Aug 19, 2008 19:15
i am an author attempting to write a book that was originally about a character called namuh htrae. My actual name is Matthew Bowron, the book I am writing is called Namuh Htrae. The book was originally meant to be a fictional tale about an immortal woman who lived throughout historical periods of humanity, the tale being about her experiences learning about humanity and its role in the universe.
As an author hoping to capture the development of 'namuh htrae' I studied developmental psychology and became particularly interested in the theories of Erik Erikson. Erikson suggested the ideas of developmental psychosocial stages, 8 originally, with 2 more being later added by students after his death. It was during this time that i was introduced to teh Bahaii Faith and their ideas of progressive revelation. Progressive revelation is an idea about how different manifestations of God (Krishna, Adam, Moses, Noah, Abraham, Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, Bahulluah and the Bab) come at different ages to bring different ages of development to humanity. It was there in comparing the two theories I saw what appeared to be a similarity. now I have been criticised at being trying to hold objective views. And so what I am proposing is more of a thought-experiment, a hypothetical, but in no ways provable or maybe even realistic approach at ideas of human development and spirituality.
But for those who are interested read on
For those interested in psychology, there was also a psychologist called Abraham Maslow, who coined the concept of the hierachy of needs. That when a certain need had been fulfilled, the individual would move forward up the ladder of needs to the next level. There have been theories also about human development being based around ideas of numbers, that society only developed into civilization when the numbers became big enough and complex enough. These bigger numbers, some evolutionists believe led to the development of socialization within primates, leading to empathy and later the development of the brain and later language and human invention. This sense of socializing with the environment could have led early man to try to negotiate with nature, which he may have interpreted falsely to be a creature like him. Also with the developing mind, imagination may have led to hallucinations and dreams realistic enough to be interpreted to be other worlds. Dreams involving those of the dead may have led to the idea of there being another world we go into after we die. The idea of dreams also being shaped by the thinking of the mind of the dreamer, may have also developed the concept of the world being shaped by the mind of a great thinker, a god, who was dreaming of all people. This idea of the world being a dream may have led to the ideas of maya or samsara in Hinduism and Buddhism, and the idea that other dreamers may be interacting or warring with us, and thus lead to the idea of demons or evil spirits.
However it is in the idea of Erikson's psychosocial stages that I saw similarities between the spiritualities of humanity in its history, including the ideas of modern religions. If my theory is correct, which I highly doubt, maybe it could be like this. Erikson was criticised in his theory that his idea of human development was too 'western' in its perspective. But as it is known that it is 'western society' that is ruling most of the world, maybe the stages of human development applied to history and spiritual development could be a 'reason' as to how western society developed and may continue to develop in the future.
This is my theory
Erikson Stage 1: Early infancy
Psychosocial crisis: Trust versus Mistrust
Central task: Receiving care
Positive outcome: Trust in people and the environment
Developmental task: Social attachment, maturation of sensory, perceptual and motor function; primitive causality
Ego Quality: Hope
Definition: Enduring belief that one can attain one's deep and essential wishes
Interpretation # 1: Historical/scientific
Note: In this case, I am using a big history subjective interpretation.
Trust versus Mistrust (The attraction and repulsing forces of physics creating matter)
Receiving care (Early lifeforms surviving supernovae through panspermia)
Trust in people and the environment (Asexual life becoming Sexual, development of early plants)
Social attachment, etc (schools and groups of animals with eyes, legs and brains)
Hope (life surviving extinction level events)
Enduring belief that one, etc (socialisation of primates)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Trust versus Mistrust (trust in natural forces or not)
Receiving care (by trusting natural forces, one can be guided to safety or food)
Trust in people and the environment (learning of life supporting one another through life cycles)
Social attachment (learning of coexisting with members of different species and the same species)
Hope (trusting in the cycles of nature, that after winter comes spring)
Enduring belief (using trust to motivate survival of the group)
Erikson Stage # 2: Late infancy
Psychosocial crisis: Autonomy versus Shame-doubt
Central task: Imitation
Positive outcome: Pride in self; assertion of will in the face of danger
Developmental task: Locomotion, fantasy play, language development, self control
Ego quality: Will
Definition: Determination to exercise free choice and self control
Interpretation # 1: Historical/scientific
Autonomy (formation of hierachies based on deception due to increased levels of understanding others)
Imitation (learning of skills from others, such as stone tools)
Pride in self (early humans becoming hunters)
Locomotion, fantasy play, etc (humans migrating, developing sprititual conceptions about the world, language shifts, tribal laws)
Will (determination to master animals and plants)
Determination to exercise (some choosing against agriculture, while others choose for it)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Autonomy (rebel against laws of nature, when realizes that all things die in cycles)
Imitation (attempts to learn to master other animals through learning)
Pride in self (use of animal spirits to master hunting and to master plants and animals)
Locomotion, fantasy play (using belief in help from spirits to spread agriculture)
Will (creating human sacrifices to water the crops of their new land, and conversion of inferior primitive people into servants to their gods)
Determination, etc (harsh punishments are given to those who disobey the gods)
Erikson Stage # 3: Early childhood
Psychosocial crisis: Initiative versus Guilt
Central task: Identification
Positive outcome: Ability to initiate activities and enjoy learning
Developmental task: Sex-role identification, early moral development, self esteem, group play, egocentrism
Ego quality: Purpose
Definition: Courage to imagine and pursue valued goals
Interpretation # 1: Historical/scientific
Initiative versus Guilt (beginning of raids by tribes against agricultural civilizations)
Identification (creation of codes of laws, such as Code of Hammurabi)
Ability to... (independence of cities or states from agricultural civilizations)
Sex-role identification, etc (formation of early great empires)
Purpose (spread of empires into new realms)
Courage to (adoption of other cultures to increase spread: Constantine accepting Christianity)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Initiative versus Guilt (tales of Noah in Genesis)
Identification (Abraham chosen by God)
Ability to (Moses leading Israelites out of Egypt)
Sex-role identification... (Kingdom of Israel under David and Solomon)
Purpose (Jesus Christ's mission)
Courage to (spread of Christianity, revolt of Jews)
Erikson Stage # 4: Late childhood
Psychosocial stages: Industry versus Inferiority
Central task: Education
Positive outcome: Acquire skills and develop competence at work; enjoy achievement
Developmental task: Friendship, skill learning, self evaluation, team play
Ego quality: Competence
Definition: Freedom to exercise skill and intelligence in the completion of tasks
Interpretation # 1: Historical/scientific
Industry versus Inferiority (new kingdoms spreading through Chrisitianity after fall of Rome)
Education (Christianity chruches teaching people of Angle-Land)
Acquire skills (Formation of Guilds in Norman French England)
Friendship, skill learning (Columbus sent to Americas by Spain)
Ego quality: Competence (Pizzaro and Cortez conquer Aztec and Inca)
Freedom to exercise (Copernicus and Gallileo counteract the Catholic Church)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Industry versus Inferiority (engineered universe of Allah revealed to Muhammad)
Education (Islam spreads to India and Africa)
Acquire skills and develop competence (new skills lead to Golden Age of Middle East, and fight against crusaders)
Friendship, skill learning (development of Sunni Islam under the development of Caliphs)
Competence (the development of the Ottomon Empire, securing developments for Islam)
Freedom to exercise (continued development of sciences due to Islam)
Erikson Stage # 5: Early Adolescence
Psychosocial stages: Group identity versus Alienation
Central task: Peer group
Positive outcome: Strong group identity, ready to plan for the future
Developmental task: Physical maturation, emotional development, membership in peer group, sexual relationships
Ego quality: Loyalty
Definitions: Freedom to peldge and sustain one's loyalties to others
Interpretation # 1: Historical/scientific
Group identity, etc (English Pilgrims land in North America, slaves taken from Africa)
Peer group (War of Independence in America, spread of United States to the west)
Strong group identity, ready to plan for the future (French independence, human rights, Confederate states, US Civil War)
Physical maturation (Gold rush, expansion of Industrialization in US and Europe)
Loyalty (World War I)
Freedom to pledge (formation of USSR, beginning of Fascism in Europe)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Group identity (Shia muslims being persecuted by Sunni and Shiite)
Peer group (establishment of Babi faith)
Strong group identity (coming of Bahulluah, beginning of Bahaii Faith)
Physical maturation (development of Bahai Faith under Abdulbaha)
Loyalty (Shogi Effendi teaches Bahais)
Freedom to pledge (formation of Universal House of Justice and Universal Spiritual Assembly)
Erikson stage # 6: Late adolescence
Psychosocial crisis: Individual identity versus Identity confusion
Central task: Role experimentation
Positive outcome: Strong moral identity, ready for intimate relationships
Developmental task: Autonomy from parents, sex role identity, internalized morality, career choice
Ego quality: Fidelity
Definition: Freedom to pledge and sustain one's values and ideologies to others
Interpretation # 1: Historical/scientifc
Individual identity (psychology provided for shell-shock, NAzi shift in Germany, Great Depression causes changes)
Role experimentation (Word War II)
Strong moral idenity (Marshall plan, NATO, Warsaw Pact, Germany split)
Autonomy from parents (counter-culture movement, hippies, womens lib, homosexual rights, civil rights)
Fidelity (sexual revolution)
Freedom to pledge... (unification of Germany, collapse of USSR)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Note: the use of Scientology here may be very controversial, but the emphasis is not on how the religion goes about its practice, but through the teachings. Many previous religions have committed atrocities due to their practice, such as the Catholic Church/Inquisition for example, or fundamentalist Moslems.
Individual identity (L Ron Hubbard questions identity during war time)
Role experimentation (questions society through his writings)
Strong moral identity (foundation of Scientology, beginning auditing for spirtual therapy)
Autonomy from parents (strong centerhold on the focus of Scientologists to practice)
Fidelity (strong urges not to leave faith)
Freedom to pledge (strong urges to commit to faith)
Erikson Stage # 7: Early Adulthood
Psychosocial Crisis: Intimacy versus Isolation
Central task: Care giving
Positive outcome: Developing trust and sharing with others
Developmental task: Strong relationships, work, child rearing
Ego quality: Love
Definition: Capacity for mutuality to transcend childhood dependency
Interpretation # 1: Scientific/ (historical?)
Note: It is beyond this time that we go beyond the present. It is in this area of history from now onwards, that I have used ideas taken from a number of science fiction films, based on their relation based on development of technology and thus their developed nature of their society.
Intimacy versus Isolation (Globalization, Internet, Global warming)
Care giving (war on terror, use of genetic engineering to create vaccines for diseases and for curing hunger)
Developing trust (development of GM divide between rich and poor)
Strong relationships (reorganization of relationships based on genetics)
Love (recreation of relationships between humans and GM humans and clones)
Capacity for mutuality (rights of GM and clones recognised)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Intimacy versus Isolation (intimacy through law of attraction, through reconnection of sexual spiritual energy, through environment)
Care giving (caring for the inner spirit, the inner drive of sex, the connection of one with the environment)
Developing trust (learning to cross the barrier of perceived separateness)
Strong relationships (building relationships through union of sexual energy and environmental outlook)
Love (transcending material love to spiritual spritual/sexual love)
Capacity for mutuality (learning of connection between man and nature)
Erikson Stage # 8: Late adulthood
Psychosocial stages: Generation versus Stagnation
Central task: Creativity
Positive outcome: Nurturing children or helping out the next generations in other ways
Developmental task: Nurturing relationships, management of career and household, parenting
Ego quality: Care
Definition: Concern for and commitment to family and community
Interpretation # 1: Historical/scientific
Generation versus stagnation (use of robots and AIs to help assist in workforce)
Creativity (use of AIs in research)
Nurturing children (use of AIs in teaching children and protecting children, recognition of AIs as having feelings in their ways)
Nurturing relationships... (AI-human relationships, AI-human integration in lifestyles)
Care (AIs becoming carers of humanity)
Concern for (AIs becoming protectors of humanity)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Generation versus Stagnation (the use of cybernetic implants to transcend the limits of the body and the mind)
Creativity (the use of cybernetic AI interfaces to allow someone to transcend new realms of thinking)
Nurtuing children (the use of cybernetic implants to read the feelings of their children, providing closer links)
Nurturing relationships (the use of cybernetic relationships to extend the human body beyond the realm of the physical)
Care (the extension of the self through cybernetic implants to help care for others distant but belonging to the community)
COncern for (the allocation of one's personal time to serving the community)
Erikson stage # 9: Early Old Age
Psychosocial crisis: Integrity versus Despair
Central task: Introspection
Positive outcome: A sense of fulfillment about life, a sense of unity with self and others
Developmental task: Intellectual vigor, redirecting energies to new roles and new activities, developing a point of view about death
Ego quality: Wisdom
Definition: Detached yet active concern with life in the face of death
Interpretation # 1: Scientific/historical
Integrity versus Despair (the uploading of human consciousness into virtual worlds is both exciting but also dissapointing)
Introspection (people have to realise that being now programs of mind, they can have their minds reprogrammed)
A sense of fulfill.. (it is through being part of the virtual world that people can learn to break the rules of the virtual world)
Intellectual vigor... (it is in areas of control that through being connected to the driver of the world, one can use one's abilities to negotiate the terms of how the virtual world is run)
Wisdom (it is through this that people can learn to transfer their thoughts into other physical bodies)
Detached yet active concern (it is through the death of their physical bodies that they know their consciousness can be stored in virtual form)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Integrity versus despair (one has to realize that in the virtual world, one still can become addicted to the mere material needs)
Introspection (it is through the realization of oneself as being able to change the world through their thoughts that can free them)
A sense of fulfillment (it is through the realization of connectedness that one is one of all the universe)
Intellectual vigor (it is through this that we can reshape the universe to make it better for all people within the universe)
Wisdom (it is through this however that one can learn that we will exist onwards in energy after we die)
Detached yet active concern (thus we can do our work to serve the universe without a fear of death and detached from materialism, but through the interconnectedness of the universe)
Erikson Stage # 10: Late old age
Psychosocial crisis: Immortality versus Extinction
Central task: Social support
Positive outcome: Life review, accept death with a sense of integrity and without fear
Developmental task: Coping with physical aging, developing a historical perspective, storytelling
Ego quality: Confidence
Definition: Conscious trust in self; assurance about meaningfulness of life
Interpretation # 1: Scientific/historical
Immortality versus Extinction (it is through wormholes mapping the universe that we can become aware of the universe's eventual destiny)
Social support (it is through wormhole observation that all things can be observed, and through wormholes that any location can be connected, and through wormholes that any heat can be gathered for energy needed for real life or simulated life)
Life review... (it is through the wormhole linking of minds, that one knows that one's identity will live on in another's mind when one's body dies)
Coping with physical aging (it is through observing the past, that we can see how all events are connected through laws)
Confidence (it is through recordings of the past that allow people from the past to be resurrected in space time)
Conscious trust in self (it is through direct recording into spacetime that allows people to exist throughout the existence of the universe)
Interpretation # 2: Spiritual
Immortality (it is through temporal warpings that every event must be made in order for anything to exist)
Social support (the reality of one life is to play its part in a great performance that has been scripted)
Life review (it is through this that one is able to live on after one dies, by future developments)
Coping with physical aging (and it is through this one will be resurrected with one's loved ones)
Confidence (thus all people will be able to choose a life free from the enslavement of time itself)
Conscious trust in self (and thus with god-like power, we can learn to create the universe to better all existence through new ways of perception)