Author: Tunnel Vision 8

The Great Earth Debate (Flash Fiction)

/ Tunnel Vision 8 
The Great Earth Debate
By Gina M. Gafford
Flash Fiction Reading (700 words or less)
Sponsored by the Literary Committee of the Arts Consortium of Carver County (ACCC)
Sower Gallery (Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church, Chaska, Minnesota)
August 6, 2024, 6:30 p.m.
The Great Earth Debate
     Why does the shape of the Earth matter so much? Do we need to know if the Earth is round or flat? This debate started a long time ago with two ancient Greek philosophers. Plato was a teacher, mentor, and sage. He was known throughout history to have a large book in the crook of his left arm and his right finger pointing toward the sky. Plato started a school called the Academy in 387 B.C.
     Plato’s student was Aristotle. Aristotle was an eager and contemplative soul. His brown curly hair wisped around his head as his thoughts ran with the wind. Opposite Plato’s finger pointing up, Aristotle had his right palm facing toward the ground. Aristotle admired Plato and tried to be obedient. 
     In the future, Plato and Aristotle would become famous philosophers and add to the knowledge about the world. What they taught and wrote would become the foundations of philosophy. The shape of the Earth matters because it reveals the true origins of humanity. 
     One morning, Plato was alone in his study, with shelves of thick books lining the walls. The sun was rising over the horizon to light the new day, but the heaviness of Plato’s mind anchored him at his wooden desk. Two large stone pillars with vertical lines reminded him of his duties – teaching and discovering. Large, white square tiles on the floor added coolness to the space. Every movement echoed in the spacious room. A morning fire from a nearby building drifted into Plato’s nose.
     Plato was a serious philosopher and astrologer. As he sat at his desk, his saffron robes draped onto the floor and lightly touched his brown sandals. Plato had a premonition. 
     He wrote in his journal: 
     A great wave of change is coming to the shore of knowledge. No one can stop it. I must try to change the course before it’s too late. But who will continue my legacy when I am gone? I am getting old.
     All of a sudden, Plato heard footsteps. He looked up to see his student, Aristotle. 
     “My dear teacher, may I talk to you?” Aristotle said with beady eyes. He stood before Plato’s desk with a small book, his heart beating fast.
     “Yes, what is so urgent? You rushed in like a spooked horse.”
     “I have a revelation, a new philosophy of the Earth.” Aristotle lifted his chest as he took a deep breath.
     “What is this philosophy? What news do you bring me?” Plato glared at Aristotle.
     “My teacher, I have new knowledge of the Earth. We were fooled, my teacher. The Earth’s shadow on the moon is curved which indicates a round Earth.”
     “The Earth is not round. You have gone mad! Do not believe in this new philosophy. The Earth is fixed under the firmament. The sun and moon rotate around the Earth. These are the truths!” 
     Aristotle stood his ground. His thoughts became dark, and his face red. He wanted to strike out with anger. Why couldn’t his teacher listen to him? He knew he was right. The old ways needed to go away.
     “Old man, I can’t be your student anymore.” Aristotle said.
     “You dare to mock your teacher? I have spent years training you. Arrogance is the seed you plant. I will be gone when it is ripe, but future generations will suffer.”
     “My teacher, we are a different generation, and I want to follow a different path.” 
     “You have discovered a lie. You think you have grand wisdom, but it is not.”
     “My teacher, I want to follow the new philosophy of the world. I am not sorry.” 
     Plato abruptly stood up, and the heavy chair slid behind him. He could not believe his eyes. Aristotle was leaving the Academy. However, Plato knew this new philosophy was a deep-seated disservice to humanity. He could foresee the loss of connection to truth and knowledge.
     “Wisdom rides the wind of the past. You are the fool. Get out!”
     Aristotle paused for a moment before leaving the room. He felt a tinge of sadness, but he was right. It was time for new knowledge, and he knew he would change the world.

Swimming to God

/ Tunnel Vision 8

Photo by Gina M. Gafford

I am swimming to God. I see the bright sun in front of me. The rays make their way to my heart. I am swimming to God. My love for God is in my veins, the pathways out from my center. I am swimming to God. I feel light and cool, my body forming with the waves. “I am here, God,” I say in a whisper. "I make my way to you."

True Compass

/ Tunnel Vision 8

The point is that our spiritual awareness seems to be given to us in order to hone in on and not lose touch with that “point or spark of pure truth” at the core of our being, from which both the true compass track of our life and our existential conviction of belonging emanate. That is what the magnetic pull is all about. And as we learn gradually to trust it and let it draw us along, we discover that those core fears of the egoic level – that something terrible can happen to us, that we can fall out of God or suffer irreparable harm – do not compute in these deeper waters of our being. They can only affect us when we are at the surface of ourselves. – Cynthia Bourgeault

The Earth Image

/ Tunnel Vision 8 
The world is our chrysalis sealed with God's love. The path is self-realization and transformation, to open our wings and fly beyond limitations. - GG

Why does the shape of the Earth matter so much? Because it defines who we are as human beings. As citizens of the Earth, we deserve to know the truth. We don’t need to be afraid of anything.

I am obsessed with the spiritual implications of the image of the Earth. There is much debate about whether our Earth is creator or cosmos-based. I am making connections.

The first diagram “SOL-OM-MON TEMPLE” (see below) shows the Earth as a disk, much like the human eye (pupil and iris). Also, according to this diagram, we live in an enclosed system like a terrarium.

At the top of the diagram, Polaris represents the North Star, which is directly above the inner opening. The fixed stars fill space on the firmament with the wandering planets (which are celestial, luminous bodies). The sun and the moon rotate around the disk, much like the yin and yang symbol:

According to the diagram, the sun and moon are similar in size. The magnetic pull for the sun and the moon comes from the Black Sun (the central magnet) and the magnetic plasma. Also, the Black Sun eclipses the moon’s monthly cycle. The diagram is labeled SOL (Sun)—OM (Polaris)—MON (Moon).

Solomon has several definitions. However, I found the key of Solomon (which I need to learn more about):

The land masses are on both sides of the disk. The firmament is a Crystallin/Kristallin Sphere and can be similar to the butterfly’s chrysalis. The sphere is round like an oblate spheroid. Also, the compass always points North. The edges of the Earth are South, and the East and West are the directions around the disk.

One of the most fascinating aspects of our unique Earth is the Black Sun, a celestial body that has the extraordinary ability to eclipse both the sun and the moon. While the Earth adheres to physical laws we are familiar with, the inner Earth presents a different set of physical laws, challenging our understanding of nature (SO ABOVE, SO BELOW).

The Sign of the Cross

The second diagram is “The Sign of the Cross.” It can represent the Polaris (third eye), the sun (on the right), the moon (on the left), and the Black Sun (solar plexus). The Sign of the Cross is the Christalius or Christus (Christ Consciousness).

Jesus had the Christ Consciousness (higher consciousness), but this consciousness is available to everyone.

When someone makes the “Sign of the Cross,” they touch their forehead for the Father (third eye/OM/Father Sky), the stomach area for the Son (Black Sun/solar plexus), and each shoulder for the Holy Spirit (Sophia/sun & moon/yin & yang). In the center of the triangle is the Heart which represents the Earth (notice that Earth and Heart share the same letters – just move the “E” and the “H”).

I hope you found this fascinating! It is just the beginning of understanding our EARTH (the HEART).

Namaste.

Bonus: If you type “flat earth” backwards into a web browser, it will lead to nasa.gov.

Gaia & Noosphere

/ Tunnel Vision 8

After reading several ancient texts, the message is clear: We must return to nature. However, we must understand nature in a new way. The ancient masters tell us that we must see everything as energy. The trees, flowers, mountains, and animals are pure energy – just like us. Once we have a higher consciousness, we can “see” nature differently.

For this we need to evolve the intuitive level of the brain, to overcome our alienation from nature, and live in harmony with the Earth. – Joseph Chilton Pearce

The noosphere combines the mind and the biosphere. The combination creates creativity. Pierre Teilhard de Chardin writes about human evolution, but not biologically. He is referring to higher states of consciousness, spirituality, and energy. Unfortunately, modern technology (ancient technologies are okay) and AI are pulling us away from nature – so this is not the path to enlightenment.

The path to enlightenment is through Gaia. The Gayatri mantra is known as the “Mother of the Vedas.” The hidden knowledge is that the only way to enlightenment is through the physical world. So, now we understand how precious we are as human beings. Many distractions take us away from our spiritual growth on Earth. We must be aware of these distractions and put sincere effort into our spiritual practices.

The biosphere has energy called aether (or ether). It is considered the fifth element and has electrical energy (free energy). We can reach the aether atop a mountain. Again, this is nature – something we need to reconnect with. We can train our senses to become tuned to these higher frequencies. The ancients talked about using our senses – our gifts as human beings.

As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin writes, the new human is intuitive, connected to the senses, works with the chakras in the body, meditates, and is united with all life. Most ancient texts talk about oneness and reducing “selfishness.”

Meditation is a spiritual practice that can help us reach enlightenment in this lifetime. With meditation, we learn to live in the present moment, connect with our senses, and become mindful of the breath (the wind within us). We are the elements.

Our ancient ancestors connected with the moon, sun, and stars (astrology). Looking up is powerful and lifts us toward heaven. Just think about what we do when we look at our phone – we look down. The enlightened human looks up at the sky. We lift our heads to honor the cycles of life.

The moon and the sun are guiding forces in nature. They are the yin and yang of life. Many ancient texts talk about solar connections, like the solar plexus in the human body. Many Eastern spiritual practices, like Qigong, work with solar energy. Also, the moon connects with the subconscious mind – our dreams and deepest thoughts. The full moon invites us to go deeper.

We must return to nature with a new consciousness. Many think that the ancient ancestors were primitive and innocent. However, they had sophisticated mathematics and sacred geometry. Everything is cyclic. We are part of ancient wisdom.

Namaste.