Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR)

Spiritual but Not Religious (SBNR) is the title of a current Tricycle Magazine article, which I glimpsed passing through the checkout line at my local Coop. Before reading the article, I immediately started to ruminate on its theme and thesis, thinking I'd take a whack at same on this blog, not so much as a rebuttal — I hadn't yet read the article — but as an alternate take on the topic, which most people agree has become a mantra, if not a bromide.

Its ever evolving course shows up in the following Google Ngram query as a narrowing of, and also a decline in, the usage frequency of Religion, as well as a rapprochement of the two, spearheaded by an uptick in the Spiritual.

My guess is the thesis of the Tricycle article is that interest in formal religion has decreased significantly over the past 100 years, but of all religions, Buddhism is the least “Religious” and the most “Spiritual.” Which may be true… True or false, could you imagine the Pope bragging about how spiritual, as opposed to religious, Catholicism is? I can’t; it’s not in their DNA.

And yet, I don’t know if my guess is accurate, nevertheless here’s an explanation for why people have become more “spiritual:”

1) It’s a sign of the times. It’s hip to be different; it’s hip to explore the newest. Due diligence be damned, if it’s first in the Google rankings, go for it. Choose ideas from various methods and persuasions. No rules; make your own.
2) There are so many new religions, sects, new-age persuasions. Sects, based around the worship or teachings of a single person, abound. Many pay only lip service to established religion.
3) The Internet allows access to thousands of competing ideas. Someone mentions a new trend, look it up on your iPhone. Google yourself into a new set of beliefs, after all there’s a stodgy aspect to your parents’ established religion.
4) From sex scandals to embezzlement, the frightful corruption surrounding religion has not only driven church members away from their traditional religion, it has driven them away from organized religion altogether.

Being spiritual is an inclination, like becoming a baseball fan or a lawyer. You’re drawn towards it. Heaven knows why. If someone asked you why, you’d be hard pressed to give a cogently coherent reason. Religion is also an inclination, mixed in with a dose of environmental and social programming passed from generation to generation. The programming and societal indoctrination obliges you to pass along adherence to your offspring and even, in some families, pressure your child to become a priest or minister.

One hundred years ago, you’d stick to your parents’ religion. Today, they may not even have a religion. Whether they do or not, you’re no longer expected to stick with the religion you inherited from your parents. You’re free to follow your own inclinations.

It is reasonable to believe that a child born into a religion in this world, say in China, were he to be born in Afghanistan, would not adhere to the religion of his original environment?

As the new age progressed, SBNRs seem to be looking for more radical practices, often acting like thrill seekers. Many are now focusing on kundalini, much to the general chagrin, as things don't always turn out the way one wants. It is a solitary endeavor; there are dangers attached.

Kundalini is not an inclination; it’s a biological process, an expression of consciousness, and as such, an instrument of great power and energy. That you might be interested in activating kundalini does not guarantee you’ll be able to. Yes, there are methods, but success is never certain. The likelihood of its randomly striking someone who’s never heard of it and is totally unprepared appears to be greater than the likelihood of your willfully activating it.

Consciousness envelops and drives the universe, its biological processes and evolutionary impulses. Kundalini acts like psychic fuel, driving evolution forward.

At this point (see image below), I realized Tricycle wasn't posting the full article, only a come-on, to the their website, so I headed back to the store to purchase it:


The article, I discovered, is not one, but a series, of which I've read the first two. Here are some quotes from the introduction by William B. Parsons.

"Walt Whitman announced this shift in 1871 when he observed that the 'spirituality of religion' would issue forth only in the 'perfect uncontamination' and 'solitariness of individuality' — an utterance that signaled the move to an unchurched, nontraditional, even anti-institutional orientation towards the divine."

"Carl Jung proposed that religion was not outside us, in institutions, but inside, in the very deepest part of our unconscious. In fact, the essential truths at the heart of organized religion can be known by diving deeply into the self. Terms like 'peak experience,' 'self-realization,' and 'individuation' are all legacies of this approach."

The articles endorse my thesis that 'direct experience' is what SBNRs are searching for.

Perhaps, the writer also remembers that Carl Jung was one of the driving forces behind the rediscovery and legitimization of The Secret of the Golden Flower, one of the first books to bring the theory and practice of 'energy cultivation' and 'direct experience' to the West — a book with a clear, concise roadmap for activating kundalini.

Living in the Now - Part 2

The Kybalion is a book written in 1908 by the Three Initiates, which to this day stands as one of the greatest, if not the greatest work on Hermeticism. The reason for its power is that it elucidates the Laws of Creation, which are seven in number, and which when applied, serve as a manual to living as a spiritual being on this planet. 

Although compiled by the Three Initiates, its origin is attributed to none other than Hermes Trismegistus, the forefather of all Western spiritual, religious, philosophical, and occult thought. Still revered and respected by all seekers of truth who come across it, this esoteric book has stood the test of time. It is timeless in essence, because the Laws of Creation are timeless and eternal. 

Studying The Kybalion and applying its Laws in my daily life bestowed on me the grace of a full kundalini awakening 12 years ago. Although the wisdom I've gained has been immense, this article focuses on the specific teachings related to "Being in the Now" and mental transmutation, Laws that govern Creation, which when properly understood and applied, provide the master key to rising above the Ego. We can become demigods in relation to those who are unaware of these Laws and who are used by them instead of using them consciously.

The Kybalion is a guide on how to function in and relate to this world. Free copies are available on the internet. Like me, you'll probably read and reread it many times because it sheds light on many occult, spiritual, philosophical and religious truths, and these Seven Laws of Creation are in essence the very source and foundation of everything. 

One must grasp the concept and ultimate truth that "The All," which is the Universe, is a mental construct and it can be changed by altering thoughts and beliefs about it and ourselves. By saying mental what I mean is that our minds are the connecting link between Spirit and Matter and all of the planes of existence between the two. So what you think about determines the kind of reality you live in. 

There are many planes of existence, but four primarily for humans: the physical plane, the astral plane, the mental plane, and the spiritual plane. And by using the mind, and our willpower and imagination, we are able to traverse those planes and alter our concept of reality to an unimaginable degree.

Mental transmutation is the art and practice of changing our own moods and mental states into their opposites as well as inducing others through thought induction to do the same. We all communicate telepathically, even though we are unaware of it most of the time. Our thoughts influence others on a subconscious level. Therefore, mental transmutation is the art of consciously changing the vibrational frequency of our own thoughts and feelings as well as those of other people.

The first and most important Law, upon which all other Laws are built, is "The All is Mind, the Universe is Mental." Without this first Law, none of the other aspects of these teachings are possible since the first Law is the master key to unlocking the power of our minds and to using them to shape our reality. The first Law goes hand in hand with the second Law which states, "As Above, So Below," which means there are planes of existence occupying the same space and time that overlap one another. Consciously managing your life from the higher planes allows you to control and rule the lower planes.

The All is Mind, the Universe is Mental

In order to ascend from the Lower to the Higher Planes, you must understand and accept that there is a Higher Self as well as an Ego, i.e., the two aspects of Self existing at the same time inside each and every one of us. And learning to consciously disassociate from the Ego gives you the power to align with the Higher Self and change your moods and states as well as those of others. 

The Ego exists in the mind only and has no place in the "Now." It relates to the world through duality and shapes our personalities. It likes and dislikes things, and it perceives reality through the lens of opposites. In The Kybalion, it is part of the Law of Polarity which states that everything in the Universe has an opposite. The opposite of the Ego is the Higher Self or the Spirit. Consciousness oscillates between the two and we decide through attention and awareness whether we are going to align with the Ego or with the Spirit at every given moment in time.

The Ego exists as a result of past conditioning and our interpretation of life events. Over time, since our birth, we interpret life events through either a positive or negative lens. This is the way we build up our Ego. By interpreting through the perspective of duality, our Ego becomes locked to the wheel of Karma and learns to unify ideas and concepts throughout life.

The Higher Self operates through love, inspiration, and exists ONLY in the Now. It is non-dual, it has no likes and dislikes, no personality, but is the part of us that is our character. This is our Spiritual Self. Therefore, to experience the Now, you will experience the Higher or "God" Self. Both Ego and Higher Self exist simultaneously and we tune into each by listening to the thoughts they whisper to us. 

The Higher Self is in the spiritual plane and, compared to the Ego, is the dominant part of the Self. The Ego exists on the mental and astral planes and cannot reach into the Spiritual plane. The Ego also filters into the physical plane since its modus operandi is self-sustenance, self-preservation, and survival of the physical body. It seeks to protect itself and individualize while the Higher Self finds unity within all things. In the physical body, both the Ego and Higher Self are found and we partake equally of each. 

Each moment in time, we are given a choice which one we will listen to and obey. The Spirit is literally our body double, our Doppelgänger, occupying the same space and time just at a different frequency so it is imperceptible to our senses. Twelve years ago, the realization of this fact induced a kundalini awakening.

We are made in the image of our Creator; we create through thoughts, through our minds. Imagination is the highest aspect of the Self. It is for all intents and purposes, God or the Creator. The difference between consciousness of man and of God is a matter of degree — nothing more. The Creation and dream of God is the Universe, while being made in God's image we are given the ability to dream and imagine things. This is what makes us "as God." The way in which we both create.

"As man thinketh, so he is." This old saying is as true now as it was hundreds of years ago when it was spoken by Greek philosophers. What you think about determines what kind of reality you live in. Knowing this, you can deduce that if you can control your mind and what you think about, you can control the experience of living on this planet. Thoughts induce energy all around us, and once you learn to control your thoughts and raise your own vibrations through the use of your Willpower, you will have a degree of control over your own reality that is otherwise impossible.

There is a fourth dimension, called the dimension of vibration. The Kybalion states, "Nothing rests, everything moves. Everything vibrates." The difference between Spirit and matter is only a difference in vibration. Matter vibrates at such a low density that it is visible to the human eye, since it also is comprised of matter. But spirit vibrates at a higher frequency, invisible to the naked eye, but very present and real. We experience it through the sixth sense — the Mind's Eye.

A kundalini awakening is an awakening to this dimension of vibration. The dimension of vibration is the dimension of energy. Apply this concept now to thoughts and you will have the master key to controlling your vibration frequency. Using your Willpower, you can control the vibration of your thoughts and thoughts of others. To change your vibration and your emotion, you have to apply your Fire/Spirit aspect and focus your attention. It works by meditating or holding your attention consciously on an idea or archetype in order to affect the emotional aspect of Self and change it. Emotion is passive; it receives impulses from Willpower, or by lack of Willpower. It can be transmuted by other people's Willpower. 

If you are not consciously in charge of your reality, other people are. This is why the strong people of the world are stubborn and only listen to themselves. Because to do otherwise is to put your reality into other people's hands. These Laws are kept secret by the people in power because if the truth was out about how reality is shaped, those in power would no longer have any power over others. Being able to apply the Law of Vibration is the scepter of power for complete control over your life. Let those with ears of understanding hear this ancient wisdom. This is mental transmutation. And it is as real as your and my flesh and blood. All one has to do is apply the Laws consciously and with intent.

The Kybalion states, "To change your mood or mental state, change your vibration." Every thought has an opposite. Love has hate. Up has down. Truth has lies. Fear has courage. And so on. And since we live in a world of duality, we can change all emotions into their opposites. Now love cannot be changed to courage. And fear cannot be changed to lies. One can only change emotions into their own opposites. Hence, hate can be changed to love. Fear to courage. Weakness to strength. And so on.

Yin/Yang-Duality

A fearful person can spend all of his life overshadowed by fear and he will not achieve anything. Since focusing on one thing means amplifying it in the mind, it doesn’t matter if you are thinking, "Don’t focus on fear, don't focus on fear." You are still thinking about fear.

But if you focus on its opposite, and hold your attention on courage for a time, you will raise your fearful vibrations into courage, and prevail. But to accomplish this successfully, you must first have an idea of how to enter the "Now" since the "Now" is the place of pure potential where mental transmutation becomes possible.

The Willpower is the Fire element in us. It is the Spirit Self. By applying Willpower to accomplish anything, you are being in touch with your Spirit. The Spirit works through Fire which in turn affects the Water element. The Water element is the memory through which the Ego is formed. It belongs to the past and plans the future, as are all operations which include the Ego. Memory is the water element, it is changeable and unfixed. And it is moved by the Moon since the Moon is the regulator of emotions. This is Hermeticism — understanding of the Universe in a logical and practical way. Hermetic Science is the true science of who we are. It is the Source from which all religion originated. 

Spirit and Fire can always act on Water and Water can drown out Fire, but cannot touch Spirit. In other words, the Ego cannot affect your Spirit, but if you associate only with the Ego, you will forget you even have a Spirit. Willpower is the conscious application of the Spirit through the Fire element. So when we talk about Willpower, it means applying our Spirit and Fire element to change our Water element, our impression of who we think we are, and the reality around us. Fire is regulated and controlled by the Sun. It is light, it is Spirit. It is the First Source, the Father, as the Moon is the Second Source, and the Mother. But these opposites need one another to exist. We, humans, are in the middle of it all.

There is a gap between thoughts and since the Ego is always active and always talking. Quieting the Ego means filling this gap. This can be done willfully because the principle of Willpower is higher in degree than automatic chatter of the Ego. The mind is like a muscle, and the more you work on it, the stronger it gets and it becomes easier to induce silence at will.

In this gap between thoughts, exists the Now — a rapturous state in which to lose yourself for a time, until you are once again conscious of the Ego's thoughts. Depending on how strong your Willpower is, this may last a short or long while. The key is awareness and attention. Focus your attention on silencing the mind which, in turn, raises your awareness. In the Now, you can alter your reality through mental transmutation and realize your highest potential since the Now is a place of pure unlimited potential where anything becomes possible.

This means that if you wanted to become an artist, a musician, or a famous actor or politician, it is a very real possibility. But you must first forget who you think you are, your limitations, and learn to access the "Now" so that you can "squeeze the juice" of pure potential from it and remake yourself. You must believe this is possible, because it is. Your power of belief is the springboard to making it real. If these are just mere words for you, you will accomplish nothing. Such is The Kybalion. It is "strong meat for men," while the masses are fed "milk for babes." Rule or be ruled. 

This is the Matrix. And you are a hero of your own story, although you probably don't know it yet. You are given the ability to dream as well as the power to accomplish those dreams. But if you listen to the Ego that tells you you cannot do something then you will be right, you cannot. If you listen to the Spirit that tells you you can be anything you want to be, again you will be right. The choice is always yours. Such is the Law.