random Philip K. Dick-ism of the day... PRAYER?
This random Philip K. Dick-ism is of slight pertinence to me today after my visit to the ashram on Saturday night and I reconsider whether I want to re-enter the life of practicing siddha yoga. This is a very deep subject and this topic introduction will not even scrape the surface but here goes! Actually, the way the randomness of this works is that it makes me think of something, get it? What I am picking up from the online forums I am reading about PKD and his works is that he believed strongly in synchronicity. I’ll elaborate about how this ties together for me…
From “A MAZE OF DEATH”, a novel written by PKD in 1970, page 51.
“”We’re totally isolated,” Beslnor said. “And it was done in a matter of minutes.”
“What we must do,” Maggie Walsh said, “is to prepare a joint prayer. We can probably get through on pineal gland emanation, if we make it short.”
“I can help on preparing it, if that’s the criterion,” Betty Jo Berm said. “Since I’m a trained linguist.”
“As a last resort,” Belsnor said.
“Not as a last resort,” Maggie Walsh said, “as an effective proven method of getting help. Mr. Tallchief, for example, got here because of a prayer.”
“But it passed along the relay,” Belsnor said. “We have no way to reach the relay.”
“You have no faith in prayer?” Wade Frazer asked, nastily?
Belsnor said, “I have no faith in prayer that’s not electronically augmented. Even Specktowsky admitted that; if a prayer is to be effective it must be electronically transmitted through the network of god-worlds so that all Manifestations are reached.”
“I suggest,” Morley said, “that we transmit our joint prayer as far as we can through the automatic pilot beam. If we can project it eighty or ninety thousand miles out it should be easier for the Deity to pick it up… since gravity works in inverse proportion to the power of the prayer, meaning that ninety thousand miles is reasonably away – then there is a good mathematical chance of the various Manifestations receiving it, and Specktowsky mentions this; I forget where. At the end, I think, in one of his addenda.”
Wade Frazer said, “It’s against Terran law to doubt the power of prayer. A violation of the civil code of all Interplan West stages and holdings.”
“And you’d report it,” Ignatz Thugg said.
“Nobody’s doubting the efficacy of prayer,” Ben Tallchief said, eyeing Frazer with overt hostility. “We’re merely disagreeing on the most effective way of handling it.” He got to his feet. “I need a drink,” he said. “Goodbye.” He left the room, tottering a little as he went.
This is a group of space pioneers who suddenly find themselves stranded on a planet named Delmak-O, with no means of communication with the people that sent them there. Their communications systems have failed to operate so they are considering using prayer as a method of communication. The story is quite good and goes into some elaborate descriptions of hierarchies of deities and their functionalities.
Anyway, I like this impersonal breakdown of the mechanism of prayer. Albeit these people are “stuck” and need “help” so our idea that pray is what you do to get “big help” from “God” stands, but they go on in the next page to discuss which level of the Deity do they want the prayer to go to; The Mentufacturer or The Intercessor. Tallchief’s prayer, though at the time that it was answered seem to be receiving what he wanted; getting out of the situation he was stuck in on earth and getting to go to Delmak-O. But once he got to Delmak-O things did not go as he hoped, no, in fact in just two pages he is going to die!
I had an experience where I discovered a difference in the power of the transmittal of the energy of prayer. It was shortly after I met Gurumayi in 1989. I had an experience in which my soul was connected to hers through what the yogi’s of India call shaktipat, or the awakening of the kundalini. Anyway, Gurumayi became my guru and a connection between my heart, spirit and mind was formed and this connection was strengthened through the practice of meditation. When I would meditate my mind would form a clear connection with her mind – it was like prayer.
I was raised in confusion to believe though, from the teachings of the Christian church that you pray to God for help when you are in trouble and that you ask God for things you want. Well, maybe the wanting of things was from the church of Santa Claus and Christmas… Which is a mixture of Satan and Christ, right? Hmmm, maybe now that I have this better understanding I could go back and practice siddha yoga and not be polluted by the prayers of wanting that made me spoil what Gurumayi could have truly led me to receive; enlightenment of my soul.
I dunno, it’s a dangerous path the way of the awakened. I’ve lost a lot of my sanity and my ability to operate in this world through everything I’ve attempted to do to get better at anything. I don’t think I have much time left as a capitalist that can walk the streets freely to be able to choose what way I want to spend money… huh?
From “A MAZE OF DEATH”, a novel written by PKD in 1970, page 51.
“”We’re totally isolated,” Beslnor said. “And it was done in a matter of minutes.”
“What we must do,” Maggie Walsh said, “is to prepare a joint prayer. We can probably get through on pineal gland emanation, if we make it short.”
“I can help on preparing it, if that’s the criterion,” Betty Jo Berm said. “Since I’m a trained linguist.”
“As a last resort,” Belsnor said.
“Not as a last resort,” Maggie Walsh said, “as an effective proven method of getting help. Mr. Tallchief, for example, got here because of a prayer.”
“But it passed along the relay,” Belsnor said. “We have no way to reach the relay.”
“You have no faith in prayer?” Wade Frazer asked, nastily?
Belsnor said, “I have no faith in prayer that’s not electronically augmented. Even Specktowsky admitted that; if a prayer is to be effective it must be electronically transmitted through the network of god-worlds so that all Manifestations are reached.”
“I suggest,” Morley said, “that we transmit our joint prayer as far as we can through the automatic pilot beam. If we can project it eighty or ninety thousand miles out it should be easier for the Deity to pick it up… since gravity works in inverse proportion to the power of the prayer, meaning that ninety thousand miles is reasonably away – then there is a good mathematical chance of the various Manifestations receiving it, and Specktowsky mentions this; I forget where. At the end, I think, in one of his addenda.”
Wade Frazer said, “It’s against Terran law to doubt the power of prayer. A violation of the civil code of all Interplan West stages and holdings.”
“And you’d report it,” Ignatz Thugg said.
“Nobody’s doubting the efficacy of prayer,” Ben Tallchief said, eyeing Frazer with overt hostility. “We’re merely disagreeing on the most effective way of handling it.” He got to his feet. “I need a drink,” he said. “Goodbye.” He left the room, tottering a little as he went.
This is a group of space pioneers who suddenly find themselves stranded on a planet named Delmak-O, with no means of communication with the people that sent them there. Their communications systems have failed to operate so they are considering using prayer as a method of communication. The story is quite good and goes into some elaborate descriptions of hierarchies of deities and their functionalities.
Anyway, I like this impersonal breakdown of the mechanism of prayer. Albeit these people are “stuck” and need “help” so our idea that pray is what you do to get “big help” from “God” stands, but they go on in the next page to discuss which level of the Deity do they want the prayer to go to; The Mentufacturer or The Intercessor. Tallchief’s prayer, though at the time that it was answered seem to be receiving what he wanted; getting out of the situation he was stuck in on earth and getting to go to Delmak-O. But once he got to Delmak-O things did not go as he hoped, no, in fact in just two pages he is going to die!
I had an experience where I discovered a difference in the power of the transmittal of the energy of prayer. It was shortly after I met Gurumayi in 1989. I had an experience in which my soul was connected to hers through what the yogi’s of India call shaktipat, or the awakening of the kundalini. Anyway, Gurumayi became my guru and a connection between my heart, spirit and mind was formed and this connection was strengthened through the practice of meditation. When I would meditate my mind would form a clear connection with her mind – it was like prayer.
I was raised in confusion to believe though, from the teachings of the Christian church that you pray to God for help when you are in trouble and that you ask God for things you want. Well, maybe the wanting of things was from the church of Santa Claus and Christmas… Which is a mixture of Satan and Christ, right? Hmmm, maybe now that I have this better understanding I could go back and practice siddha yoga and not be polluted by the prayers of wanting that made me spoil what Gurumayi could have truly led me to receive; enlightenment of my soul.
I dunno, it’s a dangerous path the way of the awakened. I’ve lost a lot of my sanity and my ability to operate in this world through everything I’ve attempted to do to get better at anything. I don’t think I have much time left as a capitalist that can walk the streets freely to be able to choose what way I want to spend money… huh?
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