As expounded in the neurolinguistic programming materials, metaphors strongly impact a person’s perception of their experience, their responding emotions, and all resulting consequences of these phenomena. The author took the liberty to expand upon a popular Christian metaphor found in 1 Corinthians 6:19. The verse questions, “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?” According to this passage, the physical body should be treated with the respect and reverence of a place of worship. It should be kept free of contaminants through constant maintenance and steady attention. The author furthers the metaphor: “If your body is the temple, then your mind is the Holy of Holies.” The Holy of Holies was the inner sanctum of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was the most restricted, protected, and revered sanctuary in the temple. The Ark of the Covenant, in which God supposedly literally resided, was stored within these walls. It could only be entered by the High Priest who had to pass through a separating veil. Continuing this line of thought deeply, it is easy conjecture to suppose the Temple and Holy of Holies did in fact connote a more subtle simile. Playfully, the author will explore the metaphor. Perhaps the Ark of the Covenant represents the brain. Anyone touching and trying to open it who had not gained the status of high priest was jolted to death. Similarly, when the veil was rent, the temple was also dismantled. Suppose the high priest is the magician, psychologist, mentalist, etc. He has earned his title by successfully navigating beyond this veil of perception. This veil is the doorway to the inner workings of the mind. It is psychoanalysis and metacognition. If torn through, perhaps by psychedelics or hasty meditation, the physical body will experience a correlated discomfort and breakdown. If the veil is turned aside without tearing, one must still have the true rank, qualifications, and experience to open the box. The Ark is akin to Pandora’s Box. One must be capable of seeing God’s hindquarters, as Moses did, otherwise the ego crumbles. Ego-death is assured, but the return visit is not guaranteed. Ask the many would be shamans, psychonauts, and those with the Zen sickness. On a lighter level, treat the mind as you would the body. Keep it clean, respect it, and have a healthy fear of it. Visualize its arrangement. Go through the motions of sweeping, dusting, and wiping the surfaces, practicing a general psychohygiene. Enjoy darsan, taste your thoughts as prasad, and don’t allow non-conducive thoughts to remain within. It is your most-beloved sanctuary. Consider closely this last sentence… Your brain is where God resides, or as Timothy Leary more coarsely stated, “Your brain is God.”
Author Resource:-
For more information on psychology and spirituality, such as possible spiritual confusion in a psychotic break, please visit Jared B. Hobbs at his blog Meditations and become a Scholar of Consciousness!
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/feed-icon.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://article2008.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites