The image of biblical Jesus presenting for baptism in the river Jordan, has left an indelible image in the minds of many people. While the river Jordan, in Hebrew, means to ‘flow down’ or ‘descend, the biblical story behind this iconic river is totally not about people walking into its shoreline water.

Establishing context:

In real time, the river Jordan rises on the slopes of Mount Hermon, on the border between Syria and Lebanon. Continuing it flow southward through the sea of Galilee, the Jordan finally enters into what is known as the Dead Sea or, Salt Lake. The Dead Sea, being the saltiest expanse of water on the planet, no marine life can survive in it, other than microbial. While the Dead Sea of course has many fine tourist-attracting features, to include renown healing potential dating back to biblical times, its mention here – due to it being the lowest surface on earth — is purely symbolical, the significance of which will become obvious further on.

So, against this locational /origin backdrop, what is the metaphysical significance behind this allegory: what message is biblical Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan’ meant to symbolize for you, me and everyone at practical level?

On the ritualistic level, church baptism is about pouring water over a baby’s head. But this pouring of water is ceremonial only, it does not in itself cleanse away anything except maybe wash the baby’s scalp. This ritual satisfies the parents, in that, their treasured newly baby is now a recognized member of that particular church – but, that, no actual purification has taken place. Church baptism is merely another means of ‘signing’ new souls into a particular denomination, which baptism – as pertaining in my own country — is prerequisite for enrollment of children into catholic religion-based schools.

So, beyond the literal ‘made-up’ story espoused by formal religions — of Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan by John the Baptist – let us look at the Bible’s esoteric understanding of baptism in the river Jordan.

Biblical river Jordan is symbolism for the flow of subconscious thought through the human mind and body. A downward current of materially contaminated consciousness governing our deeper mind and soul automatically from birth. Human perception of this muddy carnal ignorance is symbolized by the Jordan’s southward flow into the Dead Sea. The Jordan is symbolism of this born-into downward current of thought-life through our mind /body.

As reversing this carnal trend upwards into the spiritual /cosmic currents is paramount, anything that is an obstruction to this upwards flow, represents the river Jordan.

Water is symbolic of entering a new state of spiritual existence – crossing from one state into another or, the human soul becoming aquatinted in realms of higher spiritual standards, of realizing divine consciousness. Baptism thus represents a stirring of those inner faculties which are initially ‘stuck’ in life’s downward flow and its associated soul-blocking mind-sets and lifestyles: a means of rising above compulsive negative thought or wrong thinking.

So, Who or what is John the Baptist?

The name John means ‘graced by God’, with baptism essentially referring to initiation into the healing power of nature. Thus John the Baptist symbolizes an advanced standard of lower intellect, a principle of reversing carnal mind into which every human soul starts out in life, which lower standard, at some point in time, must be quickened – thus John the Baptist represents only the seeking of this upwards soul flow or, one not yet Truth realized.

Similar to how John the Baptist recognized Jesus in the Jordan, we too, post seeking and inner awakening, begin to intuit life’s spiritual dimension and its renewing qualities. Like the mustard seed, once our soul recognizes or identifies with inner Spirit, then Spirit nature begins expanding naturally, signalling commencement of the Jordan’s upwards flow away from the Dead Sea. Jesus said: “I go to prepare to prepare a place for you” John 14:3, meaning, Spirit silence establishing higher states of consciousness. Our new mind forming the spiritual ’place’ which Jesus (holy spirit) hath prepared through our silence meditations.

John the Baptist thus is symbolism of initial ‘intellectual’ seeking of divine nature. It marks those tentative mental steps — the forerunner dynamic — necessary for coming upon Christ within. A recognition of need in transitioning out of natural man’s addictive animalistic mind-sets unto pure spiritual /cosmic status. Intuition inform us that, freeing our soul from these subconscious reactive thought patterns requires some practical application on our part, beyond the initial road to Damascus ‘flash’. In other words, while the sun rises daily in the sky, it takes many hours before reaching its highest mid-day point.

This change-seeking dynamic represents the forerunner, the inherent basic instinct preceding transition unto the One who follows the forerunner – birth of holy spirit consciousness or, initiating the Jesus principle.

Delving through the outer Layers 

As animalistic intellect begins upgrading unto resolute intellect, our spiritual nature becomes gradually cognizable, amplified, when you /me as forerunner, begin ‘seeing /hearing/recognizing’ Christ within.

As our awareness penetrates deeper into the layers of subconscious carnality, thus residual ‘suffering’ thoughts –the old way of seeing /hearing – begin surfacing into conscious mind for practical integration. Thus awareness entering into the deeper realms of mind brings about expansion of mind, making the once subconscious realm of mind conscious, thus enabling pure cosmic status inhabit the right side brain, our spiritual ‘promised land’.

But John the Baptist’s initial intellectual surge to change is not in itself spiritual, rather, aspirational and intuitive only. It marks innate curiosity to something greater, grander and Nobler. The possibility of realizing a higher standard of mental comfort for instance.

But Herod – the law of perpetual sin in mind /body– puts an end to our divine seeking by having John’s innate forerunner prompt executed: cutting off the positive thought flow in the head. Herod — lower ego — working under law, represents destruction of good, promotion of negativity, evil and suffering, thus, by nature, cannot acknowledge or relate to goodness, positivity or anything spiritually progressive in mind.
Acting as a subconscious blocking or, decaying dynamic, Herod law exists in every human mind and body from birth. Its sole purpose is execution of spiritual tendencies surfacing into mind. As such, the imperative message of Jesus’ upward Jordan flow, the I AM awareness within our consciousness, begins to resonate as life-saving wisdom within. Adhering to this forerunner prompt is how Herod within — the downwards force — becomes neutralized at personal level, but its destructive flow-law still continues. In other words, while Herod may have put an end to the forerunner John the Baptist level, the execution is not, and can never be, a demise of the eternal forerunner spark, for, this spark TOO works under law to succeed by triggering the holy spirit /Jesus spark within.

The Desert

Post John the Baptist’s execution, continuance of the forerunner’s seeking intention is maintained, symbolized by Jesus, on hearing of execution of John the Baptist, going into the desert, into the wilderness of the subconscious mind – ‘and he descended into hell’ – Apostles Creed. When integration of the residual dynamic maintaining the subconscious karmic pattern begins. When personal Herod law finally meets its match and becomes malleable to spiritual understanding, to higher states of cosmic awareness, as in: ‘Jesus rose again on the Third Day’ Apostles Creed, ‘third day’ meaning period of spiritual growth leading to state of unity consciousness.

In this same context, Moses, in the desert, was instructed – in-tuition — “Lift up thy Rod” Exodus 14:16– meaning raise divine standard of awareness through thy Rod, ‘Rod, being the spinal column, hence significance of kundalini rising upwards. More on kundalini shortly.

Similarly, Jesus said: “Unless a man be born again of water and the spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven” John 3:3 (inner baptism unto spiritual awareness).

Biblical water represents cleansing or purification. Thus Jesus’ rising up in the Jordan post baptism symbolizes this inner baptism unto newness: new thought paradigms initiated by the holy spirit /Jesus. Thus, Jesus going into the desert represents inner means unto personal I AM awareness through kundalini awakening in the causal spine body, one’s means of confronting the subconscious undisciplined chaotic Herod mind.

As the holy spirit dynamic functions entirely from within the spine, thus subconscious cleansing is possible only through kundalini Shakti, the holy spirit, rising from base chakra to crown chakra in the brain. This is our God-given means of delving into the dark shadow side of the human soul, into the subconscious layers which control our early lives, which cleansing activity only be performed by kundalini /holy spirit.

Reclaiming the subconscious leads to expanded capacity of conscious mind, space for out true nature to be experienced, when mind is freed of conditioned dogma and political selfish ideology. Expansion of mind fulfills: ‘make straight in our desert a highway for the Lord to become known’. Thus, on the metaphysical level, thus, Jesus’ arrest in the garden of Gethsemane and later crucifixion, and John the Baptists’ beheading, can be interpreted as ‘a voice calling [from within], make straight in the desert a highway for our God’ Isaiah 40:30 – cleansing of deeply rooted soul conflicting conditioning.

Paul puts this journey into making sub-consciousness whole: “Baptism commits us to a constant struggle with sin, so that we might be slaves to sin no longer”. In other words, Herod, as subconscious law, is unending, causal of inner conflict and struggle. Always tempting us away from spiritual progress, but then, that’s the purpose of Herod law. Our daily awareness work is not leaving the mind unguarded for this thief-law to enter whenever it wishes. The importance of awareness to each present moment is vital, it’s key to unblocking the subconscious highway unto the Lord within.

So, it was the beheading, which led Jesus going into desert of the subconscious, the inner Spark which triggers the unstoppable flow of I AM awareness, but which coming upon awareness has to be practiced thereby establishing such AS daily consciousness.
Altering Constitution of the Brain

If I may digress for a few short paragraphs into quantum physics.

Quantum physics informs us that, creation — as we explore it deeper – consists of many structured layers of energy: layers upon layers of dynamism or worlds within worlds beyond the naked eye. Similarly, on sinking through all the mental layers of mind, of recorded evolution and associated conditioning, we come upon that most orderly, dynamic aspect of the brain – total brain functioning. In practical reality, this going deeper and deeper within takes the mind to the basis of all creativity intelligence, to area of total brain functioning. The imperative becomes obvious.

In the context of coming upon total brain function, transcendence is the means.

Transcendence meditation takes the mind beyond surface thought and all sensual activity bringing about increased EEG brain coherence or, total brain functioning.

With brain being the facilitator of consciousness, thus transcendence is the means of altering the constitution of the brain fundamentally — unto knowing higher states of consciousness. In other words, beyond the waking, dreaming and deep sleep states, transcendence brings the mind into the fourth state of consciousness, of pure awareness, when our every though, word and deed serves God’s creation purely and unconditionally.

Thus, transcendence takes the brain to the unified field of pure creation – the power behind all that is, was and will be — representing experiential ‘milk and honey’ of other side of Jordan.

But, vitally, when we speak of meditation, it’s important to differentiate difference between the practice of meditation and arriving AT meditation, arriving at the unified field– they are two different dynamics.

Arriving AT meditation — consequent of going deeper into subtler regions of mind – typically refers to the moment of transcendence, of mind coming upon pure consciousness, the realm of the unified field of natural law. We practice meditation therefore in order to arrive at transcendence: when human awareness transforms into the blissful state of pure consciousness or Samadhi, or, Atman, the field of Total Knowledge.

Because transcendental pure consciousness already exists, thus we don’t practice transcendence itself as such. Rather – through mantra vibration – we practice going from gross to subtle, from surface to inner depth, thus come upon transcendence naturally. Transcendence is how the subconscious aspect of mind is made whole, the realignment of left /right side brain. Regular practice purifies the physiology enabling the nervous system withstand direct Samadhi or Bliss, when the unified field of intelligence is perceived through a cosmically orientated intellect.

Back to Scripture

Similar to physics, esoteric dipping of head into the Jordan water symbolizes one’s mental repentance, surrendering to the inner cosmic unified field dynamic behind all the laws of nature thereby putting inner and outer –as above so below — in harmony with natural law. With deeper regions of the mind becoming enlivened in meditation it marks the reversal of thought flow nature, when all the laws of nature are now working in our favor. Inner baptism thus marks the beginning stages of altering the constitution of the brain: an ability of decoding higher states of consciousness into manageable practical proportions.

Scripture puts it: ‘man is first born natural then spiritual’. This is the symbolism behind John the Baptist wearing goatskin and camel hide, it’s indicative of the natural man /woman and the initial non-spiritual status. But that it’s through this natural man /non spiritual downwards Jordan flow that our soul awakens unto eternal Spirit nature. That, within this natural man dynamic lies the ever-seeking John the Baptist principle unto divinity – an inbuilt ‘reminder’ of initial spiritual stagnation.

Kundalini and Rebuilding the Temple

In the context of Samadhi being a latent state within, vibrational silence thus is the entry key. The practice takes awareness into ever-purifying layers of mind, thereby initiate one’s innate kundalini flow upwards thus building ‘the Temple not made of human hands’ Acts 7:48.
Kundalini’s entry into the body thus is similar to biblical Jesus entering the ‘natural man mental temple and demolishing the non-soul-serving inhabitants. When Jesus said he would knock this natural man temple down and rebuild it in three days, the ‘three days’ represent a ‘period of spiritual growth’, of consciousness expansion, purification, thus establishing the Temple of Truth consciousness. This miracle of temple rebuilding can only be carried out by awakening the universal life force or, kundalini Shakti or, holy spirit, (which Jesus promised he would send). The awakening which leads to unity with Shiva in the brain (crown chakra), the mystical marriage yielding the ‘milk and honey’ off the other side of the southerly downwards Jordan flow, to northerly flow and not east to west crossing.

Luke 3:3 puts it – ‘So John (post heightened awareness) went throughout the whole territory of the river Jordan, preaching’: “turn away from you sins and be baptized (into higher Temple nature) and God will forgive your sins”. Luke 3:3 of course is referring to ‘baptism of repentance, baptism of transcendence leading to remission or, integration, of sin — metaphysically meaning ‘re-training the mind /thoughts in new spiritual Temple paradigms.’

Baptismal pouring of water is symbolism for pouring of kundalini the holy spirit into consciousness, bringing about a cosmic brain’s thought processes thus rebuilding the previous man-made, sin-raked primitive temple, rebuilding man’s animalistic or reptile brain standard. A mental transformation with ability of discerning spiritually –thus mental freedom in conscious choice. Rebuilding through directly knowing transcendence or Samadhi leads to unbounded awareness thus total brain functioning.

Esoteric Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan represents one’s conscious awakening to our own eternal I AM status, our means of conscious integration of the mountain of residual sin accumulated through many lifetimes. Thus the imperative of purifying the lower sin intellect unto state of Resolute intellect becomes obvious – exposing, whereby we may confront and integrate the dark side of our mind and personality naturally.

Kundalini and the Second Birth

At practical level, awakening kundalini /holy spirit, represents ‘fulfillment of the law’ Matthew 5:17, meaning, fulfillment of inner life in harmony with the laws of nature, thus awakening unto Christ within. Kundalini is real, it’s not a belief system. It’s our God-given means of achieving the second birth post physical birth unto experiential eternal nature. An alchemy not possible through lower ego’s downwards flow. Without kundalini /holy spirit activation, lower intellect remains in the mire of sin, remains in perpetual sin orbit. Setting the soul free of this downwards gravitational pull, is the work of transformative kundalini.

Alas, this lower intellect level of consciousness is recognizable in the world today most acutely: mire-orientated minds working negatively with the creative life force through greed for personal gain only. But which activity must in time play out within each soul at some level eventually – thus, notwithstanding forgiveness, through the laws of nature there is no such thing as ‘free and forgotten sin’.
So, remembering that there is only one mind, stilling the conscious mind allows for ever-deepening silence penetrate the breakaway aspect, or subconscious realm of mind.

The literal story of biblical Jesus walking into the river Jordan of course did not actually take place in physical terms – it’s a parable to make a mental-point. Thus the importance of reading this story as a powerful message of inner awakening, and not read through some mind-limiting understanding posited by vested interest groups, becomes obvious. Kundalini the holy spirit is beyond mere belief systems. In this context, I often say, literal temple was built in humans before God ever had a chance to build His Truth Temple.

Moving on.

So, we’re each born in the ‘Jordan’, thus come into this world up to our head in downward thought flow. We’re baptised in the Jordan because we’re each already in it – in sin from birth. We MUST already be this negative thought flow otherwise how could our seeking the other side come about, become realized in consciousness. We’re here to experience the downward flow, then choose either higher states of consciousness or remain in sin stagnation and soul atrophy.

Some final Scriptures

Similar to Paul’s general point: ‘Baptism commits us to a constant struggle with sin, so that we might be slaves no longer’ is, Roman’s 6:12-14 “sin must no longer rule in our bodies so that you obey the desire of the natural self”. And, Roman’s 8:5, “those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature (lower intellect) wants”.
In other words, negative thought flow doesn’t stop as such, rather conscious awareness is brought to expose, thus rid darkness temptation each time it surfaces in mind. Blessedly, when kundalini starts awakening, we become acutely aware of the unceasing ‘tempter’ and its compulsive lure to ‘sense gratification only’. Thus the imperative of Matthew 4-4: “man cannot live on bread alone (material nourishment) but needs every word (divine inspiration) that God speaks”.