This is an unsolicited AI review of a chapter from my book cited above that was sent to me in my mailbox. I include it here for your consideration of some interesting points.
Overview
This chapter offers an in-depth exploration of apophatic theology—an approach that emphasizes what cannot be said about the divine—while weaving together both ancient and modern perspectives on mysticism, existential philosophy, and scientific insights. The text positions the apophatic tradition as a valuable, though historically underrepresented, perspective within religious and spiritual discourse. Drawing on references that span neuroscience, quantum physics, and Buddhist teachings, the chapter paints a comprehensive picture of human consciousness as inherently interdependent and open to non-dualistic experience.
Strengths
Interdisciplinary Breadth The chapter deftly incorporates insights from neuroscience, psychology, quantum physics, and religious studies. This interdisciplinary approach highlights the convergences of empirical science with apophatic wisdom traditions. By citing modern authors such as Thomas Metzinger, Steven Pinker, and others, the chapter underscores how age-old practices align with contemporary research on consciousness, perception, and cognition.
Clarity in Explaining Apophatic Thought Despite the inherently mysterious and paradoxical nature of apophatic spirituality (i.e., knowing God through recognizing the limitations of what can be positively affirmed), the text manages to articulate the main thrust of via negativa in relatively accessible language. Concepts like “I-Thou” relationships, non-duality, and interbeing are introduced in ways that should resonate with readers from various backgrounds.
Use of Concrete Examples and Quotations Several key figures—Martin Buber, the Buddha, Jesus, and others—are introduced as exemplars of non-dualistic insight. Quotes from Buber and Buddhist teachings concretize abstract ideas, showing how real people have incorporated “I-Thou” relational practices in daily life. This effectively grounds the sometimes lofty theoretical framework in personal and communal experiences.
Emphasis on Ethical Consequences The chapter does not merely focus on the theoretical underpinnings of apophatic spirituality; it also details the moral implications. Themes such as compassion, empathy, and loving-kindness are shown to be organic outgrowths of a more unified awareness. This reaffirms how apophatic insights can have transformative effects on personal conduct and broader social relations.
Points for Consideration
Structuring and Transitional Cues While the chapter is rich in content, it sometimes shifts quickly between academic, mystical, and scriptural references. Additional subheadings or transition paragraphs might help ensure a smoother flow, guiding the reader through the various themes such as neuroscience, historical background, apophatic theology, and interpersonal relations.
Integration of Scientific Perspectives The chapter draws on a wide range of scientific sources—from neuroscience to quantum theory—to illustrate points about perception and consciousness. Occasional deeper explanation or a clearer bridge between the scientific claims and the apophatic viewpoint would further strengthen the argument. For instance, elaborating on how quantum mechanics influences the concept of non-duality, or how neuroscience specifically supports the idea of “co-creating” reality, could give readers a clearer sense of how the disciplines align.
Notable Contributions
Historical Context: The text illuminates how apophatic teachings have often been marginalized in favor of cataphatic approaches, offering a historical perspective on the conflicts that shaped religious traditions.
Contemporary Validation: By referencing modern experiments in psychology and linguistics, the chapter gives credibility to the notion that apophatic experiences are not only culturally or historically bound but also supported by scientific frameworks.
Comprehensive Reference List: The variety of references—from classical religious texts to works in cognitive science—serves as a useful resource for readers who wish to explore these ideas in greater depth.
Conclusion
Chapter 14 provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking account of how apophatic spirituality, grounded in non-dualistic awareness, transcends traditional theistic frameworks to offer a unifying and compassionate vision of existence. The blend of philosophical argumentation, empirical research, and ethical guidance offers a multi-layered examination of what it means to “know No-Thing.” Overall, the transformative implications for personal and collective well-being are powerfully conveyed, encouraging readers to contemplate and possibly experience directly the non-dual nature of reality.
Non-Duality – literally means “not two,” that two things we have understood as separate from one another are in fact not separate at all. At the core of existence, non-duality is a fundamental wholeness that arises from a single, unified source that transcends seeming divisions. Everything is interconnected and inseparable, making dualities—an erroneous perception of difference and separation—illusory. Awakening to non-duality offers profound benefits for personal well-being, fosters harmonious social relationships, and provides a deeper understanding of existence.
1. Unity with All Beings- Everything is interconnected with concurrent, dynamic interactions. Moving beyond superficial perception, we realize our shared essence with all life. Recognizing our deep affinity with life fosters unity, compassion, and empathy toward all living beings.
2. Living in the Present Moment- Non-duality allows us to remain fully present, helping us detach from past regrets and future anxieties. We cultivate inner serenity, empathy and clarity by embracing each moment without judgment or interpretation.
3. Transcendence of Duality. The illusion of duality is the mistaken perception that separates experience into distinct entities. When one realizes the unified nature of existence, this illusion vanishes. Non-dual awareness moves us beyond the limitations of binary thinking and frees us from splitting and rigid categorization, such as mind and body or self and other. These distinctions can lead to suffering; emotional dysregulation, and behavioural issues like aggression, causing psychological pain and instability. Non-dual awareness promotes a broader openness, freeing us from the illusions of separation and their biases.
4. Psychological Well-Being – Non-dual awareness has profound psychological and emotional benefits, for individuals, society and the planet. When we see ourselves as part of a larger whole, the fear of death begins to fade. Instead of viewing death as an end, we can see it as a transformation within the ongoing life cycle making us more psychologically flexible.
5. Embracing the Mystery of Existence – Non-duality invites us to acknowledge the mystery of living and embrace uncertainty. We realize that we cannot know Reality because everything is always changing, and our senses know a fraction of existence. which opens the mystery of living. We aren’t just observers of existence but also an integral part of it. Rather than seeking absolute dominance, we honor and respect the vast reactive complexities that lie beyond our understanding.
6. Non-duality Throughout History. Non-dualism is revealed in universal, ancient, and recent scientific discoveries that all echo similar perspectives which provide an in-depth format for a transpersonal perspective and training. Awakening to Sunyata or “emptiness” is achieved with the help of planned psychological and emotional transformation, that is consistently practiced by motivated students who seek to move from a reactive way of life, in acting, thinking, and feeling, to align themselves with awareness to the universal principles of interconnectedness and impermanence. “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” – Carl Sagan
A human sees the world in 3 dimensions. That is a simplification. Humans are fundamentally limited, generalizing creatures living on autopilot. Categorization is the brain’s tool to organize nearly everything we encounter in our daily lives. Grouping information into categories simplifies our complex world and helps us to react quickly and effectively to new experiences. Categorization and classification allow humans to organize things, objects, and ideas that exist around them and simplify their understanding of the world. Categorization is like your brain’s very own personal assistant, grouping similar things together so you can find what you need, when you need it.
Our brain categorizes continuously: not only chairs during childhood, but any information at any given age. What advantage does that give us? Pieter Goltstein says: “Our brain is trying to find a way to simplify and organize our world. Without categorization, we would not be able to interact with our environment as efficiently as we do.” In other words: We would have to learn for every new chair we encounter that we can sit on it. Categorizing sensory input is therefore essential for us, but the underlying processes in the brain are largely unknown.
Social categorization is a fundamental human cognitive process because it allows for the quick simplification of complex social information. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have now shown that also mice categorize surprisingly well. The researchers identified neurons encoding learned categories and thereby demonstrated how abstract information is represented at the neuronal level.
While categorization is a natural and necessary mechanism to cope with the complexity of our world, it perilously inhibits our ability to address the most pressing and tangible problems of our time. The psychological force at play here is a need to categorize — to fit things into neatly defined, clearly labeled boxes. In times of increasing complexity, such categorization can be extremely useful, creating order in a world that is fundamentally messy and establishing structures so that we can better organize, analyze, and manage it. Yet also, extremely limiting in understanding the natural deeper complexity of life.
Preface and Chapter 1 Introduction, Of the Book, God is No-thing. The Apophatic Assertion, The Salvation for Humankind – revised -. Copyright Rodger Ricketts Psy.D.,2022. All rights reserved. Protected by international copyright conventions. No part of this chapter may be reproduced in any manner whatsoever, or stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, without express permission of the Author publisher, except in case of brief quotations with due acknowledgement. Publisher CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform Preface After 40 years of active study and practice on the Buddha’s teachings and having written four books on what I call ‘Buddha-inspired psychology,’ I recently found a very insightful perspective that expanded what I had learned before. The perspective is that the Buddha’s teachings are a form of Apophatic Theology, thereby; they inherently undercut any easy attempts at codification. The revelation of Emptiness or Sunyata with the Divine is experienced rather than defined and categorized through limited language descriptions. With such an emphasis on first-hand, personal experience, the insight of intrinsic nature through Awakening runs contrary to the abstract, ‘positive’ Cataphatic theology. This book is a unique and cogent perspective that investigates and promotes the Buddha’s teachings as a ‘negative’, Apophatic theology. While there are scholarly books and research articles on the topic of Apophatic theology, very few incorporate the Buddha’s teachings and scientific thought. In this book, I aspire to show that indeed the Buddha’s and science’s teachings and insights can be succinctly integrated into the Apophatic spiritual tradition that spans cultures and time. Within the larger scope of the canons of ‘via negativa’, the Buddha’s teachings of Nothingness or Emptiness or Sunyata and recent scientific insights are clearly a part of the Apophatic spiritual tradition. This revised book goes beyond what was in the first edition and instructs the reader even more deeply about the topic. From a broad, modern perspective, my aim is to make accessible for those who are on their own spiritual path of personal discovery the universal teachings of the Buddha. I have always appreciated that the Buddha taught universal truths that are applicable everywhere and throughout time. The integration of these truths with other teachers of Apophatic theology has affirmed my belief in this universality. Even with my forty years of research studies, attendance of temple retreats with monks and lay lectures and meditation practice, I have only now found this instructive link between the Buddha’s teachings with other teachers of the Apophatic tradition. I want to share these insights with my fellow spiritual path voyagers. I believe they too will find it as interesting and illuminating as I have. Chapter One Introduction In the past 40 years as a clinical psychologist and student of the Buddha, I became aware of the many similarities between the two studies. This awareness led me to successfully integrate both in my own life and clinical practice the benefits of combining the perspectives. As a result, I have written four books explaining my perspective on the Buddha’s psychological benefits for wellness and happiness. In the past year, I learned Apophatic theology or Apophaticism. This research introduced me to Western and other Apophatic writers resulting in my defining the Buddha’s teachings as an example of a mystical or Apophatic perspective. There are clear similarities between the Buddha’s writing and Angelus Silesius and other Apophatic theology writers. While there is some scholarship about this similarity, unfortunately, it is rarely discussed in either mainstream Buddhist or Christian literature. This lack of discussion prompted me to integrate relevant aspects of my previous writings on the Buddha’s teachings with the Apophatic perspectives and highlight what I believe are important correspondences. In the past, I had read some works of Christian Mystics like Meister Eckhart and the book of the Cloud of Unknowing, but I never was specifically introduced to the Apophatic tradition. This past year as I began to read the Apophatic works of Angelus Silesius and Anicius Manlius Severinus Boethius, I realized that the Buddha’s teachings could be rightly considered Apophatic. This realization opened a new dimension of comprehension and relevance for me about what I had written in my previous books and essays on the Buddha’s teachings. Apophaticism wonders how to speak about the indescribable or immanent Existence or Absolute, instead of the common use of the pronoun or noun, like ‘God’ or an equivalent – with its language/meaning associations or exaggerations attached to it. The Apophatic writers prefer to use the reference of Mysterious or No-thing. Philosopher Mulla Rajab affirmed “…an unqualifiable and attribute-less nature of ‘God’.” Also, philosopher Maimonides explained that ‘God’ must be free of properties and is thus unlike anything else and indescribable. At times in my chapters, I have used the designation of (X) instead of ‘God,’ etc., to avoid this quandary. As the reader goes through the chapters in this book, they will soon understand further this dilemma of designation, which is a useful lesson in Apophatic theology. In the following chapters, the reader will notice that I have placed emphasis on the Buddha’s teachings throughout because I have found his ancient teachings have the most in-depth and complete analysis of an Apophatic training and perspective. These chapters about the Buddha’s teachings and Apophatic writings, while not encyclopedic, are not only for intellectual curiosity but as a living testament of truth with positive consequences not only for the wellness and well-being of the individual but for society and the whole Gaia. When understood and incorporated into one’s life, this is enlightening. Clearly, in this book I inform and advocate. To conclude, with this book’s analysis of the Apophatic, the Buddha’s teaching and modern scientific insights, one develops a cogent scientific and modern understanding of the inherent restrictions to fully comprehend the mysterious nature of existence or Being. The middle way is an alternative term for the Eightfold Path, and we do not hold extreme positions in any way. When all words collapse into silence, we resist labeling that Wonder with another name; therefore, we realize that we can only say ‘it is what it is.’ Everything is impermanent and interacting with all. It is all like a flame feeding from the original source but soon to extinguish. All form is brief and a manifestation of the great mysterious source. Rodger R Ricketts The student asked the teacher, ‘What is the meaning of life?’ The teacher replied, ‘Life is the meaning. Nurture the gift of life in yourself and other sentient beings. Support the inherent will to survive and thrive within the natural residence of the ecosystems of existence. Be kind and wise.’ Rodger R Ricketts
We are all Interconnected even with the Universe 