Adam Blatner

Paul Tillich, the theologian, uses this phrase to refer to his approach to theology. He attributes this to everyone, but I think people relate to religion at their own level of consciousness. Tillich is attributing to everyone an abstract resonance that he himself experiences. (I tend to do this also, because I take my thinking for granted. It’s familiar.)

This breakthrough came when I encountered a quote by George Bernard Shaw, an early 20th century play Scots-British playwright: “Do not do unto others as you would have them do unto you! They may not have the same tastes.” That is, doesn’t everyone think like me? I have learned late and not too well that no, everyone does NOT think like me!)

Religion as people experience it is seemingly literately relating to the ultimate for folks operating at 6th dimensional awareness. It has become apparent to me that words and concepts about higher than the 6th dimension can only be metaphoric at the 7th dimension. More, at the 8th dimension spiritual awareness becomes ineffable, Other than through poetic allusion, it can only be compelling but inexpressible—that is, mystical.

It is ironic that our language cannot describe dimensions much beyond the 7th— thinking about thinking about thinking. Most people think about thinking. A few just think, and even fewer go upward,  have awareness that others call mystical. (I call that 8th level consciousness.)

It reflects how humanity is positioned between the very large and very small, the very fast and very slow, and in other ways is “in the middle.”  Indeed, we might not even be the smartest beings in the universe, now that we have become aware of the billions of star-systems, some no doubt similar to our own. (It’s true that so far we’re the smartest as far as we know.) We keep discovering new horizons in dimensions that we haven’t even known about—much less the ranges.

I’m reading a modern history of Christianity, and this religion can adapt to several of the afore-mentioned levels of consciousness—high 5th through lower 8th. As an amateur student of the history of religions, I not that most if not all religions have a mystical tradition, as well as various degrees below that. It all can be present at different levels of consciousness! God individuates! People experience the presence of there being “more” at each level. The neocortex of the human brain- mind can do that!

“The Presence of Transcendence" can be experienced as a minor miracle: We are sometimes sensitive to these awareness, as if we were receptors of God. It happens to us and we sense that there’s some thing far greater. It’s a "good crazy." I got this in discussion with my friend, Russ Williams, who is a minster in Southern California. He says, “People sense that we didn’t cause things to happen this way.” But then again, “I’m just a story-telling oaf.” Adam says, “Yes, if you include cosmic relativity, but as a human bean, you’re outstanding as an improvising genius. (I intentionally said bean instead of being as a nod to humility.)

We realize that we are "Off the Deep End,” and this should not be taken as an "offense to the religious." It’s rather two guys plugged into their intuition. People like to know about "the Deep End" so we may say, “playing with the Divine Unknown"—and we look to whatever is higher or larger than our ordinary selves. For us, it very much is playing around in conversation at the 7th and a tip of the 8th. Neither of us can stretch to touch the 9th level, other than to suspect that there well may be one. We don’t dare speculate on this, or higher. So some few folks are 5th, most folks are 6th, some touch into 7th a little, a few do 7th a lot, rare do 8th. In summary, mind is essentially not only bottom-less, but also top-less.