Besides the comments here on this blog and our ‘Dreams Awake’ Facebook Page, I received several emails after my last blog posting. So I thought I’d follow it up and go a little farther than before. But of course, I think we all know there will never be any kind of end to a discussion like this. I also thought that responding on 9/11 would be somewhat appropriate, as I think the role and responsibility of traditional organized religion represents a sorted stake in this conversation. By that I mean both the growing political nature and negative polarization of religion that is going in our world today. The tired din from these quarters from all corners of the world has become quite sickening. I just have to say that I am personally repulsed by the pessimistic rhetoric that comes from these so-called ‘religious’ people. I am not going to specify any one person or any one religion here, but take your pick and you’ll find them well represented in the flame-throwing category. And to take the leap from referring to them as ‘religious’ people and then calling them people who are being or acting ‘spiritual’ is a leap that’s too hard for me to make. Oh well, I guess we all have things to learn, obviously some more than others. Whew, now that I’ve got that off my chest I can move on.
So, once again, what is spiritual? How about we try to go beyond our physical perceptions, our personal emotions and our mental gyrations, and see if that can take us anywhere. In other words, can we step outside our physical world and all the devices through which we register and filter our experiences in this world? Let’s try and experiment a bit with that.
So if we could do that, what would that leave us with? Well, that would mean we’d be stepping outside the physical world, and leaving us…where? Maybe, in a spiritual one, don’t you think? Ah damn, sorry we can’t use our minds to try and figure this out, because didn’t we just say we couldn’t do that. Wow, this makes it all more complicated. In fact, using any type of language to communicate any of this breaks our own rules. So maybe, it just can’t be done the way we’re trying to do it. Which takes me back to one of the points in my original posting. What is spiritual, is very personal to each of us. Religion cannot codify it and sell it to others the way they do. That makes it false at an individual level, doesn’t it? Did I just actually say religion is false? Maybe, maybe not. Right here right now, I choose to plead the fifth and let others determine that for themselves. Okay, I stray. Circular logic will never go anywhere.
Having spiritual experiences? Is that a possible key? A possible path? A possible answer? Many people since the dawn of time have claimed to have these ‘spiritual experiences.’ And actually, many people I know have had these experiences. And in fact, I’d been known to have a few myself. Haven‘t most of us, in some form? For the sake of this argument, I’m going to say here that spiritual experiences are a part of the human experience, and in fact are what drives us towards a spiritual life. Now these events probably happen over eons of lifetimes in a spiritual evolutionary pattern, creating who we truly can become as each personally evolve. Of course, that presupposes that reincarnation is a part of the process, but let’s not go there as that’s a whole other argument for another day.
To take this idea of spiritual experience farther, it seems how we perceive the original experience through our personal filters, then comprehend it based on our mental capacities, and finally incorporate it all into our overall being is very paramount and very personal. It makes us each so very unique, not just in a physical genetic way, but in a very inner spiritual way. Which brings me to a quote I particularly like, ‘We are not here to find ourselves, but to create ourselves.” Could that be a clue?
Let’s try this on for size. What if the Being or Force that created this Universe grew up spiritually like we are right now (a long, long time ago in a galaxy far, far away), and that this whole Cosmos is just a huge nursery for the creation of Gods, of evolving spiritual life on many levels. Gods who grow up to create more Universes within this Cosmos. And we can each take however long we take to get there, which might seem like forever for some of us. And we each grow to be a unique God that creates a unique Universe within this huge space of the Cosmos. As many or more Gods and Universes as there are cells in our bodies? Is this possible? Am I going off the deep end? ???
We do hint at some of this in the film, but I’ll leave it up to you, the audience to take it where you will. On that note, I have bit of film news. We just finished our first poster for the film, which you can see on our Facebook Page, or right here!
JAD
Mr. Deal, I think you might be going over the deep end. While not a hardline religious person I feel you may be setting yourself up for a real problematic situation – be careful.
I’m not quite sure exactly what the point is here, so please enlighten me. Thanks.
Well, at the very least I’d say you were being quite grandiose, don’t ya’ think? Some might even call it blasphemous, becoming gods and all.
Well, that’s certainly the opinion of some, but certainly not mine. All I can say is, that in your life’s journey, learn as much as can, always have fun, and be well to yourself and others!
Would it help then if we said that, the gods, become human?
Trading places:! Now there’s a fun idea. and the wheel goes round and round
Not off the deep end at all. It is my story as well. So looking forward to the movie. and if you ever need a new one, may-be we could get together
Thanks Starrdusk, glad to know there are others out there. Yes, we have several other projects in development (as they say), so you never know what the future may hold.
I believe that movies are the teaching ground if the material is actuly teaching on the level that you seem to be on, I think your on the right track. can’t wait to see the moive, when is it coming out?
Yes C’ora, I feel movies can be great teaching grounds, not just mindless fodder to manipulate our emotions. Right now we’re getting all our ducks in a row, developing additional material by creating a more complete world that the film inhabits (transmedia elements). The point being that the film is just a beginning point, a sign post if you will, towards a more spiritually involved and provocative universe. We should be done with all that within a couple months. Should be fun for all!
Very interesting post again Mr Deal, one of my favourite quotations “Life isn’t about finding yourself, Life is about creating yourself.” George Bernard Shaw, look forward to getting hold of the film, in the UK? Many Thanks..Nick
Thanks Nick, and hey, thanks for getting the quote right and giving GBS his due credit. We will certainly find a way to get the film into the UK!
Awesome, love knowing there are many people out there who are also feeling we ‘the people’ are on an awakening, and on the cusp of something, something good. I don’t know what this movie is about, the lovely Nicholas Argh, kindly sent me the link, but I can’t wait to see it and so hope it will come to Australia Mr Deal. What do you think?
I totally appeciate what you are saying about the religions and truly admire Christopher Hitchins for his work in trying to free up the masses of the world who are so ‘locked’ into it. I have seen a couple of his debates, he is awesome, but I also sense he has a very strong desire to help people, the masses that have allowed themselves and their lives to be overcome by their religions, to be free.
Vasi we will figure out a way to get it to Australia, as we’ve received numerous requests from people there. As far as C. Hitchins I don’t know too much about him, but from what little I do know I feel what I’m saying is different than what he is communicating. Anyway, there is certainly something different going on in the ‘spiritual’ world on our planet these days. Thanks!
Hi Jerry,
Please may I ask you to delete/remove my comment from this thread.
Many thanks
Sigh, here we go again.
The human animal have this region of their brain (a unique organ but serves functions just as other organs do) called the frontal cortex. When you lean over and think spiritual thoughts, regardless of religious doctrine, you are increasing the blood flow to this region and activating neural pathways into it. People that do this repeatedly have said to experience feelings of spirituality or feelings of being out of body. Praying; sound familiar? Over 70% of all religions practice prayer. Of that, over 90% lean forward in the manner I’ve just described.
Out of all the animals on earth we have a larger (much larger) frontal cortex than any other. In fact, there are only a handful of animals that have a frontal cortex, dolphins and dogs to name the larger and few. Let’s keep in mind that we “magic-ify” things we do not understand. Throughout history scientific discoveries have been dismissed as spirituality or demonized along with their creators and discoverers. We fear what we do not understand, it protects us from dealing with something we know nothing about. We have a feeling that something else is out there, it’s what has made us walk the globe in discovery of bigger and better things. This feeling of something more is underscored by these spiritual feelings because they feel similar and we draw a similar conclusion to both.
Cute movie, patronizing our (human) need for fantasy; especially if it is religious because it is so hard to understand the unique and powerful feelings that come from the frontal cortex.
how do we know that the frontal cortex is not a physical aspect to a spiritual reality?
I forgot to mention, these spiritual feelings contribute to self sacrifice for “the group” strengthening our community and causing us to work together towards a common goal. Some books with fantastical stories were written long ago and a king found it prudent to collect these books into a single written text to streamline and standardize a religious community. What he did was not new or novel and has been done at other times in history by other kings and other religions. I’ll leave the specifics for your discovery, in case you’d like a good story to read.
Jerry, a lot of what I have read and seen so far on this site makes me think you are gnostic.
You might like to check out a video on Youtube called:
Secret Quest : The Path of the Christian Gnostics
You might be right David. It seems the Christian Gnostics, the Moslem Sufis and the Jewish Kabbalists may have more in common with each other than they do their own religions. Thanks, I’ll check it out.