God and Prayer

It's Sunday, here's what Seth has to say about the God concept and prayer in Session 81 of the Early Sessions (Book 2):


"The God concept, however, is true and not true. Myths and symbols are often closer to reality than what are called hard facts, since so-called hard facts are often distortions of the outer senses. These distortions however are necessary frameworks for existence of the inner self in the material universe.

"Again, then, even the hard facts are true and not true. An open mind therefore or an open spirit, must be large enough to contain within it room for what may seem to be utterly opposing data. Myths and symbols often are closer to reality, again, than so-called hard facts.

"This is true. But so-called hard facts, that may seem opposed to symbols and myths, are not necessarily untrue, since they may be necessary distortions without which the inner self could not survive in the material universe.

"I have decided to tackle this to some degree here and now.

"The myth of God, as given in Christian theology, is too clearly seen by the intelligent adolescent to have evolved and changed from the Old Testament to the New Testament.

"The mature adolescent, even, in his mental and emotional framework, knows that no one male deity, no one super individual, exists in some will-insulated heaven, where he yet is personally concerned with the most intimate affairs of man, mice, mosquito, and sparrow.

"For one thing, the adolescent is turning aside from the domination of both mother and father. For another thing, this is a space age for you. Is heaven on Mars or Venus? How many stars will man explore before this archaic heaven be found?

"To the intelligent, even the symbolism of the Crucifixion is abhorrent. Does this mean, however, that such a crucifixion did not occur? It may not have occurred, in one place and in one time, and to one called Christ; but because man has created the myth, he created the Crucifixion out of his own need; and this Crucifixion, which historically did not occur, as the myth says it occurred, nevertheless has as much reality, and more, that it would have had, had it occurred in so-called hard fact.

"So the intelligent adult now knows, does he not, that no one individual but superior being exists as God in some heaven, threatening hell to the sinners and disbelievers? For many reasons the idea does not make logical sense. ...

"So the hard fact would seem to be that there is no God. There would seem to be a point of departure. Either you believe in the myth or you believe what would seem to be hard fact.

... "The hard fact, to all intelligent minds, must be that there is no God. The myth insists that a God exists, and the intelligent man finds himself in a dilemma that does not exist for the unintelligent. This is merely coincidence.

"The fact is that the myth comes nearer to reality than the fact.

... "The myth represents man's psychic attempt to understand facts that he must distort in his existence on the material plane.

"He must distort them simply because existence on the material plane, necessitates a way of focusing his abilities that will not allow the larger scope of focus to operate. This focus, which I have mentioned before, has been chosen by him to meet the circumstances of this existence.

"Now. Prayer once enabled the intelligent man to focus his psychic abilities, because the hard fact, taken for granted by all in Western civilization, was the belief in such a God. The so-called hard fact has changed.

"The truth behind the myth still exists. Mankind has been engrossed in dreams of a god who is like himself, except that he was considered to be superior and possessed of the highest qualities that man admires in himself.

... "The God myth enabled him, man, to give his higher so-called instincts an objectivity, and the God concept represented and still represents a link with the inner self.

"Now. As far as hard facts are concerned, there is no God as mankind has envisioned him, and yet God once existed as mankind now envisions him.

"What he is now is not what the religious think he is. Yet once he was only what they think he is now. For in fact he did evolve, and was not complete, but represented a supreme will to be from the beginning.

"He is not human in your terms, though he passed through human stages; and here the Buddhist's myth comes closest to approximating reality. He is not one individual, in your terms, but is a psychic gestalt, an energy gestalt.

"If you will remember what I have said about the way in which the universe expands, that has nothing to do with space, then you may perhaps perceive, though dimly, the existence of a psychic pyramid of interrelated, ever expanding consciousness that creates simultaneously and instantaneously universes and individuals that are given, through the gifts of personal perspectives, duration, intelligence, psychic comprehension, and eternal validity.

"It is this that your God concept hints at.

"Now. This absolute, ever-expanding, instantaneous psychic gestalt, which you may call God, if you prefer, is so secure in its existence now that it can constantly break itself down and rebuild itself.

"Its energy is so unbelievable that it does indeed form all universes; and because its energy is within and behind all universes and all planes and all fields, it is indeed aware of each sparrow that falls, for it is each sparrow that falls.

"This does not deny the free will of man, which is indeed misinterpreted. That supreme energy does indeed fight for existence in whatever form it shows itself; and justice, for your information, is only a human term, shortsighted at best. You would both do well to remember this.

... "I am not going to keep you much longer. Nor have I any intentions of starting a new religion. I am, however, trying to tell you the truth, and this material is perhaps the most important of any so far, in that comprehension of it will allow the intelligent man to avail himself of energies and abilities once utilized in prayer.

"Prayer is now shunned. Why prayer if there is no one to listen?

"The prayer contains within it its own answer, and if there is no white-haired, kind old Father God to hear, then there is instead the initial and ever-expanding energy that forms everything that is, and of which every human being is part.

"This psychic gestalt may sound to you impersonal, but since its energy forms your person, how can this be?

"If you prefer to call this supreme and absolute psychic gestalt God, then you must not attempt to objectify him in terms of material, for he is the nuclei of your cells, and more intimate than your breath.

"I know this much and no more. He is not human. He is not "he", if you are thinking in terms of sex. Nor is he "she". Such separations and designations are merely arbitrary in your field. He is individual in the term that many energies are focused into one; and indeed there is one infinite personality, but it is a gestalt.

"There is, then, truly no beginning or end, because we are speaking in terms of an expansion that has nothing to do with space or time, an evolution in dimensions of which you and your kind have not yet even dreamed. As an idea expands, changing a world but taking up no space, and unperceived by your scientific instruments, so does the ultimate and instantaneous absolute gestalt, which you may if you prefer call God, exist and expand.

"There are those who will say that such a concept represents an escape from reality. These men, however, follow their outer senses slavishly. They ignore and fear the inner reality, and the inner ideas and dreams which have actually formed the reality of which they are so proud.

"It is true that undisciplined, hysteric flight into such realms can be dangerous, at least in the short run; but disciplined, balanced, curious and open-minded pursuit will lead to self-fulfillment, betterment of the race in general, and will be the means for releasing innate, inhibited energy toward constructive ends.

Hindrances to Concsious Reality Creation

The following quotation from Session 81 of Seth's Early Sessions (found in Book 2) highlights the kind of misalignments which can occur between our conscious mind and subconscious mind that can hinder conscious manifestion:


"These simple remarks will themselves be the basis for further rather involved discussions, as the mechanisms that are set into motion in such mental or psychic manipulation of matter have never really been explained. Remember however that such psychic manipulation of matter is the normal occurrence.

"It is however usually operating at subconscious levels, and without either knowledge or intent as far as the conscious mind is concerned. To be able to bring these natural but subconscious forces at all under any domination by the conscious mind is a terrific task.

"Such domination will never be habitual, but conscious awareness of subconscious manipulation of matter may become habitual, and may often of its own accord follow the desires of the conscious mind, if certain conditions are met.

"First of all, the conscious desires must be in league with, and unopposed by, the subconscious expectations. Two, sufficient emotional impetus must be discharged, and this will be on or from subconscious levels. And three, communication between the conscious and subconscious, or the inner and so-called outer parts of the whole self, must be excellent.

"Conscious desire to achieve a given end may represent only a superficial, culturally-adopted wish, that may even be directly opposed to the emotionally-charged desires and expectations of the inner self.

"If this is the case then the seemingly desired end is not really either desired or expected, and subsequent manipulation of matter will fall short of success.

... "Prayer has been extremely successful in enabling individuals to manipulate matter through use of their psychic abilities."

Expectation

The following excerpt from Session 76 of Seth's "Early Sessions" (book 2) describes the importance of expectation and emotions in manifestation. From this it becomes clear why Lazaris said that the three tools of manifestation, are Desire, Imagination and Expectation (Imagination being a bridge from the outer to the inner senses) and why the Abraham-Hicks material is so profoundly effective:


"I will, then, begin with a short treatise concerning the importance of expectation, not only in the construction of physical objects from inner data, but also in the importance played by expectation in the actual sifting of inner data that is received, and in the importance of expectation in the interpretation of inner data after the sifting process has been carried about.

... "Expectation, perhaps more than any other quality, characterizes the individual, and represents the innermost aspects of his personality. It is the framework for his physical constructions, and more than atoms and molecules it represents the psychic building blocks from which his constructions will be erected.

"We have already spoken of psychic constructions, and we have said that physical shapes are built upon inner psychic frameworks. Emotions then, in their own realm unperceived by the outer senses, have their own solidity, shape, and it is from these that your expectations are formed.

"The emotions indeed do form the expectations, and it is not the other way around.

"As physical objects can be manipulated, so can the emotions be manipulated, so can they be combined into various shapes and psychic constructions. A man's expectations are the result of his emotional heritage, and his own ability to understand and manipulate that heritage.

"If he manipulates that heritage well, then his expectations will work for him. The emotions are to be used and enjoyed as psychic building blocks. There is no law, however, stating that a man cannot instead throw these blocks to the winds and hope that when they fall down they might possibly fall into a castle.

"Again, expectations are not only vital in the formation of physical constructions, but they also determine what inner data of all available, will be received by the individual; and then the individual interprets the data in terms of the same expectations.

"The core of individuality, then is the individual's expectations, for he will truly get what he wants, individually and collectively.

"If a man wants to change his fate, desire is not enough, but expectation is. Desire may grow into expectation, but alone it is not enough. Expectation is actually the main trigger that switches inner data into the realm of physical construction. Without it, no physical construction results.

"This is extremely valuable information, particularly concerning the part played by expectation in the sifting of available data. Expectation is somewhat influenced also by past existences, and yet not enough to be binding upon the present personality.

"An expectation of danger will indeed create danger. An expectation of success will create success. This is put very simply and yet there is nothing, in practical terms, more valid, since expectation has behind it the motivating force of the personality and utilizes a subconscious level strong abilities and comprehensions.

"Expectation is the force, then, that triggers psychic realities into physical construction.

... "In your physical field, and this limitation is important, in your physical field, truths are often caused by, or are the result of, expectations worked out. Therefore, if you believe for example that excellent artists must be poverty stricken, then this will be a part of your overall expectation framework; and for you it will indeed be, and exist as, a truth.

"If you become wealthy, you would then be in danger of losing your ability, since in your realm of expectation ability of this nature and wealth do not exist simultaneously. To protect your ability then, you would rigorously fight to retain your poverty.

"If another man, for example, does not believe that artistic talent of high degree cannot exist side by side with wealth, then your truth is not his truth, and he is not threatened by wealth, nor is his ability.

"It may even improve. Since I have said that expectations are formed by the emotions, then it is obviously the basic emotions themselves that must be manipulated, since the expectations are the frameworks formed by the emotions. This is the starting point.

"It is pointless to ignore the fact that you feel hatred, even though hatred is a distortion of a basic psychic mobility. Unless you learn never to distort the basic consciousness survival in terms of hatred, you will always have to deal with seemingly unresolved hatreds and aggressions.

"Aggressions are merely the result of energy not clearly directed, invalid survival patterns. If these aggressions are not handled with some degree of success, they will form themselves into expectations, where they will then let forth their power in the formation of unfortunate constructions.

"Emotions, or emotional energy, can be transformed rather easily from one to the other. The energy in hate can be utilized in love, for example. However, aggressions can be turned into constructive terms if care is used. Aggressions should be, as soon as possible after their recognition, turned into constructions. If not, consciously you forget the aggression; the energy stores up until it explodes in what we will call an unsupervised construction.