Ascension

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Ascension is term commonly used, in Sufism and the New Age movement for example, to refer to the individual process of uniting/merging Bodily Ego and Spiritual Ego.

Syncretic Terms

Integration > Ascension, Bodily Ego

Related Concepts

Authentic Spirituality, Bodily Ego, Connection Outcome, Connection Pathology, Connection Supplement, LP Connection Framework, Spiritual Ego, The Work, Zenith Experience

Notes

Ascension - The body's consciousness, the Bodily Ego, "ascends," connects, and merges with its own Highest Self.

Note that this ascension is not just an individual. Ascension also refers to the collective process of evolving societies capable of supporting this unity not just for some privileged "chosen" few, but for all citizens.

Random thoughts

In Kabbalistic terms, ascension is described as the Descent to the Chariot. It could also be described, in cosmological terms, as the process of raising Malkuth (a.k.a. the Kingdom) back up to Kether (a.k.a. the Crown)

In Vedic terms connection with Highest Self is the meaning of the term yoga (union) and the goal of yogic practice.

In Christian terms, ascension/connection is described as

  • baptism with the Holy Spirit. "I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Mark 1: 8 or
  • the descent of the Holy Spirit, "When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove." Luke 3: 21-22.
  • Paul speaks of his "ascension" connection as the destruction of "I" (i.e. little self" and dominance of "Christ" (i.e. Highest Self). "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. " (Galatians 3: 20).
  • Union, Divine Union, Spiritual Marriage, Spiritual Bethrothal, etc.

The Dove Logo is a symbol of ascension/connection/descent of the Holy Spirit/Yoga/Union

Ascension results in a more aligned existence. A more aligned existence is something we strive for while connecting, but it is also the "fruit" of alignment, when alignment leads to connection. Galatians 5: 22-26

Sufism places a premium of ascension/ascent to union with God. In Sufism, ascension is often symbolized as a bird's flight to heaven, "who then settles on the celestial tree in paradise and consumes its fruit; he is then transformed with divine knowledge and engages in intimate conversations with God....Powerful visions of ascension were recorded by many other Sufis."[1]

"...the highest aim of a spiritual teaching is communion with God...According to Sufism, this communion is not attained by bringing down God to man in the sense of incarnation, but by man rising gradually towards God by spiritual progress and the purification of his life from all sensual desires and low motives."[2]

Footnotes

  1. Ernst, Carl W. The Shambhala Guide to Sufism. Boston: Shambhala Publications, 1997. https://amzn.to/2SoFmun. p. 48.
  2. Ikbal, Ali Shah. Islamic Sufism. Tractus Books, 2000. p. 54