ESOTERIC THOUGHT
Do We Have A Soul?
WLRQVRIVX̆ HULQJ:HFDQFKRRVHWRHPEUDFHRXUJLIWVFRQWULEXWHWR something greater than ourselves, and help others along our path. We can choose to transcend the obstacles and traumas we face as human EHLQJV,W¶V always a choice. 1RQGXDOLVWVVHHWKHVRXO $WPDQ DVFRQQHFWHGWR%UDKPDQ WKH XOWLPDWHUHDOLW\ 6RXOVDUHVHHQDVRQHZLWK%UDKPDQWKH³ univer- sal, non-dual consciousness .” When we see ourselves as separate from Source, we have a restricted, linear perspective of the soul as singu- ODUOHQGLQJLWVHOIWR0D\DRUWKHLOOXVLRQRIDGLVFRQQHFWHGLGHQWLW\ 2XUKXPDQLGHQWL¿FDWLRQLVWHPSRUDU\DQGOLPLWLQJVLQFHZHOLYHRQ as consciousness, or you might say, one with $OO 7KDW ,V . This is an
BY RENEE BLODGETT
+DYH\RXHYHUZRQGHUHGDERXWWKHVRXO"'R\RXEHOLHYHZHKDYH DVRXODQGLIVRKRZGR\RXSHUFHLYHLW",QRWKHUZRUGVZKDWLVWKH VRXO¶VWUXHQDWXUH" Ancient sages, philosophers, and visionaries have discussed the VRXOIRUPLOOHQQLD7KH9HGDV WKHROGHVW+LQGXWH[WVSDVVHGGRZQ EHWZHHQDQG%&( WDONDERXWWKHXQG\LQJQDWXUHRIWKHVHOI HPSKDVL]LQJ UHLQFDUQDWLRQ DQG NDUPD EXW ZLWK WKH JRDO RI IUHHLQJ oneself from the repeated cycles of birth and death. In other words, we DUHHWHUQDOGLYLQHDQGH[LVWEH\RQGWLPHDQGWKHSK\VLFDOERG\¶VOLP -
excellent segue into the exploration of the soul as real or an illusion . Or is the soul VLPSO\ HQHUJ\" 'RHV WKH VRXO KDYH FRQ - VFLRXVQHVV"2ULVLW pure consciousness " As teachers and channelers, we have contemplated these mind-bending ques- tions again and again. Since we are all energy and light , the soul can be seen as energy, light, and consciousness. You PLJKW VD\ WKDW FRQVFLRXVQHVV FDPH ¿UVW and manifested itself as the soul or spirit. Then Versus Now Thousands of years ago, it was a harsh- HUWLPHWROLYH3HRSOHGLGQ¶WKDYHDFFHVV to modern medicine, many lived under oppression, especially women, and times ZHUH ULIH ZLWK VXSHUVWLWLRQ +XPDQLW\ saw itself as separate from God; and un- der the monotheism traditions (what be- FDPH&KULVWLDQLW\,VODPDQG-XGDLVP we were conditioned to fear an external, mighty God. 'XULQJ <HVKXD¶V WLPH ZRUGV OLNH ³)D - ther” were used since the patriarch dictat- ed our beliefs, rules and laws. Over time, this became what the local population could relate to and understand. It was hard to embrace oneness when the ver- nacular of the Romans, Sadducees and Phar-
LWDWLRQV6LPLODUWRWKH9HGDVWKH8SDQL - VKDGV FRPSRVHGEHWZHHQDQG %&( VXJJHVWWKDWWKHVRXO RU $WPDQ is eternal and transcends the body and mind. Transcendent Wisdom in Islamic Philosophy shares a similar view. )DVW IRUZDUG WKH FORFN WR 3ODWR¶V WLPH URXJKO\%&( DQGZHVHHDQH[WHQ - sion of the immortal and eternal stance. Believing the soul was separate from the body, Plato advocated that the soul had three parts, each playing a unique role LQRXUGHYHORSPHQW$ULVWRWOH %&( ZKRZDVDVWXGHQWRI3ODWRWRRN it a step further by suggesting the soul is broken down into three types of sub- VWDQFH 0DWWHU SRWHQWLDOLW\ )RUP DF - WXDOLW\ DQG&RPSRXQGRI0DWWHUDQG Form. This notion can be complicated to SURFHVVXQOHVV\RX¶UHDVHULRXVVWXGHQWRI esoteric wisdom and philosophy. On the other hand, Buddha rejected the idea of a soul but aligned with what has become Buddhist thought — the cy- cle of rebirth and death — to explain our existence. In the traditional scriptures, <HVKXD PRVWNQRZQDV-HVXV DOVRVXJ - gested the soul is eternal and lives on. The Gnostic texts go a bit deeper. For example, in the Gospel of Mary , the soul
LV VDLG WR ³WUDQVFHQG RXU SK\VLFDOLW\ DQG UHWXUQ WR LWV µVRXUFH¶´ ,Q overcoming obstacles we face in our daily lives, we can move beyond the ego and material world and be at peace in stillness once the body retires. Similar to Aristotle and Plato, ancient Egyptians believed the soul was not singular but made up of several pieces, including the Ka (life IRUFH Ba SHUVRQDOLW\DQGVSLULW DQGWKH $NK LPPRUWDOL]HGVHOI As time marched on, other traditions echoed these overlapping be- OLHIV ZLWK YDULRXV QXDQFHV (YHQ WKH 4XUDQ Ḋ UPV WKDW WKH VRXO LV HWHUQDOOLYLQJEH\RQGWKHSK\VLFDOERG\¶VH[LVWHQFH'HDWKLVQRWVHHQ as an end, but rather a transition. That said, in Christianity and some other faiths, the soul is punished or rewarded based on how someone has lived. ,QWKHP\VWLFDO.DEEDODK VDLGWRKDYHEHHQFUHDWHGLQWKHWKDQG WKFHQWXULHV WKHVRXOLVVHHQDVKDYLQJYDULRXVOHYHOVRIDZDUHQHVV of God. People can ascend the lower levels through their intentions and actions. Rather than see our lives as challenging, we can see them as an opportunity to expand beyond our limited beliefs and percep-
LVHHVKDGDEODWDQWO\GL̆ HUHQWQDUUDWLYH%HLQJRQHZLWK*RGGHZRXOG have been seen as blasphemy, and it was dangerous to counter the rulers of the time. (Note: I have chosen to use God and Godde inter- FKDQJHDEO\WRGHSLFWWKDW*RGLVQHLWKHUPDOHQRUIHPDOH 7KH\ GLGQ¶W XVH ZRUGV OLNH ³FRQVFLRXVQHVV´ ³PXOWLGLPHQVLRQDO soul”, and “parallel universes”, nor did they have access to develop- ments from Newtonian Laws or Quantum Physics. Today, we can GUDZPRUHSDUDOOHOVEHWZHHQZKDW¶VKDSSHQLQJLQVSLULWXDOLW\DQGVFL - ence, even if most materialist scientists disagree. Godde is rebirthing itself again and again, just as the Cosmos is re-creating itself again and again … through our consciousness . ,Q FRQWHPSRUDU\ WLPHV ZH¶YH EHFRPH FRPIRUWDEOH ZLWK WKH ZRUG consciousness. Arguments persist over whether consciousness lives RXWVLGH RI WKH EUDLQ 7KRVH ZKR KDYH KDG 1HDU'HDWK ([SHULHQFHV 1'(V VKDUHVWRULHVWKDWWKH\ZHUHDEOHWRVHH DQGODWHUUHPHPEHU what was happening while they were technically dead. These stories R̆ HUFRQVLVWHQWPHVVDJHVRIXQLW\FRQVFLRXVQHVVRXULQWHUFRQQHFWHG -
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PATHWAYS—Summer 25—9
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