Interpretation & Divine Revelation Not Same Thing

This post's focus is to show that  Soul-level experiences  (the state of being beyond/above the mind) can't be explained away  by 'brain chemistry'. Quite recently I found out  that scholar David Lane meditates. He acknowledges "Mystery",  which  no mind can penetrate. .  . and I concur. I agree that even the most exalted intellect doesn't have access to this domain. On the other hand,  the awakened awareness of one's eternal self-Soul, does. If I didn't know this I wouldn't have decades worth of Depth data checked/affirmed  by communal confirmation.

I chanced upon Aurobindo's key quote which confirms (for me) that the ascended mystic undergoes many types of Soul-level Initiations  before she/he reaches the apex-point of  Union and Identification with the Essence of the Absolute Supreme . . . Of  being (literally) one with all Reality and its beings in the visible and invisible domains.
In this blog I chronicle many types of  Energy-level Initiations, this is why I feel compelled to correct those who think  they know better.  
Custodians  of transcendent knowledge know better  because we were entrusted with this Knowledge. We have a moral duty to bear witness to Divine Revelations, no matter the objections.  The following snippet in Aurobindo's words, highlights why the unpacking of Divine Gnosis (supreme spiritual level) are best left to one who writes from this level:  
"...the true knowledge and description must be left to the language of the mystic and the figures, at once more vivid and more recondite, of a direct and concrete experience."
intyoga.online.fr/ld2_26.htm

This  excerpt is from: The Synthesis of Yoga (Sri Aurobindo) where he affirms that a 'multimform dynamic experience'  is necessary to transform one's nature. In this blog and other cyber-place I said  that Kundalini Shakti gave me a 'complete cosmic makeover'.

The Divine is in his essence infinite and his manifestation too is multitudinously infinite. If  that is so, it is not likely that our true integral perfection in being and in nature can come by one kind of realisation alone; it must combine many different strands of divine experience. It cannot be reached by the exclusive pursuit of a single line of identity that is raised to its absolute;
it must harmonize many aspects of the Infinite. An Integral consciousness with a multiform dynamic experience is essential for the complete transformation of our nature. 
                                                                 *
Last year in September I wrote Flatland Assertions Debunked - recently I rallied and edit-improved it for clarity's sake.  In its original version I said I won't be contacting David C. Lane because that would be exercise in futility, but changed my mind this week and contacted him via messenger on Facebook, to let  him know I wrote a critique of his post 'Tangled Lines' on integralworld  in my blog and included a link. .  . And was surprised he wrote back same day.

Quote:  Ironically, I don't think that mystics are necessarily delusional at all. My only point was that we have to be open to alternative explanation concerning shabd yoga and spiritual practices, and too often the religious mindset resist simpler explanations. I have written a little book called WHY I MEDITATE which shows that I deeply admire shabd yoga and do it myself daily, upwards to 3 hours. * David included link to his book. It's when I realized Lane is not exactly 'flatlander'.

To my, 'I'm sticking to my guns' response, David replied:

We don't have to agree. That we have different interpretations of certain phenomena is to be expected.
                                                               
So that's it. This is how scholars and (genuine/ascended) mystics roll. Our Depth data is meaningless. The awakened Divinity within our eternal self-Soul (the eternal Avatar) and its Communication from the source of Her nature, is seen as "interpretation".... as opposed to "Revelation".
If interested:  www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2017/09/flatland-assertions-debunked.html
                                                                 *
So again: In words of one who I say is my 'primary community of the adequate person' - on what we mean when we use the term  Divine Revelation.

"As we reach in our thought the line at which the evolution of Mind into Overmind into Supermind, we are faced with a difficulty which amounts almost to impossibility. For we are moved to seek for some precise idea, some clear mental description of the supramental or gnostic existence of which evolutionary Nature in the Ignorance is in travail; but by crossing this extreme line of sublimated Mind the consciousness passes out of its sphere, exceeds the characteristic action and escapes from the grasp, of mental perception and knowledge.
It is evident indeed that supramental nature must be a perfect integration and consummation of spiritual nature and experience: it would also contain in itself by the very character of the evolutionary principle, though it would not be limited to that change, a total spiritualisation of mundane nature; our world-experience would be taken up in this step of our evolution and, by a transformation of its parts of divinity, a creative rejection of its imperfections and disguises, reach some divine truth and plentitude.
But these are general formulas and give us no precise idea of the change. Our normal perception or imagination or formulation of things spiritual and things mundane is mental, but in the gnostic change the evolution crosses a line beyond which there is a supreme and radical reversal of consciousness and the standards and forms of mental cognition are no longer sufficient: it is difficult for mental thought to understand or describe supramental nature".
intyoga.online.fr/ld2_27.htm

Plus:   I boldly approve the meaning couched within these words, penned by Sri Aurobindo:
"The defects of Western practitioners or Eastern quacks do not get rid of our true and ancient Yoga".

Also:  Including link to sister post, where I quote the 'foremost authority on the world's great religions' Huston Smith's true words about Revelation: "There is no way the finite is going to comprehend the Infinite on its own. It has to be the Infinite taking the initiative, and that is the meaning of Revelation."
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2009/12/yogini-notes-on-kundalinishaktipat.html

I said this before but will repeat again that, for many years I kept silent about any sort of mystical conclusions - about the intense spiritual surges, and the like, because  I didn't really know what to make about the myriad of otherworldly phenomena.  . . They just kept coming and I  kept jutting down the most vivid experiences without having any idea what to expect next. . .I had no one to compare my notes with, no one to turn to for support.  I just  knew I was 'in good hands' and trusted this (conscious) Force-Power-Bliss.
Today (4/02/2018) I read in The Meditative Mind, penned by Daniel Goleman, something  Aurobindo's biographer Saptrem wrote that made sense to me.

"Sri Aurobindo was the first to be baffled by his own experience and . . .it took him some years to understand exactly what had happened. We have described the. . .experience. . .as though the stages had been linked very carefully, each with its explanatory label, but the explanations came long afterwards, at that moment he had no guiding landmarks."
  

Life Has Meaning

Time for change of pace with focus on 'culture'.

Just saw on Facebook great article penned by Peggy Noonan  titled: Who's Afraid of Jordan Peterson?

If interested  https://www.wsj.com/articles/whos-afraid-of-jordan-peterson-1516925574

Healer's Note

* Decided to include a link to 'sister' post titled: Food for the Soul
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2013/10/food-for-soul.html


Some  folks  who are aspiring to be spiritual have the wrong idea of 'ego's' role in their development.  It is vital to properly  understand what 'transcending and including the ego means'. I like how  Ken Wilber described it:

The ego is the executive function of the mental levels. Egolessness does not mean absence of a functional self (that is a psychotic, not a sage). Transcending ego doesn't mean destroying ego, it means plugging it into something bigger. Soul and Spirit include body, emotions, and mind, they do not erase them.
                                                                  *
Vanity and jealousy must die,  unresolved psychological wounds and developmental needs, must be faced and healed.  Everyone has ego but it has to be purified and transformed before one can successfully progress along the spiritual path.
Over the years I wrote several posts which focused on psycho-emotional healing.  Today, I want to more or less repeat what I wrote already with the intention of injecting a shot of inspiration.
May you find inspiration within the word's meaning.

                                                                   *
Guided by our unshakable commitment to the highest goal is a Gift you can give yourself. Your peace of mind depends on this since it is easier to endure life's strife and struggle when we know that the pursuit of the highest Will, will lead to positive outcome and directly reveal your spiritual depth.  Often times in sleep state, the darker niches of your psyche releases scary images and our instinct is to run away from it in the same manner we turn away in waking   life from our insecurities. Who wants to admit there is selfishness, that we harbor within our mind-heart resentments, that we thirst for power and desire to dominate another.
Still we are unflinching because our Heroic self compassionately looks at those uncouth traits, and admits "this is my karmic lot" -  and decides to give itself permission to not blame others for those not (yet) exactly white as freshly fallen snow personality traits.
Don't wait for others to change first. They maybe pushing your sensitive buttons, but this is your life, your Soul's journey, so wait not for others to do the heavy-lifting for you. It is up to you to take responsibility for your psycho-emotional healing.  If you can afford it, seek out a good therapist who can help you sort things out.
The Master in you--your highest representation of the Ineffable Value / Goddess / God--waits for your co-operation. . .When you recognize the significance of this message, you will move forward with a Song of Gratitude in your heart.
Be aware,  that our egoic 'contraction' feels threatened by the ever-increasing role the (infinite) Soul plays in our life. The  'surface' ego is a very cunning creature and will do everything in its power to persuade you that you need to protect yourself when someone  presents a different/more evolved picture/mode of being.  It will give you many reasons why you and others shouldn't pay any attention to the "nonsense".

Sri Aurobindo's words on same (nonsense) theme:
"The vital ego hates being opposed in its desires, resents dissapointment, is furious against the wound to its pride and vanity: it does not like the process of purification and it may very well declare satyagraha againt it, refuses to co-operate, justify its demands and inclinations, after passive resistance of many kinds, withdraw the being from the path of spiritual endeavor. All this has to be faced and overcome for the temple of the of being has to be swept clean if the Lord of our being is to take his place and receaive our worship there." intyoga.online.fr/diffpath.htm

Releasing old patterns feels scary. Releasing rage (once owned not projected elsewhere) seems uncouth to one who thinks 'I'm too evolved for such barbaric emotions'. . .
But when we know that psycho-emotional growth is the greatest gift you can give yourself , that this is the greatest Treasure you deserve to have, you will keep going no matter what!
Don't blame others for the way you feel, but instead look within and ask what harmful patterns and beliefs must be examined and released. Be grateful for this opportunity. Grateful, you can, without self-judgment  and tons of compassion allow feelings of sadness, rage, or fear flow out of your nervous system.
Old fears will surface when higher (Soul) frequencies take up residence in you. Be nice to your 'wounded'  self and observe  your thoughts and feelings from a newer, more detached perspective when stagnant energy flows out of you.  Acknowledge these moments with gratitude.
 Accelerated growth happens more easily when we accept and love ourselves as we are right now.
Never assume that those of us who are at higher levels of consciousness,  to one degree or another, didn't have to deal with same issues.  This is why we can't help being compassionate. We identify with pain/suffering and have no desire to shame or judge another.

Last, but not least. . .remember that within our soul's 'virtual memory bank'  are encoded  past life traumas.  Their energy/causes set in motion in one incarnation are driving the  present-day incarnation. This is why the healing process can't be breezed through in a weekend.

Did it Again!

Latest: Flatland Assertions Debunked in its new-improved form
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2017/09/flatland-assertions-debunked.html

Soul Science Musings got a makeover
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2017/08/soul-science-musings.html

did it again www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2017/09/moral-obligation-divine-command.html

01/01/2018 - in this  post I declared my Initiation into Christ Consciousness: titled,
Cosmic Synchronicity & Confirmation, written August 2013
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2013/08/cosmic-synchronicity-confirmation.html

10/12/2017  Including edit-improved: Ascension Blues Good News
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2012/08/ascension-blues-good-news.html

05/12/17  adding link to post written Jan/2012 titled Supra-Cosmic BrideGroom Has my Back. I chose this title because I was the target of relentless  gaslighting (in a website that was supposed to be tolerant of mystical spirituality).
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2012/01/supra-cosmic-bridegroom-has-my-back.html

Did it gain:  if curious edit-improved  Yogini Notes written in 2009
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2009/12/yogini-notes-on-kundalinishaktipat.html
* Today 27/11 wrote in comments section couple of notes.

I'm not planning on deleting this post this is why I want to add this note:
When I began writing here I didn't imagine even one person would be interested in my scribbles and for many weeks didn't even occur to me to check if  someone did.   And when I did, and   saw this blog had hundreds of visitors, I was  surprised  because I told no one!  My goal was to write 'for my kids so one day they may know what I have been up to all those years'.
(Because)  I have been laughed  at - even told few years ago "you have nothing to contribute to evolution of consciousness" -  I wanted to write here without looking over my shoulder and deal with nasty gaslighters.
In my original profile I wrote  (only) "Student of Life".  I wanted to write anonymously, this is why I chose  to use made up avatar name Theofilia.  .  .  Then was very surprised when I  google-found-out this is a real name.  Now that I'm on Facebook (& included link to my wall earlier), I am no longer anonymous . . .and don't wish to be!  I have the right to be who I am and bear witness to what I know.

Spirit Speaks has visitors from  many parts of the globe - by now well over sixty one thousand  page-views (and each page has several posts).  I am  glad  there are folks who resonate with what I share.

*  Below, added link to post written in 2009.

Just looked at my post written one year ago titled Silence is Full of Answers,
 and decided it was in need of edit-improvement for clarity's sake.

www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2016/11/silence-full-of-answers.html

I wrote On Rapture Musings in 2009 - and it was definitely in need of edit-improvement!
If curious
 www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2009/06/on-rapture-musings.html


(I have many more posts to look at & make a decision to either delete or edit-improve).

Apollo Complex Decoded

Author of the  'Apollo Complex',  is author of many books on human development and consciousness, Ken Wilber - this excerpt is from The Atman Project, chapter 8, p.77.

My mind was, as the Buddhists say, that of a monkey: compulsively active, obsessively motive. And there I came face to face with my own Apollo complex, the difficulty in transforming from the mental sphere to the subtle sphere (or the soul as the Christian mystics use the term) is the beginning of the transpersonal realms; as such, it is supramental, transegoic, and transverbal.
But in order to reach that sphere, one must (as in all transformation) "die" to the lower capacity (in this case mental egoic).
The failure to do so or incapacity to do so is the Apollo complex. As person with Oedipus compllex remains unconsciously attached to the body and its pleasure principle, so the person with an Apollo complex remains unconsciously attached to the mind and its reality principle. ("Reality" here means "institutional, rational, verbal reality"), which, although conventionally real enough, is nevertheless only an intermediate stage on the path to Atman; that is it is merely a description of actual Reality itself, and thus, if clung to, eventually and ultimately prevents the discovery of that actual Reality. (skip)

... as it was, I was fortunate to make some progress, to be able to eventually to rise above the fluctuations of mental contractions and discover, however initially, a real incomparably more profound, more real, more saturated with being, more open to clarity. This realm was simply that of the subtle, which is disclosed, so to speak, after weathering the Apollo complex. (...)

From the subtle, one no longer 'gets lost in thoughts'; rather, thoughts enter consciousness with smoothness, grace, and clarity.

To read more www.kheper.net/topics/Wilber/psychic.html

If curious:

For in-depth teaching on 'evolving soul', take a look at how Aurobindo describes it. . . .
Will  add that,  I completely agree with his description of what the eternal self-Soul is, and is not.  (Psychic being and authentic Soul in Sri A teaching means the same thing).
 The following assertion is true  to one who 'sacrificed' its lower nature to the Divine:

The supramental change can take place only if the psychic (*Soul) is awake and is made the chief support of the descending supramental power.

http://intyoga.online.fr/ppb5.htm

Moral Obligation - Divine Command

Out of countless tears
She fashined a Mighty Sword In the stillness beyond the internal dialogue
Sword of Justice compels me to report that
which the Divine Logos disclosed 

Divine self-disclosure is self-validating.  This type of Knowing   comes on line *developmentally speaking* when one's eternal self-Soul gets plugged to (the) "I am the Field and the  Knower of the Field" -  as reported by the  Bhavad Gita seer.
One who is not delusional,  seeks individuals who write from the bhava Samadhi state/stage -  in order  to check/verify our contemplative conclusions with.  .  .
Even though Gopi Krishna's eternal self Soul has not reached its apex-point of evolution, I greately value (and quote)  what he had to say with regard to mystical illuminations.
In his book titled The Real Nature of Mystical Experience,  he said the following with regard to his level of Realization:
"I do not claim to be illuminated in the sense we ascribe illumination to Buddha, as I still find myself at the human level. (skip) I do not claim to be a mystic or a saint, as I am still very much entrenched in the world and have not  completely risen above it".

 I have been accused of 'spiritual inflation' and other silly things - not only by the scientific materialist, but by those who think they are 'enlightened'- because the subtlety of meaning contained within the written word is completely invisible to the surface mind.
Sri Aurobindo and other ascended Souls wrote extensively about their mystical experiences without apologies. Nobel prize winners in all fields publish their work without fear of being accused of 'flaunting' their brillaince. . . I feel divine Bliss and its Influence  in every fiber of my being 24/7, and see with eyes open & spiritualised consciousness divine Light in the form of golden aura-field, plus a narrow ribbon of  blue light next to my skin--which Sri Aurobindo said was (blue)  "Krishna light" (discovered by 'fluke' in 1994-and still have that journal note), and am supposed to be ashamed of the fact I am bearing witness to something which the Divine Grace 'plugged' me into? The world's materialists must not be disturbed by the fact that God/Goddess/Spirit reality is as real as the keyboard I'm writing on? I'm supposed hide the fact that Soul Liberation is a real (at the zenith-point of Her journey through Light and Sound). Soul-literate scientists don't look to the spiritually blind for approval-verification of our contemplative conclusions. How in the world the scinetific materialist supposed know what Samadhi is/means< and what theTRUE nature of the Ineffable is/means. They can't see it this is why they tell me things like: "stop pretending you have knowledge of the inner realms" (direct quote). They think that my description of what I-Soul first time witnessed in May 2010, and described in The River of Light, is sheer lunacy http://www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2010/05/river-of-light.html">www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2010/05/river-of-light.html This is why  I am all the more grateful to Gopi Krishna, for saying in Kundalini for the New Age:

All  the great mystics who have written on the subject have given their own symptoms openly and plainly. That is the tradition. And from their descriptions, one can compare one's own condition.  

What I share is not for personal gain.  What I share is not the result of  drug-induced hallucinations (from ingesting plant brews and other drugs) -  which in some circles are hailed to be the real deal, the real 'expansion of consciousness', thing.  I see  grasping mind's  wishful thinking - they don't, and I'm okay with that,  as long as they don't claim theirs is the last word.
The last word belongs to those who know better.  Gopi Krishna elaborated (and I agree)

 The real meaning of "Soma" refers to the internal processes of  sublimation leading to higher consciousness or Samadhi. Since soma is a Sanskrit term its interpretation should be based upon the ancient Vedic religious belief, NOT Western assumption of drug use.
There is no proof in the Vedas that actually mention any human drinking a herbal concoction; it was the Gods Indra and Agni who drank streams of this nectar and then conquered the Dragon or Serpent Vrtra (a symbol of Kundalini).
The hymns of the Vedas are symbolic allegories and shouldn't be interpreted literally, as the Vedas say directly that: "One thinks he has drunk Soma when they press the plant but the Soma the Brahmans know - no one eats that. 

I shake my head at  (my) lamely  written posts, but  also can't help but marvel at the intensity of the Evolutionary Impulse  compelling me to do this.
Those of us who feel in every fiber of our being  this impulse, acknowledge we are  guided to become witness to the fact  that at the deepest core of our being there is a oneness which drives and guides this universe towards ever-greater emergence. . .for the benefit (transformation)  of all beings, for the evolution of consciousness itself in service to the Divine.  Some call this force Eros, other's God's Love, etc.
I have a moral obligation to report on things that are not now,  never will  be acceptable to folks who  refuse to acknowledge  that  (authentic)  spiritual sciences is a legitimate profession.  I didn't chose to be 'spiritual', the (transcendent)  One who is awake within my mortal coil, did.  

 The following excerpt from Gopi Krishna's  book titled, The Man of the Future,  explains what types of personality traits define genuine prophet/mystic/saint/accomplished yogi/seer/sage.

We are, therefore, face to face with a mighty problem when we try to find an explanation for the mental condition of religious teachers of the highest order. We have to account for the existence of not one but four outstanding attributes of the front rank mystic minds. They are Ecstasy, Moral Elevation, Psychic Powers and Genius. This remarkable combination is confined to this class and this class alone. Otherwise we find these attributes distributed singly and in too few cases.
The combination of even two out of them in one individual is extremely rare. The man of genius may not have moral elevation, ecstatic vision or psychic gifts, a medium may not have moral stature, vision or genius, and one prone to visionary states may not have the moral armor, psychic powers or the true genius of the true mystic.
In judging the prophet, the mystic and the real saint we have to take the startling fact into consideration that he (she) is in possession of all four rare and lofty attributes, each of which, even when singly present, confer distinction on one possessing it. There is no difference except one of degree between a genuine prophet, mystic, accomplished yogi, seer and sage, and whoever out of them emerged with all these four gems glittering in his crown.

Flatland Assertions Debunked

I will preface this post by saying I would not be writing about 'debunking flatland',  if my previous attempts at comment-responding to someone's essay on Frank Visser's website  didn't get rejected.(integralworld.net)

I was not at all surprised that happened because what I share doesn't make any sense to one,  who, like his friend D. Lane  is convinced  that 'science must direct mysticism, not the other way around'.

To be fair, I need to say this:  very often what passes for mysticism is nothing but  'peak experience' parading as enlightenment.  Nature mysticism is fun! I had great many peak experiences in nature -- which is the experience of a temporary feeling of oneness with the gross realm which does not involve the causal realms--but it never occurred to me to call it what it is not.
The experience of  (literal)  union of the Soul with the Essence of the Absolute Supreme and all beings in the visible and invisible domains, it is not.

David Lane, Ph.D. wrote: Tangled Phone Lines Why Dawkins Hung Up on Ken Wilber.

I am going to quote some excerpts from it.  My intention is to debunk his  belief  that genuine  mystics are delusional,  debunk his notion that:  "the limits of our skull are the limits of our understanding", snippet from The Mystical Dimension www.integralworld.net/lane12.html
(But) First,  I want to include few snippets - in Ken Wilber's words, from: A Brief History Of Everything, p.299-300  - on what we mean by 'flatland'.

"the culture gap is not our real problem. The real problem is that we are not allowed to even think about the culture gap. And we are not allowed to think about culture gap because we live in flatland. In flatland, we do not recognize degrees of consciousness and depth and value and worth. Everybody has the same depth, namely, zero.
+

"flatland denies the existence of the vertical dimension altogether, denies interior transformation and transcendence altogether, denies the nine or so interior stages of consciousness development that is truly part of culture's human capital, but is not even entered on the ledgers of flatland.

+

And the point is, you cannot integrate the Big Three in flatland. In flatland, they remain dissociated at best, collapsed at worst. And no system that we are aware of has ever gone limping into the future with these types of massive internal dissociation's. If these chaotic tensions do not lead to self-transcendence, they will lead to self-dissolution. Those are the two gruesome choices evolution has always offered at each vertical emergent.

                                                                    *

In Lane's words few excerpts from: Tangled Lines Why Dawkins Hung Up on Wilber:

"I don't necessarily think that mystics and skeptics should depart company and go on their respective ways, but I do think that if they seriously communicate with each other something is bound to give. And what each side may have to give up is more than they might be willing to concede!   For example, take a mystic in the Sant Mat tradition, such as late Kripal Singh (who Ken Wilber once cited as the "unsurpassed master of subtle realm"), who practiced and ancient yogic technique known as shabd yoga wherein one listens to a divine inner sound which reportedly transports the soul into higher regions of bliss beyond the body and the mind. The theological framework undergirding much of Kripal Singh's practice (which dates back centuries through such practitioners as Tulsi Sahib, Kabir, and Guru Nanak) states emphatically that the inner shabd (or inner sound) is not physical or brain produced but is rather divine melody that transcends all physics and the universe. 

But what happens if in studying this phenomenon from a neurological point of view the Sant Mat mystic discovers that such "sacred" music is tinnitus, which may be caused by earwax built up, or nasal allergies, or lower levels serotonin, or any host of physically related ailments.  Does this sort information change the numinous encounter or its interpretation?
  (* I never suffered from such ailments*)

Are religious movements, predicated on shabd yoga practice, such as Radhasoami, the Divine Light Mission, Eckankar, Quan Yin, MSIA, etc., going to accept such a reductionistic explanation of what erstwhile was regarded as a direct pathway to God-Realization?
I think not. Why? Because the very basis of the practice is centered on the notion that it is a spiritual endeavor  and not merely a cranial one.
   (*I practiced not at all, never heard of shabd yoga, still it happened to me*)

In other words, if a mystic is serious about studying the subject scientifically it means that he or she may have to radically revise their understanding and prior theological dogmas about what is actually happening when they undergo a transformation of consciousness.

The scientific study of mysticism may replace some deeply cherished ideas. Some which maybe so cherished that their very elimination will be too heavy a price for some.

  (* You will never acknowledge your ignorance because it would be too heavy a price to pay for your ego*)

I think there is a reason Ken Wilber and Richard  Dawkins don't talk.  Or, if they do, why Richard Dawkins would have to hang up on Wilber.

 (* Dawkins thinks that mystical revelation is "the enemy of truth" - so yeah he would have to hang up on Wilber*)

Ken Wilber *author of many books on human development and consciousness* still wants to believe in mystic "goo". He wants a cosmic feeling good story, even if his flowery description of the same doesn't have even an ounce of scientific credibility. (...)

Wilber wants us to believe in fairy tales, even if dressed up in pseudo-scientific jargon  (....)

Dawkins on the other hand wants us to finally grow up and admit what we have secretly thought for a long time. We were wrong about the gods and we were wrong about ourselves. Yes, mysticism can indeed be studied, but I think we might be a little shocked to see how different it looks when we take off its mystic garb."

quoted from: integralworld.net/lane8.html

                                                                  *

Final thought for those who think  that Soul-level revelations and our contemplative conclusions is the product of delusional mind:
 Because your eternal self Soul's awakened awareness is not yet  on line - developmentally speaking  *which is not same as 'spiritual intelligence' = the result of  text-reading/discussion* -  you are not qualified to pass judgments on those of us who know better.  .  .One's awakened  inner Divinity / the eternal Avatar knows better. . . this is why I say:
Divine Revelation is the communication of the Divine from the source of its Nature within the awakened Inner Being/Ascended Soul.
I didn't study and practiced anything. I didn't know about 'Shabd Yoga', still  I bear witness to what Kabir  said, because it happened to me.  I therefore can call myself Shabd Master.
This Yoga names  many types of inner Sounds - such as thunder, waterfall, kettle drums, bee, Flute and more - and I second that because I experienced same, including  'Krishna's Flute' Sound.

In  www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2009/06/on-rapture-musings.html I share experiences which can't be explained away by saying, 'such a thing can be explained by brain chemistry.'
I had unsolicited Kundalini awakening and She opened my ears and eyes to spiritual dimensions. 

And I  have proof .  I have a record of talking about mysterious, several notes long  'cosmic chant' in several posts, that lasted about 2 years.  I still hear the ever-present extremely subtle/causal vibrations  of the undifferentiated Light within and outside my being.  This experience served as a necessary step leading towards ever-higher Celestial Absorption (poetically speaking).  I might have not mentioned this directly, but careful reading of what I share points to the fact that on this path, Kundalini involves the brain, central nervous system, subtle chakra system and the reproductive system.
If curious, have a look at  couple of posts written in 2010 -  titled:  Evolution Beyond Supramental Stage?  &  Logos-Cosmic-Manna-Shabd-Crystal Rain

www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2010/02/evolution-beyond-supramental-stage-of.html

www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2010/12/logos-cosmic-manna-shabd-crystal-rain.html

*  Edit note:  I contacted David C. Lane & he wrote back...this is why I wrote sister post couple of days ago titled, Interpretation & Divine Revelation Not Same Thing - link. . .
www.spiritspeaks-theofilia.blogspot.ca/2018/02/interpretation-divine-revelation-not.html

I will end this post by including  Eddington's words:
Quantum physics deals with the abstract, symbolic analysis of the physical world-space, time, matter, and energy--even down to the subtlest level, the quantum vacuum. Mysticism deals with the direct apprehension of the transcendent Source of all things. +
We should suspect an intent to reduce God to a system of differential equations. That fiasco at any rate must be avoided. However much the ramification of physics may be extended by further science, they cannot from their very nature (impinge upon) the background in which they have their being.