The last few days I've been pondering what I perceive as a need in my life -- a lack -- something getting in the way of my happiness. I wanted to share this experience with you so that it may help you find your own truth.
Specifically, I thought I was lacking in the experience of intimacy -- that is being able to share a deep feeling of connection and oneness with others.
I went so far as to question how I could remove myself from this desire -- to pull myself out of it and take a detached perspective.
Fortunately, I came to my senses. Or rather I moved away from my senses. In other words, I was previously looking in the wrong place. I was relying on what my senses told me about the world to decide what it is I need, and what it is I lack.
With a sudden clarity of insight (more like a "duh" kind of moment), I remembered what I knew all along, that everything is already inside of you. Inside everyone of us you have the infinite potential of the divine. The only thing coming between me and that great truth was my own fear -- a fear that I myself created. Through that realization, the fear no longer had any power. It became an illusion, and I could then let it go. This allowed me to open up to the truth, which is that you are already deeply connected to infinite consciousness. By extension, you are already deeply connected with everyone and everything.
With that realization, all that's left to do to turn this knowing into experience is to share that feeling with everyone I encounter in my life, but especially those I am already closest to.
I'm sure it'll take a little practice on my part for this to really sink in, but practice I shall.
I hope that when you start to dwell on something in your life that you think you are missing, that you'll take a moment to go inside where it will be waiting for you.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Saturday, June 21, 2008
The Process of Creation
One idea I've come across many times is that
Creation is a continuous process.
I would have a difficult time coming up with a statement more profound. This simple statement can be interpreted in many ways:
- Creation is ongoing
- Creation repeats itself in an endless cycle
- Creation spawns creation
- The universe is continuously recreated from moment to moment
- Creation is unlimited
- Creation is a contiguous, unbroken process
In fact, ALL of these interpretations are correct. And if we look at them more closely, we can find deep meaning in our existence, and the exciting revelation that our destiny is one of infinite, dynamic growth.
In "Science and the Akashic Field" (a recent inspiration for Deepak Chopra), Ervin Laszlo rationally explores the idea of a sea of energy and knowledge that is the wellspring of our physical reality. It is equivalent to the so-called quantum vaccuum or zero-point energy field that is gaining credibility in the scientific world. Laszlo's "A-Field" represents a more fundamental level of reality. One that is infinite and enduring. It explains all the unexpected connections we see. (Laszlo calls this "coherence.") It explains several important things:
- Everything is connected in a very meaningful way.
- There is a permanent record of all happenings in the universe.
- Because information is preserved, the universe always proceeds forward. There is unending dynamic growth.
These are joyous revelations! We can rest assured that our soul is eternal, and one with a greater existence, and that we personally, and as part of the whole, have unlimited creative potential for new experience and growth. This may simply be an affirmation of your own inner truth. I think most of us realize that nothing truly has meaning unless it is infinite and enduring. It is comforting to realize that in the deepest level of reality, no experience, no knowldege, no act of kindness, no expression of love is ever forgotten.
The process of creation itself is something few people have a firm grasp on. Most of us believe that to create something, we start with nothing, and add on what we think needs to be there in order to realize what it is we set out to create. This is exactly the opposite of what really happens! When we consider that we each contain infinite divine potential, then we realize that creation happens by starting with everything possible and then subtracting to create what we have imagined. Bernard Haisch, a prominent astrophysicist, explains this idea in his book "The God Theory", using the metephor of a slide projector:
"Turn it on without any slide inserted and project the pure white light onto the screen. That white light contains the potential to create every image you can imagine -- your Thanksgiving family gathering, your trip to the Rockies, your high school graduation. Every one of these images, and an infinite number of others, are contained in potentia in the formless white light flowing from the bulb to the screen. All you have to do to project the picture you want is to put in the slide that subtracts the proper colors in the proper places. The white light is thus the source of infinite possibility, and you create the desired image by intelligent subtraction, causing the real to emerge from the possible. By limiting the infinitely possible, you create the finitely real."
Haisch goes on to propose that consciousness is also infinite, and our brains work like a filter, subtracting from the infinite potential to produce what we experience as our own individual consciousnesses. Haisch cites cases of brain "impairment" through injury, drugs, or a meditative delta-wave states, where new, incredible perceptions and mental abilities appear.
There is evidence all around us of a universe that works by limiting the inifinite potential to create the reality we experience. It works on every level, from the subatomic to the entire universe itself. In quantum physics, particles exist in every possible state at once (in what physicists call "superposition"), until an observation is made, at which time they "decohere" to a specific, measurable state. Physicists are now trying to harness this capability to produce "quantum computers" that have the promise to be infinitely more capable than today's classical computers.
Recently, the well-know physicist Stephen Hawking, and Thomas Hertog proposed a model of the universe that is exactly like quantum superposition, but on the level of the universe itself. Basically, the universe exists in all possible states until we observe it. At this time, the universe "collapses" into a measurable state, with a history compatible with our observations. The universe is thus recreated from instant to instant. It also implies that the present creates the past, rather than the other way around!
The same process works in evolution of all kinds (biological, evolution of thoughts, technological progress, etc). Out of an infinite potential of ideas, a "selection" is made that is most consistent with what "works" or what we imagine to be the truth. This process of creation works every day when you form a vision of what you'd like to accomplish. You explore many possibilities to achieve that goal, work hard, and reject everything not consistent with that goal, keeping you on the right path until you achieve your vision. This is the "crudest", most physical approach to creation, but it works just the same.
A more esoteric and graceful approach is to once again realize your divine potential. All possibilities, all knowledge, already exist for you. You do not have to work hard to find them because they are already a part of you. By creating a vision in that context, you create an expectation for the universe, which collapses out of infinite possibility to meet that expectation. You may have heard of this before, explained as the "law of attraction." It is one and the same process. It is the process of creation.
It is very easy to deny this process, even when it works. This is because when the universe of infinite possibility collapses into an observed reality, it always does so in a way that is consistent with our classical notions of cause and effect. So, when we observe the final outcome and the chain of events leading up to it, everything will appear to have a perfectly reasonable explanation! It's no wonder that the "law of attraction" is hard to observe, even when it's happening all the time. However, when we open ourselves up to the grace and ease of creation that is part of our divine nature, so many good things "happen" to us that we must attribute it to more than good luck.
Creation is a continuous process.
I would have a difficult time coming up with a statement more profound. This simple statement can be interpreted in many ways:
- Creation is ongoing
- Creation repeats itself in an endless cycle
- Creation spawns creation
- The universe is continuously recreated from moment to moment
- Creation is unlimited
- Creation is a contiguous, unbroken process
In fact, ALL of these interpretations are correct. And if we look at them more closely, we can find deep meaning in our existence, and the exciting revelation that our destiny is one of infinite, dynamic growth.
In "Science and the Akashic Field" (a recent inspiration for Deepak Chopra), Ervin Laszlo rationally explores the idea of a sea of energy and knowledge that is the wellspring of our physical reality. It is equivalent to the so-called quantum vaccuum or zero-point energy field that is gaining credibility in the scientific world. Laszlo's "A-Field" represents a more fundamental level of reality. One that is infinite and enduring. It explains all the unexpected connections we see. (Laszlo calls this "coherence.") It explains several important things:
- Everything is connected in a very meaningful way.
- There is a permanent record of all happenings in the universe.
- Because information is preserved, the universe always proceeds forward. There is unending dynamic growth.
These are joyous revelations! We can rest assured that our soul is eternal, and one with a greater existence, and that we personally, and as part of the whole, have unlimited creative potential for new experience and growth. This may simply be an affirmation of your own inner truth. I think most of us realize that nothing truly has meaning unless it is infinite and enduring. It is comforting to realize that in the deepest level of reality, no experience, no knowldege, no act of kindness, no expression of love is ever forgotten.
The process of creation itself is something few people have a firm grasp on. Most of us believe that to create something, we start with nothing, and add on what we think needs to be there in order to realize what it is we set out to create. This is exactly the opposite of what really happens! When we consider that we each contain infinite divine potential, then we realize that creation happens by starting with everything possible and then subtracting to create what we have imagined. Bernard Haisch, a prominent astrophysicist, explains this idea in his book "The God Theory", using the metephor of a slide projector:
"Turn it on without any slide inserted and project the pure white light onto the screen. That white light contains the potential to create every image you can imagine -- your Thanksgiving family gathering, your trip to the Rockies, your high school graduation. Every one of these images, and an infinite number of others, are contained in potentia in the formless white light flowing from the bulb to the screen. All you have to do to project the picture you want is to put in the slide that subtracts the proper colors in the proper places. The white light is thus the source of infinite possibility, and you create the desired image by intelligent subtraction, causing the real to emerge from the possible. By limiting the infinitely possible, you create the finitely real."
Haisch goes on to propose that consciousness is also infinite, and our brains work like a filter, subtracting from the infinite potential to produce what we experience as our own individual consciousnesses. Haisch cites cases of brain "impairment" through injury, drugs, or a meditative delta-wave states, where new, incredible perceptions and mental abilities appear.
There is evidence all around us of a universe that works by limiting the inifinite potential to create the reality we experience. It works on every level, from the subatomic to the entire universe itself. In quantum physics, particles exist in every possible state at once (in what physicists call "superposition"), until an observation is made, at which time they "decohere" to a specific, measurable state. Physicists are now trying to harness this capability to produce "quantum computers" that have the promise to be infinitely more capable than today's classical computers.
Recently, the well-know physicist Stephen Hawking, and Thomas Hertog proposed a model of the universe that is exactly like quantum superposition, but on the level of the universe itself. Basically, the universe exists in all possible states until we observe it. At this time, the universe "collapses" into a measurable state, with a history compatible with our observations. The universe is thus recreated from instant to instant. It also implies that the present creates the past, rather than the other way around!
The same process works in evolution of all kinds (biological, evolution of thoughts, technological progress, etc). Out of an infinite potential of ideas, a "selection" is made that is most consistent with what "works" or what we imagine to be the truth. This process of creation works every day when you form a vision of what you'd like to accomplish. You explore many possibilities to achieve that goal, work hard, and reject everything not consistent with that goal, keeping you on the right path until you achieve your vision. This is the "crudest", most physical approach to creation, but it works just the same.
A more esoteric and graceful approach is to once again realize your divine potential. All possibilities, all knowledge, already exist for you. You do not have to work hard to find them because they are already a part of you. By creating a vision in that context, you create an expectation for the universe, which collapses out of infinite possibility to meet that expectation. You may have heard of this before, explained as the "law of attraction." It is one and the same process. It is the process of creation.
It is very easy to deny this process, even when it works. This is because when the universe of infinite possibility collapses into an observed reality, it always does so in a way that is consistent with our classical notions of cause and effect. So, when we observe the final outcome and the chain of events leading up to it, everything will appear to have a perfectly reasonable explanation! It's no wonder that the "law of attraction" is hard to observe, even when it's happening all the time. However, when we open ourselves up to the grace and ease of creation that is part of our divine nature, so many good things "happen" to us that we must attribute it to more than good luck.
Friday, June 20, 2008
Maya to Maya Inagural Post
Maya to Maya
Johnny Fargo
You are here for a purpose.
Your life has a deep, yet simple explanation.
You are in control of your life, even when it doesn't feel that way.
You have the tools needed to explore your own creative potential.
Humanity has the opportunity to understand its true nature -- in your lifetime.
Many new age spiritualists, philosophers, futurists, technologists, and cutting-edge scientific thinkers agree: Within the next couple of decades, we are headed for a nexus of ideas, where thoughts about the nature of our world, our very reality, will converge to give us a true understanding of who we are.
It is vital to understand that our knowledge and our self-view are interdependent. Our newfound knowledge will not only change how we view ourselves, but how we view ourselves determines how and when we receive that knowledge, and what we will choose to do with it.
We have a choice to let the future shape us, or we can choose to shape our future.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
How can our worldview converge when there are so many disparate ideas in the world?
Religion and science have been at odds for centuries, and there is no resolution in sight. This is because both aggressively cling to and defend their own dogmas and narrow truths. In doing so, they both deny a wider reality.
Spiritualists say that the world we see is an illusion. They say our true reality can be found within. We should be "in this world, but not of it." To a great extent, this is true. This world does not represent our ultimate reality, and there is so much more to discover beyond what our five senses tell us.
If that's true, then why are we even here? We are here because we want to be here -- because it fulfills a purpose and serves our own personal interests, as well as we in the larger context of our true reality. We should therefore not dismiss the benefits of this existence.
Growth, both individual and collective, is a cornerstone of this purpose. Turning creative potential into actual experience is another. It is also the process through which we achieve growth. It is important to realize that our potential for growth is unlimited.
The tools we have to actualize our potential are both internal and external – in both the spiritual and physical. They must stay in balance. A society where practical matters are neglected would disintegrate. Likewise, a society that focuses only on the outward, practical matters of the physical world eventually loses perspective and purpose.
These two perspectives not only keep us in harmony with ourselves – but they also reinforce one another. For instance, our internal desires drive our technological advancements. At the same time, technology provides tools for us to reach beyond our basic physical needs, and fuel the desire to explore our creative potential.
Not everyone (understandably) has an interest in science and technology; however everyone should understand the implications of where technology is taking us. There are two primary benefits of technology. The first is that as a whole, it improves the ability for us to provide for the basic needs of our world’s people. In doing so, it frees us up to explore our creative potential. Some might say that we have a technology gap between the rich and poor. In fact, we do. The reality, though, is that this gap is getting smaller, not larger over time.
The second benefit of technology may be even more important. It brings us closer together. Just look at the massive changes that cell phones and the internet have brought into our lives. Beyond the effect of enabling an incredible wave of creativity, these technologies connect us together, and allow for us to interact more deeply and more often than ever before.
Deep down, we all have the desire to be connected in meaningful ways. Most conceptions of utopia or bliss involve not the fulfillment of our individual desires, but the realization of a unified consciousness. In fact, that is the nature of our ultimate reality. We can discover this unity by following a spiritual path – but it is not the only way. A balanced diet of the soul should also include a healthy dose of physical reality, and that comes through the application of technology.
In just a couple of decades, our world will be profoundly changed through technology. What’s important to understand is that the pace of technological development over time is accelerating rapidly. As a result, these changes can rapidly sneak up on us – and so we need to be prepared. Today, people already spend hours in front of their computers, interacting with people in social networks or through games in virtual worlds. The ability to create realistic virtual reality will, like all technology, dramatically accelerate over time. The prominent inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil rightly believes that we will spend the majority of the 21st century in virtual reality. The implications are remarkably profound.
Virtual reality will allow us to connect like never before. In fact, in its most advanced form it will allow us to experience the kind of one-ness we have only conceived of in our wildest utopian dreams. In many ways, this is a joyful thought – but let’s face it – it’s also a little on the scary side. We value our independence and individuality. There’s no need to fear --- these will not be lost. Just as each of us currently experiences individuality in the context of the greater reality of oneness, so will it remain in our new world. We will have the ability to experience our own individuality and creativity whenever we so desire.
There is a real danger here, however. Like any tool, technology can be abused. Without the proper context of a mature spiritual identity, we will not have the proper perspective and sense of purpose to use technology in a constructive way. It is inevitable that regardless of what we do, there will be individuals who will try to use technology for their own personal gain or agenda, to the detriment of others. If we are prepared, we will discourage most of these incidents, and when they do occur, we will be able to confront them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I welcome your comments on these thoughts and encourage discussion.
Please bookmark this blog, and check back in a few days. We’ll continue to explore these ideas in more depth. I’ll get something out at least once a week, or more often when I can.
- Johnny
Johnny Fargo
You are here for a purpose.
Your life has a deep, yet simple explanation.
You are in control of your life, even when it doesn't feel that way.
You have the tools needed to explore your own creative potential.
Humanity has the opportunity to understand its true nature -- in your lifetime.
Many new age spiritualists, philosophers, futurists, technologists, and cutting-edge scientific thinkers agree: Within the next couple of decades, we are headed for a nexus of ideas, where thoughts about the nature of our world, our very reality, will converge to give us a true understanding of who we are.
It is vital to understand that our knowledge and our self-view are interdependent. Our newfound knowledge will not only change how we view ourselves, but how we view ourselves determines how and when we receive that knowledge, and what we will choose to do with it.
We have a choice to let the future shape us, or we can choose to shape our future.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
How can our worldview converge when there are so many disparate ideas in the world?
Religion and science have been at odds for centuries, and there is no resolution in sight. This is because both aggressively cling to and defend their own dogmas and narrow truths. In doing so, they both deny a wider reality.
Spiritualists say that the world we see is an illusion. They say our true reality can be found within. We should be "in this world, but not of it." To a great extent, this is true. This world does not represent our ultimate reality, and there is so much more to discover beyond what our five senses tell us.
If that's true, then why are we even here? We are here because we want to be here -- because it fulfills a purpose and serves our own personal interests, as well as we in the larger context of our true reality. We should therefore not dismiss the benefits of this existence.
Growth, both individual and collective, is a cornerstone of this purpose. Turning creative potential into actual experience is another. It is also the process through which we achieve growth. It is important to realize that our potential for growth is unlimited.
The tools we have to actualize our potential are both internal and external – in both the spiritual and physical. They must stay in balance. A society where practical matters are neglected would disintegrate. Likewise, a society that focuses only on the outward, practical matters of the physical world eventually loses perspective and purpose.
These two perspectives not only keep us in harmony with ourselves – but they also reinforce one another. For instance, our internal desires drive our technological advancements. At the same time, technology provides tools for us to reach beyond our basic physical needs, and fuel the desire to explore our creative potential.
Not everyone (understandably) has an interest in science and technology; however everyone should understand the implications of where technology is taking us. There are two primary benefits of technology. The first is that as a whole, it improves the ability for us to provide for the basic needs of our world’s people. In doing so, it frees us up to explore our creative potential. Some might say that we have a technology gap between the rich and poor. In fact, we do. The reality, though, is that this gap is getting smaller, not larger over time.
The second benefit of technology may be even more important. It brings us closer together. Just look at the massive changes that cell phones and the internet have brought into our lives. Beyond the effect of enabling an incredible wave of creativity, these technologies connect us together, and allow for us to interact more deeply and more often than ever before.
Deep down, we all have the desire to be connected in meaningful ways. Most conceptions of utopia or bliss involve not the fulfillment of our individual desires, but the realization of a unified consciousness. In fact, that is the nature of our ultimate reality. We can discover this unity by following a spiritual path – but it is not the only way. A balanced diet of the soul should also include a healthy dose of physical reality, and that comes through the application of technology.
In just a couple of decades, our world will be profoundly changed through technology. What’s important to understand is that the pace of technological development over time is accelerating rapidly. As a result, these changes can rapidly sneak up on us – and so we need to be prepared. Today, people already spend hours in front of their computers, interacting with people in social networks or through games in virtual worlds. The ability to create realistic virtual reality will, like all technology, dramatically accelerate over time. The prominent inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil rightly believes that we will spend the majority of the 21st century in virtual reality. The implications are remarkably profound.
Virtual reality will allow us to connect like never before. In fact, in its most advanced form it will allow us to experience the kind of one-ness we have only conceived of in our wildest utopian dreams. In many ways, this is a joyful thought – but let’s face it – it’s also a little on the scary side. We value our independence and individuality. There’s no need to fear --- these will not be lost. Just as each of us currently experiences individuality in the context of the greater reality of oneness, so will it remain in our new world. We will have the ability to experience our own individuality and creativity whenever we so desire.
There is a real danger here, however. Like any tool, technology can be abused. Without the proper context of a mature spiritual identity, we will not have the proper perspective and sense of purpose to use technology in a constructive way. It is inevitable that regardless of what we do, there will be individuals who will try to use technology for their own personal gain or agenda, to the detriment of others. If we are prepared, we will discourage most of these incidents, and when they do occur, we will be able to confront them.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I welcome your comments on these thoughts and encourage discussion.
Please bookmark this blog, and check back in a few days. We’ll continue to explore these ideas in more depth. I’ll get something out at least once a week, or more often when I can.
- Johnny
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