Strange religious instinct

Some would argue that this strange religious instinct is a leftover from our more primitive stages of development, and that to be purely rational is to be more highly developed. But what if it were the other way around, and our religious instinct and spiritual capacity is the higher form of development?  Maybe dealing rationally with the physical world is the more primitive part of us, while the capacity to interact abstractly with an unseen realm is the highest point of our human development. After all, who is more highly developed–a person who understands and appreciates something as “irrational” as music or someone who is deaf and dull to the joy of music?
Perhaps the religious instinct unlocks the true mystery and glory of humanity.Maybe the ability to pray and worship is mankind’s highest accomplishment.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/standingonmyhead/2012/11/eighth-graders-are-smarter-than-you-think.html

Are you a Zombie?

Level 0 - "Zombie"

This is the default level of total ignorance at which 90% of the population operates. They have no clue about anything that matters such as how fiat currency systems operate, natural cures for cancer, the true dangers of vaccines, how television manipulates their behavior and so on. (These people are often experts in sports and TV sitcoms, however.)

Level 1 - "Awakened"

This level is achieved when a person realizes something along the lines of "Hey, I'm living in a dream world. I'm being told lies at every turn. What is real? How can I know what is real?" This is where people start asking questions.

Level 2 - "Informed"

A level 2 person is someone who has taught themselves a significant amount of real history and the way the world really works. This person will have knowledge of politics, psychology, world history, economics, natural health, the natural world (water, ecosystems, soils, etc.), basic anatomy, basic science and so on. Not even 1% of the population today qualifies as level 2. Most people operate in a state of wild ignorance of the world around them.

Level 3 - "Mastery"

A level 3 person not only understands a great deal about the real world around them, they have also grasped ways to navigate through that world with great accomplishment and influence. They are innovators, creators and often communicators. Financial achievement is not the purpose here. Rather, it is achieving relevance in a world largely populated by utterly irrelevant people.

Level 4 - "Enlightenment"

This level is only achieved by those of the highest dedication to spiritual awakening. You would typically only find this level of understanding in people who pursue a lifetime practice of prayer, or meditation, or a similar spiritual practice. At this level of awareness, individuals become withdrawn from the material world and really have no interest in interacting with individuals of lower levels of awareness. Far less than one in a million human beings will ever achieve level 4 "Enlightenment."

Just to review these levels again, here are some of the keywords and concepts that typically relate to people of each level:

Level 0 - "Zombie" - Football, sports scores, TV sitcoms, processed junk food, vaccinations, playing the lotto, following doctors' orders, submitting to apparent authority, going along with the status quo.

Level 1 - "Awakened" - Asks questions. Reads ingredients on foods. Questions their doctor. Watches documentaries instead of sports. Attempts to assess information and think rationally. Questions false authority.

Level 2 - "Informed" - Reads books. Explores alternative information. Invests in self-education. Participates in activism. Seeks to make changes in the world around them. Speaks out with friends. Challenges people's beliefs. Reflects on their own beliefs and is capable of adaptation.

Level 3 - "Mastery" - Has great influence. Creates things. Innovates. Provides solutions. Invents new things. No television. No vaccines. No junk food. Has a very long-term perspective. Understands the "big picture." Seeks to help others. Has compassion for living things. Recognizes the web of life on our planet.

Level 4 - "Enlightenment" - Realizes the great illusion of life. Embraces immortality of consciousness and the human spirit. Expresses compassion for others but not intervention. Never seeks to "change" others, only to invite them to expand their awareness. Recognizes interconnectedness of all life systems. Sees the human life experience in a humorous light. Is able to tap into higher consciousness. Rarely seeks fame and not interested in financial success. Often abandons all material wealth.

 Ned Dougherty

USA listen and learn

Amen

TOP FIVE REGRETS OF THE DYING

1. I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard.
3. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings.
4. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5. I wish that I had let myself be happier.
Posted by JacobSloan on February 2, 2012   

 

FAILURE TO PREPARE TODAY WILL INCREASE THE MAGNITUDE OF YOUR SUFFERING TOMORROW.

Benedict XVI

"we have lost our sense of sin! Today a slick campaign of propaganda is spreading an inane apologia of evil, a senseless cult of Satan, a mindless desire for transgression, a dishonest and frivolous freedom, exalting impulsiveness, immorality, and selfishness as if they were new heights of sophistication.”