Monday, July 15, 2019

Love in the Fifth Dimension


Love in the Fifth Dimension
By Rev. Amari Magdalena



Listening to Leon Russell’s, A Song for You, lyrics, “And, I love you in a place where there’s no time and space,” got me thinking.  That’s gotta be in the Fifth Dimension.  We’ve identified several types of love in our human dream:

Eros-Love of Body
Philia-Love of the Mind
Ludus-Playful Love
Pragma-Long Lasting Love
Agape-Love of the Soul
Philautia-Love of Self
Storge-Love of the Child

Hopefully, over a lifetime, we are gifted the experience of all types of love.  In sum, they cover the human journey and its evolution.  I have been, and my life is the richer for it.  I was going to say I’d missed out some on Pragma, yet I’m reminded that the two men I’ve loved the longest encompass decades.

So much capacity we innately possess to love one another, it seems. Yet so very many relationships are fractured for various and sundry reasons.  Personally, and I believe I’ve shared this before, love never dies.  Our relationships may end; the feelings of love that we held for another, do not.

That said, how would love be experienced differently in that place of no time no space dimension we’re ascending to? Scratching my head a bit at first, I got the Cosmic Aha!  There are no constructs of form.  At least the type of form we’ve become accustomed to in the physical vehicle. Love would not need definition or form in that dimension.  Love would BE the dimension.  With no necessity for duality and polarities, all constructs of other would simply vanish.

I’ve journeyed to the Fifth Dimension and lead journeys there.  My personal experience of it was much like those encountered at the end of the NDE (near death experience) tunnel.  People we’ve loved appear in wispy, undefined form-almost transparent.  I imagined if I’d reached out to touch someone, my hand would have moved through the illusion of their projection.

On psychedelic drugs, for any willing to admit indulgence, form can also disappear.  The constructs of the brain that create form, are loosened.  Love can become more evidenced, by many. Thus, the Peace, Love mantras of the 60's; a period of freedom of spirit.

It is Free Spirit that may be the term that exemplifies the fifth dimension.  No more constraints, no agendas, no terms of endearment, no competition, no jealousy or envy, nothing that smacks of separation.  Imagine for just one moment, what that might feel like.  No us. No them.

Which brings me to remark on all the vast experiences that a body allows us.  This separation thing can be daunting and yet amazing.  Form brings us beauty in multitudinous ways and demonstrations. Its very diversity enriches this separation experiment.  So I ask you, could you, would you be willing to love the now?  Appreciate the wonders of Earth possibilities?  Learn to be more Taoist by surrendering judgment like good and bad, happy and sad, etc.?  Surf your emotions? Explore your mind? Master the physical?  All without too much emphasis or grading?

Time and space may be inconvenient constructs yet in ways not all of us may be able to fathom, they are great teachers who are preparing us for the journey home.  We will all, one day, be in the Fifth Dimension.  Some perhaps sooner, others later.  No matter when, finally we will arrive at the exalted state of being, LOVE!

"Beauty is the moment when time vanishes.  Beauty is the space where eternity arises." Amit Ray, Enlightenment Step by Step

"I'm not cruisin' this opportunity in time and space for you to like or dislike my 'get-down." I'm here 'cause I'm down to get it right by the time I return to the "mothaship."  I remain a work in progress." T.F. Hodge, From Within I Rise: Spiritual Triumph Over Death and Conscious Encounters with "The Divine Presence"

"Use time and space; grow slowly into your dreams, infinity will fill you with peace." Sir Kristian Goldmund Aumann







Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Independence: What's It All About



By Rev. Amari Magdalena


Beyond sparklers, rockets and explosions in the July 4th sky, just what IS independence?  To be independent is our desire to be free from outside control; not depending on another’s authority.  July 4, 1776, White America declared independence from the taxing tyranny of the British Empire. Yet, as we today know, that statement did not provide independence for captive or reservation contained people of color.  As America was colonized and populations spread westward, the cry of independence overlooked lands seized from original occupants.  Yet the cry of freedom rang at every flag rising.

Where does that leave us today?  I’ve been cogitating on that very question.  Independence today seems to mean, leave me alone so I can do whatever I want.  Want to stockpile assault weapons? No problem. Simply drag out the distorted version of the promises of the 2nd Amendment. Want to play loud music with your windows down, oblivious to noise disturbance?  No problem, few noise abatements signage to prevent it.  Keep your neighbor, that you share thin apartments walls with, up all night as you enjoy all-night TV?  Take a judge to evict you.  Ignore the growing poverty? Turn up your subwoofer’s and deep shade your windows as you cruise in your Porsche or Mercedes Benz.  Untold ways to tune out anything but ourselves and our desires.

In the midst of our hard one independence, it seems, more and more people are depressed and feeling alone and isolated.  Countless articles are addressing this isolation.  We’ve mastered being islands unto ourselves at the expense of the collective or collaborative.  We eschew belonging; yet bite off the extended hand of inclusion.  No wonder we are collectively becoming more mentally unbalanced.

What we’ve lost in independence is the concept of Interdependence.  Tribes knew of the importance of valuing every individual.  As people were treated well and honored, they enjoyed the benefits of the tribe and clans.  Yes, no doubt survival was at the root of this brand of socializing.  Yet, today, even more our survival as a planet depends on our thinking beyond our own individual selves.  The greater good is calling us to re-embrace interdependence, planet wide.

Another aspect of independence is not understanding what it means on an individual level.  It means we must take full responsibility for all our outcomes.  No blame, no shame, no deflection, no scapegoats. Hah!  Didn’t see that one coming, did you?  No priests or politicians to wholesale give our power to.  No Momma or Papa to keep saying are the excuses for the way we are.  Having to be absolutely involved in our own survival.  All costs we shoulder.  Maybe not such a hot deal after all? 

The point of this little Independence Day tome is that it is past time to return to interdependence. Our future holds multi-family living over individual dwellings.  Economics and mental health demand that we create tribes.  Is it going to be easy or comfortable?  Probably not initially.  We love our space!  I love my space!  A necessity to conserve energy, water, land, food supplies, economic alterations, Yes.

In a political year that again the discussion of Democratic Socialism raises hackles of resistance, we cannot afford to keep denying that some form of “you are your brother’s keeper” is in the future. People were awed when Andrew Yang mentioned a country wide living wage.  Robots are more and more performing human tasks.  Robust employment will not be a future in their presence.

How do we find now a comfortable balance between independence and interdependence?  Learn to ask for help.  Open your door and walk out among people.  Engage people wherever you go.  Talk to them about the future of the planet and their vision for a global future.  Join something!  Learn excellent communication skills that you can bring to groups to deal with conflict.  Keep a global perspective along with local concerns.  Become a citizen of the world and care about the people and the planet. Take responsibility for your outcomes.  Make tough decisions. Keep faith in the ability of humanity to recognize our planetary interdependence and take steps for preservation of the Earth.  Give your egos a Golden Parachute, the gold watch, and a lovely early retirement!

As the sky fills with fireworks tomorrow evening, let the sparkles shower your consciousness with “What can I do” to make this a better place for you and me.  Love more, hate less. Say hello in there to fellow travelers on this life journey.

“The whole idea of compassion is based on a keen awareness of the interdependence of all these living beings, which are all part of one another, and all involved in one another.”  Thomas Merton

“I have an interesting perspective on depending on others.  I think it gives people a chance to serve. And I’m not so much big on independence, as I am on interdependence.  I’m not talking about co-dependency; I’m talking about giving people the opportunity to be practicing love with its sleeves rolled up.”  Joni Eareckson Tada