Living Time: Recent Episodes
Solid Rock Vista
A scientific examination of the data the five senses send to our brains for translation and interpretation. When we step back from our ordinary state of consciousness and look more objectively it becomes clear the five senses are not worthy of the trust we put in them. This is a transforming idea.
We continue to explore the devolution of thought since being based on the reality the senses give us, relegating man to the place of a visible, measurable piece of matter in a universe that can only be known through the senses.
As we labor with ideas that don’t fit in our limited view of the world Dr. Nicoll gives us examples to help us get some foundational ideas from which to extrapolate.
Dr. Nicoll notes some interesting experiments in altered states of consciousness where Time, as we ordinarily perceive it, is changed. The result is higher states of consciousness and a different reality from what is ordinary to us.
Dr. Nicoll cites different examples of higher states of consciousness available to man that transcend time. Our ordinary states of consciousness block our access to these higher states.
You might think after all Dr. Nicoll has had to say about materialism there wouldn’t be much left unsaid. Not so. He continues to elucidate the trap in which we will find ourselves if we continue to work at it.
Dr. Nicoll traces higher ideas regarding time from ancient texts to recent authors showing a common thread running through all of them. He also gives some excellent examples to help us grasp, what for us, are difficult concepts.
Because we are Time blind we must have parables, analogies and allegories to help us grasp the ideas that can help us understand the fourth dimension, Time. Only in this way can we begin to develop a new level of being.
Dr. Nicoll continues to hammer the idea of Time as a dimension above the third, in which we live. A dimension, if we are able to conceive it, that has the ability to liberate us from the spiritual restrictions of the third dimension we call home.
Dr. Nicoll brings the full force of ancient teachings to bear on our erroneous, limited conception of Time. The result is an exercise designed to blast the wrong concept to pieces so we can move into a higher state of awareness concerning the reality of Time outside the third dimension.
The fact that our ordinary consciousness is so limited by pride, vanity, self-love and imagination makes Living Time tedious. Through spaced repetition and analogies Dr. Nicoll drags it up bit by bit. Let’s cooperate with higher ideas.
After dismissing an outer, scientific method of transformation as impossible, Dr. Nicoll begins to sketch out a scientific system found internally. He touches on esoteric Christianity as a viable alternative.
Dr. Nicoll continues to painstakingly build on the foundation of ancient wisdom to bring us closer to an understanding of the universe and our place in it. His aim is not difficult to guess. He wants individuals to awaken to and manifest their innate potential.
Dr. Nicoll continues to explore the older teachings about man, the universe and our ability to change our feeling of I. We delve into the tenth century teachings of Erigena to find the golden thread of truth connecting all esoteric teachings.
Dr. Nicoll overlays teachings and experiences from Pythagoras to Tennyson to show us the consistency of the teaching of man’s potential and primary errand while trapped on the time line.
We begin to bring together the many different ideas about Time and our imprisonment in it as well as the ideas about Eternity as a way out of our current condition.
Continuing with the examples of states of consciousness induced through anesthetics a pictures is drawn of a universe within man.
Dr. Nicoll digs deeper into our ingrained materialism and shows how it limits our development as long as we cling to it unaware.
To develop properly we must understand the two worlds in which we live and how they are related to one another. With this in mind we can make an aim that will help us to reach our ultimate goal more efficiently.
Dr. Nicoll brings in others to help bend our minds to a higher reality concerning our Time psychology and its limitations. It can be tough going so hang in there.
The best way to know what the outcome of what we’re doing will be is to understand why we’re doing it and follow it to its natural end. If naturalism is leading us true can be known by understanding upon what is rests.
We look at how we take our consciousness for granted as we take the way we see the world for granted. This prevents us from realizing inner growth and development.
The idea of consciousness as light is explored as not simply a matter of quantity but also of quality.
More exploration of the idea that the most real part of us, the most real part of our life, is invisible. Not only are we invisible, but everyone else is invisible to us. Our sense formed mind will not readily accept this idea. The idea has the power to help us transform.
Dr. Nicoll's chapter about recurrence. Everything in life repeats in the circle of becoming.
We begin to explore the idea of Time as an invisible dimension connected to the three dimensions which we can perceive through sense. Though the idea is simple it opens the way for greater meaning of our relation to higher states of consciousness.
We explore some images to help us grasp the, invisible to us, fourth dimension of time. Giving our attention to the ideas may help us begin to see our world in a new way.
Dr. Nicoll discusses the impermeability of the Life in Time. It’s taken us a while to get to this point because of the need to deconstruct our illusions and limitations about Time as we perceive it.
Dr. Nicoll continues to address our limited conceptions concerning time while building the groundwork for us to be able to extract new, higher meaning from the idea of Time.
Esoteric literature is full of illustrations of how the phenomenal world is a shadow of a higher world of which we are not presently aware. Our task is to become more aware of the world behind our perceived world.
Changing, or raising our level of being is a Herculean task complicated by our current condition of sleep and imagination. Gaining new meaning concerning Time is a crucial step in raising our level of being.
Dr. Nicoll continues to hammer at our materialism in an attempt to break up some or our sense based notions that block our path to inner evolution. If we can crack the granite like blocks some light could enter our inner darkness and begin the process of setting us free.
Dr. Nicoll shows the similarity of Plato’s and Augustine’s philosophy arising from their experience of states of consciousness higher than our ordinary states. These states of direct experience through internal senses, apart from our five senses, are the object of esoteric teachings.
Some very powerful ideas are discussed from unusual perspectives that give us an opportunity to reap fresh meaning from ancient esoteric ideas with which most students are familiar. There’s a difference between knowing about an idea and direct cognition.