Creation, Reality & Mind, episode #3

After interviewing 10,000+ job candidates over my 36-year career as a Professional Recruiter, I continue to be curious about people and their background stories. What makes each person unique?

My Story.

My personal journey that led me to be the man I am today - my views, interests and priorities - can be traced back to the 1960s when I was as a precocious, somewhat rebellious teenager in living in the suburbs of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

I was the eldest of four boys. My sister was 16 months older. Our parents were devout Roman Catholics and both taught in Catholic schools. My father had unusual interests: yoga, mysticism and the teachings of Indian wisemen such as Yogananda, Krishnamurthy and Gopi Krishna.

Throughout my youth, I became increasingly suspicious of authority figures. While most portrayed themselves as “good people”, evidence appeared for me to question their honesty, “good intentions” and trustworthiness. This included teachers, priests, police, advertisers and even my parents among others. As my disappointment grew, so did my resentment and rebelliousness.

Religion was perhaps the most significant influence in my formative years. I attended Catholic primary schools and a Jesuit private boys high school. As a “good Catholic boy”, I was expected to observe the sacraments and attend weekly Sunday Mass. By age thirteen, I realized that the church clergy and my Catholic school teachers were telling stories that did not align with “reality” as I experienced it. In addition, the "do as I say, not as I do" hypocrisy was consistently evident even amongst the pious and devout.

Those early experiences fostered in me a lifelong skepticism - a wariness of most "authority figures” especially those who were associated with large, powerful institutions. It came a no surprise to me when, years later, I discovered that one of my Jesuit teachers - an ordained priest with a Ph.D. in Philosophy - is one of 29 known and publicly-outed pedophile abusers of young men listed on the main Jesuit website.

Around age eighteen, I identified as “agnostic” or “atheist” when asked. In late August 1969 after attending the Woodstock rock festival, I embarked on a nine-month journey throughout Europe before attending the University of Waterloo the following September. In  early 1970, I visited Father Lavin over three days arranged by my mother. He was an ordained priest and monk living at a Trappist monastery in Coalville, England. Mom hoped he would guide me back to the Catholic faith. After several long conversations, Father Lavin admitted that God is beyond understanding by facts and logic; that He and His Kingdom are accessible only through faith. I dismissed his advice as yet another form of the propaganda similar to others I'd encountered before.

I've always been more contemplative than my peers.

Like my dad, I had an unexplainable desire to decipher life's meaning throughout my adult years. My pursuit of knowledge was sometimes for career reasons, but often for the sheer pleasure of learning new things. I read and explored different paths to knowledge and this gradually expanded in scope over the years to include economics, political science, information technology, health and fitness, contemporary philosophy, sociology, psychology, metaphysics and consciousness.

Since retirement in 2016, this quest became virtually full time. I’ve invested countless hours in reading books, exploring the Internet, listening to contemporary podcasts and having discussions with interesting and informed people. I was invited, for example, to join the Freethinkers group in 2016 by my friend and former boss Bill Gairdner. “Willie” as he was known to his friends, had a large influence on my life choices, but that’s another story for another time .

Freethinkers, less active today after Willie died in late 2023, includes about 20 men. Each had impressive careers arising from diverse segments of the economy. We all share conservative inclinations and enjoy exchanges of a philosophical and political nature. One member, Tom Beakbane, introduced to the group a rarely heard term, ‘consilience’. It’s a concept that I adopted to describe the source of my ideas these days.

Like many men, I had a mid-life crisis.

Between 1987 and 1992, my first marriage ended, a lawsuit threatened my livelihood and a 13-year battle with panic disorder and clinical depression became a central preoccupation in my life. This mental health struggle dragged me through a labyrinth of psychotherapy sessions, metaphysical and self-help reading, and several spiritually-tinged support groups. Life as a single man after a 14-year marriage required that I adapt to being a part-time parent to my two young daughters and their pet dog. Nine years later, soon after putting my health issues behind me, I remarried happily to this day.

In 1993, a close friend introduced me to "A Course In Miracles" (ACIM). It became one of my primary tools for working through the mental health struggles that hounded me daily. I delved into its profound text, committed to the daily meditations, and eventually led a small study group. These efforts transformed my life in unexpectedly positive ways.

About A Course in Miracles.

A Course In Miracles is 900 pages segmented into three sections: the Text, Workbook for Students, and Manual for Teachers. Its teachings are unusual and, under normal circumstances, most people would be unlikely to put in the effort to dig deeply into it. In my case, a daily struggle with panic disorder was anything but “normal circumstances”. I was hoping that it may provide a remedy and I was highly motivated to proceed with a serious effort.

The Text begins with a profound declaration:

"This is a course in miracles. It is a required course. Only the time you take it is voluntary. Free will does not mean that you establish the curriculum. It means only that you can elect what you wish to undertake at any given moment. The course does not endeavor to teach the meaning of love, for that is beyond what can be taught. It strives, instead, to dismantle the barriers to the recognition of love's presence, which is your natural right. The opposite of love is fear, but what is all-encompassing can have no opposite.

Thus, the essence of this course can be encapsulated succinctly:

Nothing real can be threatened.

Nothing unreal exists.

Herein lies the peace of God."

The “Workbook for Students” offers 365 lessons, one for each day of the year. The introduction is crucial to read and understand. It prepares the student for the unusual ideas presented therein. It also outlines the lessons’ purpose and serves as vital reading for those ready to embark on the daily exercises. The concepts may initially seem unbelievable or even shocking, but over time, their wisdom becomes evident..

The “Manual for Teachers” is just 72 pages and offers a comprehensive overview with a modest time investment.

The complete text of A Course in Miracles is freely accessible at the provided link.

A New Way of Experiencing Life

A Course in Miracles (ACIM) changed my perceptions of life and people. I see answers to questions that would never have occurred to me previously.

Explaining to others this paradigm shift in perception—a “miracle” as defined by ACIM—has proven difficult. Few can understand what I try to express, but this is understandable. How can I expect anyone else to understand in a short conversation what has taken me nearly three decades of experience living with effects to know what I know? I hesitated sharing this much about ACIM, but then decided “why not?”

This essay is personal for it describes only MY LIFE LENS and how it has taken shape. To help the readers to gain some perspective on its evolution, this required that I provide an overview of several key life influences and how they led to the metaphysical framework which I now consider my "truth."

For me, ACIM stands apart from religion. It does not bind me to a congregation, rituals, a prescribed dogma or the veneration of any ‘supreme” figure or earthly authority such as a pope. I observe no special holidays and feel no need to promote my beliefs to others. I am, however, willing to share what I have learned to those who show interest.

Profound realizations.

While I’m generally silent about these ideas, I consider them important to my understanding of history. Humanity has evolved through countless innovations in tools, technology, crafts, trade, currency, governance, weaponry, agriculture, building materials, communication, and language. These are all products of mind and will.

Mankind’s religious beliefs have evolved.

Decades ago, I read James Michener's The Source - an historical romp through history and the evolution of religions going back to the origins of human societies. It was a fascinating read which inspired my interest in how we cope with life's perils emotionally, physically, and psychologically. Viewed through this lens, I now think that organized religions have been in the business of promoting FEAR in order to sell HOPE. Employing rituals such as baptism, each person is “accepted in the sight of God” into their “special” communities. Then, as a “flock of sheep tended by a shepard”, they share in “communion” and participate in their special religious programs (sacraments, prayers, gospels, ceremonies, holy days, etcetera).

For many people, these religion practices work well as coping mechanisms to help people feel some degree safety from the existential fears of life.

I will never forget the dying words of my mother who was a devoted Roman Catholic- mom truly ‘lived her faith’. Hours before passing while under palliative care in a modern hospital, she asked: “Why has God forsaken me at this hour of need?”. Mom did not feel His divine presence in her final hours and, to my surprise, she openly questioned if 84 years of devotion to her faith was all for naught.

With approximately 4,200 religions today, it is clear evidence that humanity is still in search of a singular "truth" that can provide a reliable REFUGE from FEAR.

Scientific inquiry has also progressed.

Albert Einstein sought a 'unified field theory' to find a common link between the 'weak forces' of sub-atomic particles and the 'strong forces' in the macrocosm.

I posit that consciousness is the 'unified field' Einstein sought—an ironic notion, considering that he, like all of us, was a being of consciousness.

Gary Zukav, scientist and author of The Dancing Wu Li Masters, is a physicist who researched sub-atomic particles. Years ago, he expressed the pivotal moment that completely altered his career path. In an experiment, he observed a subatomic particle to exist in two places simultaneously while viewing it through an electron microscope. Zukav hypothesized that his presence as ‘the observer’ was the key to understanding this phenomenon. In his subsequent book, The Seat of the Soul, he delves into his exploration of human consciousness.

Psychology and Propaganda.

Psychology of Totalitarianism by Dr. Mattias Desmet, a renowned professor of clinical psychology, explains the phenomenon of 'mass formation psychosis.' Triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing global panic, Dr. Desmet proposes this concept as a lens through which to understand the fear-driven behaviours which swept across global societies. Similarly, the climate change crisis gained traction in the human psyche following Al Gore's fear-mongering in the film "An Inconvenient Truth."

Desmet’s book and his detailed explanation of the mass formation psychosis phenomena are essential reading for anyone who wonders how and why the world’s communities are being led like lemmings to destinations that they would not willingly choose if individual critical thinking was engaged more often.

The impact of Dr. Desmet's book on my perceptions of reality has been profound. It illuminated my understanding of both individual and collective human behaviours throughout history in new ways, especially the dynamics of power, war, religion and social stratification within societies. It reveals insights into the nature of power and how it can be leverages to capitalize on human fears during genuine and “manufactured” crises.

After reading Psychology of Totalitarianism, it occurred to me that the entire history of the Roman Catholic Church, with its rise to enormous wealth, influence and power, can be viewed as one long manifestation of mass formation psychosis.

The lure of the ‘strongman’ in politics

Michener’s book The Source is really a story about the human instinct to seek protection from danger. Besides turning to “the gods”, ancient tribal members also sought refuge from the community ‘strongman'—a figure who they perceived as capable of providing protection. This has been a consistent feature of human ‘tribal’ societies throughout history.

The archetype of the strongman varies widely, with each person's unique experiences shaping their perception of an ideal “protector”.

Just as “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”, leaders are too. Unfortunately, not everyone agrees on who are the best leaders and this often leads to problems. For instance, the polarized reactions to Donald Trump's presidency exemplify how much individual choices, based on the life lens of each person, can contribute to significant societal divisions. In America, Pro-Trump or anti-Trump ‘tribes’ abound for this reason and modern communications media actively fan the flames of divisive tribal animus. Propaganda works!.

The recent 'woke' movement that has permeated Western culture and institutions represents this innate human inclination to form 'tribal' groups. It employs many discrete identifiers such as race, religion, ethnicity, socio-economic status, geographic region and sexual identity to balkanize entire nations.

Such ‘tribal’ groups are prime targets for manipulation by those seeking to wield social influence, economic and sociopolitical power.

Modern instrumental of propaganda are both the rifle and the bullets aimed at those targets by the “big game hunters”.

Healthy narcissism?

This human drive to stand out within our communities in unique ways is manifest throughout our diverse global and local cultures. Fame, fashion, symbols of success (a Rolex watch) and prowess (big muscles) and more - these are all on full display everywhere you look. Even one’s brand of vehicle, sports team allegiance, celebrity fandom and political party affiliation: these are all ways to declare one’s uniqueness through association with certain desirable ‘tribes’. Don’t forget religious tribes too.

It’s as if humans fear becoming invisible like when death arrives. This universal existential fear fuels the need for distinctive personal expression and attention for it by others.

The pursuit of attention is natural.

Our desire to be recognized for our individuality is a core drive that must be embraced and supported for a truly civil society to flourish. It must also be protected and defended.

Personal survival is the prime impulse of every human being.

As their personal responsibility, each person must be free to exercise his or her body, mind and will to fulfill their needs and reasonable desires.

Unfortunately, some individuals and groups are inclined to dominate and control others in ways that pave the way to totalitarian regimes by exploiting the collective fears of humanity.

The above proclivity must be comprehensively understood by all humanity to minimize its dangers and harness its potential benefits.

Time for reflection

On reading this essay on My Life Lens, you might perceive it as a mere expression of my individuality. This interpretation holds true if you limit your perspective to the language of my thoughts. There is an alternative viewpoint, however.

Envision yourself transcending the confines of time, space, and matter. Drift in the realm of thought alone.

Realize that your existence in Mind mirrors mine. Acknowledge our shared essence, coexisting in the same metaphysical 'space' at the identical metaphysical 'moment in time.'

In this state, you will see yourself in me, and I in you, as we both navigate the boundless sea of Universal Consciousness.

Our uniqueness may appear to separate us in the physical world, yet in the grand tapestry of Life, we are united.