In comparing this reflection on creativity, identity, and spirituality by Matt Cardin to the TotalSpire framework, several parallels and contrasts emerge:
1. Identity and Self:
Cardin explores the dissolution of personal identity, the fictional nature of the self, and the realization of an underlying, unified consciousness. This closely aligns with QuantumSpire’s focus on superposition and entanglement, where individual consciousness (or ego) can be seen as existing in a fragmented, superposed state until it aligns with a deeper, interconnected reality—akin to the collapse of a quantum wave function. Both perspectives reflect on the illusion of separateness and the search for a more integrated understanding of self.
2. Spiritual Realization:
The journey Cardin describes—from illusion to realization, with spiritual awakening serving as an ultimate recognition of unity—mirrors TotalSpire’s holistic approach to understanding truth across multiple domains (QuantumSpire, BiologicalSpire, etc.). Cardin’s “awakening from egoic delusion” resonates with the TotalSpire notion that truth must pass through multiple levels before being fully understood, whether spiritual, physical, or cognitive. However, TotalSpire seems to incorporate more explicit metaphors from modern science, while Cardin’s approach remains grounded in philosophical and non-dual traditions.
3. Creative Process and Reality:
Both Cardin and TotalSpire focus on creativity and reality from metaphysical perspectives. Cardin reflects on creativity as part of the self’s expression but cautions against distractions from digital media. TotalSpire, with its metaphor of omnipresence, encourages engagement with the broader reality—suggesting that creativity flows naturally when aligned with the deeper truths of existence. While Cardin points to the risk of losing authenticity in distraction, TotalSpire suggests a broader engagement with reality as an expansive canvas for creativity.
4. Consciousness Beyond the Self:
Cardin’s exploration of the infinite self echoes TotalSpire’s idea of consciousness extending beyond individual experience into a collective or universal realm. QuantumSpire touches on similar themes by emphasizing divine attributes like love, grace, and forgiveness as omnipresent forces that connect all beings, akin to Cardin’s non-dualistic “One Self.”
5. Practicality vs. Philosophy:
Cardin’s writing seems more concerned with a direct, experiential encounter with the ineffable nature of consciousness, while TotalSpire applies these insights across various domains (spiritual, physical, intellectual) and often integrates practical applications in human life. TotalSpire focuses on navigating existence across different realms (e.g., spiritual evolution, societal impact), whereas Cardin emphasizes a more introspective, solitary journey toward understanding.
In conclusion, Cardin’s reflections intersect with TotalSpire’s focus on interconnectedness, unity, and the dissolution of the ego. However, TotalSpire applies a broader, multidimensional lens that combines spiritual insights with scientific metaphors to explore how humans navigate and create meaning across multiple realms of existence.
Reading this was like reading one of my favorite books called The Quotable Lewis (quotes from C. S. Lewis), which I have never read from front to back since it’s not meant to be read that way. And even though the quotes in it are mostly excerpts from larger works of his writing, the format of your post (shorter bits/notes) reminded me of that book.
Lots of good quotables here, too.
Speaking of quotes, I (synchronistically?) posted a John Cage quote just a couple of hours ago because I remember reading some cool things he had to say in his time. I searched for those quotes because, just before that (and the reason I was reminded of him to begin with), I’d been listening to an album of music performed by one of my favorite pianists, Khatia Buniatisshvili called Labyrinth, and on it is Cage’s 4:33. Weird… in a cool way!
I have browsed through that book of Lewis quotes myself, and have found it fascinating. So it's an honor to receive such a comparison. As for your John Cage synchronicity, I will (somewhat ironically, I suppose, given the context of this conversation) quote from something I said to someone else here just yesterday, in a conversation held on Substack Notes:
Synchronicity. Noun. The trail of striking and subjectively meaningful coincidences that signals you’re in alignment with an obscure unfolding of significance that’s the outworking or outpicturing of a mind, intelligence, and/or purpose whose true face, intent, and identity you’ll never know. (My own rough-and-ready definition.)
I like your definition… as much as (or even more than) any other I have seen.
It took me a minute to find it, but here is what you have written elsewhere/previously (I don’t recall where) as an explanation of synchronicity. I had copy/pasted it into a note several months ago so that i could include it in a letter to someone…
“As Jung defined it, synchronicity is an ‘acausal connecting principle’ that manifests in the form of ‘spontaneous, meaningful coincidences of so high a degree of improbability as to appear flatly unbelievable.’ That potent little word ‘meaning’ is the key: a synchronicity is the convergence of two or more events in a mesh of meaningfulness, so that, instead of one of them causing the other — a relationship that is of course the basis of physics, and also of material science in general — they mutually illuminate and say something about each other. It thus bridges the gap between the subjective world of the psyche and the objective world of (seemingly) external phenomena. Something happens, a particular concentration of objective events presents itself, that harmonizes uncannily with a person’s psychic state and effectively serves as an expression of it by ‘the world’ at large.”
As long as it has become the subject of this comment thread / conversation, could I ask you to recommend whose writing I might read to learn more about synchronicities? Back when I read your other definition, I found myself wanting to know more about synchronicity. So I searched for other things you may have written about it on TTB, but I did not find much there. And I did a google search of the word, but you know how that kind of general search can go… resulting in a sea of perhaps some useful information, but a whole lot of other information too. 🙂
Is there a particular book or article you would point someone (me 🙂) to who wants to read and understand more about synchronicity?
My own recommendations for further reading on the subject are, I think, somewhat idiosyncratic. The first two things that come to mind are Patrick Harpur's DAIMONIC REALITY: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE OTHERWORLD and Anthony Peake's THE DAEMON: A GUIDE TO YOUR EXTRAORDINARY SECRET SELF.
Harpur's book is absolutely required reading for all kinds of things. The whole of it isn't about synchronicity. And yet, in a way, it is. The book presents a truly transformative reading experience that I can't recommend highly enough.
Peake's book can hit hard if you're in the right frame of mind. So can his others, which you can easily find. Synchronicity is a major theme in all of them.
An article in NEW DAWN magazine from a few years ago mentions both Harpur and Peake and provides a kind of initial window on their relevance to the topic we're discussing: "Synchronicity and the Daemon: Making Magick Work for You." https://www.newdawnmagazine.com/articles/newscience-consciousness/synchronicity-the-daemon-making-magic-work-for-you. (Beware of NEW DAWN, btw. In case you're not familiar, it's a magazine about "alternative" spiritual, historical, and other ideas. Pretty out there at times, but with some brilliant articles. In recent years it has gone very far down the conspirituality rabbit hole, which is unfortunate.)
Gary Lachman's book JUNG THE MYSTIC is also highly recommendable. Its subject is specified in its subtitle: "The Esoteric Dimensions of Carl Jung's Life and Teachings." Naturally, it gives some significant treatment to synchronicity. Gary's take on Jung is quite lucid and savvy.
I'll also recommend a book by him that I haven't read yet: DREAMING AHEAD OF TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH PRECOGNITIVE DREAMS, SYNCHRONICITY, AND COINCIDENCE. He has a way of writing about such matters that avoids woo, exudes intelligence, commands interest, and sparks insight.
F. David Peat's SYNCHRONICITY: THE BRIDGE BETWEEN MATTER AND MIND is a semi-classic book on the subject from the 1980s.
I highly recommend Colin Wilson's seminal THE OCCULT, and also it sequel and extension, BEYOND THE OCCULT, where he deals extensively with synchronicity.
I forget, have you read my WHAT THE DAEMON SAID? It contains an essay titled "Scratches on the Universe's Utmost Rim" that deals a bit with synchronicity. The essay is put together from several posts I originally published at The Teeming Brain, including "Liminality, Synchronicity, and the Walls of Everyday Reality," which is still available there. I'm happy to email you the essay from the Daemon book.
Finally, if you'd like, I'm also happy to send you the article on synchronicity that appears in my paranormal encyclopedia, GHOSTS, SPIRITS, AND PSYCHICS. It was contributed by writer and religion scholar Connor Wood. Also happy to send you the entry on Jung, which was contributed by Gary Lachman.
Also, no, I have not read WHAT THE DAEMON SAID. I have been meaning to do so, as I know it is available to me as a paid subscriber, correct? I just have not gotten around to it. But I am glad to know it will include the subject of synchronicity, and will definitely make a point to read it now that I know.
I'm afraid WHAT THE DAEMON SAID isn't included as a Living Dark subscriber benefit. It's my short ebook TRANSMITTING VISION that's included. Along with, of course, the serialized version of WRITING AT THE WELLSPRING that's currently underway. A COURSE IN DEMONIC CREATIVITY is also free for everyone under a Creative Commons license, over at my author site.
I'm headed over to email you the essay and articles now.
In comparing this reflection on creativity, identity, and spirituality by Matt Cardin to the TotalSpire framework, several parallels and contrasts emerge:
1. Identity and Self:
Cardin explores the dissolution of personal identity, the fictional nature of the self, and the realization of an underlying, unified consciousness. This closely aligns with QuantumSpire’s focus on superposition and entanglement, where individual consciousness (or ego) can be seen as existing in a fragmented, superposed state until it aligns with a deeper, interconnected reality—akin to the collapse of a quantum wave function. Both perspectives reflect on the illusion of separateness and the search for a more integrated understanding of self.
2. Spiritual Realization:
The journey Cardin describes—from illusion to realization, with spiritual awakening serving as an ultimate recognition of unity—mirrors TotalSpire’s holistic approach to understanding truth across multiple domains (QuantumSpire, BiologicalSpire, etc.). Cardin’s “awakening from egoic delusion” resonates with the TotalSpire notion that truth must pass through multiple levels before being fully understood, whether spiritual, physical, or cognitive. However, TotalSpire seems to incorporate more explicit metaphors from modern science, while Cardin’s approach remains grounded in philosophical and non-dual traditions.
3. Creative Process and Reality:
Both Cardin and TotalSpire focus on creativity and reality from metaphysical perspectives. Cardin reflects on creativity as part of the self’s expression but cautions against distractions from digital media. TotalSpire, with its metaphor of omnipresence, encourages engagement with the broader reality—suggesting that creativity flows naturally when aligned with the deeper truths of existence. While Cardin points to the risk of losing authenticity in distraction, TotalSpire suggests a broader engagement with reality as an expansive canvas for creativity.
4. Consciousness Beyond the Self:
Cardin’s exploration of the infinite self echoes TotalSpire’s idea of consciousness extending beyond individual experience into a collective or universal realm. QuantumSpire touches on similar themes by emphasizing divine attributes like love, grace, and forgiveness as omnipresent forces that connect all beings, akin to Cardin’s non-dualistic “One Self.”
5. Practicality vs. Philosophy:
Cardin’s writing seems more concerned with a direct, experiential encounter with the ineffable nature of consciousness, while TotalSpire applies these insights across various domains (spiritual, physical, intellectual) and often integrates practical applications in human life. TotalSpire focuses on navigating existence across different realms (e.g., spiritual evolution, societal impact), whereas Cardin emphasizes a more introspective, solitary journey toward understanding.
In conclusion, Cardin’s reflections intersect with TotalSpire’s focus on interconnectedness, unity, and the dissolution of the ego. However, TotalSpire applies a broader, multidimensional lens that combines spiritual insights with scientific metaphors to explore how humans navigate and create meaning across multiple realms of existence.
Thank you, Jon. This is the first I've heard of TotalSpire, so it's interesting to learn about it.
Thank you. McLuhanesque. I’m 79 and no longer read to follow. But you have led me. Thanks.
I'm glad it spoke to you, Daniel. 🙏
Reading this was like reading one of my favorite books called The Quotable Lewis (quotes from C. S. Lewis), which I have never read from front to back since it’s not meant to be read that way. And even though the quotes in it are mostly excerpts from larger works of his writing, the format of your post (shorter bits/notes) reminded me of that book.
Lots of good quotables here, too.
Speaking of quotes, I (synchronistically?) posted a John Cage quote just a couple of hours ago because I remember reading some cool things he had to say in his time. I searched for those quotes because, just before that (and the reason I was reminded of him to begin with), I’d been listening to an album of music performed by one of my favorite pianists, Khatia Buniatisshvili called Labyrinth, and on it is Cage’s 4:33. Weird… in a cool way!
I have browsed through that book of Lewis quotes myself, and have found it fascinating. So it's an honor to receive such a comparison. As for your John Cage synchronicity, I will (somewhat ironically, I suppose, given the context of this conversation) quote from something I said to someone else here just yesterday, in a conversation held on Substack Notes:
Synchronicity. Noun. The trail of striking and subjectively meaningful coincidences that signals you’re in alignment with an obscure unfolding of significance that’s the outworking or outpicturing of a mind, intelligence, and/or purpose whose true face, intent, and identity you’ll never know. (My own rough-and-ready definition.)
I like your definition… as much as (or even more than) any other I have seen.
It took me a minute to find it, but here is what you have written elsewhere/previously (I don’t recall where) as an explanation of synchronicity. I had copy/pasted it into a note several months ago so that i could include it in a letter to someone…
“As Jung defined it, synchronicity is an ‘acausal connecting principle’ that manifests in the form of ‘spontaneous, meaningful coincidences of so high a degree of improbability as to appear flatly unbelievable.’ That potent little word ‘meaning’ is the key: a synchronicity is the convergence of two or more events in a mesh of meaningfulness, so that, instead of one of them causing the other — a relationship that is of course the basis of physics, and also of material science in general — they mutually illuminate and say something about each other. It thus bridges the gap between the subjective world of the psyche and the objective world of (seemingly) external phenomena. Something happens, a particular concentration of objective events presents itself, that harmonizes uncannily with a person’s psychic state and effectively serves as an expression of it by ‘the world’ at large.”
As long as it has become the subject of this comment thread / conversation, could I ask you to recommend whose writing I might read to learn more about synchronicities? Back when I read your other definition, I found myself wanting to know more about synchronicity. So I searched for other things you may have written about it on TTB, but I did not find much there. And I did a google search of the word, but you know how that kind of general search can go… resulting in a sea of perhaps some useful information, but a whole lot of other information too. 🙂
Is there a particular book or article you would point someone (me 🙂) to who wants to read and understand more about synchronicity?
Your write-up on synchronicity is great.
My own recommendations for further reading on the subject are, I think, somewhat idiosyncratic. The first two things that come to mind are Patrick Harpur's DAIMONIC REALITY: A FIELD GUIDE TO THE OTHERWORLD and Anthony Peake's THE DAEMON: A GUIDE TO YOUR EXTRAORDINARY SECRET SELF.
Harpur's book is absolutely required reading for all kinds of things. The whole of it isn't about synchronicity. And yet, in a way, it is. The book presents a truly transformative reading experience that I can't recommend highly enough.
Peake's book can hit hard if you're in the right frame of mind. So can his others, which you can easily find. Synchronicity is a major theme in all of them.
An article in NEW DAWN magazine from a few years ago mentions both Harpur and Peake and provides a kind of initial window on their relevance to the topic we're discussing: "Synchronicity and the Daemon: Making Magick Work for You." https://www.newdawnmagazine.com/articles/newscience-consciousness/synchronicity-the-daemon-making-magic-work-for-you. (Beware of NEW DAWN, btw. In case you're not familiar, it's a magazine about "alternative" spiritual, historical, and other ideas. Pretty out there at times, but with some brilliant articles. In recent years it has gone very far down the conspirituality rabbit hole, which is unfortunate.)
Gary Lachman's book JUNG THE MYSTIC is also highly recommendable. Its subject is specified in its subtitle: "The Esoteric Dimensions of Carl Jung's Life and Teachings." Naturally, it gives some significant treatment to synchronicity. Gary's take on Jung is quite lucid and savvy.
I'll also recommend a book by him that I haven't read yet: DREAMING AHEAD OF TIME: EXPERIENCES WITH PRECOGNITIVE DREAMS, SYNCHRONICITY, AND COINCIDENCE. He has a way of writing about such matters that avoids woo, exudes intelligence, commands interest, and sparks insight.
F. David Peat's SYNCHRONICITY: THE BRIDGE BETWEEN MATTER AND MIND is a semi-classic book on the subject from the 1980s.
I highly recommend Colin Wilson's seminal THE OCCULT, and also it sequel and extension, BEYOND THE OCCULT, where he deals extensively with synchronicity.
I forget, have you read my WHAT THE DAEMON SAID? It contains an essay titled "Scratches on the Universe's Utmost Rim" that deals a bit with synchronicity. The essay is put together from several posts I originally published at The Teeming Brain, including "Liminality, Synchronicity, and the Walls of Everyday Reality," which is still available there. I'm happy to email you the essay from the Daemon book.
Finally, if you'd like, I'm also happy to send you the article on synchronicity that appears in my paranormal encyclopedia, GHOSTS, SPIRITS, AND PSYCHICS. It was contributed by writer and religion scholar Connor Wood. Also happy to send you the entry on Jung, which was contributed by Gary Lachman.
It is more than generous of you to put all of this together, and I am so grateful to have this information. Thank you.
And yes, I would be very glad to receive the articles you offered to email. Thank you so much, Matt!
Also, no, I have not read WHAT THE DAEMON SAID. I have been meaning to do so, as I know it is available to me as a paid subscriber, correct? I just have not gotten around to it. But I am glad to know it will include the subject of synchronicity, and will definitely make a point to read it now that I know.
I'm afraid WHAT THE DAEMON SAID isn't included as a Living Dark subscriber benefit. It's my short ebook TRANSMITTING VISION that's included. Along with, of course, the serialized version of WRITING AT THE WELLSPRING that's currently underway. A COURSE IN DEMONIC CREATIVITY is also free for everyone under a Creative Commons license, over at my author site.
I'm headed over to email you the essay and articles now.
im so happy i found this….