For well over a thousand years, mainstream Christianity has taught that the creation of Adam and Eve and their subsequent expulsion from the Garden of Eden is literal history. While I will say it is a fantastic picture of how man came to this earth, I will also say that this story was never meant to be literal. In fact, to teach it in this way greatly diminishes the spiritual truth the author originally intended. But when this story is understood correctly, it unlocks the key to helping us live a full, abundant life, which is the way life was intended to be!
Getting right to the point, the story of Adam and Eve is about the human mind. More specifically, it is about a mind that has become fractured and is therefore no longer whole. Before explaining this, I want you to make a mental note of something which will become relevant at the end of this discussion. Jesus was crucified at Golgotha, which means “place of the skull”. In an esoteric sense, this is about the mind, and the battle is between the ears! Liberation and salvation come when we crucify the ego (through the waking conscious) and heal the mind.
In the literal story, God placed Adam in the Garden. In the beginning, Adam was alone; Eve had not been separated from him. Adam was therefore whole. This is representative of the conscious and subconscious working in perfect unity and harmony, which is also reflected by the paradise (Garden of Eden) in which Adam dwelled. In this state of unity consciousness, Adam was ONE with God. As the story continues, we learn that God placed Adam in a deep sleep (the realm of forgetfulness and consciousness fracture) and Eve was created. In this new state of being, Adam represents the waking conscious of mankind and Eve represents the subconscious. When the conscious and subconscious are no longer in unity, the state of Paradise (inner joy and peace) can no longer be maintained because the ego will take control. Thus the fall! And of course the literal story presents us with this in the form of expulsion from the Garden. As the story goes, Eve is tempted by the serpent or Satan (ego), and because the ego took over the driver’s seat of man’s soul, Paradise lost becomes man’s reality. This is also spiritual death. And spiritual death = separation from God.
As we stated earlier, Adam represents man’s waking conscious and ego, and Eve represents the subconscious. Ordinary consciousness is represented by the male aspect (Adam) because consciousness has the power to impregnate the subconscious (Eve) to produce the physical reality we experience. The subconscious, or female aspect (Eve), is the power of birthing and creating on the physical plane. This is where the concept of “Mother Earth” comes from. It has nothing to do with a literal female deity in its original understanding. It is only an explanation of consciousness, just like the story of Adam and Eve. Remember, Eve is the “mother of all living”. In other words, our subconscious is the mother that births our reality. This is also why the Bible states that man will RULE over the woman after the expulsion from the Garden. This is not to be taken literally. As it now stands, your conscious self rules over the subconscious. In other words, your conscious thought (male aspect) impregnates the subconscious (female aspect) with the seed of your waking consciousness. If your conscious self dwells on negativity, your subconscious, which is the real birthing/creation powerhouse, will produce that effect for you. And negativity becomes your reality! Remember, the battle is between the ears! It’s all about the mind.
To be whole again, we need to be renew our minds in Christ consciousness, like the Apostle Paul tells us. This is the born again experience. As Paul states in Galatians, “…and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me…” (Gal. 2:20).
So how was this accomplished in Paul? Notice how he stated, “…it is no longer I who lives…” What is the I Paul is referring to? It was his waking conscious and ego.
The ego wants to stay alive. That’s its job. The ego fears its own dissolution. In fact, ALL fear is rooted in ego.
As stated many places elsewhere on this blog, meditation helps to dissolve the ego, and, over time, the conscious and the subconscious began to work in unity. This is what Christ consciousness is. Some call it the “super consciousness”. The name doesn’t matter. It’s the outcome that matters.
Now that we have discussed the true understanding of the Adam and Eve story, I feel it is important state that man was never meant to RULE over or to dominate a woman. That’s just pure ego! But when the story of Adam and Eve is taken literally, people are taught that this is God’s will. Nothing could be farther from the truth. We must be careful to interpret the Bible correctly or the world becomes dysfunctional. To interpret Bible stories such as Adam and Eve literally creates religion. This is what Jesus was trying to combat.
For those of you who may be struggling with my take on the whether or not the scriptures are literal, I completely understand. I was taught since I was a little boy that the Bible was the inerrant word of God. I used to read up on the latest creation science news to prove to others that man was created six thousand years ago and placed in a literal Garden of Eden. It was as if I had to PROVE the Bible because deep down inside I knew there was something missing from the big picture, and if I could prove the Bible was inerrant to my own self, I could cover up the missing component. So proving the Bible to be the inerrant word of God was sort of my mission. But through that mission I realized that is was nothing more than a big ego trip, and I was only fooling myself. Now I don’t have to struggle with questions like where Cain got his wife in the land of Nod unless it was his sister—yuck! That’s not what the scripture is about. The scripture is about spirit, not history. If we all realized this, wars would stop. People could live in peace. I also truly believe people would then be able to see the unity that truly runs like a current beneath all the major world religions.
For further reading of why Paul tells wives to submit to husbands, and how this is also related to the conscious and subconscious and not literal, read HERE.
I hope this article has helped you see the true spirit of the scripture where Adam and Eve are concerned. If so, and you think this could help someone else, spread the love with social media!
I agree to an extent, but when looked at from a Gnostic point of view, the serpent is not indicative of ego, but instead the kundalini energy that resides at the base of the spine in man. It can also be termed the liberator of mans soul. Genesis 3:7; “Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made covering for themselves.” This verse can’t apply to physical eyes as the whole story leading up to the eating of the Apple would have to mean Adam and eve had vision all along. Instead this is esoteric for the opening of the 3rd eye with the rise of the kundalini or serpent energy which when reaching the crown chakra aka pineal gland, allows one to become like god. Genesis 32:30; “So Jacob called the place peniel, saying, “It is because I saw god face to face, and yet my life was spared.” We also know this isn’t literal because in exodus 33:20 it states no one can see the face of god and live. My point is that if the serpent played any role in the Adam and eve story ,which of course as you stated is esoteric in meaning, it had to do with snapping Adam and eve out of the illusion of the demiurge god (aka Jehovah) and realizing that they were tricked into physical bondage all along. Tree of life being the central nervous system and corresponding chakras that must be opened by the sequential rising of kundalini. So if your attributing Adam and eve to the brain, subconscious/conscious, etc.. It wouldn’t be too far fetched to incorporate the nervous system into the matrix being it’s part of this whole experience. Yes you can apply this to left and right brain function of unity in order to become enlightened, but at the end of the day these stories are multifaceted and teach a variety of esoteric lessons if one has the keys, such as yourself. We can even say the Adam and eve story teaches us about the puberty cycle of humans as the story can apply to biological concepts. Regardless though, they should never be taken literally!
Thomas, in respect to your opinion, I dont think that it’s about a illusion of demiurge God. First of all, the serpent has a clear negative value attributed by the Bible, which makes it not a savior, as you had stated, but as an intrusive element which separates the human mind from a connection with God. Second, when Adam and Eve were ashamed and covered themselves in fig leaves, which was a sweet and delicious fruit of the ancient times (The prophet Mohammed reportedly identified the fig as the one fruit he would most wish to see in paradise) it was a metaphor about covering oneself behind the sweet illusion of your own Ego, to protect yourself from the vulnerability that comes when facing the Truth in all it’s glory (the Divine Truth) and seeing how ignorant we are. That metaphor is perfectly compatible with the story of the fall of Lucifer. When the Ego infect our minds and creates a barrier between us and the Truth (as clothes makes a barrier for our nudity, our ignorance), it creates an illusion of knowledge, a carefully constructed lie, consisting of a true distorted vision of the reality, which convinces ourselves that we are above the Truth, that we don’t need it at all or sometimes bring our darkest selves, in which we are commited to not only ignore the Truth, but to destroy it. That is stated in the bible, when it’s says that “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy”, and “When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies”. That’s, as stated, is the role of the Ego in a metaphorically meaning.
I’m really sorry if I didn’t make my self clear, since English is not my mother tongue and I’m not sure if I spoke correctly.
About the article, Jesus, that article is beautiful and dives in the deepest knowledge passed by our ancestors, whom did not had the linguistic resources (sophisticated language) to translate that subtle experiences in objective words, as we are doind now. Thank you Joshua.
P.S. I have a similar background, as a son in a christian family, and I’m reaching the same conclusions as you are. I’m reaching a conclusion that the Bible is a crystallization of a knowledge (in a metaphor language) passed by generations and generations before the Bible time. Indeed, a life’s manual.
Luiz…
You are indeed correct. Thank you for the comment.
Awesome! Thank you for the insight!
Debbie…
I think you misunderstood him. Your just saying the same thing he’s trying to say. The ego is the serpent. It’s what gives us a sense of self and seperation. Time belongs to the ego. Time is satans
The serpent is the flesh-orientated power of our lower desire-nature Being intelligent it is cognitive and centred in that part of the brain, shaped like a serpent. Since it has to do with the flesh, its field is the flesh. It is in figure called “carnally minded”, not “spiritually minded”. It can resist our higher wisdom-nature, the mind of the spirit. If can do so with great intensity and when it does it becomes adversarial (Hebrew hasatan) and the destructive.
Its thinking appeal to the ego which craves identity. The ego is a funation of the human pysche. It is our sense of human-ness, our instinct to survive and live. our sense of self-esttem, self-worth, self-identity. Ego is neither good nor bad and when in balance with our higher and lower nation it plays an important part in our lives.
I believe your comment tromendously. Links very closely to the illusion of time. The only way to stop the egotistical mind is to stop time in the mind which is only by being fully conscious in the now. I like your comment. Do you have any reccomended books from your perspective?
Jay…
Get Gaskell’s book called “Dictionary of Scripture and Myth.” Absolute must. Read the intro and preface, digest it. Thank you for your comment 🙂
Yes and you realize ego is what makes you self aware. They realized they was naked because there eyes went away from god and they became self aware. Ego is your sense of self and separation from reality
I was so glad to find your article. Through my own psychological/spiritual journey this is just what I have discovered. We separate ourselves from God in our minds. The Garden of Eden is the human mind in its natural state when aligned with its Creator. To do this the ego has to be booted out of the garden, not us. God calls to us all in the stillness and quitness of our minds.
“A Course in Miracles’ backs up the true psychology of ‘The Garden of Eden.’ This spiritual/psychology is sometimes touched upon by the Spiritual Teacher and Lecturer in ‘A Course in Miracles,’ Marianne Williamson.
I was so glad to find your article. Through my own psychological/spiritual journey this is just what I have discovered. We separate ourselves from God in our minds. The Garden of Eden is the human mind in its natural state when aligned with its Creator. To do this the ego has to be booted out of the garden, not us. God calls to us all in the stillness and quietness of our minds.
“A Course in Miracles’ backs up the true psychology of ‘The Garden of Eden.’ This spiritual/psychology is sometimes touched upon by the Spiritual Teacher and Lecturer in ‘A Course in Miracles,’ Marianne Williamson.
One step further…ego needs to be nailed to the cross and crucified, in order for us to awaken from the dream of fear, and rise up into Christ Conciousness, One with God through the Holy Spirit.
Joshua, I love your article. You have confirmed much of what I have been discovering to be my truth.
Since discovering the Mystic teachings of Neville Goddard, I have been on this path of interpreting the bible as a psychological drama illustrating states of conciousness.
In the story of creation 1, The Spirit of God was hovering over the mass (earth) then God said…
In Genisis 1:26. Then God said, “Let US make people in OUR image.”
My take on this is that the image of God is both the devine feminine (subconscious or rt. Hemesphere) and the divine masculine (conscious or left. Hemesphere). Spirit of God is the divine feminin. God, or The Word of God or Truth, being divine masculine.
The Spirit of God saw the rock and desired to make it beautiful so she called on God to do his part by using His Word and action. Together they created Eden and the beautiful garden, with man in THEIR image.
This as you describe is God’s mind, male and female, concious and subconcious, working together.
Before the ego came into play, I see that desire to create rose from the divine feminine, Spirit of God, now within man. With the divine masculine, God’s Word and Truth, now within man the human is able to create abundance theough harmony and peace, as God creates
Here is an idea I’m playing with that may differ just a bit from your idea of Genisis 2.
Of course, Adam and Eve didn’t die, they were put to sleep by eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge and never truly awakened. Basically, rendered unconcious. Eyes opening does not mean they awakened, but they were in more of a dream state of unconciousness.
In this stae of sleep, the concious mind (Adam, relatively unconcsious) is subject to the ego (doubt and fear). As said in 3:16, Although Eve will desire Adam , he will be her master. Basically, the Spirit of desire to create beauty speaks through Eve, and dependent on Adam’s state of mind, that is what will be created (good/evil, love/fear, peace/war). The two are no longer in alignment.
If Adam (conscious mind) remains in an unconcious state, ego will be in charge. His word will be subject to doubt and fear, and the opposite of beauty will be created.
Ego will take control of man’s creative (femine/Spirit of God in man) force to ensure the ego’s survival for generations. Serpant/Ego will forever be the enemy of Eve, Genisis 3:14.
In this state of unconsiousness, man is disoriented and hiding from God. While God’s voice (a gentle wisper) is there, still calling to man, the ego’s voice is much louder. This is why we tend to sacrifice our InSpired ideas to create goodness or for right action to the ego’s voice of doubt and wrong action.
In Genisis 3:8, Eating the fruit of Good and Evil (knowing duality) put Adam and Eve to sleep and made them forget their divinity. Created their Spiritual death.
Being asleep, the serpent (ego/doubt of Adam) controls the consious and subconcious mind. Ego banishes the mind to live in darkness, making man “think” this dream state is his reality. Lights out.
It is not the voice of God giving out the punishment. It is Adam’s ego that creates the ugly world outside the garden. The ego creates the world of shame, blame, attack, struggle, hardship, dominance, subjugation of the femine (seen as women/Eve), scarcity, sacrifice and separation. Ego rules this dream state with F.E.A.R. (False Evidence Appearing Real).
God did not banish Adam and Eve from the garden (their original state) Ego created the illusion/dream of banishment using F.E.A.R. because ego wanted to usurp God’s voice. It is NOT God’s Will that man’s mind be separate from Him. It is the ego’s will to separate the mind of man from the God. He is still calling us to unite, but we cant hear His voice over the chattering voice of ego.
The way I see it, our purpose is to get back to the Garden or to our Original State of Consiousness as God created us, in Their Image. As you say, Joshua, back to Christ Conciousness.
Consider what science says, the subconcious mind is operating about 90% of the day while consious mind only about 10%. Subconcious is running old programs, mostly of limitation, scarcity, fear, guilt, shame, and blame as we see demonstrated in Genisis 2.
Also science based, when we are born, our concious mind is not developed until age 7yrs., so birth to 7yrs our subconcious mind is absorbing information fed to us via our family and society, creating our “program” (dream of F.E.A.R.) As adults this program is running or ruining our life. We have brief periods of conciousness (10%) but ego is quick to take control and put us back into a state of unconsiousness.
From this science based perspective, it is possible to reprogram the subconscious but we have to “consiously” use the power of the our word and our actions to create a new program.
Via The New Testement directions are provided to to Crucify the ego, then Awakening from the dream of F.E.A.R., to Ressurect our Spirit, and Rise to a state of Christ Consiousness which is our Original State.
Via this Awakening our masculine mind becomes fully conscious and is United with the feminine mind, working in unison with each other and United with God. Our mind is back to a State of Being that rests in love, peace, and harmony. This is our Original State of Being in the Garden of Eden where, as above so below, Heaven on earth.
The teachings of Jesus are “The Way” back to the Garden. He shows us how to Awaken and consiously use our God given power to create through Goodness, beauty and truth, all the abundance we desire by living a life of faith, peace and love.
The Teacher shows us how to take our power back from the serpent (ego/doubt/fear/scarcity thinking/blame and so on) and as Jesus said, his teachings are for everyone. One does not have to be Christian to learn from his teachings.
Our mind is symbolized by The Holy Trinity (triangle) The Father/Creator/Goodness at top. Son/Adam/Truth (conscious) bottom left. Spirit/Eve/Beauty (subconscious) bottom right.
Man creates Heaven on earth when the Trinity of mind is whole and One. Man creates hell when serpant/ego creates a gap, separating Adam (consious) and Eve (subconcious) from a harmonious union with each other (and man from man because we are one in One Mind); as well as separating God from Adam (conscious) and Eve (subconcious). In A Course of Miracles, the Holy Spirit bridges the gap. The Holy Spirit serves as an intermediary between man and God until the Son realizes he has direct communication with God as demonstrated by Jesus.
Whew! Writing this helped me to clarify my thinking. What do you think?
Sandy…
Thank you for this comment, and I apologize for the long reply. And yes, you have nailed it in so much of this. Especially your last paragraph. Thank you for the insight!
What is being written on this site are some of the most important current discoveries in the evolution of mankind. I believe that not only is the story of the Garden of Eden about our minds but so are parts of the book of Revelation. This is why –
Back in 1986 I had a psychological problem and after years of torment I reached crisis point. I went to Church and told God that through the taking of Communion He was to heal me once and for all or else I would overdose on tablets. A couple of days later I was casually looking through the book of Romans when I had a most profound spiritual experience. This experience become the foundation for the rest of my life. The experience set me on a spiritual/psychological path of healing. It took years to dissipate but my problem has been “thrown out of my mind.” This was done through God’s unconditional love which led me to lose my fear and guilt. After the experience I was left with a strong urge to read the book of Revelation and this is what hit me –
“Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “Now God’s salvation has come! Now God has shown his power as king! Now his Messiah has shown his authority! For the one who stood before our God and accused our brothers day and night has been thrown out of heaven. Our brothers won the victory over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the Truth which they proclaimed; and they were willing to give up their lives and die.” Revelations 12:10-11
Was ‘the accuser thrown out of heaven’ symbolism for what happened psychologically in my mind as the result of my spiritual experience? Was the experience the result of taking communion (‘the blood of the Lamb’) and because I was willing to give up my life and die? I think so! and notice that I was healed through overcoming fear and guilt which are prominent in the Garden of Eden story.
Phil…
Thank you for your insightful comment. The Bible does indeed teach these truths to us, to help us understand ourselves, and our journey. Very much appreciate your thoughts here, and sharing your own journey.
Thank you Josh. I have only recently discovered your site and I’m excited and passionate about working my way through all of it. We have a great deal in common. Thanks again!
Thanks for sharing your analysis. But why did God separate Adam’s consciousness from his subconsciousness? Your analysis and Genesis read as though God is responsible for man’s fractured state. And Genesis reads as though God cursed mankind after the “fall.” My biggest obstacle to the bible is that God is portrayed as an evil overlord.
Diane…
God did not. It’s just the state that consciousness develops in matter. It’s natural. The curse is just a way of explaining man’s spiritual state metaphorically, as no curse by an outside God was actually placed on man.
Being reborn is a true grand experience.
When we come to the end of ourselves. I was ready to die…wanted to die. I was dead spiritually and didn’t know it.
For the first time in my life I prayed to God…not knowing if He is real.
He began answering me.
I recognized HIS voice within….as a thought but not my thought.
The bible says HIS ways and thoughts are not our thoughts or ways for HIS are as high as heaven is from the earth.
Falling on my knees…feeling true pure love for the first time, I asked HIM to fill me with His love.
Instantly, I felt like an electricity jolt enter the top of my head and continued down my body.
As this went down my body, I became ALIVE!! It felt just like I was dead and I was resurrected!!!!.
I want to share this because God is very real! As His Spirit is.
I can see like invisible air….like a seal around everything living.
Ones only involved in consciousness..etc. calls this energy.
This “energy” is the Spirit of God.
God bless you and this link.
Everyone is very kind…no foolish arguments. Unlike FB!
We are all sharing our experiences…and we all together have the answer.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Kimberly.
Hi Kimberly,
What you experienced was the precursor to the creation process, as it is written…”And the SPIRIT of God moved…” Genesis 1:2. Our experience beyond that (should we greatly desire it) will be the result of the WORD of God, as it is written… “And God said…” Genesis 1:3. The WORD is the WORKS of creation, which is why Jesus (the WORD made flesh) instructs us to “BELIEVE THE WORKS,” the word “believe” meaning “to obey; to put action to.”
SPIRIT and WORD. ENERGY and SEED. The two divine attributes of the Creator. The two things needed for Creation. Spirit alone did not bring our physical heaven and earth into existence. Nor can it bring on the spiritual creation that is to take place within us, referred to as ” a new heaven and a new earth,” symbolizing “a new mind and a new heart.” This will require us to live the WORD of God; to experience the WORKS of God from within “the kingdom of heaven” and “the kingdom of God,” symbolizing “the realm of the mind” and “the realm of the Heart.”
The WORKS of the WORD that are to take place in “the realm of the Heart” has nothing to do with our LOVE of/for God. LOVE is the SPIRIT attribute of God. TRUTH is the WORD attribute of God, the SEED (Luke 8:11) or SON of God. All things are made by a seed, as it is written, ” All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” And everything that is made by God’s seed is good.
The seed that formed our “first heaven and earth,” which is to pass away (die) was the evil seed, which choked out the good seed, crucifying it. The formation of our “new heaven and new earth” is the result of the resurrection of TRUTH within our heart through the WORKS of the WORD.
You have been given a preview of the (trans) formation process. What you call the “true grand experience.” The word “reborn” indicates a second birth, which in the context of this post, is the birth of our new heaven and earth. A grand experience that must be actualized (made actual; brought into existence) in this life in order for it to be actual in the afterlife. This state of existence is one of pure spirit, requiring the removal of all flesh through spiritual circumcision and physical death.
Godspeed
Hi Kimberly,
It is almost two years since I visited this site. I was amazed to read your experience because way back in 1986 I had the experience of being born again and the similarity with yours is that I felt my whole being divide into two like a lightning bolt split me. The only thing was that the lightning bolt was simply a division that felt physical. It wasn’t, of cause, electrically charged. It was more like a shock to wake me up and bring my divided self to form as one in a spirit of pure love. So profound was my experience that I documented it. It takes up almost an A4 page. I could print it here as a reply. Let me know if you are interested.
Thanks for the work here. I have been on a slow quest for more than a decade to discover the mysteries alike to what you write about. In recent years a revelation followed with deep study as the Bible a collection of allegorical stories for the discovery of one’s own Physiology and Psychology, has captured my imagination and enriched my spiritual understanding. This sort of topic is rare. It rare in a sense that it can be found or hinted to, but it comes with a lot of noise. What I have found here on your blog is more clear and straightforward on the topic that was revealed to me years ago in meditation.
I have come full circle from a Jesus freak and Biblical student, to a wandering drifter, back to a huge passion for the Bible in a whole new light.
I like to out it simply, the Bible is an Anatomy and Physiology book. It’s a Psychology Book, it’s a owner’s manual to the Spirit onboard your meat vessel. I think setting aside a perspective of true historical events and focusing on what is mentioned above, it’s meaning is more heart felt and take on greater understanding.
Precisely, Dude
The greatest psychology book ever written, in my opinion.
So what about the first wife of Adam, Lilith? What do you say about her?
just search and the internet who is the first wife of Adam.
khaKi…
Thanks for commenting. Lilith is another allegorical concept placed onto the story later. Lilith is not addressed in the original story.
Let me please look at the story of Adam and Eve in yet another perspective. It sounds like drama of consciousness depicted in a beautiful and thoughtful imagery. I find the core of the Bible is Love. Everything in Bible has to be read through the lens of love. A and E in the paradise were no different from biological animals with no consciousness. They had no concept of love. God gave them the options, I am sure he already knew A and E would not be obedient to him. Kids are like that. They ate the forbidden apple. Bible funnily describes that moment of turning point as opening of their eyes and finding themselves as naked! First thing they do is try to cover their private parts! This was the moment of appearance of self consciousness in human beings not in animals. Nobody knows when this SC appeared in the evolutionary period.
Move on, God didn’t like that. They were booted out of the garden, putting flaming gates and they were made to walk in the hot desert with thorns and thistles. Life is harsh, one has to walk , but many want to turnaround and get back to their mother’s womb..( reminds us the story of Nick meeting up with Jesus) Some want to bury their heads in the sand , a little drug or booze may take away the pain momentarily. But it’s only for the people to move on and as they keep walking in the life of desert, they become resilient, they endure, most important self awareness begins to appear and they adapt and live through. This self awareness is the response to love, they become responsible, sensitive, compassionate, forgiving, content and be humble.
Thank you
KT…
Yes! And this story could be better explained as not the fall of man, but the fall of mind, or fall of consciousness. “Fall” is just a concept we use to explain consciousness expressing itself on the physical plane when it incorporated the desire-mind.
Hi Josh,
I could agree that the Adam and Eve story has to do with consciousness alone IF the story placed them in heaven, which symbolizes the mind. However, Adam and Eve are in the garden, which is the earth, symbolizing the heart, which it seems everyone wants to bypass. And yet it is what has been sown in our heart that determines what we think in our mind (our most destructive thoughts and memories hidden from the conscious mind). So if we want to change our consciousness (renew our mind) we must first change/transform our heart/subconscious through the power of the heart (christ).
It requires a seed to make, form, or bring something into existence, to make it a reality. So if we want Christ consciousness’ to become a reality for us, we must first experience the revitalization and regeneration of the christ power of our heart; the seed energized, able to produce. This CAN NOT be accomplished through the power of the mind, because seed is NOT sown in the heaven (that space above the earth, where the birds fly). You may have watched as a spore (a seed with hair like projections) is carried through the air. It only has the power to produce when it intercourses with the earth. A new mind requires a new heart, and a new heart requires the sowing of God’s holy seed (truth) in the heart… “and I saw a new heaven and a new earth…” Revelation 21
To reach ‘Christ consciousness’ requires the resurrection of christ (the power) in our heart/subconscious.
To heal the mind we must first heal the heart. Proverbs 26:25, Matthew 15:19
Here’s an article I wrote on Paul that you might find of interest: https://mysticalteachingsofthebible.wordpress.com/2020/05/09/paul-the-liar/
Hi Sandra…
Thanks for your interesting comment. I always love your comments and your deep reflections. But, if I may, clear up a few misconceptions.
In the bigger picture what you are saying about the heart is true, but we need to clarify some terms as they were understood by the Biblical writers so we do not confuse the symbolic nature and timeline of the Genesis story and the rest of the Bible.
First, the terms “heaven” and “Eden” have the same meaning. They both symbolize the state of consciousness centered on the upper mental plane. The upper mental plane is also where the causal body resides, which is what you refer to as the “heart.” The “heart” is the center of the individuality on the upper mental plane, and must not be confused as residing in the earth at this stage in Genesis. The earth is the soul / lower nature. The lower nature or earth expresses only the lower mind, at first. It is the ground which must be properly tilled to receive the seed so that the seed of truth can germinate.
Eden is not IN the “earth” at this state in Genesis. Earth is always a symbol of the lower nature, both the lower mental nature (intellect), the astral nature (emotion), and the physical nature (sensation). The phrase expressing heaven on earth means expressing consciousness through the higher mind and through the earth. This does not happen (scripturally until Christ is resurrected). So yes, in the bigger picture what you are saying is absolutely correct. In a sense we can say that we have the opportunity to bring the experience of Eden to the earth, but we have to be careful so not to confuse where this term earth is used in Genesis.
“Garden,” which also means intelligence, more specifically here in Genesis, “divine intelligence,” as this garden (Eden) was planted by God in the “east.” God is the source of divine intelligence. At this stage in Genesis there is no physical body, or soul expressed through a physical body. Adam in the Garden of Eden is a metaphor for the mind and the emotion in unity before the fall and expulsion into the earth, or physical plane of existence (duality). Eve, as the emotional nature, is still in complete unity and within Adam. After their symbolic separation and expulsion from the garden, as you allude to, we must bring unity again through the higher mind and emotions within the heart, or causal body residing on the upper mental plane. Until then, the mind, as expressed through it’s lower nature only (the earth) is at enmity with God.
The seed of truth is planted by the higher mind into the lower mind. Whether it falls on dry earth or stony ground (symbolizing barriers within the intellect and emotion led by desire), depends on how the earth has been prepared. If it has not been properly tilled through experience, it will not be ready to receive the seed for germination of the higher emotions, which must aide the intellect. The intellect will remain as a walled garden so to speak unaided by intuition, and remain in falsity and error in judgment.
The subconscious constantly throws up habitual patterns. Through the use of will power the intellect must properly till the ground / earth / subconscious to prepare it to receive the seed. And that the intellect does by bringing the physical body, sensations, and lower emotions under control (automatic negative subconscious habits). It is the control mechanism of the desire mind in man’s early stages. This happens through the power of will directing the intellect and being able to discriminate and analyze between wrong thoughts and opinions and emotions that sway the entire earth / lower nature. But the intellect is limited. At first it doesn’t even realize it is controlled by passions, lower emotions, and desire, and thoughts are at the whims of total desire. But it has to grow to the point that it does realize this. It still cannot perceive the perfect truth, but it can begin to implant proper modes of thinking which stills the constant run of thoughts and emotion, and brings the desire nature under control. Without this step the evolution of consciousness will be hindered.
You state:
“So if we want Christ consciousness’ to become a reality for us, we must first experience the revitalization and regeneration of the christ power of our heart; the seed energized, able to produce. This CAN NOT be accomplished through the power of the mind, because seed is NOT sown in the heaven (that space above the earth, where the birds fly).”
The first part of your statement is absolutely 100 percent correct. The second I disagree with. The lower mind (containing the intellect) is an aspect of the “earth.” The higher mind, is in the air. Seed is still sown in the lower mind. And therefore it absolutely MUST begin with the power of the will through the intellect. This IS the act of constant tilling of the ground / earth / soul / personality / lower self in it’s beginning stages. This begins when Adam and Eve (the division of mind and emotion) after they are kicked out of the Garden and now have to till the ground (through a physical body – God clothed them with animal skins – our animal nature). There is a constant process of tilling, planting, reaping and sowing going on through many stages and cycles of life (karma). Through this process the intellect develops, and becomes ever more apt at rejecting false concepts and ideas as it plays around with ever expanding concepts, ideas, and opinions. But again, the intellect can NEVER directly perceive the truth of higher reality, UNTIL it becomes united with the Holy Spirit, which is done in the heart, or the higher mind within the causal body. The intellect must fully control and dominate all aspects of the soul / lower nature, bringing it unto subjugation so that the intuition of the heart can begin to do it’s work. Gradually, the intellect begins to realize it’s own limiting nature, and the inner voice of the spiritual ego (aspects of the heart / the higher mind) begins to get through to the intellect.
Heart is the place in the upper mind where a proper balance of mind AND emotion begins to manifest itself. Particularly the higher emotion of love which reveals the unity behind all things. The intellect is then able to properly express this to higher and higher degrees until at the end of a stage it can express it so perfectly that Karma (the law of that fuels the desire mind) has lost it’s grip and the mind remains a pillar in the house of God and no more has to go in our out (physical consciousness on the lower planes of duality). Karma, and the need for consciousness to experience duality (on the physical plane) is no longer compulsory.
You also stated early in your comment:
“However, Adam and Eve are in the garden, which is the earth, symbolizing the heart, which it seems everyone wants to bypass.”
I would put this another way. Everyone wants to become spiritual by bypassing the required work through the mental aspect. Man must use will power through the intellect to regulate and subjugate his lower passions, his earth. When the earth is properly tilled and prepared, and all the passions and desires have been brought under direct control of a focused, concentrated, and aware mind, then can the spirit within and the still small voice begin to truly unite with the intellect and expand it’s influence to perceive the truth of higher realities directly, beyond the realm of physical duality. Then the intellect realizes it’s true source is not the lower mind, emotions, or body, but that it is the immortal thinker, and it becomes not only subjectively, but also objectively, conscious on higher and higher planes of reality. In other words, consciousness truly begins to express itself as the immortal thinker, and remain self aware, into the different grades of heaven above. You actually beautifully expressed this in part of your comment!
In conclusion I want to reiterate that your comment is in no way wrong, except for the detail about the earth. The heart is able to express heaven on earth only after a certain development in the evolution of consciousness, and we must use the symbols in the correct timeline of the Bible. Adam, before Eve is symbolically separated, is in “heaven.” Heaven, or Eden as a symbol for the expression of consciousness BEFORE it has entered the physical plane.
Adam and Eve birth Cain and Abel. Mankind ever has a Cain and Abel working within them. Cain, the desire mind, always kills Abel in the early stages of consciousness expressing itself in duality. Abel symbolizes aspirations within the lower mind that begin the work of pleasing God, through faint higher aspirations and good thought. Seth is born eventually in the consciousness which is the line that starts real progression in the evolution of consciousness.
Thanks for sharing your link. I will go read it now 🙂
The word Eden means pleasure, to live voluptuously (consisting of, or characterized by strong visual and tactile delights; devoted to, or frequently indulging in, sensual gratification).
This was the state of Adam and Eve BEFORE the Mind (Eve) took in the wrong thought (symbolized by the serpent). We enter this world in a pure state with regard to the SOUL, which by definition is the vital principle in man credited to the faculty of THOUGHT, EMOTION, ACTION (MIND, HEART, BODY).
Our Mind (Eve) takes in the lie. Maybe our father told us we were stupid and wouldn’t amount to anything… a seed of thought passing through our metaphorical heaven. If this lie is repeated, it will begin to affect us on an emotional level, the evil seed now being accepted by Our Heart (Adam), the seat of the emotions. The lie/false perception of our mind has now become a false belief of our heart, which (in the process of time) we will act upon. Thought > emotion > action. We are no longer living in a pure state with regard to our soul, driven out of Eden.
For you, the earth is the soul. For me, the earth symbolizes the heart (God’s cool anagram), which is the most important aspect of the soul, in which David and Jesus tell us dwells 7 impurities/abominations, represented by the 7 devils Jesus cast out of Mary Magdalene. It’s the heart that must be healed, not the mind. The body follows the mind, and the mind follows the heart (we are ruled by our emotions). Jesus said, “as a man THINKETH IN HIS HEART so is he.” The problem is in the heart! Heal the heart and the mind will follow. There is I.Q and then there is E.Q. I advocate for the latter. You would probably like the writings of Bill Donohue. Personally, I’m not a fan of these new age concepts. You might also be interested in Ismaili gnosis, whose focus is the intellect.
causal body: a Yogic and Vedantic concept that was adopted and modified by Theosophy and from the latter made its way into the general New Age movement and contemporary western esotericism. It generally refers to the highest or innermost body that veils the atman or true soul.
We do agree that Cain and Abel is within us, Abel being the righteousness/truth we slayed very early on (just past the age of 4 according to the biblical text). Seth is the reappointed seed, sown in that spiritual earth/womb called the heart AFTER it has been purified, as the virgin Mary conceived of Jesus (truth).
Sandra…
Thanks for the follow up comment, and for the opportunity to explore your site!
I think it great that we see eye to eye on some things, and differ on others. Here at SOS I think alternative thought processes are always great to explore and this site is always a welcome place for discussion.
For me, personally, I don’t think you can separate the thought / emotion aspect. You really can’t have emotions without thought mixed in. Sure, you can have sensations, desires, and feelings, but emotions are always going to be intermingled with thought. So when you say it is not the mind that needs to be healed but the heart, it is a little confusing for me to see exactly where you’re going. The scripture you quoted above, “whatever a man thinketh in his heart, so is he,” actually has the word “think” at the beginning. When speaking about the heart, you cannot separate it from the mind. If he/she thinks evil thoughts, the mind and emotions are rooted in desire. If he thinks good thoughts, the mind and emotions rise from the grips of desire and aspire to things heavenly, and are rooted in the heart / higher mind. This is the process of perfecting the heart and building the temple, which is a Hebrew word that encapsulates the greater aspect of mind. Heart cannot exclude the mind, just as the brain cannot function without the physical pumping heart, and vice versa.
I think where we differ is that I am considering the higher and lower soul, or higher and lower nature of man. Even when you look into ancient Hebrew teachings, both the mystical and more conservative, there are many planes and sub planes in each. The lower nature is earth. And yes, this must be healed.
While the word “Eden” has the connotation of “pleasure” attached to it, meaning the pleasures and delights of the state of consciousness within the higher soul on the plane above the mental plane (Bhuddic plane), it does not mean sensual gratification. Once knowledge enters the picture (which has its root in sensual gratification), which is the acquisition of mental, emotional, and sensual phenomena, they were expelled from Eden. Meaning, while they walked with God in Eden they were ignorant of any kind of knowledge (external experience). The immediate result of knowledge was spiritual death, i.e., expulsion from the blissful, but innocent state of consciousness. This is what spiritual death is. It’s the soul’s separation from God. This is the fall of mind, or you can call it the fall of mind and emotion. It doesn’t matter. Everything begins with and ends with mind. Remember, the mind is not just the intellect. The intellect is only one aspect of mind.
What I think can sometimes be hard to understand is that the seat of consciousness is only in the higher mind, or “heart” as you say. And when it is manifested, it must be made dual. Therefore we have the higher and lower nature, the higher and lower mind, etc.
Thanks for the awesome discussion 🙂
Have you read either of my books? The information contained in them will provide you with a clear understanding of where I am coming from. All I can tell you is what I have to bring to the table is different than anything that is out there. Over the past 20 years I’ve had people asking me to read this, and read that, which I took the time to do, only to find out it was pretty much all the same. None of them ever taking the time to reciprocate! Many teachers. Few students.
I received your response to the “Paul the Liar” article I wrote, but have decided not to post it. You will understand why should you apprise yourself of the knowledge contained in the books. THEN we could discuss these things in greater depth. I would love to hear more about your journey. Where have you been? What have you personally experienced as a result of the knowledge you are sharing? If you ever want to join me on Zoom let me know. You can contact me through my website.
Take care
Sure, Sandra, I understand. No worries.
I would be interested in reading your books sometime. Right now I have other things on my plate, but I will return to it when the right time comes, especially since you have written about Paul. I have a great interest there.
Blessings.
Same here. Many things in the hopper. Maybe we can get together sometime in the fall or winter.
Joshua,
How does the “widows son” fit in here in terms of the brain?
this was indeed a very good article and I am so glad that it is available to seekers on the internet. The ADAM & EVE fable as taught in 90% of most churches today is an atrocity to and shows just how naive we were at one point. There’s so much more to KNOW, but this is one shining example of how important it is to be teachable and truthful with ourselves when advancing in Christ Consciousness and evolution.
The story of Adam and Eve as symbology of our mind: conscious and subconscious is very intriguing but yet I’m confused. What I am confused is where is the superconsciousness; the Christ consciousness in this story that we may have lost in the beginning? Thank you for your input.
The Knowledge of Good and Evil is the revelation of duality to the human psyche and mind. The Tree of Life is the revelation of non-duality to the human psyche and mind. The Garden Story is a Hebrew sacred-poetic allegory of the eternal soul’s journey within humanity–from higher non-duality (not knowing good and evil, hence naked and unashamed, consciously) to lower duality (knowing good and evil, hence naked and ashamed, consciously). Its from the complete awareness (non-duality) that characterises the soul (“over-soul”) in the spirit realm, to the incomplete awareness (duality) that is experienced by the soul when it finds itself in this lower material realm. And then the rest of the Scripture is a narrative of the return journey of the soul–through its gradual awakening here in this lower material realm to the full awareness it possesses in the higher spirit realm–from apparent fracture to wholeness.
This is not a fall of the soul but the spiritual journey that is the inevitable consequence of the soul having incarnated in humanity. having descended from the higher dimension of the spirit, to the lower dimension of the material, and then back again.
It is the inevitable evolutionary cycle of “life-death-rebirth-renewal, spiritual speaking.
The consciousness that is the soul’s in the spirit realm is limited by the material realm. The connection between our soul in the higher dimensional realm and our soul in this lower dimensional realm, can never be broken, whether we are consciously aware or not, because the nature of soul is Spirit. The Spirit of our soul is what indwells our humanity making us a “temple of the Spirit”. Moreover, our Spirit is in unbroken connection with Source, Spirit, God.
I find it strange that those who follow the Bible have difficulty believing that it’s literal as well as spiritual. I believe the Bible is a history book for the physical, mental, and spiritual aspects of creation and mankind. Some Christians are repulsed by the metaphysical spiritual aspects of it and immediately label it as demonic. Some Christians believe it only for the spiritual aspect but not the physical, and then there are others who believe is the little history book but don’t much care for the miracles. The word of God is not some buffet where you can pick some things and leave the others. It is to be taken and studied in its entirety.
Why is it difficult to believe that God created the Earth in six days and rested on the 7th, when you have people in the world that think that the whole world exploded from a single microscopic singularity, which was nothing before that. Both ideas require faith since we can’t go back in time.
After God created Adam and the animals, he then let Adam name them, and no not every species…KINDS( Family)! Adam noticed that all the animals had a pair, but he didn’t. Perhaps it was at that moment he first felt loneliness and God stepped in to fix the problem. By creating Eve from a rib( which can grow back if certain ones are removed), which in Hebrew is the same word for pillar, Adam and Eve would stand equal but unique next to one another.
You must look at Adam and Eve as like a flower growing out of the ground. Adam is the tough, but somewhat uninteresting stem and leaves that provides the nutrients and photochemical processes for both of them. Eve, being the beautiful, sweet smelling, but delicate blossoms on top, and their seed and fruit is the children that grow from her blossoming belly. Their roots, must be based in God Almighty, or they will suffer the ravages of molds, root rot, and insects. God the father separated the water from the dry land, and controls the nutrients in the soil and the rain from the clouds. The Holy Spirit is the air that the flower breathes, by bringing the carbon dioxide needed for photosynthesis, as well as removing the oxygen it produces for living creatures to use.
And finally Christ is the Son that shines upon them the light of his glory, the life generating photons.
And who cares who Cain ended up marrying! Why do so many Christians ask that dumb question? Do they even know how old Cain was when he killed Abel? Does anybody even know how old Adam was when he had the two of them? Did they have any sisters afterwards? how many? Adam was 130 years old when his third son Seth was born. That means can’t even have been born 60 years earlier 70 years maybe.
Cain and Abel were at least 30 years old when they offered their sacrifices. Why is that you asked, because you have to be 30 years before you can enter the priesthood. And it could have been weeks, months, or even years afterwards, when Cain killed his brother. He probably let it fester inside him for a long time before he acted.
Cain could have left with a younger sister (if he had one), or he could have wandered the Earth for decades and decades and decades and civilization built up before he married a great great ancestor of his. Doesn’t really matter, the human gene pool was more than diverse enough to handle close family marriages, without genetic defects. And God didn’t institute rules against close family relationships until the days of Moses some 2500 years later.. and that with a bottleneck in the gene pool about 1660 years after Adam was created, down to three couples off the ark.
Humanity has a serious problem with limiting God’s power, due to the entropy that we have brought into the world from sin corrupting our finite minds.
Besides that though I absolutely believe that such things as a connection of Jacob to Peniel and the pineal gland. I have examined every single word in that chapter, and it comes overwhelming conclusion that it speaks of neural pathways and spiritual dimensions that left me in awe. And it doesn’t stop there.
Leah buying red poppies, saffron flowers, and narcissus lilies. These plants, which contain mood altering and aphrodisiac chemicals, as well as vasodilating ingredients that work the same as Viagra and Cialis. While Rachel may have been the beautiful one Jacob loved, Leah was the intelligent, spiritually minded one, who used those things in order to please her husband Jacob. And no, it wasn’t mandrakes, like so many Bible commentaries have erroneously reported.
And I could go on and on about the burning bush, The acacia palm trees in which the Tabernacle was built. The Syrian rue, which was the hyssop they used to sprinkle the blood on the door post; part of the bitter herbs for Passover; used in the cleansing rituals; the seeds for the red dye and one of the incense mixture ingredients; the leaves were spread upon the flower for the showbread in order to bleach it white; the water of jealousy; and the globular shaped seed pods, aka, pomegranates, that hung from the skirt of the high priest.
And that’s just a little bit of what I found.
I could never take anything literally from the bible. You really think God used the term days even though it was us who came up with that term?
Thank you so much for following your mission. I have a similar mission, which is debunking the bible, which will be on the global world stage. For months I have been sitting here knowing there is so much deception in the bible. Much beauty for ones human to guide along in peace, idolizing someone else. Today I was guided to start digging and BAM, there was your article! Excited to dive into more of your work!
Yes! My story exactly!