A Higher Level of Being, Part 4

A Higher Level of Being, Part 4

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:1

Where do our thoughts originate? Where do our memories reside? Where is the center of our conscious awareness? When we talk to ourselves, where does the conversation occur? Many assume all of our thinking and cognitive functions somehow originate and reside within our physical brain. Yet, for all the scientific research, anatomical mapping, and microscopic analysis of the brain no one has found a single thought, image, or memory anywhere within it, let alone any physical evidence of consciousness. What has been found are millions of neural networks and chemical-producing organs (endocrine glands) that enhance or inhibit our thinking, remembering, and conscious awareness. The brain is a prime example of what I described last week – that everything physical is a partial expression of a much larger, non-physical reality. Our brains, for the miraculous creations they are, represent only one part of the physical expression of consciousness. The larger aspect of our consciousness originates from and resides in the non-physical, energetic, or spiritual realm of existence. The nexus of our thinking functions is outside of our bodies and brains, which does not mean that it resides physically outside our bodies. Rather, it is not anything we perceive as physical, as if in a different but interconnected dimension. Every impulse with a physical manifestation, however, flows through the brain, which can be understood as the gatekeeper for all physical actions and reactions of the body.

In the chakra model of energy distribution, sometimes called the energy body, there are seven chakras or non-physical energy centers. Chakra means wheel of light and is typically imagined as a rotating disk. Unlike the bodily organs, the chakras do not have firm edges, so they may overlap and extend beyond the boundaries of the physical body. The lower five are aligned along the spine, and spirit-energy flows up and down along it. The crown chakra is located just above the physical head and is where spirit-energy drawn from our environment is channeled into the third-eye chakra, which is located in the middle-brain area and is associated with the pineal gland. From there, spirit-energy follows the spine to the throat chakra which regulates brain/body communication. Next is the heart chakra, located just behind the heart, which governs circulation throughout the body. The solar plexus chakra empowers digestion and is located between the sternum and the naval. The sacral chakra is just below the naval and energizes reproductive activities. The root chakra is located at the base of the spine and regulates elimination processes. Spirit-energy can enter the body from the earth through the root chakra and travel up through the other centers, just as it can enter through the crown chakra and travel down.

The important point is that spirit-energy flows into and out of the body via channels that are undetectable by our physical senses even though they animate everything physical. That energy is required for all life functions. It is through these invisible channels that we are connected via our energy body to God and all of creation. It is within the energy body that our consciousness, thoughts, and memories originate, reside, and merge with the consciousness, thoughts, and memories of the rest of creation.

As spirit-energy enters our being it enlivens, via our central nervous system, aspects of our individual nature and manifests in our environment as observable, unique expressions of our being as words, actions, and behaviors. Like electricity, we can modify the spirit-energy in ways that are positive and helpful, or we can modify it to cause harm and destruction. What we project into the physical environment is a unique reflection of our current state of being and is not dependent on the nature of the spirit-energy entering our being which, also like electricity, is neutral with regard to the nature of what is manifested.

It is through a general, if incomplete understanding of the invisible processes of spirit-energy transfer from chakras to nerve centers and how they relate to our physical existence that we learn to perceive from a higher level of being. That knowledge expands our awareness beyond the illusion of separateness that clouds our actions and inhibits our understanding of the inclusive interconnectedness of everything in God. Jesus was well-acquainted with this expansive knowing and said to let those with eyes see and those with ears hear. He was not referring to physical eyes and ears but to the unseen, non-physical, spiritual intelligences of insight and comprehension available through the energy body that open new vistas of possibility otherwise undetectable to our physical senses.

This is the 10^th in a series titled Crucifying Christianity, Resurrecting the Way. The opinions expressed here are mine. To engage with me or to explore contemplative spiritual direction, my email is ghildenbrand@outlook.com.

The New/Old Social Pandemic:

Homelessness, Marginalization, and Immigration

By Greg Hildenbrand

The New/Old Social Pandemic is an in-depth exploration of the social issues of homelessness, marginalization, and immigration as the predictable products of outdated, underfunded, and unjust social systems maintained by the privileged of society.

Now available from Greg or any major bookseller.