Spiritual Forces

As we have seen, it is the every essence of the integral approach to find - in any given context - the complementary notion (with which it is intimately related). 

So with Integral Physics the task is to find - for any established physical concept - a matching psychological partner (which is mathematically identical in terms of its holistic qualitative nature). Thus we are now looking for the matching psycho spiritual counterparts to the four physical forces (already defined in holistic qualitative terms).

In physical terms the forces are essential to explain phenomenal notions of movement.

In corresponding spiritual terms, complementary forces are required to explain phenomenal notions of psychological movement. This is what we refer to as (fundamental) motivation i.e. that volitional sense of purpose (desire for meaning) which serves as a precondition for all psychological understanding.

Though ultimately there is just one force in this sense, with all subsidiary representations expressive of the same meaning, in phenomenal terms we can identify four that are equivalent in complementary manner with their physical expressions.

We have already talked about spiritual light and spiritual gravitation in other contributions. In the mystical literature, a distinction is made between the immanent and transcendent expressions of the spirit. These relate in psychological terms to the electromagnetic and gravitational forces respectively.

The very goal of the immanent aspect is to see light as revealed through phenomenal form; the corresponding goal of the transcendent aspect is to go beyond all phenomenal form (in darkness) in pursuit of a pure hidden light. Thus in terms of the spiritual journey, the illuminative stages would be more associated with the immanent aspect and the purgative stages with the corresponding transcendent aspect.

Once again these two aspects are real and imaginary with respect to each other. 

When the spiritual light (as the immanent psychological expression of electromagnetic energy) is made conscious as real, the corresponding transcendent expression (as psychological gravity) remains unconscious (as imaginary). In reverse fashion when the transcendent is made real, the immanent remains imaginary; 

Likewise as in the case of the physical forces we treated both the weak and strong as the negative of the electromagnetic and gravitational respectively, likewise we can give both external and internal expressions to immanence and transcendence respectively. 

In the former case one identifies experience mainly through relationship to the world; in the latter case it is mainly with reference to the personal self. The implications of all this is that we are led to see an intimate complementarity as between both the physical forces (motion) and spiritual forces (motivation) each of which can be giving exactly matching holistic mathematical interpretation (in qualitative terms). 

So if for example we identify the real particle aspect of spiritual light in a phenomenal context (as immanence) then the corresponding wave aspect remains imaginary (as unconscious); and vice versa.

Likewise there is a null sense to such light in that - from its reference frame as pure spirit - it represents pure actualisation (of phenomenal existence). And once again we cannot hope to understand its manifestations (immanent and transcendent) with respect to form without equal recognition - in terms of itself - of its purely empty nature. 

Ultimately it is in the same contemplative experience of pure union, that both the physical forces and the spiritual forces are together united. We cannot therefore in direct manner attempt to understand the ultimate integration of either the physical (or spiritual) forces through mere intellectual interpretation. 

Such integration is experientially realised in pure mystery. However appropriate intellectual appreciation can indeed indirectly act as an important catalyst for this experience.