Theos-Talk Archives (December 1993 Message tl00147)

THE IMPORTANCE OF A GOOD UNIVERSE MODEL

     The real value of models such as the Gupta Vidya (GV) Model,
is that it allows us to form and use a mental structure to
support our experiences.  The mind needs such structures, else
experiences that do not fit into socially accepted patterns could
be deemed madness.  The story of Gopi Krishna is a good example
(KUNDALINI, Shambala).  He practiced yogic meditation for many
years, when all of a sudden one day a light emerged within him,
accompanied by a wide range of physical symptoms including fevers
and headaches.  Without the doctrine of Kundalini Yoga (which is
nothing more or less than a mental structure) he would have
believed himself insane, and probably have been committed to an
institution.  In fact, several modern writers have suggested that
a large percentage of patients in mental institutions throughout
history have simply been victims of a lack of adequate mental
framework to describe and/or communicate their experiences to
others, who misdiagnose them as crazy.

     The globes and planes of the GV Model allow the mind to
assimilate out-of-body experiences.  And we all have such
experiences, whether we admit it or not.  The globes and planes
do not exist "out there" in space somewhere.  They are closer to
us than the air we breath.  And we have experiences on them all
the time, though few recognize it.

     Every night, the vast majority of us lay down in bed and
fall asleep, waking again in the morning.  Yet the process of
sleep and of dreams (which are out-of-body experiences so common
to everyone as to not be considered as such) needs explanation.
Modern psychiatry has discovered that if we ignore our dreams as
unimportant, we can develop severe mental *complexes* and
problems.  Jungian psychotherapy goes so far as to insist that
dreams should be remembered and their meanings worked out, to
assure good mental health.  Dreams, it says, are messages or
communications to us from our unconscious, and need to be
assimilated.  Modern science has formed a medical model in which
dreams are the results of brain chemistry.  Throughout history,
dreams have been explained in all sorts of ways including
messages from the gods.

     Using the GV Model, we can say that when we fall asleep, our
consciousness shifts from Globe D on the physical plane to Globe
E on the astral plane.  As consciousness moves from Globe E along
the pathway connecting Globes E and C, we have various out-of-
body experiences that we call dreams.  These are usually
accompanied by strong emotions because we are on the astral
plane.  Finally, our consciousness arrives at Globe C.  From
Globe C consciousness returns to our physical body on Globe D via
the process that we call waking.  Thus we have undergone a cyclic
journey through three pathways that can be notated as D-E-C-D.

     In the same way, we travel through the cyclic path D-E-F-B-
C-D during the night as well.  Globes B and F and their
connecting path are where we have dreams without emotion.  Deep
dreamless sleep occurs when consciousness shifts higher; to
Globes A or G or their connecting pathway.  Thus we can relate
waking, dreaming, and dreamless sleep to Globes A through G of
the GV Model.  In this way, the GV Model (which is only one of
several important universe models) serves as a roadmap or guide
so that we can assimilate our experiences and relate them to our
worldview; failure or inability to assimilate such experiences
via a mental model inevitably leads to mental unbalance in some
form.

     There are several universe models available.  Probably the
best known is the Qabalistic Tree of Life.  The Tree of Life has
ten globes (the Sephiroth) and 22 interconnecting pathways (which
relate to the 22 cards of the major arcana of the Tarot).  The GV
Model, as annexed by G de P, has 12 globes, and as annexed even
further by me, has 17 interconnecting pathways.  The 17 pathways
are arranged such that all travel or motion through the model is
cyclic, in accordance with HPB's Law of Cycles.  So, you can only
go *up* along the Arc of Ascent, and you can only go *down* along
the Arc of Descent.  Another important difference can be found
between the Tree and the GV Models.  The paths of the Tree can be
traveled in either direction and each contains sub-worlds or
mini-worlds within them that can be explored.  All vertical paths
of the GV Model, however, are unidirectional and unexplorable.
This is due to HPB's clear description of such vertical pathways
as laya centers and not really "paths" at all.  There are no
mini-worlds in a laya center.  However, paths connecting dual
globes along the inner five cosmic planes are unidirectional (you
can travel in any direction within a plane), contain mini-worlds,
and are explorable.  Thus the GV Model has 5 explorable pathways
containing mini-worlds, in addition to two globes, along the
cosmic planes.

     Why are there so many differences between models?  Perhaps
because we each have slightly different experiences.  The
question is a lot like asking why there are so many religions in
the world.  Nevertheless, each model provides us with an
important structure upon which we can pin our experiences and
retain our sanity.  According to the Enochian Model, each lower
plane contains a Watchtower and each Watchtower contains 156
separate explorable regions each filled with denizens and rulers.
The Enochian Model, like the GV model, has no vertical pathways.
I have discovered that all universe models have some things in
common with others, while retaining important differences.
Probably the best, and most pragmatic, approach to take is to
study each model and then adopt the model that comes closest to
explaining your own experiences.

                                    Jerry S.