THE CENTER'S MISSION

In response to a growing need to better understand the complex world in which we live--to say nothing of the lack of logic in the traditional belief--spiritual seekers are increasingly turning to alternatives. Many are coming to recognize that God, in a ceaseless effort to bring love, peace and understanding to the planet, has inspired many enlightening texts over the centuries--and continues to inspire the minds of mortals to produce works of scriptural quality.

Although a majority of people still cling to the belief that God has placed everything we need to know in a single book--and traditionally an ancient book--more and more seekers are experiencing the rewards of having based their belief system on multiple spiritual textbooks. And increasingly, spiritual explorers are recognizing the validity of modern texts. In recognition of this situation the mission of the Center is threefold:

To promote a better understanding and appreciation of the holistic perspective.

To help spiritual explorers in their quest to discover modern sources of revelation.

To promote, through these efforts, a more spiritually enlightened, tolerant and loving environment--one person at a time.

The Holistic Perspective
Why Wholeness and Perspective are So Important

Many of the problems we encounter in life are the result of simple misunderstandings. Because misunderstandings often occur as a result of differences in perspective, if only we were more aware of the effects of perspective many of our problems could be easily solved, if not avoided entirely!

In dealing with the physical world most of us recognize the importance of perspective. We even understand the importance of a (w)holistic perspective. None of us would buy a used car without inspecting the whole car--at least as much as is reasonably accessible. Typically, that would include such things as an inspection of the tires and body work, the engine compartment and the odometer, and a check for leaks. We are willing to make this effort because we recognize the value of physical wholeness--of having a whole vehicle, one with an engine and transmission and tires, etc. We know our effort will minimize error and deception, and help keep costs down over the long run. Unfortunately, when ideas are the subject of our inspection we often forget to employ this simple pattern.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to recognize that mental realities, like physical realities, are more completely and accurately understood when viewed from multiple perspectives. The conclusions we draw from our observations and experiences with ideas, and the resulting beliefs that we form, depend on where we are positioned in relation to the subject of our investigation. Once we recognize this it becomes apparent that our perception of life is largely a function of our perspective. By shifting our perspective so that we acquire additional perspectives we can often bring opportunities and problems (and their solutions) into clearer focus and accelerate learning.

Differences in perspective are normally difficult to overcome. First, there's the problem of determining the perspective that has produced a person's ideas and beliefs. Second, in most cases we must experience a perspective before we can correctly understand--and intelligently discuss--it. Fortunately, we have a perspective we share: the holistic perspective. And while it too is subject to confusion (due to its greater complexity), at a minimum it gives us an additional perspective to work with. Unfortunately, as a society we have yet to appreciate the valuable contribution the holistic perspective makes to understanding and give it the respect it warrants.

THE EFFECT OF PERSPECTIVE
Before we get further into what it means to have a holistic mental perspective let's make certain everyone understands what we mean by perspective. Let's look at the effect of perspective on our understanding of physical objects.

That which we are able to observe of an object or scene is a function of relative position and distance. Relationship is the essence of physical perspective. An individual positioned above an object will tend to see it somewhat differently than an individual positioned under it or in front or in back (unless we are observing something very simple and uniform such as a plain sphere). In addition to compass position, distance is critical. The closer we are to the object or scene we are observing, the better we are able to see it, and consequently, the more accurate our perception.

Mental and spiritual perspectives follow a similar pattern: position and distance are extremely critical. The ideas and situations we encounter are often relatively distant and thus difficult to perceive with accuracy. For example, consider the perception of prison as a tool for behavior modification as viewed from the perspective of those of us who have only read about the issue. Having "observed" a variety of prison-based situations through images projected onto the screen of mind as a result of words on a page (frequently written by people with an agenda), we might think we understand the issues involved. But in truth, often we have not even come close to obtaining a realistic view of the issues involved. At other times we are plunged into the middle of an idea or situation and are positioned to experience life's fullest impact (an example being those who have actually experienced prison and/or directly experienced its effect on someone's behavior).

And factors other than distance and position can affect physical perspective. For example, some people are naturally better equipped to see from a distance. They have superior sight. Likewise, there are those who have have been gifted with superior insight--they are more adept than most in terms of understanding the ideas they encounter. But let's move on. Let's focus on what we can do to expand our perspective. To do this we need to discuss the role the brain plays in mental perspective.

BRAIN PERSPECTIVE
If we divide perspective into its two most fundamental components we find that there are two primary perspectives through which we observe our world and its life. These two perspectives correlate with the two halves of the brain. As noted previously, the essence of perspective is relationship. And just as two eyes are necessary in order for us to obtain the information needed to accurately determine physical relationships, two brains are needed to help us accurately determine mental relationships.

Typically, the LEFT hemisphere of the human brain looks at reality through a process we call ANALYSIS. This is a process that breaks down our observations of reality (or illusion) into smaller and smaller "parts," making them less and less complex, and thus easier and easier to understand.

The RIGHT half (or right brain) takes what we might call a complementary approach. Stated in somewhat simplistic terms: through the process of SYNTHESIS the right brain works to combine the various "parts" of reality that we encounter in our explorations and form them into a whole (or we might envision it as combining wholes into even greater wholes).

The two perspectives are supposed to combine and give us a complete picture--the whole picture--with the left showing us the "details" and the right outlining the "big picture," the framework of relationship that "holds" the details. Stated another way: The left acts to separate or dissemble our information and thus simplify it so that we might more easily understand the micro structure and function of the object or idea under scrutiny. The right acts to assemble our various perspectives so that we might better understand the macro structure--understand the relationships of the parts, understand the contribution of the parts to the greater whole (the greater reality, that in its magnificent complexity is so difficult to accurately envision).

The two perspectives work together as a team. One is microscopic in its function, the other telescopic. Combined, they enable us to explore the entire panorama of reality. While both are essential tools of exploration, since reality is characterized by a state of Oneness, of Wholeness, the right brain naturally tends to present us with a more complete, more realistic picture of reality. The left-brain perspective, while it makes an indispensible contribution to our understanding of life, nevertheless offers us a perspective characterized by divisions and separation. (Note that A Course In Miracles and Conversations with God often refer to a belief in separation as being a major source of human suffering and confusion.)

MAKING THE SHIFT
If we are to perceive reality accurately we must use both halves of our brain. But how do we do this? How do we access that half of the brain we (most of us) have been unaware of for most of our lives? Once we understand the two primary perspectives--the narrow focus that concentrates on details and the broad synthesis that encompasses the details--we shift our awareness toward the perspective we wish to acquire. Specifically, we look for parts to assemble into a greater unit; we seek synthesis. It's a simple, conscious, mental act. We all do it--perhaps not consciously, but we do it.

Keep in mind the power of intention and will. The brain/mind clearly has the potential to show us the holistic perspective, but this only becomes an actual if we truly seek it out. A shift to the holistic requires that one abandon the ease and comfort of the popular, habitual, limited-perspective left-brain view. If obtaining a holistic perspective violates your will at some level (such as when it might cost you money you don't want to spend--a common barrier), the brain will almost certainly respect that wish and block the holistic perspective.

Patience is another factor to keep in mind. We can spend all of two seconds looking for the holistsic perspective, or give the brain thirty, or a whole minute. A few seconds might not be enough time to fill the screen of the mind, especially when new, unfamiliar perspectives are involved.

Other conscious acts that encourage a shift in awareness:

Examine your personal perspective. For example, when evaluating or judging a situation, try to see your perspective relative to that of those with whom you are dealing, or relative to established perspectives. Is your's broader, or more narrow? Is is more negative or more positive? Ask perspective-enlarging questions and the brain should respond appropriately.

Try to acquire the perspectives of others. Here we seek to discover/examine the perspective of others based on their ideas and "facts." Is the person the product of a left-brain analytical perspective with all its divisions and details? Do their ideas come out of a pure right-brain perspective that ignores the left's facts and logic? By understanding where someone is coming from--their perspective--one can sometimes find a way to work with them (and/or around their ideological flaws).

Another tactic that can engage this shift is to look for perspective in IDEAS. Ideas will often reveal their limited perspectives if you look closely. There is some overlap between this and the two previous tactics, but this one focuses more on the idea and less on the person and the processes that form their ideas. People with an otherwise broad perspective will sometimes harbor ideas based on a narrow perspective (or the other way around) due to cultural/educational biases instilled in them as children--or even as adults. (No one said this would be simple!)

THE ANALYTICAL PERSPECTIVE AND SOCIETY
So far we have looked at the problem of perspective, focusing on how it affects the individual. Consider the consequences when whole societies ignore perspective.

Males, we have noted, tend to be left-brain dominant. And who dominates our educational systems? Males. And our social systems? Males. And our spiritual systems? Males. We could go on, but the answer would be the same each time. The people in charge of setting the rules and educating most of the people over most of the planet are primarily male, and naturally dominated by an analytically-based perspective, a perspective that creates the divisions that divide us as people and divide our conceptual understanding of reality.

Females, on the other hand, tend to be RIGHT brain dominant. Ideally, this would bring society's vision into balance. But how do women raised in families dominated by males and educated in an educational system designed by males view reality? In most cases, like they were taught to: like males--to use the right brain, to give greater respect to right-brain perspectives (perhaps adjusted to a degree by the natural female tendency to see reality from a holistic perspective). And further adding to the analytical bias is this: some women are naturally left-brain dominant (just as some men are naturally right-brain dominant).

How does our cultural heritage affect our spiritual explorations? How does it affect our view our Holy Books and religions? The same way it affects our physical (e.g. sports) and mental (philosophical) explorations. Rather than view each holy book and religion as a valuable icon in a rich tapestry, we see the various elements (beliefs, rituals, customs, etc.) as separate, as being in competition with one another for supremacy. It is a perspective in which only one of the many can be right. Beliefs held by the rest are viewed as inferior or flawed. The result is: instead of celebrating this magnificent diversity, analytically-minded seekers feel obligated to try to convert others to their beliefs!

NEW SPIRITUAL PERSPECTIVES
As "materials" with which to build a modern spiritual foundation and framework, the Center recommends three popular modern spiritual texts. Individually, each of the three provides fresh insights into the nature of our being and environment. But even more impressive is the perspective gained when their visions, their perspectives, are combined.

Why is the Center focusing on these three spiritual texts? In part because their perspectives have received too little attention in our tradition-bound culture. In part because each offers a unique and valuable approach to modern spiritual understanding. In part because the three are so complementary (as explained below).

In selecting these three the Center is not pronouncing them superior to other texts, modern or ancient. From the holistic perspective we see no need to rank spiritual texts. We see that every perspective (other than the COMPLETE PERSPECTIVE which is THE WHOLE) has its strengths and weaknesses.

A one paragraph overview of each of the three follows. More detailed information about these texts and derivative books can be found on the "Modern Perspectives" page. This same page contains selections from the three texts and their derivative works.

The Urantia Book consists of a series of 196 papers written by a diverse variety of spiritual beings. Of the three texts, The Urantia Book is the broadest in scope. It not only offers extraordinary information about the workings of the human mind and discusses the nature of soul and spirit with a clarity and depth that is unsurpassed, but it also describes our planet's development and provides many details about the surrounding universe. The Urantia Book, like the other two texts, seeks to promote the healing of the planet by showing us ourselves from a new perspective. For example, one of the things it points out is the enormous spiritual division unwittingly created by early Christians who organized a religion around Jesus, rather than focus on the Oneness of God as Jesus taught them to do. This one misperception, we are told--and can see--has created troubling divisions and urgently needs to be recognized and dealt with in order to gain the high ground and help heal the divisions that exist between Christians and the world's religions.

A Course In Miracles (ACIM) comes to us from the mind of Jesus. An enormously powerful contribution to modern spiritual understanding, the focus of the Course is narrow relative to The Urantia Book, but goes deeper into its subject. ACIM offers a one year course to help replace fear with love and selfishness with service. The Course, in contrast to the other two books, is relatively repetitive. Over and over it discusses its themes of love, healing and forgiveness, each time from a slightly different context. This repetition apparently helps to insure that we truly understand what we need to do to make real and lasting changes in our understanding of reality/spirituality. The Course provides much of the information we need to better understand our experience here, to take control of our mind and emotions and harness them to serve us, both as individuals and as members of the ONE.

Conversations With God (CwG) is extraordinary in that we are shown GOD's perspective! (At least within the limitations imposed by language and the channel/author.) Here God answers many of the questions we have all wanted to ask, and does so in simple understandable terms--in contrast to the often philosophical styles of the other two texts. Whereas The Urantia Book is extremely broad in scope and the Course relatively narrow, CwG gives us a balance of both perspectives. Whereas The Urantia Book shines most of its light on the external world, and the Course on the internal, CwG again offers a relatively balanced view. Whereas The Urantia Book focuses much of its attention on a time-dominated world and the Course focuses on timelessness, Conversations with God gives us an integrated view, and manages to do so in the context of late twentieth-century life and its unique challenges.

Although the Center recommends certain resources because of their having been so satisfying to so many spiritual explorers, the Center nevertheless recommends that spiritual explorers always give top priority to their Inner Voice when choosing a path of exploration. And since this process involves differentiating the Inner Voice from the ego voice, the Center would like to remind explorers of advice from A Course In Miracles. The Course challenges us to always seek to determine that our internal advice (and external advice as well) comes from a place of love rather than from fear (fear of new ideas and their challenges, of what others might think of us should we accept the new ideas, etc).

The Center's FOCUS

Modern Revelation - Assisting spiritual explorers in their quest to find the best of published and unpublished contemporary celestial revelation

Discussion groups focusing on modern revelation

Personal Contact - Assisting spiritual explorers in their effort to make personal contact with their Inner Voice

Expansion and change

PERSONAL CONTACT
Another valuable resource, one that if used, is the most important resource of all--is one that has been largely ignored, at least by Western spiritual seekers: personal contact with one's inner guide(s).

The voice of God can be found in each and every one of us. And although it is certainly present, in most cases, awareness and practice are necessary in order to develop the sensitivity to recognize that voice, to distinguish it from the voice of the ego.

Recognition of this voice--or that of other spiritual teachers assigned by THE SPIRITUAL TEACHER--is typically achieved through the practice of stillness or meditation. The cultivation of an inner stillness is a spiritual technique that is promoted in all of the spiritual resources found under the umbrella of the Center. Though the process sounds rather simple, mastery tends to be extraordinarily difficult to achieve. The ego likes to keep the mind active--an activity that tends to obscure the subtle guidance of SPIRIT.

As resources allow, the Center plans to expand its focus and to continue to explore enlightened views relating to spiritual, philosophical and physical questions.

What we mean by ENLIGHTENMENT

To another group of people, enlightenment is more of an ongoing process though which our awareness of creation gradually evolves. According to this definition, everyone is enlightened to some degree (even if the light with which some people view reality is very dim). In other words, enlightenment is a matter of degree. This definition best reflects the Center's use of the word.