What Is the Fifth Dimension?

By George A. Boyd ©2023

Q: What is the fifth dimension? I hear a lot of the New Age people talk about the third dimension, and the fifth dimension. They advocate that people relate to the world from the fifth dimension. What the heck are they talking about?

A: It appears their description corresponds to discrete locations upon the thread of consciousness.

The third dimension appears to be what we call the waking state of awareness. You are aware of the world around your body and the actions of your body in the environment. From this perspective, the world seems to be real and the law of cause and effect operates—you can create changes in the world around you through your actions.

The fourth dimension looks like it is the wave of the present time on the Akashic Records Subplane of the Abstract Mind Plane. At this level, you are aware of the Soul’s thought and intention influencing human life. From this standpoint, it appears that through doing Process Meditation, you can trace issues back to their origin and have the Soul re-create a new pattern. This is the dimension of experiential time.

The fifth dimension, from what they describe, is a state of the union of the attention with the Soul and identification with this spiritual essence. It gives those who abide in this state the conviction that they are a godlike being, who can create anything they desire.

Many New Age teachers tell their students to perpetually remain in union with the fifth dimension. We take issue with this, because this godlike state—if you remain in it continuously—can yield unintended consequences:

  1. Grandiosity – Remaining in attentional union and fully identified with this Divine Atom within the Soul leads some people to feel they are superior to those who are not in this state of consciousness, and they look down on those who are not at this level. Conceiving of one’s true nature as a godlike being, moreover, may influence others to expect that others will worship them and fulfill their every desire.
  2. Delusion – Maintaining this mental frame spawns magical thinking where you believe you can always manifest whatever you visualize. If you carefully study the results of this conviction, you will likely find that you do not manifest 100% of the time; you might have successful manifestation 20% to 30% of the time, if you can set up optimal conditions.
  3. Distorted beliefs – Without subjecting your intuitions and impressions to careful examination, you can come to believe really strange things, which cannot be verified. Keeping your attention fixed in union with the Soul makes you susceptible to believing in conspiracy theories and truly odd ideas.
  4. Avolition – You may stop setting goals and making plans to achieve them. Instead, you are absorbed in the flow of consciousness, where you are continually processing and gaining insights. You do not take constructive action, however, so you do not move forward in your life to achieve worthy personal goals. You spend your time drifting and dreaming; as a consequence, you accomplish little or nothing in your life.
  5. Obsession – Since you continually hold your attention focused within, you may come to obsess over metaphysical ideas. You may contemplate the meaning of symbols and dreams, and use divinatory systems to make sense of your life—such as astrology, numerology, or tarot—or use hermeneutic systems like Gematria or language analysis to find hidden meanings. Meanwhile, you achieve nothing practical in your life.
  6. Emotional disruption – The emotional component of constant fixation on the Soul is emotionalized beliefs that color your mood and attitude. This may contribute to emotional lability, where you rapidly shift from depression to euphoria. For some individuals, they may paradoxically no longer be able to feel their emotions, and they dwell in the state of dissociation and detachment.
  7. Unreality – Some individuals experience sustained union with the Soul as a Cosmic Joke. They may come to feel the world is unreal (derealization) and their personality and life are unreal (depersonalization). It is hard for them to make a commitment to personal goals, for human life seems like an illusion to them.

In Mudrashram®, we counsel our students to not remain in an altered state of consciousness for any longer than is necessary for you to accomplish the objective of your meditation—for example, spiritual transformation, working with personal issues, or receiving intuitive guidance. Coming back to ground avoids many of the negative consequences of consistently dwelling in “the fifth dimension,” and enables you to move forward in your personal life, and not merely “float in the air.”

The Psychic Realm is called the World of Illusions or the Realm of the Divine Imagination. Without discernment, it is easy for well-meaning aspirants to get caught up in the illusions and distortions of this level of the Continuum, and spend many years of their lives in fantasy. Those who wish to learn more about this Plane may wish to read our book, The Psychic Realm: Finding Safe Passage through the Worlds of Illusion.

Sources of Sin in Spiritual Practice

By George A. Boyd © 2020

Q: How is it that those who say they are spiritual do evil and hurtful acts? How do they justify this?

A: We can characterize seven major types of spiritual groups:

  1. Practices of the Lower Astral Plane that Wiccans and Occult Initiates utilize
  2. Practices of the First Cosmic and Supracosmic Paths that teach Occult practices to gain powers
  3. Practices of groups that identify with a nucleus of identity, keep attention fixed on it, and transform it
  4. Groups that advocate practicing love and holy virtues
  5. Groups that teach discernment and wisdom
  6. Groups that identify with the spirit and use it to unfold a Transcendental ensouling entity
  7. Groups that coordinate unfoldment between spirit and ensouling entity at the cutting edge of spirituality

When we examine the karmic patterns that emanate from these traditions, we observe that:

  • Types one and two generate primarily negative karma.
  • Type three yields mixed positive and negative karma.
  • Types four through six give rise to primarily positive karma.
  • Type seven is mixed: this is dependent upon the karma that arises from the matrix of destiny karma and whether someone is concurrently operating from any of these other platforms.

Q: How can someone recognize he or she is involved with one of these negative karma producing groups?

A: There are several warning signs. Look for:

  1. Thelema – This is the admonition to do whatever you want, regardless of how it might impact others.
  2. Evasion of karmic responsibility – This shows up as entertaining ideas that your actions have no karmic repercussions if a certain altered state of consciousness is maintained while doing the action.
  3. Permission to act on Lower Astral themes – The teaching condones, even encourages use of drugs, libertine and abusive sexuality, criminal acts, misuse of power, and spiritual enslavement of others.
  4. Grandiose and narcissistic attitude –You come to believe that you are above the Karmic Law and you are superior to others.
  5. Lack of empathy and compassion – You view only the personal outcome of the behavior for yourself without considering its impact on others.
  6. Justification of evil deeds – You rationalize the commission of evil deeds as revenge, getting your just dues, or you are entitled to do, be, or have what you want, no matter who is harmed in the process.
  7. Lack of repentance or remorse –You do not express any regret for engaging in negative actions that harm yourself or others.

The identification that leads to operating from types one and two must be broken.

  • You need to make amends to those whom you have harmed.
  • You must renounce the beliefs and behavior that lock these karmic impressions into place.
  • You must give sincere repentance for each of your evil deeds must be made, together with resolving to never repeat them.
  • You must stop any behavior that draws upon the energies of the Lower Astral.
  • You must realign with the spiritual core of love and compassion, and release the desire to have power over others.

Continuing in this state of mind will continue to accrue negative karma. At a certain level of accretion of negative karma, this will devolve the ensouling entity at the cutting edge of spirituality.

Moreover, until this karma is resolved, you will be unable to pass into the Light of Liberation. These adharmic actions must be halted. You must remove these impressions from your mind and heart before you can become re-established in the harmony of Dharma.

Those wishing to learn more about the working of karma may enjoy our new eBook, Understanding Karma and Destiny. Those who wish to work on character reformation may enjoy our other new eBook, A Primer on Spiritual Ethics and Character

The Many Faces of Spiritual Egotism

By George A. Boyd © 2016

This article builds upon our article, “Reflections on the Ego,” and explores the dimension of spiritual egotism in greater depth. Our original commentary is found in an article, “The Seven Postures of the Ego,” where we discuss the seventh form of egotism, which is spiritual egotism. We will quote from this article on this aspect of egoic expression:


Subtle Egoic Identification – This aspect of the ego enables you to identify with a spiritual essence, and then to form certain beliefs, attitudes, and judgments about self and others when you are in this state of identification. For some, it gives then a sense of superiority, of specialness, of being a member of an elite group. For others, this takes the form of comparing their progress with others, and being dissatisfied with the rate and quality of their spiritual progress. For others, it is a belief that they are flawed; that they are demented, blind, worms that can never gain enlightenment or receive the blessings of God. For others, it can become a sense of narcissism and grandiosity—that they are a Divine Being incarnate, and they are entitled to special treatment, and worship and obedience from others.”

“The belief that one has been born again and has adopted a new state of identity carries along with it this subtle egoic identification. When people say, for example, they are Christians, Yogis, Muslims, Hindus, or Buddhists; they are activating this subtle form of identification.”

“This new state of identification can become a pseudo-personality, as UCLA researcher Dr. Jolyon West called it, and take on a life of its own—divorced from the genuine feelings and issues of human life. When people dwell in pseudo-personality, they live a spiritual agenda instead of their authentic lives. They adhere to a sense of purpose that a spiritual teacher defines; or a lifestyle that a Divinely-inspired scripture commands, or that is revealed through inner communion with an advanced spiritual being through inner visions, revelations, and channeled or prophetic messages. When they are so “inspired and guided,” they no longer inhabit their own lives; they are committed instead to follow a spiritual path, whose precepts inculcate what they should choose, think, and believe, and how they should act.”

“Many spiritual teachers emphasize the egoic aspects (3) [the defensive posture] and (4) [the shadow], which are largely negative, and advocate (7) [subtle egoic identification] instead—re-identification with a higher spiritual essence. Tolle is no different here: he seeks refuge from the unconscious aspect of the ego, the shadow, by keeping attention anchored in “Being, ” e.g., present time state…” [Please see the article, “Reflections of the Ego” cited above to learn about these egoic aspects.]


In this article, we wish to use these initial insights as a springboard to examine the facets of spiritual egotism in greater depth. We seek to answer the questions, “How does subtle egotism manifest?” “What are its links to distorted mental functioning?” “How can a wayfarer upon the Path, who recognizes that subtle egotism has taken a sinister turn, eradicate these patterns from the mind?”

How Does Subtle Egotism Manifest?

Subtle egotism takes a variety of forms:

  1. Comparison with others – this can manifest as superiority (“I am so much more advanced than him on the Path”) or inferiority (“He is so much more advanced than I am and he is making much faster progress than me. What’s wrong with me?”)
  2. Jealousy and Envy – this form appears when it appears that another disciple is getting more attention from the spiritual Master, or greater blessings from God. This manifests as a “sour grapes” attitude (“Well, he might get attention from the Master because he knows how to show off before the other disciples he loves the Master, but the Master knows that I am his true devotee, and I don’t have to make vain displays.”)
  3. Narcissism – This takes the form of absorption in a spiritual essence coupled with a sense of greatness or omnipotence. The disciple feels vastly superior to others—like the God King, Pharaoh, to his “mortal” subjects—so that he expects that others will serve him; show him deference and the highest respect; anticipate his every need or wish; never disagree with him, because he has superior insight and wisdom; and indeed, should even worship him. Extremely narcissistic disciples cannot take public transportation, because they might be polluted or drained of energy by common people; they cannot broach any criticism, and consider it a personal affront; or cannot deign to do any work themselves, but delegate it to those who are their “inferiors”—as they cannot be bothered to do these menial tasks, as others are “meant to serve them.” [If severe, spiritual narcissism can transform into narcissistic personality disorder.]
  4. Grandiosity – The grandiose disciple loses his human grounding and feels that he is a god-like being endowed with supernatural powers and great wisdom. This grandiosity can take three forms: (a) distorted identity (narcissism – q.v.), (b) delusional thinking and belief (mania), or (c) perceptual aberrations (illusions and hallucinations). When grandiosity becomes increasingly severe—and when all three forms accompany it, the disciple migrates into psychosis—delusional disorder, mania, and grandiose paranoid schizophrenia.
  5. Intense focus on the faults of self and others – In those disciples who have a very strict conscience, or are disciples of teachings that expect they will adhere to the highest standards of moral purity and saintly behavior, they can be extremely harsh in their criticism of their fellow disciples, themselves [this pattern can lead to depression], and even of their spiritual Master.
  6. Idealizing spiritual aims and devaluing personal ones – Those disciples that create an idealized vision of what it will be like when they reach a certain state of the Path may become so enraptured with their vision that they neglect to attend to their personal lives. They may fail to find a marital partner. They may neglect their education. They may find it impossible to focus on complex work, and instead, find employment in low pay, low skilled jobs.
  7. Expecting miraculous outcomes and Divine intervention – Those who regard themselves as “special,” “beloved of God,” one of “God’s children,” or “one of the chosen ones [the Elect],” may expect, even demand that God must take care of them. They expect that they will not need to make any effort other than praying, affirming, decreeing, claiming God’s promises by faith, or visualizing their desired outcome, and the “Law of Attraction,” “the Universe,” the “Divine Mind,” or “Providence” will instantly manifest whatever they need or desire.

We encourage aspirants and disciples to examine themselves honestly to uncover the signs of emerging spiritual egotism.

  • Are you comparing yourself to others’ progress or behavior?
  • Do you feel you are special? Do you feel that you have God’s special favor?
  • Do you feel you are great and powerful, and far superior to others?
  • Have you become arrogant? Do you belittle or condemn others because they do not believe as you do?

Antidotes to these tendencies to spiritual egotism include the following:

  1. Humility – realize that whatever your spiritual attainment, you don’t stop being a human being with limited knowledge and ability, emotional fragility and vulnerability, character weaknesses—and you are mortal.
  2. Keep your human grounding – don’t stay in altered states of awareness for long periods of time—for this can bring about sustained identification with these states in which you feel god-like, grandiose, and omnipotent
  3. You are competing only with your self – Stop comparing yourself to others, as you must focus on the mission you were meant to accomplish. What abilities are you meant to develop? Develop them through study, practice, and experimentation. What knowledge, understanding and wisdom do you need to gain to carry out your mission? Gain them through study, contemplation, and reflection. What virtues were you meant to acquire? Work on your character to bring these qualities forth. What masteries were you called to manifest? Study each aspect of the Path connected with that stage of development and synthesize the necessary abilities, knowledge, and ministerial competencies to operate from that platform.
  4. Realize that everyone is suffering – Climb down from the mountaintop of arrogance into the valley of the heart. Before you give others a thorough tongue lashing—heaping invectives and insults upon them for not living up to your standards—realize that they may be coping the best that they can given the issues with which they are dealing, and are doing the best that they can right now.
  5. They may not be ready or suitable for your Path – Before you assume you know best for others and presume they need to join your religious group or take initiation into your spiritual Path—because you believe it is the best and highest one—consider where their Soul is on the Path, and what are the personal issues with which they are dealing. It may not be appropriate for them to leap up onto your Path in the Cosmic, Supracosmic, or Transcendental bands of the Continuum—they simply are not ready.
  6. Consider what you are avoiding in your own self – In many people that adopt grandiose and narcissistic mindsets, these states of power and inflated sense of identity are reactions to not wanting to look at very painful areas within them. They become great in their own eyes, so they don’t have to confront their own feelings of inferiority, lack of competence, and weakness. You may wish to question, “What’s behind this grandiosity?”
  7. You’ll never be as great as God – The Divine is part of another order of Nature. Your consciousness is anchored in your physical body; the forms of the Divine encompass the entire planet, the solar system, the Monadic Life Wave, the galaxy, the physical universe, the astral cosmos, the causal-mental cosmos, and the ultimate Source from which the Soul and the spirit were born. Your job is to actualize your human and spiritual potentials, and stop trying to play God. Instead consider: “How may I be of service?” How can I use my knowledge and abilities to benefit others?”

We encourage you to observe your own tendencies to spiritual egotism, and to root out these weeds from the garden of your spiritual heart. We suggest that you will benefit from using the antidotes to spiritual egotism to help you correct these inflated, narcissistic and arrogant mindsets, and to settle back into your humanness again.

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.