New Dimensions

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Admittedly, the following essay is speculative. However, it represents a sincere attempt to make sense of our larger reality to the best of my capacity, as of the time writing this essay. At the very least, the essay offers some interesting food for thought.

In her work “Warped Passages”, the physicist Lisa Randall defines a dimension as a passage, a new direction. The following “two dimensional analogy” is not mine. Credit belongs to Edwin A. Abbott (1838-1926) who wrote it into a novel called, "Flatland". It was a work of genius that woke up many intellectuals to the implications of dimensionality.


We live in a universe that has three dimensions of space. Our three dimensions are length, width and height. Had our universe been a two dimensional universe, it would have been flat, containing only length and width. Hence, the name for the fictional universe called, “Flatland”.


A two dimensional creature living in the two dimensional universe of Flatland observes as a three dimensional ball crosses the flat plane of his universe. As the ball moves through, what does this two dimensional creature see? He sees a series of separate discs moving through his universe. In three dimensional space a ball is a single unit. However, in two dimensional space the same event translates into a vision of a series of flat discs.

In its own way, this is a commentary on the state of our own perception. We are biologically wired to see within the limits of three dimensions of space. If an entity existing in four or five dimensional space were to pass in front of our eyes, it would be perceived as fragmented. Perhaps limiting the dimensionality of a creature’s perception is part of the secret for providing that creature with a diversified universe. What's whole in a higher dimensional perception appears fragmented in a lower dimensional perception.

This might also be part of the secret of spiritual realms. These realms don’t necessarily have to exist in a different universe. They simply can be the way creatures wired to perceive more dimensions than we do experience the very same universe. Therefore, what some of what we experience as fragmented, they perceive as whole. So for example a prophet in deep meditation might isolate his or her soul from physicality to the level where s/he might perceive past, present and future as a singular whole, seeing the future with the same ease that s/he sees the present. By contrast, in his or her normative consciousness the past, present and future are experienced in distinct fragments.

A Kabbalah teacher of mine uses this notion to demonstrate how sometimes realities that seem at odds or even contradictory to the human experience, can be in perfect harmony or even a unified oneness in a spiritual realm that has more dimensions to hold it together. For example, he explained the particle/wave paradox of light using this notion.

The doorway to the area of physics known as Quantum Mechanics was opened by experiments that produced mixed messages about the nature of light. In certain experiments light behaved like a steam of particles, called photons. In other experiments, light behaved like a wave. Physicists were confused, “Is light particles or waves?”

My teacher taught me based on the teachings of Kabbalah that light is both waves and particles. Both expressions of light are simultaneously true and co-exist as one seamless entity in a higher reality. If light were seen from the vantage point of its true realm (not from where we're seeing it) it would look like a singular reality. It only manifests separately as particles and waves because human perception can only process in limited dimensions. As a result light fragments in our realm, splitting up an item that is one in a higher dimensional reality.

Following this logic consistently to one of its possible inferences, it seems that a what makes one realm higher than the next might merely be the amount of dimensions that its creatures can perceive in. So literally the perceptions of its creatures create the realm. Creatures capable of perceiving in more dimensions are just by their own perception living in a higher spiritual realm than creatures who perceive in fewer dimensions.

Our Creator is infinite in most absolute sense. He creates and removes dimensions to differentiate realms. He exists as if infinitely dimensional.

Angel Eyes

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It seems to me that there is probably only one universe. When seen with angel eyes, it's called paradise. When seen with human eyes, it's called earth.


(inspired by Tanya II)
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There seems to be an inherent subconscious model that some people carry about the relationship between the physical and spiritual realm(s). In this model the realms are separate. There's the physical realm where life as we know it carries on. Then there are either one or more spiritual realms inhabited by souls and angels that are viewed as "somewhere else", i.e. as being in another location.


Careful study of both Jewish mysticism and science leads me to believe that this conceptual model is possibly mistaken. It seems likely that there really is only one universe, shared by all creatures and creations. However, a particular being's capacity to perceive can radically alter its experience of this universe; One universe, but many experiences.


Science has already documented that bees see ultraviolet light, dogs hear sounds we don't, snakes see infrared light and taste the air. What it comes down to is that even creatures we can see, touch and consciously interact with, whose sensory organs somewhat resembles our own, probably have a very different experience of the universe than we do. They are not living in another universe, but rather they living another experience of the same universe.

How much more so would this be the case for beings whom we cannot touch and whose ability to perceive is far removed from are own, like angels and souls. Obviously, when viewing the universe an angel or a soul picks up a very different set of vibes than we do, vibes that probably do not even include what's in our visual or auditory range at all. Such a being is experiencing the universe in a whole different way than we are. The difference is so radical that it can be said that the being is living in a different world than we are. However, this is only a metaphor to describe the gap in the life experience between a physical and spiritual being - even if they are really sharing the same universe.

The following thought experiment can help further illustrate the concept:

A human being is taking a stroll in the pastoral countryside. Along side him, gently floats a soul. The human sees trees, grass, flowers, hills, wide sky. The soul senses energies, thoughts, feelings, life forces and yearnings. Though they both stroll side by side along the same countryside, what's concrete to one is flowing and energetic to the other. Since neither sense the totality of universe, they each get to peek at a different fragment.

Even a tiny fraction of priceless is still priceless.

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Today, I'm going to blog differently. Usually, I write well mannered essays or poems on Jewish spiritual themes that have universal application. Today, I'm just writing. I have feelings inside that need to emerge. A dear friend of mine suggested that I use my blog as a vehicle for this therepy. So whatever happens, happens!


I have this tremendous yearning to find my place in the world. My life is filled with people who have "nitched". They have become Rabbis, doctors, lawyers, teachers, graphic designers, etc. I somehow have not "nitched" out yet. Here I am in my early 40s, my first Grandchild just born, wondering what I'm really going to do when I grow up? What can I do to make a difference in the world? I have an employable skill. However, it does not seem to me to be much more than a meal ticket and even as a meal ticket it has not worked that great in the past decade and even less so in the current economy.


Our lives are made up of moments in time. Can any employer or customer really pay someone for a moment of his or her life? Life is supposed to be priceless. Even a tiny fraction of priceless is still priceless. So, really there's only one way to be compensated for devoting moments of life to a task. This is the joy of knowing that one have "nitched" into one's spiritual role in life. The task may be physical, but yet very personally soulfull.


Humanity is like a large body. Every human being is a cell on that body. As cells we are supposed to help the body grow. However, I feel like a lost unintegrated cell. I can sit all day playing on the computer without feeling an iota less accomplished or satisfied than if I spent a full day earning my meal ticket. Something's very wrong with this picture. It's probably not the way most people feel.


There must be a core goal underneath it all that my soul came down to accomplish. I wonder what it is, but alas to forum is too public for me to feel comfortable doing what some like Julia Camaron would call "morning journals" on. That needs more privacy. However, if you are a person like me who feels that the best eight hours of the day are too empty to be spiritually justified, maybe you should write morning pages too.

Grasping a Thought In Your Hand

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Trying to understand the Creator with a human mind is like trying to grasp a thought with a hand.

(Tanya II 9)
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Early on in my Kabbalah classes, I usually teach my students that Kabbalah does not teach us about our Creator. Rather, Kabbalah only teaches us about our Creator's revelations. Sometimes students react to this teaching with a puzzled look.
 
I remember the first time I myself encountered this teaching. It was a real let down! I engaged a Rabbi to teach me about my Creator and all he can offer me were teachings about something else.
 
To help my students rapidly get passed a moment where they might be experiencing an unsettled state of mind, I immediately do an exercise with them. The purpose of the exercise is to help them appreciate the limits of the human mind when it comes to grasping certain very elevated realities.
 
I’d select a popular student and ask him to try to grab a thought in his hand.
 
Typically, the student will shoot me this man, are you from out of space look.

Then in feigned seriousness I’d ask the student, “Why can’t you catch the thought? Come on ... maybe you just didn’t try hard enough. Please try again.”

To which the student wanting to duck out of an impossible task will respond, “Hands are not designed to grasp thoughts.”

Then I’d quip, “Neither are minds tools designed to grasp the Creator!”

With this exercise the student has come to appreciate on his own why he cannot grasp the Creator and comfortably self-adjusts his own learning expectations.

"How does the Creator know everything?"

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The Creator has no “outside”.
All Creation resides within Him,
United within His Beingness.
Just by knowing Himself,
He also knows everything else.

 (Adapted from Tanya I 48)

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This past Sunday my students had asked me, "How does the Creator know everything?"
 
I explained, "He knows everything just by knowing Himself."
 
The class shot me a puzzled look.
 
"Look" I continued, "The whole universe is inside of Him. There's no such a thing as being outside the Creator."
 
"Really?", Came back the incredulous response of several students.
 
"But ... the universe is so amazingly large. How does it all fit into the Creator", They protested.
 
"Ah", I lifted my eyes, "You think the universe is so amazingly large? According to Kabbalah this whole vast expanse that we see all around us it's merely a teeny tiny universe within a even vastly larger spiritual universe."
 
I waited to them to absorb what I just said. Once their faces and body language apeared settled, I continued, "And that vastly larger spiritual universe is merely a teeny tiny universe within an even larger spiritual universe. And that within an even larger one ... the process continues until universe is layered within universe like the layers of an onion with our physical universe right in the deep center. All these universes are inside of the Creator. He's around all of them."
 
However, we ran out of time. So I did not yet have the opportunity to finish explaining to the class how the universes are truly one within Him. My concern is that from everything I explained, a student can mistakenly walk away with the notion that the Creator is positioned around a "bubble". Within this "cosmic bubble" there's a layering of universes. However, this is not truly the picture I was trying to convey.
 
The picture I was trying to convey is closer to a dreamer having a dream. The dream, dreamscape and dream characters are not merely "inside the dreamer" - they are literally one with the dreamer. The very fabric of the dream is the dreamer himself. On the level of the dreamer's psychological fabric there's no distinction between dreamer and dream. They are seamlessly one and the same. So dreamer knows everything going on in his dream simply by knowing himself - for they are the same.
 
Similarly, in a metaphorical sense the Creator is dreaming creation into being. This is why He knows everything  that is going on simply by knowing Himself.

Hopefully, with the Creator's help I'll soon have the opportunity to convey this notion to my class.

Effort

“Too little effort is arrogant,
 Because it’s asking for a free miracle,

 Too much effort lacks faith,
 If you believe, you don’t need to overdo.

 So what’s the right measure?
 Act with a heart full of kindness."

Almost Nothing About You

To my Creator,

As a spark from Your Infinite Light,

I feel like …

A child You nurture,

A student You teach,

A love You caress,

A servant on demand,

A fetus in Your womb,

A garment You wear,

A guest You welcome,

A friend You comfort.

These roles are but tiny parables.

They seamlessly merge into one.

Yet enlarged, they say much of me,

 And almost nothing about You.