the environment while at the same time destroying forests around the world that can mitigate their effects on climate change. It was stupid and irresponsible to have done these things, and even more so for us to allow them to continue.

How is it that we believe we are the most important life form on earth with the most to contribute? We are but one species among millions of others. In terms of population (the total count of individual organisms), we are approximately seven billion among a non-comprehensive estimate of one million billion organisms including mammals, birds, fish, insects, and trees. This estimate is just a sampling and does not include all species in each category and does include reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, other plants, fungi, protozoa, bacteria, and others. We have yet to identify all of the organisms on earth, and we do not understand the importance of the multitude of organisms in the web of life now, or as they continue to evolve over the millennia.

Because humans are by far the minority on this planet, we should bow down with humility before God and the throngs of life all around us that allow us to live among them, and give us sustenance. Surely other organisms have a right to live among us. After all, in reality, the earth belongs to them, not us—humans are a vanishingly small percentage of the world population of organisms. We have no right to alter the course of evolution or to destroy the earth’s natural ecology.

Other organisms are not here for us to exploit or exterminate. All members of the community of life rely on one another in countless, largely unknown ways. We should respect and care for all members of the community. Humans are not above nature; rather they are but one lineage among millions of others who came from the same Source. We embody but one of the many expressions of our Creator reflected in the diversity of life on earth.

Our intelligence and inherent sense of right and wrong should lead us to see ourselves as stewards of the earth and all living things. We should not presume that one life form (including our own) is more important than another. We have been given a sacred trust and responsibility to preserve and protect all life. By doing so, we show love and respect for the Creator of all things.

If we wish to claim a unique intelligence, then we must rise above our own selfish needs, cherish all life, and take responsibility as stewards and protectors of the earth. Only then can we hope to be the species most blessed by God.

References

Estimates concerning the number of species of plants, animals, fungi, and bacteria on earth range from 8-14 million. Approximately 15,000 new organisms are discovered each year. The New York Times article found here reviews the research behind these estimates.

Data used for aggregate estimates of the population of organisms can be found here

 

Can Love Save the World?

World of Love. Artist Tales Eloy from dreaming-star.deviantart.com

World of Love. Artist Tales Eloy from dreaming-star.deviantart.com

It seems everyone is obsessed with looking for love these days, whether it be a physical hookup or the search for a soul mate. Either way the focus is on one’s self. Most of us have this backwards. We should be giving love to those all around us. This will, in turn, attract love to us.

Restricting our love to spouse, family, and friends is not sufficient for spiritual progression and does not fulfill our divine capacity and responsibility to love broadly. Radiating our divine love to all we encounter is the ultimate expression of our spirit and spirituality.

We have all heard the cliché “only love can save the world.” This is one of those truths that sadly will remain a cliché until we begin to take it seriously and apply it globally in our everyday lives. If you want to change the world your love has to flow out away from yourself to everyone around you including total strangers.

I acknowledge that this is not always easy, especially when someone is being unmanageable. But we need to try to not react, and simply radiate love and kindness. Sometimes this will disarm the one acting up; sometimes it will not. Nevertheless, we need to make the effort, because the intent behind actions is what they will be measured against in the spiritual realms. If your genuine intent was to give love freely and it was rejected, you still benefit spiritually from your efforts. You will acquire spiritual capital that will help you going forward.

You may wonder how can loving globally change the world? It can do so over time by setting an example that inspires others to follow. When they see the effect your loving ways have on them and others, they will want to give the same happiness to people they encounter and feel the joy and fulfillment that they see in you.

Feeling love and compassion for others, although noble, serves no one if it is not expressed through action. When we become aware of people or animals who need help in our neighborhood, on TV, or otherwise, we need to do something. Make a phone call, knock on a door, lend a helping hand, say a prayer, donate money or time—something.

As we move through our day, we need to make an effort to see beyond ourselves, and our own selfish needs and desires. We need to be nice to people and show kindness to others, even if they are being a bit difficult.

All of us should take the time to give serious thought to what the world would be like if the majority focused on helping others, rather than pursuing their own fame, fortune, and love life. After thinking about this, you may conclude that love can indeed save the world. Let’s get to work!

You may enjoy the following related articles:

To What Doth My Heart Hearken Part 1

I Am Spirit

The Light Inside of You

Copyright 2013 by Blair Atherton

Copyright 2013 by Blair Atherton

 

On the occasion of the first year anniversary of this blog site I am republishing a verse I wrote a long time ago and that was one of the first entries in this blog. It likens our spirituality to rays of light that we too often shut away. And having hidden our spirit-self deep inside, it continually seeks release and expression.

The Light Inside You

For only a few fleeting moments
Have I felt the warm light of you—
Of what is inside of you.

Those moments were like rays of light
Peeking through the cracks of a door
In a dark room.

I am in the darkness alone,
Longing to know
What lies on the other side of the door.
Yearning to feel the touch
Of the warm and beautiful
Light that lies there.

But the door is locked,
The key to its opening
Unknown to me.

I will wait—
Yes, wait patiently
For the next beam of light
To spill through the cracks.
Longing to know
To understand
To embrace
The wonderful light
That shines inside of you.

Copyright 1969, 2012 by Blair Atherton

It is my belief that no matter who you are, what kind of a person you are, or what kind of life you live, there have been moments when your spirit was able to squeeze through the cracks in the walls you may have built around yourself. The fortresses we build to protect ourselves are always flawed and conquerable from within and without.

Our spirit-selves, that some of us try to hold captive in the darkness of our fears, doubt, and insecurities, yearn—no demand expression. It is like trying to hold your breath until you pass out; you cannot do it. Similarly, no matter how hard you try to cling to the material world and deny your spirituality, your spirit will always seek to show you a better way.

If you accept the notion that your spirit is what gives you life and your spirit-self is the real you, then you can see that your spirit must be allowed to express itself. Otherwise, are you really alive?

I believe that we are all spiritual beings. We, and those around us, look for evidence of this in us and in themselves. They are searching for the warm and beautiful light emanating from others and hope to find within themselves. Perhaps we do not realize that all we have to do is open the door, even if only a crack at first.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Many thanks to those of you who have consistently followed my blog over the past year.  This blog exists purely to serve its readers. I hope that those who are relative newcomers will continue to find value in what is written here, and if you have not already done so, explore articles in the archives.