A New Spiritual Paradigm

The world hangs by a thread, and it’s our fault.

We have progressed far, but have learned little.

If we fail to change today, tomorrow shall see the cessation of our success.

This sense of impending doom is everywhere. We know we have led ourselves into a perilous age. But what can be done?

The truth is this is the wrong question. You must instead ask what you can do. For, no matter what others may say, our collective destiny lies with the individual. You must only open your eyes.

The institutions that served your ancestors now enslave you. Every dogmatic establishment that claims to know the way to the good life is lying. Despite this, finding prosperity is still possible; not through any one system, but through the dismissal of all systems in favor of a true brotherhood of man.

Religion is the language of the soul. It is a natural and inevitable part of the human condition, and for this reason, it cannot be easily discarded. However, the religious institutions that rule our world are awfully flawed, and anyone not entirely blind can see this clearly. They rely on indoctrination and seldom encourage self-expression, for they all stand atop specific sets of rigid beliefs that cannot be questioned. But these beliefs are beginning to die.

A fantastic practice has recently arisen around the world. Instead of blindly following their religious leaders, people are increasingly going their own way. Individuality in spirituality is becoming commonplace. The positives in this are obvious, for we can now search out our essence without conforming to foreign doctrines. Many people have progressed far in this regard, but mankind as a whole still has not thrown off the yoke of institutionalized religion.

People need to be free to explore their own spirituality. If we wish to live with institutions ruling over our beliefs, then we are truly lost. If we wish to live without allowing institutions to dictate our thoughts, then their very existence is unnecessary. These rigid establishments must be cast aside in favor of an age of complete religious individuality. To achieve this, we must first explore some self-evident truths on which to build our new spiritual paradigm.

The first of these truths is that of the necessity of individuality. Many religions are built on the teachings of supposedly enlightened people. However, their sagacious findings did not come from any distinct or divine abilities. Rather, they came from the courage to look within their own souls in search of universal truth. Really, anyone brave enough can see The Absolute for themselves. In Rumi’s words, “I searched for God and found only myself. I searched for myself and found only God.”

Many people claim to be prophets because of religious visions they’ve had. Now, if glimpses of The Absolute can be seen by anyone, it stands to reason that these visions need only be the concern of the beholder. Clearly, the teachings of others may provide us with priceless insight. Genuine enlightenment cannot be taught, though. It must be experienced. To rely on others’ religious tales is not enough to achieve true peace. We need to foster a culture in which everyone may seek spiritual experiences in whichever ways work best.

There are, as stated, many different ways to reach spiritual experiences. This results in a wide variety of visions one may receive. However, they all reveal one truth that almost every religion is founded upon. There is, indeed, an Absolute, and it lives within every one of us. God is not some faraway being of boundless power. God is simply the summation of all existence, and to become God is to make our own bits of this infinity as monumental as possible.

We may now imagine a new form of spiritual expression; this time tied to our three truths rather than any institution. It is an image; an equilateral triangle, itself made of four smaller triangles, within a circle. This circle represents The Absolute; the inconceivably vast entirety of reality. The triangle as a whole is the individual. The topmost inner triangle is the waking consciousness; the default state of our everyday selves, rarely escaped.

The bottom left triangle is the active unconscious, or hypnagogic, state. This is just the entry level of self-exploration, but many people never venture any further. They think vague visions and hazy revelations are all our minds have to offer. In truth, the time spent in this state can be intense, but never enlightening. For that, one must consciously enter their subconscious. This, the bottom right triangle, is the realm of the primal and archetypal. It shows us our deepest selves, but not what lies beyond.

We must thus enter the last state and central triangle, although few of us will ever be able to. It is the union of the Self and The Absolute; the ultimate fulfillment and final enlightenment. For those who do reach it, it is the coveted moment in which they become one with all there is. For those who do not, it may be thought of as the summation of one’s entire existence wrapped up in a single expression. For our purposes, this expression is an image, as will be detailed.

As an individual experiences different states, they may fill the blank triangles with intricacies and images that symbolize their visions. The middle triangle, however, is not about any single experience. It is an expression of our whole being, and as such, it is subject to change as we ourselves change. The resulting mandala serves several purposes. It aids self-discovery, discards dependence on institutions and lets the individual reclaim their spirituality.