Genesis, Polytheism, and Pantheism

Re the word elohim: It is an old Hebrew word, and means "gods" (plural).

But in Genesis, it was deliberately mistranslated as "God" (singular). This deliberate mistranslation was used to drive away the troubling specter of polytheism (the worship of many gods). In 1611, when the King James Version of the Bible (still standard in many churches) was translated, you could be burned at the stake for "heresy" (disagreeing with the formal Church). So, any hints of polytheism would have been deadly. So, astonishingly, the first verse of Genesis does not correctly say, "In he beginning, God created the heavens and the earth," but, instead, "In the beginning, the gods created the heavens and the earth."

If our earth is indeed a bio-labatory for a higher civilization, this translation makes much more sense. Also, modern archeological and textual research indicates that the original Hebrews might have been polytheists. Other research implies even that Genesis is not even a document that originated with the Hebrews. So, there are a number of possibilities.

It is certainly possible that forms of the word elohim, or at least its cognates, predate the formation of the nation of ancient Israel, even predating Abraham and the formal Hebrew language. It is very likely an incrediblly ancient word, as it designates the central Mystery of creation and history.

Speculations abound in this, and every other field of metaphysics. There are, for example, a bunch of fascinating theories regarding souls and energy-fields. I do not usually bother with them, as their study usually has little to no value in the practical spiritual life. But of course, they do make a fascinating study in metaphysical speculation. But this is only peripherally related to mysticism, the Center of the spiritual path.

The basic metaphysical speculations of the Cherokee are also interesting. "For example, they teach that stones have a very primitive "consciousness" or "soul." In metaphysics, stones are often used for energy, as the theory holds that they radiate a very subtle life-supporting and mind-enhancing "light" in a spectrum that is
invisible. It is certainly possible that stones have "souls" of a sort. But what is known is this: Animals-- that is, sentient ones (mammals)-- certainly do have souls. The soul (deeper levels of Mind) are what make a living creature sacred. So, all traditions of wisdom forbid murdering mammals for sport or convenience. Human beings are certainly blessed withSouls, although it just complexifies matters to describe the human soul as triune or tripartite.

It is overly simplistic, even naive,to say that "God did not create the universe; he is the universe." This is a very old and dusty idea called "pantheism." Although mystics are often mistaken for pantheists, because they see God everywhere, in each material thing or situation, mysticism is very different from pantheism. In pantheism, "God" is just another word for "universe."

Actually, the "physical" cosmos is the dream of the cosmic Mind, deep in the Unconscious. This profound facet of Mind, called "Creatormind" or "Dreamer," is part of the Spirit. God is not quite reducible, in this primitive fashion, to the material cosmos. When you have a dream at night, it would be foolish to say, "You are nothing more than that dream." So, God is not the cosmos, but the Mind behind the cosmos.

When you dream of a little red wagon and a blue ball, you, as mind, are "in" the wagon and the ball. In this same way, God is "within" everything, for Mind is within all, as the Dreamer of this great dream. This philosophy is the mystical, and has been called "panenthism," to separate it from naive and ignorant pantheism. God both emanates the cosmos and indwells it immanantly. God is not the material cosmos, as in pantheism, but divine Mind or nature is "within" everything.