CHAOS AND ORDER

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BRINGING ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

In all chaos, there is a cosmos, in all disorder, a secret order.
                                          Carl Jung

 

In this post, I feature an article with a professor I personally know who has great insights into philosophy and the inward esoterica of life. Dr David Jones is Professor Emeritus at the University of Calgary.

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There is so much that can be said about the dynamic of chaos and order, I plan to do my own post on this topic in the future. Within chaos, order remains implicit and enfolded. 

Some people believe that chaos is the definition of absolute freedom. Let’s face it, rules can be very boring and even debilitating, taking the fun and spontaneity out of what we are doing. We often see this sentiment reflected in the lives of young people who rebel against the status quo and seek to do things ‘their own way’ by going against long-established cultural norms. Consequently, it is easy to think that if we want more freedom in our lives, then all we need to do is rid ourselves of more and more rules that hold us back. But is this really true?

In order to be free, we must embrace limitations. Now that sounds contradictory, but just think about this definition of freedom for a moment: Freedom is the learned ability to change and shape our inner and outer environments according to our will. So, in order to be free, we must have a tangible and authentic sense of personal agency so that we may manifest desired action(s) that will bring about the changes we desire. The opposite of this is when we feel like helpless victims of an unpredictable fate and random circumstances.

We can see this idea played out in both the Old and the New Testaments. In the Old, God gives the Hebrews the law by which they were to live by. The idea behind this was to make the nation a fit vessel to receive the divine knowledge that underlies all creation. Therefore, the Mosaic law was meant to lift the nation of Israel out of a state of virtual barbarism (undeveloped potential) into an advanced culture (actualised potential) that was to be the moral and social beacon to the whole world by faithfully living as a community of love, justice, and worship of Yahweh alone.

This was to be achieved by the collective rather than the individual because the individual’s consciousness was still too young and too weak to function independently. So the law worked via the means of tradition and social conformity in which all the constituent individuals were unconsciously swayed by the participation mystique of the collective.

In the New Testament, the situation is reversed in that the individual was to consciously emerge from the unconscious collective and live by the law that was written on the tablets of their heart rather than tablets of stone. In such circumstances, the individual became a self-actualised focal point for divine action in the world.

So how do we go about developing our personal agency? We do this through discipline – by observing phenomena and learning the rules or laws that govern that which we seek to control and then by working within the parameters of those rules or laws to bring about the changes we desire.

A simple example would be the consistent and disciplined training that a sportsman puts themselves through in order to compete with other highly competent contestants. If they did not discipline themselves mentally and physically, they simply could not develop the skills and understanding necessary that enable them to take part.

Consider newborns and infants. They are replete with undeveloped potential but are utterly incompetent in themselves and totally dependent upon more mature and developed humans to survive. They literally can do nothing for themselves and so are forced by necessity to learn how to control their bodies and unfold their minds in order to develop their independence. Intelligence creates order out of chaos so that we may exist, act, think, and evolve through continuous change and adaptation.

Friedrich Nietzsche once said that “One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.” By this Nietzsche was referring to the Dionysian aspect of our human nature – the irrational or chaotic side of us. This is the font of our spontaneity, creativity, imagination, and power.

However, this aspect of our being is to be contained in our Apollonian nature which orders, rationalises, and harmonizes the daemonic energies that flow through us when we engage with archetypal realities. “I have the right to do anything,” you say—but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

To be truly free, one must seek to live a disciplined life. But we all have the choice as to whom or what we will bend our knee. The question we must therefore ask ourselves is what type of fruit does such a tree as this yield across time, for there are many trees on offer, but very few are truly fruitful.

Guest blogger: Dr David Jones, Professor Emeritus, University of Calgary

 QUOTES ON CHAOS
 

Only man is permitted to live without rhythm in order that he can become free. However, he must of his own accord bring rhythm again into the chaos. - Rudolf Steiner

Chaos often breeds life, when order breeds habit. - Henry Adams

We live in a rainbow of chaos. - Paul Cezanne

Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos. -Stephen Sondheim

One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star. - Friedrich Nietzsche

When everything is moving and shifting, the only way to counteract chaos is stillness. When things feel extraordinary, strive for ordinary. When the surface is wavy, dive deeper for quieter waters.
- Kristin Armstrong

Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void, but out of chaos.
- Mary Shelley

In all chaos, there is a cosmos; in all disorder a secret order. - Carl Jung

To study history means submitting to chaos and nevertheless retaining faith in order and meaning.
- Hermann Hesse

Chaos is the undercurrent of everything that happens in life. - Danny Carey

DAILY (WEEKLY) MESSAGE  FROM THE PASSAGE 
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In this post, I feature a new 'DAILY' MESSAGE each week. (Though it's not daily, it might be worth considering daily.) Some of these posts are philosophical in nature, while some might be more scientifically orientated. Others are intended to be spiritually inspiring. Regardless, my desire is to provide only profound quotes that most thinkers might appreciate. 

Though certain posts are excerpts from the ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE SERIES, most are from a variety of other sources. Over the years, I have read extensively and have highlighted countless phrases containing great wisdom, intellectual insights that include humour and wit. I will continue to draw from whatever quality material turns up in my ongoing research.      

If you enjoy these posts, you might wish to pass some of them along to anyone you think may be interested.                        

As I'm sure is obvious, I've created these blog posts to help promote the ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE novel series. So any help you can give me by spreading the word would be appreciated. Thank you in advance.

I have included below the standard material I have in most posts to help introduce new visitors to the series, including a short Video Presentation, Reader Reviews, a Summary of the first book, projected publication dates, and social media information. Note my personal email address. Feel free to write to me anytime or, alternatively, comment at the end of this post.

For links to prior Daily Messages going back to 2018, go to Section 'E' at Blog Post Links https://digitalbloggers.com/arts-and-entertainment/ep-blog-posts 

 

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SUMMARY OF ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE NOVEL SERIES

 

 
This is a series of seven Elysium Passager novels regarding a young British philosopher named James Phillips, who finds himself living in an altered state of reality while still remaining on earth.  

After experiencing a near-fatal fall while climbing to the summit of a remote mountain in the Andes, James awakens in a new dimension. He soon encounters two mysterious beings who provide him with a very different perspective on the nature of his existence. Over the next year, before his body recovers from the coma, he is challenged to re-examine his understanding of life’s meaning and purpose far beyond anything he previously believed or could believe.

An engaging and sometimes surreal adventure with intimations of impending romance, the narrative explores the most important questions about life, death, reality, and our ultimate destiny. 

The Plains of Elysium (Champs-Élysées) was described by Homer, Hesiod, Virgil, and many other poets as the paradisiac afterlife realm reserved for heroes. As the title suggests, this is about a journey through a passage that leads towards Elysium’s exciting realm of adventures.

To read a sample press review at https://www.prweb.com/releases/2018/05/prweb15515775.htm  

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ELYSIUM'S PASSAGE: READER REVIEWS

The following comments are excerpts from among the first readers, including a number of Amazon five star reviews. To read the full reviews, go to READER REVIEWS on www.elysiumspassage.com or directly at https://digitalbloggers.com/arts-and-entertainment/reader-reviews 

"A delightful mix of fantasy, reality, conjecture, and humour; Mr Meyers draws the reader into the story with a gentle narrative that captures the imagination, leaving one anxious to get to the next page drawing you into his exceptional world.”

"Quietly, gently, and without imposition, the Author unfolds the pages, creating an intricate, interlocking bridge spanning the chasm between mind and heart. Renewing, refreshing, restoring. In my bereavement, it was vigil and light…."

“Excellently written with an exceedingly deep understanding of this world and the next. The characters are very well written and engaging. I can't wait to complete this book!"

“Takes the reader on both a philosophical and spiritual journey, a journey that at times is both disquieting and tranquil. James, a British Philosopher, can be irreverent and caustic, traits that should have left me cringing but instead made me laugh out loud. Elysium’s Passage is a fun, enlightening and remarkable book.”

“This is a masterful fantasy, becoming a real possibility, as the reader is drawn into the story. The Summit leaves you anxious for the next book in the series, yet also leaves you totally satisfied with the world you have just visited. Genius! An exciting yet calming experience that is not to be missed."

"There was hardly a page on which I did not find at least one sentence worthy of hi-lighting for future reference. In addition, I thoroughly enjoyed the main character, James, whose personality and passionate verbal exchanges with the other characters kept me coming back for more. I am reading the book for a second time while I wait for the next one in this series to be made available."

 “N.G. Meyers has clearly put a great deal of research and thought into what the afterlife may look like, and I like his perspective. It’s an altogether welcoming and exciting vision. The book gives one a great deal to think about and a reassuring confidence that the end of our lives is truly the beginning of life in the next. I highly recommend it."

"I am really enjoying your book, it’s fantastic! It is so incredible and diversified that I can’t really explain it to other people, so what I say is just read this book. Thank you so much for the blessings that you’ve given the world!"

“The humour interjected into a serious discussion makes me laugh out loud. Totally unexpected....l may be in the presence of at least a master, if not a genius. A fair ride into reality... seeking that which is unseen, yet absolutely real.”

“An engaging story of adventure embracing man's deepest desire to search for meaning and purpose, N.G. Meyers takes the reader on an adventurous, thought-provoking journey. This book has substance. It is a perfect blend of adventure and fantasy combined with spiritual philosophy. It ignited my imagination. The author magically weaves a good story laced with wit and humour together with deep philosophical wisdom. This book has it all!”

“An evolution in thought is triggered by many fresh philosophical themes which could inspire readers to re-think their reality and former ideologies that have dictated their lives… the author fires readers’ imaginations to view what could be possible when spirit vacates the body.”

“This is the book spiritual seekers have been waiting for. For me, it granted a great read as well as increased inspiration to live every day with a heightened sense of purpose. I highly recommend it.

“The Summit is capable of hooking readers and luring them to search for Book 2 to discover more about Dr Philip’s surreal trek into the mysterious unknown universe. This thick book is well worth the read and to share…”

“Mind-blowing statements and speculation (‘…everyone is a non-physical thought form conceived in the Mind of God, preserved for all eternity because God’s thoughts never die…’). Many will find Meyers’ journey up the Mountain intriguing—and possibly even life-changing.” (BLUEINK REVIEW)

“In its effort to grapple with fundamental questions about the meaning of life, it raises questions that have echoed throughout the ages, including about where we come from, where we are going, who we are.”  (CLARION REVIEW)

 
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PENDING PUBLICATIONS IN THE SERIES

 
The following titles in the Elysium's Passage series are projected to be released as follows: 

THE ASCENT summer 2022

THE SUMMIT fall 2022

QUANTUM LEAPS spring 2023

SURREAL ADVENTURES summer 2023 

MYSTICAL ROMANCE fall 2023

HE ELIXIR spring 2024

THE RETURN sometime in 2024/25