Multi-system validation

3)  Other than seeking validation by discussing experiences with a group, is there a place we can go or a means we can use to determine the validity of the messages we receive?   

 I use what I call multisystem validation. In other words, I am checking the results of my intuition against other systems, like....: the best information of science facts that I have available, and against mine and others' experiences of what has worked before, and sometimes validating against someone else's intuition who has more experience in that particular communication realm than I do, another validation is simply is... is it working? lastly I'm working on a muscle testing validation technique (muscle testing works on the theory of attraction also). So in summary I look across multiple systems and the more systems that validate the experience or interpretation the more confident I am about the choice and interpretation.

 in bullet form here are my validation systems

                           SYSTEM CHECKS AVAILABLE IN MULTISYSTEM VALIDATION

-  heart: love compassion

-  gut:  instinct intuition 

-   sensory feedback feelings (not talking about the interpretation of emotions like anger or sadness but does this "feel:" right, good, constructive, building on positive, see value selection criteria below)

-  past experience

-  past experience of other people I trust

-  muscle testing

-  Dr. Phil's how's that working for you? (outcome validation)

-  validation by another person's intuition and sensory feedback (heart and gut)

-   I will even validate by other cultures dogma or religious beliefs

 one note is that my multisystem validation is balanced in the interpretation value selection criteria I use below.

                                 VALUE SELECTION CRITERIA

- love,

- compassion

- not imposing on others free will

-  maintaining my own free will

- and that which will serve the highest good.

- Inclusion versus exclusion

- constructive versus destructive 

- healing versus wounding

- connective versus disconnective

                                           - good

                                           - feelings

                                           - makes sense vs makes confusion

                                           - building on the positive

I should have said love is bio logical

 In my last post I titled it how and why love is more important than logic in attempt to help emphasize that following your heart attractions is more important than following your head attractions. But what I said could be interpreted as promoting logic as un-important, when what I really want to say is that while following the heart attractions is more important  you still want to consult both and that logic has a place in our thinking. And while sometimes logic may seem to contradict our love attractions it is important to practice work out and find why the contradictions exist and how to resolve them. What I really mean to promote is that following love attractions is another type of logic and this bio-love-logic can exist beside our symbolic-logic. Certainly it will take years before anyone's sensory-bio-love-logic is as proficient as their symbolic-logic.   After all are symbolic logic has been practiced for many many years and reinforced by training in society and culture,  whereas our sensory-bio-love-logic is stunted in its growth as if it was an abandoned six-year-old, who was left behind when school started ( on maybe earlier or later depending on your family experience).

Moving from head to heart and logic to love
Clark Mumaw crmumaw@yahoo.com
513-593-3057 (cell) NEW

eco-psychology: how and why LOVE is more important than LOGIC

 recommended book to read....

Here are some Quotes and parphrases from The Secret Teachings of Plants by Stephen Herrod Buhner

 2004 bear and Company, Rochester Vermont

 Somewhere earlier in the book it is established that the heart has the same type of neurons as does the brain and that the heart thinks much like we are taught that the brain does.

 page 83

 "Analysis of information flow into the human body has shown that much of it impacts the heart first, flowing to the brain only after it has been perceived by the heart. What this means is that our experience of the world is rooted first through our heart which thinks about the experience and sends the data to the brain for further processing. When the heart receives information back from the brain about how to respond, the heart analyzes it and decides whether or not the actions the brain wants to take will be effective. The heart routinely engages in a neural dialogue with the brain and in essence the to decide together what actions to take.
 

page 86

 "Measured with magnetic field meters, the electromagnetic field the heart produces is 5000 times more powerful than that created by the brain. The most sensitive electronic devices human beings know how to make detect the heart's electromagnetic field up to 10 feet from the body. However we do not know how far it actually travels"

clark- So in some ways the heart thinking capabilities is more powerful than the brain. Maybe this is why love is more powerful than the pen.

page 93

"The body contains a great many biological oscillators, These are internal energy fields.  The three most powerful are the heart the gastrointestinal tract and the brain."

clark- Within our society is commonly accepted that we think 1) with our heads by  Language and logic 2) with our gut as an instinctual feeling and with our 3) hearts by following emotions. yet through routinely dismiss and ignore information from our hearts and are encouraged to only follow information that can be understood by a language and logic. We routinely make fun of and are skeptical of the love struck or passionate when they try to follow their feelings and emotions.

 page 94

"If we direct our consciousness outside ourselves and pay attention to the biological oscillators within counter there  We can also become aware of the emotions generated by our encounters with external electromagnetic fields. when the fluctuating electromagnetic field of our heart touches another electromagnetic field, whether from a person rock or plant, we feel a range of emotional impresstions that is our experience of information encoded within those organisms electromagnetic field and the alterations that have occurred in our field. This is in fact the source of deep feelings that come from our immersion in wild landscapes like the grand canyon for instance."

 Page 95

"Because we are trained to ignore this particular kind of sensory cues and the information that they contain, most people do not consciously utilize the heart as an organ of perception. Most of the information received is this process below conscious levels of cognition. Still because the heart is such an essential organ...... the hearts power as an organ of perception cannot be completely erased."

 page 97

"The intention to note and detect external stimuli result in the slowing of the heart you can get a sense of this dynamic by sitting comfortably in looking at something that attracts your attention. Just let yourself look at it a moment noticing its shapes and colors. Then let yourself notice how it feels to you. At that exact instant your entire physiological functioning will alter in a very noticeable manner. (But for it to happen you have to pay attention to the thing you're focused on not the alteration you're experiencing.)"

clark- seems to me this describes  the methodology in our nature connect activities.

This shift in focus of awareness from thinking to external sensory perception, significantly modifies and slows the duration of the cardiac cycle producing a transformational cascade that affects all physiological and cognitive functioning. Simple attention to these external stimuli is sufficient. There need be no physical activity in response. Unlike linear mental functioning such as that required for mathematical copulations there is no acceleration of the heartbeat when focused on external stimuli.

 Page 98 

"Mental activities cause an almost immediate cessation of these physiological dynamics, with concomitant increases in heart rate and pupillary constriction. Any internal manipulation of symbolic information results in cardiac acceleration, and increase in sympathetic nervous system activity, and pupil constriction. So too, does any verbalization, or any required to store, manipulate, and retrieve symbolic information."

 page 99

" Linear thinking breaks the state [ the state is called a state of coherence] the heart's rhythmic beat [produces the coherence] and influences the brain processes that control emotions, cognitive functions, and the autonomic nervous system. Coherence is the harmonious corroboration and order among subsystems of a larger system."

clark- This correlates nicely with Project NatureConnect's (eco-psychology) explanation that we must shift out of our [FROM] new brain which processes language, logic and symbols [INTO] to using our senses and old brain connections to produce health and healing and wholeness. [ Summary: from head to heart,  from symbols to senses, from logic to love ]

 page 99

" In deepening this shift to coherence, most heart researchers emphasize a focus on personal emotional state as well as detection of external stimuli. Many asked that he participant to intentionally generate the emotions of caring and affection"

 page 100 

"Heart coherence begins when the location of consciousness is shifted from the brain to the heart, either through focus on the heart itself or on external sensory cues and how they feel."

 Page 100

"The heart is a tightly interconnected part of an oscillating nonlinear neural network that is always producing electromagnetic waves within which information is encoded. During coherence these interconnected networks couple with one another and begin working as one synchronized system.

 When linear systems lock are coupled together the resultant patterns represent a mixture of two systems. But when nonlinear systems like the biological oscillators in our bodies synchronized to a common frequency the combined system  revolves around a single oscillation."

clark- This is helping us produce a physical experience of oneness or "us-ness" that helps us understand the intellectual explanation that we are all one which others from monks and Eastern religious texts and even Henry David Thoreau have tried to get us to feel, understand and acknowledge.

Page 100-5

 When a person begins focusing on heart and immerse themselves in the perceptions of its functioning, coherence begins. Heart rhythms begin to take on a smooth sinewave like pattern, all of the heart's electromagnetic frequencies start to synchronize.
When we focus in the brain the result is much less coherent, because we seem designed to let the heart, the most powerful oscillator, be the primary system to which to others entrain.
As the heart becomes more coherent, respiration, somatomotor systems, and cortical activity begin to entrained to the coherent heart rhythms.  The three branches of the autonomic nervous system: sympathetic, parasympathetic, and Enteric (G.I. tract) also synchronize.

The Chinese practice of Chi gong focuses on the gastrointestinal intestinal tract as the primary locus of consciousness, the GI Tract has it's own extensive elegant and separate nervous system other practices such as heart math training focus on the heart also generates coherence.  Wide ranging physiological impacts begin at the moment of coherence.
And now the overall physiological functioning begins to be dominated by the parasympathetic rather than the sympathetic (which is the fight or flight.)
Sympathetic tone decreases and the body relaxes. There is a fundamental reorganization of autonomic balance. As coherence begins and deepens the entire hormonal cascade of the body alters. It is marked by the heart making and releasing significantly different amounts of the hormones and neurochemicals.
As one example at coherence, there is an average of a 23% reduction in cortisol production, cortisol is a stress hormone with negative impacts on immune function, memory, glucose utilization and hippocampal functions. There is a 100% increase, and DHEA production, which is an adrenal hormone essential in tissue repair ,insulin sensitivity, and general sense of well-being.
Also during heart coherence ANF a heart peptide causes alterations which readjust the complex, interconnected physiology; blood pressure lowers, muscle cells relax, eye function alters causing peripheral vision to be enhanced.
This and several other peptide changes enhance the hippocampus functioning and increase the dopamine production in the heart which improves the transfer of information from Neuron to neuron in both the heart and brain.

Clark-  now here's the good part one to read the next three sentences go back up and reread the information about coherence and synchronization that the heart starts.

When the brain entrains to the heart connectivity increases between the brain and the body. Conversely the location of the consciousness in the brain leads to increased "disconnection" between the brain and the body. When one shifts into heart oriented cognition mental dialogue is reduced.

Clark- Is this eco-psychology or what?

The practitioners of these heart focused techniques report an increase in intutive awareness and more efficient decision-making capability that is beyond their normal capacity from the brain and mind alone. Shifting the focus of consciousness to the heart and away from the forebrain results in an entrainment of a large population of cells in the forebrain to cardiac functioning. This population of forebrain cells begins oscillating to the rhythms produced by the heart and the perception of those population of cells and the kind of information and begin to process during entrainment is very different time from what they process with entrainment is not occurring.

Analysis of EEG readings shows that heart signals are the strongest in the occipital or posterior region [Again eco-psych. OLD BRAIN] of the brain and the right anterior front section of the brain.

Synchronization for concurrence does not occur spontaneously unless people practice heart focused perception. Since we have been trained to the analytical mode of thinking by schooling and taught to locate our consciousness in the brain. This type of entrainment must be consciously practiced.  [This seems like the basic approach of the psychology.]

Practice in entrainment helps to bring the brain and any other system to maintain the synchronization for longer and longer periods of time.

Page 107
Increased heart coherence boosts the body production of immunoglobulin A, a naturally occurring compounds that protects the bodies mucous membranes and helps prevent infections. Also, there are improvements and disorders such as arrhythmia, mitral valve prolapse, congested heart failure, asthma,diabetes, fatigue, and autoimmune conditions, Also exhaustion, anxiety, depression, Aids and  post dramatic stress disorder. .In general many diseases, and overall healing speed improve). One study found that high blood pressure can be significant Lowered in six months without the use of medication. If heart coherence is reestablish.
Lack of cognitive focus on the body in other words hibituation to the verbal, intellectual, analytical cognition mode results in the disconnection and increased disorder in organ function and is the foundation of many diseases including heart disease. When attention is focused on different sensory cues physiological function shifts significantly and becomes more healthy. It is even more healthy when specific kinds of emotions are activated; feelings of caring, love and appreciation. The more confused, angry or frustrated person becomes the more incoherent heart's electromagnetic field.

Clark- What can I say but  as I see it, science is beginning to catch up with eco-psychology's Project NatureConnect theory.

the heart is intelligent

 Quoted from the secret teachings of plants, "Analysis of information flow into the human body has shown that much of it impacts the heart first, flowing to the brain only after it has been perceived by the heart. What this means is that our experience of the world is rooted first  through our heart which thinks about the experience and sends the data to the brain for further processing. When the heart receives information back from the brain about how to respond, the heart analyzes it and decides whether or not the actions the brain wants to take will be effective. The heart routinely engages in a neural dialogue with the brain and in essence the to decide together what actions to take.
 

Moving from head to heart and logic to love
Clark Mumaw crmumaw@yahoo.com
513-593-3057 (cell) NEW

Fw: 8 Minute Clip from Food Matters

 8 Minute Clip from Food Matters

http://www.rawfor30days.com/blog/?p=157

New story

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Education and The New Story, By Arnold Greenberg     Reprinted from COMMON DREAMS There is a new story emerging that is replacing the old story of human existence. The new story is urging us to learn who we are as humans and how to live so we do not destroy the planet. What is the old story and why is the new story so essential to our existence? Change is taking place so rapidly we do not realize it is happening. Technology, communication, travel, global economics are transforming our lives. At the same time, there is abundant evidence we are facing dramatic ecological and environmental changes that are threatening existence as we know it. We are living like the "unsinkable" Titanic, ignoring the icebergs ahead of us. We are entering a new time, "new waters" and unless we regain awareness of who we are as humans and our relationship with the environment, our present course may find us facing "icebergs" from which there is no escape. What is the new story and how is it connected to education? With the help of anthropologists, archeologists, historians, we have a good sense of our evolution from hunter-food gatherers to the present. We know the impact of the agricultural and industrial revolutions. We know that empires have been built on the backs of slaves and armies. We know that myths, superstition, religions have attempted to interpret and offer explanations or "stories" to satisfy the times. Stories get told and passed on and often changed along the way. In 1976, during the Bicentennial Celebration of this country, Walter Cronkite interviewed an Indian chief who said, "The biggest mistake the settlers made was not to learn how to live on this continent from us." The English who came brought their way of life, their farming and building techniques. But more than that, they brought a consciousness of their place in the universe which was fundamentally different than the natives. The hunter-food gathering societies that lived prior to the agricultural societies did not see themselves as separate from nature, but rather a part of nature. Men, women and children gathered food and shared it equally. It was important to their survival that everyone participated and thrived. There was no wealth and no poverty. The teachings of the Bible influenced the Europeans and central to the Judaic-Christian view was that man has "dominion" over nature and all non-human creatures. The Black Death of the 13th century that wiped out over a third of Europe and entire populations of towns had a major impact. People believed that man was doomed unless he was chosen by God to survive and that the way to salvation was good works. The notion of heaven and hell, damnation and grace led to the puritan ethic-hard work and virtue would be rewarded in the afterlife. The Protestant Reformation liberated people from dependence on the church but emphasized a personal relationship with God. This gave rise to the merchant class, the accumulation of wealth through exploitation of workers and nature, plundering of other countries as the need for markets and resources grew. Empire building resulted in wars, death, wealth, poverty and destruction-often in the name of God's will or Manifest Destiny. Decarte's view that the only reality we can know was that which could be measured, Newtonian physics and the emphasis on reason as the path to knowledge dominated the universities. The idea that there might be another way of thinking and living was not known or considered. Everything made sense from that particular point of view. It was not until the relatively recent realization that we were killing the planet and that human existence is threatened that we began to question the "story" we were living. In addition, scientists were becoming aware of phenomenon that could not be explained by current views. New sciences were evolving; quantum physics, astrophysics, bio-genetics and others were probing deeper into the mysteries of existence. A new story of the relationship between humans and the non-human world was emerging. The new story inspires a new consciousness, a new awareness that we are part of nature not separate or dominant. Though we are human, we are not superior to non-humans-trees, plants and all other creatures. We are equal inhabitants of the planet. When we speak of rights, we must not only speak of human rights but the rights of all living entities. That doesn't mean we don't cut down trees to build houses, but that we do so with reverence and in ecologically sound ways-replacing what we cut. We don't clear-cut huge rainforests to graze cattle for Mac Donalds causing dramatic changes to the atmosphere and climate. As Ghandi said, "There are enough natural resources for everyone's need, but not everyone's greed." The separation of humans from the non-human world, the view that humans have dominion and can take from nature at the expense of the health of water, land, air and other creatures that share the planet is the old story. The consciousness that the earth is a living organism and that humans are part of the organism is essential to the new story. Just as the cells and organs of our body are interconnected, the health of a body and the health of the planet are dependent on the harmonious interaction of all the parts. At present, our approach to education is perpetuating the old story. The emphasis on reason, memorizing facts, preparing young people for an economy that does not see the environment as essential to our existence, that ignores the "icebergs" ahead is jeopardizing the lives of our children and their children. Our education is still preparing young people for our past and not their future. The new story is challenging us to live in an ecologically sound way and to have an approach to education that cultivates the heart as well as the mind, inspires cooperation rather than competition, empathy and love instead of violence and hate. The challenge to bring the new story to our children is a huge task for parents and educators since the old story is so dominant. The good news is we now have the technology to reach children in ways we've never had before. Computers, television, movies, music and most important, teachers who are empowered to create learning experiences that cultivate an ecological consciousness give us a powerful opportunity to teach the new story. Having a course in ecology is not enough. The entire curriculum must explore the relationship between humans and non-humans. All courses must be interconnected and help young people learn how to live their lives in harmony with nature not separate from it. The present approach to education and the "leave no child behind" emphasis grows out of the industrial age model that is obsolete. The new story can awaken in our children their full potential to live gently, peacefully, lovingly. I believe that all children are born with the capacity to learn from the wonder of their existence, that learning is a natural as breathing and that education can nurture the love of learning rather than stifle it, as now happens in so many instances. The new story has much to offer and we now have the capacity to tell it. My question is who of us will be the story tellers? Arnold Greenberg, a former educator and founder of three schools, now lives off the grid in a small cabin in East Blue Hill, Maine. Email: grnbrg94@gmail.com

 

connect with nature, laugh often, love much,
Clark Mumaw crmumaw@yahoo.com
513-593-3057 (cell) NEW

ECO-Story A practical example of how eco-psychology can help you

THE ECO-STORY
I dream I see a elderly woman with gray hair slowly walking her way back into the school.  An alternative school which she helped start and has spent many years leading, guiding, teaching.  Within the last year, she has begun to make changes and she feels she is slowing down.  Her hip replacement has helped her feel physically better but she's still glad that she is no longer the head of the school.  As she walks in, there is a sense of loss, sadness, and of wondering who she is.  Her physical and possibly mental decline is sensed inwardly but is not very visible to others yet. Her heart is heavy yet filled with love for this very special school which she feels is part of her and it is. This school sustains her, excites her, disappoints her and yet fills a place in her life that could not be filled by the love of any person.

I see a man with a limp approach and fall in step with her.  He senses her sadness yet says nothing. She asks him how he is doing.  He says, "funny you should ask, I learned something interesting recently and I've been wanting to share with somebody. Could I share with you?"  Conscious of her responsibilities back in the school she asks how much time it will take.  He replies that it will only take as much time as she wants it to.  And they can stop at any time and she can can continue later.  The man asks her to tell him, what is her favorite area outside the school.  She replies that she has always loved the big old tree beside the playground.  The man suggests that they go over and have a visit with the old tree.  Upon arriving at the old tree, the man says.  I've recently come to the conclusion that when we are attracted to something in nature, that it can be more significant than just beauty.  I would like you to consider that your attraction to this tree is a biological relationship between you and some aspect of nature.  I would like you to consider that you have senses that are built to notice this relationship and it registers in your awareness as a natural attraction.  I would like you to consider that this attraction is a form of love.  I found it helpful for me to see that attraction as nature inviting me to stop and enjoy this moment, for nature wants to share something with me.  You're feeling of attraction is on a feeling sensation level and literally is expending you an invitation to be here.  I'm going to ask one thing of you and whenever you "feel" you are done.  Stop, thank nature and the tree and go on with your school life.  I'm asking you to notice what you "feel" not "think" and see then wait and see if what you "feel" translates later into an insight or thought or language.  Note this insight and later please come share it with me. When I did this something very interesting happened and I would like am overly curious to see what will happen for you.

After school, the woman finds the man outside under the tree and asks him what happened when he had his visit with nature.  Here is what's he told her. 

I was feeling very depressed about the economy. And the loss of moral ethics in our leaders.  I went outside to see what I was attracted to.  And as I walked along I saw a butterfly, I followed the butterfly over to the weeds along the fence line.  I lost the butterfly, and asked again what am I attracted to now.  I noticed a Caterpillar as I watched the Caterpillar, I was reminded of the transformation a Caterpillar makes when becoming a butterfly.  I remembered learning that a Caterpillar consumes three times its weight in food to gather in the energy needed to sustain its chrysalis transformation to its new life.  It occurred to me in that moment, that this was exactly what was happening in the financial markets in 2,009.  That the consumption of vast resources of money and things was literally symbolic of humanity taking in to be enough energy to sustain it through its own transformation culturally and maybe spiritually.  My depression about the future of the united states and world lifted because I now saw the problems as simply part of the birth pains of evolution, not end times.  With greater hope, I have been living this last week and been wanting to find someone to share my experience with.  When I saw you walking in earlier today, I hoped that I might find somebody who would understand my insight and rejoice in it with me.  Thank you for allowing me to share my visit with the nature with you.  It has been a very curious week for me as I've tried to understand what happened and why.  Do you have anything you would like to share from your visit?  I would love to to return the favor and listen to anything at all about your visit with nature, no matter how unusual it might seem to you.

The lady replied, "Well, You left me by the tree with many thoughts".  I was comfortable being near the tree but I did not really understand what you wanted to me to do.  I remembered you saying to notice how I "felt" and what I was attracted to.  I suddenly no longer felt comfortable being near the tree. This surprised me and I turned to go.  As I turned, to go I tripped over a stick and fell down.  Somewhat angry at you, I wondered if my fall would disturb my hip replacement.  As I lay there I started to notice many small new tree sprouts, all of them children of the large old tree I love so much.  It made me feel good. I thought that with so many trees sprouts surely some of them would grow and have a long life like the mother tree.  I must have laid there for quite some time just feeling good among the little tree sprouts.  I thought it was fortunate that my hip was not hurting and I decided it was time to get up.  Before I walked away I felt some moment of gratitude towards the tree and its children so I stopped and thanked them.  In that moment, I felt more connected to everything and I realized a parallel between my situation in life here at the head of the school and the tree.

Both of us had built environments to nurture and grow children.  Just as surely as some of the tree sprouts would survive, so would some of the children who went to the school to continue to spread the methods of loving to learn and playing to create.  My stepping down as head of school and doing less was really about opening up the sky for more sunshine and rain, so that others could contribute and reach their highest potential.  Now my sadness for myself became happiness for the sky I created and opportunity that I created by "not" doing things for the school.  I don't know if this is what was supposed to happen but I am no longer angry at you for leaving me by the tree.  I find now that I am less likely to define myself as having value for the things that I used to do as head of school, nor do I define myself as needing to lead or be a leader, or a standard bearer for the school.  I find that I am more likely to define myself as a mother strong enough to let go and set others free, and to define myself as a strong foundational platform which allows others to stand on my shoulders and see further. 

At this point the man suggested, is it possible that you now see yourself as a a torch bearer who did a "great" run and it is now passing on your light to others, and and maybe even a light "bearer" up who has spawned many lights to carry on, in fact, so many new lights that the success and failure of the school is no longer dependent on the success or failure of your light. And if I might be so bold, I would suggest you consider yourself a visionary who successfully brought an new idea into physical form. 

The lady replied, "Yes, it is easier now for me to see myself as a promoter of children's self esteem, and as entering a new life phase where I am a excellent listener, a curious promoter, a supporter of positive projects."  After a long pause, then she cautiously added,  "And I realize and value that I blazed a path bright enough and long enough for others to follow and make it self sustaining.  Yet I am very curious and wish to ask you if you have any ideas why this change in me happened and how? 

Boy that's a question I've been thinking about all week. One thought is that by tapping into what you are attracted to, you allowed your own constant mental chatter to stop long enough for your subconscious non-verbal brain to communicate to your conscious verbal brain. The other idea is that God made nature and made us to be in nature and that the easiest method for God to talk to us is through nature.  When we finally stop using language and start using feeling, we begin to open ourselves to communion with God.  In short, following your the sensory attraction can lead you to an area in nature where such communion is positive and beneficial to our unfulfilled needs.  Following your natural attractions is an ancient and revered method of learning and healing that survived many century's of survival testing.  Natural attractions and curiosity are bio-logical language skills which are innate but no longer practiced because we favor and spend a majority of our time indoors and with written language skills instead of out doors and intuitive sensory feeling skills.  I know of no way to prove this with science and fact but this method of attraction seems to be replicatable by those who are interested in trying.  Regardless of how, your re-casting of the story into a positive growth image, created a internal change in you.  Is that right?  Does it seem good? Would you wish to repeat it?

Also, I'm very glad that you shared your experience with me.  Because as you did so I had a new thought.  That it's quite possible this method may be easier way for people to meditation with much the same benefits.

I'm going to end my dream story here with a quote.

I believe in God, only I spell it nature.
Frank Lloyd Wright

connect with nature, laugh often, love much,
Clark Mumaw crmumaw@yahoo.com

Genesis and the creation: a story of knowledge and interpretation

Subject: New creative effort: Genesis and the creation: a story of knowledge and interpretation

 I will submit one piece of caution I am taking a risk of offending people by writing this up and presenting it. Please be reminded off the bat that I have no intention to change your opinion or convince you of a particular right or wrong.   I only felt the desire to create and write this down mostly to fulfill my attraction to a creative insight and outlet. In some ways it could be could be considered a work of art. It is first and foremost a story for me and has meaning for me.    I did not sit with the idea that I would create a story and reinterpretation of about Genesis in the Bible. The whole idea (in part 2) and story basically came to me in a whole piece.  Part 1 was added later as an introduction to allow people to embrace interpretation more completely.  The concept for part 2 was clearly acknowledged as not mine and was reworked to fit my purposes.

===============My Story=================

Genesis and the creation: a story of knowledge and interpretation

PART 1 

The Power of Interpretation

Interpretation has been a powerful mechanism in our understanding of the world and our religious beliefs. How we interpret often controls how we act. This little essay has two parts to it the first part tries to show you a little bit how the power of interpretation takes place even within biblical stories and the second part tries to give an alternative interpretation to the creation story. Both of these are done not to destroy someone's belief or to attack individual beliefs. The intended purpose of this essay is to try to open our minds to new ideas and see if those new ideas might benefit us in our mental comfort and guidance for daily actions.

To show the power of interpretation I would like to focus on a passage in the New Testament. The essence of the subject is the lawfulness of taxes and the story is told that the Pharisees would asked Jesus the question, "is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not?  And Jesus replied. "Whose is this image and superscription? They say unto him, Caesar's. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and unto God the things that are God's.

These verses I took from the King James version of Matthew 22 verses 17 through 21.

Now I have read at least one complicated interpretation of understanding Jesus's answer. And I have read other interpretations that require bringing into context things that were not actually mentioned in the verses. Lately I was introduced to what I thought was an elegant rationale and explanation for Jesus's answer by Jason Hommel.  Interpretation depends entirely on viewpoint sometimes.

credit acknowledgement for integrity but you do not need to read it, you get complete understanding from reading only my entry below....

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/hommel2.1.1.html

For the Pharisees they saw the inscription of Caesar on the money and so was easy for them to rationalize that the taxes were lawful and should be reentered unto Caesar because the money belong to Caesar.

At the same time a devout well read reader of the Old Testament might have instantly recognized that Haggai 8:2 could be consulted where Jesus says, "The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, said the LORD of hosts".  And by this devout person, regardless of the inscription of Caesar on the gold coin the well studied reader could interpret that regardless of what's written on the gold coin that the gold itself belongs to God and maybe conclude that it was unlawful in God's laws to pay taxes.

Two different perspectives coming out to two different conclusions and having two different resulting actions all because of a single interpretation. My purpose here is not to show you which way is right only to show you that outcomes often hinge on which "story" we believe. And what "facts" we think are "facts" appropriate to use for decision outcomes.

PART 2  

Genesis a reinterpretation

Keeping that in mind, and the material I was learning in applied eco-psychology when I wrote this, I would like to offer you a different interpretation to the story of creation presented in the book of Genesis in the Bible. It seems to me that the prevailing interpretation of Adam and Eve and the Garden of Eden is that adam and eve ate of the forbidden Apple and that was the original sin and that God created a mechanism for saving mankind by having Jesus come and die for our sins. 

Now please hear me clearly I am not here to say that this interpretation is wrong. Nor am I here to say that my interpretation is right. I am simply presenting a alternative viewpoint to create thoughtful reflection as to this  question, "Are there any benefits in believing and acting on either interpretation?"

So this is part is a huge what if…

What if in the beginning there was a single intelligent conscious entity and that conscious entity wanted to become more aware. To be aware you have to have something to be aware of. In the desire to become more aware this conscious entity began to create and as is told in the story of Genesis... God created planets, suns, stars, earth and heavens and much more. All those assisted the single entity in becoming aware.

Now what if in this process of awareness growth this conscious entity became aware of being unique in its aloneness experience. Thus, this entity decided to create other beings in which to interact with and further increase its self-knowledge and self-awareness. After the creation of this second entity. What if the second entity was like a baby in its knowledge and experience but not in it's powers, when compared to the original creator. If so then this baby would require time guidance and parenting to reach the maturity of the original creator because it was lacking the time and learning that the original creator gained from creating the heavens and earth and all of the other "things".  Since this was God's first living creation what type of parenting path would it choose. Without the advantage of and experience of having raised "children" before it seems reasonable to think that God would go about it the same way he created "things".  It seems like our world and the solar system and heavens are put together with recognizable physical laws which are reliable and it seems reasonable that with this type of experience in creating things based on laws and rules that our God would set down lots of laws and rules for his first child. This child having many of the abilities of God but not the experience and maturity would probably be rebellious and a poor student in learning due to not seeing the sense behind why he shouldn't take shortcuts to achieve his desires. As the second entity got all much older it would probably be quarrelous and quite disruptive to much of God's creation.  It seems to me that this second entity experiencing all these rules would feel quite "SAT ON".  In other words, in not being allowed to do what he wanted to do, emotionally this entity would feel like there was always a lid on his learning and actions.

Regardless of how the split that occurred it seems natural that God would say okay fine, Mr. "Sat on"have it your way, here is in the area that you can play in.  No rules but one, just stay away from all of my stuff, if you come over here and play with my stuff I will do "X".  But as long as you stay in your own playpen you can do what you want if you break something it's your responsibility, you figure it out.

With a lot more free time God now was able to turn his attention to reflection he started wondering what was different about this second entity Mr Saton and why its growth didn't flow as smoothly as what he expected. With more experimentation to guide God noticed that all of these animals, planets and "planet"ary systems seem to work along quite well but as soon as God created a creature with ability to be self-aware and knowing, the new creation (being) did not respond by continuing in the direction that set for it. God noticed that these living beings that are self-aware and knowing seem to take off in other directions then was intend, sometimes even creating areas of havoc and chaos an otherwise well-run and orderly universe.  

Now after a millennia or two of further reflection God's understanding grew deeper. OH I see.... as long as I have creatures who stay with their old brain (cerebellum and limbic) systems these (beings) like animals seem to do okay but the creatures with the neo-cortex which allows for self-awareness and knowing, have some type of feedback loop that drives them off course and away from the pure sensory directions they would get from the old brain sensory systems (cerebellum and limbic).  So instead of following the instinctual direction I sat for them they start following their new brain curiosity and self-created stories and new knowledge which sends them in a unintended direction when compared to the course I originally plotted for them.

At this point,  I like to think as a parent that, God seriously considered creating no more creatures that had this Neo-cortex. Because it interfered with his free time and made his universe more messy.  Basically God got tired of picking up the building blocks and putting them back in order.

Yet in God  There was a strong desire for knowing and being AND there was a certain satisfaction in relating to the creatures who had self-knowing. That satisfaction was the satisfaction of give-and-take and co-creative processing which was missing when dealing with objects that did not have self-knowing. 

 After another millennia of reflection God was convinced that the universe would be better if only a way could be figured out on how to include these (beings) and guide these creatures with the neo-cortex into maturity.  At the root of God's decision to go forward was the recognition that by creating creatures with knowing and self knowing, the end result was to increase the amount of what was known not only about the universe but about God itself.

So God continued creation due to a certain amount of curiousness and desire for more self-knowledge.  After all experiencing yourself in relationship to others is a very good way to learn about different subtle facets of yourself. Here, there is much a story that has been lost.   It seems there was probably many more millennia of experiments test and learning but that part of the story has not been revealed to me.   Maybe we don't need to know this part to understand.

With further knowledge and experiences God finally got around to creating what we call human beings. And God tried to create a safe play pen for them, which we call the "Garden of Eden" in the Bible.  In trying to prevent previous errors in raising children, this time, God created instead of many rules only one rule, "don't eat of the tree of knowledge".  OR maybe after many tries and experiments God found out that everything seems to work just fine until I add this one ingredient called knowledge. And maybe that's why he created the one rule about not eating from the tree of knowledge.   Maybe God started Adam and Eve as beings without an activated Neo cortex. Yet left them the free will to choose to activate self knowledge, knowledge, and the new brain Neo-cortex, by eating the apple.   Because free will is important to the growth and learning for these beings.

Maybe everything went along well until Mr. "Saton" came over to visit this new creation and playpen of God's.  And of course, simply had to follow his desire to play.  In his natural curious and rebellious nature it seems reasonable to think that Mr. Saton would ask himself I wonder why God instructed these beings do not eat this fruit and I wonder what would happen if they did.  Being a young still and inexperienced Mr. Saton probably tried many times and failed at trying to get Adam and Eve to eat this fruit. However through experience, craftiness and perseverance (all very normal qualities in many rebellious children) Mr Saton finally succeeded in creating a situation where Adam and Eve did eat of this fruit,  thus activating the Neo-cortex (the functions of language and self-knowledge).

Now many of the fundamental religious beliefs have interpreted the eating of the Apple as Original Sin and part of that original sin was having sex.  And because of sex mankind fell into a less than perfect life. And needed rescuing that only God could provide through Jesus.

Now I can't say that interpretation is wrong but I have wondered if it might not be missing the mark by some degree. I am sure that my own understanding and interpretation will change again as I gain more life experience. But right now, I curiously wonder if the reason mankind fell into a less than perfect life had less to do with sex and more to do with the activation of knowing and self knowledge. I am seeing the Apple as less as a symbol of sex and more as a symbol of knowledge.

Now this may be a bit of a leap for some of you but try to follow me anyway. As I have grown older and explored more ideas than just my religious upbringing.  I have come to believe that the universe is put together with the series of attractions.  These attractions are built in and innate to all living creatures. Attractions you ask what do I mean? Well,.... science has discovered that each atom and molecule is made up of smaller pieces that are attracted to each other and these attractions create all the elements on the periodic chart which we use to base much of our science, chemistry and building infrastructure. In living things like plants, attractions are simply part of their DNA. Roots grow down into the ground and attract molecules and elements as nutrition and branches and leaves grow to the sky and attract different elements required for growth and the benefit of the whole planetary system like removing carbon from the air and providing back oxygen.  There is no neo-cortex (for self knowledge & language) needed for plants to achieve their optimal growth.   Plants and animals follow their instinctual attractions to food creation and in general life.

Attractions in humans is a little harder to find at first, but I think there is ample science at this point in date to show that our old brain (the cerebellum and limbic) system is built to operate quite elegantly with our sensory apparatus.   If this is true then we might be able to consider that our attractions (inborn & innate) are located in our old brain.  Some even believe that for millions of years we successfully survived our environments by the use of only the old brain. 

I would like to propose that this shift to using the new brain (neo-cortex), self knowing and the language is where we as humans started to become disconnected from using natural attractions to make decisions. 

For my current view point, I see us making decisions based on what we think we know in our new brain, even if it is wrong.   (This is not my thoughts only, credit here goes to Mike Cohen and applied eco-psychology.)  First, I am inclined to think that we were able to survive for several millennia before the advent and use of our new brain. Second, In the short time since we have used the new brain we have already developed ways to make ourselves extinct.    It does not seem that we are on the path we were originally set on.  Between these two ideas I wonder if the new brain has some points failure and if the old brain might be in some ways superior.

As for interpreting the story of Genesis I am leaning towards the Apple representing this shift from old brain to new brain.  I am less inclined to think that the Apple represents a shift from no sex to sex or from innocents to guilt.

It is completely possible that my fantastical thinking is wrong. But I am much more comfortable believing this interpretation than the one I grew up with in my religious instruction. I would like to believe that my interpretation accommodates and fits more "facts" of the evidence as we know it now. Whereas the religious interpretation, I was taught, did a better job of fitting the evidence as people experienced their world thousands of years ago. Updating what we know is always important when given new information. And reinterpreting what we understand of the world as we gain new experiences and new information is important if we are to grow.

I always resented the guilt and restrictions built around sex due to the religious interpretation.  I do not at all want to deemphasize the importance or sacredness of sex. I think it is a very important part of our world and deserves careful consideration not just playful Obsession or isolated enjoyment.   There are many important considerations involved with the issues of sex.   There are many ways in which sex has unintended consequences or outcomes.   I also recognize that there are many people that have been hurt and many situations in which sex is not used for the highest good of those involved.   And I cannot help but think that just as money is not the root of all evil, neither is sex the root of all evil (as I get the feeling that some would like us to believe).   I want to say one last thing and move on.   Sex is much like fire, used correctly it has many beneficial properties and adds to the enjoyment of life, used incorrectly or if misunderstood it can the  hurt  or change the course of many lives.   It is something that takes wisdom to use correctly and without that wisdom can quickly become uncontrolled and cause damage.

I have always felt uncomfortable with the concept of original sin and that everyone was doomed to some extent because of a choice made by the original parents Adam and Eve.  It does not make sense to me that God would make a system or a garden of eden in which any single sin would set off a chain reaction that would cascade for ever and require God's intervention to correct and rescue.  Would you as a parent make a play pen for your children that contained the cliff of the grand canyon or a poison).  Nature has many redundant and self-correcting systems.  I recognize that it does not have to make sense to me for it to be true.  But I'm not talking about truth here. I am talking about trying to make sense of the world as we know it and not be captured by stories that may not make good sense today.

When I look at the human body it  has many redundant and self-correcting systems this seems at odds with creating a  human being and a garden of eden (a system) where a single sin would be for perpetuated into eternity without the chance for self correction. As a God of love and as a parent of children I cannot understand why a loving God as a loving parent would create such a system. Who among us has any desire to see their children's children beset with our own problems we created. What type of God would that be?   Would I be attracted to following a God like that?

I do not and cannot claim to know the mind of God. And I do not claim that I am right. However I propose this interpretation and thoughts to you for your consideration. With the hopes that you will weight and judge for yourself this idea over time.   Try not to instantly judge these ideas with an instant like or dislike.  Certainly there are many IFs and problems with my story. 

Yet there are things that I like about my story.  What I like most is

the idea that there is a self-correcting system available to human beings without requiring God's rescue. That self-correcting system is...(using applied organic eco-psychology) to go back two using our old brain sensory connections to find attractions and make decisions based on those old brain attractions.  If this is available to us all then maybe .... just maybe the message from Jesus was to go back to the intent of using love heart connections of the old brain sensory attractions instead of using judgments and rules that are more new brain language creations. Another thing I like is that I believe this interpretation fits more of the experiential evidence in life as I have experienced it.  It also seems to fit more of scientific evidence as I think we it know today. And last but not least, I  am attracted to the image of the God in my translation more. To my mind, my translation God is more loving and less judgmental.  IN my version,  I see God as more a learning being and open to growth than having a fixed and rule oriented mind.  I think my translation also allows me to see God as more of a vulnerable parent than a totalitarian or authoritarian ruler. My translation allows me to see God as someone who has instituted and maintained free will yet provided and allowed us to find ways to self correct correct and get back on track.