The Void of the Supracosmic Sphere

By George A. Boyd © 2010

We have mapped 73 paths of the Supracosmic Sphere in the Mudrashram® Correspondence Course, our premier consciousness studies program. Those who have completed one of our intermediate programs—either the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation or the by-mail or online Accelerated Meditation Program—are eligible to take this program.

When we read of the enlightenment experiences of Supracosmic Gurus of different traditions, they often describe the highest state of attainment as a Great Emptiness or Void. Their Supracosmic seed atom is dropped; they become one with the Light of Spirit and become instruments of Grace.

Teachers who have attained this state have disseminated the teaching that this Void is the ultimate state of Realization. Buddhists refer to it as Nirvana or Sunyata. Taoists call it the Tao. Hindus describe it as Nirbikalpa Samadhi. Sufis speak of the state of Fana fil Allah, the dissolution of the atom of selfhood and merging back into the Infinitude of God.

Other teachers, however, recount that before rising into this Void, they first realized the Supreme Self [we call this ensouling entity, the Supracosmic Soul]. After uniting the Supracosmic Seed Atom of this Path with the Supreme Self, they discover that their seed atom and the Supreme Self unfold together, until they are established in this same state of Voidness. In this state, the Supracosmic Seed Atom is merged in its origin as in the state of those who attain the Void, but instead of encountering an empty Void, the Supreme Self is established in this Void.

Those who attain Mastery in Supracosmic spiritual traditions do not generally have an explanation of why this variance between spiritual experiences exists, e.g., why one disciple will have an encounter with a Supreme Self, while another disciple will not.

Teachers of the Mudrashram® tradition, who view the Great Continuum of Consciousness from the highest Planes of the Bridge Path in the Transcendental Sphere explain that the reason why some encounter the Supracosmic Soul and others do not is that if spiritual development of a Supracosmic Seed Atom is not on the Path where their Supracosmic Soul dwells, they will not have an experience of a Supreme Self. When development of the seed atom is aligned with this Supreme Self, they will have this experience.

The Mudrashram® teachers further point out that both types of experience of the highest state on a Supracosmic Path fall short from the Ultimate Liberation of the Supracosmic Soul from the Supracosmic Sphere, a state the Mudrashram® teachers call Mahaparinirvana. They describe six states beyond this Void-merged state:

  1. Discovery of the origin of the lineage established on this Supracosmic Path
  2. Discovery of a center or chakra in the vehicle of the Great Supracosmic Plane Lord that substands the Path they have traversed
  3. Encounter with the Supreme Guru, the Being who empowers the teachers of every extant Supracosmic Path
  4. Journey through the Lokas of Existence—Plant, Animal, Angelic, Devonic (world of gods and goddesses)—and discovery of the Supreme Trimurthi of the Supracosmic Sphere—the beings called in the Hindu tradition, Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva
  5. Encounter with the Four Lords of Karma of the Supracosmic Sphere
  6. Merging of the Supracosmic Soul into the Light that created it (Mahaparinirvana)

The Mudrashram® teachers elucidate that the reason why teachers of the Supracosmic Sphere do not experience these additional six stages of the Path and reach full Liberation in the Supracosmic Sphere is that the techniques that they use are based on the origin of the Supracosmic Seed Atom, so development beyond this state is not possible.

In many cases, the method Gurus used to develop the Supracosmic Seed Atom is a powerful mantra that unfolds this seed atom along their Supracosmic Path. The Mudrashram® teachers refer to this mantra as the Supracosmic Divine Name or Guru Mantra. The origin of the Mantramic Power is established in the state of the origin of the Supracosmic Seed Atom, so those who become Masters of Supracosmic Paths commonly do so by sufficient repetition of the Supracosmic Divine Name for their Path.

Other methods may be used to unfold the Supracosmic Seed Atom on various Supracosmic Paths. These methods include continuous contemplation of the presence of the Supracosmic Seed Atom, Translation through receiving the Light from the Guru established in the origin of this Path, or unfolding through breathing methods such as Kriya Yoga.

Kriya Yoga is unique among techniques given in the Supracosmic Sphere in that it has a technique capable of liberating the Supracosmic Soul. Mudrashram® teacher, Swami Charan Das, describes a system of Adi Kriyas that lead beyond the First Cosmic Initiation.

The first of these techniques, called Kaivalyam Kriya, unfolds the Astral Soul and its vehicles to the Origin of the Astral Soul at the top of the Cosmic Sphere.

The second of these techniques, called Soruba Samadhi Kriya, unfolds the Supracosmic Seed Atom of the second Path on the Shiva Plane (Shiva 2), leading to the awakening of an immortal form.

The third of these techniques, called the first Cosmic Fire Kriya, directly unfolds the Supracosmic Soul, and can lead it to its Origin.

The Mudrashram® teachers state that this method is unknown, except to teachers of the Mudrashram® lineage, who rediscovered it, and to Krishna and Jesus, who have revealed it to only a few of their disciples. The Mudrashram® teachers further disclose that there are two additional methods that can liberate the Supracosmic Soul:

Use of the Alayic Divine Name – this mantra, which is established on the Bridge Path, unfolds the ensouling entity at its cutting edge, and simultaneously unfolds higher octaves of being in alignment with this axis of being—the Astral Soul, the Supracosmic Soul, and one of the ensouling entities of the Transcendental Path. This technique, in many cases, will actually liberate the Supracosmic Soul while the disciple on the path is progressively moving their cutting edge ensouling entity forward on their spiritual evolutionary track. In other cases, when the Supracosmic Soul is not liberated through this means, when the Supracosmic Soul becomes the cutting edge in this progression, it will be directly unfolded to its origin.

Translation from the Transcendental Sphere – Reception of the Light, through Light Sittings, Soul Attunement Guidance Channeling, or as part of the Grace-Bestowing ministry of a Multiplane Master, may directly unfold the Supracosmic Soul in selected individuals when this is appropriate.

The Mudrashram® teachers report that Supracosmic teachers established in the state of Voidness—regardless of whether they simultaneously unfold their Supracosmic Soul or not—become instruments of Great Light, Love, Wisdom, Grace, and Power. These individuals can teach the multitudes; some of the more active ones may number their followers in the millions. Those teachers capable of disseminating their teachings to large numbers of people, we call Jagat Gurus.

Jagat Gurus head many of the major sects of Hinduism, Buddhism, the Sikh Dharma, and the major sects of Islam. Given the great influence that some of these Jagat Gurus have, it is not surprising that they can shape the beliefs and behavior of thousands, even millions of people.

Moreover, some of the more dynamic sects have an active tradition of proselytization, which leads their followers to bring new members to the sect. The subsequent initiation into the spiritual practices of this group activates additional Supracosmic Seed Atoms on this Path, whether or not the initiated individual’s Supracosmic Soul is on this Path or not.

The Mudrashram® teachers point out that when individuals develop themselves on these Paths, outside their cutting edge of spirituality, they often run the risk of creating imbalances, which can disrupt the energy axis of the Kundalini Shakti and interfere with the ability to operate at the level of the human personality. They also underscore that those that become teachers in these traditions demonstrate the highest degrees of imbalance, and these teachers effectively propagate these imbalances in their students.

While great virtue, discipline, devotion, creativity, inspiration, illumination, and spiritual powers can be wrought through development on these Supracosmic Paths, the Mudrashram® teachers suggest it may be better to do Supracosmic spiritual development when it becomes the cutting edge of the individual, and not before. They further suggest that to avoid jumping ahead to these ecstatic Paths of the Supracosmic Sphere may also lower the confusion and conflict that many aspirants experience, when they adopt the beliefs and practices of sects that are not in alignment with the innate purpose and plan of their spiritual development.

Sources of Unquestioned Beliefs

By George A. Boyd ©2008

Many people hold metaphysical and spiritual beliefs without rational examination. These unquestionable, core beliefs appear to arise from seven major sources:

Parental or pastoral admonition – They are told by parents or clergy that a statement is absolutely true and it is not to be questioned.

Attributed to an infallible authority – Their belief cannot be challenged because it is stated in scripture and/or is a statement of a revered spiritual leader.

Oral transmission from trusted and credible friends – In this scenario, friends or relatives or members of their religious or political groups state the belief, and all members of this group believe that it is true

Oral presentation by an authoritative speaker – By using oral argument and disputation, a speaker convinces the listener that the argument is true.

Written presentation in a book – Here, the statements in a book are held to be authoritative and true

Miraculous revelation – In this case, the belief arises from a numinous source, For example, it may come from a vision or revelation received in prayer or meditation

Unexplained personal experience – In this type, the belief arises out of an experience that cannot be explained by their worldview or by science, e.g., encounter with aliens, flying saucers, or crop circles

Individuals who hold these unquestionable beliefs appear to demonstrate the following characteristics:

  1. These beliefs appear to act as filters, effectively blocking any alternate opinion or belief from consideration.
  2. Continued association with those who hold similar beliefs tends to reinforce the perceived veracity of the belief.
  3. They may base behavior on these beliefs that leads to ritual or sacrificial actions, e.g., going on pilgrimage to the shrine of a saint or sacrificing their life for a terrorist cause.
  4. They may develop justifications and rationalizations as to why they hold the beliefs, when they are unaware of the real sources of these beliefs.
  5. They may cite as evidence books that espouse fallacious information. For example, anti-Semitic beliefs are based on The Protocols of The Elders of Zion, whose historical allegations have been shown to be fabrications.
  6. When challenged or criticized, adherents may more tenaciously cling to these beliefs. These beliefs are commonly linked to these individuals’ sense of core identity, so an attack on these beliefs is felt to be an attack on their essential person.
  7. Unexplained experiences may lead to intense curiosity and research into the phenomena. Those who have these experiences may become authorities in these phenomena by the sheer volume of research and study they undertake in this area. In some individuals this fascination and absorption into the quest for understanding may become a central pursuit of their lives.

Superstitious Beliefs

Superstitious beliefs often take on a talismanic quality in that sometimes they are held as a means to attract “good luck” or ward off “bad circumstances” or “bad luck.” The ritual behavior of baseball players is a well-known example of this: after hitting a home run, a baseball player may sit in the same place in the dugout, wear the same color socks, and eat the same things for breakfast.

Superstitious beliefs resemble unquestioned beliefs in that they are not examined. But unlike unquestioned beliefs, they are not core aspects of identity, nor are they the wide-ranging reality filtering and reason suppressing effects. Superstitious beliefs appear to be localized and specific; core unquestioned beliefs are generalized more globally in the personality, so their impact is greater.

It is important for the serious aspirants seeking to awaken the Light of Wisdom to examine these nested layers of belief, and to question the validity of “unquestionable” and superstitious beliefs. When this process has been successfully completed, aspirants will discover their core of intuitive knowing that reveals their inner sense of truth, or Dharma. They will also clear their perceptual filters so that they will see and hear what is there, instead of what they want to be there.

Patterns of Demonization of the Personality

By George A. Boyd ©2016

When disciples and devotees of spiritual traditions that operate outside the cutting edge of spirituality develop stage four imbalances—to the point where they fully identify with the nucleus of identity, ensouling entity, or spiritual essence cultivated in their Path and ultimately develop this essence to the full extent they can using the techniques they practice—it is common to find that in the groups where they learn these techniques, their ego and/or personality are demonized.

Demonization of personality occurs when:

  1. The group’s spiritual teaching holds that the ego is a snare or hindrance holding their disciples or devotees back from spiritual realization, and teaches them how to recognize the activity of the ego.
  2. The group’s spiritual teaching advocates that the ego be dismantled, destroyed, or dissolved, so their disciples or devotees can achieve enlightenment.
  3. The group’s spiritual teaching suggests that a Cosmic Force of Evil (Satan) or Illusion (Maya) placed the ego within human beings, and that disciples and devotees must be constantly vigilant to avoid having these forces deceive them.
  4. The group’s spiritual teaching urges that their disciples or devotees keep their attention fixed in an altered state of consciousness, so they can suppress or stop the ego’s functioning.
  5. The group’s spiritual teaching only identifies ego with its defensive and manipulative functioning band; and its unconscious mind patterns, which we call, the shadow—and not with its positive and integrated functioning that enables the nucleus of the personality, the Self, and the Soul, to express through the body.
  6. The group’s spiritual teaching believes that entire human personality is evil and it is part of an evil world, so disciples or devotees must cling to the spiritual Master and remain continually in union with the nucleus of identity, ensouling entity, or spiritual essence cultivated in their Path to not waste their human life or let the wiles of evil seduce them.
  7. The group’s spiritual teaching disseminates techniques that enable their disciples and devotees to detach and dissociate from normal personality functioning and spend every waking moment in a trance-like, altered state of consciousness.

In Mudrashram® we point out that the integration centers of the Conscious mind (ego) and the Metaconscious mind (Self)—and the aspects of volition anchored in them—are not evil. No evil Cosmic Force has put them there—they are designed to be instruments to allow the Soul to operate directly on the environment through the body via the ego, and in the social world of other human beings through the Self. We advocate that you do spiritual work—temporarily entering an altered state of consciousness, and detaching and dissociating from the personality for the period of your meditation—but then, return to the fully grounded waking state of consciousness.

We propose that were this perspective embraced more widely by the spiritual groups that advocate demonization of the ego and the personality that we would see less disruption of personality functioning in those that adopt their practices, decreased absorption in trance-like states, and fewer instances of people adopting mindsets that picture a dark and evil world designed to trap or seduce them.

We suggest it is okay to be a human being, to make mistakes and learn from them, and not have to be perfect all of the time. We further advocate that your task at the level of the personality is to continue to improve your capacity to function by continuing to learn and gain new skills, so you can become a finer and better instrument for the Soul—more capable, and ready to carry forward the work you were meant to do in this life.

Mistakes Meditators Make

By George A. Boyd ©2018

I have taught Integral meditation since 1983, and have published 16 books on this topic. I have observed the following mistakes meditators make:

  1. Meditating without a clear objective – if you meditate in this fashion, you will simply slip into a state of reverie. While this is relaxing, it effectively wastes your time. Every meditation needs to be done with a purpose.
  2. Not going beyond preliminary stages of meditation – while many people can reach the stage of mindfulness and begin to become aware of what they are experiencing in the present moment, this is only the first layer of meditation—the Conscious mind. Meditators need to reach the Superconscious mind to do the deepest work of meditation.
  3. Jumping ahead to practices that are not keyed to your current stage of spiritual development – This all too common blunder has people meditate on a spiritual essence other that your own Soul. If meditators practice powerful transformation techniques along with contemplating this higher essence, it can liberate powerful energies in the mind, and create dangerous splits in identity and perception. You can lose your motivation to pursue your personal goals; you can begin to sense that the world and your life are unreal; you can begin to hear visions and voices that tell you to do odd things.
  4. Get involved in a spiritual cult – While there are many reputable schools of meditation, there are a number of groups that, in exchange for teaching your meditation, expect you to let the leader of this group  completely reprogram and control your mind and your life, and have you dedicate all of your labor and money to him or her. I would strongly advise that those seeking meditation instruction have some knowledge of the dynamics of cults and if you start getting warning signs, get the heck out of there![We have articles about cults in our Library, and those of you who may like to understand this subject more deeply may benefit from reading our book, Religions, Cults, and Terrorism: What the Heck Are We Doing?.]
  5. Having only one technique – If you call a handyman to your house, he won’t show up without a whole toolbox. Many schools of meditation teach just one technique. It’s important that you have a whole tool box of methods to use to work on the issues of your personality, to lift your awareness into your Soul, to transform your Soul, to get guidance from your Soul’s intuition.
  6. Remaining in an altered state of consciousness – Some schools of meditation that cultivate the experience of enlightenment encourage their students to remain fixed in this altered state of consciousness 24/7. This is not a good idea. You can become narcissistic, believing that the whole Creation revolves around your needs. You can become arrogant and grandiose, believing you are a superior all-knowing god-like being. You can become delusional, believing you are a Christ-like being, and expecting everyone to recognize how enlightened you are.
  7. Not understanding the context or big picture of why you are meditating – It is important to have a long term goal of what you are seeking to achieve in meditation and have the appropriate techniques to help you achieve this. Many meditators get excited when someone does a “guided meditation” and takes them somewhere, but they no clarity about what is the purpose of meditation and how they truly actualize their spiritual potentials. The objective is not to take visionary journeys into the higher mind; the objective is that your Soul will accomplish the Great Work that it was destined to do.

We have developed our Integral meditation system to help you avoid these common meditation mistakes. Those of you who wish to learn a complete system of spiritual development that steers you away from these spiritual detours, you may wish to investigate our intermediate meditation classes, the in-person Mudrashram® Master Course in Meditation and they by-mail and online Accelerated Meditation Program.