Judy, this "general impossibility" is where I disagree with Robin. As I say in the rest of my post. I think, based on my reading of what people have written, I think ontological union with God or life has occurred in some individuals.
I realized this morning that in the context of this discussion and for me, it doesn't matter whether Robin calls his previous state enlightenment or delusion or both. What matters is that I think, based on what I've read and heard about others who followed an Eastern system, for example, Nisargadatta, that enlightenment, etc. has occurred. On Tuesday, February 11, 2014 9:54 AM, "authfri...@yahoo.com" <authfri...@yahoo.com> wrote: Robin was talking about the enlightenment Maharishi describes. Don't know what he'd say about other types of "very, very high states of human development," except for the general impossibility of ontological union with God (per the doctrines of the Judeo-Christian religions). << I think enlightenment, or a very, very high state of human development, and without delusion or possession, has occurred in Native Americans, shamans, tantrics, Taoists, Buddhists, Sufis, Christians, Jews and atheists. I think it included "ontological union" with what some people call God, but which I think could also be called life. I think it has occurred in people like Byron Katie and Eckhart Tolle who had no spiritual tradition at all. Finally I think it has occurred in some people who followed an Eastern tradition. I think it did not include delusion or possession. I think it lasted. I think it included ontological union with God or, for the atheists, life. Now for the scientists: I think if we wired such individuals up to an fMRI machine, I think we would find that 99% of their brain was functioning in a very, very healthy way. This is what I've been attempting to say these last few days. And yes, I recognize that it's been gripping me! Why? To honor the possibility and actuality of a very, very high state of human development. >>
