More Than Human

Many are familiar with the quote by French philosopher and Jesuit priest, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, who said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”

His words resonate deeply with what we know to be true about ourselves. From the dawning of human consciousness, we have sensed that we are more than physical forms living an earthly existence. We have longed to understand more of the mystery of who we are and to be in conscious communion with our Source. 

I appreciate and completely agree with the second part of Teilhard de Chardin’s statement, but I do not fully agree with the first part of the quote. We are multi-dimensional beings. Whether or not we are consciously aware of it, we exist simultaneously in this earthly plane, as well as in dimensions beyond.

We are human beings, and we are having a spiritual experience. Better stated, we are human beings and we may have a spiritual experience. Having a conscious spiritual experience is dependent upon the perspective from which we view ourselves and our relationship to our Source and the world.

If we are trapped in the belief that we are separate and alone and defined by the conditioned consciousness, which Unity cofounder Charles Fillmore termed the adverse ego¹, we may not be open to perceiving life as a spiritual experience. When we are willing and ready to begin to expand our awareness through meditation, prayer and contemplation, observe the conditioned consciousness, and question its content, we begin to see that we are more than we may have previously believed ourselves to be.

As we continue our practices and expand our awareness, we will begin to encounter the Divine within ourselves and in all that is around us.

HUMAN BEINGS – Being human and all that it entails, including the messiness, pain and joy of it, is invaluable to the personal and collective evolution of human consciousness. Rejecting the value of our human experience is tantamount to denying the manifest expression of God that each of us is.

SPIRITUAL BEINGS – We are also spiritual beings. We have existence beyond our physical forms. Our spiritual nature is the unconditioned consciousness of who we truly are, absent of our human conditioning. We sometimes refer to this as our “True Self” or “Higher Self.”  This represents the individuated unique expression of the Divine that each of us is. Our spiritual journey is about making this aspect more conscious, embodying it, and expressing it. In that way, we are spiritual beings expressing and experiencing the Divine.

HUMAN AND SPIRITUAL – The deeper truth is that, while we are human beings and spiritual beings, our ultimate reality is that we are Spirit expressing and experiencing Itself as each of us as we live this life journey.

Why is it valuable for us to know that we are multi-dimensional beings?

When we are willing and able to access the higher dimensional aspects of ourselves, we have access to higher wisdom. Whether seemingly unimportant or life-altering, the answer to every question we can conceive of can be found through our conscious connection with our non-localized Self.

It also helpful because knowing this assures us that we are not and cannot never be alone. We are ever connected to the Source of all Light and Love. Each of us is, however, responsible for the level of Light and Love that we allow into and through our lives. We are always at choice.

Each of us has equal and unlimited access to the resources of Source, Love and Light which is the Spirit and Substance which imbues all life. As we grow into this as a knowing, it can be empowering and freeing no matter your current life circumstances.

We are “children of God.” We are “heirs to the kingdom.” In other words, we are expressions of an inexhaustible Source, and we, through our conscious connection, have unlimited access to all the Good available to us.

Knowing this and embracing this truth, frees us from the belief in lack and limitation. When we know that we are channels of infinite supply, we can open ourselves to the inflow and the outflow of all the Good/God we can imagine.

Yes, we are human beings, and we are oh so much more than that.

Join us on Sunday at 10:00 for our service at Unity Spiritual Center Denver. You are welcome here!

¹ Revealing Word

NOTE: When I wrote this post I intended for this concept to be the topic for my Sunday lesson. I have since received a different inspiration. My lesson on Sunday is entitled “Your Energy Signature.” I hope to see you there.