Great Website: Transcendent Experiences

JGeropoulas

The Living Force
...Alternate title: "6th Density unveiled?"

I was eager to share a fascinating (and to me, inspiring) website I happened upon recently. Below are excerpts from their introduction page, followed by two examples and the link. To me, these various accounts are undeniably authentic and delightful testimony to what we're all yearning for these days as we endure the collapse of this 3D, STS-dominated, frequency-controlled, truncated "civilization" all around us.

I hope you will find The Archives of Scientists' Transcendent Experiences stimulating! Have a TASTE, and enjoy!

TASTE is an online journal devoted to transcendent experiences that scientists have reported. It lets scientists express these experiences in a psychologically (and professionally) safe space.

Science is a wonderful profession: I've worked at it for almost 40 years, and love it. As a process for gathering and refining knowledge, it is so useful! But the process is practiced by people, not machines, and we are each affected by the conscious and unconscious hopes, habits and fears of our individual histories and cultural heritages. As Aldous Huxley so nicely put it, each of us is simultaneously the beneficiary and the victim of our culture...

Science and Scientism

As scientists, we have discovered a body of precisely observed factual data about the world, created a lot of good theories that make sense of much of that data -- and we are part of a cultural heritage of scientism. Sociologists coined the term "scientism" back in the 1940s, when they realized that many scientists unthinkingly accepted many scientific theories as simple, unquestioned Truths, just like believers in any "ism," and thus we often acted like any prejudiced "believer," especially outside our immediate areas of expertise.

Transcendent Experiences

This all-too-human narrowness is a significant distorting factor when dealing with the area of life roughly called transcendent, used primarily in the sense of definition 1b above, "extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary experience." TASTE is primarily about gathering data on transcendent experiences...

Purpose

The TASTE project is an attempt to work toward rectifying this strange, scientistic situation where too many people are forced to deny or repress parts of their own human experience. These Archives are an online journal performing the essential scientific function of full and honest communication of data in this badly neglected area.

I emphasize the word data: no particular theoretical interpretation will be made at this site, other than that such experiences are important. The point is to let the data come out and stimulate us. Commentaries (mentioned below) are secondary to the data.
Here's one account that reminds me of comments Laura made about her "soul-mate" relationship with Ark.

Submission No. 00055
Submitter No. 00052
Posted: July 31, 2000

Editor's Introduction

Martha diChristi (pseudonym) will shortly receive her Ph.D. in linguistics. She already edits an academic journal, has published one book in her field, and was CEO as well as primary software designer for a small computer company, as well as having had a term of employment with a major government research agency. Like many scientists who have submitted accounts to TASTE, she is very concerned with preserving her anonymity because of possible negative repercussions in her academic and professional life.

This is the first of three experiences she has submitted (she has had others and may submit them later). It raises interesting questions about the nature of both our ordinary and possible identities. This one occurred in the Fall of 1989, when she was 30.

The Nature Of Androgyny
Martha diChristi

I was sitting across the table from a man I loved deeply, and I felt very powerfully the polarity between us. Rather than trying to release this in some way, we both just stayed present. The energy built up to a point when something happened... a bridge was crossed.

The resulting state was oddly asexual, though the force of the polarity was very much present, not collapsed at all as it is after orgasm, for example. The energy which gave rise to the experience was certainly that of being in love (a male-female polarity), but the state itself was asexual - I don't even want to use the term 'sexual', because even at that earlier point, before the culmination, 'sex' did not exist. The idea of sex somehow did not make any sense. There was no such thing.

The physical manifestation of the experience was irrelevant. It so happened that we were simply sitting at the table having a late breakfast. We might have been doing anything, including what an outsider might have described as sex. It was irrelevant. The essence of the experience was what I would describe as extreme Reverence. It began with a specific person with specific characteristics which one held in high regard, but once it fulfilled itself, it was not only asexual, but apersonal. The individual was not addressed. The individual was a means, not an end. I knew myself as both male and female, as not separate. I also saw something of the nature of male and female as a result - what they actually Are.

On the physical plane, nothing whatsoever happened. We sat still and nothing happened - not even sexual arousal. Yet once it had passed, he also acknowledged that something very peculiar indeed had just transpired. And after that experience, I also felt free relative to this person, as if a permanent bond had been forged. Nothing more could be said. Nothing needed to be said or done ever. The process was complete. He is married and lives in New Zealand. I live in America. We never see one another. We rarely write. But there remains a fact between us. We both acknowledge this

Contributor's Comments on the Experience

I'm not sure what is responsible for what. I do observe that I seem to function differently in relationship than most people I know. On the one hand, I feel polygamous, no desire for a single partner. On the other hand, I'm nearly celibate by inclination. But this isn't due to a collapse of emotion or energy, because I can fall in love very deeply and do from time to time, not necessarily with one person at a time. My feelings are very strong. I have no hesitation in expressing it sexually, if that's what I feel like, but I rarely feel it that way.
Here's another of my favorites:

Submission No. 00004
Submitter No. 00004
Posted: March 7, 1999

Editor's Introduction

Allan Smith (real name) is trained in medicine and anesthesiology, in which he earned an M.D. degree. He has worked as a basic scientific researcher on the nature of anesthesia before his experience and at many professions, including medical ethicist, since then. He had received a national award for his research just before the experience and was one of the most promising young researchers in his field.

This experience occurred in Oakland, California when Dr. Smith was 38 years old and sitting quietly at home. The experience has been written up in great detail and compared to psychedelic experiences in a published account (Smith, A. & Tart, C., 1998. Cosmic consciousness experience and psychedelic experiences: A first person comparison. Journal of Consciousness Studies, 5, No. 1, 97-107.).

My Experience of Cosmic Consciousness
Allan Smith

My Cosmic Consciousness event occurred unexpectedly while I was alone one evening and was watching a particularly beautiful sunset. I was sitting in an easy chair placed next to floor-to-ceiling windows that faced northwest. The sun was above the horizon and was partially veiled by scattered clouds, so that it was not uncomfortably bright. I had not used any marijuana for about a week previously. On the previous evening I probably had wine with dinner; I do not remember the quantity, but two glasses would have been typical. Thus, we would not have expected any residual drug effects.

The Cosmic Consciousness experience began with some mild tingling in the perineal area, the region between the genitals and anus. The feeling was unusual, but was neither particularly pleasant nor unpleasant. After the initial few minutes, I either ceased to notice the tingling or did not remember it. I then noticed that the level of light in the room as well as that of the sky outside seemed to be increasing slowly. The light seemed to be coming from everywhere, not only from the waning sun. In fact, the sun itself did not give off a strong glare. The light gave the air a bright thickened quality that slightly obscured perception rather than sharpened it. It soon became extremely bright, but the light was not in the least unpleasant.

Along with the light came an alteration in mood. I began to feel very good, then still better, then elated. While this was happening, the passage of time seemed to become slower and slower. The brightness, mood-elevation, and time-slowing all progressed together. It is difficult to estimate the time period over which these changes occurred, since the sense of time was itself affected. However, there was a feeling of continuous change, rather than a discrete jump or jumps to a new state. Eventually, the sense of time passing stopped entirely. It is difficult to describe this feeling, but perhaps it would be better to say that there was no time, or no sense of time. Only the present moment existed. My elation proceeded to an ecstatic state, the intensity of which I had never even imagined could be possible. The white light around me merged with the reddish light of the sunset to become one all enveloping, intense undifferentiated light field. Perception of other things faded. Again, the changes seemed to be continuous.

At this point, I merged with the light and everything, including myself, became one unified whole. There was no separation between myself and the rest of the universe. In fact, to say that there was a universe, a self--or anything--would be misleading. It would be an equally correct description to say that there was everything. To say that subject merged with object might be almost adequate as a description of the entrance into Cosmic Consciousness, but during Cosmic Consciousness there was neither subject nor object. All words or discursive thinking had stopped and there was no sense of an observer to comment or to categorize what was happening. In fact, there were no discrete events to happen, just a timeless, unitary state of being.

Cosmic Consciousness is impossible to describe, partly because describing involves words and the state is one in which there were no words. My attempts at description here originated from reflecting on Cosmic Consciousness soon after it had passed and while there was still some taste of the event remaining.

Perhaps the most significant element of Cosmic Consciousness was the absolute knowingness that it involves. This knowingness is a deep understanding that occurs without words. I was certain that the universe was one whole and that it was benign and loving at its ground. Bucke's experience was similar. He knew... that the universe is so built and ordered that without any peradventure all things work together for the good of each and all, that the foundation principle of the world is what we call love and that the happiness of every one is in the long run absolutely certain (Bucke, R. M., 1961. Cosmic Consciousness. New Hyde Park, New York: University Books. p. 8. Originally published 1901.).

The benign nature and ground of being, with which I was united, was God. However, there is little relation between my experience of God as ground of being and the anthropomorphic God of the Bible. That God is separate from the world and has many human characteristics. He demonstrates love, anger and vengeance, makes demands, gives rewards, punishes, forgives, etc. God as experienced in Cosmic Consciousness is the very ground or beingness of the universe and has no human characteristics in the usual sense of the word. The universe could no more be separate from God than my body could be separate from its cells. Moreover, the only emotion that I would associate with God is love, but it would be more accurate to say that God is love than God is loving. Again, even characterizing God as love and the ground of being is only a metaphor, but it is the best that I can do to describe an indescribable experience.

The knowingness of Cosmic Consciousness permanently convinced me about the true nature of the universe. However, it did not answer many of the questions that (quite rightly) seem so important to us in our usual state of consciousness. From the perspective of Cosmic Consciousness, questions like, "What is the purpose of life?" or "Is there an afterlife?" are not answered because they are not relevant. That is, during Cosmic Consciousness ontologic questions are fully answered by one's state of being and verbal questions are not to the point.

Eventually, the Cosmic Consciousness faded. The time-changes, light, and mood-elevation passed off. When I was able to think again, the sun had set and I estimate that the event must have lasted about twenty minutes. Immediately following return to usual consciousness, I cried uncontrollably for about a half hour. I cried both for joy and for sadness, because I knew that my life would never be the same.

Contributor's Comments on the Experience

Cosmic Consciousness had a major impact on the course of my life. I had received a national prize for my research and had a grant funded for five years, but any interest I had in becoming a famous academician evaporated. My research seemed more like an interesting puzzle than work of immense importance to the world. I left my secure and successful university faculty position and supported myself as a part-time freelance clinician. I needed time to explore spirituality and to integrate the Cosmic Consciousness experience into my life. Those explorations included theology, psychology, mysticism, eastern religion, parapsychology, consciousness studies and holistic health. Eventually, I earned a M.A. in Consciousness Studies and another in Theology. Since Cosmic Consciousness, I have not had a career in the usual sense of the word.

One important after-effect of Cosmic Consciousness that I soon discovered was the ability to create a subtle shift in consciousness. By quieting myself within, my inner mental chatter almost stopped and I became calm and present centered. Perception of the world and myself were both especially clear. The world seemed benign and right with everything as it was supposed to be. There was a great sense of inner peace. As the years passed since Cosmic Consciousness, my ability to attain this state at will has diminished. When it does occur, it seems less profound than previously. I am personally very sad at this loss.

Cosmic Consciousness did not make me into an instant saint or enlightened being. I still occasionally lose my temper, worry, judge people, and need ego support. But from the time immediately following Cosmic Consciousness there were lasting personality changes. My general anxiety level was considerably reduced and remains low. I do not (usually) strive at living, but truly enjoy it. When I do lose it, there is a subtle way in which I can mentally step back and see the real significance (or lack thereof) of whatever disturbed me. I have not been able to return to Cosmic Consciousness, although I have a real longing to do so. However, I can usually recall enough of the experience to know that the world is benign and that my ordinary conscious phenomenal experience can only hint at the true nature of reality.

The Cosmic Consciousness experience occurred in 1976. I did not make any notes until about a month later. Unfortunately, those original notes are lost. Even so, I feel quite confident that my memory of the essential aspects of Cosmic Consciousness is accurate. There are several reasons for this belief. (1) The Cosmic Consciousness experience was the most powerful event of my life and such a momentous experience is not possible to forget. (2) From the early weeks afterwards, I compared my experience to published accounts of Cosmic Consciousness. The comparisons constitute an independent way to stabilize the memory. (3) I frequently review the experience as a technique to achieve inner peace. (4) My remembered accounts are similar to the accounts reported in the literature. In addition, many other Cosmic Consciousness experiencers have reported that their experiences have remained fresh after the passage of many years (references in published article).

Further comments by contributor:

A few comments on my personal background follow. I was raised in a traditionally religious household, where I learned that God was both demanding and vengeful. Throughout most of my childhood my relation to God consisted of a mixture of guilt and fear. I had very little exposure to other traditions and therefore little chance to explore other thought systems until I entered university. There I was influenced by people who seemed (to an impressionable eighteen-year old) quite sophisticated and bright, but did not believe in God at all. The thought of Jean-Paul Sartre was very much in vogue and by the end of my freshman year I had become an atheistic existentialist. Such a rapid deconversionwas surely facilitated by a strong late adolescent reaction against orthodox religion. I was angry that I had been deceived by my parents and teachers into believing a collection of fairy tales about the existence of an imaginary God who had made my childhood so miserable. The anger gradually faded over the years, but had not quite dissipated when I experienced Cosmic Consciousness at age 38. By that time religion had no place in my life at all. I was an academic researcher, scientist and materialist. I was not interested in nor was I searching for any sort of transcendent or supernatural experience. I had no idea of what a mystical experience was.

At the time of the Cosmic Consciousness event I had never taken a psychedelic drug, but did have some previous experience with marijuana in social settings.
Here's the link: http://www.issc-taste.org/arc/dbo.cgi?set=arc&ss=1
 
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