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Conventional Religion & The Inner Way
Edition #3: Inside the Invisible
Ken Kaisch
January 24, 2025
Hey ! Welcome to today’s message:
In this newsletter, we will explore the differences between the approaches of conventional religion and what I call the Inner Way, which is also known as the mystical way, non-duality, and the unitive way. After some thought, I decided the simplest approach would be to present the data in a table format. All of the major world religions have an external, conventional side and a mystical, non-dualistic side.
The conventional approach, which is all that most people have experienced, doesn’t, in my view, take you very far. It has to do with outward observances, and the inner changes necessary for a truly spiritual life are rarely talked about. As you have no doubt surmised, I am interested in exploring the Inner Way with you.
Conventional Religions | The Mystical Unitive Approach |
|---|
The Nature of God
God is above all and beyond human reach | God is right here, inside of you, and immediately accessible |
Dualistic frame of reference: I am here, and God is over there | Unitive frame of reference: the Divine lives within my deepest self |
God is rigid, judgmental, demanding, and punishing | The Divine cannot be described by words, is formless, and without content |
God rewards good people | The spiritual process is self-rewarding |
Authority & Religious Structures
Your reward comes after death, either in heaven or hell | Your reward is right now, and you experience in your own body |
Requires outward conformity in behavior and belief | One conforms spontaneously as one experiences the deepest Reality |
Control through fear, shame, and guilt. The message is that human beings are essentially bad | Human beings are essentially good, so there is no need for religious control |
People are sinful and bad, and God is the only true good | People are separated from God and from the deepest Truth in themselves. They are inherently good |
Tends to be exclusive, with strong group identification | Tends to be inclusive and accepting |
Conformance to religious tenets and external observances are prime virtues | Surrender, and humility are prime virtues |
The Process of Spiritual Growth
Requires external observances, learning scriptures, theology, and liturgy | Requires learning about yourself and your separation from the Divine |
Intellectual focus on the right belief | Affective and kinesthetic focus, derived from deep self-knowledge |
Focus on ethics and correct behavior | Focus on self-knowledge, which leads to knowledge of the Divine |
God is experienced after death in a judgment | The Divine is experienced now with acceptance |
Outward looking to see God | Inward looking to experience the Divine |
Devotion is episodic, with special periods for prayer and liturgy | Devotion is unceasing and becomes an intimate part of one’s life |
One hears spiritual truth from an outside authority | One discovers spiritual truth as an inner reality and experiences that Truth |
One practices verbal prayer, either aloud or silently | One practices meditation, cultivates inner stillness, and surrenders to the Divine |
Spiritual development is a result of conformance to theology and religious observances | Spiritual development occurs as you surrender to the will of God and align yourself with that Will |
The ultimate guide for spiritual development is an external religious authority | The ultimate guide for spiritual development is your deepest inner Self |
If you are exploring these data for the first time, it may seem a bit overwhelming. We have all been schooled in the conventional type of religion. Because no other form of spiritual observance was ever described, we either accepted or rejected the conventional view. When you are first exposed to the richness of the unitive way, it may surprise you, it may intrigue you, and it may simply seem like too much to deal with.
But the fact that you are receiving this newsletter rather strongly suggests that you are ready to go deeper in your spiritual journey. So, for this week I would encourage you to simply sit with the information in this table and just think about it. Notice where you feel a repulsion – the feeling that comes when you know intuitively that something is off.
Notice also where you feel an attraction – that feeling you get when you find yourself resonating with a statement, that knowingness that comes when you experience something that is true and real. You might realistically say that the mystical way begins with self-exploration and using the power of your inner knowingness to discern Reality. A discernment that is often subtle and hard to detect at the beginning, but one which grows stronger as you learn to use and rely on it.
Next week, we will explore the four spiritual disciplines necessary for further growth. (Yeah, I know no one likes to hear the word discipline, but these disciplines actually make a lot of sense!) The following week, we will introduce our first spiritual practice. This practice is foundational, and will serve as the basis for our further growth in the mystical way. So please invite your spiritual friends and fellow-travelers to come join us in this deep inner work.
P.S. If you are finding this newsletter course helpful, you may want to consider Dr. Kaisch's latest book, Inside the Invisible: The Universal Path to Spiritual Transcendence. 👇
To access the other newsletter editions of the “Inside The Invisible Newsletter,” — or if you’d like to read ahead or go back.
Please Note: These newsletters are meant to be read in order.