In the image of the Father...

[Didjeridon't]

I'm not sure what position anyone here takes on religion, but I feel if one is attempting to explore the human mind, one should include religion, being it is the oldest function of the human psyche.

In Christianity, it is declared that man was created by God, in the image of God. We are "like" God, in this sense.

God, as far as Christians believe and teach, is omnipotent and ubiquitous. God is all powerful, all knowing, and existing all throughout creation.

Being of His image, why is it that we do not exist everywhere? Why do we not know everything? Perhaps we do. Perhaps the potential is there, all knowledge being compressed in our minds at birth.

When we are in the womb, there is a nine month period in which our soul is in a medium, between the physical world and the spiritual world. Our soul is free to cross betwixt the two worlds. We then have access to all divine knowledge.

Once we are no longer in utero, we are stuck on this physical Earth. We are but an astral mind tethered to a physical body. Being in this Earthly prison that is our physical form, our connection to the divine is lost. Those who seek to delve deeper into their minds and explore their own psyche, they find a way to strengthen this once severed connection. It is incredibly possible that through intense, devoted meditation, as well as powerful, entheogenic usage that one may establish a full connection. The man who is capable of repairing the connection will be as God, potentially destroying the faith many Christians have in a God that is impossible to contact.

Now, all of this is merely my thoughts. Feel free to criticize, I just allowed myself to discover this, and felt it only appropriate to share here.

 

[tryptonaut]

Being of His image, why is it that we do not exist everywhere? Why do we not know everything? Perhaps we do. Perhaps the potential is there, all knowledge being compressed in our minds at birth.

Because maybe he is of our image, and not the other way round?

The human mind just can't think of intelligent beings that are not like us. Every religion so far had gods that not only looked like people, they also loved, hated, killed, got punished, like normal human beings. Just an image of us with a little added superpower.

 

[Didjeridon't]

Because maybe he is of our image, and not the other way round?

So, are you suggesting it is possible that we as humans have created God, simply because we believe in him?

 

[magickmumu]

seems obvious to me.

 

[Didjeridon't]

It may be obvious to you, but do you view from a standpoint of any bias? are you athiest? are you christian? do you belong to any religion? are you agnostic?

 

[restin]

I am not suggesting anything, just thinking.

The problem is that you suggest that God is a person. I think there are many possible interpretations, even the ones that simply see God as an Ideal or whatever.

We must ask ourselves - what is God?

I actually have no answer to this question.

An intersting thought may be that God is the free soul - the soul that is not bound to the world of matter.

Another thought is that God is the Ideal - the Perfection, without a precise definition.

(I am not happy with this post)

 

[Didjeridon't]

You are not happy with your own post, or with mine? if it is at all offensive I would be more than happy to remove my submission.

On a side note, it may be possible that being immature in the world of psychology and self exploration, as I am, that I'm just forcing myself to try to "experience" something, when I need to allow it to happen to me by it's own will. Perhaps I need to study more, and obtain some guidance on this....

 

[user_1919]

I agree with most of what you say. My view of what these religions call God, is the interconnectedness of all; living, non-living, just everything that exists in the universe and all dimensions that this universe entails. I have had what one would call close incounters to this divine sources through plants. During one experience with mushroom and MAOI, I experienced this oneness, and it was beautiful. It is to hard to put into words what happened. I think most of these religions got it wrong, as these religions were the incomplete evolution of shamanism (this is my belief). To me shamanism explains a lot! Through it I have had experiences with the divine, and to this date, nothing has taken its place. Until sometime that answers more questions comes around, this is my belief.

peace & love

 

[restin]

sorry! I mean mine, of course. I just have difficulties to word it because my mind is not clear about this topic.

 

[Didjeridon't]

sorry! I mean mine, of course. I just have difficulties to word it because my mind is not clear about this topic.

Hahah no need to be sorry, I just wanted to make sure I was not offensive to anyone. However like I said, I think I do need to stop trying to experience, and just set my mind free and let something happen to me. I want so badly to explore, learn more about myself, and how the human mind works, and make contact with what feels like this divine entity, so that I can understand it. I think I need to get some advice from a more experienced psychonaut on this, so if anyone can assist, that would be greatly appreciated.

 

[restin]

no, you don't need no guide and you should not stop your desire to experience. Did you ever read Faust by Goethe? Pity you don't speak German...I don't know if the translation is good.

In the faustian world, the one who aspires for knowledge is the one who lives in the sense of God, while the one who lies back and does nothing is in the world of Mephisto (=the Devil).



By the way: Although being religious is *uncool* nowadays, you should not be ashamed of your belief. Many people just don't understand that belief is not about following the worlds of the pope and think that religious people are blind and stupid. Many people also try to make religion absurd - but is it really less absurd that we are descendents of Fish and bacteria (I am just playing around, don't take that serious) ?

Seriously, just post your thoughts and what you believe in. There is no censorship here.

 

[Arcticpheonix]

In Christianity, it is declared that man was created by God, in the image of God. We are "like" God, in this sense.

God, as far as Christians believe and teach, is omnipotent and ubiquitous. God is all powerful, all knowing, and existing all throughout creation.

Being of His image, why is it that we do not exist everywhere? Why do we not know everything? Perhaps we do. Perhaps the potential is there, all knowledge being compressed in our minds at birth.

I've always believed that! If you are interested in this interconnectivity, I suggest you look up "String theory". It's a part of quantum physics that deals with just that.

As for religion, I'm an ex-Christian myself, and I have to agree with your statement that "It is incredibly possible that through intense, devoted meditation, as well as powerful, entheogenic usage that one may establish a full connection [to the divine]. The man who is capable of repairing the connection will be as God..."

To be honest, this is a large part of the reason I abandoned my Christian faith (quite some time ago). I realized that not only was there a lot Christianity did not explain, there was also a lot that it over complicated. I couldn't figure out why we needed some sort of "mediator" between ourselves and the divine if we were already made in his image. It was me attempting to find this "direct connection" to the divine which eventually led me here.

I apologize if this offends anyone who IS religion (especially any Christians here). This is just my own interpretation of things. If you'd like to counter my opinion, go for it. I'd be more than happy to hear your side of this.

 

[st.bot.32]

I do agree with a lot of these points. (and yeah I grew up pretty devout as well). Although I see no reason to believe in a human god or a god with a single mind/awareness per se, I'm not really an atheist either, and entheogens (in combination with sober reflection) have changed, or perhaps I should say embellished how I view things, by letting me experience and appreciate the universe in ways I might not have otherwise..

When I think of god, what comes to mind is an ever changing metaphor that describes how the universe has given rise to life, intelligence, awareness.. or maybe god is the universe waking up and becoming self aware, here and there in little (seemingly) separated perspectives we call life. Or User's definition above as well.. Or Einstein's god.

Organized religion on the other hand.. It seems so much of it has been refined over centuries to dig into the human psyche and allow humans to control other humans by pushing just the right buttons. Psychedelics can be a great tool for freeing yourself from this IMO (if you want to be freed)

 

[mysticwarrior]

It is incredibly possible that through intense, devoted meditation, as well as powerful, entheogenic usage that one may establish a full connection. The man who is capable of repairing the connection will be as God, potentially destroying the faith many Christians have in a God that is impossible to contact.

This is exactly what the early christian`s did In those times it where gnostics that mainly followed the Nag Hammadi and other literature that can be found worldwide, but the Nag Hammadi where mainly followed by the early christian gnostic's/mystics in europe. The early gnostics, like the cathar's, did not belief in god as a person but rather as a experience with the divine. So in fact, gnosis means a trancendental and all knowing experience.

But then the romans did stole there religion and forced the people to believe the exact opposite of that what the cathar's and other christian gnostics believed. So in fact, that what the gnostics called God, became the devil for the roman version of Christianity. The romans also personified the gnostic gospels as if it where real gods and persons.

This book describes what some of the early gnostic christians believed. It wouldn't suprise me, if those gnostic used LOTS of entheogen's

http://dmt-nexus.com/doc/Gnostic Handbook.pdf

 

[magickmumu]

It may be obvious to you, but do you view from a standpoint of any bias? are you athiest? are you christian? do you belong to any religion? are you agnostic?

I would not want to associate myself with these labels you are mentioning.
I do not belong to any religion. I am not an atheist or agnostic.

How about you

 

[Didjeridon't]

Personally, I was raised in the "Bible Belt" in the US. I grew up Baptist, and then as a teenager left the church, finding much hypocrisy and lying therein. I began to explore many different world religions at that time, such as Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism (one of my favorite experiences) The native American church, and finally, Catholicism. Finding no "religion" which I felt comfortable in, I began to be self reliant for some time in terms of religion.

After all this wandering and emptiness, I found a home at a non-denominational Christian church. It was there that I came to realize that I have a true Faith, and that religion is rather important, at least to me. I began to understand that I did not need the sacraments and communion of the churches before me, because I worshiped in my own way. I worshiped when I meditated, I praised when I was enlightened, or when I felt compelled to help another man, and I gave thanks when I would receive wisdom from natural herbs. So, I am a Christian. A Non-Denominational Christian.

 

[mysticwarrior]

I don't need a church, give me some psychedelics instead 8) But good to hear that you have found what you where looking for. I wish you good luck!!

 

[Brugmansia]

The uneducated man takes his steps over the surface, perceives the beauty of the blue dome above, look straight ahead, now covered with glory through the appearance of green statues in his field of vision. A correlation for cultivation of an educative path of everlasting neatness.

Another male creation passes by, hampering the vision to paste his inner depth on this flat portrait as an unconditional title. Authorized control has gotten it's birth here. Compression has begun, the stricture of this old designation is yet today still inlaid. The antipathy to wipe it off seems an incessant road.

 

[Didjeridon't]

Brugmansia? May I ask your permission to quote that for later usage? Rather poetic flow of eloquence, I truly admire wordsmiths and their sesquipedalian manner.

 

[mysticwarrior]

Brugmansia? May I ask your permission to quote that for later usage? Rather poetic flow of eloquence, I truly admire wordsmiths and their sesquipedalian manner.

isn't it lovely? 8)