Synergy and Our Collective Consciousness of God

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to them who are called according to his purpose."

- Romans 8:28 (KJV)

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

- Matthew 18:20 (KJV)

Humans are both energy and mass.  A concentration of power in the energy field (our collective consciousness of God) occurs when Christians individually and collectively discern God's will and come together to pray, worship, and act in accordance with the love of Christ.  When this happens, the fruits of the Kingdom of God - love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control exponentially multiply further spreading synergy and goodness on Earth.  Our purpose is to discern together God's will in our lives, gather in the Lord's Name, and restore the Kingdom of God, "on Earth as it is in Heaven."

Mystic States and Souls

“When the mystic’s spiritual eye is opened, his physical eye is closed; he sees nothing but God.”

– Abu Sulayman Ad-Darani – Muslim Writer

On my library shelf I have four books written by women during the early to late Middle Ages who wrote on their experience of God and spirituality, including one designated a Doctor of the Church and was also canonized. These four women are Julian Of Norwich, Hildegard of Bingen, Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila.  These women who experienced mystic states of mind were accepted as visionaries of God during the Middle Ages, but from a modern scientific viewpoint would be told today that their states of mind were not granted by God, but simply were manifestations of their physiology.

In today's society we are moving further away from believing we are connected to a higher power, who "molded us from clay" who granted us special gifts and is actively at work in our lives.   We no longer "see" the unseen, but rather rely on what scientific analysis including, medical science currently tells us.  But history also tells us that scientific as well as medical studies are continuously reevaluated based on changes in paradigms.

In 1990, I was diagnosed with a "mental illness" that the doctors said caused me to have psychotic breaks from reality.  Looking back on what the doctors interpreted as "psychotic breaks," I now know that "reality" differs depending on an individual experience or interpretation.  When I returned to "reality" I realized my visions of hell and then heaven were reflective of a continuum of the reality of what humans experience.  My "hell" psychotic break has been experienced by those who are in constant fear of their lives or for their loved ones.  My psychotic break in which I believed in no sin, violence, death, illness or degradation on Earth was not reflective of my life experience.  I could only interpret my experience as a vision of heaven granted to me by God.

Labeling someone as "sick" with a mental illness is not a helpful paradigm for someone struggling with his or her thoughts.   Only when I interpreted my experiences as an "expansion of the brain" with a direct connection to a higher power that needed to be managed, did I start to begin to succeed in rebuilding my life.  A very wise woman once suggested it to me when I was in my thirties that I was perhaps the "norm" and others were not.  

I learned that only when we treat the "whole person" - body, mind and soul with a connection to God, could we succeed in transforming others and ourselves.  My mental states are not only physiological but reflect my "mystic" states of mind and my soul connected to God.  With time I have learned to work simultaneously in my "everyday" reality while working in a higher consciousness where I am aware of others' energy and thoughts focused on spreading love and peace.  This is not a state of mind for me that is continuous, but seems to occur when I need it.

This state of mind should not be solely studied using brain scans and other physical examinations, but needs to be integrated with the humanities including anthropologists, theologians, psychologists, writers, and artists. There are two viewpoints - one that is experienced internally and one that can be observed externally.  Both viewpoints hold truths.  During my journey and studies in the last twenty-five years I have learned I am not alone in my thoughts. 

God's GPS (Global Positioning System)

1. “Global Positioning System: a global system of U.S. navigational satellites developed to provide precise positional and velocity data and global time synchronization for air, sea, and land travel.”

2. An electronic system that uses these satellites to determine the position of a vehicle, person, etc.:

3. A receiver that determines its position by analyzing the satellite signals it receives:”

-Definitions of GPS from Dictionary.com

Yesterday I was thinking about all the messages that I process as I go through my day.  Some are in emails, Facebook postings, websites, store displays, labeling on products, books, or magazines.  Sometimes it is an experience such as viewing a sunset, illness or being in a car accident.  Sometimes it is a presentation, sermon, Bible verse or conversation with someone.    Some messages or experiences I do not give a second thought to, but some give me pause and I think further about them.

In my essay the Butterfly as a Symbol I wrote that the meaning of a symbol changes based on the designer or creator, the viewer, and a point in time.  According to Carl Jung some symbols such as a circle are ancient and are buried deep within our collective unconscious.  Symbols, including words, have changed meanings since their creation.  To understand the full meaning of a symbol, the viewer needs to understand the history of the symbol as well as the context.

Therefore, we can create symbols or an experience with a specific interpretation, but that meaning can change with time.  Our souls, which are eternal and connected to God, often influence the creation of symbols or experiences without us being conscious of it.  At a later point in time we look back at those experiences or symbols with a different interpretation and realize that God was at work in our life.

Interpretations of a symbol or an experience can designate different paths in our lives, but we need to evaluate them prior to making a choice.  This is when God's GPS comes into effect.  Sometimes the Holy Ghost will tell us to "stop" by yelling at us in our head or to wait (a credit card transaction won't go through) or gives us the green light through an spiritual affirmation (lightness within our brain).   Sometimes after prayer, an event or symbol occurs that answers our prayer and we know God is at work in our life and guides our path.  Sometimes a symbol or experience presents it and pauses us to think based on previous experiences or knowledge, and therefore we choose a better path.

Interpretations of a symbol or an experience can designate different paths in our lives, but we need to evaluate them prior to making a choice.  This is when God's GPS comes into effect.  Sometimes the Holy Ghost will tell us to "stop" by yelling at us in our head or to wait (a credit card transaction won't go through) or gives us the green light through an spiritual affirmation (lightness within our brain).   Sometimes after prayer, an event or symbol occurs that answers our prayer and we know God is at work in our life and guides our path.  Sometimes a symbol or experience presents it and pauses us to think based on previous experiences or knowledge, and therefore we choose a better path.

What is remarkable is that as we grow in our trust of God's love and interest in our well being, we see more signs guiding our path.   In addition, God, through the life of Jesus and the Bible is full of promises and guidance on how to pray and live so that we experience his presence.  The combination of God the Father through his creation (the Universe, Earth and all it's inhabitants including our souls), the Bible, and Jesus alive in us as the Holy Spirit, are God's GPS.  What amazing things could God achieve for us if we navigated the symbols and experiences in light of his love and the love of each other in accordance with his GPS?

When we individually and collectively use our free will to follow God and his "GPS", "All things are possible."

Dear Father - Jonathan Livingston Seagull

“You have the freedom to be yourself, your true self, here and now, and nothing can stand in your way".”

― Richard Bach, Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Birds are a symbol of the soul's ability to fly between Heaven and Earth.    As I am listening to Neil Diamond's album Jonathan Livingston Seagull my soul takes flight in joy with the music.  There are so many gifts like music provided to us by God to remind us of our ability to "fly."  What wonders could we achieve if only we believe in that ability.  Our consciousness reflected by our souls transcends space and time and we can network our minds with each other in joy to fulfill God's promise that love will prevail.  As in Psalm 91, the fowler lies to snare our souls preventing us from flying in joy as God intended we should.  But the fowler only has the power we grant it.  As the Psalm 91 says

Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High

    will rest in the shadow of the Almighty

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress,

    my God, in whom I trust.

In reference to this psalm, Emily Dickinson with her vision wrote -

The Orchard, when the Sun is on

—The Triumph of the Birds

When they together Victory make—

God has instilled in each of us the soul and love of Christ.  There is no reason to wait for him to come again, he is already here and this Earth does not bind us.  We can fly.  Jesus said to come to him like children.  We just have to believe.