o how to take this discussion any further? I could simply enumerate the social and mystical practices that interest me, but that would not be definitive in any way. My selection of concepts is not based on some criteria of what are the best elements of their sources, the normal concept of eclecticism, but on what concepts from whatever fields fit together into the most consistent "model" of the reality of which we are part. More specifically, the goal is to find a best fit model of God ~ Ultimate Reality. This means the parts which carry over from tradition to tradition and which fit together with parts from other traditions in a coherent whole or have other corroborating aspects. As specific examples, consider how many aspects of shamanism have a consensus aspect. Several shamans can enter a "spirit canoe" and explore the non-phsical world together, experiencing the same non-physical reality together.
Whether
a shaman enters into the underworld through a natural or created entranceway to enter the spirit world below
or climbs a "world tree" into the spirit world above, the commonality
is in exploring the inner reality of the spirit world which shows many
similarities, however accessed. Going beyond this description becomes
difficult as it becomes a matter of choosing criteria for the best fit.
Some model based on science? Personal preference? Revelation? Unfortunately,
I can't find any objective criteria that is adequate so I end up with
answer (d): All of the above. Going further in this direction starts to
get into the actual model that I am finding to be a best fit which I intend
to discuss elsewhere, first in simple broad strokes and later in more
detail.
