Isn't Spiritual Knowledge a belief system in itself?

[Fric]

Hello,

First of all excuse me if my question has been answered somewhere else, I haven't been able to find it. As you can also see this is my first post but I have been reading you  non periodically for several months now. Also, excuse the lenght of the post.

I've read in several places an statement that has cought my attention. To give you an example of my sources see page 365 of Robert Bruce's Astral Dynamics. Basically the idea is the following (using Bruce words):  the structure we percieve of the astral planes depends a lot on the "perception angle" of the projector. Such perception angle depends very much on the belief system of the projector.

Some other sources I just cant remember right now (forums, books etc) continue to explain that our thought patterns and our belief system  basically lead us to some astral realm or astral plane, whatsoever, that fits into ourselves and somehow fits our expectations. Advanced projectors are able to see beyond and move around, so to say.

"What dreams may come" a fiction novel, actually even pictures religious people somehow "trapped" into their religious always-in-church plane. I understand it is a work of fiction, but the example helps with the question I want to ask:

Isn't all the knowledge in Robert Bruce's work (just to put an example I remember),  or even the statements this very forums produce, a belief system in itself?

I mean, Robert says "Look, what you see in the astral depends on your view of things, on your thoughts and mood. Lets try to keep an open mind so we can see the whole picture." But  then, he goes on to actually give a very definite structure of things! An structure, we are told, that is the result of open minded non biased observation.

Let me explain just a little further: I am receiving Adrian's newsletter. I havent bought his book, but I've taken it into consideration. One of the two things that stops me from buying it is the question I just asked... Observing Adrian's extensive index of the book I expect that the book will give me a very detailed point of view of how things work and how things are outside of 3D or material reality (using Adrian's words now). One almost comes to expect to read "The true nature of the universe" so to say.

Isnt such a detailed, extensive information a belief system in itself? If I'd project right now, wouldnt I be biased to expect whatever Adrian, Bruce or whoever I read, tell me it is their view of things?

In the stiky post "Phasing, what it is and how you can do it" Frank explains that people are hindered in their attemps to project by the multitude of things to do to achieve a projection, and thus usually miss it. He proposes "just notice". Sometimes I wonder if all this extensive glossary of ideas, all this structre, all this knowledge of things beyond is somehow something I will come to expect, and thus something not ENTIRELY "real". Very much as some people will expect to be in front of a Saint and a huge golden door the day they die.

Thank you for reading so far,

Fric

[alexd]

Hi Fric, welcome to the Astral Pulse

In my opinion spirituality is fundamentally the study of that which occurs outside of common, normal reality. I think it is really only a belief system if that is what you make it.

A broader reality can be known if it is experienced directly. Unlike religion which is based on faith and belief, spirituality is based on direct experience. You can experience the astral directly, for example. Spiritual Knowledge in itself if only read and not applied may turn into a belief system, but this is only because the knowledge was used in the wrong way. If instead of trying to conceptualize works by authors such as Robert Bruce and experiencing the spiritual phenomena in itself it is no longer just a belief system.

Instead of knowing by belief it is better to know by experience. But if no-one writes about their experiences there will be no signposts for those who are looking.

I mean, Robert says "Look, what you see in the astral depends on your view of things, on your thoughts and mood. Lets try to keep an open mind so we can see the whole picture." But  then, he goes on to actually give a very definite structure of things! An structure, we are told, that is the result of open minded non biased observation.

Also regarding this, when we look at the physical world, the view of things depends on your thoughts and mood. But there is still a structure to the physical world nonetheless isn't there?


Alex

[Keithcrash]

I'm just about to head to bed, I just got off a grave shift, so I may not be very articulate here, but I agree with you Fric.  A lot of us more 'spiritual' types like to think were looking beyond what we perceive as structured religious philosophy, and have seen through the vale, but the more I understand about how it all works, the more I understand that behind one vale, is another and another and another, and each of those move and act as we think it should.

But I believe though, in that, is the wonder of it all.  That each of us, do, in fact, find out own truths.  

There is an East Indian parable about a group of people touching an elephant, but I can't quite remember how it goes, but each has their own experience and understanding what en elephant is, each is different, because the guy holding the trunk is having a different experience as the woman running her hand over the thick, bristly, hide.  They are both right, they both have an understanding, and each of their experiences is different, but true.

It seems to me that Robert and Adrian do nothing more then tell us where to find the elephant, each of us experience it differently.

Our perception is our own, and will inevitable be different because of the unique soul experiencing it.

Do I make sense, or is this the ramblings of a tired man?