Episode:Experiential Deity—Supreme and Ultimate (Part 7)
When material culture advances overfast, civilization contains within itself the seeds of retrogression; and unless buttressed by the swift augmentation of experiential wisdom, such human societies will recede from high but premature levels of attainment, and the "dark ages" of the interregnum of wisdom will bear witness to the inexorable restoration of the imbalance between self-liberty and self-control.
Keywords: Urantia, Control, Overcontrol, Experiential Wisdom, Cosmic Insight
Summary by Kermit
Commentary after Review
The parallel of the abilities-prerogatives of a personalized self with the self-ability facets of Deity in the seven functional levels of total Deity [0:1.3] has profound implications for the concept frame we use to approach an understanding of Reality. This Deity parallel implies that every aspect of one’s personal action (doingness) can be viewed literally as a expression of the functioning of Deity. We frequently refer to the two foundational aspects of existence as Deity and Reality. Reality and its various components can be viewed as manifestations of the ubiquitous and ceaseless functioning of Deity, which implies that Reality itself is dynamic and not a foundational stasis animated by magical forces.
The mindal self is the one limited domain of personal sovereignty we possess in our cosmic adventure. In reflecting on the stages of self-harm--the inevitable possibilities for evolving personalities in exercising true and free choice--consider self-confusing, self-disrupting, self-destroying, and self-destruction not so much as external actions of the self, but instead think of them as something done to the mindal self, resulting in actual changes in the structure and function of the energy and activity of the mind.
118:8 Control and Overcontrol
To assist in framing the meaning of the section title think of our discussion about choice as tied to the spiritual and eternal and decision as referring to mind activity applied to temporal matters. Control applies to the temporal decisions, predicated on and conditioned by the delimiting overcontrol of genuine choice. Note that “overcontrol” in the parlance of our times generally refers to excessive control and not the top-down framing of cosmic phenomena.
Overcontrol is observed in the restraints and limitations which condition all life functions, spanning the spectrum from mechanical material life (think plants), up through mind-activated animals, to personality endowed mortals capable of becoming spirit directed. Mother Deity functions as the engine of evolutionary growth. This function is not an omnificent micro-management of reality. As we have mentioned Deity enables and conditions reality activity as well as the elements of reality themselves.
We lingered over the phrase that “much of life is machinelike.” This takes us back to reflecting on which of our actions constitute genuine freewill and which are merely the mechanical outworking of the cause and effect laws of matter and mind. Humility is essential when ascribing any behavior as personality purposed freewill. Pride lurks in the process. Yet, neither is machinelike evil; after all Paradise itself is the absolute cosmic machine.
Lower adjutant mind activity is machinelike. With the additional endowment of personality and encircuitment in the Holy Spirit by grace we become superanimal, capable of subordinating mechanical levels and asserting self-control over the material self, even to the execution of the spiritual urges of the indwelling Thought Adjuster. Listen to the discussion of the nature of the Thought Adjuster beyond that of spirit fragment. In not recognizing the Thought Adjuster’s embodiment of cosmic harmony in addition to its spirit nature, we might be tempted to regard spirit as innately divine. Thought Adjuster divinity is found in this cosmic harmony or wholeness which is available to us through our synchronization with the indweller. We often speak of our life in the flesh in the service of two masters, which no one can avoid, but it is our choice to which master we give priority. To be spiritual is to choose to have our minds framed by something above our material nature.
Function of our will is liberated through alliance with spirit and limited by mechanism. Without the overcontrol of mechanism or the self-control of spirit identification imperfect choice is dangerous and unstable. Mechanistic limitation safeguards stability at the expense of progress. Spirit identification enables choice to partially transcend physical limitations while ensuring divine stability through the capacity enlarging universe insight and increased cosmic comprehension. Note the suggestion here of Thought Adjuster function in catalyzing the cosmic intuitions of the Holy Spirit.
Liberation from constraints of the mechanistic side of life can become dangerous without a compensatory harmonious, triune, cosmic engagement with spirit. Such is the emergency which summoned the revelation. The overcontrol of evolution provides for the external restraints of hunger and fear and later the accumulation of experiential wisdom as internal restraints to balance the disappearing external limitations which accompany man’s material progress.
Over rapid cultural advance and material progress without the concomitant evolution of worship-wisdom must be met with—in the words of our author—the swift augmentation of experiential wisdom if the retrogression of civilization is to be avoided. The interregnum of which we frequently speak is a distinct possibility so the reciprocation between the self-liberty of the inner life and self-control in the outer life can be restored. Overcontrol always functions in the absence of self-control.
Caligastia and Lucifer both attempted to bypass the time constraints to liberation and we are still struggling with the residue of their misdeeds.
The final two paragraphs deserve more discussion than we had time for. Going forward our author enjoins us to assume greater self-control as we attain greater freedom from external restraints and to cultivate our personal religious and philosophic faculties in the alignment of our will with God’s will.
Notes by Brad
- [118:8.10] is another soaring bit of prose. Don't fuzz out.
- See it cosmically, not only spiritually. Keep both eyes open.
- Spirit insight comes from God the Mother
