Saturday, February 26, 2011

Connecting the Dots

~ Katsushika Hokusai's woodcut "The Great Wave of Kanagawa" compared to a fractal wave ~

When we ask, "What is reality?" we are not so much looking for an ultimate definition as stating our willingness to be taken somewhere beyond the boundaries of our previous experiences.
Starhawk

Regarding Madame de Monsier’s and my recent comments about “fundamaterialists” and “fundamentalists, synchronistically enough, we just received an invitation from Dr. Eldon Taylor, who had August on his radio show, Provocative Enlightenment, at Hay House Radio last year. He’s asked us to submit some question for his upcoming guest, Neurologist Dr. Kevin Nelson, scheduled for March 15. Dr. Nelson, a near-death experience skeptic, claims that his new book – The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain: A Neurologist's Search for the God Experience – is the first comprehensive, empirically tested, and peer-reviewed explanation of the biology behind near-death experiences. Eldon tells us that by using brain scans, Dr. Nelson claims he has mapped the borderlands of consciousness concluding that spirituality is a part of our biology  – nothing metaphysical going on, just strictly a biological phenomenon like any other. As such, he argues that spirituality and religion are not much more than throw backs to superstition.

Eldon was glad to follow through with my suggestion that he ask  Michael Tymn, and Robert McLulhan for their questions as well. Mike Tym recently interviewed Robert about his recent book, Randi’s Prize – What Sceptics say about the Paranormal, Why They are Wrong and Why it Matters. As well, we asked him to consider contacting Dr. Bruce Greyson, and Tom & Lisa Butler.

Of course we'll be submitting a few Risen-inspired questions. But rather than reacting from an ego-mind stance of defense/attack/debate, right-or-wrong, we will strive to join with Dr. Nelson's own processes as a pioneer in exploring and uncovering only more mystery, which then reveals yet more mystery. This response is from Authentic Self.  Melvin Morse, Tim and I (August) had a long conversation today about the many and various "skeptical neurobiologists" who, while presenting their assumed new-found wisdom as evidence that there is nothing after biological functions cease, i.e., "death", are actually to be supported in their endeavors, regardless of whether or not we might think they're wrong or misguided. Melvin is delighted that "someone is doing something." When seen from a greater perspective, we talked about how everyone involved is "connecting the dots" in some way, slowly revealing a picture that helps us understand a little bit more about our multiverses.  With this in mind, Tim and I  are interested in Dr. Nelson's dots, and how they look added to everyone else's dots. We're not interested in fruitless conflict or debate, for that is to let ego-minds engage in posturing simulated aspects of life. Rather, we wish to acknowledge that everyone is at their own dot, on their way to the next dot, all dots being valid. As we move through our uncoveries, our understanding changes, we change, validity changes, authenticity arises. Therefore, we bless everyone's endeavors toward . . . whatever It is we're being drawn toward.

In The Risen, we conceptualize connecting the dots as "weaving a tapestry":

"Keeping the Risen concept of weaving in mind, what we have before us, and are integrated in, is a Supreme Tapestry. There appears to be a Very Grand Design which we all follow, either in awareness or not, co-creatively or not— “creatively” again meaning “with fun.” The Grand Design is a work of perfection intermingled with imperfection, solutions with problems, brilliance with faux pas, and stillness within movement. As we weave we are free to make it up as we go along in any way that pleases us, while simultaneously staying within the Grand Design as imagined by Higher Imaginals, of whom we are an inseparable part. The Higher Imaginals are many things, but for our purposes here it suffices to say that they are unimaginably advanced, evolved individuals—or Most High Selves of Authenticity. Because It is infinite in concept and execution, it’s not possible to stray from the Great Design—so it’s not possible to be judged for appearing to do so, or even for wanting to.

"Although provocative in an illustrative way, the idea of a tapestry is a limiting concept and can be misleading. An earthly tapestry is a two-dimensional representational projection onto a three-dimensional object, used to portray three- and four-dimensional worlds—the fourth dimension being time. With the mind’s eye, it is possible to expand this concept by seeing a tapestry as woven not in a flattened manner, but as interwoven from all directions and by all beings, simultaneously. Picture this happening as guided by some kind of Great Designer who is presently unknown to us from within our limited dimensional awareness. Proceed further by seeing the interweaving occurring within different kinds of time, which gives rise to movement, which is change. We begin to comprehend the idea of a living work of art, which is Life as we know it, and as we don’t know it. Lastly, imagine that we are each a Great-Designer-In-Progress.
"Our individual lives are collectively woven into Living, as imagined by Higher Imaginals, and by the greater world-spheres of individuals with whom some of us may identify as our Higher or Authentic Self, Higher Power, a Creator Deity, the Universe, God, and so on. In turn, their world-spheres are simultaneously interwoven into greater, expanded experiences of Living by yet greater awarenesses, forever without end. Or as Tim likes to say, infinooty." (pp. 119-120).


As an aside, August was scheduled for a second show with Dr. Taylor this January, but it was canceled due to scheduling issues. If you would like to listen to the archive of that show, go here. If you would like to let Dr. Taylor know that you would like him to have August return for another show in the near future, feel free to contact him. Other archived radio shows with August can be found here.