The Three Kingdoms: Exploring Your Inner Worlds
Our lives are spent navigating three distinct, yet interconnected, universes. One is the familiar, structured world built from language, social norms, and shared beliefs—a kingdom of common knowledge.The second is the kingdom of common unconscious knowledge. The third is a vast, largely uncharted territory that exists beyond words, a silent realm of profound personal insight, mystery, and direct experience—the kingdom of uncommon knowledge.
Most of us reside almost exclusively in the first and second kingdoms. This is the world of “you” and “me,” a reality shaped and sustained by the words we use to define it. It is the universe of a fragmented identity and its supporting conditioned consciousness, where we set goals and attempt to achieve them, where the knower is separate from the known, and where our identity is tied to societal roles, achievements, and the collective agreements that form our civilization. And while we live in this world, we are continuously and subconsciously influenced by advisors unknown to our conscious minds. While this world provides structure and purpose, it operates on a narrow bandwidth of our potential awareness.
There is another, quieter non-fragmented universe that awaits exploration. This is the universe where there is no distinction between God, you and me, for we see that all are sacred extensions of the unbroken wholeness of the universe. This is a non-conditioned awareness that allows a direct experience of an ever-unfolding new moment.
This book is a guide to understanding these kingdoms and beginning the journey from the familiar world of common knowledge, making conscious the unconscious world of the subconscious mind, into journeying through the expansive, transformative realm where uncommon knowledge, the sacred, and the great unknown may guide the pilgrim.
The Kingdom of “This World”: The Realms of Common Conscious and Unconscious Knowledge
The world of common knowledge is the one we are all born into and conditioned by. It is the universe created, maintained, and sustained by our words. From our earliest moments, we learn to label our experiences, categorize our surroundings, and communicate within a pre-existing framework of language and logic. This verbal universe is the foundation of our personal and societal identity. Without words, the very concepts of “self” and “other” would dissolve.
This kingdom is governed by established rules, expectations, and goals. Success is often measured by how well we navigate its social constructs—our careers, our relationships, our status. It is a world of the conditioned mind, a mind that is highly adept at setting and achieving objectives within the defined parameters of civilization. We learn to accept our roles, follow prescribed paths, celebrate our success as we overcome inevitable obstacles and find comfort in the shared understanding that common knowledge provides.
However, existing solely within this verbal reality has its limitations. It confines our consciousness to a very limited spectrum of the universal bandwidth. We become so identified with our thoughts, labels, and stories that we forget there is a deeper reality that exists beneath them. The constant stream of internal dialogue and external information keeps our attention fixed on the surface of existence, preventing us from exploring the silent depths within.
This is the kingdom that spiritual traditions have often referred to as “this world”—not as a place to be condemned, but as a limited reality to be transcended. It is a necessary starting point, but it is not the final destination.
The Universe of “My Kingdom” and its Uncommon Knowledge
Beyond the familiar landscape of common knowledge lies another realm. This is the universe of uncommon knowledge, a kingdom of direct, non-verbal experience. It is a world that is not defined by language but is instead perceived through intuition, presence, and a quiet, observant awareness. This is the realm that exists in the silent gaps between our words, in the stillness before a thought arises, in the mystery and majesty of the sacred, and in the profound mystery of what lies before birth and after death.
This kingdom cannot be understood through intellect alone; it must be experienced. It is a journey inward, into the unexplored territories of your own consciousness. While the world of common knowledge is crowded with noise and activity, the realm of uncommon knowledge is characterized by a deep and restorative silence, mystery, and, at times, awe and wonder at its miraculous attributes. It is here that we can touch the essence of our being, unburdened by the weight of identity, history, and expectation.
Traveling in this kingdom offers a different kind of wisdom.
- It broadens your perception: We begin to experience life on a much wider spectrum of the universal bandwidth, noticing subtleties and connections that are invisible to the conditioned mind.
- It fosters true freedom: By stepping outside the confines of conditioned thought, we discover a profound sense of inner freedom. We are no longer a prisoner of our mental constructs.
- It reveals our true nature: In the silence, we may discover that our true identity is not the collection of stories and labels we’ve accumulated, but the timeless, formless awareness in which all experiences arise.
This universe is unexplored by the vast majority of people, not because it is hidden or exclusive, but because the journey requires us to let go of our attachment to the known. Its knowledge is “uncommon” precisely because so few are willing to venture into the silence where it can be found.
How does one travel from the bustling kingdom of common knowledge to the serene landscape of the uncommon? The path is not about acquiring more information but about cultivating a different kind of awareness.
A Journey for the Universal Traveler
Both the worlds of common conscious and unconscious knowledge and the universe of uncommon knowledge have their place. We need the structure of language and society to function, and we need to make the unconscious mind conscious so as to place us outside the hands of fate, but we also need the depth and freedom of inner silence to truly thrive. The ultimate journey is not about abandoning one kingdom for the other, but about learning to travel freely between them.
By becoming a conscious traveler in all realms, you can live a more integrated and fulfilling life. You can engage with the world from a place of deep inner peace, bringing the wisdom of silence into your actions and the clarity of awareness into your relationships. You can navigate the complexities of “this world” without losing touch with the profound simplicity of “your kingdom.”
The invitation is open. The journey through the universe of consciousness—both verbal and non-verbal—is the greatest adventure we can undertake. It is a path of self-discovery that leads not to a destination, but to a deeper and more expansive way of being.
The Illusion of Choice: Why Perception-Based Awareness May Be Our Greatest Limitation
We live under the comfortable assumption that our awareness is our own—that we choose what to notice, how to interpret our experiences, and what meaning to assign to the endless stream of information flowing through our consciousness. This perception-based awareness feels empowering. It places us at the center of our own narrative, the conscious architects of our inner landscape. Yet what if this very sense of choice and control represents not our greatest strength, but our most fundamental limitation?
When we operate from perception-based awareness, we are constantly filtering reality through the lens of our conditioning, preferences, and psychological frameworks. We choose to see what aligns with our existing beliefs, notice what serves our current goals, and interpret experiences through the narrow bandwidth of our accumulated knowledge. This selective awareness creates the illusion of agency—we feel we are actively engaging with reality when, in truth, we are only engaging with our highly curated version of it.
This filtered consciousness operates like a sophisticated screening system, allowing only certain frequencies of experience to reach our attention while filtering out vast territories of potential awareness. We mistake this editing process for wisdom, this selectivity for discernment. But consider the profound limitation inherent in this approach: we can only perceive what we are already prepared to perceive.
Perception-based awareness is inextricably linked to what we might call “the knowing mind” where common knowledge resides—that aspect of consciousness that immediately categorizes, labels, and files away every experience according to pre-existing mental frameworks. This knowing mind is efficient, practical, and essential for navigating the constructed world of social reality. It allows us to function within the established parameters of civilization.
However, this same mechanism that enables us to operate effectively in the world of common knowledge simultaneously creates a barrier to deeper understanding. When we approach each moment with the assumption that we already know what we’re looking at, we close ourselves off to the possibility of genuine discovery. The knowing mind, for all its utility, is fundamentally conservative—it seeks to confirm what it already believes rather than remain open to what might actually be present.
The Unexplored Territory of Choiceless Awareness
Beyond the realm of perception-based awareness lies a fundamentally different mode of consciousness—one that operates without the constant intervention of choice, preference, and interpretive frameworks. This awareness without perception and choice doesn’t seek to understand or categorize experience but simply allows reality to reveal itself without the interference of the selecting mind. This is awareness channeled through the unlimited bandwidth of the universe where our unconditioned minds have full access.
This choiceless awareness is not passive or dull. Rather, it represents a state of profound receptivity, a consciousness so open and present that it can perceive reality without the distorting filters of expectation and preconception. In this state, awareness operates on what we might call “the full bandwidth of existence” rather than the narrow spectrum to which our conditioned consciousness typically limits us.
When we rest in this choiceless awareness, something remarkable occurs: we begin to notice aspects of reality that were previously invisible to our selecting mind. Subtleties emerge that our goal-oriented consciousness had no reason to perceive. Connections become apparent that our categorizing mind had no framework to recognize. We discover that reality is far more vast, mysterious, and alive than our perception-based awareness had ever allowed us to see.
The Necessity of Choice
Critics of this perspective might reasonably argue that choice and perception are not limitations but essential human capacities. After all, our ability to discern, select, and interpret our experiences is what allows us to learn, grow, and make meaningful decisions. Without the capacity to choose where to direct our attention, we would be overwhelmed by the chaos of undifferentiated experience.
This objection contains important truth. Perception-based awareness is indeed necessary for functioning in the world of social reality, achievement, and practical accomplishment. The question is not whether we should abandon our capacity for choice and perception, but whether we should remain exclusively confined to this single mode of consciousness.
The limitation lies not in having these capacities, but in believing they represent the full extent of what awareness can be. When we operate solely from perception-based consciousness, we miss the profound depths of reality that can only be accessed through a fundamentally different kind of attention—one that is not seeking to achieve anything or confirm any particular understanding.
The Integration of Two Kingdoms
The ultimate invitation is not to choose between perception-based awareness and choiceless awareness, but to recognize that both have their place in a fully integrated consciousness. We need the discerning capacity of the selecting mind to navigate practical reality, but we also need access to the vast, unfiltered awareness that can perceive what lies beyond our preconceptions.
Most of us have spent our entire lives developing and refining our capacity for perception-based awareness. We have become masters of the known, experts in the familiar, sophisticated navigators of the constructed world. But we have barely begun to explore the profound depths of consciousness that exist beyond choice and perception.
The time has come to question the assumption that our perception-based awareness represents the pinnacle of human consciousness. What if our constant choosing, selecting, and interpreting is not a sign of sophistication but a limitation we have mistaken for wisdom? What if reality contains dimensions of meaning and beauty that can only be perceived by a consciousness that has learned to rest in choiceless awareness?
This is not an abstract philosophical proposition but a living invitation to explore the furthest reaches of your own consciousness. Begin to notice the moments when your mind is not trying to achieve anything, understand anything, or choose anything—and observe what becomes available to your awareness in those gaps. Allow yourself to discover what lies beyond the kingdom of common knowledge, beyond the realm of the knowing mind, in the vast territory of consciousness that awaits your exploration.
The journey from perception-based awareness to choiceless awareness may be the most important expedition you ever undertake. It is a path that leads not to the acquisition of new knowledge, but to the discovery of what has always been present, waiting patiently beneath the noise of the selecting mind.
(original) An Electrician’s Guide to Our Universe – Life, Love, and Death on Its Unlimited Bandwidth
As a civilized culture we live in a universe created, maintained, and sustained by our words. This is the kingdom that Jesus proclaimed as “this world”. This is the verbal universe of personal and societal common knowledge. Our very existence in verbal consciousness is based upon the word, without the word, there would be no “you” or “me”. Yet, there is also a universe that we live in that we have little or no consciousness about. This is the realm that Jesus proclaimed as “my kingdom”. I call this realm the universe of special or uncommon knowledge. Well, “my kingdom” and “this world” both have plenty of room for the universal traveler to visit, or to live in, so this book is about our journey through the universe of consciousness, both verbal and non-verbal.
This world where common knowledge is the norm, and we are judged by how well we accept and utilize this knowledge. It is the universe of the conditioned mind, a mind that is quite adept at goal setting and achieving and accepting one’s role in the social constructs that surround us within civilization. This life plays on a very limited spectrum of universal bandwidth.
The world where uncommon knowledge defines the traveler’s experience exists on a much broader spectrum of the unlimited bandwidth of our universe. It is unexplored by the vast majority of citizens, and thus its knowledge is unknown and unknowable to those who do not explore the gap between words, or the time before birth or after death. This life plays out on our universe’s unlimited bandwidth and is the place the sacred often comes to engage with the awakening traveler.
A Hitchhiker’s Guide To Our Universe?
The number 42 is significant in the book The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, by Douglas Adams. The number 42 is the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe and Everything, calculated by an enormous supercomputer named Deep Thought over a 7.5 million-year period. Can we be saved by the number 42?
I am not a galactic hitchhiker. However, I once was an electrician, and my personal supercomputer found another answer—-
And, it is
0
HOW CAN WE BE POSSIBLY BE SAVED BY ZERO?
Let me explain.
My life, since 1987, has been devoted to the understanding of reality, as promoted and supported by our history, and by our present-day political, social, and religious institutions, and finding sane pathways away from their collective insanity and malfeasance towards a higher ground of understanding, experience and expression. I am intensely interested in all connections, yet I now focus on those that are primarily human in nature. I am also fascinated with our true ground of being, Mother Earth and her timeless teachings.
I am an expert in electrical connections, having been an electrical, electronic, and computer engineering student for six years in the 1970s and 1980s, and both an electronic technician, and an electrician from 1980, and a computer engineer from 2006 until I retired from all fields in 2016. I have found much in my field of expertise in electrical theory that is both a metaphor for our human experience in consciousness and for many aspects of spirituality and its potential for human expression and empowerment.
VERY, VERY FEW people look to electricians for the Truth, though the public sure loves for us to remodel, repair and upgrade the old, or install new electrical systems. Yet this background has sufficiently provided for me a foundational consciousness for understanding the art of measurement of reality, and even of consciousness itself. I have been given access to the doors to mankind’s hidden knowledge, a knowledge that is far too rarely accessed and applied to, and by, the rest of humanity.
In a process control theory class that I took in 1992, I observed and was impressed by how these feedback and feedforward dependent control systems resembled the functions and internal workings of our human minds, especially with activities like maintaining order and balance, or goal setting and achieving. I spoke to the teacher about my observation. He was impressed with my insight and stated that though we all work with practical electrical theory, only some gain a nodding familiarity with its esoteric principles and teachings. NO SECRET HANDSHAKE IS REQUIRED FOR ADMISSION INTO THE HIGHER TEACHINGS, but, in Oregon, make sure that you are licensed!
Electricity, like language, or even our connection with Mother Earth, is a foundational phenomenon and requires no belief, only an understanding of its potential for either empowering us or bringing harm to us if we remain ignorant of all of its supporting laws. The fundamental unit of electricity is the electron, a negatively charged particle, which, when moving in a coordinated movement, will do a multitude of forms of work for us. An electron being negatively charged does not imply a value assessment, it is only a convention adopted describing its voltage or difference in potential relative to a neutral or positively charged source.
Through a difference in potential energy, with the presence of a source for voltage, electricity becomes those electrons in a concentrated movement generated by the energy source, directed through the “line side” of the load, through the load, and into the load side into the ground and back into the source through a common connection. This is the action of a completed circuit when the energy released from the voltage source passes through a circuit and returns to its source.
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, so in this simplest of electrical circuits, whatever energy is delivered by the source has to be utilized by both the load and the conductors that carry that energy throughout the closed loop. Ohm’s Law states that the sum of all voltages in any closed circuit must be zero, so By Law, it is verified that, in this simple circuit, the energy given by the source is utilized by the load. To complete this simple circuit understanding, it is by convention that the ground is always connected to the negative terminal on a voltage source, and to the load side of the resistor. If there is a difference in potential between the two “grounds”, there will be circuit unpredictability and unexpected degradations of performance.
Similarly, our symbols and letters are analogous to electrons in an electric circuit. They are fundamental units of consciousness and require an intelligent application of our perceptual capacity working in concert with our senses, our previous knowledge, our emotions, our insight, or even our intuition upon any object of our awareness. And, guess who, or what becomes the source for voltage in this analogy? There is a conceptual voltage, or difference in potential, created by the action of the knower (you, or I, or both) attempting to understand the known (that which we are witnessing, knowing, or perceiving), by assigning a symbol, a string of characters, or even a word to the phenomenon observed. This character stream is impressed upon our new known, which is equivalent to a load in our simplified circuit of human consciousness. This perceptual creation makes us, the knower, the electrical equivalent of the previously mentioned voltage source present in all active circuits. Like in a standard electrical circuit, there is also a reference ground that must fundamentally be connected to the voltage source, which is us.
The new object of perception becomes part of a perceptual circuit and reflects the difference in potential energy between the knower and the known. In this analogy, the circuit is balanced when the energy of the understanding of the knower becomes equivalent to the energy of the known. The higher the potential energy of the knower, the higher the energy that will be imparted upon the newly known. In other words, the knower and the known become one, though mirror images of each other in potential difference. Remember Ohm’s Law? The sum of voltages in any closed circuit must be zero, as energy cannot be created or destroyed, so even in our human circuit of naming and understanding a form of Ohm’s Law is working. Yet, the question remains as to what is the equivalent of the ground potential to consciousness itself with this analogy.
Words are the way that we categorize or name each new connecting link between our sense of self and our environment in the movement of our consciousness. The word we create out of our letters and symbols and use to represent the new known becomes the equivalent in consciousness of electricity, becoming a completed circuit to connect our knowing self to the new known created, and this is an actual exchange of energy. Each verbal creation is a new iteration of our conscious self, and adds to our sense of our self, to our potential energy as a source, and to the vast accumulation of knowledge that we already have. Our accumulation of knowledge, literally and figuratively, increases the actual energy potential of us as human energy sources.
This is all well and good, but how can we understand this better at a human, spiritual level? Take, for instance, the practice of meditation. In some varieties of the meditative experience, the practitioner is given a mantra, or word to focus upon, during a meditative session. The word could be any word, or expression, with the intention of the practitioner being to concentrate on the word, eventually at the exclusion of most, or all other thoughts, if possible. If the practitioner can develop and maintain a clear enough focus, all that remains, during this meditative session, is the knower, or the practitioner’s awareness, and the known, which is the mantra word. This is a completed circuit of consciousness, and the knower, in a realized state of being, becomes ONE with the energy behind the word represented by the mantra itself. The practitioner, literally, sees the reflection of him/herself in the mirror of the realization of the word itself.
In July of 1987, while performing this exact style of meditation, I had an amazing, transformative experience. My mantra was “Master Teacher of the Light”, which I recited over and over again. I had been using this mantra for several days, with little “success”, yet I was persistent, and kept after it. After about five minutes of reciting the mantra, without warning, I was lifted out of my normal bodily awareness, and started having an “out of body experience”. I perceived that my life was like the driving of an automobile, with my mind as the operator of the steering wheel of the car. I had a choice to make, to continue letting my conditioned mind, which is the sum total of my past experience of my body, and my previous 32 years of life, dictate the direction of my life in the present and the future or let go of the controls, and experience a new realm of understanding and being. Well, the choice had been made long ago, and almost magically, and mysteriously, I did let go of the controls, and was lifted out of my bodily awareness. I no longer had any awareness of my body, or my past, just only of my present state of being, which was a total mystery to me, yet had an irresistible, magnetic attraction to my awareness.
I was carried by the river of the unknown, through an amazing, infinite vibrating array of interconnected living structures, which I came to understand was the actual matrix of consciousness itself. As if in a half spiral downward, my awareness was carried through this matrix, and I then “materialized” within a chamber without boundaries, where there was no light, or darkness, just Peace, and Joy. There was an inexplicable SILENCE, and a VIBRANCY, that felt so familiar, yet I had never been here before, in my regular, or in my meditative life. My time here might have been a fraction of a second, or ten minutes in length, yet I will never know, for here there was no sense of space, or time, only SILENCE, and an inexplicable sense of the presence of an ENERGY.
Here is where things go from interesting and unusual to transformative and transcendent. As I “sat” in this “womb” I could see clearly the entirety of consciousness itself, its truth and magic, and its nonsense, and all variations of it between these two apparent poles. I saw how each word that I created and incorporated into my personal knowledge was ONE with me, there is no such thing as YOU in this exalted state of being. Are you ready for this next truth? I saw that every concept of YOU that I have ever created is only an extension of me, YOU cannot ever be real in any lasting, spiritual sense. There is only ONE, no matter how tightly I cling to the MANY. Each so-called “known” in this new understanding is another iteration of my sense of self, so me as a “knower” and me as the “knowns” are forever ONE.
Concepts are words married together in a creative and/or evolutionary movement in an increasingly sophisticated fashion. Communication is words and concepts in an interpersonal movement transferring actual intelligence and understanding. And, spirituality is words, concepts, communication and action in a creative, loving movement. By definition, any energy that moves over time is doing work, and all of these energies can be harnessed to do the work necessary for the betterment of mankind. Intention and will become prime movers of consciousness and its action in the world, and become the directors of this great energy in this world that we share.
Like all systems, electrical and human, that I have studied and attempted repair upon, I am always seeking to understand each installation or human being fully, and then bring improvement to all faulty or underperforming supporting systems as necessary. If the system was created from a defective foundational understanding, I will even be part of the creation of a new system that will more effectively carry our intentions, and do more meaningful and efficient work for us.
If establishing or maintaining order and balance is our concern, we can channel all relevant knowledge into intelligent systems of control that will maintain maximum stability wherever necessary, but only under those conditions where we understand most or all of the variables.. The basic process control theory underlying all modern industrial and manufacturing systems has an equivalent in the human mind, where feedback and feedforward information loops are used for defining, refining and maintaining order. The human and spiritual equivalence is called the practices of mindfulness, purpose-driven goal setting and achieving, personal inventory, course correction and the making of amends, and meditation.
There are basic limitations of the body and the mind that must be taken into account to have any hope of understanding all supporting, and non-supporting abilities to implement stability and control, and even to enhance our evolutionary potential. For humans, the primary systems of control are through the implementation of the laws of family, society, and religions, and the enforcement and/or obeyance of them. But we have not accurately developed an understanding of all of the boundary conditions for our human experience until we cultivate a more Mother Earth-centered approach to living supported by the practices of mindfulness and enhanced self-awareness.
Humanity’s egregious blunder has been in attempting to bring stability to itself while disregarding the laws of our spiritual heritage and of Mother Nature, which mankind continues to ignore, at its peril. The instability introduced into our collective Earth life system by humanity’s ignorance of these laws will not be correctable until we humble ourselves enough to learn from our mistakes, be they theological, philosophical, religious, economic, ecological, or social in nature.
We are all alive today due to the self-organizing principles of life itself. In manufacturing and industrial processes, in our planet Earth and its journey through the solar system, and even in the human mind, we bear witness to the wonders and mysteries of self-organizing systems in action. The human brain has evolved into a capable predictive mechanism, and is the source of conscious action, since the introduction of language as a tool for communication. Words are used for the measure of our experience and are our primary avenue for communication with each other. And, our words, and knowledge subsequently built upon the foundation of our words, are our mediums for establishing a ground of shared knowledge, and a medium for communication of that knowledge.
Words are containers for potential energy, becoming a material manifestation and representation for kinetic energy, or the energy of movement. The knower (you and I), when in movement towards a goal, is kinetic energy itself. The knower (you and I) can become quite static, however, when our words do not motivate us to become active in this world. We may even become burdened by this unrealized potential energy.
Remember, our words are our attempts to bridge the gap between the knower and the known, and they become part of the basic, though potentially infinite, substance that defines us as verbally conscious beings. The introduction of words into the conscious void of the ancient human being must have been the most transformational, apocalyptic event in human history, probably being more important than the harnessing of the power of fire and water for the creation of the conditions for safety, security, and even society itself. Yet, we still need those who are knowledgeable about these connections, how to safely utilize them, and the understanding of the energy behind them, to assist all of us to reach our collective potential.
Does anyone know of any enlightened masters, or even of master electricians whose knowledge and understanding we may access to achieve our individual and collective goals? Just as social engineers and spiritual masters have insight into how to bring greater balance and order into a person or the society that they live within, so do electricians also have their teaching around such issues.
Electricians are required to learn the philosophy of grounding and bonding, to prevent safety issues from arising, or accidents from happening for any existing facility or for any new installations. Grounding and bonding techniques are utilized for the design and proper functioning of any electrical system. “Ground” in the power distribution grid is literally the ground that’s all around you when you are walking outside. It is the dirt, rocks, groundwater and so on …Mother Earth is the direct source for all successful grounding. Grounding is a process of connecting electrical systems, appliances, and metal enclosures to a common reference point, which is, typically, the potential of the ground that Mother Earth provides. Grounding provides a low resistance path for electricity to flow and is part of the return path for any complete circuit.
Bonding is a process for connecting all conductive materials together who do not have a direct connection to Mother Earth, or Ground, and then connecting that connecting link to Ground. Thus, bonding between discrete components and building structures supplies the necessary conductor paths to make sure that those circuits have a consistent reference potential grid tied to Mother Earth’s ground potential.
By internationally accepted electrical standards, ground potential is set to ZERO volts, and all derived or existing voltages are referenced to that ground, or zeroed voltage. The safety and operational integrity of any system is preserved, protected, and
SAVED BY ZERO,
or a common ground reference potential. What is the relationship between Mother Earth as an electrical ground, and Mother Earth as a spiritual ground?
Our modern world has encouraged us to become increasingly disconnected from nature. Civilization with its need for farming and cities has overrun vast tracks of the natural world, eliminating much of our spiritual and physical support. We eat, sleep and live indoors, drive automobiles that are supported by insulating rubber tires, wear shoes that create a barrier to the Earth, work in offices with no plants or outdoor views, are subject to constant distraction and philosophical oppression and corruption from religious and political authorities, hyper-stimulated through smartphones and media obsession.. This 21st-century lifestyle contributes to a lack of connection with nature, which is the manifestation of our True Ground.
Without being connected to the Earth, we become ungrounded. In at least a figurative sense, if not literally, we are constantly taking on frequencies that aren’t very supportive of our human minds and bodies; frequencies that conflict with our natural resonance. Without grounding, it becomes difficult for us to discharge the frequencies that we’ve taken on board. We can even become controlled and oppressed by those chaotic energies.
Without a common reference point, our words and concepts will be out of phase with other reference points, minimizing harmonization with others. Communication failures resulting from conflicting frames of reference create stress and anxiety. Over time, it takes its toll on our mental and physical health too. Without a connection with the Earth, we don’t share in a healing common knowledge, negating or preventing any sense of supportive calm and well-being that happens naturally when we are earthed.
As a young lad, I had a next-door neighbor friend who I helped to build an underground fort with. We would tell our parents that we were “camping out” in the yard, and then after they went to bed, we would hot wire a cord from the garage to a portable light with exposed connections, which we would use to illuminate the inside of our expanding cave. One time, I became the ground path, when I brushed up against the 115-volt hot lead to the lamp. I screamed, shook, and struggled to free myself from the ground circuit I had become part of, and, by good fortune, i shook free and my life was saved. Another time, as an apprentice electrician, I had opened up a junction box and saw some sparking under a big blue wire nut (used to hold multiple conductors together under one connection point). Without thinking, I reached out for the wire nut, to tighten it. The insulation had broken down from the arcing, and I became the ground for a 277-volt lighting circuit. I was able to jerk my hand free, but other electricians, and homeowners, have been much less fortunate. You have never known a more helpless feeling than being an unintentional ground, and the two near-electrocution stories have stayed with me my entire life.
Yet, what about those other broken connections, the ones that are human in nature, that have brought great harm to us and others? What about that boss who has built up a huge anger charge, just waiting to discharge it through some unwitting recipient? Or how about that religious fundamentalist who bullies or cajoles everyone who does not believe in the same biblical story that he was inculcated with? Who hasn’t ever wanted to ground out that obnoxious narrative? We never know who is just waiting to use our life to discharge their negative energy through, do we?
A primary law of consciousness itself is that all that we see while living in the universe of symbols and words are extensions of our concept and image-filled minds, unless through extensive meditation, or grace, we have developed a sacred capacity to observe with an unconditioned mind. Our minds are just another form of energy that utilizes the potential and kinetic energy of our brains and bodies. Because we are both an individual and a collectively conscious person, virtually all of the images and concepts that we have, all others have, whether they are consciously entertaining them with us at the same time, or not. So, the energy that our mind is sees its energy through the action of its perception, which may, or may not, have any ultimate standing in reality, even though all may share in a common understanding of both the symbology and its application to a consensus worldview that we now call reality..
Remember, everything that we see or experience is ENERGY, either in its potential (resting) or kinetic (action) form. In its potential form, energy is the scenery that we witness prior to naming or categorizing. In its kinetic form, it is the words and concepts that we have created to represent that which we are now witnessing, and then attempt to share with others through communication. Either way, we are that ENERGY, with an infinite capacity to do work, or to be at rest. The words, concepts, and languages that we utilize help us to build energy, store it, and then utilize it through communication in ways that are resonant with the concept of our greater good. Yet, will these ideas be appropriate for the enhancement of the greater good of ourselves, humanity, and Mother Earth?
Electricity does not exist without a difference in potential energy, or voltage, between components, and a completed or closed loop circuit to carry its energy, with a common reference potential. Spirituality and truth are also manifestations of the difference in potential energy between a person’s collective self-concept and any ground of being or ultimate truth that exists. Words are continuously being formed in our minds to bridge that gap, in our own sometimes vain attempt to measure and understand our elusive ground energy of consciousness, which may be immeasurable, yet it must become our common reference point, lest we continue to build into our human systems increasing divisive thinking, volatility and incoherence..
Like in electrical connections, reference potentials in real-life human experience of consciousness itself help to stabilize connections and provide stability and extra predictability to relationships. If all people share a common knowledge and understanding, there will be no catastrophic failures within the communications aspects of the social network.
The best spiritual reference point is also Mother Earth. If the materials of Mother Earth are remembered to be the source for all life, then whatever true potential that we have is sourced through that sacred connection. A great way to stay spiritually grounded and bonded is to remember our true source, and to remember that we are of Mother Earth, and may consciously carry that spiritual energy into all of our relationships. As the Mother loves us, so we must bring that motherly love to ALL of our relationships, This dynamic energy exchange is a form of entrainment or resonance. We will discuss this amazing and potentially transformative quality of energy exchange in greater detail later..
Ultimately, healing, transformation, and enlightenment might be accessible, if we dare to consciously consider and directly address all cultural forces and their often times oppressive toxicities. We need to also ask new questions, and seek new answers to old ones.
- Is that old 1962 transistor radio where you first heard a Beatles song still working?
- Would you visit a thrift store to look for materials for your solar array?
- Would you buy a new stereo amplifier made of old vacuum tubes?
- Would you try to fly a biplane to the stars?
- Can we troubleshoot and repair a complex system, be it mechanical, electrical, or human in nature?
- Is there any relationship between technology advances, and the improvement, or lack of it, of the human condition?
- Can we continue in our old ways of thinking and behaving, and expect any new, or more intellectually, socially, and spiritually evolved outcomes?
- Would you pour new wine into old wineskins?
Technology is always improving, yet the forces of resistance and impedance, reluctance, capacitance, and friction-generated heat continue to remain present in any system, be it electrical, mechanical, or human, in nature. Everything has a life cycle associated with it, starting with its birth and/or introduction into the world, and its exit through deterioration and death. As we remember from our high school physics class and the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, every closed system of energy will experience entropy, unpredictability, chaos, and eventual destruction through the effects of friction and heating. It is a law, so there is no rationality to argue with it. Rationality is understanding the laws, and directing, or redirecting, our processes, including placing our lives in alignment with those laws, accordingly to gain maximum benefit from that understanding.
There is a human equivalent to this 2nd Law of Thermodynamics, and we see it arise in people, and in societies, that fiercely cling to the past, with all of its outdated structures of understanding. The more that dissonance arises between our intuition, understanding, and personal knowledge and the socially accepted norms and dogmas of the day, the more conflict, friction, and inflammatory responses will be experienced by everyone. Human energy systems, like parachutes, work the best when they open up. If a philosophy of continuous process improvement (evolution) has been adopted, then functioning may be stabilized, or improved, all the way through to the end of the engineered system’s, or human being’s, life cycle.
Man Is The Measure of All Things
As the Greek philosopher Protagoras stated, over 2000 years ago, man is the measure of all things, of the reality of those which are, and of the unreality of those which are not. Malala Yousafzai, the great young Pakistani education and human rights activist, has stated that she once asked God for one or two more inches in height, but God laughed and made her as tall as the sky so that she could no longer measure herself. Yet, continue to measure ourselves, and each other, we must do at our benefit, and risk, until we find true freedom, and our spirits have finally joined with the energy behind Malala’s poetic, and profound statement of being.
We often live a second-hand life, using the measurements, or words and concepts, provided to us by our family, culture and history. These factors provide a vast base of knowledge, or that acts as a bridge, or bonding jumper, to those possibilities that we have not yet creatively accessed on our own. Yet are they formed of the substance of reality, of unreality, or an unsustainable synthesis of both?
We must ask some difficult questions, such as:
- How do we weigh and measure our existence, and against which standard?
- How do we compare and contrast, to discover for ourselves what a concept, or an object of reality, true value might be?
- What, within ourselves, do we have that enables us to establish a valid reference point for our measurements, so that there is consistency, not only within ourselves but across the human population we attempt to communicate with, as well?
- How did you see yourself yesterday, how do you see yourself today, and how will you see yourself tomorrow, if you find that infinity is the true measure of your being?
The human race has become the measure of all things, through its use of the energy of words and language, and the tools of creative thought, intelligence, and technology. Words, and all subsequent concepts derived from stringing words together into rational orders, are our measuring devices, or containers for this energy. Naming is the way that our consciousness weighs and measures new forms of life, ideas and experiences, in the attempt to insert the unknown and the mysterious into a present context for understanding. Naming tends to attach a dynamic process to a fixed point in time and space, with a past frame of reference, and we all share in the confidence that the words we use have successfully created and adequately represent that which we are trying to define and communicate with others.
Many of us love to be educated and enlightened by the words and inspired messages from poets, philosophers, scientists, spirituality gurus, shamans or priests, well-meaning physicians, and therapists. If these messengers are connected with truth, then their messages, or “bonding jumpers” may become temporary verbal bridges back to our internal source for peace and healing. Some people travel far and wide to sit in the presence of those who claim they are “ONE” with, or grounded with the Truth. Truth comes from only One Source, however, and it requires an intense desire to find it, unless, like the great herd of humanity, we wish to continue just a second-hand life experience, where we drink liberally from both the troughs of reality, and unreality.
In Greek times, sin was an archery term, which only meant that the archer missed the bullseye while competing, and the “sin” was the distance between the bullseye, and where the arrow landed. Naming is like an archer aiming his arrow at a moving target. Though the archer may have perfect aim, the target, like time itself, is always moving, and he always just misses the mark, with his sin being the distance from the truth that his arrow has pierced. An aspect of “sin” in this explanation is our awareness becoming entrained with the movement of our thought to time itself. We will always “sin” while our thoughts remain hypnotized by the spell of time.
Yet we human archers never give up, and in our vanity, adjust the target in our minds to indicate that we have succeeded in hitting it. If we can find consensus or agreement with others, and share in a collective understanding, or misunderstanding, we have created more collective consciousness, or a “common knowledge”. Just because it is common knowledge does NOT make it accurate knowledge, however.
We must keep this in mind, and keep our minds open to new understandings, lest we institutionalize our assessments into permanent memories that are resistant to change. Remember, our memories are often like Gods to us, always trying to convince us of their righteousness, while incessantly pulling us back into a conceptual, and often times illusory, past frame of reference.
Names are essential for communication, yet are never comprehensive and inclusive enough to completely reveal the true nature of what they were created for in our minds to represent in the first place. When names get gathered together to represent concepts, know that the real miracle of consciousness is about to be experienced, as we become invited into the worlds of abstraction and, potentially, conscious evolution.
Names, and our interpretations of them, change over the years, as we strive for more accurate understandings of ourselves, and of our worlds.
We all attempt to establish internal modeling for an external reality that we witness, from our own unique perspective, while remaining “bonded” to a common knowledge reference point. As long as we have a common reference point, the errors in our “archery” can be measured against the errors of others, and after dialogue, and perhaps more research, a synthesis may be developed that brings our communication into greater alignment with each other.
We are all alive today due to the self-organizing principles of life itself. In manufacturing and industrial processes, in our planet Earth and its journey through the solar system, and even in the human mind, we bear witness to the wonders and mysteries of self-organizing systems. The human brain has evolved into a capable predictive mechanism since the introduction of language as a tool for communication. Words are used for the measure of our experience and are now our primary avenue for communication with each other. Words are forever containers for energy and serve us well as representatives in our minds for so-called objective phenomena. Yet the introduction of words into the conscious void of the ancient human being must have been the most transformational, apocalyptic event in human history, probably being more important than the harnessing of the power of fire and water for the creation of the conditions for safety, security, and even society itself.
The development and the evolution of human language itself have had the effect of bringing the hope for new or enhanced order to the chaos inherent within the unconscious human experience, at least through the structure of words used to represent the world that one is experiencing. We only need to witness the “committee”, or the “monkey mind” operating over time within our minds while it unsuccessfully tries to make sense, or bring order, out of the background chaos forever present in our lives. Those who are neophytes in meditation, and even some of us when troubled by current events, experience this hyperactivity and perceive it as a block to peace of mind. In truth, this internal mental chaos, when reinterpreted, becomes a gateway or portal to be passed through to access deeper, more peaceful and benign regions of our spiritual identity.
There is an interesting interpretation of the Pauli Exclusion Principle which carries great relevancy to our understanding of the word. The Principle simply states that in our effort to describe or define any particle, or object, or to establish its exact location in the universe, we can never know all of the characteristics of the object of observation at one time, such as its angular momentum, direction, speed, and mass, being limited to three out of the four descriptors. Like our imperfect attempts at locating a particle in space, our words are our sincere, though incomplete, collective measurements, or representations, of reality, or our theories for how things now are or could become in the future. We attempt to measure and locate eternally elusive phenomena, and our words are perpetually in a state of “catching up” with an ever-unfolding new reality.
The nature of self-organizing systems is that once the quiescent point (also known as the Q point, set point, functional operation level, balance or homeostasis point) has been altered, the system naturally seeks a return back to its native state, or “normalcy”. For our human experience, this may be both a blessing and a curse, depending on the “state” to which we are being returned back to. Typically, if we stretch a rubber band, and then release it, it returns to its original state. But, if we have stretched the rubber band too hard and too often, the rubber band loses its elasticity, and will never again return to its original state. A human being who has been stretched beyond their capacity through excessive stress, anxiety, and/or addictive behavior cycles will NOT be returning to their “normal” state, once it is recognized that the “normal” state was, in fact, an unhealthy, abnormal state of being in the first place, which in turn led to the creation of their present chaotic mindset..
For our planet Earth, this may mean ridding itself of any or all offensive life forms that threaten its very existence, and that continue to drive it out of balance with itself. The time intervals for finding a new, or returning to an old, “set point” that indicates a healthy life is far different between an individual human life and the life of planet Earth. The Earth may take thousands, or millions, of years to return to or reach its optimal state, whereas the evanescent ones must act immediately and decisively, lest we not live long enough to witness any real healing progress.
A life out of balance means that not enough knowledge has been uncovered, or applied, to guarantee harmonious system operation. And it is of ultimate importance to realize that, in the end, the human race is not the determiner of what homeostasis is for the world, as that has been established through many billions of years of its evolution and, thus, its changing relationship with itself and the rest of the Universe. It is also of greatest importance to realize that no man, or woman, is an island in this vast universe and that our perception of harmony and balance is inextricably intertwined with the rest of humanity. No matter how healed, balanced, or empowered we believe that we are becoming, we are eternally linked with the rest of humanity, and the universe, in our attempts to create order or balance out of our own unique versions of the collective chaos known as human knowledge. The temptation to follow the herd, or to swim with the lemming, is built right into the foundational nature of our socialized existence.
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I dare not leave this subject without the presentation of an amazing, though disquieting, theory of human population control. We have an immune system that is automatically activated to fight and neutralize any invader in our body. Our minds work on a similar level, as it attempts to fight and neutralize any offender who threatens our safety, security, or peace of mind. Our planet Earth, or Gaia, also is a vibrant, living being with almost infinite potential to bring forth new forms of life into the universe. And Gaia has its innate power to bring balance back to itself, with unexpected consequences in store for our unwary, overpopulating human race. It is not a stretch of reason to assume that whatever consciousness Gaia may be infused with may interpret our reproductive over-exuberance as indicative of the presence of an imbalance within its energy field, and make attempts to correct it.
Our planet Earth is now engaged in balancing itself and its energies, just as it has for billions of years. Though it may not have consciousness of the same nature as humans (the mind of the immortal, and the mind of the mortal, do not have a lot in common), the self-organizing principle of this vast system includes the elimination and/or balancing of all forces that do not positively contribute to its life and further its evolution. The human race, due to overpopulation, has brought great imbalances to planet Earth. Some experts believe that we may have ten times the amount of humans on our planet than our planet can sustain in harmony. The stress being generated in the mind of man by this overabundance of human life forms may well be part of the self-protective mechanism of planet Earth itself.
Humanity has captured a piece of Universal consciousness, which includes planet Earth and its collective awareness. The respected mystic Teilhard de Chardin offered to the world in the 20th century his Noosphere concept which parallels this understanding. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin was a French philosopher and paleontologist known for his theory that man is evolving, mentally and socially, toward a final spiritual unity. He is not alone in this belief and understanding, and a modern, recently deceased Buddhist master, Thich Nhat Hanh, offered many heartfelt dialogues on the unity of Mother Earth, and mankind, in consciousness itself. Yet, how might this truth reflect through the present collective ignorance and chaos created by the human experience with Mother Earth?
Our collective desire to go to war, to kill each other, to commit suicide, and/or to not generally thrive as a collective, may well be the Earth, acting through human consciousness, to bring healing to itself through the removal of damaged parts of itself, at least enough to bring balance back to the Earth. The Earth is, basically, eternal, as far as we are concerned, and is PRIMARY here, while the human race presently has little conscious presence in eternity. Our own Armageddon may well be written right into the operating system of Earth consciousness as it brings stability back to itself through all of its agents, be it earth, air, sunlight, fire, or water, and its almost infinite expression of flora and fauna.
Without harmony and peace, no homeostasis around a healthy operating point is possible.
The miracle is not to walk on water, or in the air, or on burning charcoals. The miracle is to walk on this earth. You breathe in, you become aware of the fact that you are alive. You are alive and are walking upon this beautiful planet. The greatest of all miracles is to be alive—-Thich Nhat Hanh
Insight, intelligence and discernment to sort through the vast ocean of knowledge, and ignorance, created by historians, scientists, teachers, philosophers, the media, theologians, propagandists, pseudo-intellectuals and religious fundamentalists are required tools to find the precious oysters bearing the real Pearls of wisdom.. The hubris and clay feet of many of our spiritual experts show either their lack of success in making a consistent connection with our ground of being, or Truth, and/or our lack of understanding of what that connection and subsequent behavior might actually look like.
(Mother) Earth is ground the world around—Universal teaching for electricians worldwide.
Mother Earth, amongst its almost infinite potential for creating and supporting life, has an electromagnetic nature, with its magnetic north and south poles. Humans are electro-biological beings, also being made of Earth stuff, thus we are not only electromagnetically inspired but also influenced by all of Mother Earth’s other characteristics. Through a process of shared consciousness not yet fully understood by scientists and biologists, the life force field that constitutes our being exchanges information continuously with the environment, which shows that there may be unexpected outcomes for the human race with the loss of biodiversity through our heartless, reckless expansion through the .natural world.
Our bodies have over 50 trillion biologically and electrically interconnected cells that are totally derived from our ground of being, Mother Earth. We are not only created from materials endemic to this planet, we are a minute version of Her… We are also influenced by all of the forms of life which have derived their existence from this almost infinite ground of being. Humanity has an extraordinary possibility for resonance with all of our natural world, if it would only rejoin it. When we return to our source and connect with nature, our energetic frequency begins to change, and may actually appear to oscillate with the same frequency of life force as the Earth and the rest of its life forms.
We need a real awakening, enlightenment, to change our way of thinking and seeing things. To breathe in and be aware of your body and look deeply into it, realize you are the Earth and your consciousness is also the consciousness of the Earth.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
Imagine, if you will, that there are 7.5 billion mountain peaks on our planet, each one representing one human life. And, imagine that each peak looks at the other peaks, and does not see that each peak is connected to the same Earth, and each peak would not exist without its support. Now imagine that each peak wants to try to establish a connection with the other peaks. The biggest bridge-building project in history must be undertaken, to connect all of the peaks together. Now imagine that these bridges are the energy of words, sentences, and concepts. These bridges are our “bonding jumpers” to each other, so hopefully we bond through mutual love and compassion, and not hatred and fear, though both are possible. These bridges are equivalent to our collective consciousness, the matrix that verbally connects the entirety of humanity together. Yet what about the connection to the Earth? If the peak feels separate from its ground of support, what might bring the connection back to the peak? Can each peak find its unique ground of support? Can one postulate that the ground of our being calls out to the peaks to remember their true ground? And will the Earth send messages to the peaks, to remind them of their origin? Would one call those words that bring awareness back to our true connection with the Earth “the word of God”? These “inspired words” would be called our “grounding connections”.
We need a real awakening, enlightenment, to change our way of thinking and seeing things. To breathe in and be aware of your body and look deeply into it, realize you are the Earth and your consciousness is also the consciousness of the Earth.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh
So what might a personal experience of a Universal Ground look and feel like? Keep in mind that mystics and saints, and electricians, each have their own unique experience and representation of their personal experience of our ground of being. My experience in 1992 at Lookinglass Lake, in the Mt Adams wilderness area is one possibility for the direct experience of “Ground”.
Lookinglass Lake, Mt. Adams, Aug 1992
I awoke one morning during the summer of 1992, and finished preparing to leave on a weekend hiking and camping trip with Sharon, up to the Mt. Adams Wilderness Area. We were planning to backpack into Lookinglass Lake, about a ten mile hike one way.
My senses were somehow heightened, and I felt as though I could see and hear better than I was accustomed to. Food tasted better, the air carried many more scents, and my entire body felt alive with vitality, and sensation, well beyond what I was accustomed to experiencing in my day to day life. I had to work that day, so I ignored my “extra sensory perception” for most of the work day, though I remained excited about joining with my beloved partner Sharon on the hike.
Our drive took longer than expected, and we arrived in the Mt Adams Wilderness area too late to reach the developed campground we wanted to use as a basecamp, so we parked for the night in a snow park area, and set up our tent to shelter for the evening. We sat outside of the tent, and I began to experience, in its fullness, that “extrasensory perception” yet again, but much more profoundly this time. It was as if I had sensory receptors in the dirt, the sky, and the trees. It was as if I had grown roots, so to speak. I not only could see the ground all around us, and the beautiful trees, and the sky, I could FEEL the ground, and it was as if I extended all the way through everywhere that I could see. It was the experience, in a new form, of “all that I can see is myself”. It was like I was “hearing” and “seeing” and “feeling” for all of nature that surrounded us, and it was a profound mystical, transcendental event.
We finally lay down for the evening in our tent, and though I was still quite profoundly experiencing this event, I was able to fall asleep beside my beloved. Shortly afterward, I awoke to a great light enveloping our tent, and I arose to go outside to see what was happening. In the sky appeared a Great Light, and the entire surrounding area was bathed in a light that totally eliminated all shadows, even though it was near midnight! I awoke Sharon, who rose to witness the light. To this day, I have no clue if the light is associated with my “heightened mystic awareness”, or if it was just a coincidence that a UFO would awaken us to bathe us in its radiance.
After we returned home, I told my mother about the light, and she reported that the week before, a mysterious light in the Mt Adams wilderness area was also reported in the Oregonian newspaper,, so who knows what was happening there?
There is only One Creator. There is no reason that we cannot be attuned with ALL OF ITS CREATIONS, including all willing members of the human, animal, plant, geological, and, uh, “alien” races..
When we touch our Self with deep awareness, we touch everything
Mother Earth is fully conscious, in a way we do not yet fully understand, yet, we can all eventually resonate with Her. . . .
I have touched our Mother Earth with the deepest of awareness.
I love and treasure our Mother Earth.
How about you?
Looking back at my life’s history, I remain immersed in the light of its Mystery.
In the hushed solace of meditation, amid the harmonized chants of prayer, and within the cathartic silence of contemplation, lies a mystical door ajar, beckoning us to experiences that transcend our empirical grasp. I propose a stance that may be considered radical by some and revelatory by others; it is the belief that through dedicated practices such as meditation, prayer, and contemplation, one can indeed tune into the consciousness of Mother Earth and the broader tapestry of the Universe.
Our mundane interactions with the world are frequently limited by sensory perceptions bound to the tangible, leaving us desensitized to the profound interconnectedness of existence. We’ve become estranged from the language of the cosmos, a dialect that doesn’t rely on words but on the ineffable communion of energy and spirit. But what if we could recover this lost dialect? What if, through introspective precision and disciplined spiritual exercises, we could peel the veil and gaze into the unifying essence that clandestinely orchestrates life’s symphony?
Those skeptical of extra-sensory perception argue from a purely materialistic viewpoint, where seeing is equated with believing. However, there exists a plethora of anecdotal and recorded experiences throughout human history, hinting at a possibility that our individual consciousness is but a single note in a grand cosmic score. Mystics, shamans, sages, and ordinary individuals have all, at times, reported a profound sensation of unity—a blissful merger with the environment, with other beings, and with the universe at large.
Meditation serves as a vessel in this explorative voyage into consciousness. It undocks us from the noisy harbor of daily distractions and sails us into the deeper waters of heightened perception. Through breath and focused intention, the meditator can gradually disengage from personal ego and merge with a greater, boundless awareness—one that resonates with the pulse of the planet and the stars.
Prayer, irrespective of religious philosophy, creates a sacred interface—a hotline to the divine. Those who have engaged in deep, fervent prayer talk of moments when they become more than just a solitary voice; they become part of a chorus—a universal supplication that undulates with a pure love for all existence.
Contemplation is the mirror reflecting the self back upon itself until all separateness dissolves. It dares us to gaze long enough to realize that our reflection is not confined to the mirror’s edge but extends into the expanses of all creation.
Mainstream science begins to parallel these mystical assertions with concepts like quantum entanglement and the theory of a participatory universe, although cautiously. While direct empirical evidence of shared consciousness remains elusive, these scientific parallels give credence to the idea that there may be realms of knowledge we are just brushing with the fingertips of our current understanding.
The perspective I advocate is an invitation—an invitation to open our internal eyes to the possibility of a connection far more intimate and far-reaching than our conscious minds can typically comprehend. It suggests that the universe, in its immeasurable wisdom and radiant splendor, is conscious in ways we can sense if we allow ourselves the vulnerability of deep spiritual encounter.
The call of the mystical isn’t just the domain of the ancients or the fodder for new-age optimism. It’s the persistent whisper in every heart that seeks unity in the majesty that is the universe. It is a beckoning to join in the dance—that grand, enigmatic ballet of existence in which we are not merely spectators, but participants—flesh and spirit woven into the fabric of an aware and living cosmos.
(revised from 8000 to 3000 words-this sucks) An Electrician’s Guide to Our Universe: Life, Love, and Death on Its Unlimited Bandwidth
In the vast library of human curiosity, certain numbers resonate with a peculiar significance. In Douglas Adams’ classic, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the number 42 is famously presented as the answer to the ultimate question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. This answer, calculated over 7.5 million years by a supercomputer named Deep Thought, has become a cultural touchstone for our collective search for meaning. But can we truly be saved by the number 42? While I am no galactic hitchhiker, I am a former electrician, and my personal supercomputer has arrived at a different answer—one that is both simpler and infinitely more profound.
That answer is 0.
How can we possibly be saved by zero? To understand, we must embark on a journey that bridges the spiritual with the scientific, the esoteric with the tangible.
My life, since 1987, has been an unwavering quest to understand the nature of reality as it is presented to us—promoted and upheld by our historical, political, social, and religious institutions. It has been a mission to find sane pathways away from their collective insanity and malfeasance, toward a higher ground of understanding, experience, and expression. I am intensely interested in all connections, yet my focus has sharpened over the years to those that are primarily human in nature. I am also endlessly fascinated with our true ground of being, Mother Earth, and her timeless, silent teachings.
This spiritual exploration is not unmoored from the physical world; it is deeply rooted in a field of expertise few look to for esoteric truth: electrical engineering. I am an expert in electrical connections, having been a student of electrical, electronic, and computer engineering for six years in the 1970s and 1980s. My career as an electronic technician, an electrician from 1980, and a computer engineer from 2006 until my retirement in 2016 provided me with a foundational consciousness for understanding the very art of measurement—of reality, and even of consciousness itself. Very few people look to electricians for the Truth, though they certainly love for us to remodel, repair, and upgrade their systems. Yet, this background has given me access to doors of hidden knowledge, a wisdom far too rarely applied by the rest of humanity.
A pivotal moment of insight occurred in a process control theory class in 1992. I was struck by how the feedback and feedforward-dependent systems we studied mirrored the internal workings of the human mind, especially in activities like maintaining order, seeking balance, or achieving goals. I shared this observation with my teacher, who was impressed. He noted that while many work with practical electrical theory, only a few gain even a nodding familiarity with its esoteric principles. No secret handshake is required for admission to these higher teachings—though, in Oregon, you had better be licensed!
This parallel between engineering and human cognition is not a mere flight of fancy. It points to a deeper reality, where the fundamental laws governing our universe are reflected in the very structure of our consciousness. Electricity, like language or our connection to Mother Earth, is a foundational phenomenon. It requires no belief, only an understanding of its potential to either empower us or bring great harm if we remain ignorant of its supporting laws.
The fundamental unit of electricity is the electron, a negatively charged particle. Its negative charge is not a value judgment but a convention describing its difference in potential relative to a neutral or positive source. When these electrons move in a coordinated way, they perform a multitude of work for us.
This work happens within a circuit. Through a difference in potential energy (voltage), electrons flow from a source, through the “line side” of a load, through the load itself, and back to the source through a common connection. This is a completed circuit. A fundamental principle, the Second Law of Thermodynamics, dictates that energy cannot be created or destroyed; it is only transformed. In this simple electrical circuit, the energy delivered by the source is fully utilized by the load and the conductors. Ohm’s Law further clarifies this, stating that the sum of all voltages in any closed circuit must be zero. The energy given by the source is perfectly balanced by the energy used by the load. By convention, the ground is connected to the negative terminal of the voltage source and to the load side of the resistor, establishing a common reference. If a difference in potential exists between two “grounds,” the circuit becomes unpredictable, and its performance degrades.
Now, let us transpose these principles onto the landscape of the human mind. Our symbols and letters are analogous to electrons. They are the fundamental units of consciousness, requiring an intelligent application of our perception, senses, knowledge, emotions, and intuition.
And what, or who, becomes the voltage source in this analogy?
We do.
A conceptual voltage—a difference in potential—is created when the knower (you or I) attempts to understand the known (an object of our awareness) by assigning a symbol, a word, or a string of characters to it. This perceptual creation makes the knower the electrical equivalent of a voltage source. The new object of perception becomes part of a perceptual circuit, reflecting the potential difference between the knower and the known. The circuit is balanced when the energy of the knower’s understanding becomes equivalent to the energy of the known. The higher the potential energy of the knower, the greater the energy imparted upon the newly known. The knower and the known become one, mirror images of each other. Remember Ohm’s Law? The sum of voltages in any closed circuit must be zero. Even in this human circuit of naming and understanding, a form of Ohm’s Law is at work.
But a crucial question remains: what is the equivalent of ground potential to consciousness itself?
WELL, Jasper did not place anything here.
Words are how we categorize and name each new link between our self and our environment. The word we create becomes the equivalent of electricity in consciousness, completing a circuit that connects our knowing self to the new known in an actual exchange of energy. Each verbal creation is a new iteration of our conscious self, adding to our sense of self and our vast accumulation of knowledge. This accumulation literally increases our potential energy as human energy sources.
How can we understand this on a human, spiritual level? Consider the practice of meditation. In some traditions, the practitioner is given a mantra to focus on. The intention is to concentrate on that word to the exclusion of all other thoughts. If the practitioner maintains a clear enough focus, all that remains is the knower (the practitioner’s awareness) and the known (the mantra). This is a completed circuit of consciousness. In a realized state, the knower becomes ONE with the energy behind the word itself, literally seeing a reflection of themselves in the mirror of the word’s realization.
In July of 1987, I had a transformative experience while practicing this exact style of meditation. My mantra was “Master Teacher of the Light.” After several days of persistent, though seemingly unsuccessful, practice, something shifted. Five minutes into reciting the mantra, I was suddenly lifted out of my normal bodily awareness into an out-of-body experience. I perceived my life as a car, with my conditioned mind at the steering wheel, dictating my direction based on the sum total of my past. I faced a choice: continue letting my past drive my future, or let go. The choice had been made long ago. Magically, mysteriously, I let go. I was lifted out of my body, with no awareness of my past, only a present state of being that was a total mystery, yet held an irresistible, magnetic attraction.
I was carried by the river of the unknown through an infinite, vibrating array of interconnected living structures—the very matrix of consciousness itself. My awareness spiraled downward, materializing within a chamber without boundaries. There was no light or darkness, only Peace and Joy. There was an inexplicable SILENCE and a VIBRANCY that felt deeply familiar, though I had never been there before. Time did not exist. As I “sat” in this womb, I could see the entirety of consciousness—its truth and magic, its nonsense, and all variations in between. I saw how each word I had ever created was ONE with me. In this exalted state, there is no “you.” Every concept of “you” I had ever created was merely an extension of me. There is only ONE, no matter how tightly we cling to the MANY. Each “known” is another iteration of my sense of self; the knower and the known are forever ONE.
This profound experience reveals the architecture of our reality. Concepts are words married together in a creative, evolutionary movement. Communication is the transfer of intelligence and understanding. And spirituality is words, concepts, communication, and action in a creative, loving movement. Any energy that moves over time is doing work, and these energies can be harnessed for the betterment of mankind. Intention and will become the prime movers.
Like all systems I have studied and repaired, I always seek to understand the whole and bring improvement where it is needed. If a system is created from a defective foundation, I will be part of creating a new one. If order and balance are our concern, we can channel knowledge into intelligent systems of control. The process control theory from my engineering studies has its human equivalent in practices like mindfulness, purpose-driven goal setting, personal inventory, course correction, and meditation.
However, there are limitations. For humans, the primary systems of control have been the laws of family, society, and religion. But we have not accurately developed an understanding of the boundary conditions for our human experience until we cultivate a more Mother Earth-centered approach to living. Humanity’s egregious blunder has been in attempting to bring stability to itself while disregarding the laws of our spiritual heritage and of Mother Nature. The instability introduced by this ignorance will not be correctable until we humble ourselves enough to learn from our mistakes—be they theological, philosophical, religious, economic, ecological, or social.
We are alive today because of the self-organizing principles of life itself. The human brain evolved into a capable predictive mechanism with the introduction of language. Words are our tools for measuring experience, our primary avenue for communication. They are containers for energy. The introduction of words into the conscious void of the ancient human being must have been the most transformational, apocalyptic event in human history, more important even than harnessing fire and water. Yet, we still need those who understand these connections to help us reach our collective potential. Does anyone know of any enlightened masters, or even master electricians, whose knowledge we may access? Just as social engineers and spiritual masters have insight into bringing balance, so too do electricians have their teachings.
Electricians are required to learn the philosophy of grounding and bonding. “Ground” is literally the earth beneath our feet: the dirt, rocks, and groundwater. Mother Earth is the direct source for all successful grounding. Grounding connects electrical systems to a common reference point, the potential of the Earth. By internationally accepted standards, this ground potential is set to ZERO volts. Bonding connects all conductive materials that don’t have a direct connection to the Earth back to this common ground. The safety and operational integrity of any system is preserved, protected, and SAVED BY ZERO.
What is the relationship between Mother Earth as an electrical ground and Mother Earth as a spiritual ground? Our modern world has encouraged our disconnection from nature. We live indoors, drive in insulated cars, wear shoes that create a barrier to the Earth, and are hyper-stimulated by technology and oppressive authorities. This lifestyle contributes to a lack of connection with our True Ground. Without being connected, we become ungrounded. We take on frequencies that conflict with our natural resonance. Communication failures resulting from conflicting frames of reference create stress and anxiety.
I have known the terror of being an unintentional ground. As a boy, I was shocked helping a friend hot-wire a light for our underground fort. As an apprentice, I grabbed a faulty 277-volt lighting circuit. I was lucky to break free. But what about the other broken connections, the human ones? The boss with a built-up charge of anger, the religious fundamentalist bullying those who don’t share his story? We never know who is waiting to use our life to discharge their negative energy.
A primary law of consciousness is that all we see in the universe of symbols are extensions of our own minds, unless we have developed the sacred capacity to observe with an unconditioned mind. Our minds are a form of energy. Everything we experience is ENERGY, either potential (resting) or kinetic (action). Words, concepts, and languages help us build, store, and utilize this energy. Electricity does not exist without a difference in potential and a closed circuit with a common reference. Spirituality and truth are also manifestations of the potential difference between a person’s self-concept and their ground of being. If all people share a common knowledge and understanding, there will be no catastrophic failures in the social network. The best spiritual reference point is also Mother Earth.
We need a real awakening. As the Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh taught,
“To breathe in and be aware of your body and look deeply into it, realize you are the Earth and your consciousness is also the consciousness of the Earth.”
So what might a personal experience of this Universal Ground look and feel like? My experience at Lookinglass Lake in 1992 offers one possibility. While backpacking with my partner, my senses became extraordinarily heightened. It was as if I had sensory receptors in the dirt, the sky, and the trees. I had grown roots. I could not only see the ground, but FEEL it, as if I extended through everything I could see. It was the experience of “all that I can see is myself.” Later that night, a Great Light enveloped our tent, bathing the entire area in a light that eliminated all shadows. To this day, I do not know if it was a UFO or a manifestation of my heightened mystical awareness. But it affirmed a profound truth: there is only One Creator, and we can be attuned with all of It.
This is the call of the mystical, the persistent whisper in every heart that seeks unity. It is an invitation to open our internal eyes and realize that the universe, in its immeasurable wisdom, is conscious in ways we can sense if we allow ourselves the vulnerability of deep spiritual encounter.
These pages are your invitation to continue on this path. Find the life, the love, and the death that are available to you on the universe’s unlimited bandwidth.
