Copyright: Nick Sandberg 2001
[Please Note: The first two pieces in this series have now been rewritten and it is my hope that they are now relatively easy for the interested reader to follow. This much-needed revision has yet to take place for this piece, I’ve still got a few more chapters of the Bible to get through first. Consequently, this early version may prove a little impenetrable. Many apologies and congratulations to anyone who does manage to get the gist. I hope you found the effort worth it. Nick – Dec 2001]
Author’s Notes – The Piscean Era is taken by astrologers to refer to the period from roughly 100 BCE to 2000 CE (100 BC – 2000 AD). It is believed that, just as the sun moves through each sign of the zodiac on its annual journey, so the universe moves through the 12 zodiacal houses, in reverse order, over a period of approximately 25,200 years. Thus the period from 2200 BCE to 100 BCE was assigned to Aries; the period 100 BCE to 2000 CE, to Pisces; and the current era, just commenced, to Aquarius. This piece is, in many ways, a continuation of the previous in the series (online here) and it is recommended that it be read first.
Introduction
The overall idea I shall be exploring in this piece is that of a body of sacred knowledge being transported, from one enlightened era to another, across a developmental and relatively chaotic period, specifically, from Aries to Aquarius, through Pisces. I shall be exploring the idea that enlightened individuals at the end of the Arian era, believing that a 2,100 year period of chaotic destruction and reformation was about to descend upon them, went about creating a suitable “vehicle” in which sacred knowledge could be safely placed for the duration. This “sacred knowledge” is a series of esoteric beliefs, practices and prophecies purportedly relating to Man’s true purpose and destiny, the nature of which I began to look at in piece #2 of this series, The Great Work. The “vehicle” used to safely carry this sacred knowledge across the Piscean era is The Bible – the 66 books of the Old and New Testament.
The Knowledge
In the preceding chapter, I examined a process, the relating of which seems to me to be at the heart of many of the world’s esoteric doctrines. This process is often termed “descent and return” and is essentially the notion that there exists a “Void” of infinite, eternal consciousness from which our limited world descends and to which it will one day return. The nature of this “Void” and the means by which our world seeks to return to it I covered in the previous chapter.
In examining the notion of “descent and return,” what will likely strike most readers is that the scenario portrayed is considerably at odds with what most of us typically believe about the nature of our existence. It might therefore be tempting to conclude that the concept is, essentially, delusional, or perhaps simply an archaic concept long overthrown by the progress of modern science. In this chapter I hope to explore the idea that neither of these possibilities is the case and that, in fact, what the ancients believed has become almost completely hidden from view for the reason that, were more people to be aware of it, it would not be possible for the process itself to unfold.
My belief is that the average physical body of our ancestors was insufficiently developed to allow large numbers of them to enter the state of superconsciousness. From the previous chapter, it will be seen that a threshold number of people have to enter this state such that the final “ascension” of all creation back to the Void of unlimited consciousness can take place, and the cycle of “descent and return” be completed. The culture of orthodox Christianity thus arose to bring about the necessary minor changes in brain chemistry that would one day facilitate the ascension. The means by which orthodox Christian culture can do this I will explore towards the end of this chapter. Firstly, I will look a little closer at the central role of The Bible in this process and try to show how it can be regarded as a means of relating knowledge of man’s true nature and destiny to the few, while providing the backbone of an expanding cultural vehicle, orthodox Christianity, that drives our evolutionary development in such a way as to smoothly facilitate the final ascension. I will commence with Tarot.
Tarot
Although the esoteric Tarot has never itself been fully published, there are two versions available generally accepted as bearing a close likeness. The first is the earlier, more famous, “Rider-Waite,” pack. The second is the later, lesser-known, Jesse Burns Parke, pack. Those familiar with both will be aware that, whilst they closely resemble one another, there are three trump cards that differ significantly. The reason for these differences is generally believed to be that the more cautious creator of the former, Arthur E. Waite, decided that elements of the symbolism of these three cards were too revealing to be shown to the public of the time. The designer of the latter pack, Dr Paul Foster Case, was apparently less concerned with such matters.
The three differing cards are keys 4, 13 and 19 – The Emperor, Death and The Sun. In this piece I shall be looking closely at the Burns version of two of these cards, amongst other keys, and perhaps be able to make a few deductions about why Mr Waite felt he had to show such restraint.
Key 13 – Death
The Parke version of this card contains a couple of interesting lines of symmetry not present in the Rider-Waite. Firstly, the severed hand laid out horizontally, representing the Hebrew letter, Yod, forms the apex of a triangle with the disembodied heads of the Man and Woman forming the lower points underneath. This triangle represents the “upper kite” or “supernal triad” of the Tree of Life in the esoteric doctrine of Qabalah. The woman’s head may therefore be seen as symbolizing the sphere of Binah – Understanding.
Secondly, a line drawn through the handle of the scythe, here representing the Hebrew letter, Tav, and thus both the planet Saturn and completion, would pass first through the severed foot, (symbolizing Pisces, the feet being the part of the body assigned to the sign) and, if extended, then pass through the foot of the skeleton that is apparently pressing down on the head of the woman. The implication, to those familiar with esoteric Tarot symbolism, is that, for the purpose of completing the Great Work, understanding will be repressed for the duration of the Piscean era.
These are just fragments of the symbolism of this card, much of it relating to kundalini arousal. The interested reader might also like to pay close attention to the direction of flow of the river, the curious shape of the skeleton’s upper body, the presence and position of the white rose, and the “seed” motif in the top left corner.
Key 19 – The Sun
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for manifestation of the sons of God” – Romans 8:19, Authorized King James Version
Key 19 shows two children with hands interlinked dancing within concentric circles. In the background grow five sunflowers, four facing the children, one, not yet fully in bloom, facing the Sun. The children here symbolize individuals close to achieving the state known as “enlightenment” or “cosmic consciousness.” In relation to the macrocosm, they are the children of the “fifth kingdom,” or spiritual “Israel,” of the Bible. They are those who can enter superconsciousness and are thus central to the future of the world. The quote from St Paul’s epistle to the Romans above further explores this point – all creation depends on enlightened consciousness for salvation from its existing state.
Five levels of consciousness are represented by the five sunflowers. The four in bloom represent, from left to right, mineral, vegetable, animal and self-consciousness (human consciousness). They look toward the children for, as St Paul explains above, esoteric thought holds that all creation looks to superconsciousness for its salvation. The fifth, just starting to bloom, represents superconsciousness itself, still looking towards the Sun for its continued development.
The Bible
This marble relief, from an 11th century French cathedral, bears a design common to the period. It shows the figure of Christ enclosed within a Vesica Piscis. The “Vesica Piscis” – meaning literally “Bladder (as in protective membrane) of Pisces” – is a geometric figure used by esotericists to symbolize, amongst other things, plurality unfolding from Unity – limited, manifest creation emerging from infinite, boundless consciousness. The Vesica is surrounded by the “four creatures” seen also in the esoteric Tarot and the biblical books of Ezekiel and Revelation. They represent, amongst other things, the four evangelists – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John and the four elements – earth, water, fire and air.
Considered in terms of the microcosm, Man, this design brings to mind the idea of undeveloped spiritual capacity, hidden in a vessel, being borne by the four elements. The vessel is the human body. Related to the macrocosm, the Universe, the design brings to mind the notion of sacred knowledge being safely transported by the four evangelists through the period of Pisces.
Students of esoterica may also note that the only part of the figure of Christ which extends from the boundary of the Vesica is the right hand making an esoteric gesture relating to intuition.
The biblical tale of Noah’s Ark recounts the story of how God devised a great boat to keep safe pure aspects of his creation for the duration of a tumultuous and purgative period and, in similar fashion, we find that the 66 books of the Old and New Testament have made their way through the centuries of the Piscean Era relatively intact. I will now look a little closer at some of the key symbolic elements of The Bible, as it is understood in this context.
The Old Testament concerns itself principally with the original descent of “mind-stuff” from infinite consciousness and the paths by which it seeks to return to its source. It deals with evolution, from minerals through to humans, and further explores, from a race perspective, the physical body-type most likely to ultimately be able to develop access to the higher states of consciousness needed to transmute physical matter back to infinite consciousness. The “root of David” and the “lion of Judah” are expressions relating to this process, the lion being an alchemical symbol of evolving consciousness. Much material is repeated over and over again, frequently with additional slight development, thus metaphorically representing the evolutionary process itself. The story of the Israelites, and their symbolic journey from Egypt into the wilderness in search of the “promised land,” traces symbolically the path the developing individual must take if he or she is to develop the ability to enter superconscious states.
The New Testament explores the same process from a more emotional perspective. It relates symbolically the nature of the inner struggle that the individual on the path toward achieving superconsciousness must undergo, and provides insights that will help this process to be undertaken with relative ease. Christ is seen, esoterically, not as an actual human figure who walked the earth, but as an allegory for the transformational presence sleeping within the heart of the individual. The Qabalist interpretation of the New Testament do not deny the physical existence of Jesus, merely place greater significance on the metaphorical aspects of his story.
The gospels thus relate the gradual awakening of the individual to the spiritual presence sleeping within his or her heart. They detail symbolically practices which can be undertaken to ensure the kundalini awakening process proceeds smoothly. I will interpret a little of the symbolism, from my own reading and intuitive insights. Note that much of the symbology can be understood either in terms of the developing microcosm or macrocosm.
The Word [Genesis 1, John 1] – The Logos, or Divine blueprint, for existence. Intelligence is its undifferentiated form.
The “man sent from God” [John 1] – the spiritual presence in Man, developed through physical and emotional evolution.
Jesus – the heart of this spiritual presence, and the man who has allowed it to be fully revealed.
Matthew, Mark, Luke or John – a messenger sent from this spiritual presence to communicate with the conscious self, the ego.
The Gentiles and land of Galilee – those humans not yet on the path towards enlightenment, as individuals and as a whole.
Bethlehem – the “house of bread,” or stomach, birthplace of kundalini in the body. The place where spiritual development commences.
The book with seven seals[Revelation] – the physical and subtle body and the seven chakras.
The Disciples – the different aspects of the body and mind of the individual as they were understood by the ancients.
Simon Peter – lit: “hearing-rock” – the centres of the mind that facilitate intuition, the principal means by which an individual on the path is guided. These centres are traditionally under the control of the astrological sign Taurus.
The action of “following Jesus“, “imitating Jesus” or “walking in His footsteps” – the following of a set of teachings relating to kundalini awakening.
The “lifting up of the serpent in the wilderness” – another metaphor for kundalini awakening.
The casting out of demons – the process by which, in the early stages of spiritual awakening, repressed conflicts from an individual’s past are “projected” onto the world around them, thus eventually leading to their integration.
The Levites and Pharisees – aspects of the ego concerned with spiritual matters. Jesus spends much time dealing with the ego in this form, taking a variety of approaches – concealment, teaching through allegory and parable, and, on occasions, threatening dire consequences if his teachings are not followed. The tussle that goes on within the developing individual between the ego and the awakening Christ principle is a central feature of the gospels. The command to “make straight the way of the Lord,” taken from Isaiah and found at the beginning of all four gospels, tells the individual to prepare his or herself for this struggle and to be sure that the Christ presence, the inevitable victor in the battle, is not excessively blocked in its expression or danger may result.
The tale of Herod, John the Baptist and Salome – The cutting off of the head of John the Baptist, as ordered by Herod to please Salome, is a highly symbolic act. It represents the destruction of the ego necessary to experience superconsciousness. Herod, the awakening individual, so desires to see Salome (Isis) unveiled (“mind-stuff” as it actually is) that he consents to the temporary destruction of the ego. The dance of the seven veils is an allegory for the opening of the seven chakras that facilitates this process.
The raising of the dead – the action of ego-death and rebirth that comprises a central element of the kundalini awakening process.
The Crucifixion – the process by which the individual soul undergoes purification via repeated incarnation in the physical domain; and the process by which infinite consciousness does the same via its descent into physical (limited) form.
“Walking on water” – entering the state of superconsciousness in deep meditation.
The Jews – spiritually-perfected Man. The Jews here possess no level of racial identity, they simply represent persons from all races, colours and creeds who have achieved enlightenment.
Israel – The body of enlightened individuals, taken as a whole. The word “Israel” represents the three primary aspects of Creation – Is, (Isis), feminine creative principle; Ra, male creative principle; and El, universal creative principle – primal matter, intelligence, and the Void.
This is an introduction to just a little of the symbolism of the New Testament. The interested reader will find that further reading and meditation on the ideas of the Christian gospels, especially that of St John and the letters of St Paul, will reveal many more. The Book of Revelation is an explicit guide to the kundalini awakening process, cloaked in symbolism and I shall look at it more closely in a later chapter.
The cover plate of the original 1611 Authorized King James Bible is covered in esoteric symbolism, notably that drawn from Kabbalah and Alchemy. Note especially the Four Beasts, the Tetragrammaton (Hebrew letters for Jehovah) at the apex, the Sun and Moon heading the side pillars of the Tree of Life with Mercury between, and the feeding geese and slain and arisen lamb symbols at Yesod and Tiphareth (Tree of Life) with the name-plate serving as the path between them.
That the original cover of the original authorized English language version of the Bible should be so covered in esoteric symbolism indicates the degree to which the Bible’s true significance was understood by the learned classes of seventeenth century Europe.
Gematria
The Bible was originally written in two languages, Greek and Hebrew, neither of which, at the time of its writing, had a separate number system. In both languages the letters of the alphabet also served as numbers, a value being assigned to each. A word in Greek or Hebrew would thus have both a literary meaning and a numerical value, the sum of the values of the individual letters. Words thus became associated together, not only through them having similar meanings, but also through them having the same numerical value. This secondary means of tying words together allowed hidden relationships to be indicated and explored and this process is known as gematria.
This means of concealing deeper meanings in literature was especially utilized in religious documents, and the Old and New Testaments of The Bible are excellent examples of texts where this has been done. Throughout The Bible, the mathematical relationships between the number value of words are constantly used to explore and expand upon esoteric concepts.
In Revelation 13, for example, the famous passage “Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the Beast; for it is the number of a Man; and his number is 666” actually refers to the Greek phrase “he phren,” numerical value 666, and meaning “the lower mind.” The text is indicating that this number, 666, is merely one of a series (in fact 333 – 999) that reveals a secret set of relationships between different parts of the psyche, as understood by the ancient Greeks.
At the time of writing, the deeper meanings hidden in the text of The Bible would have been available to most educated persons for, with no number system available in either language, it was quite normal for scholars to be familiar with gematria. As the Christian era progressed, however, both languages adopted separate numeral systems and so knowledge of gematria faded. Eventually, the secondary meaning of many Biblical texts became almost entirely hidden from view.
As various writers have previously demonstrated, the Bible can in fact be regarded as being almost entirely a gematric document, with a constant stream of secondary meanings and hidden correspondences being exposed. Here I shall look at just a tiny fraction of the gematria surrounding the name Jesus Christ. The numerical values of the words, Jesus Christ, written in Greek, are as follows:
Jesus [Iessous] – 888
Christ [Christos] – 1480
Jesus Christ – 2368, (888 + 1480)
The ratio of the numbers shows the following relationship:
Jesus : Christ : Jesus Christ
888 : 1480 : 2368, which reduces to
3 : 5 : 8
The number 358 is significant for two reasons. Firstly, the ratios 3:5 and 5:8 represent important numbers in esotericism. 3:5 symbolizes the esoteric relationship of Father to Son, the three original components of the creation to regenerated human consciousness. This is also explored in the Pythagorean 3:4:5 right angle triangle, which further introduces the element of the Mother, physical creation, as the number 4. The ratio 5:8 symbolizes the “Golden Mean,” the mathematical relationship where the ratio of the sum of two numbers to the higher of the two equals the ratio of the lower to the higher. Whilst 5:8, or 1.6, is not exactly the Golden Mean, which cannot be fully resolved mathematically, esotericists use the fraction to symbolize it because it is a close approximation. (Another irrational number, pi, is represented esoterically by the fraction 22/7 for the same reason). The Golden Mean is the source of the logarithmic spiral, found at the heart of the natural world.
Secondly, the number 358 is the value of the Hebrew word “Messiach”, meaning Messiah, and also that of its opposite, Netsach – temptation.
Before examining just how the Christian culture itself can actually facilitate evolutionary changes in mankind, I will briefly explore some of the symbolism of two further Tarot trumps and look at what they may be saying about our future.
Key 16 – The Tower
An alternative name for this card is “Maison de Dieu,” or “House of God.” The Tower represents the notion of old, restrictive ideas and principles being destroyed to make way for new, dynamic forms. More specifically, in the macrocosm, it here represents the destruction of the old vision of the church – a body of men and women ordered hierarchically and worshipping an exteriorized and objectified concept of “God” – to make way for the new – spiritually perfected Man and Woman in direct contact with the deity within. The “church made with hands” gives way to the “church not made with hands.”
This card presents symbolically the two principles by which both the individual and the whole of creation develop. The first principle is that of the progressive, linear advancement of forms over time. This is the gradual evolution that all species undergo and, in this card, it is represented by the 22 levels of The Tower itself. The second principle is that of a sudden, violent upheaval that occurs at a certain point in the development of a living system. There is brief period of high activity and chaos and then the form reorganizes to a new level of coherence and order. This is the process by which species make sudden evolutionary leaps, such as that from apes to man. In this card this is represented by the lightning strike, the sudden influx of superconsciousness energy (as kundalini), rising from the deep subconscious, and bringing about a rapid change in organization. In modern science, these two means by which all living systems evolve are related in elements of chaos theory.
Key 21 – The World
Key 21, the final trump in the Tarot pack, represents the final state of spiritually evolved Man. The androgyne figure of the “world dancer” symbolizes “cosmic consciousness,” or “enlightenment.” Surrounding the world dancer and the symbolic wreath are the four creatures referred to in the books of Ezekiel and Revelation. A table of correspondences for the four creatures is included below:
| Beast | Astrological Sign | Body part governed by sign | Element |
|---|---|---|---|
| Man | Aquarius | ankles (not relevant) | Air |
| Eagle | Scorpio | reproductive system | Water |
| Lion | Leo | spine | Fire |
| Bull | Taurus | inner hearing centres | Earth |
| Beast | Tarot Key | Tarot Symbolism | Evangelist | Hebrew letter | Letter symbolism |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Man | 17 – The Star | meditation | Matthew | Tzaddi | fish-hook |
| Eagle | 13 – Death | regeneration | John | Nun | fish |
| Lion | 8 – Strength | kundalini | Mark | Teth | serpent |
| Bull | 5 – Hierophant | intuition | Luke | Vav | hook |
The four creatures thus here relate the actual process by which matter and intelligence, “mind-stuff,” returns to its source. This commences with the evolutionary development of life through to human beings. It then continues through man’s development, from self-consciousness to infinite consciousness which ultimately will bring about the final return to all creation to the unlimited state. The evolutionary process brings about the development of mankind (Aquarius). Man develops kundalini energy in the reproductive system (ruled by Scorpio). This energy, instead of being dissipated in sexual acts, is driven up the spine (governed by Leo) where it causes the development of the “inner hearing” centres (governed by Taurus), which then lead the initiate on his or her own path to enlightenment and infinite consciousness. Both processes, the evolution of the universe, or consciousness itself, and the evolution of Man’s consciousness symbolically resemble one other.
Key 21 therefore represents the completion of the evolutionary cycle as it applies to both the individual and to all creation. Mineral to vegetable to animal to Man to spiritually-perfected, “fifth kingdom” Man and thus the final transmutation of matter back into its unlimited source material.
Pisces
In setting to out explore just how orthodox Christianity might be facilitating the return of all creation to the infinite, I will commence by examining an apparent conundrum thrown up by this piece. Bearing in mind the degree to which orthodox Christian culture has dominated the Piscean Era, so characterized by bloodshed and dialecticalism, one might ask – Is this really the way things are meant to be? If The Bible is truly an esoteric document charting the evolution and final development of both Man and the universe, why have its teachings apparently been so misconstrued? In attempting to answer this question, I will take a look at Tarot Key 18 – The Moon, this being the key assigned to Pisces.
As I shall explore in greater depth in a later chapter, the Tarot keys represent symbolically three levels of manifestation of a seven stage process that proceeds out from and returns back to infinite, unlimited consciousness, represented by Key 0 – The Fool. Keys 1 – 7 represent fundamental principles, keys 8 – 14 represent the powers or agencies through which these principles operate, and keys 15 – 21 represent the actual effects that these principles have, either on Man, the universe, or on the evolution of consciousness itself. Thus the last seven keys reveal symbolically the stages of development that both Man and the universe undergo in the transition from self-consciousness to superconsciousness. In the individual, this occurs through the kundalini awakening process. In the universe, through the evolutionary development of the human body.
The Moon represents the process of subconscious, evolutionary development that our bodies undergo to gradually allow us access to the superconscious state of awareness represented by Key 19 – The Sun. Esoteric thought holds that Man has to undergo slight changes in brain anatomy, both as individuals and as a species, such that he can experience infinite consciousness. These changes take place as a result of evolution but, it is believed, they can only occur if our culture acts to facilitate them.
In order to direct the evolutionary progress of any organism, certain restrictions have to be placed in its environment. The organism will them attempt to overcome these restrictions by making evolutionary changes. If a conscious organism is restricted in its behaviour, it will subconsciously endeavour to overcome the restrictions by the evolutionary process. At the inception of the Piscean Era, around the year 100 BCE, there were undoubtedly individuals capable of achieving superconsciousness but they were insufficient in number to cause all creation to irrevocably return to the unlimited state. In order to achieve this final goal, humanity would have to be led into making slight evolutionary changes such that it would become easier for individuals to undergo the kundalini awakening process and thus be able to periodically achieve superconsciousness. This could only be achieved if large population groups had their daily experience of truth and unity sufficiently restricted such that, at a subconscious level, their bodies would be driven to try and facilitate a more unified experience of life via evolutionary changes to the brain.
Orthodox Christian culture, with its emphasis on moral rights and wrongs, is the perfect vehicle to facilitate the evolutionary changes that limited creation needs to return to the unlimited state. As I shall explore in a little more detail in the next chapter, the strongly dialectical nature of orthodox Christianity further lends itself to being rapidly disseminated across large population groups, for those brought up to follow the tenets of orthodox Christians tend to displace their own violent and irrational impulses onto non-Christian groups and can thus easily be led into overthrowing other religions. Thus orthodox Christianity can both spread very rapidly and facilitate the required evolutionary changes consciousness needs if it is to return to the unlimited state. In order to assess whether Christianity is achieving this, one might examine Christian populations and see if there appears to be a gradual and progressive shift from personal need-related thinking to more global concerns. It would certainly appear that this is the case.
This process is alluded to in Key 18. The pool at the bottom of the card symbolizes the primal “mind-stuff.” Emerging from this pool, a crayfish is starting out upon a path that leads, successively, through minerals, plants, animals, cultivated ground, and, thence, on, between two towers, to mountains in the distance. The crayfish, as a shelled creature, symbolizes the conception of self as an isolated, individual entity. The pathway symbolizes the rise of evolution through minerals, plants, animals, on to humans. The dog and the wolf symbolize the extremes of wildness and domestication. The path passes between them to indicate that human beings developed from an animal background, the primates, that was wild and free yet at the same time capable of learning. This body-type is essential, for esoteric thought holds that it is through the inhibition of animal consciousness that self-consciousness, human consciousness, arises. The path passes over cultivated ground, alluding to the cultivation of the mind through learning, thence onward between two towers equipped with battlements. These towers, the product of man, represent the mental attitude predominant throughout the Christian era – one of fear, hostility and isolation – that serves to facilitate the subconscious, evolutionary development of the organs of the brain discussed above. The mountains in the distance symbolize the peaks of infinite consciousness.
I will now examine the possible nature of the changes in brain anatomy needed to bring about access to superconsciousness.
The Philosopher’s Stone
The ancient science of alchemy purports to relate the process by which an individual may acquire the ultimate “Elixir of Life” – a magical potion believed to confer on the user both access to superconsciousness and, eventually, physical immortality. This Elixir, it is related, flows from the Philosopher’s Stone, once the former has been confected by means of an elaborate and highly mystical process. An increasingly open secret amongst those who still interest themselves in this ancient art is that the processes described are largely metaphorical. All of initial elements that need to be gathered together – the various implements and reagents – are in fact esoteric disciplines that the initiate must undertake in order that he prepare his body to produce the fabled Elixir.
The Philosopher’s Stone itself is believed to be a crystalline accretion that forms in the pineal gland as a result of the kundalini-awakening process. This accretion serves to produce the Elixir of Life and, in the search to discover just what this substance might be, some modern scientific research might usefully be examined. In the 1970s, scientists discovered that the human body naturally produced, in small quantities, a drug called n,n dimethyltryptamine, better known as DMT – a well-known hallucinogen. Studies of the effects of DMT, and related tryptamines such as psilocybin or LSD, have shown that they appear to induce forms of unitive or transcendental mental state that closely resemble the state of superconsciousness. Several papers appeared shortly afterward examining the possible role that this endogenous psychoactive might have in the development of schizophrenia, though the source, manner, and reason for endogenous DMT production has yet to be scientifically established. It would certainly seem that the natural presence of DMT in the brain, especially if it is being produced by the pineal, with its neuronal proximity to the emotional, auditory, and visual centres, would present the basis for a proposed neurobiology of elements of the kundalini-awakening process, and further act as a potential corroboration of some of the ideas of this piece.
Conclusions
The fundamental contention of this chapter is that The Bible provides both a source of knowledge of man’s true nature and destiny to those familiar with the symbology and numerology of its texts and further functions as the backbone of a cultural vehicle that acts to bring about the fulfilment of its most important prophetic revelation – that mankind will one day act as the means by which creation will return to its unlimited source. Corroboration of this hypothesis, such that might exist, is to be found in the texts themselves, related esoterica such as the Tarot major arcana and the ancient science of alchemy, and in some of the revelations of modern science – notably quantum physics, chaos theory, and research into brain anatomy.
© Nick Sandberg 2001
Notes
[to follow]
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