My Sunday Thought for 120317: Out of the Box and Beyond Tomorrow

“Time is that by which at every moment all things become as nothing in our hands, and thereby lose all their true value.”

-- Arthur Schopenhauer, philosopher, academic

I often reference my agreement in a belief that time is a human construct required by the limitations of our physical form. It exists only as a tool of measurement, a foundation which supports and adds structure to mankind's endeavors. I have stated many times how wonderful it would be if we could all learn to let go of the linear concept of time and live in between the ticks of the clock; some call it call it an "extra-dimensional perspective." I will expand on this by stating it is, indeed, an extra-dimensional perspective... of our existence in the universe which frees us to move beyond this anchor of our physical shell into the metaphysical world of, "What if...?"

There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy.

-- Shakespeare, "Hamlet" (1.5.167-8)

What if the past, present, and future existed are part of the same connecting point, a "zero point," whereby they become interconnected and not independent of each other? What if, knowing this, we could, eventually, access any point in spacetime? How would this redefine our knowledge of reality? What if this knowledge brought with it the understanding that our consciousness is infinite and forever; a life of continuous rebirth and creation; knowledge of the universe accessible to all who learn to open the files? Before mankind's narrow concept of time, was such information written into the cosmos as a record of past, present, and possibly even future events?  Some have referred to this legendary tome as the Book of Life.  Is this the "book," referred to in Genesis, which will endow us with everlasting life?

Are our lives preordained?  Is what we do "written down" as a roadmap of our path through the universe?  Is there no chance for us to change our course, or is that change already a future paragraph, a footnote in this Book of Life?  If so, why would the book need to be opened if the contents were already known prior to one's life being lived?  Scripture tells us that our lives are preordained, and then this same scripture goes back on itself by stating what we do here on earth will be judged from the book, by our deeds, after our death.  Well, which is it?  Let's look at a few passages: 

Then Moses returned to the LORD, and said, "Alas, this people has committed a great sin, and they have made a god of gold for themselves. "But now, if You will, forgive their sin-- and if not, please blot me out from Your book which You have written!" The LORD said to Moses, "Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book...

-- Exodus 32:31-33

Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

-- Psalm 139:16

"A river of fire was flowing And coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, And the books were opened.

-- Daniel 7:10 

And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne. And there were open books, and one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books.

--Revelation 20:12

Could it be that the "Book of Life" writes itself as life unfolds for each of us? As psychic Edgar Cayce stated:

"Upon time and space is written the thoughts, the deeds, the activities of an entity – as in relationships to its environs, its hereditary influence; as directed – or judgment drawn by or according to what the entity's ideal is. Hence, as it has been oft called, the record is God's book of remembrance; and each entity, each soul – as the activities of a single day of an entity in the material world – either makes same good or bad or indifferent, depending upon the entity's application of self towards that which is the ideal manner for the use of time, opportunity and the expression of that for which each soul enters a material manifestation. The interpretation then as drawn here is with the desire and hope that, in opening this for the entity, the experience may be one of helpfulness and hopefulness."

-- Edgar Cayce Reading 1650-1

The Book of Life is also referred to, by many, as the Akashic records. As described in Wikipedia the Akashic records "are a compendium of all human events, thoughts, words, emotions, and intent ever to have occurred in the past, present, or future. They are believed by theosophists to be encoded in a non-physical plane of existence known as the etheric plane." Well, this all fits with what Edgar Cayce touts except for the addition of "future" to the mix, and that seems a bit odd considering Cayce's own predictions of the future.

The Akashic records seem more in line with a zero point theory, or perhaps the theory is more in line with the Akashic records.  Consider, if you will, "The Zero Point Perspective" as put forth by Metaphysics for Life":

"What we call zero point is the connecting point. It is that unmeasurable point in spacetime that connects all that is with all that could be. Some would say it is the gateway that connects the spacetime of Mind with the infinite intelligence of God."

-- Metaphysics for Life, "The Zero Point Perspective"

I offer that this "zero point perspective" is flawed, however, as it does not include everything that was.  Even though we shouldn't dwell on the past, it does have great bearing on what is now and will be.  Because of our linear construct of time, there can be no present or future without a past.  Even if it all exists simultaneously at the zero point, it would be hard to imagine one without the other two.  The Akashic records understand the need for this universal balance, this understanding that, since you can't have one without the others, they must all exist at the point in spacetime, the zero point.  What if...?

We have become lazy because of our physical form.  Our mind, our thought, at least has the capacity to consider transcending linear time to which we shackled ourselves so very long ago, while our science would seem to deny our capability to perform the feat; if it can't be measured, it doesn't exist.  We insist on looking at reality through the eyes of science, as if our science is some great discovery only now coming to light.  We view the past with an arrogance of superiority, yet we are constantly redefining what we don't know of our ancient past, including just how ancient that past might be.  What if...?

“Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that I can do it, I shall surely acquire the capacity to do it even if I may not have it at the beginning.”

-- Mahatma Gandhi

We scoff at the notion, the ancient tales of flying carpets, telekinesis, telepathy, dragons, and all things "magic" and scientifically unproven, yet we have no idea if some long lost culture took all of this "magic" as a matter of daily course where the wave of a finger lit a candle, healed the sick, levitated carpets, or snapped a neck.  For all we know they may have been able to connect to the zero point and, thereby, also connect with their past and their future.  We just don't know, and science (re: government) might be holding humanity back from finding out our true potential lost.  This lost knowledge may threaten government control; if we're all gods... there will be no gods.  However, if we're all gods, maybe we can find peace through the simplistic lesson of Tic-Tac-Toe - there can be no winner; the best you can hope for is a draw.  What if...?

Someone wrote in a book I read just recently, "The past is more a part of the present than the moment we are actually in."  What went before are the black lines delineating one thing from another, as in a coloring book.  It is up to us, in the present, to make the choices which will color what our senses communicate to us about what the past has left.  How we color what we sense in the present may have some bearing on what tomorrow brings depending on how well we choose from the palette of our experience.  Since experience comes by doing, we should color away and not worry too much about tomorrow - there will always be another day in which to choose more wisely.

We look into the past for the answers to our future, answers we already know.  Everything we needfor our journey has been written across our hearts and our minds, written down in the cosmic records, our genetic link to the universe, and to infinity, left to us by the ancients to ensure our survival... and theirs.  The one answer which escapes us is how to use the link.  So, here we stand at the brink of forever, like a pig staring at a computer, not understanding, comprehending, realizing that technology and science are just confusing pieces of the larger puzzle, pieces which are limiting our mind's capacity to transcend reality which we are fully capable of doing if we could only remember how.  What if...? 

  

As with yesterday and today, tomorrow is all about the journey; pick a direction and take the first step.  In one respect we can't go back, yet I'm reminded of what the ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, said, “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man.” You can go home again, but it won't seem like the home you remember because your mind has grown beyond it to realize that "home" is simply a place you hang your hat, a world you live in, your universe and your reality.  What if...?

What if mankind understood the unlimited potential, capacity, and capability of the human mind to transcend science, technology, religion, and reality?  I am also constantly reminded of what the Lord God said, according to Genesis, "Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing of good and evil..."  If we never walk in darkness how would we truly know the light,?  If we had not suffered, how would we know joy?  If we had not confronted true evil, how would we know victory of righteousness?  Many claim to be "holier than thou" just prior to running before the face of evil rather than risk their faith. .

What if...? 

And, having said all of this, I leave you will a final thought, My Sunday Thought:

Think in the past to remember;
Think in the present to learn;
Think in the future to create a better tomorrow and,
Above all,
Think beyond reality to that which might be,
Or might be again,
And make it so.

Editor's Note 

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card) 

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either opinion any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider another viewpoint.

It is my fervent hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful, constructive, discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning the opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 23 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with an Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects in pharmaceutical research. Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, to wage his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteers as Chaplain Program Liaison, at a regional medical center.