In his book, the Divine Matrix, Greg Braden tries to show his belief system in a scientific way. Unfortunately, the basic truth of his book is that we live in a quantum universe and then he ignores that fact. He starts his book with key points and illustrates his meaning in each key point with an anecdote. However, in a quantum universe anecdotes are meaningless because cause and effect are not connected. Thus, he never proves his beliefs; he merely posits them and expects you to accept the belief based on his interpretation of the anecdote. I want to take you through the 20 Key Points in his book and to show you those which are not based in reality.
Key Point One: The Divine Matrix is the CONTAINER that holds the universe, the bridge between all things, and the mirror that shows us what we have created.
In listening to Greg talk, he would have you believe that this Divine Matrix is the "thing" between the points, the filling between matter. Science is concluding that this is called Dark Matter. He calls it something else. Kabbalah would call it Light. Now Greg says that the Thing is the Bridge between all things because he believes that energy can only be transmitted if there is matter to transmit it through. He never proves that such is the case and science does not know that for sure. Lastly, he says the Divine Matrix is the Mirror that shows us what we have created, but we have to get to the end of the book to discover that the Mirror mirrors our feelings, emotions and beliefs. It is entirely in this concept that the book fails.
The Divine Matrix is before all else and after all else, but humanity, even if you call it human at homo erectus, has only been on the Planet for 4,000,000 years. The Universe is between 13 billion and 20 billion years old. Does he mean to say that the essence of the Divine Matrix depends upon Us? Such egotism. Such hubris. Genetics scientists now say that there have been at least six sentient homonoids and behavorial scientists would say that there are at least five other species that have reached some degree of sentience. They all had feelings, emotions, and beliefs, but Greg makes no allowances for them.
Key Point Two: Everything in our world is connected to everything else.
This principle is called the Law of Contagion. It is a basic Magickal law which has been recognized for at least the last 2,000 years. It says that anything which has touched anything else is always connected to it thereafter. Greg says that because all matter and energy once existed in the space of a pea that all matter is connected. The Law of Contagion works but only in the hands of a gifted magician. Nothing new here.
Key Point Three: To tap the force of the universe itself, we must see ourselves as PART OF the world rather than SEPARATE FROM it.
From the day that we were born, Fowler says, we have been trying to define ourselves as separate from the other, the world, and individual. It is in this act that we develop moral responsibility. Greg would take us back to the selfish, egotistical womb. However, all Magickal theory and all spiritual theory requires us to reject the ego of individuality and become part of G-d or the Matrix. Doing this is just the opposite of finding ourselves and it requires that we empty ourselves, not develop, of our egos.
Key Point Four: Once something is joined, it is always connected, whether it remains physically linked or not.
The Key word here is JOINED. A baby is joined to its mother. A piece of bread is joined to a loaf. Mere touching is not sufficient to be a joining. So this principle contradicts the Second Key. However, it comes closer to the meaning of the Law of Contagion.
Key Point Five: The act of focusing our consciousness is an act of creation. Consciousness creates.
This Point is very important for Greg's thesis. I agree that focusing our attention on something can create. However, Greg implies in his explanation that it is Mankind's focus which creates the Universe. Such Hubris and it denies what is becoming increasingly obvious. Long before there was any other living thing, Life arose on this Planet. The Life was the Planet. The Planet is living. Call her Gaia. She has consciousness. We are parasites on her body. She is infected with us and periodically seeks to remove us from her Skin. Her Consciousness is the source of Life on the Planet. She is neither G-d nor G-dlike.She merely is alive. Like her some animals and plants on this Planet have become Conscious or Sentient. Their attention creates, but She does not need us for Creation to continue and long after she heals her Skin she will remain Conscious, but we will be gone.
Key Point Six: We have the power we need to create all the changes we choose.
Sorry, Greg. We exercise our consciousness in the same realm or, as Kabbalah would say it, World, in which the Archangels, the Elohim, Demons, Spirits, the Souls Discarnate, and other Planets, animals, and plants exercise their power. We are not alone and we cannot create without being in harmony with the Consciousness of others.
Key Point Seven: The focus of our awareness becomes the reality of our world.
Agreed. Our world is very limited. The blinders on our eyes limit our capacity to see reality and it is limited to our perception of reality.
Key Point Eight: To simply say that we choose a reality is not enough.
True.
Key Point Nine: Feeling is the language that speaks to the Divine Matrix. Feel as though your goal is accomplished and your prayer is already answered.
Actually, spirituality says, emotions are the source of power. Pure emotions are most powerful. Negative emotions have more power than positive emotions. Positive emotions can be joined together more easily than negative emotions and will last longer. The Sentient who can focus his Emotions has learned to harmonize with the Divine Matrix and his Prayer which originated in the Divine Matrix will be answered.
Key Point Ten: Not any feeling will do. The ones that create must be without ego and judgment.
Not true. All emotions are filled with ego and judgment. Only Emotions create.
Key Point Eleven: We must become in our lives the things we choose to experience in the world.
This is an important point which Greg will later contradict.
Key Point Twelve: We are not bound by the Laws of Physics as we know them today.
True.
Key Point Thirteen: In a holographic "something" every piece of the something mirrors the whole something.
This is a trick point. What Greg says is true of a hologram. But he will then argue that our Consciousness is holographic. He never proves that to be true.
Key Point Fourteen: The universally connected hologram of consciousness promises that the instant we create our good wishes and prayers, they are already received at their destination.
Although I do not disagree with the statement, Greg argues that this is true as a result of the hologram. I would argue that as Mother Gaia's consciousness encompasses the Planet, all of our consciousness becomes part of the same field as her consciousness. So the action is on her consciousness which is everywhere and instantaneously felt throughout her being, i.e., she knew that a prayer would be made and she answered instantly.
Key Point Fifteen: Through the hologram of consciousness, a little change in our lives is mirrored everywhere in our world.
It is here that the logic fails. Greg is free to quote the Kabbalah. The Kabbalah teaches that because of the technologies that we have come to rely upon, our minds have blinders and the blinders have created a husk around the world that stops true Light from descending. The only changes that affect the entire world are changes in the minds of the 36 Tzaddikim. Changes in our minds do not effect paradigm shifts.
Key Point Sixteen: The minimum number of people required to "jump start" a change in consciousness is the square root of 1% of the population.
No. It is 36 specific people, the Tzaddikim.
Key Point Seventeen: The Divine Matrix serves as the mirror in our world of the relationships that we create in our beliefs.
Unproven even by anecdote.
Key Point Eighteen: The root of our "negative" experiences may be reduced to one of three universal fears (or a combination of them): abandonment, low self-worth, or lack of trust.
So we have the Greg Braden universal basis of problems, the Freud, the James, etc. Why should we accept his as any more logical or provable than the others.
Key Point Nineteen: Our true beliefs are mirrored in our most intimate relationships.
I tend to agree with him, but not for the reasons stated.
Key Point Twenty: We must become in our lives the very things that we choose to experience in our world.
If we choose to become Saints, we have to give up everything to become saints. He argues that all choosing is really leaving a void that we must try to fill. So, what he really is saying is that we should live in ego, in selfishness, in self-interest. I hardly think that is a positive place to be.
I doubt we will see Greg Braden canonized anytime soon.
