Contact: george@deepermind.com
Contact: george@deepermind.com
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Chapter 1 God.
Is God Real? First we need to define what we are talking about. If we define God as an old man on a cloud, or a spirit that is both one and three things at the same time, or a mean insane father, then I don't by it. Instead I believe in a personal God, that I can talk to and work with. God defines right and wrong, helps us choice what to do, and gives us purpose. More importantly God gives me guidance and love. If anything made the universe, then we can assume God made it. Other opinions give rise to a Godless existence, where there are no boundaries of what is right or wrong. If this were the case we would be soulless robots looking for almost anything. I believe God is the source of love, knowledge and guidance. By the way there are proofs of the existence of God.
Why Do Bad Thing Happen? God created the universe with all its natural laws and contingencies. If you jump off a tall building, you die. That is that. So our bodies are built with the stuff the universe which follows natural laws. Our bodies, however, in a certain measure, are under our control. If we eat nothing but sugar, we will get sick and have bad teeth. So we have to play the game of treating our bodies as well as we can to avoid suffering and pain. Good Old Religions I have news for you. Old religions are not good in many ways. They don't believe in science. They have you worried about being sinful. They support dumb ideas such as slavery, women are below men, and a whole bunch of superstition. The most important problem they will not fix anything. It is a belief system that is as unchanging as a big rock. So why not update it. Lets let go of a old beliefs and start over. What is most important? Mainly staying alive, finding love, and having a purpose. I am sure everyone could add to this small list. We are so much more educated, and have a huge amount of information (and misinformation) at our finger tips via the Internet. It is simple. If something does not make sense, if something does not bear fruit, if something causes pain and suffering, hey just stop believing in it. Optimizing Our Lives Here we are going to make some minimal assumptions in order to build a simple starting point to help optimize our lives. 1. God exists. (Even if you only believe in material universe, the brain is so complex with billions of parts, there must be at least a top brain cell(s). Beyond this there must be a reference for the top brain cell(s). Without a reference, the top brain cell(s) would be a the mercy of whatever whim may appear. The system evolved over time, and the rules that kept the person healthily and alive survived. As the brain evolved, the rules became more complex to deal with introspection and other advanced knowledge. The top brain cell(s) and the reference became spiritual pathways.) 2. God is our government. The brain is the most complex machine we know. There are so many brain cell(s) the brain must have a hierarchy structure to keep individual brain cells from going there own way. Thus the brain needs a something like a government. 2. God created the universe. (Something must have made the universe who is extremely intelligent. The universe is too perfect and interesting to be caused by a random force.) 3. God has shared His consciousness with us. (Contemporary science has no idea what consciousness really is. At one time electricity could not be understood based mechanical physics. Currently consciousness can not be understood based on current science.) 4. God helps us know right from wrong. (Our top brain cell(s)reference needs support.) 5. God is kind and wise. (Here we are trying to ease suffering, guilt and pain and we assume this must be true of God.) 6. God is our aspiration for good. (Many people who turn to God, find peace, love, insight and higher consciousness.) God and Science as Attractants We are attracted to beauty, truth, purpose and inspiration. Animals are attracted to food, mates, and some animals as pets share love with humans. Since God made the universe, it makes sense to learn more about God by learning more about His creation. To do this we must embrace science and the scientific method of discovery. To this end, we find ways to cure disease, make life less painful, and even enjoyable. Consciousness Nobody knows exactly what is the root of consciousness. We all have consciousness. We have to have this before we know anything else. It is a prime something in the universe. Before we touch something, see something, smell something... we have to be conscious. So consciousness, even if we do not understand how it works, is the prime, the root, the basic requirement, of understanding anything and everything. So why not allow consciousness a place in science, just as matter, energy, electricity and other thing are accepted as real and true. If we assume that God made the universe, then the consciousness of God was placed into the universe, for us to use. Baha'i Faith and
the Unitarian Two religions are more updated and although not perfect, have a lot to offer. One is the Baha'i Faith. It teachings that we have the right to search for our own truth. It believes that men and women are equal. It believes that science is good. But it still believes that its holy books have the truth and there is no discussion about it. The Unitarian Universal (UU) religion actually has no belief, no dogma and looks to people's actions rather than their belief systems. What you believe is up to you. It allows a person to search for truth from all available sources. Without a set of beliefs, it is difficult for children to wrap around loosely held concepts. I think you need some authority when you are young to guide you towards becoming spiritual and perhaps enlightened.
The Best Part of Christianity... William James talks of four qualities of mystical experience: 1. Transient ... for a while you feel outside ordinary time and space. 2. Ineffable ... difficult to put into words. (Maybe it feels like a rush, a fever, a knowing, a intense love.) 3. Noetic ... the is a learning from the experience that often changes ones outlook and feelings fundamentally 4. Passive ... it cannot be turn off and on at will, but there are ways that can help such as intense mediation, prayer and very strong belief. In John C. Robinson's book Ordinary Enlightenment the concept of the Presence of God is detailed. Robinson describes some of the experiences of people who have been in the presence of God. close to God. He talks at length about the preparation to become close to God. Mystical experience is the common and profound forms of religious transformation. It still happens to ordinary people and is not limited or specifically connected to any particular religion, belief or practice. In the Presence, one see through experience. The problems of time, death, suffering and evil are not what they seem. To enter into the Presence, set still. Sense the Presence. Enter Presence like something like meeting another person. Allow the Presence enter you. Another approach is to find the Presence within yourself. It is possible to develop a daily relationship with the Presence by allowing yourself to change. Our soul is the mechanism that allows us to connect with God. Recommended books which support many of my ideas. Feel free to write me if you have questions or comments. My email address is:
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