Some people who buy into the enlightenment viewpoint in the way that Seraphis seems to speak of it, believe that we keep recarnating over and over again without a break until we become a supposed enlightened being. Therefore, if you figure an average lifetime is 60 years (just an example number), and each of us has to reincarnate 10 million times until we become one of the 1 in 10 million, that means we have to be in this world almost continuosly for 600 million years before we get a break.
I believe that spiritual growth is necessary, but people who have made contact with the spirit world have found that the growth process isn't limited to reincarnating in this world (or one like it) an incredible number of times.
I don't know if these figures come from Hawkins, but below is something he claimed (from this forum).
http://forum.rickross.com/read.php?12,13156,page=2"He also believes that he had a temptation from Lucifer similar to Jesus Christ in which he was offered the power to control worlds, though he states that he rejected this temptation. He claims to experience the classical attributes of God: omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence. He teaches that he, as God or the Self, existed prior to the beginning of the universe, and will continue to exist after it ends. An archangel is said to have brought about Hawkins' enlightenment. He further claims to have been to the lowest depths of Hell, which lasted for an "eternity" and resembled the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and the description of Dante's Inferno."
I guess Mr. 990 doesn't realize that the Bible's history doesn't support the concept of a fallen angel named Lucifer.
DocM wrote on Mar 24th, 2011 at 6:03pm:Seraphis,
Hello. Part of me is tempted not to respond to your post about the numbers of transcended beings, etc. because I sense a conflict that can be avoided.
On the other hand, with the newbies and other readers on the board, the scientist in me can't let these numbers float by, as if they were factual. Sorry. Please understand, that this is not directed at you personally, but at the statement.
This calculation, 1 in 10,000,000 is just pulled out of a hat. As such so is the total calculation of 6000 some odd transcended human beings incarnate. If you have some data to back it up, as fact, please share. Otherwise, let us call it someone's guess...
As to the idea that mental illness can be a form of transcendence, that may be possible. It would be too hard to know for certain. But really, when a transcended being is ready to move on, why leave a vegetative body behind to care for? That body would be like a worn out coat, which never really mattered in the first place and could be discarded.
If you do not see the lunacy of the number system given by Hawkins to rate the enlightenement of famous people, I.........I don't know what to say. It is, simply put, utter nonsense. One of those rare situations where the ridiculous nature of the rating system then negates most any other thing the author could possible say....
Matthew