I don’t even know if it was sleep paralysis or dream paralysis. I cannot tell the difference because it was in my bedroom and I can lucid dream. I always fall asleep on my front, ALWAYS! I was dreaming of a baby and crying because I couldn’t look after it, whilst being ignored by my mum. I was really angry and upset. - I was crying in my dream and have woken up with my cheeks dry with marks and my eyes are wet.-( I was transitioning to my next dream) Next thing, I’m on my back sleeping (never ever happens) and then I think I was trying to “wake” when all of a sudden I see a black something, maybe a demon maybe not. It was shaped like a biblical angel but didn’t have all the eyes and it scared the life out of me. It was flying around in circles on top of me but not touching me. I tried to scream for my mum but nothing came out my mouth and I couldn’t move. Then it felt that I was speaking in tongues but it felt like the thing was forcing me too. I started praying in my head, and then I told myself that God is within me so how dare this thing come to me. Now the weird thing is I felt like I was in a realm between lucid dreaming/astro projecting and real life because in this vision I was in my room, could see everything that was in my room when I finally broke free and was able to scream irl for my mum. I was petrified, but managed to get back to sleep after.

Hello everyone,

I want to make a list of esoteric texts that describe (or even attempt to depict, though I'm mostly interested in textual description) images, sensations, experiences, etc. - sensual expressions, be them ascribed to an inner or a more outer sense - that appear on the path of spiritual ascent. The imagery doesn't need to be heavily structured and could even consist of singular experiences. What I'm interested in though is the depth of the experience and the more or less intelligent and honest description of them (not searching for random ruminations by beginners in the occult). An example, within the Christian tradicion, could be St. Theresa of Avila's "Interior castle", which depicts the ascent of the soul as passing through several walls of a castle, each with its own inhabitants. An example from a foreign tradition could be cited too: Jigme Lingpa's account in "Apparitions of the Self: The Secret Autobiographies of a Tibetan Visionary", a book on the so called "secret autobiography" of Jigme Lingpa's described esoteric awakening.

Share anything that comes to mind as at the moment I aim to discover as many texts as possible. I will parse through them during my studies later on. Thank you!

Hi all!

If you look through my post history, you'll see that I'm extremely interested in Martinezism and learning more about it, and I thought here would be another place where some people might be interested.

A brief overview of it, Martinez de Pasqually was the teacher of Louis Claude de Saint-Martin, the founder of Martinism. Martinez founded the Order of Knight-Masons Elect Priests of the Universe, otherwise known simply as the Élus Coëns. They were a Masonic "high degree" theurgical mystery school focused on the reintegration of Man with Christ, and re-attaining the perfection of Man as seen in the Garden of Eden (later reflected in de Saint-Martin's works). I've read several books on it and spoken to some folks, and the Martinezist process of theurgy and take on the necessity of esoteric knowledge to reach the Devine (in a gnosis-esaue manner) is fascinating to me. It's so different from other takes on theurgy that I have seen, and I'd love to learn more about it and find people as interested in it.

I've read the Green Book of the Élus Coëns, and I own The Master's Voice, but I've yet to read it. Does anybody have any other recommended readings?

Also, is anyone interested in similar (or even vastly different) theurgical practices? They're intriguing and I'd love to get to learn more about them.

I'm glad I found this subreddit & other people who are interested in the more esoteric & mystical aspects of Christianity.

I've recently been feeling pulled back to the scriptures and teachings of Christ. I grew up in the church but I left it when I was a teenager about 25 years ago.

Recently since feeling this pull back I have been diving into a lot of Christian religious content & it doesn't sit right with me.

Some aspects of it are relatable but overall the intolerant and controlling aspects of Christianity are extremely triggering.

Although I left the church many years ago I've continued my spiritual practice through my own personal connection to the divine.

Since diving back into religious Christian content, I realize why I left the church in the first place. To me it feels very restrictive dogmatic hypocritical & oppressive.

As a person with a high level of awareness & consciousness going back into any sort of religious structure feels like it would be a form of spiritual regression.

However I feel like I've been finding some very interesting and esoteric truths through some of the passages that I've been reading & I think it's difficult to find a place to discuss the more mystical & esoteric aspects of Christianity & how that relates to consciousness & healing.

That's all I wanted to say for now I'm just glad that I found the sub and that it exists & knowing are more people out here that want to have these kind of conversations.

He is Risen! Happy Easter, friends.

Robert Gass On Wings of Song - Pachelbel Canon in D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxZ89IPq11Y

https://youtu.be/dLS5u8YaJDI?si=Jv_seUEED4Sdjex-

Easter is my favorite holiday, so I was very happy to write about it for the first time on my new blog.

One of the topics that I always think about around Easter, and especially on Good Friday, is the Marsh Chapel Experiment, also known as the Good Friday Experiment.

For those who don’t know, this was the first experimental study on psychedelic-induced mystical experiences, where a group of 10 students (out of a cohort of 20) were given a solid dose of psilocybin-containing mushrooms, without ethics-board approval, during the 1962 Good Friday mass at Boston University’s Marsh Chapel. The vast majority of the students reported strong mystical-like experiences leading the researchers to conclude that psilocybin could reliably facilitate mystical experiences in spiritual contexts.

In this blog post, I briefly go over some of the ramifications of this project (including the principal investigators’ downfall and the fuel it gave to the prohibition of psychedelics), and most importantly, I present this event as a reminder to stay discerning and down-to-earth in the seasons following Lent; these 40 days of sacrifice and introspection can leave us with important insights and lessons (just like this study), but as exciting as they are, should not be taken for granted or as over-hyped silver bullets. We must remain aware that temptations, distractions and dangers will always be present, even after journeying through Lent, and continue looking inwards to take diligent and daily steps to help us remain aligned with ourselves and our insights.

Happy reading!

Hi, I have alwaysd had pretty estoeric beliefs about the divine and I recently found out that esoteric christianity exists and I would want to know if my beliefs arecompatible with estoeric christianity and how can I learn more about it and connect with like minded people.

this is a list of the things I believe in:
I believe in most of the teachings of classical hermeticism such as:

the All is in all and all is in the All
The son of God is the cosmos
Everything vibrates
as above so below
Hell is reincarnation, heaven is self-recognition

I also believe in some new thought stuff (on a scal from 1% to100% around 60%) such as:

The Law of assumption (not to be confused with the law of attraction which I dont believe in)
The power of Biokinesis
Subliminal audios can change the subsconcious mind
Lucid dreaming can change the subconcious mind and have the body reactaccoridng to it (this one is the new thought belief I believe the most)

how compatible my beliefs are to estoeric christianity?

Is there a way to find a community of estoeric christian or a chruch that accepts mysticism and esotericism? in which christian denomination is esoteric christianity most present in?

sorry for all these questions, but I really wanna learn. Thank you all for reading this.

Why build a mental framework for the subconscious from scratch when religions and their theologies provide highly comprehensive, refined, and time-tested frameworks, which also form the basis of the culture in which you live and help you connect with it? My question refers to all major religions, although I speak from Catholicism, as it is the dominant religion in Spain, where I was raised.

I agree that they not only provide a mental framework for the individual subconscious but also offer a civilizing and controlling framework, which, when taken to the extreme, can be detrimental to mental health and individual freedom, driving many people away. These issues, such as strict dogmas, can be interpreted symbolically as moral references. The punitive language can be understood more metaphorically and less literally (I know of cases of Catholic priests advocating for these changes, and in fact, I believe that the liturgical language has softened in some masses). Sin as ignorance, the Fall as a necessary event for evolution (see theosophy of Jacob Boheme in his work Aurora), metaphysical events as myths, just as we consider Greco-Roman religions as myths because they are extinct, when once they were considered religions.

From a strict religious point of view, all of this is weaker than truly believing in what Catholicism says, but it is certainly stronger than having no mental framework for the subconscious or trying to create one tailored and from scratch. Why invest time in reinventing the wheel? It's exhausting and time consuming (See chaos magic). I would rather spend my time in worldly matters with an already solid and functioning mental framework. Wouldn't it be better to take an existing religious framework and interpret it symbolically without deviating too much from its theological foundations? Perhaps you need some personal adjustments at first, but the more you study its theology, the more consistent the framework should be, the more sense it makes, and the fewer adjustments you would need to make. This is the only explanation I find for why some students of occultism and esotericism end up converting to one of the major religions available in the place where they live. See Valentin Tomberg, a convert from the esoteric Christianity promoted by the Anthroposophy of Rudolf Steiner, to Catholicism in his book "Meditations on the Tarot."

I came to realise, most of the things I learnt in therapy over the years, spending thousands of euros, are things already explained in Catholic theology. I could have saved so much money by applying the hack of interpreting it symbolically, and my mental health would have been so much better. I feel like scientific materialism went too far and stripped away a fundamental need of human beings: the spiritual dimension. It's become the new detrimental fundamentalism.

These are my latest reflections during Lenten season, where the collective unconscious if so "high" during catholic processions.

I needed motivation to walk more and be more active so I decided to ‘virtually’ walk the Jesus trail. 39ml/63km from Nazareth to Capernaum. It’s the path Jesus took during his ministry. Along the way I collected 5 virtual postcards and I planted 5 trees. I could see on the app where I was on the route and experience the beauty and significance of the region. It also strengthened my faith because I was deliberately making time to connect more with my believes. When I finished I got send a beautiful medal of the Jesus trail. A very special keepsake that I will treasure and that will remind me of my physical and spiritual path that I took. I am thinking of gifting this challenge to my younger family members because I think it’s also very useful and motivating for children and teens, as well as adults.

I used the conqueror challenges for this. It’s a website and app where you walk or run virtually through city’s and trails. You can put in your movements during the day (or let your phone or watch do it automatically) and then see on the app how far along you are on your route. You can also see on google street view where you would be if you would walk the route in reality. Along the way you unlock virtual postcards so you have smaller goals to work towards. For every 20% you complete a tree will be planted. And when you finish you get a BEAUTIFUL MEDAL!

This really helps me with motivating myself to walk more, because every workout brings me a bit closer to finishing the route. I have finished the Jesus trail but they have more then 60 routes in varying lengths all over the world. And the lengths vary between 20ml/32km and 2.485ml/4.000km

I use it for walking but they have a chart so you can use every activity (biking, running, swimming, gym work out). I completely got hooked to checking where I am and seeing progress on the route. I also like that I can earn a medal. Some people will see it as a participation medal but I used to not move at all so if I get a medal because I walked 63 km I am going to be proud of it. It is not cheap but to me it’s totally worth it and the medals are good quality and absolutely beautiful.

If you want to check it out: this is the site

https://www.theconqueror.events/r/CW33768 (through this link you get 10% discount)

(This was written for the Christian Universalists forum and this and Christian mysticism are the only other Christian forums I know of where it might be received.)

For those who would come to God, they must do so in spirit and in truth. Two cannot walk together unless they are in agreement. Therefore, to walk with God, we are brought into agreement, alignment, harmony and resonance with the Truths of God, by God, so that we might receive from God, the Real Substance of the Gifts of Heaven that the symbols of scripture indicate; the Fruit that a walk with God produces.

God has a Divine Idea that appears in various forms throughout Creation called rebirth. Trees drop their leaves and die in winter and are reborn in spring. Snakes shed their skin and are reborn. A seed falls into the ground and dies and is reborn a new plant. Renewal, revival, restoration, regeneration and resurrection are all forms of this Divine Idea of rebirth.

The belief in eternal damnation denies and inverts God’s Idea of rebirth. One comes into the world, graduates high school a TikTok teen, goes to college, dies at 20 in an accident and burns in hell for eternity because they hadn’t gotten into the spiritual stuff yet? Is that how things work in a Creation reverberating with and being sustained by Divine Ideas that are emanating always from the Source of All? One lifetime, burn in hell for eternity, no more chances for billions of souls? Or, does this deny the Divine Truth of rebirth?

Christian Universalists have let go of the lie of eternal damnation and some gain a measure of relief because they are more in alignment with Truth. Yet, many Universalists still walk around dazed and confused about life because of a denial of another form of rebirth, which is a fact in God’s long game of creation; and that is reincarnation.

Anyway, the point of this is that when we hold onto something that is untrue or faintly true, we are, to varying degrees, out of resonance with Truth, with God. And, we hinder, work against and prevent the realization and actualization of Divine Ideas in us. Ye must be born again, yeah? Holding onto lies about rebirth, like eternal damnation, will hinder one from truly being reborn.

Eternal damnation is a big one but there are a few bigger things that hinder us from living the promised life we long for: in Christ, led of the Spirit, bearing fruit, useful, healing, ministering the gifts of Heaven, walking in agreement with God.

Briefly stated, they are:

Heaven. Is heaven only in the sky after you die? Or, as Jesus states in line one, sermon one of his ministry: the kingdom of heaven is at hand, here, now, within you?

Salvation. Is salvation primarily for after we die? Or is it liberation and freedom from bondages now, while we yet live? Remember, holding untruths (in this case, untruths or shallow truisms about the Divine Idea of salvation) hinder one from having the Truth (in this case, liberation now).

I am a sinner. Are you, in essence, fundamentally, a sinner? Is that your true identity? Or is God your Father, you are His child, made in his image and likeness and the realm of God is within you? Which foundational identity does God build upon, the true or the false?

The Word of God. Is it primarily a book? Or is it perceiving what is said by the Voice of God in you, that when received in meekness is able to save your soul? My sheep hear my voice.

The gospel. Is your gospel a Romans road mishmash solution to the imaginary problem of eternal damnation? Or, do you align with Jesus’ gospel? The gospel of the kingdom of God within you.

In closing, blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are the poor in thoughts, opinions, judgments, theories and dogma, who are willing to abandon anything they are holding onto to actualize the prize of the high calling of God. Love Truth, Love Goodness, Intend Usefulness and may all things be well with you.

(Some more esoteric Christianity scattered throughout)

Back in the day, the Mandela effect call went out. Those who saw them chose between what they were seeing and what they remembered. I saw Mandela effects and for some of them, I knew that I knew, that what I remembered was true. No variation of “that’s not how things work” could sway me.

Turns out, the Mandela effect was an invitation/initiation. By choosing, in the natural, to agree with what we remembered, we assented to the Divine Idea of remembering in the spiritual. Many were initiated into remembering what we are, remembering Truth, remembering God, remembering Home.

Today, another invitation is going out. People are spontaneously waking up earlier than normal, some even at 3am. Those who choose to stay awake when this happens are assenting to the Spirit Idea of awakening. We will awaken to, perceive and experience the Real more and more: less of me, more of the Real; less theory, more experiencing of the higher things of Spirit.

I was in the early forums discussing Mandela effects. And many people in the forums began experiencing ringing in the ears around this time. I did too and it is now constant 24/7 in me. I have gleaned a few things about this and will share to those who have ears to hear.

Experiencing the ringing is hearing the sound halooing in the wilderness between lower self Egypt and the promised land and indicates that one is in that space spiritually. It makes straight the way.

I perceived a vision regarding the sound in general, and maybe specifically one of the late sounds in the progression: “Everyone who sees this one’s face, decides for the grave: that’s the place for me.”

Ego death is half the story. A more complete understanding of transformation is that it is the death, burial and resurrection of the lower self, of the “me.” We can bring into captivity every thought/feeling/impulse of the lower self, into the attentive hearkening of the sound, the vibration of which consumes and neutralizes the energy and deactivates the form the life was taking. The form falls off and the life is resurrected into a higher form.

Death by disidentification, burial in the grave of the Sound, and then resurrection by recognizing and agreeing into the higher form that appears. Therein, we are lifting up our cross and are transformed from glory to glory.

(ref: John 3:30, Math 3:3, John 3:8, 2 Cor 10:5, 2 Th 2:8, Math 16:24, 2 Cor 3:18, Rom 6:4)(references are post-experience realizations)

(FYI: A lot of esoteric Christianity in the second half of this post)

If you agree to stay awake when you spontaneously awaken early in the natural, you are assenting to that same Idea of awakening in the spiritual.

Today, many are awakening from sleep earlier than their habitual wakening time, some even at 3am. At this time, heaven is most near us. Not because it has moved, but because we are in a space most near it, more receptive to it. Accept the Divine invitation: “Wake up, thou that sleepest” and the Light shall give thee light.

Many are seeking the heavenly life; one of love, truth, and usefulness. To actualize that life we need be One with the Love, Truth and Usefulness that comes from above. We need perceive It and agree into It. When we are not living in our divine self (what the bible terms, in Christ) from divine consciousness (the mind of Christ), it is because we’ve agreed and consented to be something else.

His mercies are new every morning. For some, before sunrise, our slates are mostly clean. The agreements we are in are minimal and weak, maybe none. We have not yet committed to being what we were yesterday. Because of this, we are most receptive to the still, small voice of God, the perception thereof, and agreement into, being the only lasting way to the higher life we seek. Watch (stay awake) and pray, so that ye enter not into (the) temptation(s of the lower self.) (Math 26:41).

Alas, what typically happens when we spontaneously awaken at 3:47 am? Thoughts and feelings from below flood in. “I’m so tired.” You agree. “This sucks so much.” You agree. “I have insomnia.” You agree. “I need to go back to sleep.” You agree. And we agree our way into another day of lower self, natural mind, ego living; thereby veiling ourselves from the higher verities. But, if we perceive what is coming from above, we can agree our way into the Divine Life.

God, in his grace and mercy, is waking some early, offering communication and communion with Him, enabling our liberation from the lower and facilitating our initiations into the higher.

Faith comes by hearing the Word of God (Rom 10:17). Receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your soul (Jam 1:21). Faith is inner recognition, acknowledgment and and agreement into a Word heard from God. Faith is agreement. Faith is the undergirding support through which things hoped for, but not yet seen, are conveyed (Heb 11:1).

My sheep hear my voice (John 10:27). A Word from God is perceiving within what God presents to you. The presentation may be initiated from without or within. Here’s a secret about Words. What is heard is like a label on a package. The package is a heavenly state of consciousness. The heavenly state of consciousness contains the way (will, intention, usefulness), the truth (knowledge, wisdom) and the life (love, joy, energy). Without it, we can do nothing.

In the Bible, especially in the New Testament, and abundantly in the words of Jesus, are symbols of heavenly things. One can use these symbols to ask and then receive from heaven the actual thing that those symbols symbolize. Our receiving is dependent upon our internal perception of what is coming in from above.

For example, love your neighbor is a symbol of a heavenly state. We can ask, perceive, receive, agree into and abide in that state. We keep praying in that state, keeping attention in it while forgoing the thoughts and feelings of the lower self trying to pull us out. As we act from the state, the state unfolds and more wisdom, knowledge, usefulness, and love are revealed. And we are transformed from glory to glory; and, before long, genuinely loving our neighbor is as natural and effortless to us as tying our shoe.

Faith without works is dead (Jam 2:20). If we are in agreement with a heavenly state, it will produce products, works, fruit. If we see no product, it simply means we missed and weren’t in contact with a higher state. Try again.

The kingdom of heaven, the realm of God, is within us and is perceived within us. If we intend spiritual things, that’s where they are. We are advised to seek this realm first, gain access (which is what born again or born above is) and eventually live from there, while we are yet alive. As children of God, it is our inheritance, our birthright, to live from the realm of God for the rest of our days on earth (and thereafter), being in the world but not of the world, expressing the Divine qualities of Divine consciousness, receiving and giving out the gifts that come from heaven.

The keys that unlock and lock the kingdom of God to us are binding and loosing (Math 16:19). Binding is agreement. Loosing is denial, letting go, neti neti. Binding to what comes from above loosens one from the lower. The wise hear the Word and agree into it. The natural man locks heaven by agreeing and identifying with everything that pops into their head from the lower. The religious read words, believe in them and try to do them. The spiritual see the activities of the lower self and loose and disidentify themselves from it and maybe, sometimes, bind to the higher. The Sons of God take every thought captive into the attentive hearkening of the Christ state that they abide in. True forgiveness is the loosing of one bound to the lower.

So, perhaps if you set the alarm for 7am, but wake spontaneously at 6:23, stay awake. And certainly it is wise for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who awaken at 3:30am, to stay awake and pray and ask and receive and agree into the higher that they perceive in that open state. I testify that it all seems to work out and day to day existence isn’t adversely affected. Some days one awakes at 3am and stays up all day. Some days one stays up for a time and then sleeps a few hours before getting up for the day. Some days one gets up at 6:20 instead of 3:30. Waking up very early doesn’t mean that’s how it will be forever. It just means that’s how it is for today.

Greetings! My name is William. I have been on the journey to Esoteric Christianity for over year. At the beginning I dived in head first and came out with a trove of new insights and information through prayer and research. My blog https://esotericcompass.com has been where I have posting. I can only say that once you are awakened to this topic and faith there is no going back. You see the world so differently now.

We are a few days into Lent, a time of penance, prayer and almsgiving.

I'm taking it pretty seriously this year as I really need to let go of distractions, and attend to some important aspects of my life.

I'm sure many of you feel the same way.

A helpful tool in my personal journey is tarot cards, which I use as an archetypal support for introspection and meditation. A kind of Visio Divina.

Here's a blog post I wrote about 5 particularly meaningful tarot cards to help fellow Christians during this time of introspection, sacrifice and transformation.

https://psykeon.com/en/the-tarot-cards-of-lent/

P.S.: This is my first time posting here and I am not sure about the rules around self-promotion, so please let me know if this kind of post is not permitted 🙏

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

I've speculated a lot on this 'word', and I think it's time I ask for other perspectives.

Here's mine: "the word" is the beginning of all thought. After you say something or read something, it is "lights, camera, action" in the Plato's Cave of your mind. The actor starts acting after the observer says what it wants to watch (although this is obviously an optional action on the part of the observer, it's essential for the philosophy of Christianity which places free will over subservience by directing people down the hero's journey).

Logos is "reason", which I think is most adequately described by Nietzsche in Birth of a Tragedy, as he describes the Apollonian vs Dionysian, or the merging of objective and subjective thought. In other words, logos is not purely logic, but it is the higher combination of logic AND emotion. It's human.

However, I just stumbled upon the Greek version of this word and realized I've always taken the English translation for granted (much like people take "love" in the Bible for granted, without understanding what agape is). I think "Λόγος" actually translates more closely to "spoken word", which might imply more like a mantra than merely just saying something. If this is the case, then I think this first statement of the bible is more profound.

I think what it might be saying is that mantras are the beginning of language. It is almost prelanguage because you are repeating a phrase with no real inherent meaning. In fact, I would dare say that you're repeating a vocal chord position that is enabling you to form the sounds you will need to actually speak. It's almost like doing yoga for your voice. This is important because the spoken word allows for complex thought, and it's particularly important that the sounds in your language have an actual voice, because the musical notes produced with your voice allow you to create vowels, and vowels give you a true language with advanced characters rather than merely pictograms or consonant/vowel combos.

So, this first sentence in the bible could actually be a preservation of a philosophy that deeply connects the beginning of language with the beginning of thought, and at that, the beginning of music with the beginning of speech.

Thoughts?

Hi there,

I present to you my piano sonata and experimental film based on the ideas of alchemist and Christian theosopher Jakob Boehme. In Jakob Boehme's theosophy, Sophia is the bride of the soul, and the mirror that God imagines in. She is the Mirror of Wisdom, her wisdom a pearl. Redolent of Ezekiel's vision, Boehme describes God as akin to a wheel or eye; Sophia is also an eye, the beautiful divine image and reflection. According to Boehme, she resides within one's fiery soul of the heart, in one’s Gemüt. This Theophany also features imagery of Boehme’s conception of the 7 source-spirits, the burning heart, and countless other alchemical symbols. It’s meant to be a theophanic experience—meaning a presentation of the deity in tangible form. Hope you enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIOtmWL2iDY

https://youtu.be/T2d7c-Gu-h4

Me: Give me the Buddhist eightfold path, and find 8 passages in the New Testament that teach the same message for each

ChatGPT: The Buddhist Eightfold Path consists of eight practices leading to liberation from suffering and achieving enlightenment. They are:

1. Right Understanding (Samma Ditthi): Understanding the Four Noble Truths, especially the nature of all phenomena as impermanent, suffering, and devoid of self.
2. Right Intention (Samma Sankappa): Cultivating intentions of renunciation, non-ill will (including loving-kindness), and harmlessness.
3. Right Speech (Samma Vaca): Refraining from lying, divisive speech, harsh words, and senseless chatter.
4. Right Action (Samma Kammanta): Practicing moral, honorable, and peaceful conduct; abstaining from killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct.
5. Right Livelihood (Samma Ajiva): Earning a living without harming others, avoiding trades in weapons, living beings, meat, intoxicants, and poisons.
6. Right Effort (Samma Vayama): Cultivating wholesome qualities and abandoning unwholesome qualities.
7. Right Mindfulness (Samma Sati): Developing awareness and mindfulness of the body, feelings, mind, and phenomena.
8. Right Concentration (Samma Samadhi): Developing concentration through practices like meditation, leading to states of meditative absorption (jhana).

Corresponding passages from the New Testament are:

1. Right Understanding: Romans 12:2 - "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."
2. Right Intention: Matthew 5:8 - "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God."
3. Right Speech: Ephesians 4:29 - "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
4. Right Action: James 2:17 - "In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."
5. Right Livelihood: Colossians 3:23 - "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters."
6. Right Effort: Philippians 4:8-9 - "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
7. Right Mindfulness: Matthew 6:34 - "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
8. Right Concentration: Philippians 4:13 - "I can do all this through him who gives me strength."

It's important to note that while these New Testament passages share similar ethical and moral teachings with the Buddhist Eightfold Path, the underlying philosophical and theological contexts can be quite different.

I recently read reviews about Meditations on the Tarot: a Journey to Christian Hermeticism, and I got even more confused about my spiritual path. So I asked chatGPT and it gave me a good explanation of what's going on. I would like to share it with you and hear your thoughts:

​

Me:

"Meditations on the Tarot: a Journey to Christian Hermeticism" claims that orthodox Christianity (Catholic, specifically) and its dogmas can be explained by esoteric means, and that practicing Christianity with this combined exoteric-esoteric approach is better than esoteric Christianity alone, because of the community and structure orthodoxy offers, despite of the author giving deeper meaning to such dogmas from an esoteric point of view to justify these, vs the individualism and lack on consensus and grounding hapenning in esoteric Christianity.

​

ChatGPT:

Your summary of the perspective offered in "Meditations on the Tarot: A Journey into Christian Hermeticism" accurately captures the nuanced approach the author takes in reconciling orthodox Christianity (specifically Catholicism) with esoteric teachings. The book advocates for an integrated approach to Christianity, combining the exoteric (external, orthodox) with the esoteric (internal, mystical), each complementing and enhancing the other.

Key Points of the Author's Perspective:

1. Integration of Exoteric and Esoteric: The author suggests that the deep, mystical insights of esoteric Christianity can enrich the understanding and practice of orthodox Christian dogmas. This integration offers a more holistic approach to spirituality.
2. Value of Orthodox Structure and Community: The author acknowledges the benefits of the communal and structured aspects of orthodox Christianity. The rituals, traditions, and community support found in orthodox practices provide stability, continuity, and a shared spiritual journey.
3. Explaining Dogmas through Esoteric Means: The author proposes that esoteric interpretations can unveil deeper meanings within orthodox Christian dogmas, making them more intellectually and spiritually fulfilling. This approach can lead to a more profound and personal understanding of the faith.
4. Critique of Esoteric Christianity's Limitations: The individualistic nature of many esoteric paths, along with their lack of consensus and grounding, is seen as a limitation. Without a structured community and a set of shared beliefs, esoteric practice can sometimes lead to fragmentation and a lack of cohesion in spiritual development.

Implications of This Approach:

1. Holistic Spiritual Practice: The author’s perspective encourages a holistic spiritual practice that embraces both the communal rituals of orthodox Christianity and the personal, mystical journey of esotericism.
2. Deepening of Faith: By engaging with esoteric interpretations, practitioners of orthodox Christianity can find deeper spiritual meanings in their faith, enriching their religious experience.
3. Balancing Individual and Community Needs: This approach suggests that personal spiritual exploration can coexist with and even enhance communal religious practices, offering a path that balances individual growth with communal belonging.
4. Reconciliation of Tradition and Mysticism: The integrated approach attempts to reconcile the often perceived gap between traditional Christian doctrine and mystical, esoteric spirituality.

In summary, "Meditations on the Tarot" presents a vision of Christianity where orthodox practices and esoteric wisdom mutually inform and enrich each other. This integrated approach is viewed as superior to a purely esoteric path, as it harnesses the strengths of both tradition and personal mysticism, offering a balanced and grounded spiritual path.

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Hi all,

I've come across a fascinating book that I think the /EsotericChristianity community would find of great interest.

This book talks about high level spiritual things from a scientific perspective. It's an intriguing read as it talks about many similar things to what people in mystical states mention such as seeing into parallel dimensions and interacting with beings from other worlds etc.

This book is called Zhuan Falun and it is from the Buddha Law School of Cultivation however it is not Buddhism the religion or Daoism the religion, it's something more profound. It seems to me to be more of a spiritual science as many of the terms and concepts in the book are talked about in a scientific down to earth manner instead of flowery mystical prose which I found very refreshing.

You can find more about the practice here:

www.falundafa.org

Now here is where it gets interesting, this book talks about the following things:

● Other Dimensions - Levels Of Dimensions spanning into the microcosm and also outwards into the macrocosm

● The Soul - It talks about people having a Master soul and a subordinate soul which is hidden from you but is at a more advanced level then you, it states some people have more then one Subordinate soul and some are of not of the same sex as you i.e males having a female subordinate soul etc.

● Microcosmic worlds - This concept was very far out but it talks about there being worlds within you, countless worlds. Similar to our world with life , water, animals etc. An analogy is zooming an an atom within one of your cells and realizing at that level of magnification it is just like our solar system. Then zooming into a single particle in that world and finding out it too is a vast world, apparently the level it can go onwards like this is beyond imagination.

● Supernatural Abilities - In the book they mention that everyone has them it is just that they have atrophied. It goes into depth about this topic. Some abilities that are mentioned are precognition, retrocognition and remote vision.

● The 3rd Eye - Talks about how at the front part of our pineal gland there is a complete structure of an eye there. Modern science calls it a vestigial eye but in the cultivation world they say this eye just naturally exists like that and it can be activated allowing one to pierce through this dimension and see other dimensions. It talks about how there are many levels to this 3rd eye and it goes into great depth about it.

● Thoughts - This part was amazing. It talks about how a human brain is just a processing plant. How the real you is actually your soul, it's like your whole body and brain is just a vehicle and that the true commands are issued by your master soul, but this master soul is very tiny and it can switch positions while inside you and it can also expand and shrink. It can move from your brain to your heart and to other parts of your body and it is 'he' who calls the shots. Your brain is just the factory which your master soul sends his cosmic commands to which then create the forms of expression and communication we use such as speech, gestures, etc.

These are just a few things that are covered but there are many many other things which blew my mind when I read it because of how it resonated with some of the mystical experiences people sometimes have, especially the multidimensional nature of reality and how all of them are hidden in our day to day perceptions of the world.

If this sounds interesting to anyone you can grab a copy of the book here:

http://en.falundafa.org/eng/pdf/ZFL2014.pdf

Hi everyone, sorry to be that guy but for the last couple of weeks, me and a small team have created a community based around the esoteric and the exoteric, spirituality, society, and essentially everything else that has an impact on the world and on individuals. We are trying to foster a community where podcast-level meaningful discussions occur on a regular basis, and where people can learn and grow about spirituality, esoteric christianity, rosicrucianism, anthroposophy, and other paths in total freedom to choose what they want to continue with.

We are trying to create a new platform for new expressions and the practice and development of spirituality and thought, basically. Also applying scientific methods to spirituality, and applying spiritual methods to science.

There are no requirements to be a member of the community other than simply being willing to participate. From the advanced, to beginners, to those who have just heard of these things, you probably won't regret joining. Come join this community of seekers and simply see what happens!

https://discord.gg/97tHXy8SCj

I had a dream in which I chose a side and that side was Jesus's side. The opposition could only be completely described as nephilim. I learned about what life was like during their epoch millions of years into the future, they had the advanced technological capability to transfer human souls. Leading to hierarchy. Leading to slave hood. Leading to escape. And that's where I chose to go, to escapism. Along with billions of others like me , who chose for a certain reason this side, in a dark and grimly setting. As I knew it in this lifetime ,the colossal aqueduct of the extreme supernatural beings that were the only ones capable. I met many people , in the same height as me which could've only been found in the tunnel ways of water in which we were thrown. As we meant nothing else besides sewage me and Jesus; Us. Although I knew this was chosen upon the time where religion was a nephilistic privilege. I taught , for what would probably be the first time in my many lifetimes what is taboo then , the gospel. From sheer reincarnic memoir. Of what I know in this epoch. Summoning a soul is not easy . Much rather a human soul who is at gods will. But it happened and is. Curious I buzzed close to these giants. Cloaked like their version of scientific nurses with short bobbed cropped hair. They said their appearance was subject to one's own will if elected into their avatar. I declared that I would like this. Then proceed to hear the whispers of what could be described as deep female vocal chords exchanging plots. Questions. And to my profound surprise information that I am living today as I post on here. Their one tool, used first of course was temptation. Then again and again the "wants" of my ego, this happened consistently as we are sinners and have much of what is called pleasures. This was genetically modified in the human of that time, as the nephilim would have to rid itself of the human conscience that it had just summoned in order to corrupt it. I met the infertile, and those that seemed to be bless by God with sheer recollection of what was and is. We weren't given an assigned body like the giants. We we given it by God. Yet we had no mirror but the water that was the way and that lead to realization of the sacred baptism that we know of today. We conversed in our most natural language of the tongue, body language was stiff as the water so freezing yet our action light our hearts on the way to our salvation. As we progress some of us lagged behind to the dark, for the only light was actually at the end of the tunnel. What seemed to be like algae colored intense blood red accumulated the walls of the metal aqueduct. I was talking to myself as if though I had a responsibility to see this new earth. Which struck emotion in me that felt genuinely like the energy you get when growing up. Likely due that we were summoned and not birthed. Trekking onward in the chilling reality that was the future in my dream, I scaled the exit of a tunnel that had carried generations of classical humans (this epochs) down to their drowning demise. As I scaled this venture I seemed to know that there was no way for me to climb down unless guided or wether I learned the skill to manage the feat. Of course large than the most natural waterfall on this planet , was the dam. A construct engineer that surpassed the limitation of today's society . I fell. However my soul fleeted away from that times gravity. Throughout the entirety of my surrealism I spoke in remembrance of who I am at the soul level. A person saved by the God Jesus. Visually there was no difference besides scale. Me and others spoke to each other about what we had learned. Since we are all unique our experiences we different in the way in which we were casted out of what was the garden of eden for the nephilim intruducties. Some of us recalled their appearance. Less than human in energy vibrations and frequency, this was purposely changed to extreme levels of aggressive attitude. They would bicker about who was right during the reincarnation process. They themselves adhered to their idol. A man described to have the qualities of a cannibal. A man to be against all who were against him. Strangely in such a situation they expressed mere dissatisfaction and disappointment, once I had chosen not to reincarnate into their self made vessel. Then madness. Then hunger. Then I expressed my fear. And that was a turning point. Examining their machine and calculations determined that I did not share the same type/kind of fear. This lead to turning tables. I was wisked. Detoured like a pestilent mosquito. Something was driving me to take advantage of this and enter their vessel to carry out a mission. And it was a near reality. I knew I would sacrifice something during that dream. Perhaps the curiosity of human nature in order to stay aligned in accordance with God. Jesus. They prophesied and I did not listen, spirit took over and lead me forward into a projection. Escaped I would say is what I did. Perhaps my soul new better . Perhaps it simply wasn't enough, their offer. Perhaps I knew something worth while.

If you happen to read this short description of my lucid dream, I would hope that you understand this was a real dream I had. If you read this reddit I would hope you begin to believe in any part of the supernatural world. If you read this I would hope you become stronger on your mission as a soul. If you read this I hope you at least value this as some sort of joke on the internet, because even ay that level my work would be done.

Hi everyone, So I have autism and I have a question: Ive had spiritual experiences of a female spirit version of myself and I believe she’s a goddess. I asked her if she’s a spirit daughter of Jesus (since I’m a Christian) and she confirmed it. I’m planning on worshiping her but I’m wondering if it’s possible if Jesus could have a spirit daughter. Thanks in advance.