Thank you for the mention and recommendation, Guy. It has some interesting parallels with Nefahotep's research into a race, not necessarily alien but possibly, of a tall, red-headed warring tribe with conical headed leaders who infiltrated Egyptian dynasties and also the Incas in Peru. These were the Hapiru that translates Hebrew. It would make sense that they were Celtic from the coloring.
I think I may have been the person who said the phrase 'spiritual bypassing' seemed vague. Let me repost your definition here: "Spiritual by-pass is for the ego to become attached to some kind of partial or erroneous spiritual ‘truth’ that manages to deny the realities of being physically alive in this moment and/or to deny or to be blind to the metaphysical and/or unconscious shadow elements that have, like a strange attractor, kept us repeating patterns of behaviours of thought, words and/or actions that are, or that become, destructive to ourselves and/or others and that keep us from changing those behaviours. More simply, spiritual by-pass is to abdicate our absolute personal responsibility of choice in all aspects of our somatic lives, our thoughts, words, and actions, and to blame others for the destructive elements we are experiencing."
It seems like what you're saying is that you kept repeating behaviors that, despite your best efforts, didn't cure your pain and therefore must have been spiritually wrong. Each time you made progress you were happy but blamed yourself for 'premature elation' when it came back. Your pain is the 'proof' that other people are wrong in their beliefs or practices, even if they're not feeling pain. The body is your oracle, your portal to spirit, and determines what's real or not real for everyone. I'm not saying you're wrong on the first two but the third is a way that you say everyone else is wrong.
When you write about Michael Stone's " ... observation that the New Age idea around ‘everything is one’ is basically psychotic", it confirms my belief that he's an egotistic asshole. He then ridicules this by employing the anti-Muslim propaganda trope of 'being one with the virgins' (how is that even New-Age?). Who made Stone into someone to tell us what Reality is? Such arrogance!
The beginning of your definition was about ego-attachment and then says your body's pain demonstrates that was only a partial or erroneous 'truth.' The examples you give of abdicating responsibility seem to be still be blaming others--Your OCD ex- for your fear of her anger or disappointment. The food truck worker for you not saying, 'just give me a bagel' in the first place. The landlord with Covid for you not booking another AirBnB, and filing for a refund or not.
It's perfectly valid for you to say, "Here's what's working for me in my journey. I'm experimenting with a total belief in the reality of the body and the ego. Maybe it will work for you too." But you're defining spiritual bypassing as something other people do. It's a label you're using to call them wrong without engaging at the level of ideas. Instead, your body is judge and jury of what's true and not true, whether it's ultimate reality as separate or One, or Jesus as historical or fictional.
It is a tricky subject, whether sickness shows that Oneness is wrong. According to the Course, that's the purpose of sickness--the ego's attempt to prove that you're under its control. Does that mean I never get sick? No. I think that sickness is a way of nudging me into making connections and relationships, like you with your naturopath. I look for meaning in it, as you do. I have no beliefs, for me or others, only theories and suspicions. I don't see them as superior in any way to yours, but I do object when you or Michael Stone see yours as superior to mine.
Thank you for the mention and recommendation, Guy. It has some interesting parallels with Nefahotep's research into a race, not necessarily alien but possibly, of a tall, red-headed warring tribe with conical headed leaders who infiltrated Egyptian dynasties and also the Incas in Peru. These were the Hapiru that translates Hebrew. It would make sense that they were Celtic from the coloring.
I think I may have been the person who said the phrase 'spiritual bypassing' seemed vague. Let me repost your definition here: "Spiritual by-pass is for the ego to become attached to some kind of partial or erroneous spiritual ‘truth’ that manages to deny the realities of being physically alive in this moment and/or to deny or to be blind to the metaphysical and/or unconscious shadow elements that have, like a strange attractor, kept us repeating patterns of behaviours of thought, words and/or actions that are, or that become, destructive to ourselves and/or others and that keep us from changing those behaviours. More simply, spiritual by-pass is to abdicate our absolute personal responsibility of choice in all aspects of our somatic lives, our thoughts, words, and actions, and to blame others for the destructive elements we are experiencing."
It seems like what you're saying is that you kept repeating behaviors that, despite your best efforts, didn't cure your pain and therefore must have been spiritually wrong. Each time you made progress you were happy but blamed yourself for 'premature elation' when it came back. Your pain is the 'proof' that other people are wrong in their beliefs or practices, even if they're not feeling pain. The body is your oracle, your portal to spirit, and determines what's real or not real for everyone. I'm not saying you're wrong on the first two but the third is a way that you say everyone else is wrong.
When you write about Michael Stone's " ... observation that the New Age idea around ‘everything is one’ is basically psychotic", it confirms my belief that he's an egotistic asshole. He then ridicules this by employing the anti-Muslim propaganda trope of 'being one with the virgins' (how is that even New-Age?). Who made Stone into someone to tell us what Reality is? Such arrogance!
The beginning of your definition was about ego-attachment and then says your body's pain demonstrates that was only a partial or erroneous 'truth.' The examples you give of abdicating responsibility seem to be still be blaming others--Your OCD ex- for your fear of her anger or disappointment. The food truck worker for you not saying, 'just give me a bagel' in the first place. The landlord with Covid for you not booking another AirBnB, and filing for a refund or not.
It's perfectly valid for you to say, "Here's what's working for me in my journey. I'm experimenting with a total belief in the reality of the body and the ego. Maybe it will work for you too." But you're defining spiritual bypassing as something other people do. It's a label you're using to call them wrong without engaging at the level of ideas. Instead, your body is judge and jury of what's true and not true, whether it's ultimate reality as separate or One, or Jesus as historical or fictional.
It is a tricky subject, whether sickness shows that Oneness is wrong. According to the Course, that's the purpose of sickness--the ego's attempt to prove that you're under its control. Does that mean I never get sick? No. I think that sickness is a way of nudging me into making connections and relationships, like you with your naturopath. I look for meaning in it, as you do. I have no beliefs, for me or others, only theories and suspicions. I don't see them as superior in any way to yours, but I do object when you or Michael Stone see yours as superior to mine.
Great essay Guy, thank you. So helpful for me to read this stage of your journey. Just what I 'needed' to reflect on. I feel soothed somehow ❤️🙏