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| The Creation of Man (Michelangelo) |
Topic of Inquiry
The aim of this research is the exploration of the experience of seeking, receiving, and following divine guidance. The term "divine" refers to an Ultimate Reality that is believed to be a sacred source of wisdom and understanding (Huxley, 1944; Wilber, 1981; Wilson, 1991). "This Reality is both knowable and mysterious, transcendent and immanent, unchanging and passionate. He or she may be encountered as a personal, loving God, as impersonal Being, or as Truth, which is neither being nor non-being. It is a Unity, yet has many manifestations" (Wilson, 1991, p. 45).The world’s religious and spiritual traditions perceive this divine Ultimate Reality in various ways: There is the pantheon of spiritual forces and beings of the Shinto, Taoist, and Shamanic traditions; the one Divine Being and its host of divine agents and agencies of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam; the impersonal transcendent being or source known as the Tao in Taoism, Brahman in Hinduism, and Tathata in Buddhism; or an imminent presence, quality or force variously referred to as the Atman in Hinduism, the Buddha Mind in Buddhism, the Indwelling Spirit in Christianity, and the Shekhinah in Judaism (Labowitz, 1996; Smith, 1991; Wilson, 1991).
This Ultimate Reality has also been depicted outside the traditional systems of spirituality and religion as a non-denominational Higher Power like that of the 12 Step programs (Alcoholics Anonymous, 1976). It has also been viewed as a higher, deeper, and/or transpersonal part of ourselves (Assagioli, 1976; Wilber, 2000). The metaphors of higher and deeper "…are useful, because they…emphasize different aspects of a consciousness that is greater than any conceptualizations" (Wilber, 2000, p. 110). "The word transpersonal has its etymological roots in two Latin words: trans, meaning beyond or through, and personal, meaning mask or façade, in other words, beyond or through the personally identified aspects of self" (Braud & Anderson, 1998, p. xxi) or our limited ego self, and toward a more expansive, higher, deeper, and/or greater transpersonal Self. This transpersonal Self has been theorized as being the ultimate source of our wisdom, a channel for an even higher source, and/or a simultaneous unitive reality of Self and the Divine (Assagioli, 1976; Jung, 1969a; Wilber, 2000).
This divine Ultimate Reality, in all its perceived forms, is considered to be a source of inspiration, wisdom, guidance, and truth. Most of the world’s religious and spiritual traditions attribute many of their teachings to have come from a divine source and have created rituals and practices to enable one to connect with this Reality. Many mystics, saints, artists, philosophers, politicians, warriors, and scientists throughout human history have claimed to have received guidance from a divine source (Alschuler, 1987, 1993; Hastings, 1991; Hymer, 1990; Jung, 1961; Van Dusen, 1974). The central topic of this inquiry is this human endeavor to seek a connection to this divine source and follow and be in harmony with its essence.
Intention and Research Questions
The primary intention of this study is to explore and map the territory of this experience of divine encounter and guidance. Since it is widely accepted that the only way to know the Divine is through direct experience (Huxley, 1944; Van Dusen, 1996; Walsh, 1999), the central focus of this inquiry is on the "experience" of divine guidance. This experience is viewed as having three core components or processes: The experience of seeking; the experience of receiving; and the experience of following.This tripartite nature of the experience of divine guidance is the same pattern of experience inherent in the mythic journey, rituals of initiation, the creative process, and the sacred stories of the world’s spiritual traditions; it can be found "in the vast, almost oceanic images of the Orient, in the vigorous narratives of the Greeks, [and] in the majestic legends of the Bible" (Campbell, 1949, p. 35). One separates from the world and seeks the divine other; then receives the gift of inspiration, revelation, transformation, and/or initiation; and then finally returns to the world to make manifest what has been received (Campbell, 1949; Hymer, 1990).
The primary research question addressed by this inquiry is: What are some of the qualities, patterns, and developmental stages experienced by an individual as he or she attempts to seek, receive, and follow divine guidance? Secondary questions include explorations into the relationship between divine guidance and methods of preparation, modes of communication, means of discernment, issues of surrender and faith, the manifestation of inspired intention and action, and the fruits of the experience.
Research Methods
The research methods being employed in this study includes a process of researcher heuristic and spiritual self-inquiry in which I, the researcher, explore the topic through daily practice, spiritual autobiography, and immersion in the literature. Additionally, nine (9) long-term spiritual practitioners from various psycho-spiritual traditions were interviewed for this study.This web site is an online extension of this inquiry, as I share my own experiences and reach out to receive the experiences of others. The process I am employing in this online extension of the research is a combination of the medium of digital storytelling with the organic research method.
Digital storytelling is the emerging art form that blends the new digital medium with the ancient art of storytelling. In this digital storytelling process we share our stories around the digital campfire, inspiring others with our stories, and being inspired by the stories of others. Using the organic research method, selected stories will be honored as a sacred gift and will be presented in their original form, using the person's own words.
The data gathered from this website, the interviews with spiritual practitioners, the literature, and my self-inquiry will be analyzed for universal, particular, and contextual patterns of experience.
Participation
You are invited to participate in this study by submitting personal stories of your own experiences of seeking, receiving, and following Divine guidance. I recommend exploring this site and reading some of the stories of others before submitting your own story. Once you have a sense of the experience we are exploring, you can go to the Submit A Personal Account page and follow the instructions.It is expected that participation in this study will give you the benefits of personal self-reflection as you search for and explore your experiences of Divine guidance in your life. These benefits may include the experiencing of an expanded awareness and/or understanding of the influence of spirit within you and around you. You may discover a greater appreciation for the people and experiences in your daily life. Additionally, it is my hope that the offering of our stories will afford us the opportunity to receive the gifts that come from the sharing of experiences and ideas related to our seeking, receiving, and following Divine guidance.
If you decide to participate in this research, you may withdraw your consent and discontinue your participation at any time during its conduct and for any reason without prejudice. Selected stories will be posted on this web site for others to share and will be included in the final presentation of this research project.
Confidentiality
If you decide to participate in this study all information received from you will be kept confidential as to source. Your identity will be protected by the use of information coding and fictitious names. All references to your identity will be kept in a secure location, accessible only to me, the researcher. In the reporting of information in published material, any information that might identify you would be altered to ensure your anonymity. You may select to have your material published with your real name by stating this intention with your submission.Copyright Policy
Participation in this study automatically gives the researcher the rights to publish your submitted materials in both the online and printed presentation of this research study. You retain the rights to use your personal stories in your own writings. Readers are asked to honor these sacred stories of Divine guidance, and not copy these materials for monetary or commercial purposes. All documents posted on this site are fully copyrighted by the researcher, Mark Allan Kaplan. All stories on this site remain the property of the authors.
