If a treatise on universal theology
is to be effective, then an understanding of theology transcending
any particular religion or system is necessary. Likewise, if a
treatise on life in ‛other worlds’ is to be effective, then a
starting point should be an examination of what is to be understood
by a ‘world’ and the perception of its objects. Those familiar with
Whiteman’s work will not be surprised to find that his third and
final volume of Old and New Evidence on the Meaning of Life
presents a radical treatment of these issues. The book follows the
pattern of earlier volumes in preparing the reader for new material
by covering essential themes that have appeared in earlier work and
anticipating some ideas that are to come. This is attempted in a
Preface, Prologue, and Part 1, which is entitled “Introductory
Studies” – about one-fifth of the book…..
Part 2 is concerned with “an
outlining of a universal theology”. Whiteman stated that
“ the word ‘God’ (Theos) must be
taken to stand for the Archetypal Reason in all, including the ‘I
AM’ [the knower and doer] and consciousness, if the ancient
testimonies are to be understood”. (p.64). ‘Archetypal’ is to be
understood as, for example, the concept of three where “Any
particular three can be seen as derivative, that is, presupposing an
archetypal (general, universal) ‘three’.” (p.65). This is
effectively the reverse of the system adopted in symbolic logic,
“where ‘three’ is defined as the class
of objects making up a threesome in
some scene” (p.65)….There would be complete failure to grasp
Whiteman’s thinking in not distinguishing between the standard,
essentially materialist, system of symbolic logic, centred on the
supposed primary presentation of matter located in physical space,
and the insightful substructural analysis of phenomenology, which
“sees what we normally experience by our physical senses as an
end-result” (p.93). Standard thinking could lead to a complete
misunderstanding of Whiteman’s theology, in that it might be thought
of as speculation, largely physically-based, positing a ‘god of the
philosophers and scholars’.
Parts 2 and 3 consist mainly of a
review of this kind of theology as exhibited in ancient scriptures,
including those of early Christianity. The beginning of St John’s
Gospel is presented as, “Archetypally there was Reason. Reason was
with God, and God was Reason…And the Reason became living humanity
and was ‘staged’ in us”. (p.66). There need be no conflict between
this statement and Indian or Greek thought. Whiteman’s review shows
a notable uniformity throughout the Indo-Mediterranean region in
ancient times, with an understanding of a discoverable ‘divine
potentiality’, one that became all but lost after about the third
century CE. This is essential reading for a student of religion, in
surveying religious thinking from the Minoan civilization (c.1600
BCE) to early Christianity. A key idea is that for the ancient
seers, “ ‘God’ would not be a great power ‘up there’ (as many people
today might think), but some ‘divine’ state of life actually
experienced” (p.131).…
In Part 4, Life in the Other
Worlds, there is a review of the varieties of separative experiences
recorded by the author…Generally speaking, evidence for the
‘reality’ of separative experience may be found in the similarity of
reports from different people, but the case of ecstatic experiences
reported by Whiteman are without parallel…..
The supplement [“On the mystical
derivation of Quantum Theory and physical laws in general”] is
likely to seem the most difficult section of the book – it includes
some advanced mathematics – but in time to come it might be held as
the most important few pages, since, as he stated in a letter of 11
November 2006, it “opens the door to other worlds of reason and
life”. It could be said that this is the major thrust of all three
volumes of Old and New Evidence on the Meaning of Life.
Reviewed by Dr John Poynton
for the Journal of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol 71.3,
number 888, July 2007. Pp 167-174
