“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.”
– Max Planck
Introduction
If you have ever considered yourself to be spiritual but not religious, you may find yourself at home here. Many times, people confuse the terms religion and spiritual thinking they are interchangeable. They are not. Religion is a belief, often believing in a deity, God, or other figure who rules the universe. Religion is something we are taught to believe in. Religion teaches us that there is a higher power out there, somewhere, that is separate from us and much more powerful than we are.
Spirituality is not a belief, but an experience. That experience is an integral part of being a human. Spirituality is a normal and natural part of each of us. There are two basic levels of spiritual experiences: the consciousness of separation, and the consciousness of oneness. Spiritual awakening is the gateway from the consciousness of separation into the consciousness of oneness, also known as cosmic consciousness. Spiritual enlightenment is the full realization of the consciousness of oneness.
What we discover is that we live in a fully conscious and interactive universe. That universe is not separate from us, but functions as a co-creator in our lives. We are born into, and raised within, the consciousness of separation. Within the consciousness of separation, we also see and experience other people and things as being separate from us. Our entire scientific method rests on the assumption that everything is separate and observable by us. As we shall see in this forum, many of the assumptions of how the world works need to be significantly revised.
I have organized different subjects for discussion as follows:
- The Nature of Consciousness
- Cosmic Consciousness
- The Interactive Universe
- The Origin of Religion
- The Spiritual Source of the Universe
- Life Lessons and Reincarnation
- Birth, Life, and Death
- Fulfilling Our Own Inner Needs
- The Transformation of Emotions
- Esoteric Teachings Explained
- The Book of Revelation Revisited
- Sermon on the Mount
- Parables
I am open to adding more subjects. Your suggestions are always welcome.