Episode:Experiential Deity—Supreme and Ultimate (Part 1)

From Symmetry of Soul


The Supreme and the Ultimate constitute the basic association of subabsolute and derived Deity. It is helpful to man’s cosmic orientation to attain all possible comprehension of Deity’s relation to the cosmos. While absolute Deity is eternal in nature, the Gods are related to time as an experience in eternity. In the evolutionary universes eternity is temporal everlastingness—the everlasting now.

Listen to the broadcast

Keywords: Urantia, Deity, Eternity, Time, Maturity

Summary by Kermit

Commentary after Review

Reflecting on insights gained thus far in this study arc on the Supreme (as experiential deity), SoS discussed pragmatic aspects of the need to develop self-mastery techniques and strategies for living out the inner recognitions and realizations of the love of the Father amidst the complexities of our earthly lives serving two masters. Self-control of our cosmic components (body, mind, spirit) is high on the self-mastery to do list. Far from being merely abstract intellectualizations, these insights have practical application in enabling one to achieve an internal mindal specificity enabling masterly navigation of said complexities in ever greater conformity with the cosmos. Such navigation is arduous and at times daunting, leading many to follow more problem avoiding, ease-seeking paths of escapism, such as the oversimplification of reality, that it may be more accessible to a child of God Thank God for parents and watchcare givers. But alas, on rebellion scarred Urantia and its population with a fraction of intended biologic potentials intact, parents are often absent and our watchcare givers are mostly invisible so we must by faith leverage our invisible ministries by cultivating favorable conditions for being grown.

A caller requested clarification of some of the significant elements of our study and how they fit together; elements as Deity, personality, Reality or individuality perspective, Deity or unity perspective, time viewpoint, eternal viewpoint, and other aspects of the new concept frame we are attempting to develop. SoS explanations on these matters span minute 0:24 to minute 0:34 in the archive recording of the broadcast. They prove to be most elucidating to me, but too detailed for summarizing meaningfully yet succinctly.

Preface to new series: Supreme and Ultimate—Time and Space

The word order of the first pair of terms in the paper title implies top-down, eternity viewpoint, with Ultimate expressed as foundational to the Supreme, descending from absoluteness, encountering ultimacy, then continue downstepping to find supremacy. The second pair in like manner show space as foundational to time. We introduce motion of or in space. In experience, abstracting the chronicity of motion gives you time with qualities of sequence and duration.

Referring to the Foreword [0:1.4-10] we find the seven functional levels of Deity. The brief descriptions of level 6, Supreme (self-experiential deity) and level 7, Ultimate (self-projected) imply the elements of time and space respectively. Without abstruse detailed explanation, we take the corresponding facets of Deity to be for the Ultimate—the Infinite Capacity (suggestive of space) and for the Supreme—the Infinite Upholder. This is the final facet of the six facets of Deity subsumed under the Father; the entire span is denominated as follows:

  • First Center,
  • First Source,
  • Universal Father,
  • Universal Creator,
  • Universal Controller, and
  • Infinite Upholder.

Replacing this elevated concept frame for good old monotheism is likely to disrupt our settled ideas of God and yet is our starting point for this evening’s journey. Precisely how is it that the Infinite Upholder can also be self-experiential Deity? The challenges keep coming!

Paper 118 Supreme and Ultimate—Time and Space

We are initially presented with a list of seven deity natures, not individuals. All save number five are denominated as selves. They represent Deity selves existing apart from their personalizations as individuals and not products of mind energy or mind activity. Maintaining our thinking in the Deity perspective is very important here for correct understanding. Think of the corresponding individuals of these Deity selves as “reality avatars” of the Deity functions listed. The first three natures are exclusively some specific “flavor” of existential Deity nature. Numbers four, six and seven are specific flavors of experiential Deity. But look!, number seven the Absolute described as existential-experiential self. Here we have wrapped back to where experiential meets existential as if in some circular orientation. The revelators tell a story here, staying in the time perspective by virtue of the cosmic Mothers, beginning with an existential foundation, upon which a temporal evolutionary aspect is added and with the action of number five, the Sevenfold it culminates in the Ultimate (#6). The next step is the Absolute, where the time viewpoint (experiential) is existentialized as existential-experiential self. Thus reaching the Father through the “back door” so to speak. This represents the journey to the end of future eternity.

Hard as my explanation may be to follow this represents the logical path to understanding the statement, [118:1.1] “While absolute Deity is eternal in nature, the Gods are related to time as an experience in eternity.” Here is the synthesis of a cosmic divine mechanism whereby the Father can interface with experience. Hopefully we can begin to take the Father out of the old monotheistic concept frame and enjoy more profound experiences attempting to embrace Deity in addition to Reality. Attempt the simultaneous top-down and bottom-up orientation to this cosmic adventure where chronos (the tick, tick, tick of time) becomes punctuated as kairos (experiential-eternal time). This idea of experience in eternity leads the authors to speak of cycles of eternity to disabuse us of the idea of a linear or static eternity.

Again, as counterintuitive as it may seem, the new concept frame we are struggling to establish requires that we view the experiential as transcending cosmic existential foundations. Havona in and of itself is perfect, but perfection-limited. Such perfection expanding into the evolutionary universes thus liberates Havona from the limitations of pre-evolutionary existence.

118.1: Time and Eternity

The authors begin this section with their justification for our study of this Deity business. It is helpful to our cosmic orientation. They next remind us of the way in which the Father is related to time through the backdoor as described above. Lastly they point to the nature of eternity to us evolutionary creatures in a time context of temporal everlastingness.

I have omitted much from this summary in the interest of brevity. The broadcast discussion abounds with many helpful insights for making this material more accessible to truth seekers. I strongly recommend the sincere student of the revelation listen to the archive with pen and paper in hand to capture them for future reflection.