Professional Documents
Culture Documents
THE ARTICLES
Over a period of time I have written a number of articles pertaining to
spirituality, some of which have been published in magazines.
GENETIC ENGINEERING IN A SPIRITUAL SETTING
This was read at a concurrent session at the 'Eating into the Future' conference
held at the Adelaide Hilton in April 1999. (Subsequently published in The Beacon
July/August 2003)
Introduction
This paper is offered, as a reminder, to the majority of us who often fail to ask
ourselves, on a regular basis - is there any purpose, any meaning, in this vast
array of life around us? Its intention is an attempt to place genetics within what
may be regarded as a fully self-contained and self-conscious whole, which is
dynamically geared to more freely express itself as a result of inner causes.
First Causes
Does there have to be a first cause? Even with our limited consciousness it can be
very difficult to conceptualise a void, and then to visualise something being
created out of nothing. There appears to be an acknowledgment that Life has always
existed, and because there is general agreement that our universe did start in a
condensed state, it is a very plausible proposition that a creative force is
immanent in all life-forms.
In 1930, Sir James Jeans wrote - "Today there is a wide measure of
agreement....that the stream of knowledge is heading towards a non-mechanical
reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great
machine.
David Bohm saw the universe as "unbroken wholeness" with an implicate order at a
deeper "non-manifest" level; such implicate order becoming explicate as
consciousness expands. He also likened the universe to a hologram, each part, in
some sense, containing within itself the whole.
If these thoughts are reasonably close to the truth, it could be stated that God,
the Creative Being, desired to express Himself through a dispersion of His
consciousness through the ever-denser levels of substance that are created by
reduced vibratory energy.
Chance or Design?
Is this life of ours the result of chance, or design? With our more highly
developed consciousness, and detailed knowledge of the interdependent web of life
in which we live, it would be difficult to ascribe this to chaos. Order can be
made out of chaos, but that requires a thinker, a thought, and a resulting action.
Our planet, Earth, has been imbued with life-forms that have consistently evolved
and grown from the basic sub-atomic building blocks, recording an ever-growing
expansion of consciousness as life evolved. This process must surely indicate a
Creator, with a plan that will eventually realise a fully conscious creation that
can then fold back in on itself.
DNA and Quantum Physics
An ideal creative material is one that is very basic but with infinite capacity,
and flexibility, for evolution and growth. In looking at this idea it is assumed
that it is generally known that all life is energy. Behind every material form,
and behind every less-dense form that we are aware of, there is an underlying
pattern of energy.
Relativity theory showed that mass has nothing to do with substance, but is a
form of energy. Energy is dynamic and therefore all substance is in a state of
readiness for change. All life forms are therefore space/time constructs of energy
patterns that intersect and form patterns which can be discerned by the human eye,
ear, taste buds, or touch, and interpreted by the brain.
DNA is, itself, an energy pattern, made up of sub-atomic particles which have
aggregated to form the molecular structure which geneticists use as the basis for
their work. A German scientist, Ernst Peter Fischer, concluded, from the
discrepancy between traditional and new models of genetics - "There are,
therefore, no genes! There are - at least in the cells of higher organisms - only
pieces of genes, which the cell can use when it makes proteins. A gene is by no
means a molecule that exists in a cell. Rather, a gene is a task that a cell has
to accomplish. Genes don't exist; they are always becoming - shades of quantum
physics."
Quantum mechanics, the physics of subatomic events, suggests that the universe is
nothing but probability. Einstein was not comfortable with this and said "God does
not play dice." Probability means that anything can happen in a given set of
subatomic particles and surely this is another pointer to the idea of a Creative
being. Why not experience everything that is possible, in the knowledge that the
whole is inviolate.
And doesn't that alert us to the dangers of using genetics without a full and
complete understanding of what life is for? How many times does a scientist, or
any of us, for that matter, say to him (her) self, what is the purpose of this act
that I am undertaking. Is it necessary, is it a positive step forward, will it fit
in, and harmonise with the existing ecology (in its broadest sense), or will it
have a disruptive effect which may have unknown ramifications, be they positive,
or harmful.
If Ernst Peter Fischer is correct in his definition of a gene, it is in order for
a non-scientist to formulate a belief that a geneticist who transfers a gene, or
parts of an organism such as a virus, bacteria, or an antibiotic, may unwittingly
allow that transfer to produce a new substance which may, or may not, be benign.
Evolution through the Four Kingdoms
The evolutionary pattern has been mineral, to plant, to animal, to human, each
one resulting in an expansion of consciousness, with a long way to go. This
expansion is achieved by lifting the vibratory pattern of the ensouled entities.
A question can be asked as to whether disease and disability are necessary. If
man is to continually refine his bodies, the etheric, astral (emotional), and
mental, there has to be an external cause, until such time as his mental
development allows for a conscious realisation of why he is here and how he is to
progress into the next kingdom, the fifth. As Man, like all other life forms is an
energy body, the way forward is to increase the vibratory rate of the atoms within
his bodies.
Why are Disease and Disability Necessary?
One lifetime is insufficient for the tremendous increase in consciousness that is
called for, the etheric, astral, and mental bodies need eons of purification. In
any one life it is not generally possible to do more than small improvement, so
after the form in a current life has fulfilled its purpose it is cast aside until
the indwelling spiritual entity is prepared to reincarnate. Prior to the conscious
awareness of the need to evolve, the unaware entity has to be prodded by external
forces. Amongst these are disease and disability, and they are intended to produce
an awareness of the need to change in a more positive direction. Karma is a very
involved and complex process to describe, but it does portray the Law of Cause and
Effect, the "as ye sow, so shall ye reap", of the Bible.
Disease and disability not only arise to prod the sufferer, but also, in many
cases, to provide an opportunity for change in the parents, and others who come
into contact with that individual. You will all be aware of how such apparently
negative attributes have inspired people to radically change their approach to
life, and their relationships with others. Remedies for diseases, and
disabilities, are not necessarily of universal application because no one person
has a DNA profile that is the same as another's. Often it is a case of finding
what particular process or medicine is right for each individual affected. One
man's meat is another man's poison. It is of interest to note that many acclaimed
cures only seem to work in certain individuals.
Some geneticists are proposing to experiment with germ-line changes, in the
expectation of eliminating certain diseases from future generations. If, however,
there is a need for an entity to face life through some form of disease, or
disability, and these are gradually eliminated, there is a potential for new
diseases and disabilities to appear.
What of Genetic Engineering?
Man is meant to co-create with God, but that implies that Man has the wisdom of a
God, and the bulk of us fall far short of that requirement. Experimentation, and
theorising, are necessary for advancement to this promising future and it is the
purpose of Man's thrust in these endeavours which is of prime importance.
Unfortunately, it is the intensity of our preoccupation with the material side of
life that blinds us to the need for using judgement in the purpose for which the
new developments are to be used. Discoveries are usually diverted to commercial
use before they are fully investigated. Lack of sufficient public funding is a
prime cause of this diversion of effort into premature usage for private profit.
Experimentation into all facets of the genetic basis of life is a prime
necessity, if man is to become involved in the process of assisting in
evolutionary change. The fact that the basic building block, i.e., DNA, is so
complex, and rightly so if a Creative being is to have infinite means at Its
disposal, must surely give good reason for caution.
Because geneticists only have detailed knowledge of approximately three to five
per cent of the DNA strand, the remaining ninety-five per cent or so has been
labelled as 'junk DNA'. There is always purpose in the way of nature and if we
cannot easily understand apparent inconsistencies there is a need to continue
investigation before fixing on a course of action. I recently read that scientists
believe there is structured order in the 'junk DNA' and it is conceivable that
this very large section of the DNA strand has a connection with reincarnation. As
a plant passes on its growth experience to its seed so, perhaps, an entity's life
experience is encoded into the DNA as a guide to the need for particular life
experiences in a future life.
The present preoccupation with trying to eliminate imperfect bodies avoids the
fact that they have their uses. In today's climate of genetic experimentation a
Stephen Hawking, and others of his ilk, would likely not be born - their
disability quite possibly leads them along the path they take to triumph over that
which oppresses them.
Today's science tends too much to specialisation, an inability, or an
unwillingness, to look at the whole, of which everything is ultimately a part.
Parts only make sense if they are studied within the totality of the environment.
Geneticists betray their usefulness to society by adopting a narrow viewpoint,
and those employed in industry, and in industry-funded university research, betray
humanity by their dedication to the profit motive.
Biodiversity is Vital
Earth's life forms have been created in such variety, and in such large numbers,
that the opportunity for the evolution of new forms is very extensive. Each
species is virtually barred to the entry of genes from others, perhaps the only
active penetration of those barriers being viruses and bacteria, other sources
still being open to conjecture.
One has to question why the Creative Force elected to partition its creation into
so many separate groupings. We must be very careful when we transfer genes between
species, in a manner that cannot occur naturally, with some noted exceptions.
Despite the almost impenetrable barriers life forms are almost infinite in number
and variety. In acting like a God we fail to consider the great depth of
consciousness which has created a cosmos that many scientists believe could
contain as many as nine dimensions.
As biodiversity decreases in a species, so other species will also suffer
decreases, interdependence is a very evident quality in the planet's web of life.
A lessening in variety exposes a species to gradual extinction because the
appearance of viruses, bacteria, fungi, and similar organisms cannot be resisted
without a large pool of genetic material that can be used to breed more resistant
forms.
Genetic engineering, as presently practiced is more interested in volume of sales
of a few varieties as that is where the profits are made. Cross-breeding of
genetically altered plants with wild relatives will render the latter virtually
useless as a source of new stock.
Is there a Unified Energy Field for Every Species?
In the past there has been much speculation as to the reason for wildlife
exhibiting such characteristics as migration over thousands of kilometres, nest
building abilities with no training, symbiosis of different species that can only
interact with one another, and the many other evidences of some intelligent
presence. Rupert Sheldrake has been in the forefront of the theorising, and
experimentation, in this field. He suggests that all species are enveloped in
energy fields which have been called morphogenetic fields. J. Needham defines
biological morphogenesis as the "coming-into-being of characteristic and specific
form in living organisms."
The energy fields, in essence, are much like a template which orders the growth
of life forms which exist in that particular species' field. It is almost as if
the energy field regulates the growth, characteristics, and actions of the life
forms in it. This could be the basis of the similarity exhibited by all members of
a species.
Energy fields can be found in abundance, examples being the earth's magnetic
field, the human body's electrical field, solar, planetary and lunar fields, the
list is virtually endless. The fields appear to have an intelligent entity that
controls their growth, maintenance, and changes needed to meet varying
environmental impacts. These energy fields would have to be well-defined and
separated from each other in order to avoid any mixing, which would interfere with
their integrity. As previously noted, "all life is energy" and therefore the
presence of morphogenetic fields can follow quite logically.
Thought is energy. This fact may explain "formative causation", the process of
establishing a new species, a new variant, the enabling of the crystallisation of
a new material to be performed more rapidly as the energy field is established;
animals in laboratory experiments that entail learning new pathways seem to pass
on that learning to far-distant animals which learn those same paths far more
quickly than expectation would warrant.
Bearing in mind, again, that all is energy, it should be expected that any
discipline which advocates the transfer of energy across energy field boundaries
would be very wary of the potential for unforeseen consequences. In genetics, for
example, transferring the energy of a gene across a species boundary, if performed
often enough, could open a pathway to be utilised by unwanted gene energies and in
a very far-fetched scenario could lead to a collapse of species boundaries.
Priest/Scientist Relationship
In Man's early cultures a priest/astrologer was the individual responsible for
divining the course of a ruler's life, and also that of the nation. He interpreted
the signs and advised the ruler on what actions to take. In addition, he was the
mediator between the Gods and the people.
In our modern cultures, this position is gradually returning, scientists becoming
the priests, the interpreters of the causes of earth's phenomena. Religions, in
general, have failed to develop their theological philosophies in line with
developing consciousness, and it has therefore been left to the scientists to take
over that role. It is now becoming apparent that the origins of life, and the
meaning of life, are now taking on a scientific basis. Natural laws are being
discovered that indicate God as an impersonal Creator Who has left clues to the
meaning of life which can be discovered by using a scientific approach.
In keeping with this new role as a priest, it is incumbent on geneticists to
ensure that their work fits in with life's needs rather than those which tend to
the personal or the purely commercial. There is therefore a need to study widely,
beyond the specialisation, and be more cautious in the choice of direction which
can be followed.
It would be appropriate to look at the broad picture that contains Man's
evolution over the ages, and attempt to find a way of continuing that evolution,
and the evolution of the other kingdoms, in a manner that befits a wise creator.
This will slow the pace of progress but it will also provide an opportunity for
mature judgement when placing possibilities before the rest of us.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it could be said that genetic engineering has been forcibly
inserted into the world's economy because of a greed for profit. If man has been
designed to take part in creative consciousness he must first have full knowledge
of how and why life was created. When that stage is reached his ability to co-
create must be used to help the progress of all life on earth and be based on the
highest spiritual, moral and ethical grounds.
References
James Jeans. The Mysterious Universe. MacMillan. New York.
J. Needham (1942) Biochemistry and Morphogenesis. C.U.P.
Rupert Sheldrake. A New Science of Life. Paladin.
A Question of Genes. Craig Holdredge. Lindisfarne Press & Floris Books
The Holographic Paradigm. Ed. By Ken Wilber. Shambhala, Boston & London
Historical Viewpoint
We cannot know what early humanity thought of life, what made events happen; was
there something in the animals, birds, fish, the vegetation etc., that animated
them. It can only be conjecture that they imagined that spirits were the source of
that animation and growth.
The Golden Bough by Sir James George Frazer deals exhaustively with the magic and
superstitions of primitive people and it is evident from his findings that
religion, as such, was not a factor in those early days. There were animal gods
worshipped by the erection of totem poles, enemies were vanquished by casting
spells, trees were worshipped, the variety was virtually endless because there was
little communication between the early groups of humanity and each developed along
their own lines. Many of these aspects remain to this day in various parts of the
world.
Early civilisations had their gods, the Greeks having a whole pantheon of Gods
who lived on Mt. Olympus with Zeus as its head. The Lemurian peoples, who were the
first race to emerge in physical bodies, many millions of years ago, had a most
beautiful religion as they worshipped the bright gods of the Elements around them,
according to H.P. Blavatsky in The Secret Doctrine.
The Ancient Egyptians worshipped the Cow-Goddess Sothis who symbolizes Sirius and
there were many giant temples erected for the worship of Sirius, which was also
identified with the Goddess Isis. That Sirius may well play an important part in
the spiritual growth of humanity is referred to in The Consciousness of the Atom
by Alice A. Bailey which gives Sirius as having a very close connection with our
solar system.
It should therefore come as no surprise that the Dogon tribe of West Africa
worshipped Sirius and were aware that it was a binary star many years before it
was discovered in 1844.
Between the 15th and 5th centuries BC the Vedas, which deal with the worship of
male divinities were first part of an oral tradition and were eventually written,
later formed the basis for the Hindu religion.
The Gnostics, whose name arose from gnosis, which is the Greek meaning for
reasoned knowledge, built up a form of religion which relied on super-spiritual
knowledge, arising out of visions, clairvoyance and special revelations. It was a
mystical religion which accepted that humanity owes its origins to a spiritual
out-pouring over vast millennia of time.
Australian Aborigines, who share their belief structures with many other
indigenous groups, recount the emanation of Man from the Dreamtime. Various
mythical figures, represented by animals, reptiles, outstanding physical
formations etc., are said to have created mankind. Those mythical figures arose
out of the all-pervading presence of the Creative being which is responsible for
everything that exists.
It is apparent from the foregoing examples that mankind seems to have been given
an in-built need to find a Creator. The form of the creation has varied over the
vast span of time because each isolated community came forth with its own version.
Over time, as man began to move further afield, there is evidence that more
uniformity began to evolve and the mainstream religions today are a result of that
trend to centralisation.
Religions
Religion is defined by the Random House Dictionary as 2.’a specific fundamental
set of beliefs and practices, generally agreed upon by a number of persons or
sects.’ This definition, being one of many, probably encapsulates most of the
world’s religions in its reference to a set of fundamental beliefs. Unfortunately,
the majority of these beliefs are so fundamental that they have become enshrined
in doctrines, dogma, and rituals and have lost a lot of their relevance during the
period of Man’s consciousness in the past few thousand years. In recent history,
of course, that evolution of consciousness has increased exponentially.
The churches are at different stages of growth in awareness of what the spiritual
world consists of. When a need is not being met humanity seeks for new avenues in
order to satisfy it and perhaps this is one reason why fundamentalism has taken
such a hold, especially in the United States of America. Much of mankind is still
immersed in the emotional nature and reacts quite strongly to the emotional pitch
of the many preachers/ministers, who look after the services that are held.
Joyful, vibrant music is often a part of the attraction to these churches and
faiths and the ability to let go when singing hymns set to modern music. These
churches fill a yearning for some meaning in life, a search for the spirit, even
if that is not consciously recognised.
The older, established churches, often rely on dispensing fear of the
consequences if one does not attend church and/or believe in a God Who dispenses
justice and relegates one either to heaven or hell on death of the body.
Churches
The main church groups are the Catholic, Anglican, and non-conforming churches.
There are also major religions which are not generally included under the umbrella
of ‘church’ because they are outside of Christianity. They embrace Islam,
Buddhism, Hinduism, and Jewish forms of worship amongst the many others.
Reference to attendance statistics indicates that the mainstream Christian
churches, at least, are encountering a decline in attendance at church services.
One reason for this may be a crystallisation of beliefs and it is possible that
other religious groupings may be experiencing the same situation. This reduction
in attendance at services raises the question of why this is occurring. Is there
something lacking that modern man is in search of.
Like all organizations the churches are not immune form the political factor
i.e., an individual, or group of individuals, seek control for its own sake. They
run the organization and generally avoid opening up new thoughts because that has
the potential to weaken their hold over their congregation.
Humanity’s consciousness has expanded over the millennia and what was acceptable
during the evolution of the Christian churches is now being challenged as
churches have not kept up with the changing mores of society. Holding to beliefs
that include versions of heaven and hell, an aversion to homosexuality, disregard
of the Law of Cause and Effect (Karma), a general belief in only the male right to
officiate at services, a closed mind to the many changes that churchgoers and
potential churchgoers want to see in religious practices and such doctrines as
creation and not evolution are probably characteristic of the reasons for a lack
of enthusiasm in church attendance.
Science and Religion
In the early days of humanity, the early civilisations, the destiny of the peoples
was held to be dependent on their rulers. As the fortunes relied upon the health
of the ruler, the decisions he made, etc., a priest/astrologer was often the
source of prophecies about the future course of events. These were arrived at by
charting the course of the stars and the planets because it was known that they
had an effect on earthly events. The priest/astrologer can also be regarded as the
scientist of those early civilisations.
In today’s setting we are perhaps seeing a renewal of that relationship between
science and religion. Comparatively recent developments in religious thought have
embraced the idea that behind life’s events there is a spiritual cause. The
doctrine of a personal God is now becoming a theory that all life originated with
the so-called ‘big bang’.
Spirituality
There are two major philosophies that are, in one sense, opposed to each other
but which at the same time indicate that their synthesis may lead us into a new
way of dealing with an inherent search for spiritual meaning. Eastern religions
such as Buddhism and Hinduism have always stated that there is a guiding force
behind the activities in the phenomenal world, and they saw it peopled by entities
which formed part of the unseen energy that is expressed in what we see as a
material reality. In adopting this attitude there was a tendency to emphasis
karma, as events were guided from an inner world there was little one could do to
avoid the effects of causes.
In the West, on the other hand, there were no outstanding spiritual guidelines
and therefore materialism was accepted as the modus operandi. What you wanted in
life had to be fought for and competition dominated the daily life of westerners.
This basis of life was buttressed by Darwin’s theory of evolution which stated, in
effect, that the spoils went to the stronger, the more ambitious, the aggressor.
The advent of Jesus the Christ had some impact on the belief systems but it was
unable to overcome the lure of material possessions which supposedly made one
happy and able to cope with the crises that life imposes on one. During the
twentieth century there was a gradual incursion of eastern spiritual philosophy
which mainly emphasised Buddhism and the practice of yoga. The synthesis of these
two mainstream spiritual philosophies has tended to result in a community that
accepts karma, or the Law of Cause and Effect, and at the same time believes that
an effort is required to achieve a mastery over the underlying energies that
motivate our being. One is encouraged to take karma head on and take personal
responsibility for developing the spiritual part of existence, to enable a more
rapid approach to the goal of a perfect existence.
The advances in physics, which now portray life-forms as expressions of
underlying matrices of energies rather than substantial bodies, has enabled a much
broader appreciation of the information provided by those advanced entities which
experience the fact of those underlying energies. They are able to see the
energies with their advanced vision and also observe the beings which live at much
higher rates of vibration and which are therefore invisible to those without that
ability.
Life, or consciousness, is in a constant ferment of expansion. Whether or not we
ourselves consciously accept that, humanity is inexorably fated to grow, drawn on
by the evolutionary force which is gradually drawing on all that has been evolved
to its originating source, the fragment of the Creative Being which put itself out
in a burst of creative energy.
The Problem of the Church
As stated above the churches are mired in outdated dogma and find it difficult to
now open up to a more open-ended program of spiritual development. Whenever a
progressive movement is started the tendency of the church establishment is to
squelch it lest they be left behind because of the crystallised thought patterns
which have become embedded in their psyches.
The route for the church should now countenance the encouragement of sacrifice
and service to our fellow men rather than loyalty to the church doctrines. There
is an overwhelming despair in the majority of mankind which is being ignored
because of the emphasis on economic wellbeing. The new physics should be taken up
and the fact of the unseen guiding energies explained to the congregation. There
must be an emphasis on group work because it is the diverse abilities of members
of a group which bring to the fore the innate divinity of mankind.
In the past, it was the individual with ability who tended to drive new thoughts
and practices into existence. Now it is the combination of such individuals which
is the requirement.
Church leaders need to forego the belief that God is on their side whenever a
crisis occurs. God is on no ones side as we have to work out our own course of
action. This would begin to have the effect of reducing the righteousness of war
in a battle for the minds of a population. There would be a tendency for more
prudent minds to then infiltrate the consensus of thought within a population.
Chemicals and Effects on Health
There are two aspects to the harmful effects of chemicals on the health of all
life-forms. Firstly the physical/emotional/mental and then the spiritual. The
spiritual effects are put as a follow-on because that is the way that evolution
proceeds, first the physical development, then the emotional and finally the
physical before the spiritual body can begin to be formed and continue the long
trek to the Originating Source.
When you read the following information on chemicals the foregoing should be kept
in mind.
This portrayal of the harm that can be done by the indiscriminate use of chemicals
is provided on this site because of the spiritual implications. The Entity that
created this planet gave its environment, the setting in which life exists, into
Man's hands with the express purpose of man maintaining and enhancing it for the
benefit of all life. This is not happening because the environment is being
despoiled on a continuing basis. I n the spiritual context everything on the
planet has life, it is all part of the web of consciousness in which we live, and
move, and have our being.
Humanity is meant to expand consciousness as a means to moving closer to the
Entity that gave it life but this requires sufficient time to give attention to
making that expansion occur. If an individual is hungry, ill-housed, or unhealthy
the odds of achieving the optimum expansion of consciousness are stacked against
him/her. Ill-health is not necessarily a bar but it is a distraction from the main
effort.
Please read the information provided and if you are satisfied that a case is made
for strong and immediate action by governments to eliminate the threats of
chemicals take appropriate action to enable this to happen.
If you want to receive any of the articles noted on Appendix "Ä" please email me
on the website email address.
The following exchange of correspondence was emailed to every federal politician
in July, 2007. Not one politician replied by stating that this is a serious
problem and that action will be taken to restore environmental health to a safe
standard.
Greetings:
I received this report today and thought it might be a wake-up call, particularly
for those members of parliament who receive this email, to seriously think about
the continual flow of untested chemicals into the environment. Surely there is
enough combined intelligence in today's humanity to realise that now is the time
to stop putting new chemicals into the environment until they have been fully
proven to be benign to all life.
There is also the need to fully evaluate chemicals already in the environment but
this is a difficult task as witness the problems the EU is having with its REACH
proposal. Government has it in its power to prevent harmful chemicals entering the
environment but has it the courage to actually do that. Certainly chemical
companies exert power by virtue of political donations and other arm-twisting
methods but why should they be allowed to decide what we humans and the rest of
the environment have to accept.
This is a tough call and I am optimistic enough to believe that there are
politicians, somewhere, that are aware of the need for action.
Are they in Australia? in one or more of the States? Or are we to increase
spending on IVF treatments to counter the growing infertility. The attached report
is not the only one to point out the problem and the causes. (Health report #398
was attached)
If it is believed that this matter is all hot air I give my address so that you
can tell me so, and why.
Arnold Ward
82 Bonython Avenue
Novar Gardens SA 5040
With my regards
Arnold Ward
Australian Government
________________________________________
Department of Health and Ageing
Office of Chemical Safety
Mr Arnold Ward
82 Bonython Avenue
NOVAR GARDENS SA 5040
Dear Mr Ward
Thank you for your email correspondence of 8 November 2006 to the Minister for
Health and Ageing, The Hon Tony Abbott, MP, concerning the responsibility of
Government in ensuring chemicals are safe to use. The Minister has asked me to
reply on his behalf.
The role of government is to provide a policy and regulatory framework to ensure
the safe and sustainable use of chemicals. In this respect it is important that
the health and environmental risks posed by chemicals are identified and
adequately communicated and effectively managed:"
In Australia, a system of chemical safety assurance is achieved via a national
regulatory framework that covers industrial chemicals, pesticides, medicines and
food. The Office of Chemical Safety is responsible for human health risk
assessment policy and practice within this framework.
For all chemicals new to the Australian market, there are extensive safety data
requirements as well as a rigorous risk assessment process undertaken before they
are approved for use. This process looks at identifying risks to human health
and/or the environment and only allows access to chemicals that can be used and
disposed of safely. Chemicals that are already in use (existing chemicals) are
subject to priority review.
The Office acknowledges that some chemicals already in use can pose concerns due
to insufficient knowledge about their risks to human health and/or the
environment. This has called for a more proactive approach to achieve a higher
standard of risk management. For example, the industrial chemicals regulator has
recently completed a major review of the assessment program for existing
industrial chemicals.
This review focussed on identifying new tools and approaches to identify and
manage those chemicals that pose risk. The review recognised that biomonitoring
and exposure information are integral to identifying risks posed by these
chemicals. Further, the importance of public access to reliable chemical safety
information was highlighted. These findings are supported by the Office of
Chemical Safety and will form a valuable platform for us to continue to ensure
chemicals remain safe for use in Australia.
In addition, Australia is signatory to a number of chemical treaties aimed at
global control of toxic and persistent chemicals. These activities complement our
national programs in eliminating those chemical that pose unacceptable risks.
Yours sincerely
Dr Margaret Hartley Director
Address: PO Box 100 Woden ACT 2606 Website: www.tga.gov.au/chemicals/ocs/
Telephone: 02 6289 3200 Facsimile: 02 6289 3299
8 December 2006
S.A. & M.A. Ward
82 Bonython Avenue
Novar Gardens SA 5040
29th January 2007
The Hon. Tony Abbott MP
Minister for Health and Ageing
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Dear Mr. Abbott:
Chemicals and Human Fertility
Although Dr. Margaret Hartley responded, on your behalf, to my email of 8th
November, 2006, I appreciated receiving her letter dated 8th December. My purpose
in again addressing yourself is that the nature of the reply is not satisfactory
as it fails to take into account a number of factors which are within the
competency of good governance to deal with. As Minister for Health it is your
responsibility to ensure that the health of the Australian people takes precedence
over most other matters since without a healthy population we cannot give of our
best. I therefore submit the following for your consideration and comment.
Silent Spring by Rachel Carson was first published in 1962 and caused great
indignation from the chemical industry such as "If man were to faithfully follow
the teachings of Miss Carson", complained an executive of American Cyanamid, "we
would return to the Dark Ages, and the insects and diseases and vermin would once
again inherit the earth." Monsanto published and distributed 5,000 copies of a
brochure parodying Silent Spring entitled "The Desolate Year" And 45 years later
not much has changed, the chemical industry is still spewing out millions of
tonnes of old and new chemicals and governments still refuse to accept that strong
regulations are needed and that chemical companies must prove safety before
marketing present, and new, chemicals. Referring to the executive quoted above, we
still have the diseases, both more prevalently and in new forms.
From my knowledge of the situation, the only attempt at remedying the situation is
the EU's REACH which has already been watered down because of protestations of the
chemical industry.
The Coalition Government is certainly not ahead of world practice based on its
present policies. One example is the Maximum Residue Limits set by the Australian
Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) for food and animal
feedstuffs. As at December, 2006, there were 283 chemicals listed for use on foods
- those used for animals and cotton have been excluded from that figure. Of the
283 there are 116 (41%) listed on the Pesticide Action Network site classified as
Pan Bad Actor. That signifies one or more of the following for each one: - Known
or probable carcinogen, Reproductive or developmental toxicant, Neurotoxic
cholinesterase inhibitor, Known groundwater contaminant, Pesticide with high
toxicity.
Two of them belong to the dirty dozen which are slated for removal on a world-wide
basis. Aldicarb is one and the other, Parathion Methyl is noted by the APVMA as
being phased out or experiencing further experimental work.
What I suggest is of concern in the letter from Dr. Margaret Hartley are the
reassuring words that if chemicals inimical to health have not been taken off the
market (is there a list?) work is progressing to achieve that. The bureaucracy and
relevant government ministers are surely not that lacking in knowledge that people
and the environment are allowed to be contaminated by harmful chemicals, on a
regular basis. It must be a lack of will and lack of concern about those people
and the environment that allows this situation to continue. There is a similarity
here to the situation as it existed in the tobacco and asbestos industries until
the health concerns finally reached breaking point. In all three cases governments
were, and are, aware of the true situation but prefer to do little, if anything,
to bring matters to a head. There is no excuse, whatsoever, in putting the health
of the chemical industry ahead of ours and the environment in general.
Attached is Appendix "A" which contains a number of items of information on the
results of contamination by chemicals. Arising out of those notes are a number of
pertinent observations which the government should comment upon. Copies of any of
the reports noted can be supplied upon request although it is quite likely that
most, if not all of that information is already available within government
sources.
Contamination of Water
It is reasonable to say that all chemicals put into the environment and that
includes pharmaceutical drugs, personal care products etc., eventually enter into
the earth's water. (1,11)
Chemicals in People's Blood
It is understandable that with the proliferation of man-made chemicals in the
environment and over a very long period of time it is no wonder that our bodies
are becoming polluted by them. Information arising from US studies indicate that
more than 90% of US residents carry a mixture of pesticides in their bodies with
children having higher levels of some pesticides.
The extreme prevalence of these mostly toxic chemicals, and perhaps they all are
as they synergise with each other and are also additive in their effect in the
body, can be verified by reference to the articles in the parentheses.
(2,3,4,7,10,11,12,18,19)
Human Health
Rates of disease in the US have escalated since the mid 1980's ranging from 26% to
1,000%. As the chemical load is increasing it is not surprising that increases in
ill-health have also occurred. Setting maximum residue levels in foods is an
attempt to minimise the intake of chemicals but it can well be stated that
government bodies that set the levels are most likely governed by the needs of
chemical companies to sell their products rather than the need to protect human
health.
There is enough research in the public domain to make it evident that some
chemicals can affect the immune and hormonal systems even if the trace is as small
as mere parts per trillion.
Setting maximum residue levels for individual chemicals is woefully inadequate
because it is possible for two or more chemicals together to considerably increase
their capacity to cause harm to the body. (2,5,6,7,9,13,14,15,17)
Obesity and Overweight
Fat cells perform the function of taking out of body tissues any chemicals which
are not eliminated by the normal body functions. If bodies are subjected to
increasing quantities of chemicals then it is a sine qua non that more fat cells
will have to be created to remove them. Children are especially vulnerable in this
regard because their smaller bodies and not fully developed systems would seem to
indicate the need for a more rapid formation of fat cells. (8)
Hormone Disruption
Our bodies rely on hormones being in a healthy state and in a relative balance
with each other. Unfortunately there is a class of chemicals known as hormone
disruptors which can mimic natural hormones such oestrogen and testosterone. These
then interact with the endocrine system, the resulting toxic effects having the
potential to lead to reproductive and developmental abnormalities and cancer. (13,
14, 15, 17)
Chemical-free Foods
As would be expected, because organic foods are not contaminated with chemicals,
which are allowed on most other foods, particularly those that are fresh, children
who eat them have fewer chemicals in their bodies. (16)
If you are still unconvinced about the chemical problem I suggest you read the
following, at least: -
• Silent Spring - Rachel Carson
• Our Stolen Future - Theo Colborn et al
• The Feminisation of Nature - Deborah Cadbury
• Quick Poison, Slow Poison - Kate Short
Closing Comments
In my opinion it is incumbent upon you to: -
1. State whether the information in this letter, plus the Appendix, is
reasonably correct.
2. If the tenor of what is written is not factual then the errors should be
identified.
3. Provide information that will indicate what steps you intend to take to
remove those products that are at the root of the problem.
Trusting that you will provide a complete response concerning this very important
factor in our lives.
Yours sincerely
S. A. Ward
Phone/Fax: (08) 8376 4445
Arnold1@chariot.net.au
Appendix A
A Selection of Various items of Information on Chemicals in General
1. Stuart Khan - looked at drugs prescribed in Australia in high enough
concentrations - included antibiotic compounds, blood lipid regulators and non-
steroidal anti-inflammatory compounds plus common analgesics. Western Sydney
sewage treatment plant - checked what went in: primary treatment revealed
significant concentrations in output - up to secondary treatment found variable
removal. [Health #317]
2. Mount Sinai School of Medicine - evaluated nine adult subjects not working
with chemicals - found 167 industrial compounds (average of 91 compounds) in the
blood and urine. Included were breakdown products from organochlorins and
organophosphate pesticides, PCB's , dioxins, furans and pthalates. These chemicals
are associated with cancer, brain damage, hormonal disruption, birth defects,
developmental abnormalities. Rates of disease in the US with potential links to
chemical exposures have increased since mid 1980's - asthma(under 5's) 160%;
autism 1,000% (1985-2002); hypospadias 100% (1968-1993); cancer in children 26%
(1975-1999); testicular cancer in young men 85% (1973-1999). The American Cancer
Society states only 5-10% of all cancer can be attributed to inherited factors.
Survey notes that low-level exposures can be more harmful than high-level. [Health
#348]
In 2005 Centers for Disease Control (US) found that more than 90% of US residents
carry a mixture of pesticides in their bodies. Children had higher levels of some
pesticides. Environmental Working Group tested foetal cord blood of 10 healthy
infants born in various locations around the US. It revealed exposures to a total
of 287 chemicals. [Health #357]
3. The Wall Street Journal, in a 4-part series in 2005 stated 1,800 brand-new
chemicals released through commercial channels each year with no regulation.
Series pointed out that some chemicals with traces as minutes as mere parts per
trillion have biological effects. [Health #365]
4. Evidence that low levels of chemicals can cause greater effects than high
levels at certain stages in life. [General #273]
5. A chemical mixture can be dramatically more harmful than an active
ingredient. [General #273]
6. Synergy profoundly challenges traditional risk analysis calculation.
[General #273]
7. Excess chemical build-up beyond what the body's detoxification pathways can
cope with is diluted by creating fat cells to store them in. This could be one
explanation of increasing obesity. [Ecologist Dec 2006 p40]
8. The National research Council of the National Academy of Sciences issued a
report in August 2004 which contained this - "….studies of wildlife, laboratory
animals, and humans, that many industrial chemicals, at levels already present in
the environment, are currently interfering with hormones, causing problems in
reproduction and development, the nervous system, and the immune system. Harm is
happening now." [Health #094]
9. Express Newspapers 1999 contained this in a news report. "Express writer
Lucy Johnston was shocked to discover that a single cell of her body fat contains
hundreds of toxins….." Lucy's tests were only for pesticides. [Health # 107]
10. New Scientist 3/4/99 reported that most of the rainwater contains such high
levels of pesticides that it is legally unfit to drink - the chemicals appear to
have evaporated from fields. [Health #160]
11. A study released by the US Centers for Disease Control reviewed 27 chemicals
found in a general sample of 5,000 men, women and children. [Health #162]
12. Environmental Health Perspectives (Vol 109. No 9, pg A420) contained this -
"Endocrine-disrupting chemicals are among the most complex environmental health
threats known today. By mimicking natural hormones such as oestrogen and
testosterone, these chemicals can interact with body's endocrine system and exert
toxic effects that may lead to reproductive and developmental abnormalities or
cancer." [Health #238]
13. Cavieres et al. report in Environmental Health Perspectives (111:1081-5)
that a commonly-used commercial mixture of 2,4-D reduces the litter size of mice
exposed to low, environmentally-relevant doses. They found the largest reduction
in litter size at the lowest dosage level used, which corresponded to the EPA's
"reference dose", the concentration calculated on the basis of experiments to be
sufficiently low to avoid adverse health effects. This was one-seventh of the
"maximum contaminant level" allowed in drinking water by EPA Standards. NOTE: 2,4-
D is an APVMA allowable chemical. [Health #239]
14. Extract from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (US) 99:pgs
5476-5480 - "A vivid recent example is the discovery that a widely used herbicide,
atrazine (permitted by APVMA), causes tadpoles to develop into hermaphroditic
adults at a level of exposure approximately 30,000 times lower than traditional
toxicological work had identified as toxic to frogs. [health #250]
15. "….new evidence shows that children who eat more organic food have fewer
chemicals in their bodies PANUPS, January 31, 2003) [Health #254]
16. While paediatric endocrinologists have implicated pharmaceutical or personal
care products for causing pubertal problems in children, some environmental
scientists also claim that some widespread industrial and pharmaceutical
pollutants harm the normal sexual development of fish and animals. By extension,
they may also contribute to earlier or disrupted puberty in children, these
scientists contend. Robert Kavlock, a senior reproductive toxicologist at the
Environmental Protection Agency (US), said these concerns "caused a shift in worry
from cancer to non-cancer" effects of environmental pollution over the past
decade. [Health#399]
17. World Wildlife Fund (UK) National Biomonitoring Survey 2003 took blood
samples from 155 volunteers in 13 locations. Tested for 78 chemicals - 12
organochlorines, 45 PCB congeners, and 21 PBDE flame retardants.
Extract from findings: -
o Every person tested is contaminated by a cocktail of known highly toxic
chemicals which were banned from use in the UK during the 1970's and which
continue to pose unknown health risks.
o One conclusion was that UK and EU legislators and chemical regulators have
not learned the lesson from past experiences of the adverse effects of persistent
and bioaccumulative chemicals on people and wildlife. Current legislation is not
adequate, since the use of such chemicals is still allowed. [Index #147]
18. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its Second National
report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals in January, 2003. The report
reflects the results of testing 9,282 people for the presence in their bodies of
116 chemicals, including pesticides. A 60 page report analysed these findings. It
is noted that "Risk Assessment Doesn't tell the Whole Story". [Index #152]
S.A. & M.A. Ward
82 Bonython Avenue
Novar Gardens SA 5040
12 March 2007
Department of Health and Ageing
Office of Chemical Safety
GPO Box 9848
Canberra ACT 2601
Attn: Dr. Margaret Hartley
Dear Dr. Hartley:
Chemicals and Human Fertility
Thank you for your reply of 27th February which enclosed a copy of the Final
Report December 2006 titled "Promoting Safer Chemical Use"
With regards to that report I would appreciate answers to the following:
1. What is the status of that report now?
2. Has, or is it, to be referred to another body for consideration and possible
action? If so, which body?
3. If the recommendations are to be dealt with at some stage will the public be
involved in the decision making?
4. Is there a timetable which will indicate what will happen and when?
5. Is there any ongoing testing of chemicals both individually, in mixtures,
and in the product marketed? Glyphosate, for example, acts much differently in its
status as a chemical and when it is included in a proprietary brand such as
Roundup.
Your assistance in this regard will be much appreciated.
Yours sincerely
S. A. Ward
Australian Government
________________________________________
Department of Health and Ageing
Office of Chemical Safety
S.A. Ward
82 Bonython Avenue
NOVAR GARDENS SA 5040
Dear Mr Ward,
Thank you for your correspondence received on 16 March 2007 regarding Chemicals
and Human Fertility. In response to your queries regarding the NICNAS Existing
Chemicals Program Review report, I advise as follows.
Status of Report
The report by the Review Steering Committee was accepted in full by the Acting
Director NICNAS and in-principle policy approval of all 23 recommendations was
received from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Health. I am advised
that NICNAS will now develop an implementation plan and strategy to assist in the
process of putting the review findings into practice. The report has not been
referred to another body. However as some of the recommendations were referred for
action by the proposed COAG Ministerial Task Force on Chemicals and Plastics, the
report will be sent to them when a decision is announced about the commencement on
the Task Force meetings, noting that although the Task Force was in announced
early 2006, they are yet to sit. Key stakeholders, including the community, will
be involved in finalisation of the Implementation Strategy currently being drafted
by NICNAS. The Implementation Strategy will include a timetable for implementation
of the recommendations. The strategy will also indicate how the recommendations
are to be implemented, eg impact on stakeholders, consultation etc.
Testing of chemicals
Whilst NICNAS does not test chemicals per se it does assess the health and safety
information about a chemical in a desktop evaluation. Under Australian Chemicals
regulation, all new chemicals and pesticides must have safety evaluations before
they are introduced into Australia. Further, the regulatory system maintains an
ongoing safety evaluation process through the formal review (or re-evaluation) of
chemicals and pesticides already on the market. This process can be triggered
through community concerns, the publication of new safety research and other
information that may give cause for concern.
Should you have any further enquiries about the NICNAS Review, the contact at
NICNAS is Bob Graf who can be contacted on 02 8577 8850 or 1800 638 528.
Yours sincerely
Dr Margaret Hartley Director
Office of Chemical Safety
3 April 2007
Cc: Mr Bob Graf; Team Leader Reform, NICNAS
________________________________________
Address: GPO Box 9848 Canberra ACT 2601 Website: www.tga.gov.aulchemicals/ocs/
Free call: 1800 170 723 Telephone: 02 6289 3200 Facsimile: 02 6289 3299
Connected Consciousness
The Big Bang. Was it a Bang? Or was it a flow of primal energy. Using your power
to visualise, see a point which contains a dream, a very complex dream, of a
Creator Who sends out the content of that dream into space and time. We dream and
it is said that our dreams take place in an instant, even though they may cover a
very wide span of experiences that could encompass years of time. What follows is
an attempt to explain consciousness and what it means to us in our present stage
of evolution.
What is Consciousness
Dictionary meanings of consciousness also include awareness, the two meanings
being virtually interchangeable. It is the state of being conscious, awareness of
one's own existence, sensations, thoughts and feelings. A secondary meaning is the
thoughts and feelings collectively, of an individual or of an aggregate of people.
There are many levels of consciousness ranging from an electron to the most highly
developed human being. Extrapolating from this it can be stated that there are no
limits to what consciousness can develop into.
In The Consciousness of the Atom (p99) Alice Bailey said, in a talk, "To-night we
will only touch upon three types of consciousness, which we might enumerate as
follows: Absolute consciousness, universal consciousness, and individual
consciousness, and of these three it is only possible, really, to define two in
any way with clarity.
Absolute consciousness, to the ordinary thinker, is practically impossible of
recognition. It has been defined in one book as, "That consciousness in which
everything is, the possible as well as the actual," and concerns everything that
can be possibly conceived of as having occurred, or occurring, or going to occur.
This is, possibly, absolute consciousness, and from the standpoint of the human
being is the consciousness of God, Who contains within Himself the past, the
present, and the future. What, then, is universal consciousness? It might be
defined as consciousness, thinking time and space, consciousness with the idea of
location and succession involved within it, or, in reality, group consciousness,
the group itself forming either a greater or a lesser unit. Finally, individual
consciousness may be defined as just as much of the universal consciousness as a
separated unit can contact and can conceive of for itself."
To say that an electron possesses consciousness may seem to be an overstatement of
what consciousness is but electrons possess at least awareness, and when one
particle of a pair changes its 'spin' the other immediately reverses its 'spin'.
There is a connectedness between them. Recent thought though has moved from
"particles" to this interpretation which is quoted from Science as Oneness by
David Wilcock - "Indeed, this new "physics of the 21st century" tells us that the
very building blocks of mass, the atoms and molecules themselves, are not
particles at all. Instead, they are ultimately nothing more than spherical
whirlpools of energy in this flowing river of aether. And the aether itself
provides the most tangible, scientific way to define, explain and even engineer
the Mind of God."
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The Entire Creation - One Consciousness
Visualise, if you will, that first instance of the beginning of a universe. The
Big Bang of the astronomer is the release of a wave of consciousness which is, in
its essence, a stream of particles of energy (see the new definition above), the
quantum world of the present-day physicists. Research continually attempts to
define consciousness and find its place in the human body, but it fails to find
where it is located. When that first emanation of consciousness began it contained
within itself many layers from the extremely high vibration of the purest form
down through the layers to the lowest vibration. In esoteric terms there are seven
major layers, or planes, of vibration, each of the higher being responsible for
the formation of the plane below it. Each of the Seven Planes has seven sub-
planes. The Beings in the first plane are the Seven Spirits before The Throne, the
Seven Rays, etc.
The Creative Force itself is a fragment of the Prime Originating Cause. It was
noted above that we dream but our dreams are not a part of us, our dreams are
something that we create in our sleeping consciousness and they then cease to
exist whereas we remain, with the dreams becoming merely a memory.
Consciousness is energy and it is neutral in the sense that it is neither good nor
bad. The closer the consciousness to the source the purer it is. As it descends
through the planes it begins to take on the ability to determine its own course of
progression; choice begins to be a part of the consciousness which exists in the
forms that are created by the higher energies (consciousness) above.
As above, so below, is often quoted to state that there are similarities between
the macrocosmic and the microcosmic worlds. Consciousness pervades the entire
cosmos and is the medium which connects all life, at all levels. This awareness,
that is a quality of life, is of ascending comprehension from the lowest form of a
quantum particle (or spherical whirlpool of energy) to the originating Creative
Source. Each ascending plane, with its particular forms of life, includes the
forms below as part of its being; our physical bodies for example include
trillions of cells, bacteria etc., with their lower level of awareness
(consciousness). Out of that it can be said that all Life is one, we are all part
of larger more complex life-forms and it is evident that there is a requirement
that we all work as one or suffer the consequences if the body in which we live
has to take steps to preserve its own integrity. A rough analogy is what happens
in our own bodies if the various organs do not work together to maintain a healthy
state of being.
The idea might now be extended somewhat, and we might consider that great Entity
Who is the informing life of the planet, and Who holds all the different kingdoms
of nature within His consciousness. May it not be possible that His intelligence,
as it informs the totality of all groups and kingdoms, is the goal for man, the
human atom? Perhaps as time progresses the scope of His present realisation may
also be ours, and for His, as for all those great Lives Who inform the planets of
the solar system, there may be the attainment of that tremendous reach of
consciousness which characterises that great Existence Who is the ensouling Life
of the solar system. May it not be true that among the different grades of
consciousness, extending, for instance, from the atom of the chemist and
physicist, up to the Logos of the solar system, there are no gaps, and no abrupt
transitions, but there is ever a gradual expansion and a gradual evolution from
one form of intelligent manifestation to another, and always the life within the
form gains in quality by means of the experience.
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Creativity
We cannot, in any way, probe into that originating consciousness, it is too deep,
too complex in much the same way that a primitive man would be unable to
comprehend modern man and his accomplishments.
There is much discussion, today, of the role of intelligent design and evolution.
In the United States this question is being settled by obtaining a legal outcome,
the result of the arguments put up by the pros and the cons. The question remains,
however, of how human contestants in a court of law can really arrive at the
meaning of creation. It is a case of one side being deemed to be the more
reasonable without any real appreciation of what life is.
A more likely situation is that both intelligent design and evolution exist
concurrently. Darwin was quite correct in stating that life-forms evolve but the
situation goes beyond that. Using rational thinking and taking into account that
the recent investigation of marine life has come up with the statement that one
million different species is a reasonable estimate and we are also informed that
on the surface the different species of plants, animals, birds, insects, reptiles
etc., runs into the millions, can it be assumed that this fantastic variety of
life originated from the 'primeval soup'. Logic would indicate that the creation
of existing life-forms, plus the many that have become extinct in past ages,
including many that are symbiotic and can only exist together to maintain their
lives, is a virtual impossibility without the intervention of a creator. After the
co-discoverer of human DNA, Francis Crick, refined his thoughts he calculated the
molecule is infinitely more complex than could ever have occurred via random
evolution in the necessary allotted time.
The Bible contains references to Angels, the Eastern religious books refer to
Devas, Islam has its Genies or Jinns, and indigenous peoples have their spirits in
plants and animals. These entities came into being to create the myriads of life-
forms and maintain them subject to evolution as the surrounding conditions
require.
These higher forms of consciousness are free of the conflicts which mankind is
subject to. They apply their energies neutrally leaving it up to the life-forms to
accept them in either a positive or negative way. If you happen to have read any
works by Rupert Sheldrake you will be aware that his hypothesis is that of an
electrical field (morphogenetic field) which contains a particular species. The
field has been created by one of those angels, devas, etc., and contains the forms
created by the force field (aura?) of the Being responsible. As evolution proceeds
the force field undergoes subtle changes in order to pass on to succeeding
generations the revised form of the life's energy field. A morphogenetic field can
also explain why wildlife can follow the life pattern of the species without any
formal training by the parents. Human beings also show a tendency to this
inherited field as new techniques and knowledge are rapidly taken up by the new
lives that are born into it. One very relevant example, to my mind, is the
difficulty that older people have with electronic equipment, especially computers
and the more involved technical requirements of TV's, DVD's etc. The children seem
to have acquired the facility to cope with them almost as if they had been pre-
wired. And perhaps that reference to pre-wired may not be far from the truth as
the morphogenetic field is electricity, or consciousness.
The Creative Force sent out its consciousness so that its need to know itself
would be a result of the evolutionary energies acting within the total force field
that It created. There is a Plan, there is an end result that will eventuate, but
the means of getting there is not known because the created energy forms have free
will. According to the Bible man was given dominion over the natural world because
man himself is a creator. We think, we plan, we produce. There is a need for
guidance, however, to ensure that the main route back to the Creative Source is
not too far from the course that will bring perfection. Those intuitions, dreams,
visions etc., are therefore a result of a flow of higher consciousness to the
lower and to ensure that the progressive change occurs more than one person will
pick up that transmission. That is one reason why some new development can
spontaneously arise in more than one country. Many, if not all, of the individuals
who have made great contributions to our understanding of the universe and its
constituent parts and the Laws which are discovered that have relevance to the
continuity of expression and process have stated that they were given the answers
in a dream, or a vision, an instant recognition of what they were looking for, an
intuition, and other like means by which answers are conveyed.
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Growth in Consciousness
An individual consciousness is said to be part of the universal mind, all of us
take part in it and we are all open to communicate with one another provided that
our development has created that ability. Telepathy is a good example of this, as
many experimenters have found. If we are all truly in an integrated consciousness
it would be a matter of common-sense to say that we therefore have a potential to
transfer thoughts through that consciousness to one another and also to other
species. The degree to which that ability can be expressed depends on the
particular stage of development that we have attained.
Analogies can be a useful way in which to illustrate a theme and in the present
case the energy strengths, or vibrations, of signals sent out by radio
transmitters can be likened to those sent out by the minds acting on brains. All
the radio receivers set to that particular wavelength will receive the signal. A
faint signal can be amplified by a receiver to allow the desired volume level. In
a similar vein more distant stations can be contacted if the power of the receiver
is increased so that a truly powerful one can draw in a multitude of transmitting
stations.
Taking humanity as a whole it can be reliably stated that consciousness, or the
ability to access increasingly complex thoughts, has been increasing steadily
throughout the ages. Throughout history many individuals have attained great
heights of consciousness and in our present days it is becoming more common and
acting in groups, such as the so-called 'think tanks', the power to access
information from the universal mind is amplified.
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The Seven Planes
Humanity and the three lower kingdoms are based on the seven sub-planes of the
Cosmic Physical Plane, the lowest of the seven planes, leaving six higher planes
with their seven sub-planes yet to be accessed. These seven sub-planes are the
levels of aether in which our Solar System was created, and exists.
Is anything known about the higher six planes, each with its seven sub-plane
divisions? The Tibetan's books appear to contain no reference to the six planes
above the cosmic physical plane and this may be because there is no knowledge of
what exists at higher levels of consciousness than that.
Recent speculation by George Smoot (Nobel Prize in Physics) and Saul Perlmutter
(cosmologist) who have recently announced a discovery that 'dark matter' is 96 per
cent of the universe may throw some light on these unknown planes. They have
decided that only 4 per cent of the matter provides what we presently know as the
matter that comprises the universe that we are aware of. The rest of the matter
lies outside the entire electromagnetic spectrum. It doesn't interact with
electricity or magnetism and can rarely interact with protons and neutrons. The
term 'dark matter' is just a way of saying we don't know what it is.
One can speculate that the higher six planes are contained within the 96 per cent
of the unknown aethers and probably, as consciousness evolves to higher levels,
the next higher plane will be accessible and will then reach another sector of
'dark matter' which cannot be accessed until a further expansion of consciousness.
And that leaves you, the reader, to ponder on the nature of consciousness as it
relates to you. Is it possible that you can achieve a higher degree of
consciousness? Do you want to? From the Wisdom of the Ages the conclusion is that
meditation is the way to contact that higher part of your being, the soul, and
move on to a level of consciousness that will enable contact with that greater
life in which you have your being. If that target appears to be unreachable at
this stage in your life it can be reached through persistence and the knowledge
that whatever is achieved now will form the basis for continued work in the next
life, and the next, and the…
Gillian's Contribution
I received a request to add this statement to my website. It has a connection with
spirituality, which relates to the energies of the One Creator, and calls for a
distinct change in direction, which will be anathema to the wealthy and to the
power brokers of the world.
A TIME OF CHOICE FOR THE WORLD
By Gillian Blair (Panmure, Victoria)
Last night John Howard told us he stands for Choice in the 2007 Australian
Election
Yes, we do need choice. We need to choose Life, Peace and Harmony for the Planet.
Whether people believe in a Creator or not, we must recognise the genius and
complexity of life and its vulnerability to extinction because of our over-
consumption and pollution.
It is vital that our present world society, which is based on an economic system
that disadvantages most citizens of the world, now changes its choice of
leadership type, and widens its political objectives to ensure a sustainable and
humane society.
Human and Planetary survival now require us to create a world where all have clean
water and adequate nutrition, and where consumerism and corporate power over
governments are viewed for what they really are: Corporate Welfare and Unfair
Privilege.
Greed and consumerism will lead to War and Planetary Destruction.
We must choose Leaders with Clear Vision, Wisdom, and Ethics.
However, voting is not enough.
We must opt for personal lives of creative simplicity and active public support
for a better deal for the Planet. For example:
Will we continue to generate unnecessary Greenhouse gas with imported foods and
drinks, overseas holidays, and consumer goods?
Or will we invest in a cause to help the Planet?
Will we eat food grown close to home, and convert our energy-guzzling lawns to
vegetables and fruit trees?
Will we prepare for a world without oil, and save our agricultural land for
growing food and not woodchips?
Will we reduce the production and consumption of magazines about the rich and
famous?
Or will we continue to waste our wood resources on printed mental garbage and
disposable nappies?
Will we refuse to buy soft drinks in energy-intensive and polluting aluminium or
plastic containers, and choose pure tap water instead?
Will we opt for plastic surgery to eliminate the signs of aging?
Or will we give our spare money to those surgeons who recreate faces and bodies
for people damaged by war and chemical pollution?
Will we choose smaller, energy-efficient houses and less consumer goods?
Will we allow corporations to take ownership of the world's seeds and water
supplies and to permanently damage the gene pools of the world?
Or will we refuse to buy genetically damaged foods and let our government know
why?
Will we demand subsidies for solar installations for every roof in Australia? In
the world? (A cheaper and safer option than nuclear power.)
Or will we allow government to choose nuclear on our behalf, and close our eyes to
the deadly legacy for thousands of generations to come, as the biosphere slowly
becomes more radioactive and as weapons of war proliferate?
We have a choice between a battle for resources and a nuclear weapons race, or a
co-operative world society based on good for all.
The first choice leads to Planetary suicide, the second choice leads to survival.
What will we choose?
The way to salvation for the Human Race is a confronting one for the comfortable
Nations, but full of Life into Infinity.
Leaders such as Jesus and Buddha came to disturb the Comfortable and comfort the
Disturbed.
TIME
I am That I am are the keywords for Leo and with a bit of license that can be
expanded to I AM THAT THAT AM I to signify the Creator itself – something that is
Whole and also the products of Its Creation.
Time is consciousness can similarly be expanded to Time is Consciousness
Consciousness is Time.
What is Time
Time is something that we are born in to and unless we are one of the exceptions
we know it as a progression of events that occur throughout our lives. For most of
us the past is history and the future unknown as we plod through the days of our
lives.
In “Connectedness” I stated on page 274, “The subject of time is one that I always
have difficulty with. Most of us are brought up to live ‘by the clock’; ‘time is
money’; ‘don’t waste time’; and similar statements run through our everyday
language and our lives”. As a result of this it becomes difficult to visualize
time as actually something different from the 24 hours per day that we are
allotted in which to live our lives.
Time does appear, however, to be flexible, even in its relentless onwards march
through events and conclusions. In “Higher Psychical Development” Hereward
Carrington relates the story of the time he was with friends at a restaurant.
After taking a mind-altering drug he said he couldn’t finish the sandwich in front
of him because it would take years and years. Getting up to walk to a railway
station he had a sense that hours elapsed between every footstep.
The main definition of time in the Random House Dictionary states that it is “the
system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past,
present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which
events succeed one another.” This reinforces the belief of a continual sequence of
events.
Experience of Time
Stanza I of the Book of Dzyan records that “TIME WAS NOT, FOR IT LAY ASLEEP IN THE
INFINITE BOSOM OF CREATION”. If there is no consciousness there is not time. It is
our consciousness that releases time as we travel through our successive states of
Being and that was succinctly put by David Bohm when he stated that what we
experience is the implicate order which is externalized from the underlying ONE
into the explicate order in which we have our experience. From this we can infer
that all events that occur in time are already present in embryo form.
In The Light of the Soul (A. A. Bailey) it is stated that “time itself is simply a
succession of states of consciousness and this is true of an atom, a man, or a
God”. In this regard it can be stated that the past, the present, and the future
are all there in that underlying thought which is the Eternal Creator.
Two further extracts serve to emphasise that time for the average man is not what
it seems.
In The Secret Doctrine Vol I (1971) on page 116 it states “In the words of a
Master – I feel irritated at having to use these three clumsy words – Past,
Present and Future, miserable concepts of the objective phases of the subjective
whole, they are about as ill-adapted for the purpose as an axe for fine carving.”
A similar thought is expressed on page 5 of Initiation, Human and Solar where one
reads – “….from the standpoint of a Master. To Him it may be but part of a greater
fact, only a fraction of the whole. Since His vision is fourth and fifth
dimensional, His realisation of the place of time in eternity must be more
accurate than ours. He sees things from above downwards, and as one to whom time
is not.”
Bearing in mind the foregoing and the flexibility of time the report in New
Scientist (9 July 1999) page 11 that a physicist at Clarkson University, Potsdam
N.Y. has some support for stating that there could be regions, even in our own
galaxy, where time can flow backwards and forwards as physics equations state that
particles of matter don’t care what direction time runs in.
This opens up the thought that past relationships can be modified, even with
individuals who died before reconciliation could take place. The universe is a
whole and this implies that we are all part of that whole, at all times and any
contact we make with another party, in every sense of the word, binds us tightly
or loosely to it. There are programs available that will allow past negative
contacts to be resolved and thus release all entities from past associations that
are hampering the ability to move on and live a productive life, in the sense that
the consciousness is relieved of memories that hold it back. It has already been
noted that clock time does not really exist and therefore this therapy is entirely
logical.
Prophecy
The foregoing carries an implication that if all events are present at the same
moment in the created universe there is the potential for future events to be
picked up by those individuals whose consciousness can penetrate beyond the here
and now.
Albert Einstein must have been thinking of this when he wrote to a friend in these
words – “The past, present and future are only illusions, even if stubborn ones”.
His special theory of relativity does not have any particular significance for the
present moment because two events that occur at the same moment if observed from
one reference frame may occur at different moments if viewed from another. Perhaps
a good example of this is an astronomer looking at a galaxy that collapsed perhaps
billions of years ago but to him it is happening at that particular moment in
time.
One can conclude, therefore, that if the previous statements portray a relatively
true picture of time and existence that it is possible for an individual who has
the ability to transcend time and view it as a whole, to see causes and events as
one happening with no intervening spaces.
Accessing Time
David Bohm developed the idea that all consciousness (life) exists in a series of
holograms, which are static representations, and he then said that life is a
holomovement. The created universe(s) is one holomovement which contains
holomovements of holograms at lower levels of vibration each part of each one
containing the pattern of the whole, albeit at a much fuzzier state.
Using an analogy, the Creative being had a Plan held in Its consciousness in much
the same way that an architect holds a plan in his consciousness, which is then
put onto a surface on which the rooms, dimensions, landscaping etc., are placed.
That plan implies that the necessary work can be carried out to bring the subject
into objectivity and that is called the implicate order. During the implementation
of the plan is the explicate order, the carrying out of what was planned. The
plan, the implicate order, can be accessed by the architect at any time as he has
the plan in his files together with all the amendments made and the resulting
constructed building. A customer can go to the architect at any time and work
backwards from the actual building to the original plan by discussing the plan
with the architect because he has the required qualities, in this case he paid for
the right. Other individuals with a range of qualities can also enter in but only
to certain stages depending on the quality they exhibit. For example, a bricklayer
may only be entitled to the layout of the bricks he has to lay.
Energy, the bedrock of all created existence exists at varying levels of strength,
the coarser the energy vibration the fuzzier the view of the whole. Progress to a
higher degree of consciousness therefore reduces the fuzziness and opens up the
potential for a greater insight into the implicate order. The Tibetan, through
Alice Bailey, has said that the Plan will proceed, even if humanity does not
fulfil its part in the evolutionary process. In other words we will be dragged
into the next phase of the Plan whether we like it or not. My thought on this is
that rather than us working to perfect ourselves we are being drawn back to the
Source of the Creation which intends to realise Its Plan regardless of any
holdbacks, and in order to assist in that drawing back we assist by working on
the purification of our bodies. The Hierarchy and mystics/occultists who are able
to access the implicate order provide us with the means whereby we can add our
contribution to the fulfilment of the Plan.
Humanity has the free will to work on the Plan in a positive or a negative sense
and by working positively we can assist in its development thus bringing the day
of synthesis of all levels of consciousness to its ultimate conclusion.