Friday, August 6, 2010

Angels & Demons: Duality & Paranormal Phenomena


One of the best commenters in blogland, my friend Xdell at the Xspot , left a comment under the previous article that gave me the idea for the direction this series should go next. This is with regard to where paranormal phenomena come from, and how, and why they manifest as they do. Of course, there may not be much more than theorizing here, but I think we may be able to see some surprising patterns develop.

Here is one idea that I hope people who read this blog will at least entertain, even if they end up not agreeing completely, or at all with it. The more I have studied paranormal phenomena/Fortean phenomena over the years, the more convinced I have become that almost all-if not every one of them are produced by (a) human consciousness interacting with matter. (b) human consciousness interacting with non-human consciousness. (c) human consciousness interacting with both matter and non-human intelligence. Another way of saying this is that I think most, if not all, of these phenomena live through us. I also wonder if the human race is just as dependent on these other beings and levels of existence.

Here might-notice I said "might"-be some examples of a, b, and c above. Many of these phenomena may "overlap" categories: (a) noisy ghosts "poltergeists", crop circles, synchronicities, BVM (Blessed Virgin Mary) sightings, UFO sightings. (b) NDEs (near death experiences), channeling (Jane Roberts with the "Seth" material for instance), automatic writing. (c) UFO trace evidence cases and contact with UFO "aliens," encounters with elementals, gnomes, fairies etc, and trace evidence left behind from these encounters (fairy rings, missing time etc. -very similar to modern UFO reports quite often), cattle mutilations, "intelligent" hauntings, crop circles.

As you can see, these examples are by no means a complete list. When dealing with paranormal/Fortean phenomena I don't think there will ever be an end to the "list." I mentioned that some of these phenomena would straddle categories-this is due to the way one looks at them. Crop circles, for instance, could they be caused by some natural, but as yet unexplained process? Could they be caused by human consciousness interacting in some way with physical matter? Or could they be caused by some non-human intelligence interacting with matter and human intelligence?

The reason I am not giving a "d" category of non-human intelligences only interacting with matter is that I am thinking that the very fact we humans observe a certain phenomenon-crop circles-for instance-means that we are in some way interacting with the phenomenon by simply just noticing it and trying to explain it. Some might consider this "cheating", but I think the reason I am doing this will become more evident as this series progresses.

I would also like to use Huston Smith's ideas about the "Primordial Tradition" from his book Forgotten Truth to represent the 4 levels of reality I will refer to in this series. In this book, Smith talks about the Great Chain of Being and how it begins with the Infinite level of Spirit (God Unmanifest, Godhead) and proceeds down, or "devolves" to the Terrestrial level (Body, physical reality). This can also be thought of as "devolution" from Absolute Unity, Infinity, Eternity, and Truth down to the state of Duality, Finiteness, Temporality, and Falsehood.

The very highest level of reality is the Noetic Absolute. This is the realm of the Godhead, Spirit, and the Infinite Source of all Creation. This level is the Alpha and the Omega of all existence. It is beyond human language to describe-this level of Spirit must be experienced to know it. It is also somewhat paradoxical, as it is beyond all form, but is "pregnant" with every form of existence.

The next level "down" is the level of the soul: God Manifest. Huston Smith calls this the Celestial plane. This is the plane of the knowable aspects of God. It is also the plane of the archetypes or "first forms." I believe many paranormal events have their origin at this level of reality.

The next level "down" is what Huston Smith refers to as the Intermediate level of existence. This is the level of the world in all its invisible aspects: Mind and the Vital Principle. This would also be the "astral" plane and the "Imaginal" level of reality. I think that quantity-wise, if not quality-wise, most forms of paranormal phenomena and experience originate with human minds/imaginations interacting with this Intermediate or Imaginal level of existence.

The final level is the most self-explanatory. This is what Smith calls the Terrestrial level, and is simply the level of our physical reality here on Earth. There is a "mirroring" of all of these levels of reality in human beings: Spirit= the level of the Infinite; Soul= the Celestial/Archetypal level; Mind= the Intermediate/Imaginal/Astral level; Body=the Terrestrial level. All these levels of reality are accessible to human beings-the only thing is not many experience the Celestial and Infinite levels.

I will close this post with a wonderful bit from Patrick Harpur's Daimonic Reality (pg. 35) that explains some more about the where and why of the beings (daimons) that inhabit these other levels of reality: "Daimons were essential to the Gnostic-Hermetic-Neoplatonic tradition of philosophy-which was more like psychology (in the Jungian sense) or a mystical discipline than the logical excercises that philosophy became. But the daimons of myth evolved into a sort more suited to these philosophies, whether angels, souls, archons, thrones, or powers- many of which later infiltrated Christianity. Ever flexible, the daimons changed their shape to suit the times, even becoming abstractions when necessary (the Neoplatonic henads for example) but preferring if possible to remain personified...Never quite divine nor quite human, the daimons erupted out of the Soul of the World. They were neither spiritual nor physical, but both. Neither were they, as Jung discovered, wholly inner nor wholly outer, but both." To be continued...

9 comments:

Middle Ditch said...

Flying by to say hi Devin. When I have some more time I will read it all.

Unknown said...

You always deal with these complex topics that are just far beyond my minds feeble comprehension. How do you do it?

Devin said...

HI MD and Ricardo!!!!
thanks so much for stopping by ---always great to hear from friends--and Ricardo-You are anything but "feeble" minded!!!!
I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend and a beautiful August --all the best to you!!!!

Chris Benjamin said...

Cool breakdown. Is that the same Huston Smith who wrote Religions of the World - the classic summary of all the major organized religions? [It's a better read than it might sound.]

Alex Robinson said...

I am enjoying your new series Devin - it amazes me how these amazing stories get swept under carpets - they're so fascinating. Obviously you're very good at sweeping under rugs :)

Am smiling now too as I see the word veri - dioni - or 'Odin' who's trail I have been following of late - see even he reads your blog!!!!!!!!

Anadæ Quenyan Effro said...

The absolute creepiest thing about this blogticle, & I do use that in the best possible context here, Devin, is that my housekeeper, Tammy, asked me if I'd seen Angels & Demons yet my(s)elf, & she comes here on Fridays & that's exactly when you posted this last, the day she had asked me that. Dun, dun, DUNNNN!

Other 'an 'at wild synchronicity, Devs, yeah man, you're really on to something here, you're totally on to something here. I daren't agree with you, esp. whenafter I'd been conferred an ambassadorship & the 2nd Sight conferred to me when last I commented to you … & told you & your readership all about that in your Keter, the Crown blogticle … but, yeah, I my(s)elf wonder how much these Otherworld entities, as seemingly sentient & capable of self-volition, aren't actually 9Akashally?) simply interactions with our consciousness & other fields of energy.

Please carry on, Devin. This is just bound to make further groundbreaking work ahead of you easier. I can See(r) it all now.

Best wishes from an Elven Mage, always,
Anadæ Quenyan Effro von Thüringen

Devin said...

benji---it is indeed the one and the same Huston Smith--Forgotten Truth is a tiny --but wonderful book --proof that it doesn't take 100,000 words to get one's point across ---all the best in the world to you my friend and thanks so much for stopping by!!!!

Hiya Alex-- so great to see your comment and that you are enjoying the series-- and yes I am pretty good at sweeping (and looking under rocks:-) by following my favorite commentators/researchers in the paranormal field --all the best to you my friend!!!!xx

Anadae --as always I so appreciate you stopping by my little place on the web (or intertunes-however you wish to think if it;-) really appreciate your links and thoughts!!!!
that is a cool synch -hey if I'm extra nice will Tammy fly out here and help me and Clementina with out upkeep??{:-)}>
I am really enjoying doing this series too-- but as always I owe 99 percent of the info/ideas to my favorite authors/researchers- one of these days i will have an original thought--promise!!
all the best to you my friend and thanks again!!!!

X. Dell said...

I was going to mention Jung, but you beat me to the punch. So I'll retract part of my comment, and leave that for you to say.

I'm not familiar with Mr. Smith or his terminology, but I've sometimes posed the question of existence in a similar way--even the conception of the divine in non-antropomorphic ways.

Devin said...

Xdell-as always I so appreciate you giving your very valuable, well researched and educated opinions here at MFM!!
I think these books/people/topics about the various ways we "see" reality and what we may not see -and the paths that they lead to are the most intersting in the field of Fortean studies ----I doubt there will ever be even close to a "final" answer--but for me that has become part of these questions "magic" if you will--all the best to you my friend!!