Transcendent spirituality
Many seeking a spiritual connection initially envision dramatic encounters with the divine, such as signs or profound feelings. However, these experiences are often elusive. While this might be disappointing, it’s important to understand that spiritual growth often follows a different path.
Many people find that a deep-seated intuition guides them toward a spiritual path. This inner knowing often reveals that divine guidance is superior to our natural impulses, which can lead to difficulties and strained relationships. Life experiences and inspirational teachings can further cultivate this intuition and illuminate a path toward a more fulfilling existence, showing us that there’s a better way.
Reference verse:
“Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1
Spirituality can transcend the boundaries of the physical world. While some may dismiss supernatural elements as spooky or nonexistent, others possess a heightened sensitivity to the spiritual realm. This often manifests as intuition, a natural inclination that’s difficult to ignore.
As we explore the realm of spirituality, we have to weigh compelling ideas to discern whether they align with divine love or are merely illusions, temptations, or ideas that sound good but aren’t. Not all spiritual ideas are healthy ones. We can easily lead ourselves astray.
I’ve explored transcendent spirituality of others for decades, investigating the human mind’s capacity for transcendence, exploring whether we can extend our consciousness beyond our physical selves.
This exploration has led me through various avenues, from studying the neurological functions of the brain to examining the development of language and abstract thought, which is processed in a different part of the brain. And then phenomenon that are not products of the human brain.
I delved into real-world, authoritative case studies of individuals who have demonstrated remarkable abilities to acquire knowledge from outside their borders.
The question is not whether we can, which is proven beyond doubt, but can we rely on what we find. Does it represent love? Is it accurate? If not, then if it’s harmful, it isn’t from God. The best people who are sensitive to another dimension achieve up to 95% consistent accuracy. Most people have some ability, but the average of those practiced is around 80% accuracy. So that leaves over a 20% doubt of accurate results.
I believe the best spiritual knowledge from transcendent experiences is things that represent love and are compelling to us. Otherwise, it’s just more words and ideas.
Compelling spiritual ideas
Words are just words until they resonate with us. By this I mean they not just make sense but have an emotional impact that we find compels us into action. Not all emotional impact compels us into action. Compelling ideas make sense about our behavior, and compel us to act in a different way.
We can embrace the wrong ideas. For example, we can be misled by false beliefs, such as the notion that divine intervention absolves us from personal responsibility, and we’re okay until it’s our time to go. This can lead to carelessness and dangerous consequences. We get careless in traffic and walk in front of a truck. It happens.
Similarly, the belief that God solely cares for others or that individuals are solely responsible for their own circumstances can blind us to the needs of those around us. Neglecting the suffering of others can lead to devastating consequences. They starve or end up homeless on the streets, losing their family and possessions.
We might get the idea that power is what makes the world work, and Jesus was wrong. This is a popular idea right now. It’s propagated by the influential C Suite group, and becomes popular among those religious groups that believe the only responsibility Christians have is to make disciples.
Entering the transcendent spiritual world is not a place for neophytes. Test the spirits. (1 John 4:1)
Just important is our mental focus. If we’re thinking about things that aren’t wholesome, we’ll easily be misled. The Apostle Paul told us:
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. As for the things that you have learned and received and heard and noticed in me, do them, and the God of peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:8-9 (NRSV)
Spiritual growth brings discovery and enlightenment
Both Sufi mystics and Christians emphasize the ongoing revelation of scripture, recognizing that divine wisdom continues to unfold with each new experience and stage of life. The text that meant one thing to us during our younger years, takes on new meaning as we experience and learn.
Many find this true in their careers. They master a certain subject, gain insight, and then move on to leverage what they know in new careers. Religious ministers become politicians who can guide the nation for the better without greed and other destructive influences. Firefighters, police officers, and restaurant servers, become coaches for young adults, or mayors. Soldiers work on ways to eliminate the causes of war. Those who grow are always ready for the next challenge after growth.
Spirituality is about growth. Personal growth is a core aspect of spirituality, encompassing both moral and ethical development.
Lawrence Kohlberg’s research on moral development suggests that our innate empathy plays a crucial role in shaping our compassion for others. Additionally, spiritual growth can be a transformative force within ourselves.
Meditation brings personality integration
As defined by psychiatrist Carl Jung, personality integration is the process of harmonizing the individual and collective unconscious within one’s psyche. This positive psychological development signifies maturity and can facilitate overcoming negative behaviors.
Personality doesn’t mean a glittering image. In psychology, it refers to individual differences in patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving. For me, these three are components of attitude that are central to social psychology.
Integration is a process that continues all through life. We are always experiencing, learning, and developing new perspectives. These become part of us and our attitudes.
Often, it isn’t until we see a wider picture that we develop a sense of meaning and purpose. And this changes over time as our vision grows. Then through knowledge and experience, we develop new understandings and capabilities.
Meditation enables people to see a wider perspective and integrate new knowledge so that they have a better sense of who they are.
Often there are emotions (feelings) accompanying insights gained through mediation and integration. Spirituality. Becoming Integrated, by Ingrid Clayton on Psychology Today.
I personally don’t meditate. My mind is too active, and if I quiet it enough, I go to sleep. Not for me. Instead, I focus on topics and explore them in depth, and relate them to my experience. This gives me greater insight. I’m often intuitive about decisions I have to make, although I like to have my ducks in a row.
Which Type of Meditation Is Right for Me?
Mystics. Are they for real?
I’ve read several Christian mystics. Probably all the wrong ones. Most of the ones I read are tortured souls who have left behind all that God made them by emptying themselves so that they could be filled with Jesus. I don’t buy it. Other mystics have different experiences.
God made us who we are for a reason, as far as I know. Ass we grow we become much richer in our talents, skills, knowledge. experience, and abilities. We leverage what we are and become more capable. Through experience we learn to serve others better.
There are aspects of our personality that we need to get rid of to have better lives and help others better. These are the illusions of what makes us happy or makes us think we are lacking or are more than we are. These often come from deficits in our lives because we haven’t learned yet. We can empty ourselves of these. And should*.
*We all have mental devices used to insulate our self-image from harm and to help us move ahead into unknown or threatening territory. These have to be replaced at opportune times by experiences that build confidence in ourselves. Only by living our lives can we trade these safety devices for actual experiences. This is part of personality integration.
What Is Christian Mysticism? On Patheos.
What If We Could Wake Up To The Union We’ve Always Had With The Divine? On YouTube.
What is Christian Mysticism? On YouTube.
More after this important message. Okay, I think it’s important.
Hey! How can churches minister to new generations if they won’t come to church?
Our bucket has had a hole in it since 1925. We can’t find the plug!
I developed and presented a course on understanding and working with new generations. I would like to say I had rave reviews, but on a scale of 1 to 5 it averaged 4.5. Well, some of the people were raving.
The course helps people understand new generations, their values, and their differences. It helps people understand how to build a bridge to them and minister to them. The old worn-out things we used to do don’t work, and for good reason.
This solutions focused course enables people to find new ways, appropriate ways, to minister to these generations in their local circumstances. It’s for church groups and creates deep discussion.
Free video preview of the course:
Conclusion
Spirituality is neglected by many churches except as coming to worship God. Spiritual growth is something we shouldn’t neglect. Sincere spirituality is very important to new generations.
We have to be careful of what we select as spiritual ideas. They come from many places, but some are misleading. The best and worst hit us emotionally and compel us to act.
We have to use love to filter these ideas. If they represent love, then they’re from God. If not, they’re misleading.
Probability Space
What probability spaces can we open in our minds to start understanding what spiritual ideas are, and what we find compelling?
Potential Space
If you think creatively and allow your mind to wander and explore, how can we get on a spiritual path that takes us to God?
Series links
Is Religion Spiritual or Stuck in Comfort?
The Life-Giving Power of Spiritual Development
Alley Cats to Angels: Spiritual Growth Transformative Power
Discerning Truth in a World of Spiritual Ideas
Can We Trust the Mystics and Prophets?
Would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. This helps me improve my work.
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If you made it this far, you’re a reader! Image two lawyers asking restaurant patrons for help writing their suicide notes, in this comedy. Intrigued? Please consider my novel, Death for Christmas: Be kind or it may kill you, on Amazon and Draft2Digital.
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My friend, David Ketcherside, former Christian broadcaster, has written a book series that I gave feedback on. It’s for men, written from his experience, thoughtful analysis, and heart. Gen A, Z, and X (Millennials) would find it very helpful. It’s available in print, on Kindle, and as an audiobook on Audible. Check out The Whole Dude. His description: “My hope is to remind readers what being whole looks like, and help them recognize the distortions that stop us from feeling totally awesome all the time.” He’s also excellent at marketing if you have marketing needs.
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– Dorian
Our answer is God. God’s answer is us. Together we make the world better.
Restore and recreate. Take time to celebrate life. Laugh, sing, and dance regularly, even every day. Happy. This is why we dance to celebrate life: Reindeer actually running and dancing.
Civic service opportunities
Do Unto Others Kindness Campaign, and civic engagement.
United Methodist Church Volunteer Opportunities.
Join or support Zero Hour and amplify the voices of youth organizing for climate action.
Peoples Hub. Resistance, Resilience, Restoration, Re-imagination. Online Popular Education. For movement workers to learn, connect, collaborate, and strategize – in and across the disability justice and solidarity economy movements.
Stakeholder Capitalism – a video podcast series from the World Economic Forum. Can capitalism be made to work for all of us – and to improve rather than destroy the state of the planet?
General service and aid opportunities (on One Spirit Resources Website). To add your service opportunity to the One Spirit Resources list, contact the author (me) through Facebook Messenger. Note that I only friend people I know.
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Education Opportunities for new generations
Becoming an Entrepreneur – MITx online
Evaluating Social Programs – MITx online
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Bible scripture verses are New American Standard Version (NASB), unless noted.
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Author and books
Appease the Volcano: What does God require from people? The voices of the ancients from many religions echo much of the same things: It starts with law, then mercy and forgiveness, then love. Love is a major emphasis in all major religions and replaces law.
The Prophetic Pattern: Ancient and Modern Prophecy: How to distinguish the intent of various types of prophecies and oracles, both ancient and modern.
Preparing For the Future Of Work and Education: Analysis of the kinds of jobs that AI and Robotics will displace, and the educational requirements for them. AI will replace or augment thirty percent of jobs. This is an in-depth analysis citing many authoritative sources.
Author Website: Dorian Scott Cole
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