Coronavirus: a Transcendental blow?
The coronavirus is the most acute challenge mankind faces right now. It forcefully strikes countries and people medically, economically and socially, regardless of religion, world view or social class. In that sense, we can possibly think of coronavirus as an expression of Transcendental Force.
This idea might sound strange for some people, but let me try to explain. Most of mankind thinks in 3D and a third-dimensional view of the Transcendental is that it will always and exclusively do good. The idea is beautiful, but it has a terrible catch: if the Transcendental Forces are exclusively good, where does evil come from?
Fourth- (4D) and fifth-dimensional (5D) views of the Transcendental see it as the Wholeness, the Totality of things, therefore positive and negative, good and bad, at the same time. Transcendental Forces can express themselves through both good health and deadly viruses.
Carl JUNG based his Jungian Psychology (4D) on this type of worldview: the Transcendental is the Totality. In 1961, JUNG said:
“To this day God [= Transcendence] is the name by which I designate all things which cross my willful path violently and recklessly, all things which upset my subjective views, plans and intentions and change the course of my life for better or worse.” (1)
Similarly, the biblical story of Job (2) deeply resonates with the current coronavirus crises. The Bible tells us that God [= Transcendence] explicitly allows Satan to unleash a disease over Job. Since Job is presented as a just man, someone who carefully observed all the laws, there is nothing that could justify God’s decision. God is not punishing Job for anything. However unreasonable that may sound from a 3D perspective, God does that to Job because that is just what God is. Possibly, God wants Job – the “Everyman” – to understand that He is transcendental, that He is everything. (3)
From 4D and 5D perspectives, such is the nature of the Transcendental: the Mythologies [religions] of all times and societies present the Gods and Goddesses as good and evil at the same time.
Whatever the meaning of the Transcendental, most of mankind has abandoned this idea for some time already. Previously regarded as serious religions, Mythologies are now seen as merely beautiful legends. The importance of religion in our lives has been decreasing dramatically since the Age of Enlightenment – for many people, religion is simply irrelevant. The few rituals that remained – such as the becoming of age and marriage – are often seen as social ceremonies, not spiritual ones. In my opinion, the current “spiritual” teachings – such as the Law of Attraction and Positive Thinking – are just products designed to sell, lacking the slightest depth.
The existence of Transcendental Forces is now considered a ridiculous idea by many people and considering the coronavirus crises as an act of the Transcendental would be even more so.
However, whether you believe in the Transcendental Forces or not is irrelevant. What is truly important is what it means and the experience it implies: the existence of Forces that are far greater than you are and can “cross [your] willful path violently” (1), as well as successfully opposing your will. No one can escape that.
A Brazilian Anthropologist who studies Brazilian Native Indians, Eduardo VIVEIROS DE CASTRO, in his lecture A revolução faz o bom tempo (4) (watch it here), spoke about the unsurmountable powers with which Gâia, the Greek Goddess who symbolizes our planet Earth, begins to react to Climate Change in the Age of Anthropocene. Inspired by his knowledge, I believe mankind will unavoidably rediscover the Transcendental Forces not in realities apart from this one, but when Nature itself finally responds “violently and recklessly” to what all of us humans are doing to this planet. Within the much wider and dangerous scenario of climate change, one of these responses is a deadly virus.
References:
Carl JUNG as quoted by Edward EDINGER in Ego and Archetype. C. G. Jung Foundation Books Series (Book 4). Shambhala.
The New Jerusalem Bible. Job.
Carl JUNG. Answer to Job. Princeton University Press. From CW XI: Psychology and religion: West and East.
The title is based on the French poet Thierry Renard's work Seule la révolution fait le beau temps. One possible translation to English is: "Only revolutions create good times." But the word "temps" (French) and "tempo" (Portuguese) is the same for "time", "climate" and "weather".
Image: William BLAKE. Evil Dreams. [God hovers over Job during his dreams.]