Saturday, September 30, 2017

Deconstructing the Psychology of Reincarnation


Critical Thinking and Paradigm Development in the Mystical Philosophy of Reincarnation

The soul and its vehicle are locked in opposite domains, yet living in the same wave-space. The paths of the soul ever beckon to the higher realms. As if in counterpoise, the paths of its vehicle, the body, always remain in fascination with the matrix of space-time. The two sides are always in disagreement. But they manage to have a conversation. This conversation, this dialogue, this concord is a difficult one. But it must occur if they are both to thrive in their native domains. Having made temporary peace, they are free to pursue their respective aims.

The one who is born from the upper realms is an explorer of multidimensionality. He or she or it (actually this form has no gender, but we will try to use conventional terms for ease of comprehension) is a pure being, without assumptions, devoid of biases, totally open to new experiences and possessed of the spirit of wonder always. But, in order to explore the realms of multidimensionality, this pure being must acquire and maintain vehicles of exploration. There are several kinds of these vehicles, each suited to the plane or dimension or universe of its current fascination. Normally, the soul that journeys within its vehicle is not cut off from the Source. Meaning, he maintains and enjoys actual contact with higher realms, especially with its realms of Home. There is a saying: “Home is where the Heart is.” And indeed, it is also true in this instance. In fact, the monad, that is locked within the temporary prison of its vehicles, has made a massive sacrifice just by encasing itself in various case sheaths, as it were, in its efforts to sample and explore the various multidimensional realms. At some point, the soul will be extremely interested in the sensual delights and other pleasures of the realm that he is exploring. This is normal, as long as he always connected to his base, his Source, his Home. 

But what if, by some mechanism, whether intentional or accidental, the monad or the soul is suddenly cut off from the Source, from his Home, and from the memory of his origins? Then a very interesting existential dilemma arises! We shall go back to this subtopic later. 

         Meanwhile, the vehicles of the monad or soul are its primary expressions in the realms of exploration. These vehicles are chosen for a purpose. They serve the goals of the Soul Curriculum which the monad follows as a guide in its mystical adventures. The soul curriculum of every soul defines the road-map of its journey. In the realms of the material universe, the vehicles achieve an unusual power that is characteristic of templates which are operating in their own elemental fields. We recognize that the physical vehicles are children of the material universe. Thus, while souls or monads are exploring in the material universe, their physical vehicles are apt to attain a position of great importance. Again, the normal attitude of the soul is to recognize that physical vehicles are simply tools for the navigation, learning and pleasure of the exploring monad. This equanimity is at its highest in the safety and security of the existential contours of the Deep Self or Higher Self, which represents the core of every reincarnating being. There arises a situation however, when the reincarnating aspects of the Deep Self, which I call the Fractal Selves, are cut off from their Source. This situation gives rise to what we mystics now call the “Existential Loop Dilemmas.” The reincarnating aspect, separated from the Source and its Deep Self Core, and phase-locked in the planes of matter, or whatever plane that has caught it as prisoner, may come to think that his current manifestation is already the most authentic one. The only real one.  When in fact it is only a façade, a mask, a vehicle of exploration. This propensity to exalt the fractal over the Deep Self or Higher Self may also be magnified by any devious system, born of negative polarity, which attempts to maintain such a state of ignorance for its own egocentric ends and agendas. If this is a state where you find your fractal self involved in, then you are required by the forces of destiny and serendipity, to muster all the resources at your disposal to overcome the boundaries of ignorance and attain the ascended state. To seekers from the planet Earth, we now usually call this the “wisdom quest.” The wisdom quest is the attempt of the fractal soul to realize its own true mystical nature, liberate itself from the bondage of ignorance and willingly and cheerfully choose to graduate from its present state. This is no easy task. 

         There are many, many roadblocks to Ascension or soul graduation. The acquired tendencies of the soul may be impediments or barriers. Negative attitudes are definitely impediments, but also are “actuations arising out of habit.” Failure to educate yourself in any way possible is a roadblock, too. Thus, it is incumbent upon every soul to pursue knowledge for its own sake, as well as knowledge for practical purposes. You never know when that bit of knowledge shall help you. Learn, learn, learn.  Institutional systems, when implemented by an invading race out of selfish intentions, may be barriers to mystical development also. And to this morass we can also add culture. Culture is definitely a product of the evolutionary successes of a race, but it also possesses challenging variables which may pose as impediments to Ascension itself. Thus, Ascension is a very, very subtle enterprise. It is the most challenging task in any incarnation! 

         Like any story or narrative, the spiral of reincarnation has its own theme, structure, flavour, timing, colour, vibration, story-line, beginning, middle and climax. Though the outline of the reincarnation process is defined by the soul curriculum chosen during cosmic birth; the variables, specifics and dynamics of that process itself is coloured by the specific requirements of the Higher Self or Deep Self. In this, as in many areas of Cosmic Life, free will and the liberty of choice are essential parameters. The Deep Self is free to choose what narratives it wants to explore, using his own particular paradigms of learning, in its own contexts, using its own timing and rhythm, and occurring in environments of his own choice. No one can interfere with this Cosmic Law. The Higher Self has complete control of its incarnational perspectives, including the nativity and culmination of those fractal selves. The Deep Self and its incarnational streams are all existing in their own incarnational universes. They are inviolate and given the ultimate freedom to decide their own narrative cycles and progressions. 

          A human soul is an explorer par excellence. In order to elicit maximum learning from its incarnational lives, the Deep Self is invited by the Cosmos to sample and experience as many varied lives as much as possible. The dance of the energies represented by the Houses of the Zodiac is only a guide to the variety and multiplicity of lives that a fractal soul can assume. At the same time, the natal astrology chart is a map that gives an insight to the range of possible lives and incarnational streams that a cosmic being can assume. An array of archetypes can dazzle the imagination. Child, warrior, lover, scribe, mother, father, sage, king, queen, mystic, genius and the like. These archetypes are the templates of assumption, characteristic of the infinite dances that a soul can assume. These and many more archetypes are you! You are them, in your thousands of lifetimes! You have loved before, been betrayed before, died before, a thousand times a thousand! You have been born a king, entrenched in the pedestal of power. You have been born a beggar, experiencing the extreme poverty that life can offer. You have been born a queen, a shamaness, a priestess, a lover, etc. You cannot graduate without experiencing the male as well as the female perspectives of the universe. All of us are both male and female, as well as beyond male and female.

         And now, let us try to appreciate the times we are living in. Prophets of the Mayan world have made precise calculations centuries ago. These insights have been popularized by Hollywood into the science fiction movies we all enjoy today. Technically speaking, these prophecies correspond well with the inspired research of individual Seekers like Terence McKenna, who elicited the wave-forms of the I Ching. They are all warning us, of the possibility in our lifetime of an event of maximum Novelty. This event indeed corresponds to what sages have been proclaiming as the graduation point, the Zero Point, or the Days of Ascension. Our generation is extremely lucky to even have the possibility of experiencing such an event. From the point of view of reincarnation, the culmination of a narrative brings with it all the connotations and associated meanings that are unique to such a transpersonal phenomenon. Again as learners of the phenomenal universe, it is incumbent upon us to contemplate the possibilities of such an event with the utmost care. Now is the time to harness all our spiritual and mystical resources. Now is the time to bring forth all the wisdom that we have acquired through eons of reincarnation. Now is the time to unite, brothers and sisters. For it is extremely imperative for all of us human souls to inquire and quest whether we are now in the stage of culmination. Ascension, the culmination of our quest eons ago, is our birthright. Always has been, always will be. 

         Reincarnation is a gift, a very powerful gift of the Cosmos. It allows spiritual beings from various dimensions of the Cosmos to discover the manifold realities of Life in all its plethora of permutations. It is the fulcrum of soul pilgrimage. As cosmic learners, let us learn to use it to our optimum advantage. 

About The Author:

Sensei Erwin Rimban was born in the Philippine Islands. Since a young age he has been fascinated by the esoteric realm and avidly read books on world history, philosophy, astrology, mythology, the social sciences and similar fields. Educated at the University of the Philippines, where he graduated Cum Laude, he added Evolutionary Biology to his plethora of interests. After graduating from college, he spent many years in the tourist destination of Baguio City where he pursued a career in writing and teaching, while at the same time finding time to be a meditation teacher. Currently, he is active in organizational work, where he is promoting advocacy programs in educational philosophy, spiritual counselling, wisdom, metaphysics, mysticism, psychology, history, educational philosophy, ecology and alternative medicine. (He can be reached at this email: mentorpath@gmail.com).