Episode:Religion in Depth—Reality of Experience (Part 3)

From Symmetry of Soul


The characteristic difference between a social occasion and a religious gathering is that in contrast with the secular the religious is pervaded by the atmosphere of communion. In this way human association generates a feeling of fellowship with the divine, and this is the beginning of group worship.

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Keywords: Urantia, Religion, Morality, Guilt, Communion

Note: Andrea Barnes filled in for Kermit this week.

Summary by Brad

Commentary on Review

We reflected on how the 7th adjutant mind spirit manifests in material life. By age 6 all normal humans get all 7 adjutants functioning in a basic bottom-up mode. But so many humans are unwittingly delighted by and satisfied with this basic bottom-up mode. So many humans are stuck on the 2nd level of meaning—the level of feelings—and don't know there are 4 levels of meaning above this. Can you take conscious possession of the levels of meaning, and personally reconfigure the adjutants into a superior top-down mode?

Consider the first adjutant mind spirit, the Spirit of Intuition. In its bottom-up mode it's the energy of instinct, the same energy an insect uses. It’s superior top-down mode is the Spirit of Intuition, something insects definitely don't display. The reason humans can be better than insects is our encircuitment in the Holy Spirit—from which we derive the three cosmic intuitions. These divine gifts give us the personality potential to reorient the adjutant mind spirits to function in a superior top-down mode.

We noted that the Spirit of Worship is not worship. And that the 3rd cosmic intuition is on the level of worship, but it is not worship. We like the 3rd cosmic intuition, for it’s what lets us reach the 6th level of meaning: the level of true worship, the level of love, the level of religious consciousness, the level of communion with the cosmos, the level where God-knowingness is realized, the level where you can begin to genuinely synchronize with the cosmos. The 6th level of meaning is a high goal.

A caller led us to a discussion of the “self-forgetting” of worship. Self-forgetting implies you are above yourself, not in the middle of yourself. If, like most humans, you’re stuck on the 2nd level of meaning (feelings), you’re not yet above yourself. Try to worship from here and when you look up you might see yourself instead of God. Please don't worship yourself.

103:2.10

Egoism and altruism will conflict, but they’re both good because they are from God. Egoism taken too far is egotism. The ego is not egotism, the ego simply is the human you. Don’t demonize the ego, the self-aware self, as it helps make us truly human! Don’t be so unity-like that you diffuse away your individuality like a drop of water into the ocean. All good things taken to an extreme become bad.

We avoided overinterpretation and remembered the importance of context. Altruism does not require a Thought Adjuster to manifest in our lives; after all, the “child mind” can display altruism. Therefore, don’t be satisfied with altruism and stop there.

Remembering the 3 names for the Thought Adjuster, this progression was suggested:

  • Thought Changer. It helps change the strong individuality consciousness of the child by blending in unity.
  • Thought Adjuster. Around age 20, and upon that foundation of individuality and unity the already in place, the mind is adjusted to harmonize them, through the action of personality. This step is important, because unbridled unity certainly is misguided!
  • Thought Controller. We didn’t cover this one, but one wonders what its function around age 40 might be.

Do you often feel the need to save world? If so, pause to consider how widely you can open your mouth. You cannot bite off the whole world; look for something bite-sized. Better yet, try to realize some self mastery first—provide favorable conditions to be grown so you can become of some use to the cosmos.

And trust that the cosmos is in good hands. It’s absolutely a given that this planet will get to light and life. Find peace. In trust, you can find peace and create the favorable conditions for growth. Anxiety is poison to growth; anxiety binds you to the level of feelings. We suggested a good starting point might be ceasing to imitate coworkers who hyperventilate in response to the daily assault of the email inbox. Animals fear, humans trust.

103:3. Religion and the Human Race

Altriusm is not "looking out for the group or clan’s interest." Altriusm is something greater. Clan interest is merely a zealous idea full of feelings sparked by the 6th adjutant. It’s tribalism, certainly not genuine religion. Don’t falsely exalt the group.

And watch out for political tribes, something we all bemoan even as so many of us participate in. Our primitive unity consciousness sees problems, and we naively seek “purity” by isolating our one tribe and demonizing all others. If you must, sure!: take your group apart for a short retreat to rediscover clarity. But then please come back to civilization after you find you clarity. Avoid escapism. Civilization needs you.

Paragraph 2 was a fine example of finding the truths flowing through some apparently dry anthropology facts. Listen to the archive for an excellent unpacking of this paragraph—a model of studying many such apparently dry paragraphs.

Environmentalism is the 6th adjutant’s zeal applied to the natural world and taken to a religious extreme. Environmentalism is common today and often feels good, but it’s misguided. Is it repugnant to see a river catch fire because it’s polluted? Of course. But it is even more problematic to exalt that river so that it replaces God in your life.

Can you remove all hints of magic from your personal religion? Good luck! For example, if you pray for God to fix uncomfortable things in your life by fiat, that magic—the magic man. Most of us have a lot of magic in our prayers. What would you pray for if you had the courage to trust the cosmos is in good hands and you found peace that passes all understanding?

103:4. Spiritual Communion

This section is a fine exploration of the word communion, rooted in the word common. A common meal is a rudimentary starting point; it orients you in the correct direction, pointed toward the 6th level of meaning (but the meal is not the 6th level of meaning!). Communication with one’s Thought Adjuster also is about communion, commonality, synchronization. Communication with one’s Adjuster is not about speaking to your adjuster.