Three dimensions of evolution
Evolution proceeds along three dimensions that are characteristics of The three Logoi:
- Conditions of Consciousness (CoC)
- Conditions of Life (CoL)
- Conditions of Form (CoF)
Imagine the cosmos as an eternal cosmic fractal-like evolution that rolls off along a breathing dynamic, whereby the three dimensions mentioned are the stages in three levels of that cosmic breathing dynamic. At the highest level, each planetary stage of evolution gives rises to a CoC as the result of an outbreathing followed by an inbreathing, a process consisting of mantavara and pralaya stages.
- A stage of awake daytime emanation into the spirit, astral and physical world is called a 'manvantara'.
- Between two manvantaras takes place what is called a 'pralaya', a state of transition, of 'disappearance' (in the higher spiritual) or of deep sleep.
This sequence takes place at different levels: at CoC (between planetary stages) and at CoL: one CoC can also be seen as smaller breaths called CoL, with minor pralayas in between. Furthermore one CoL can also be said to go through a number of CoF stages.
And last, this in and out breathing takes place even higher level with the beginning and end of a solar system, see Cosmic breath of Brahma.
Our current conditions of space and time are quite specific to in a certain subphase of Earth development, as we are currently living in:
- the fourth CoC: Earth
- the fourth CoL: mineral
- the fourth CoC: physical (and lowest)
- the fifth epoch: called Aryan or PostAtlantean (see also Earth's seven epochs). See also the mixed races that developed in earlier epochs on Human races.
- the fifth cultural age: called anglo-german (after ancient Indian, Persian, Egyptian, Greco-Roman; see Current Postatlantean epoch)
Aspects
- characteristics of The three Logoi (see Schema FMC00.064 on that topic page)
- how this relates to the Cosmic breath of Brahma and Creation by the three Logoi
- representation for students of spiritual science: CoF in colours and signs, CoL in sounds, life sounding forth. No characterizing signs exist in the physical world for the CoC (1904-10-25-GA089)
- CoC, CoL and CoF also map to Being or Self - or Consciousness, Life and Form, see Schema FMC00.171 on Force substance presentation, or zooming out broader see meta schema FMC00.303 on Creation by the three Logoi. Or see also Schema FMC00.133 on IIH.
terminology
- terminology for CoC, CoL and CoF
- in theosophical literature CoL and CoF are also called rounds and globes - see also: Terminology#1893 - C. J. Harrison
- in Christian terminology they are called power, kingdom and glory - or also Father, Son, Spirit (1904-07-GA090A)
- also:
- in Hinduism (Samkhya): Purusha (CoC), Prakriti (CoL), Mahat (CoF) (1904-07-10-GA090A)
- in Buddhism: adi-atma (CoL), adi-buddha (CoL), adi-deva (CoF) (1904-07-10-GA090A)
spiritual beings
- spiritual beings responsible for the state transitions (see Schema FMC00.093)
- in the Book of Dzyan: Prajapatis or 'Builders'
- seven spirits and states spirits that are round-robbin in cycles along the Conditions of Form, described as Powers or Spirits of Form with the names: divine, fire, warmth, light, force, creative, soul (1904-07-08-GA090A, 1904-07-10-GA090A)
- note: 1904-07-08-GA090A maps the Second Hierarchy in esoteric christianity to the three dimensions of evolution for CoC, CoL and CoF, respectively SoW, SoM, SoF.
other
- various superimposed levels of 'cosmic breathing' from spiritual entities at different levels; see also Cosmic breathing and Spiritual hierarchies and their eigenperiods
Illustrations
Schema FMC00.093 gives an overview of the different dimensions that roll off in one another in the great cosmic evolution
Schema FMC00.057 illustrates the levels of Conditions of Consciousness (CoC), Life (CoL) and Form (CoF).
The corresponding 21 prajapatis, whereby the 21 are made up out of 10+6+5 (see colour codes green, grey, red).
Schema FMC00.057D provides an explanatory overview of the 343 states in the solar system evolution.
.
Schema FMC00.566 provides an alternative way to depict the three dimensions of evolution, Conditions of Consciousness, Life and Form (Schema FMC00.093) and the corresponding prajapatis, whereby the 21 are made up out of 10+6+5 (see colour codes green, grey, red).
On the left, Schema FMC00.057.
In the middle: the 21 are positioned on seven spokes of a wheel. Note that for the purpose intended here, it does not make a difference whether the green (CoC) is outer and red (CoF) is inner, or the reverse. Only when one adds a center, one could argue CoC to CoF flows 'outwards', so logically top down along the Golden Chain from the higher worlds downwards.
This view is based on a description in the Sepher Yetzirah, the book of the ancient Jewish spiritual teachings. The interpretation and transfer of the original Sepher Yetzirah text (twenty two letters on a wheel) to an image visualization was done by Patrick Mulcahy in 2001, who called this Jacob's wheel or also the GL GL wheel or galgal wheel. The 22nd letter is in the center (see spiral on the right). Mulcahy has provided various image versions with a fractal nature (though he does not use it in the meaning presented here; but with different interpretations in an astrological context). More info with the explanation on Schema FMC00.566A and Three dimensions of evolution#References and further reading.
On the right: Given we are talking about higher spiritual reality, it is important that one lets go of space and time, and doing so, one can imaginately feel the intertwined threefoldness is better represented by a concurrent spiraling, depicted on the right as illustration to support this imagination.
Added below: are two animated spirals that bring this concept drawing on the right to life, and show it is as a continuous eternal dynamic.
The following animated spirals help our imagination to escape the limitations of twodimensional representation by visually adding the evolutionary dimension through the animation in time.
Schema FMC00.566A provides a 'mind aid' to imaginative contemplation of Schema FMC00.566. Any such visualization restricted to two dimensions and a time sequence is necessarily quite limited and thus unsatisfactory, but nevertheless it can assist the contemplation.
It is key to consider that there is no time and space in the higher spirit world and above. Thus, with a logical intellectual mind in meditation mode, one can imagine that the threefolded nature and process of the logoic principle is 'always happening in all things', and all this 'happens all together at the same time'. See also the spiral animations under Schema FMC00.566.
Man's time-space based thinking process (part of contemporary waking consciousness logically tries to put CoL, CoL and CoF into a sequence with three levels, but this need not be the case.
Picture below based on original image by Patrick Mulcahy, adapted to show the 10+6+5 prajapatis depicted at three levels for dimensions of evolution (left).
On the right is a support for 'sequence-thinking' as an aid to start the imaginative process. Imagine that a single spiral movement (re right and below Schema FMC00.566) is running all the time, but it only processes one of the coloured spheres at any time in its continuous flow. Start in the middle picture with the 1 on the outer CoC ring, moving to the 1 on the middle CoL ring (and only this 1), and then running off CoF 1 to 7 (inner ring), after which it moves back to the outer ring to go for another round CoC 1 but now takes CoL 2 (right picture), and so on.
Schema FMC00.064 provides a synthesis of a number of aspects of the three Logoi and the three primal outstreamings:
Schema FMC00.010A links the three Logoi to the Three dimensions of evolution.
See also the '1904-10-25-GA089 quote' section in the Discussion area.
Schema FMC00.314 is an extended version of schema FMC00.314A by Rudolf Steiner, adapted from an illustration by Richard Seddon.
Schema FMC00.314A is a more well-known schema of the seven Conditions of Life (CoL) or kingdoms, with the Conditions of Form (CoF) underneath, drawn by Rudolf Steiner end 1904 (see also GA093A) to explain that the 25th stage (of the 49 in total) is always the deepest, densest, middle stage. We are now in the fourth planetary stage of CoC in the 25th stage, thus on the densest stage of all.
Schema FMC00.203 shows the first six planetary stages in the overview of solar system evolution, to point out that for the evolution of Mankind, there is always only one but different CoL that is important per planetary stage (1905-03-18-GA090B). On Earth that is the current mineral CoL, on Future Jupiter it will be the plant CoL. On Old Moon Mankind was still at the level of the third EK, see The elementary kingdoms
Schema FMC00.057A is the schema specifically within one planetary stage, like Earth. For Earth it is the fourth mineral CoL4 that is important for development of Man. See further: Earth rounds perspective.
Schema FMC00.678: shows some drawings illustrating the exploration of creation by Itzhak Bentov in 'Cosmic Book' (approx. 1978, published posthumously).
The merit of this booklet with light-hearted descriptions in plain world language is that it requires one to be mobile in thought, and not frozen in concepts and imagery as sometimes happens with study of theosophy or anthroposophy. That is why Schema FMC00.566 (and its variants) already shows an alternative representation of the more common visualizations like Schema FMC00.196. Given what is depicted is far above space and time, it is important to realize that all such depictions are only conceptual projections to show a certain logic or structure for our intellectual thinking mind.
On this Schema, the 'seven rings and forty-nine universes' can be mapped to the Conditions of Consciousness and Life in a planetary chain of evolution. Indeed each cycle spawns off another 'creation', and as humanity we are concerned 'only' about our cycle of development. Rudolf Steiner also mentions: "... 'our' Christ is the 25th, in every kingdom the Son principle reveals itself once, 49 times in a planetary chain" (1904-07-10-GA090A)
With 'cosmos' and 'super-cosmos' Bentov wanted a way to label and discuss higher levels of creation, and he illustrated throughout the book with comic book like sketches, see Schema.
From the scope and information contained in this book, as it is not known what level of initiation he had himself, one might hypothesize that Bentov was perhaps shown higher insights by an adept. Bentov would say "We all are on the same bus, moving through infinity; only some have window seats, others aisle seats. I happen to have a window seat." ..."I'm just a tourist, snapping pictures and bringing them back to share with you."
Lecture coverage and references
Sefer Yetzirah
verses 2:4
The twenty-two letters are the foundation.
They are fixed on a wheel
with 231 Gates.
The wheel rotates back and forth.
1904-07-08-GA090A
Maps the Second Hierarchy in esoteric christianity to the three dimensions of evolution for CoC, CoL and CoF, respectively SoW, SoM, SoF.
1904-07-10-GA090A
describes the seven states and spirits that are round-robbin in cycles along the Conditions of Form
1904-10-25-GA089
On completion of all 343 states the human being will be what we call a `god'.
This is not the supreme god but 'the third Logos', which is in truth the Logos of Form when it will have gone through the 343 metamorphoses; it is Form at its most advanced stage.
These different configurations of Consciousness are Form again on the higher plane. Conceived as a whole, these 343 forms are thus the Third Logos.
The Second Logos will represent Life at its highest stage, and the First Logos, Consciousness at its highest stage.
...
The CoF are represented in colours and signs for esoteric students, the CoL in sounds, life sounding forth. No characterizing signs exist in the physical world for the CoC
1978 - Itzhak Bentov
Bentov left the note for 'Cosmic book' unfinished when he died in 1979, this book was published after his death in 1982 and 1988. It takes a light-hearted comic book approach to explaining the cosmos in easy mundane language.
Though discussing things like the spirit world and nirvana plane, Bentov of course needs to use threedimensional physical world language and descriptions to sketch spiritual concepts (that are beyond space and time).
Commentary:
quote
You are leaving this universe of ours, which now looks like a luminous watermelon in the distance. You look up.
In disbelief you begin to see . . more universes! They appear arranged in a rising spiral (helix), and you discern seven rings, each containing seven universes, or forty-nine in all. Each universe is the body of a Creator.
- God is too complex a being for us to understand, so, for our benefit, He projects Himself into three aspects, making a tetrahedron of Himself (The tetrahedron, a pyramid with four triangular sides, is the most basic, economical, stable three-dimensional structure in the universe.) This is why most religions have trinities—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit of Christianity, or Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva of Hinduism. It's easier for us to deal with one aspect of Him at a time. Each part of such a trinity functions independently, in its own characteristic way, when it communicates with smaller consciousnesses, such as ours
You are, then, looking at a coil of forts-nine universes.
You must forget sizes and switch your scale. Imagine that you go to a gas station and inflate yourself with the air pump to the size of the gas station, then a continent, then a planet. Finally, your body is the size of the universe on this spiral, a tiny speck in the void. You must measure things in terms of universes, otherwise you would become disoriented and lose your perspective.
Above the coil of forty-nine universes you see a luminous three-dimensional form that seems made of bluish neon tubes. Tremendous energies are flowing out of it. You are puzzled, because you recognize this as the Aleph, the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and you ask what it means. The explanation comes immediately, as if from someone guiding you on this tour: The shape of the Aleph has nothing to do with Jews or the Hebrew alphabet. It is an abstract three-dimensional shape formed by four creative energies that are active on this level. As the four energies of different frequencies interact, they create a rectangular interference pattern, which was directly cognized by ancient Hebrew seers and incorporated into their alphabet.
...
Having examined and understood the details of this structure, you want to see where it ends, and going away from it, you suddenly come to a wall, which appears to have alternating flat and curved parts. You wonder why, and as you move along this wall, you realize that you are trapped within an enormous sphere. Let us call it a cosmos. You keep moving inside the cosmos, until finally you break through its luminous golden skin.
To your amazement, you discover that it is surrounded by more cosmoses, each with an Aleph and a cod of forty-nine unherses within, pressing against other innumerable cosmoses. like frogs' eggs
In biology there is a close-packed structure found in living cells, where only six cells can fit around a central cell, creating a tight structure of seven cells in one plane As the cells press against each other their sides flatten in the areas of contact. This explains, by analogy, the alternating flat and curved areas in the wall of the cosmos.
How many spheres of the same size can one put on top of these seven spheres so that they are stably located? There is space for three. On top of the three spheres, one can put only one sphere. This creates a three-dimensional module based on the tetrahedron, reflecting the numbers of spheres in each layer: 1-3-7. Two such modules joined together produce a unit cell, like a crystal.
...
A consciousness that wants to project information to you will assume human features—eyes or a face—to show that it is a consciousness, something that can interact with you. For example, when you leave our universe. a consciousness shows up that looks like a triangle surrounded by flames. Then a face appears within the triangle. The flames around it represent the four fires or energies projected by the Aleph within the cosmos.
...
[The Super-Cosmos]
What is beyond the cosmos? We human beings always want to see the edges or the end of things. It is difficult for us to deal with infinity.
Your body, now the size of a cosmos, continues to expand, and all you see are closely packed structures containing Alephs and all the rest—hundreds of thousands of them, everywhere. Finally, you pop up on the surface. The horizon is curved, indicating that it's a sphere.
You have emerged on the next level of Creation and are looking at a being—a sphere—that contains all the innumerable cosmoses. Let us call it a super-cosmos. You ask for the consciousness that runs this structure. It immediately appears and looks like a lily flower. Its consciousness contains the consciousnesses of all the Alephs, which are within it. You can talk to it. You ask the super-cosmos how it functions, and it says, "Just watch me."
...
The universe is a machine for the distillation of consciousness. When a Creator runs His universe, it could be described as distilling a column of consciousness to raise it to a level equal to His own.
Consciousness evolves; it leaves the primordial soup and gradually develops, and every now and then there is one individualized consciousness that is much better than the others. At some point it begins to reflect, "Maybe I belong to a larger structure and can figure out how this whole thing works." Then it realizes: "I reflect the Creator.
At that point the Creator says. "Come here, I have chores for you to do."
...
When a super-cosmos reaches a critical dimension. it stops growing. For each new cosmos coming out of the factory in the center, one cosmos pops off the surface into the void. Around mature super-cosmoses, you can see many clouds of little cosmoses, like a mist. They collect into islands and elbow away as the big super-cosmoses, forming new super-cosmoses. There is no end to it! The whole structure is a growing, living being. You realize that you are in the middle of an organism and you want to get out, to see the end.
[The Manifest Creation or All-There-Is]
As you move out of the super-cosmoses, you discover that there are spheres within spheres within spheres: seven levels in all. ...
The seven levels of spheres within spheres represent the seven cosmic hierarchies. The consciousnesses expressing each level are modular, that is, each contains all the consciousnesses below it.
[editor: the few lines belows are added to give a feel of how the writing style combines fun in language with deeper spiritual concepts, like already clear above also]
[Part 4 - A GUIDED TOUR OF NIRVANA]
[Encounter With Naga]
You are now floating in the dark void. Below is Manifest Creation, a translucent, shimmering sphere containing All-there-is and appearing like a small lost balloon in the vastness of the infinite void.
Suddenly you notice a dot of light in the darkness and you move quickly to investigate. It looks like a barred window, with light coming through it. You move in closer. A beautiful, warm light and vibrations of love are pouring out through the window.
Naturally, you want to go in, but, unfortunately, the head of an enormous snake shows up in the window. He hisses and says in snake language. "What do you want?"
"Well," You say, I'm just a tourist, interested in finding out what this is all about."
"Well," says the snake, "this is Nirvana,
Discussion
Note 1 - The three logoi and the three dimensions of evolution
About the 1904-10-25-GA089 quote
Compare
- Schema FMC00.010A and FMC00.067 on Creation by the Three Logoi. Schema FMC00.010A is a literal illustration of 1904-10-25-GA089
- Schema FMC00.064 and FMC00.171 on The three Logoi
then read
- 1906-11-08-GA055 on Christ Module 4 - The Mystery of the Blood which explains how suffering (as we know it on earth, now consider the 343 cycles) need to include or be constituted of a destruction process of the lower by the side of a creating process of the higher.
Contemplate this together with Schema FMC00.057 above to see how the 1904-GA089 explains the embedded levels.
What is new is that it 'lifts up' the principles described to the level of our complete solar system evolution and the language of the Three Logoi.
What has received completion in one cycle, such as Man at the end of this solar system evolution, will create as the Third Logos in the next.
This can be held against how this happened in our current solar system evolution, and the first outpouring by the Third Logos (see eg Schema FMC00.067)
From a different angle
See Logoic principle#Aspects. The Logos intervenes with a divine impulse at each level, see Logoic principle#1904-07-10-GA090A
Related pages
References and further reading
Regarding Schema FMC00.566
