The Adventure of Being Human series (two books so far) contains a series of lessons that were transmitted from our “spiritual parents” via a single person to a group of students of The Urantia Book. A subtitle for this book might well be Owner’s Manual for Human Beings, as our parents delight in “opening the hood”—so to speak—and introducing us to our many parts. Their lessons and answers depict how they see our “parts”—our attributes of personality, creative spirit, body, mind, and soul. And our divine parents do not just know about our human attributes—they are the creators of them. The best thing is, these lessons not only introduce us to ourselves in all our complexity, they also help us observe these same living, dynamic qualities in others. Our spiritual parents call us “little walking infinities.” We believe these teachings can change lives by allowing us to feel and experience all that we are.
Here then are a few frequently asked questions, along with sample answers:
1. So who are our “spiritual parents”?
The Urantia Book says that Christ Michael and Mother Spirit, our immediate divine parents in our local universe, are of origin in the “Paradise Trinity.” They are both our Creators and our connection to their “parents”—the Holy Trinity of Father, Son, and Spirit. It is the assertion of these lessons and The Urantia Book itself that Christ Michael and Mother Spirit are, in addition, literally a part of our human spiritual nature. This teaching refers to Michael’s spiritual influence on us known as the Sprit of Truth, as well as to Mother Spirit’s presence—the Holy Spirit—which is life itself. “Transmitting/receiving” as we call it, is giving them voice. These lessons will quickly give you a feeling for their personalities and where they’re coming from.
2. What is their relationship with us?
Let’s open the hood and look inside. As a daughter of the Infinite Spirit (the third person of the Trinity), Mother Spirit’s presence within us augments all our mental and spiritual qualities and faculties, those inner abilities that include intuition, knowledge, understanding, courage, gregariousness, worship/appreciation, and wisdom. Michael’s Spirit of Truth is a living nudge inside us, orientating us toward what registers as true, feeds our souls, and grows our wisdom. This is his purpose inside us, and it can become ours if we exercise our free will and decide to follow the truth. Truth can be the continuing discoveries that justify our lives and excite our adventures, leading us on to something larger than before. This is how we grow. Michael’s presence is also as a brotherly companion who delights to be our company. He gives us someone with whom to share our lives.
3. How does each book’s material relate with traditional Christianity?
Although Mother Spirit’s personality as the divine consort of Christ is not recognized as such in traditional Christianity, her Holy Spirit is. In the book both she and Michael—who had a human life as Jesus of Nazareth—offer not only their role in originating and evolving life all through planetary history, but also their delightful part in every individual person’s life today. Their presence is the very living, beating heart of Jesus’ Christianity found in everyone in the world, regardless of belief.
In The Adventure of Being Human series they respond with an infallibly positive and surprising spontaneity of living, loving, teasing, laughing, ministering spirit. We, their children, are their greatest joy, and we can share that with them in our lives. As The Urantia Book states: You shall not portray Jesus as a “man of sorrows.” He lived the most joyous, successful life of anyone and set in motion a spiritual correcting time on earth that continued to grow, clear to today. This book is but a tiny extension of that, yet is entirely consistent with Jesus’ spirit then and now. The lessons are in no way incompatible with the human/divine person presented in the Bible, only speaking in modern English in the present age, to our present concerns and questions.
4. How can this material help me?
It puts you in the viewpoint of your spiritual parents and how they see human life in all its marvelous complexity, breath, depth, and duration through time. Think of Robert Byrne’s poem: “What a gift God could give us—To see ourselves as others see us.” Ironically, they see us so much more comprehensively and positively than we can see ourselves by way of our self-constructed, limited egos. Their words help you realize their spiritual truths for yourself and see them in everyone else. In a round-about way this expanded viewpoint brings the others in your life into a greater, more individual focus. You experience people beginning to emerge as more uniquely themselves from all the stereotypes and prejudices of the culture into which you were born.
5. What do Michael and Mother Spirit say about the human soul?
They present in a number of examples a truth stated in The Urantia Book: there is an even greater spiritual presence in our highest minds, a presence of God, God’s indwelling spirit. This fact has been recognized throughout the ages in every developed religion. What’s new here in these teachings is the idea that this presence of God in us literally creates a spiritual record of our life’s adventures. This record is our soul! Thus our souls are in part pure spirit, making them a transcendent reality. They equally express God’s experience of our lives, along with our own. This immortal soul is what survives our physical deaths along with our unique personalities. Seen this way, our souls may be our only enduring possession, yet they are our only necessary one, vouchsafed for eternity by an individualized presence of God. Enormous in contrast to our ever-changing momentary consciousness, our souls are the source of the meaning and value of life we feel increasing as we grow older. It’s what we see in others as character.
6. What do Michael and Mother Spirit say about my present individual situation?
By emphasizing the transcendent nature of your God-given personality and the way you experience your body, mind, and soul, their lessons give you the tools to analyze and more fully comprehend and appreciate just where and even what you are. The where you are is with respect to your own past, present, and future in time, and also your physical situation both inside you and out-there. What you feel yourself to be depends on how well you integrate all the living, changing aspects of a human being listed above. Michael and Mother Spirit help you identify and understand all these aspects and how they do connect, or not—yet, for you. This is critical for those who feel themselves and see others to be only physical and minded–devoid of persisting personality and creative spirit, let alone soul.
7. What is the larger context for all this?
One context is the enormous Urantia Book in whose detailed cosmology, planetary history, and spiritual teachings and concepts, Michael and Mother Spirit present their insights. Yet although this is one context–and their transmissions did first occur in Urantia Book study groups around the world–they don’t to use many words that are singularly particular to that book to express their truths. They speak in regular English. So knowledge of that book is not at all necessary, but rather the situation is the other way around. This book is a wonderful introduction to that much larger volume. Of course the greatest context–in which Michael’s and Mother Spirit’s words register–is your own life. Reading and understanding their words reflects your life and all you’ve experienced back to you
8. How can I know if this book’s material is real?
Only, finally, in the same way you evaluate everything else you encounter in life: how does it register within you? Ultimately the material has to stand on its own merit. The book has to give you valuable insights into what your own creative spirit really is, so you may experience it as an integral part of you, and understand and marvel at what it is doing. Then you know.
9. What is the stillness meditation that is given in the book?
It’s a type of meditation where you sit still for a set period of time in order to observe whatever wants to come into your mind. This means you are not, as with most meditations, consciously following a regular program such as repeating a chosen mantra of spiritual truth or solving a metaphysical problem. I.e. it is not done for a particular, predetermined psychological effect—say, tranquility or hopefulness–but to more simply yet profoundly enable what might be overlooked or repressed in your ordinary consciousness to come to the surface. It enables you to catch up with yourself on a regular basis. As some might say, with stillness you come into a living, breathing here-and-now out of the bothersome past. Otherwise life is as if you were backing up through it looking in a rear-view mirror of past regret; you’re never fully present. Done regularly, the practice forms an exercise in free will and determination. It becomes an inner home base you are deliberately creating and sustaining—an extra-continuity in your life that you visit each morning to tie all the days together. Instructions enclosed.
10. What does it mean: the material was transmitted?
It is done by tapping into Michael’s and Mother Spirit’s presence within and giving them voice. This requires a learned ability to–very highly consciously–set yourself aside in your mind and not react with what is coming through from them. Any reaction–censoring, or doubt, even excessive awe–means the re-emergence of your own personality’s input, and stops the flow. Transmitting/receiving is largely a matter of sincere intention and recognizing when thoughts are coming, not from your own personality, but from another point of view.
11. Can I do this transmitting myself?
Fundamentally: yes—but it does take practice and persistence. One way to start is to devote part of your meditation and prayers to writing a journal, or using a digital recorder, to keep a record of whatever comes into your mind after inviting Michael/Jesus, or Mother Spirit, to originate your thoughts. Don’t be too surprised when it begins to happen, recognizable by the point of view that is other than your own self. You may be given a whole backlog of things they want to bring up, yet this can be a final proof for you alone that you are not merely imagining what they have to say. It’s an acknowledgment and thankfulness that fills your heart and soul with happy tears for their useful suggestions to your genuine worship. Your worship will be this acknowledging them inside you and giving them value, and a voice.
12. What does the title—The Adventure of Being Human—mean to suggest by referring to “adventure”?
The adventure is inescapable. If we define an adventure as being in a situation where there is no certain way to know exactly what will happen next—think of rock-climbing and hanging by your fingertips on to a tiny rock ledge—over a three-hundred-foot drop—with no safety line—OK, that’s an extreme example: still there is in each moment something that never happened before and will never happen again—for example, you reading and experiencing this—or anything–for the first time. For all our scientific understanding of what follows what, that has us living in outer space and replacing living, beating hearts in an open chest, there is also a spontaneous aspect in human reality that cannot be entirely predicted—though we try mightily, and our make plans. Michael and Mother Spirit reassure us this unavoidable-adventure part of life is by divine design, God’s way of raising his children in a reality that is somewhat ever new and not repeating. We can enjoy it with security in him. The Urantia Book calls our lives sublime uncertainty—with security. Otherwise our life, let alone eternity, would be a hell of repetition. Thank you, Father.