Episode:Thought Adjusters—Relation to the Soul (Part 4)
The advances of true civilization are all born in the inner world of mankind. Only in the higher levels of the superconscious mind as it impinges upon the spirit realm of human experience can you find those higher concepts in association with effective master patterns which will contribute to the building of a better and more enduring civilization.
Keywords: Urantia, Divine Spirit, Soul, Inner Life, Ideals
Summary by Kermit
Critical clarification from last week’s review: personality identifies with mindal selves not the other way around.
111:4. The Inner Life
For nearly 30 minutes we unpacked the first two paragraphs of this section using the hourglass analogy of the mind in an attempt to arrive at a serviceable model for the inner life and the dynamics of the relationships among the human mind, indwelling TA, and the morontia soul. The revelators, in somewhat technical and philosophical terms define recognition in terms external sensations linked to memory patterns of an individual. Understanding is presented as being derived from an organizing faculty resulting in a dynamic network of principles. Meanings in turn are derived from the combination of recognition and understanding, and are only perceived in the inner or supermaterial spheres of human experience. Meanings involve the “individuality” of things juxtaposed to the “unity” quality of values resulting in a superadditive associative consequence that is meaning. Meanings only exist in the inner and supermaterial spheres of human experience. Meanings are what the TA copies into the soul. In the hourglass analogy of mind this occurs in the upper domain, the spiritualized mind, initiated by grace upon the encircuitment in the Holy Spirit (HS). Other important details and nuances are available in the archive of this broadcast.
Unfortunately for centuries mankind, in attempting to find the meaning of life, has taken the minimal awareness of meanings and values conferred by this encircuitment in the HS and applied it to the things of the outer or sensory life (“projective thinking”) leading to the plethora of “material idealisms” extant today. Rather we might more properly cultivate in the inner life, the faculty of reflective thinking, even prayer, thanksgiving, and worship, as a path to cosmic contemplation.
Further discussion of the inner life took us to the difference between the 6th adjutant (the religious impulse) on the 2nd LoM and the realm of true religion on the 6th LoM. To reach this highest LoM one must go up through the cosmic intuitions of logic and morality, both of which are necessary components of true religion.
The revelators now turn our attention to civilization. We are told that the advances of true civilization are all born in this inner life. They proceed to provide critical benchmarks of the quality of civilization in terms of the vocational and educational trends manifest by youth. Civilization fails to progress when over half of the youth enter materialistic careers and pursue the sensory activities of the outer world. Civilization is in danger when three quarters of the youth follow the same trend. These trends constitute an aspect of the emergency, which has brought the 5th ER to us. It is this creative inner life wherein the triunity of a personal living philosophy, derived as a superadditive consequence of the relationship between true science and true religion, provides the foundation for the wisdom for finding real world solutions to the problems of our planet.
We spent considerable time examining the processes and mechanisms in this inner life, including the missteps whereby the tenuous relationship we have by grace with upper domain of our minds falsely imposes the status of ideal on an idea and gives rise to material idealism. It was also mentioned that being in the material comfort era we are particularly susceptible to the attraction of the things of the outer world. And on our world, this becomes additionally problematic when we take into account the enhanced energetics of the spirit gifts Michael gave us two thousand years ago.
We are presented with something of a conundrum when we are told that the personality is inherently creative, but thus functions in the inner life of the individual. And further that the high concepts and “effective master patterns”, which will contribute to the building of a better and more enduring civilization are to be found in the higher levels of the superconscious mind. We ask how can these concepts of which I am not conscious be of value to me? First, we must trust that of which we are not conscious, then we proceed to supply favorable conditions for growth, like cultivating an objective consciousness. The unconscious growth appears as a new and higher functionality of wisdom that can be applied to the external world to support civilization.
We had another interesting discussion about the difference between happiness and joy, a topic mentioned in previous SoS broadcasts. The current common usage of these terms exemplifies the emergency situation, which we frequently cite on the program.
The creativity of the inner world is most subject to our direction because it is here that the personality is largely liberated from the fetters of antecedent causation. Personality is able to wield mind energy into channels of its choosing (free will), while mere self-assertion consists of mind altering the causal sequence of events in the material realm.
The creativity also carries with it the power of destructivity. It becomes our responsibility to use this creativity constructively by controlling and directing it in keeping with our highest appreciation of wisdom.
A primary challenge to the progress of civilization lies in the man’s inability to distinguish between ideas, initiated by the stimuli of the external world, and ideals born in the creative realms of the inner world. The fixation on the outer life leads to the exaltation of ideas to the level of material idealism, or ideology. Thus we have “zealous efforts to achieve noble ends by false means.”
Consecrating your will to a good motive is not enough for that motive to manifest truly in the outer world. A consecration of mind is also required to ensure the formation of a true intention, which will manifest in the outer life and contribute to the progress of true civilization.
