The Artist as an Outsider:
Vincent van Gogh is perhaps the most celebrated example of the “mad artistic genius”, a man who was frequently cited by art historians as suffering from manic depression and who revealed through his letters to have questioned his own sanity. In and out of institutions for much of his adult life, the root cause of van Gogh’s mental state has been hotly debated, with porphyria, schizophrenia, tertiary syphilis, lead poisoning and addiction to absinthe among the possible explanations. Actually, Vincent van Gogh found the 19th century painting called The Madness of Hugo van der Goes rather mesmerizing. The painting is about the medieval artist Hugo van der Goes, who had been confined to a monastery due to his mental illness. The painting depicts a person who is clearly tormented brooding and agonizing on unseen questions and issues. All around the man are people trying to help and calm the tormented man. Van Gogh wrote, at times, saying that he himself identified with the painting of Hugo.
Van Gogh himself fairly succinctly summarized his situation when he stated that, “It is only too true that a lot of artists are mentally ill – it’s a life which, to put it mildly, makes one an outsider. I’m all right when I completely immerse myself in work, but I’ll always remain half crazy.” Having had over a dozen documented spiritual-psychic experiences (which author and scholar Jean MacPhail observes are unique) - with reasonable interpretations - yet I am still considered an outsider (even by my wife and children) – I can heartily empathize with the statement “I’ll always be half crazy!”
For perspective – here are the Mayo clinic guidelines for dealing with spiritual people: Several studies have shown that addressing the spiritual needs of the patient may enhance recovery from illness. Discerning, acknowledging, and supporting the spiritual needs of patients can be done in a straightforward and noncontroversial manner. Furthermore, many sources of spiritual care (eg, chaplains) are available to clinicians to address the spiritual needs of patients. Mayo Clin Proc. 2001;76:1225-1235
Setting The Stage: Exceptional & Unprecedented Documented Experiences
Jean MacPhail, author of A Spiral Life (good book), a scholar and Vedanta nun, observed that my roughly dozen documented spiritual-psychic experiences complemented by a large number of undocumented experiences are unique - and all with reasonable interpretations, which are very consistent, being perceptions of threats to the group very similar to the alarm calls of animals.
Highlights of my spiritual-psychic experiences 1. My call to the Toledo, Ohio FBI office warning of the assassination attempt on Reagan in 1981 2. My notarized, historically unprecedented ,and exceptionally detailed warning about the Weathermen terrorists on October 18, 1981; 3. My call to CIA prior to 9/11 to warn about 9/11. 4. A relatively recent spiritual-psychic warning - or alarm call, as it were - would be an email sent to FBI agent McElwee [who I first connected with back in December 2018] on 10-30-20 foreseeing the Nashville bombing which happened on Christmas Day 2020.
1981 Mustard Seed Spiritual Epiphany-Warning
My pivotal October 18, 1981 spiritual-psychic experience - in my 40 years of, to be honest, rather haphazard experiences - is the Notarized (with a FOIPA stamp on it) and very detailed What a Nightmare - Mustard Seed Experience. Besides the explicit details in the warning such as "groups, fabricating bombs , identification of the Weathermen Manifesto, woman, money [twice], "22 were assembled," New York, and death - as with much of historical prophecies, there are some symbolic and metaphorical synchronicities in the "Mustard Seed" precognitive stream of consciousness. The statements, “Time is at hand! Time is at hand, Angels said.” - coupled with the - “Fight Hard, Die Well! A prophet spoke!” statement appear to symbolically represent the deaths of the two policemen ("Time is at hand" - twice by an angel) and the death of one Brink's guard (“Fight Hard, Die Well” a prophet spoke). Allowing for symbolic and metaphorical interpretation, that kind of intricate detail is utterly unknown and unheard of.
Introduction "Few people have the imagination for reality!" - Goethe & Beyond Reality - An Acausal Truth
Very prophetically, Goethe observed that, "Few people have the imagination for reality!" As a pioneer of Quantum Physics, Neil Bohr, as well as the other modern physicists confronted by the utterly unsolvable and irresolvable paradox of Quantum Mechanics and Quantum Entanglement now widely recognize the truth that Quantum Physics presents a problem which cannot be solved, on the face of it, by either rational analysis or logic - seeming an acausal reality far beyond our knowledge and understanding! Bohr observes that quantum mechanics has changed everything "Truth" and our understanding of reality completely and totally concludes that now, 'Reality, no longer, is Real!' Bohr states unequivocally that "Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real!"
Werner Heisenberg, another pioneer of Quantum Physics, observed that one could no longer see reality as a fixed reality, but rather as a dynamic reality of potentials and possibilities. Similar to the physicist Werner Heisenberg, the famous physicist John Archibald Wheeler, who popularized the the idea of "black hole" in physics stated, “this is a participatory universe [and] observer-participancy gives rise to information.” Wheeler's reflection about a "participatory" factor is also, when you think about it a very powerful, pervasive, and at times, an overwhelming factor when it comes to perceptions and consciousness.
Neil Bohr observed that “religions through the ages have spoken in images, parables, and paradoxes means simply that there are no other ways of grasping the reality to which they refer. But that does not mean that it is not a genuine reality." Neil Bohr's observation remarkably mirrors Carl Jung's insight from long ago: "The mind is neither the world in itself nor does it reproduce its accurate image. The fact that we have an image of the world does not mean that there is only an image and no world." (Carl Jung, Letters Vol. II, Pages 520-523) More poetically, Wolfgang Pauli observed that “It is only a narrow passage of truth (no matter whether scientific or other truth) that passes between the Scylla of a blue fog of mysticism and the Charybdis of a sterile rationalism. This will always be full of pitfalls and one can fall down on both sides.”
An Acausal Transcendental Spiritual-Psychic Experiences
My notarized and rather exceptionally detailed precognitive "What a nightmare" warning-prediction from 1981, was what could best be described as a "once in a lifetime" experience. The once in a lifetime transcendental spiritual-psychic experiences is a rather exceptional, notarized, precognitive, and very detailed warning-prediction titled "What a nightmare" that I went over briefly with an FBI agent in Toledo, Ohio in 1981 (group, money, woman, fabricating
bombs, New York, “22 were assembled,” death, as well as identification of the Weathermen manifesto in the "What a nightmare" title). As with many spiritual experiences in peoples' lives, my "What a nightmare" played a significant role in shaping my world-views and my understanding of the meaning of life.
While my experiences occur somewhat haphazardly, there is without question a definite consistency since nearly all of my spiritual-psychic experiences could easily be described as "perceptions of threats to the group" - and they occur pretty haphazardly. Both of the psychologists, Daryl Bem and Dean Radin agree that many spiritual-psychic experiences stem from instinctual processes. Daryl Bem successful repeated experiments (in over 90 countries and involving over 1500 subjects) had various designs and the most successful design centered on perception of sexual images before they were displayed.
In light of recent research into peoples' spiritual experiences which were highlighted by Park and Paloutzian recently, which reveals that somewhere between 1/3 to 1/2 of people have experiences, so I am far from alone in having had a fair number of spiritual-psychic experiences.
"Being Crazy is Perfectly Legal!"
When, in my search for a sympathetic psychologist, I came across a psychologist, who happened to be familiar with Lillydale, a city in New York, dedicated to “psychics.” In fact, John related a story he had heard about a psychic. John's story told about a psychic who told a client that his father had two funerals. After the client thought for a minute, the client responded that, "Yes, that is correct." The client's family had been so divided over a rather insignificant dispute that it had become necessary to hold two funerals.
I was really looking forward to meeting with John. I brought up my notarized, precognitive “What a nightmare” warning-prediction, in part because I wanted to make sure we were singing off the same page and he understood where I was coming from and also because it is very complex and I am still not sure I fully understand it. John asked why I wanted to talk about it, saying he didn’t think that a good thing. I told him because it is unique in a historical sense partly because comparatively due to its detail and partly because there are maybe around a dozen documented precognitive ‘predictions’ in historical literature.
John responded, “Oh no, there are thousands of documented predictions.” I was utterly shocked - just dumfounded - because I knew from very substantial research that that was completely off the wall, and utterly ridiculous. I briefly asked him where he got his information. Rather than answer he repeated his statement. I wasn’t going to sit there and listen to a blithering idiot so I got up to walk out. John blurted out, “You should thank me. Any other psychologists would think you are crazy.” Without skipping a heartbeat, I hotly retorted, “It is perfectly legal to be crazy!” – turned on my heel and left. I should really should have added, "If I weren't crazy, there is no way I would ever be able to get along with all the wacky lunatics like yourself."
But, there it is – “The Truth” about mainstream psychology in relation to spirituality and especially transcendental spiritual experiences. Even though I had a notarized precognitive warning with an extremely reasonable interpretation, in this scientifically enlightened world based on Judeo-Christian tradition, “I am crazy” – that is my reality! And, honestly, it is a matter of perspective in all truth and reality. Take Secret Service agents for example. Those crazy SOB's actually throw their bodies into the paths of bullets. Next to a Secret Service agent I am one of the sanest people on earth. Daryl Bem, a prominent psychologist, quoted a study done which showed that of all the social sciences, psychologists, for some reason, had the worst rating for receptivity to psychic of all the other sciences. It is in fact all a question of perspective, and many mainstream psychologists have without question very subjective and biased opinions about transcendental spiritual experiences.
The problem stems from the "materialism doctrine" very quietly piggy-backed on the scientific revolution and took the academic world by storm without Christians or ordinary people knowing a thing about it. The reality of it is that what they are teaching in Maryland from what I can tell is not “Psychology” but actually, in reality, “Materialist Psychology” - which has successfully minimalized and marginalized spiritual ideas and beliefs as well as meaning.
Conversations with The Absurd!
Nothing is simple in psychology - or with psychologists - and there are many psychologists who are, indeed, receptive to spirituality. However, as a general rule there is a predisposition and an academic taboo against spirituality in much of mainstream psychology. It may seem back-asswards but I sometimes have more luck with “abnormal” psychologists, than ordinary psychologists, for some strange reasons. Time and again, however, I run into some “Materialist” psychologists, who quite rigidly and absolutely “Refuse” to accept, or even – God forbid – actually approve or validate, precognitive spiritual experiences, in any way whatsoever.
Now, I have had four or five dreams which easily and readily could be interpreted as coming true, two of which are documented (via email). A typical discussion with a materialist psychologist about precognitive spiritual-psychic experiences who I encountered on a FB psychology group, centered on the idea of the “esprit de corps” versus transcendental spiritual experiences. Materialism emphasizes quantification and measurement, and even though “Esprit de Corps” is not easily quantifiable, the materialist psychologist stated that the "esprit de corps" of marines is “real” and OK!
However, he stated unequivocally that my documented dreams which are relatively readily and easily interpreted as coming true were Not OK. I pointed out that William James, the Founding Father of American Psychology, demonstrated in his classic work, The Varieties of Religious Experiences, that spiritual experiences create a sense of reality. So, from that it would stand to reason that my brain was processing information normally and my understanding of those experiences as precognitive dreams was both natural and healthy! Furthermore, the well-known and well proved (many times over) process of categorization (Tajfel, Turner, Hogg, Abrams, and most other social psychologists) would clinch my understanding of my experiences as spiritual-psychic experiences as both natural and healthy. However, the (materialist) psychologist still adamantly insisted that my documented spiritual experiences are "unreal!” - True story.
Spiritual Experiences are Real!
My innate talent seems to be in political intuition and precognition (lucky me). As a result, some of my experiences involve perceptions of terrorism and as a result, since the ‘purpose’ of these instincts is to “warn” of threats to the group, one of which involved the FBI and one which involved the CIA.
In light of those "warnings" - experiences, I can tell you, for a fact, that without doubt, from personal experience that – honest to God – and experiences do NOT get ANY more REAL than calling the FBI or CIA to warn of terrorism. Furthermore, I have been ‘fighting’ with the “establishment” which without question has a “materialist bias" which is hostile to spirit and spirituality for something like 38 years. So, while I am not putting down the esprit de corps of marines or army in any way, but I’ll put the “reality” of my spiritual experiences up against the reality of their esprit de corps.
The bottom line is that many “materialists” have preconceived ideas of what “Physical Reality” is in reality, and because of those “preconceived” and unproved ideas prejudge my experiences. I have thought about my experiences for the longest time and after several years realized that my transcendental “Mustard Seed” Spiritual experience is beyond comprehension. So, I know I do not know what the “Ultimate Physical Reality” is! That being said I also know or a fact that nobody else in the world- including scientists – “Knows” what the Ultimate Physical Reality or Absolute Truth is, actually “in truth!”
So, for psychologists, who not only know nothing about physics, to put down or degrade my spiritual-psychic experiences is highly unethical, as well as being incredibly arrogant and intolerant as well. People have had spiritual-psychic experiences for tens of thousands of years – and it is very likely that people will continue to have spiritual psychic experiences for the next ten thousand years at least – especially since historically they have shown themselves to be creative.
As the sociologist, Emile Durkheim, pointed out, religious and spiritual beliefs are the forces that created the very creative and prosocial social ideals such as compassion, justice, and so on. Then there are all the world mythologies which are unbelievably imaginative and creative. Several people have commented that psychologists and psychiatrists tend to like to “label”, “diagnose”, and put people in nice neat boxes – because after all they are “materialists” – and that is what materialists do! I’m like – “For God’s sake, can’t psychologists just add a new chapter to “Psychology” Textbooks titled “S**t Happens!” – and just accept people for what they are. I mean, Honest to God, the fact that my dreams come true is NOT my Fault! In any case, trying to force human consciousness into rigid and inflexible boxes isn’t the most professional or smartest thing to do.
Unconscious Aspect of Spiritual-Psychic Processes -
Atheists Have Spiritual-Psychic Experiences
An important characteristic of spiritual processes is that much of it takes place at an unconscious level. Fraser
Watts, the religious scholar, noted in one survey study 24% of the people who reported
spiritual-psychic experiences were atheists - meaning of course spiritual
processes would be primarily unconscious processes - as was mine. These facts confirm in a way, Carl Jung theory that "spirit" [spiritual processes] are "autonomous unconscious processes" with an independence of action parallel to that of a person's "conscience."
I should highlight the fact that, as Fraser Watts reports, many people are very reluctant to discuss their experiences in part because they are very private and personal. However that is also, in part there is a “superstitious stigma” attached to transcendental experiences – or worse, the stigma of “mental illness.” I have met perhaps a bit more than two dozen individuals who have told me their spiritual-psychic experiences. Every single person except for one was adamant about remaining anonymous.
The Question of Normalcy
I should emphasize that the most critical conclusion that Park and Paloutzian reached from their analysis of the studies, is that spiritual experiences do have the characteristic of having a “normalcy” that up to now have been “ignored by social scientists.” I can testify at great length, from 36 years of experience of dealing with psychologists and psychiatrists that social scientists have not only ignored the question of "normalcy," but worse, some 'professionals' deliberately repress and put down all forms of spirituality because what, in the end, could only be termed their personal and subjective prejudices.
Is the Ideal of Compassion, "Religious Drivel?"
Furthermore, the statement that "All spirituality is superstitious nonsense is blatantly and flagrantly false. Even a precursory over-view of human history reveals that religious and spiritual beliefs have been a very powerful and prominent force and influence in societies and culture throughout most of human history. As Durkheim pointed out religious and spiritual beliefs have created norms, laws, morality, and, in the end society itself. The quintessential illustration of that would be that religious and spiritual beliefs created the spiritual-social ideals of compassion, justice, equality, righteousness, truth, and charity. Since in every major religion these principles and doctrines are a pivotal and vital for their religious and spiritual communities, it would stand to reason that spiritual and religious processes were central in the creation of these spiritual ideals.
On top of that, there are a wide variety of spiritual experiences and behaviors readily available for quantification and measurement. Compassion is a powerful drive and in the United States alone the one group, Volunteering in America, estimates there are 77.4 million volunteers in America working an estimated 6.9 billion hours. Other excellent illustrations would be the spirituality of care-givers-volunteers such as Dr. Sweitzer, or Mother Teresa who cared for the poor and helpless and founded an entire network of charity hospitals.
Then there is the spirituality of idealism of civic activists, such as Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, or Tolstoy, which served as a powerful driving force and an inspiration in their lives, as well as providing guidance in nonviolent protests. Then, there is the spirituality involved in grieving and bereavement, as well as many other types.
Lastly, to "prove" religious and spiritual beliefs are "superstitious nonsense," the materialists would have to demonstrate that all the social ideals such as compassion, and all the rituals and social structure, morality and so forth is "worthless" and "nonsense." Another maxim of materialism is that all mental activity is contained only in the firing of neurons.
The Fatal Flaw in the Materialist argument:
"Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence." Carl Sagan
Again and again academics and materialist psychologists tell me I can't think the way I do because transcendental spiritual experiences can't be quantified. Because they "assume" that transcendental intelligence (which Max Planck believes in) doesn't exist and so, they feel perfectly free to degrade me. Of course, Carl Sagan points out that approach incorporates a seriously flawed methodology.
My response is that I do Not need anybody's permission to interpret my dreams! I stopped asking permission long ago. That would be especially true in light of quantum physics and Quantum entanglement. So, at the moment materialism - as it is employed by academics - is, in truth, no more than opinions and speculation - psychological bullying and intimidation.
The last time someone threw quantification in my face - after telling him I didn't need his permission to interpret my dreams - my response was that prior to 9/11, I did in fact call the CIA and Did try to warn them about the impending terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. I tell you, I may have "tried - and failed." But, honest to God I Was there and I Did try - I was There. So, I asked him exactly where the hell he was before 9/11. All these materialist psychologists and psychiatrists make all their opinionated judgments and diagnoses, and I'm thinking - "Who the hell do these people think they are. At least I did "Something." If materialists think they can bully and intimidate me with their nonsense and stupidity, they really need to rethink that.
Review of Materialism
You know materialism, which translates to “No Spirituality, No Meaning, and No Social consciousness, is a problem when a 700 plus page comprehensive ‘History of Psychology’ textbook by, Morton Hall, a well-known author does not have a single reference to “spirit,” “spirituality,” or “meaning.” Besides many Furthermore, from research into curriculum and talking with two psychology professors who told me if I wanted to talk to a psychology professor about spirituality I would have to go outside the state of Maryland.
I found no courses on spirituality in any of the curriculum of the five Maryland Universities I reviewed. There were no existential or positive courses, nor any courses on Jung or Frankl. Furthermore, a psychology major I spoke with had never heard of a Need for Meaning advocated by many 'greats' such as Aristotle, Frankl, Jung, Geertz, Baumeister, several philosophers, as well as Einstein, Sagan, and Heschel who hold the spiritual belief in awe and wonder, which without question drives the need for meaning and the drive to understand as a profound spiritual belief.
An Underlying Assumption Which is Flawed
An underlying premise of materialism is that the 'science of psychology' should be constrained to what is quantifiable and measurable. Besides "spirit", there are numerous concepts of human consciousness which cannot be quantified such as love, freedom, equality, and so on, and so on. As Sagan stated, "The absence of evidence is not evidence of an absence." For instance, physicists readily admit that dark energy and dark matter cannot be measured, yet they readily acknowledge the existence of these forces, because they can infer their existence through gravitational fluctuations. The same is not true with materialism. Strict materialists adamantly insist that spirit and spirituality do Not exist - at all - in spite of thousands of years of human history in which religious and spiritual beliefs have been very prevalent and prominent. Somewhat hypocritically , materialists are very selective, and I have never heard a materialist say "Love is superstitious nonsense." - or "Freedom is superstitious nonsense."
A quick example of the arbitrary application of the quantification-measurement aspect of materialism would be that "Behavioral" school of thought in psychology, which at one point utterly rejected the concept of the "unconscious" because the unconscious couldn't be quantified or measured. From talking with college graduates, it seems clear that some (not all) seriously believe that all spirituality is superstitious nonsense (especially any connected with religious beliefs) - which is not only untrue, but also unhealthy. And all accept materialism, apparently, as a "hard science" and don't question it.
The Question of Hard Science
I had a discussion with a neuroscientist who told me not to post any more spirituality posts on her neuroscience FB Neuroscience group (she was an administrator), who said, "Now, everything is hard science." Apparently she had not read the neuroscientist Antonio Damasio books. Damasio states unequivocally that he views neuroscience evidence only as "approximations" and not exact or absolute science. Plus she must have by passed Einstein and Carl Jung who said that much of human consciousness is beyond measurement. It is partly because many social scientists believe in the "hard" or "absolute" nature of science - even social sciences - that some seem to feel free to make "absolute statements."
Many college graduates of psychology appear to frequently take the view that psychology and materialism is hard science. One of the lessons I learned from my experience is how little I (and science at the moment) knows and how complex human consciousness. From the insights gained through my experiences, my view is that psychology is in its diapers - while many psychologists I meet appear to believe that we already have all the answers.
Members of groups readily and easily adopt group norms and values
However, as social psychology has demonstrated people 'readily and easily" adopt and internalize the norms and values of a group. So, it would seem likely that students being members of he 'academic group' would also internalize the norms and values of academia and adopt a "materialist" attitude which would accept or reject concepts and beliefs largely based on the values of whether they are quantifiable or measurable.
Much of learning is nonverbal, so it would seem possible that the same principle would apply as well to other ideals such as compassion, justice and equality, and so on - which are learned as being "unscientific" by association. The scientific premise in that sense is flawed in that human consciousness cannot be constrained and imprisoned to the nice neat tiny "materialistic box" they have made for it. With spirituality, it is clear that materialists are trying to force human consciousness into their preconceived concentration camp of preconceived artificial and unnatural belief-structure.
Geertz's "Model of" and "Model for"
The famous anthropologist, Clifford Geertz observed that a principle of the human mind, especially in relation to religious rituals and religious symbolism, is that a "model of" serves also as a "model for." That is, a "model of" reality becomes a "model for" reality which shapes world views and behavior. Internalizing the materialist model "of" human consciousness , becomes almost automatically a model "for" - which shapes the thinking of the human mind. There is quite a bit, as I already mentioned about human consciousness which is not quantifiable, so that attitude, in my view would not be healthy.
Furthermore, it is not necessarily follow that a "model of" reality shaped and structured by the materialist methods focused entirely on quantification and measurement would make a good "model for" reality which shapes and determines world views and behavior. For instance, I asked a biology PhD what the meaning of life is. her response consistent with materialist doctrine is that scientifically there is no purpose to life, so there is no meaning to life. While her belief might be consistent with a scientific "model of", in real life it is an unrealistic and unhealthy belief. In real life, human beings eat, drink, and breath meaning. A person can't get out of bed or go to the grocery store without engaging processes engaged in grasping and understanding meaning in one form or another.
As Roy Baumeister observed The Meaning of Life is actually a conglomeration of myriad meanings. That is, a person would have a meaning or meanings for their parents, another meaning for their siblings, another meaning for their friends and colleagues, another meaning for the police, religion, etc. So, the biology PhD was wrong. She did have meanings which would, in fact, form a "Meaning of Life" of one sort or another though she hadn't thought about it. A "model of" would not necessarily make a good working "model for."
Conclusions
In a nutshell, what group members would ordinarily pick up most readily is an "attitude" - the norms and values of the group - a stat of mind, if you will. As with all human beliefs, "materialist" views vary greatly from person to person. however from talking to some "strict materialists" I have found them to be very inflexible and rigid in their thinking - very possibly due to education and training.
Materialists are Driving the Bus
What is really self-defeating about materialism is that they are excluding important research into meaning and spirituality done by existential and positive psychology which shows both improve a person's sense of well being, drive, and at times physical health - which would be helpful to many people. And materialists say they are the "keeper of the keys!' My question is "Keys to what?" Materialism has to be the most barren and unfruitful ideology in the history of humanity. The emphasis on quantification, measurement and reductionism, which eliminates or downplays (actually in reality by not talking about certain ideas) concepts such as freedom, justice effectively reduces the "mind" theoretically to the level of a rat's consciousness. Materialists, who have the most twisted and unscientific ideology - no spirituality, no meaning, no social-collective consciousness - are actually driving the bus in academia.
Spiritual Experiences are Real!
My innate talent seems to be in political intuition and precognition (lucky me). As a result, some of my experiences involve perceptions of terrorism and as a result, since the ‘purpose’ of these instincts is to “warn” of threats to the group, one of which involved the FBI and one which involved the CIA.
In light of those "warnings" - experiences, I can tell you, for a fact, that without doubt, from personal experience that – honest to God – and experiences do NOT get ANY more REAL than calling the FBI or CIA to warn of terrorism. Furthermore, I have been ‘fighting’ with the “establishment” which without question has a “materialist bias" which is hostile to spirit and spirituality for something like 38 years. So, while I am not putting down the esprit de corps of marines or army in any way, but I’ll put the “reality” of my spiritual experiences up against the reality of their esprit de corps.
The bottom line is that many “materialists” have preconceived ideas of what “Physical Reality” is in reality, and because of those “preconceived” and unproved ideas prejudge my experiences. I have thought about my experiences for the longest time and after several years realized that my transcendental “Mustard Seed” Spiritual experience is beyond comprehension. So, I know I do not know what the “Ultimate Physical Reality” is! That being said I also know or a fact that nobody else in the world- including scientists – “Knows” what the Ultimate Physical Reality or Absolute Truth is, actually “in truth!”
So, for psychologists, who not only know nothing about physics, to put down or degrade my spiritual-psychic experiences is highly unethical, as well as being incredibly arrogant and intolerant as well. People have had spiritual-psychic experiences for tens of thousands of years – and it is very likely that people will continue to have spiritual psychic experiences for the next ten thousand years at least – especially since historically they have shown themselves to be creative.
As the sociologist, Emile Durkheim, pointed out, religious and spiritual beliefs are the forces that created the very creative and prosocial social ideals such as compassion, justice, and so on. Then there are all the world mythologies which are unbelievably imaginative and creative. Several people have commented that psychologists and psychiatrists tend to like to “label”, “diagnose”, and put people in nice neat boxes – because after all they are “materialists” – and that is what materialists do! I’m like – “For God’s sake, can’t psychologists just add a new chapter to “Psychology” Textbooks titled “S**t Happens!” – and just accept people for what they are. I mean, Honest to God, the fact that my dreams come true is NOT my Fault! In any case, trying to force human consciousness into rigid and inflexible boxes isn’t the most professional or smartest thing to do.
Spiritual-Psychic Experiences
Spiritual experiences come in all types and varieties - from NDE experiences, to mystic experiences, conversion experiences and so on. Some people react because they appear irrational and disconnected from reality and so don't fit with their worldview, as it were. In some cases that may not be the case.
At times, I seem to have the knack for meeting people who have spiritual-psychic-experiences. I go to a local restaurant and talk to waiters and waitresses, mostly students, about spirituality. "S", a young very intelligent student at a local university, when I asked he if she had any spiritual experiences responded, "Yes". She related that she has strange dreams and that she sometimes has 'empathy' reactions with others. She said one time she remembers a friend told her she had 'shoulder' pain and immediately she also felt a pain in her back.
First, I would point out that "physiologically" there may be a physical source of her 'empath' experience, in the existence of "mirror neurons." neuroscientists have shown that when a monkey watches another monkey eating a banana, the region of the brain with mirror neurons light up that are also directly connected with the action of the monkey eating a banana itself. So, her empathy experience, in light of mirror neurons, is not all that far-fetched. Recent research into Unconscious Processes demonstrates that unconscious processes are very salient and significant in the processing information, perception, and motivation. Bargh states that recent “research has demonstrated the existence of several independent unconscious behavioral guidance systems: perceptual, evaluative, and motivational. Bargh concludes: "Unconscious processes are smart and adaptive throughout the living world, as Dawkins (1976) contended, and the psychological research evidence that has emerged since the time of his writing has confirmed that this principle extends to humans as well. In nature, the “unconscious mind” is the rule, not the exception." Keeping in mind the intricate and complex unconscious processes involved in vision which process massive amounts of minute data, it is readily apparent that the process of mirror neurons could be readily recruited to empathy experiences.
My experience with most psychologists and psychiatrists is that they often have a tendency to look only skin deep. So, assuming the mirror neuron argument is accepted most would stop there and look no further. However, explaining the mechanism – the “how” of the empathy experience does not explain the function or purpose of the process - the Why.” Furthermore, ordinary psychologists would fail to grasp how the 'empathy responses' affect a person.
From personal experience, I can tell you psychologists don’t understand people who have spiritual experiences. I have met probably a little over a couple dozen people who have had spiritual-psychic experiences. From personal experience and from talking to others I know that many people find spiritual experiences overwhelming or even challenging at times. So, I asked S. if her experiences weren't overwhelming to her at times. She responded that at times they can be a little "much" at times. From my research "internalization" is probably more common than ordinarily thought. here is a link to internalization. https://www.spirittruthandmeaning.com/stories-about-seeing-through-others-eyes-and-internalization
With Spiritual Experiences, You have to look more than Skin Deep!
While there are a fair number of psychologists who are receptive and understanding about spiritual experiences (Jungian, logotherapists, existential & positive psychologists, as well as the new transpersonal school of thought), I can safely say from 36 years of experience of dealing with mainstream psychologists, my observation would be that as soon as the word "spirituality" or psychic" comes out of peoples mouths, they get their rubber stamps out and stamp it "psychosis" or "schizophrenia" - and because it is unreal, it is of course nonsense and meaningless so they literally pay no attention to the spiritual experiences. So, Another illustration of a predisposition to treat spiritual-psychic experiences in a superficial manner would be from my own somewhat "documented" spiritual-psychic experiences which showed a very consistent pattern of expressing perceived "threats to the group," and a rather evident hypersensitivity to political events. In my own experiences there does seem to definite connection between the [largely unconscious] spiritual processes and the processing of social-political stimuli. A quick glance at some historical illustrations, such as St. Joan of Arc, show the same pattern.
While I personally do not hear voices – nor have I ever heard voices - the question did cross my mind that perhaps people like St. Joan of Arc who had visions of angels, must in some way fashion of form been integrating spiritual with political processes, would most likely have been responding to political stimuli in one way or another since her voices did instruct her to become involved in politics. Then there is the contemporary, Michael Reed, who hears voices and believes in knocking down “ten commandment monuments” (in both Arkansas and Oklahoma), he was acting as an agent of God (which in light of the Evangelical leaders who support Trump, who besides being a pathological liar is clearly a racist might actually be correct). Michael Reed claims to be the “white horse of revelations.”
Then there are the assassins of Garfield and the attempted assassin of Theodore Roosevelt who both claimed divine intervention. Theodore Roosevelt’s (attempted) assassin had dreams in which the ghost of McKinley told him to get revenge. From some historical evidence, then, it would seem a reasonable hypothesis that the brains of some ‘schizophrenics’ (making generalizations in view of the complexity of the human mind is to engage in speculation) could be translating political stimuli and more precisely ‘perceptions of threats to the group’ into “voices.” Here is a link to a short essay that briefly overviews that very issue: https://www.spirittruthandmeaning.com/post-titledda7ac8a
It seems very clear to me that not only in the above cases like St. Joan of Ar, her "transcendental spiritual experiences were not completely and irrevocably disconnect entirely from reality and otherworldly, alien, or irrational. In other words there are some very real and in a sense 'measurable processes going on. In my personal experience is incredibly clear and very important to understand that "spirit" and spiritual processes are intrinsic to human consciousness and work through and within the human mind and are definitely not totally disconnected form the world or reality - rather, in my mind, frequently the opposite. As the Nobel prize winning physicist, Brian Josephson emphasized, social scientists and mainstream materialist psychologists overemphasize the "transcendental or supernatural" aspect of spirituality.
From discussions with some "Christian leaders" it is clear the same obsessive attention to Transcendental God or Spirit is excessive exists with some "Christians" - and in some cases worse than scientists. I posted an essay on a "Christian" theology site about some problems with the role of spirituality, such as the prevalent taboo against spirituality in mainstream psychology which has a distinct "materialist bias." I got four answers which said pretty much the same thing: "God knows this, and God will take care of it!" What would have happened if Martin Luther King Jr. had said to his followers, "Don't worry about civil rights or discrimination, God will take care of that." If Jesus Christ had he been there would have been appalled. Jesus Christ never-ever said believer could sit on his ass and expect God to take care of everything - Never! I responded to them that, "I guess since God takes care of everything, that makes you utterly worthless!" Those four "Christians were psychologically, and worse, spiritually crippled. From talking to many "Christians" my take is many of them use God for a crutch. God gave human beings and incredible brain chock full of all sorts of software and processes. A Christian who has lost the capability to reason, is simply not a Christian at all, but a mockery of Christ.
The
Institution of Mainstream Psychology
From personal experience and from research it is clear that Maryland clinical psychologists (and from research, it is clear that psychiatrists have seriously skewed their data) do not have the studies reviewed by Paloutzian and Park. In 36 years of 'treatment' by psychologists and psychiatrists I would characterize my treatment as ‘dehumanizing” and de facto conditioning designed to eliminate my interest in spirituality. Inf act in 36 years all these ‘professionals made diagnoses and judgments yet never asked one single question about my experience – so I am like: “How can these people reach all these decisions when they don’t know a damn thing about my experiences – and so actually don’t know anything about me either, in all truth. In fact, it was my experience with John that made it crystal clear not only was John deliberately and consciously trying to “redirect” me as deliberate ploy to condition me and manipulate me, but it seemed very apparent to me on reflection that my prior treatment over the last 36 years definitely met the criteria of being conditioned. That was four or five years ago.
That was the last time I ever talked to a “mainstream psychologist!” For the record I have no symptoms except some very high levels of social anxiety (surprise surprise), and it is clear I also have a sensitivity for political stimuli (surprise surprise). Also, for the record I am not taking any medications except for AHDH, and my psychiatrist (who I ask about Park and Paloutzian’s research – of Course - and get no answer, of course), though she recommends relaxation techniques and meditation.
As author Morgan Hall observed, there was a complete schism, early on, between clinical psychology and psychology. From talking to psychologists there seems to be a mix of training and education. One I spoke with highlighted much of the education involved experiments on animals. Another I spoke with said he had some Jungian training. However, to the best of my knowledge, neither Jungians nor logotherapists *based on Frank) have training in spiritual experiences. Of course, you have to realize that transcendental spirituality is in a category by itself. In fact, it is the issue that historically set materialism – which is very pervasive in today’s society in motion to begin with.
Maryland - Locked Out!
Ostracism and Conditioning
Here is a link to documented experiences: https://www.spirittruthandmeaning.com/brief-summary-of-documented-precognitive-perceptions
Here is a link to the "What a nightmare": https://www.spirittruthandmeaning.com/What-a-Nightmare