In principa erat Verbum
In the Beginning was the Word

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Isaiah 55
10 As the rain and the snow
come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

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Deuteronomy 32
2 Let my teaching fall like rain
and my words descend like dew,
like showers on new grass,
like abundant rain on tender plants.

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Deuteronomy 32
47 They are not just idle words for you-they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess."

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1 Samuel 3
19 The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of his words fall to the ground.

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Psalm 19
14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

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Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

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One entry found for efficacy .


Main Entry: ef�fi�ca�cy
Pronunciation: 'e-fi-k&-sE
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural -cies
Date: 13th century
: the power to produce an effect

Most of us are familiar with the notion that the Word of God has power, with the fact that the word sword is an apt anagram for the word words . In addition to the strictly theological understanding of the efficacy of the Word of God, there are also many psychological and metaphysical understandings related to some very real efficacies that derive from such as positive thinking, positive imaging, positive visualization, positive intentionality, mantra yoga, reiki, pranic healing, seed words for chakras, the sonorous word of Buddhist literature, etc

I would like to explore in this thread the power of the word as broadly conceived to include how it is that our thoughts and words can be efficacious (or inefficacious) at all possible levels of reality: How might the words we speak and the thoughts we think influence reality whether physically, metaphysically or theologically/spiritually, whether normally or paranormally, psychologically or psychically, naturally or supernaturally? What might be the implications of our findings for formative spirituality, for complementary and alternatve medicine, for mental health and therapies, for theosis, for global consciousness, for the hard problem of consciousness, for quantum physics, for meditation, for integrating Eastern spiritual techniques within Christianity, or what have you? What are some useful analogies for better understanding the energy of words and The Word? What about the role of metanarratives and myths and the importance of story-telling in our lives?

I have some ideas that I'd like to share about the efficacy of words, in general, and will want to carefully distinguish between our roles as co-creators and the role of the Creator, between the power of the word flowing from immanent being and that flowing from Transcendent Being, between analogous but distinct modes of efficacy that derive from created realities, both physical and metaphysical, and Uncreated Reality, theologically or meta-metaphysically.

Metaphysically, I will eschew any dualistic models and instead turn to such as neo-thomistic and/or neo-whiteheadian understandings of reality, but will only refer to same somewhat superficially. Basically, I'll be operating on the premise that, in order to gain explanatory adequacy, in order to render more intelligible that which will surely remain imcomprehensible, we'll need to remain open to the idea of nonenergetic causation (in the transfer of information) and, therefore, we'll need to employ analogies, using our understanding of those causations that are already comprehensible and intelligible to us in order to try to speak more intelligibly about such causations as remain veiled to us. Such a use of analogies is not unique to classical metaphysics and natural theology but has been commonly employed in speculative scientific cosmology (such as re: superstrings, supersymmetry, superluminality) and speculative cognitive science (such as in supervenience), not to say that some such cosmologists and cognitive scientists wouldn't shrink in horror at the thought that I am accusing them of doing, GASP , metaphysics

I welcome any personal or hearsay anecdotes about this theme of power in words, power in images and imaging, power in story-telling, power in positive thinking and visualization, power in seed words and mantras, power in telekinesis and telepathy, power in reiki and distance healing, power in the Word of God, etc knowing we will want to draw careful distinctions such as between the sovereign action of the Holy Spirit and the psychological and psychic action of normal and paranormal human faculties, properly aligning same as best we can.

Let me just conclude by saying that either a thomistic understanding of formal causation using deep and dynamic formal fields or a process metaphysics using a neo-whiteheadian understanding of interpenetrating fields can begin to accomodate all of the above-mentioned phenomena. Hence, the basic unity that I propose is that metaphysically we can correlate, through analogy, many layers of reality, both regarding our understanding of our degrees of knowledge (epistemologically) and our degrees of being (ontologically, e.g ontological density and such):

1) I would relate the formal causality of metaphysics with the epistemological inference we draw in natural theology of a primal ground of meaning and with the lectio of formative spirituality.

2) I would relate the material and instrumental causalities of metaphysics with the ontological and axiological inferences we draw in natural theology of primal being and primal order and with the meditatio and oratio of formative spirituality.

3) I would relate the efficient causality of metaphysics with the cosmological inference we draw in natural theology of a primal origin and primal support and with the operatio of formative spirituality.

4) I would relate the final causality of metaphysics with the teleological inference we draw in natural theology of primal destiny or primal goal and with the contemplatio of formative spirituality.

Now, I realize that to many, these relationships may seem rather facile and these analogies rather weak. However, I have put together my version of a grand synthesis of physics, metaphysics, theology and spirituality after much toil and trouble in the fields of the Lord, ironically, while dialoguing mostly with nontheistic scientists in the past several years (and I have reams of notes and references to back up my insights). Using their naturalism, materialism and practical atheism as a foil to a deeper understanding of my own faith, I came to better appreciate what my Catholicism is about. So, here, is one more analogical imagination at work. I hope you find these ideas fecund and useful for your own journey. I'll share more as it comes to me and as your own thoughts, experiences and stories stimulate my own.

I'd like to especially thank Phillip Sylvest who acted as my scribe, taking notes and hearing my ideas out on our most enjoyable trip to, from and in Kansas over the New Year holidays. That time on the road was very fruitful in helping me gather together my diverse insights re: metaphysics and natural theology in recent years. The days immediately after my return home gifted me with futher insights that helped tie it all together with formative spirituality and prayer. I am also very grateful to the members of IRAS, the Institute on Religion in an Age of Science, who interacted with me and guided me, as well as always to Phil and Jim & Tyra Arraj. Thanks, finally, to my Shalomplace friends and dialogue partners, especially Brad, Terri and w.c. and the lurking Dominicans, whom I had the pleasure of meeting on a prior trip to Oz, I mean Kansas--- this cybervenue has been more home than any other, whether I am just lurking or feverishly dumping electrons. Also, closer to home, I have a very special relationship with a certain YaYa Sisterhood and DaDa Brotherhood , who know who they are. The reason I am so grateful is that I feel deep down that I have a fairly useful, however personal, grand unified theory. With your ongoing help, I may be able to communicate it better, too.

pax,
jb

O.K. - preliminaries out the way, let's get a little more concrete:

1) I would relate the formal causality of metaphysics with the epistemological inference we draw in natural theology of a primal ground of meaning and with the lectio of formative spirituality.

Think here of the Protestant formulation of receiving the Word or of the Liturgy of the Word in the Catholic Mass (or of lectio tacita and lectio aperta in the Prayer Ladder). The word here is form, is logos, is mythos, is meaning, is epistemological.


2) I would relate the material and instrumental causalities of metaphysics with the
ontological and axiological inferences we draw in natural theology of primal being and primal order and with the meditatio and oratio of formative spirituality.

Think here of the Protestant formulation of meditating on the Word and speaking the Word or of the Homily and Creed in the Catholic Mass (or, of course, the Prayer Ladder of classical spirituality, re: meditatio and oratio). As co-creators we are gifting a word and/or thought with being, allowing it to materialize through our speech and our meditation.


3) I would relate the efficient causality of metaphysics with the cosmological inference we draw in natural theology of a primal origin and primal support and with the operatio of formative spirituality.

Think here of the Protestant formulation of acting on the Word or of the Dismissal in the Catholic Mass: Go forth to love and serve ... . Our origin is love. In service, we are actualizing, are causing, love to affect and effect others, analogous to efficient causation.


4) I would relate the final causality of metaphysics with the teleological inference we draw in natural theology of primal destiny or primal goal and with the contemplatio of formative spirituality.

Think here of the Protestant formulation of expecting it to happen or of the Communion and post-Communion in the Catholic mass, or of the ongoing expectant, contemplative gaze at the Incarnational Reality of God in everything and everyone . Our goal, our destiny, is unitive, is full communion.

To reiterate, the Protestant formulation that I heard Kenneth Copeland preach on the radio about 15 years ago:

a) receive the Word
b) meditate on the Word
c) speak the Word
d) act on the Word
e) expect it to happen!

I recall thinking: Hey! that's the traditional Prayer Ladder as well as the Order of the Mass.

These are just a couple of examples of the dynamism at work, theologically.

Even purely metaphysically and psychically, by analogy, my emphasis on meditatio as related to material causality is precisely linked to the insight that comes from such as positive imaging and visualization techniques: Those techniques , as well as the spoken word, have power and efficacy and, as many have testified, can bring a mere thought into actual reality! There can be a realization of a visualization ! Understanding these dynamisms helps one to better appreciate why it is that we are exhorted: Everything good, everything holy, everything perfect, think on these things !

So, to draw another analogy to metaphysics, the Word received can be conceived as formal causation or as essence, while the Word meditated on and/or spoken can be conceived as material causality or as existence, the two married then as essence existing , or to draw an analogy to theology, the word is made flesh (this is only a metaphysical analogy to the theological reality of the Incarnation, but it is a strong analogy, imo). IOW, be careful what you hope for!

I'll stop here and ask if I conveyed this in a manner that can be grasped.

Click here for my matrix of Degrees of Existence vs Degrees of Knowledge

Click here for Stormwind , the story beneath the stories and be sure to read about the message behind The Wizard of Oz and also visit I got a schoolboy's heart, a novelist's eye, stout sailor's legs and a license to fly!


pax,
jb

How might the words we speak and the thoughts we think influence reality whether physically, metaphysically or theologically/spiritually, whether normally or paranormally, psychologically or psychically, naturally or supernaturally?

This is a powerful question, as were your reflections on this issue. I've become increasingly aware through the years of the formative power of words/thoughts/attitudes--how they "shape" and "color" our various energies. This is all connected with our sharing in the Word--that we are co-creators and co-redeemers, in large part through our manner of thought, speech, and the actions engendered by such.

I note, too, that any word or thought carries something of the speaker or thinker with it . . . that the word conveys presence. This is why, in part, we recoil from harsh words, or feel soothed by loving ones. A certain quality of presence confronts us through the word. That's one way to understand how God communicates through the sacred Word.

. . .However, I have put together my version of a grand synthesis of physics, metaphysics, theology and spirituality after much toil and trouble in the fields of the Lord, ironically, while dialoguing mostly with nontheistic scientists in the past several years (and I have reams of notes and references to back up my insights).

It's been a privilege to see this synthesis developing. I'm glad this forum has been a help to you. You've certainly stretched us all in many wonderful ways.