Try the Eternal Spiritual Being Experiment

10/21/2022

Give this a try some time. Regard every person you interact with, meet, encounter, or see as an eternal spiritual being. Not simply an invisible soul locked away somewhere beneath a layer of flesh but as an actual eternal being incarnated in this world for the spiritual experience of mortal life.

The people you meet are unlikely to look, act, or sound like eternal spiritual beings. Moreover, nearly all would probably deny being one if you happened to ask them about it, but that is irrelevant. Just focus on yourself as an eternal spiritual being interacting with other eternal spiritual beings.

You don't have to do anything special during this "experiment" other than remain conscious of the fact that you are regarding yourself and the people around you as eternal spiritual beings.

Once you have "mastered" that, extend the awareness to everything else you encounter or see -- plants, trees, clouds, animals, landscapes . . . all of it. Treat everything as eternal beings or parts of eternal beings interacting dynamically within Creation.

Keep track of how long you can "keep this up" and then reflect upon the experience after your consciousness drifts or falters out of the experiment and settles back into "the real world".

7 Comments

Lady Mermaid link

10/22/2022 02:33:18

My workplace is the opposite of a spiritual place. In fact, it often brings out the worst in me. Yet the Lord has led me to pray for the salvation of every person I come in contact with. Regardless of my personal emotions, the spiritual side of me tries to see these people as potential heirs to the kingdom of God even if I don't personally like them very much. It's unlikely I'll see the results of these prayers in this life, but I hope they make a difference.

Unfortunately, I'm nowhere near seeing the world as God truly sees it. However, I have to look beyond the fleshly impulses of impatience and boredom to see a wider world.

Interesting point about nature. There is a recent post on Bruce's blog about the corruption of modern science. I think science became corrupted when it viewed God's creation as dead raw material to be used for any human whims. Don't get me wrong, God calls humans to master chaos as part of participating in creation. However, mastering chaos has to be done in accordance w/ divine will. Otherwise, it's a form of sorcery. A different view of nature as a set of spiritual beings that can be lovingly aligned w/ divine creation may be what is needed to fix the inherently metaphysical problem w/ science.

Francis Berger

10/22/2022 09:07:45

@ LM - It's not just your workplace -- it's the entire world, and I suspect this reveals something about the limits of consciousness in mortal life. I don't think it is possible to stay very long in the mode of consciousness the experiment attempts to tap -- at least not during mortal life.

My experiments of this kind rarely last more than ten or twenty seconds, but the experience offers me some clues and glimpses. And I think clues and glimpses are all we can really achieve because maintaining that kind of awareness appears to be beyond our capabilities in this world. More precisely, if we were able to maintain such a consciousness, we would not be able to function in mortal life. And if we could not function, we could not learn.

Still, it is an interesting thing to do once in a while. The best is when it just happens on its own, but for me this usually only occurs when I am away from people, like when I'm sitting alone in nature or walking alone through a forest.The experience can last a bit longer then.

bruce g charlton

10/22/2022 08:20:34

When I do this as an experiment, by directed 'will power', I can only achieve it for a few seconds.

If it happens spontaneously, then it can last considerably longer - minutes rather than seconds.

I presume this is how we will be in Heaven; but during 'entropic' mortal life it is probably impossible to sustain this state - and probably not desirable, since it would put an end to learning.

I think we are meant to know this as a glimpse and encouragement - and to learn that it would be the best state to be in, eternally - hence a pointer to salvation.

10/22/2022 08:55:44

@ Bruce - Yes, I agree, which is why I refer to it merely as an experiment rather than a method or a way of being or whatever.

Whenever I have engaged in this experiment, it is inevitably driven by will power and -- as you note -- it tends to last only for a few seconds - a half-minute at most. Nevertheless, even if motivated by will power, it does, as you suggest, offer a glimpse and encouragement.

But as you note, a glimpse and encouragement is all we can gain from the experience. We cannot sustain it; nor should we try to sustain it.

But the occasional glimpse, even if brought on by will power rather than spontaneity, can provide insights into some of the learning we need to revisit or do. It can also serve to remind us that the material is spiritual and that perceived objects are really subjects, etc. I believe there is value in that, provided the experiment is approached via good motivations.

lea

10/22/2022 13:51:52

Always a helpful excercise since it is what we were supposed to do here, to some extent. Difficult, but almost nothing worth doing is truly easy.

10/22/2022 19:55:41

@ lea - I agree. Little experiments like this can be useful sometimes.

Sasha Melnik link

10/23/2022 00:01:58

I love this approach. My parents helped me see it this way.
I've always tried to approach things in this way, failing now and then... more often with people than with things [When I consider my relationship with the land, or nature, it's somehow easier to see the eternal.]

When I've failed at human relations or understanding, this is often what has happened, or worse, ... I've found existential disappointment in the human condition when I realise someone else (especially someone 'I look up to' - boss, manager, thought leader) has an approach completely contrary. My reactions have been terrible.

In some senses my coming to terms with the modern world has meant accepting that there are a vast quantity of _people_ who absolutely posses but ignore the eternal component. And then coming to terms with the fact that the more important/famous/sexy most of them are the less likely they are to consider the eternal being side a factor.....

This is elephantine soul in the room when anyone dares ask the 'why am I Me?' question.

I made up my mind (for a long time) to be positive to the point of being eternal - treat others as if they are a soul. I pray never to leave that path.

Perhaps it'll be easier in the attempt, now, to look at the paths themselves metaphysical, allegorical and especially physical, as possessing a soul.

As I drive on you, road, let me grip you firmly, as you grip me.

There is a divine magic in that.

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.

Try the Eternal Spiritual Being Experiment

Leave a Reply.

Archives