For centuries, writers in the science fiction genre have put into words concepts that when viewed at first blush, appear to be set in a framework of fantasy. Is it possible these concepts are so real, yet our mind has no relational context other than through the use of metaphoric analogy?
Could explorers into alternative planes of consciousness be describing their spiritual and mystical journeys in a way where these experiences could best be understood by others?
In recent weeks I had the pleasure of interviewing Scott Mandelker, Ph.D. Scott has an M.A. in Integral Counseling and a Ph.D. in East-West Psychology from CIIS in San Francisco. His dissertation was the basis of his first book, From Elsewhere: Being ET in America, using an ethnographic and qualitative approach focused on 'the subculture of people' who come to know they are "wanderers" or "from elsewhere."
During the introduction and overview of his academic credentials, Dr. Mandelker gave a brief story of how he became interested in his line of work. It seems he had a kind of existential crisis early on in life, and was driven to discover, what he called, "a way forward or a place in this world" -- realizing only later that his experiences were quite characteristic of the group he later studied, those who may be called "wanderers."
To learn more of what the premise of being "from elsewhere" is all about, you may wish to visit his sites, where Dr. Mandelker explains his work in great detail.
In my interview, we considered the idea that there are two veils that limit our comprehension of reality -- veils greatly affecting our understanding of self and the way of self-actualization. Living in a narrow space within a kind of enclosure by the veils, we try to garner knowledge of the world around us in an attempt to learn and become well-adapted humans. Scott refers to these two veils as "the Social Matrix" and "the Cosmic Matrix."
To the metaphysical newcomer, these concepts may sound confusing or even overwhelming. So let's us take a step back and begin by explaining how the term "Matrix" is being utilized.
In the movie "the Matrix," I think we find important symbolism of some of the metaphysics of human incarnation and social group life. In that movie, and in the overall trilogy of "the Matrix," we're shown a false virtual reality limited by the perceptual mechanisms and electrical processing of the brain-body system, set up and maintained by a deceptive global elite. Yet this is a kind of shroud, and provides merely a veiled illusory reality that people believe in -- while it just isn't so. This in my view is akin to what I'm calling the Social Matrix.
On the other hand, the Cosmic Matrix is basically the in-built limits of perception of human being in physical body -- defining what we call our "conscious mind" and all that's outside it, being "the unconscious." The conscious mind is fed by the five senses (touch, taste, smell, sight, hearing), and a sixth of intellect -- which uses mental process such as logic, thought formation, memory, imagination, intuition and creativity. These five physical senses plus the sixth (mind-consciousness) are the main input sources of what we call conscious mind or personal experience.
In Dr. Mandelker's interpretation of the Law Of One (five volumes of channeled work also known as The Ra Material) -- which he has studied for over thirty years -- the Cosmic Matrix is also referred to as "the veil of forgetting", and was designed by what Ra calls, "the One Infinite Creator" or the Logos. But the purpose of this in-built limitation to human experience was to stimulate soul evolution -- and not to harm us in any way.
In this kind of "spiritual forgetting" we are faced with an irritant, like a catalyst or accelerant for personal seeking and development. According to this view, before birth and prior to arriving on the physical plane, we knew the lessons and personal challenges that we'd set forth as a kind of 'life curriculum' for personal development. And after we depart the physical world, we once again reconcile with a broader spiritual knowing, including how we faced those predetermined lessons.
However, during 3D existence we are oblivious to these notions -- and from the perspective of the Logos, knowing fully without doubt would limit our desire for experience, associated with the need to remember who we are and why we're here. Without this veil of forgetting -- akin to living in the Garden of Eden -- we'd likely avoid the learning which we consider painful or beyond us, and thus not develop our true potentials.
Dr. Mandelker gives two quotes from Ra:
The purpose of incarnative existence is evolution of mind, body, and spirit. [54.24]
The purpose of incarnation in third density is to learn the ways of love. [82.15]
Very simple! he remarks at the end of this quote further quoting:
Were there no potentials for misunderstanding and, therefore, understanding, there would be no experience. [54.7]
Somehow we must travel through a maze of confusion in order to ascertain and value the fullness or our magnificence.
Dr. Mandelker explains, from Ra, that humans were created somewhat frail in physical strength and constitution so as to encourage interdependence and social formation, thus potentially helping one another and thus more rapidly evolving in consciousness and potential.
By compassion and service to others we may learn to establish moral choice. In exercising our free will, we may align with one of two polarities, "positive" and "negative" -- which is not the same as having a positive or negative attitude. This kind of spiritual polarity has more to do with how we express our self. On the "positive path" we express by open-heart and receptivity, expanding love, truth, and benefit to all. On the other hand, the "negative path" is contractive, selfish and self-interested for power and control. More about the ways of these two spiritual paths of moral polarity will be explained in parts one and two of "What's your Polarity."
I asked Scott, "how can humans best utilize the catalyst offered by our relationships in order to extract lessons that would benefit our knowledge of the self?" In his response, he spoke of the work of "healing and balance" as the root of self transformation. This includes a process of self inquiry that seeks to see and know with honesty, awareness, and a kind of focused self-accountability.
So this is about moving to unconditional allowing, welcoming, and a willingness to experience just what is in front of me. Yes, I'm angry. Yes, I'm sad. Yes, I'm confused. Yes, I want to know what's happening but I don't. Yes, I will keep seeking to know. Yes, it seems my partner is being unfair. Yes, these are all my emotional processes and I want to heal them and make them better. So what can I do next? One then would need to apply deeper inquiry and understanding, like: How did this come to be? Do I know? How did we get here? Where am I at fault, where is my partner at fault? Is what I think is going on, really what's going on?
Dr. Mandelker advises: "Be gentle with yourself when you realize how much you don't know. Be gentle and kind with your partner acknowledging that we both have limited wisdom and understanding of the situation. It is similar to the allegory of Plato's cave. And so, to really understand the two veils, and to really gain strong foundation in penetrating both of them, we also need to understand that our incarnation is like a lacuna, or the space between parentheses in an endless sentence. It is simply a phase of our infinite progression, a phase in the flow of endless experience. There is no limit to the potentials of mind, self or the inner being that we are. At the end of the day, as Ra said, the great learning and purpose of life in this dimension is to learn the ways of love.
I invite you to watch Dr. Mandelker's interview and listen to his vast knowledge on the Law of One.