The usual coping mechanism for spiritual people in these times is to try Not to think about things.
Clearly, this is at least partially right; because it is right Not to think about the continually unrolling politico-media agenda. But not-thinking is a primary aim of that Eastern-flavoured spirituality that has been a factor in The West since Theosophy and Jung; and it fits very well with the distractive immersion of the mass media, just as it fits with the common conception of meditation. It is also a goal of some kinds of drug-taking, including alcohol intoxication.
This is a primarily-therapeutic concept of spirituality, a tranquillizer or 'opiate' way of numbing our pain in this illusory and suffering mortal life (Maya); aiming at the blissful annihilation of thinking after death as we are absorbed into the All (Nirvana).
I suspect that this kind of Not Thinking spirituality has become (in a bastardized form, befitting our corrupt and evil culture) more common since the birdemic crisis; since it effectively addresses the consequences of Project Fear.
However, Not Thinking exacerbates, makes-worse, the follow-up phase of Project Despair - because Not Thinking is a covert embrace of death-as-annihilation.
I would advocate almost the opposite; which is to think better: to think in a way which is infused-by and based-upon intuition (the heart-thinking I discussed recently). Ultimately, the goal is creative-thinking; thinking that participates in the primary creative work of God even during our mortal lives.
Since our God is a God of love; we can only participate in creation from a basis in love; and love is (in a sense) the opposite of fear - so we must cast-out fear as a first step.
We can see, therefore, that the treatment of acute and present fear is common to the 'stop thinking' and 'better thinking' strategies; but after fear has been cast-out the two paths move in almost-opposite directions.
Another commonality is that both strategies reject 'normal' everyday thinking; which is driven either by perceptions or by memories - and is therefore manipulated-thinking (and in this world of evil lies, such thinking is merely expressive of evil).
But the one hopes that thinking will end, fully and forever; the other that we will - by-means-of our primary thinking, our Final Participation - become co-workers with God (albeit, during mortal life, in a temporary and partial fashion).
1 comment:
Fantastic, Bruce. I'm in complete agreement here.
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