The Experience of Divine Guidance

A Qualitative Study of the Human Endeavor to Seek, Receive, and Follow Guidance

from a Perceived Divine SourceMark Allan Kaplan, Ph.D.

The History of Divine Guidance• Descriptions of the experience

are recorded in the Religious Narratives and Spiritual Teachings of most traditions and cultures.

• Descriptions have also been found in Biographical and Autobiographical Reports of individuals throughout human history who claimed to have sought, received, and followed guidance from a perceived divine source…

Prophets, Mystics and Saints

• Moses• Jesus• Muhammad• Buddha• Joan of Arc• Jalal al-Din Rumi• Rabbi Joseph Caro• Wallace Black Elk

Artists, Philosophers and Poets

• Michelangelo• William Edmondson• Socrates• Teilhard de Chardin• William Blake• John Keats• Robert Lewis Stevenson• Rudyard Kipling

Scientists, Warriors and World Leaders

• Emmanuel Swedenborg • George Washington Caver• General George Patton• Winston Churchill• Mohandas Gandhi• Martin Luther King, Jr.

Primary Research Intention

The primary intention of this study has been toExplore and Map the Territory

of the experience of divine guidance

Research Question

What are some of the experiential structures, patterns, and qualities of the subjective experience of divine guidance, as experienced by selected advanced spiritual teachers?

Research StanceThe foundation of the methodological approach of this inquiry has been the basic research stance of attempting to allow the Divine to lead this inquiry, through the application of various divine guidance practices and techniques…in order to:

• Establish coherence between the topic of inquiry and the method of inquiry

• Deepen researcher understanding of the topic of inquiry

• Attempt to capture the experience through the replication of the conditions under which it has been known to occur.

Research Methods

• Heuristic Research• Spiritual Inquiry• Grounded Theory

Phases of Inquiry

• Researcher Heuristic and Spiritual Self-Inquiry

• Semi-Structured In-Depth Interviews with Coresearchers

• Grounded-Theory-Based Data Analysis and Treatment

Researcher Self-Inquiry

• Topic Immersion– Researcher immersion in the literature

• Self-Reflection– Researcher self-reflection through the creation

of a spiritual autobiography• Self-Experimentation

– Researcher self-experimentation with 40 guidance-related methods and practices

Self-Inquiry ResultsThematic Patterns

• Narrative Quality of Experience

• Basic Categories of Experience: Seeking, Receiving, and Following

• Common Patterns and Core Issues:– Contributing Factors– Tools and Practices– Forms of Communication– Qualities of Experience– Discernment– Obstacles– Incorporation– Surrender– Effects

Interviews• Interview Format

– Individual (One on One)– Semi-Structured– In-Depth

• Interview Stance– Interview as Holy Encounter– Coresearcher as Divine Other (I-Thou)– Ritualization of Process and Sanctification of Self,

Environment, and Audio-Video Recording Technologies

• Interview Questions – Developed from Self-Inquiry Themes

Coresearchers

CR1 Psychosynthesis Practitioner (M) PsychosynthesisCR2 Sufi Sheikh (M) Islam/SufismCR3 Native American Shaman (F) Lakota SiouxCR4 Kabbalist Rabbi (M) JudaismCR5 Catholic Nun (F) ChristianityCR6 Catholic Priest (M) ChristianityCR7 Course in Miracles Teacher (M) Course in MiraclesCR8 Self-Realization Minister (F) HinduismCR9 Congregational Rabbi (F) Judaism

Interview Data• Audio Transcripts • Video Recordings

“My experience is that when you walk this path …seeking to be related to Spirit, seeking to receive, and seeking to follow… the Spirits come to us in the most blessed way possible.” (CR3)

Data Analysis and Treatment

• Transcription, Editing, and Review of Interview Data

• Content Coding • Code-to-Code

Relationship Mapping• Semantic Network

Mappingisa

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Inner Voice {17-1}

[3:53][387] This was about twoweeks ago a..--------------------Thiswas about two weeks ago and Ihear in me, "Remember Yacob,remember Yacob at the base ofthe tree. Dror needs to see whatthe new dream is." This is what Ihear just as clear as I'mspeaking to you.

P 3: Interview 003

Form {63-32}

Receiving {76-27}

Source {142-47}

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Calling

Channeling

Contributing Factors

Discernment

Divination

Divine Flow

Dreams

Energetic-Sense

Faith

Felt-Sense

Following

Form Effects

Incorporation

Inner Dictation

Inner Voice

IntuitionObstacles

Outer Voice

Preparation

Presence

Purification

Qualities

Receiving

Seeking

Signs & Wonders

Source

Surrender

Synchronicities

Thought-Sense

Tools-Practices

Visions

Clarity

Consolation

Encouragement

Heart-Opening

Interconnectedness

Sense of Awe

Sense of Being Present

Sense of Calmness

Sense of Energy

Sense of Grace-Blessing

Sense of Gratitude

Sense of Harmony-Balance

Sense of Joy

Sense of Light

Sense of Love

Sense of Peace

Sense of Sacredness

Sense of Unselfconsciousness

Sense of Spontaneity

Sense of Timelessness

Sense of Union

Compassion

Healing

Inspiration

Life Changes-Transformation

Miracles

Revelation

Self-Reflection

Sense of Freedom

Sense of Goodness

Sense of Purpose-Direction

Sense of Satisfaction

Silence/Stillness

Spiritual Growth

Strength

Acceptance

Attachment

Authenticity

Awareness

Body Practices

Breathing

Centering

Chanting

Commitment

Contemplation

Courage

Divine Dialoguing

Doubt

Ego

Emotional Turmoil

Expectation

Fear

Judgment

Meditation

Mental Turmoil

Mindfulness

Nature Time

Perceptual Shift

Personal Constructs

Prayer/Blessing

Resistance to Change

Retreats

Right Action

Ritual

Sacred Objects

Sacred Space

Sacred Text

Spiritual Direction

Vision Quest

Visualization

Time and Space

Gathering Helpers

Logic-Reason

Not Following

Sacred Context

Transcendent Education

Voice of Nature

Angels

Forgiveness

Saints and Prophets

Will

Wisdom

Set and Setting

Divine Being

Divine Consciousness

Divine Father

Divine Force

Divine Mother

Earth Mother

God

Ground of Being

Higher Self

Nature Spirits

Spirit

Spirits

Confirmation of the Heart

Conformity of Experience

Detachment to Outcome

Effects of Experience

Extrication of Obstacles

Following Bliss

Level of Willingness

Recurrent Inquiry

Sense of Openness

Sense of Source

Test and Compare

Trial and Error

Attunement

Being Present

Being with What Is

Construct Transcendence

Creating the Space

Discernment Practice

Gratefulness

Guidance Practice

Inner Listening

Inspired Action

Openness to Receive

Sanctification

Waiting for an Answer

Watching for Signs

Spiritual Practice

Culture

Education-Study

EHE

Insight

Life Experience

Predisposition

Religious Experience

Effect-Centeredness~

Set-Constructs~

Peak Experience

Alignment

Authorization

Behavior Modification

Direction

Information

Warning

Content~

Activities AttributesMotives

Source-Constructs~

Source-Identity~

Life-Experience/Events~

Developmental-Factors~ Mediating-Factors~ Set-Setting~

Effort-and-Grace~

Impeding-Factors~

Source-Relationship~

Experience of Divine Guidance Semantic Network

Findings

• Structures of Experience• Metaphors of Divine Encounter• Resonant Learning• Guidance on the Path of Inquiry

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Discernment

Following

Form

Effects

Incorporation

Qualities

Receiving

Seeking

Source

Tools-Practices

Content~

Preparation Purification

Attributes

Activities

Motives

Contributing Factors Developmental-Factors~

Impeding-Factors~

Mediating-Factors~

Faith

Surrender

Will

Effort-and-Grace~Life-Experience/Events~

Set-Setting~

Transcendent Education

Obstacles

Personal Constructs

Contributing-Factors-EXT~

Contributing-Factors-INT~

Structuresof Experience

Categories of Experience

is associated withis associated with

Leads to

is cause of

Leads to

Leads to

Following

Receiving

Seeking

Source

Source

• Attributes– Various Inherent Characteristics– “My perception of God is [that] He or She is

very, very close” (CR1)• Motives

– Various Intentions– “God the merciful and benevolent” (CR2)

• Activities– Various Functions and Actions– “God had put a fresh heart in me” (CR5)

“Do my conceptions of the Divine help me come into relationship, or do they make me withdraw and stay away?” (CR1)

Seeking

• Preparation– Perceived need for self-preparation, and sense

of being prepared.• Purification

– Perceived need for self-purification, and sense of being purified.

• Practices– 19 Reported Practices: Practicing Attributes,

Prayer and Blessings, Discernment, Meditation, Studying Sacred Texts, etc.

“Part of the pattern would be the seeking…and/or those incredible moments of God just coming and seeking me.” (CR5)

Receiving

• Form of Communication– 23 Reported Forms: Perceptual Shift, Felt-Sense,

Insight, Thought-Sense, Inner Voice, etc.• Content of Communication

– 10 Reported Types of Content: Direction, Information, Shift in Perception, Authorization, Behavior Modification, etc.

• Qualities of Experience– 30 Reported Qualities: Sense of Perceptual Shift, Heart-

Opening, Interconnectedness, Light, Presence, etc.

“When...something...comes over you and alters your understanding or your perspective, and puts you in a different time and place [it] is a clear indication...you’re receiving something from a higher level.” (CR4)

Following

• Effects– 51 Reported Effects: Perceptual Shift, Purification,

Heart-Opening, Changes in Personal Constructs, etc.• Discernment

– 9 Reported Discernment Elements: Commitment to Practicing Discernment, the Removal of Obstacles, Recurrent Inquiry, Test and Compare, etc.

• Incorporation– 16 Reported Incorporation Elements: Attunement

Practices, Inner Listening, Inspired Action, etc.

“I think one thing is listening and the other thing is following; to realize I’m not in control and I want to follow.” (CR7)

Factors of the Experience

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Contributing Factors Developmental-Factors~

Impeding-Factors~

Mediating-Factors~

Following

Receiving

Seeking

Source

Contributing Factors

• Experiences of Insight• Relationship to Source• Experiences of Calling• Religious Experiences• Exceptional Human

Experiences• Predisposition

• Life Experiences• Spiritual Practices• Cultural Influences• Education and Study

“From the beginning, one of the things that brought me into seeking as a child was being orphaned.” (CR3)

Impeding Factors

• Personal Constructs– “Everybody is operating

out of a cosmology... a philosophy of life... a model of reality... whether they bring it to consciousness or not... [and] it profoundly guides how we react and respond.” (CR6)

• Obstacles– 21 Reported Obstacles: Ego,

Lack of Awareness, Fear, Mental/Emotional Turmoil, Lack of Surrender, Attachment, etc.

“There are several things that people do that create blockages or obstacles to receiving from other levels….If the mind and the emotions are not sublimated, they can be major interference factors.” (CR4)

Developmental Factors• Relationship to Source

– “Developing my relationship with God is my primary objective.” (CR4)

• Degree of Surrender– “Rather than a pursuing for me, it’s been a surrendering into it.”

(CR9) • Degree of Faith

– “You can put your faith, focus, and total attention [on] survival and to worshipping the material plane; or you can…focus on God…and develop spiritually.” (CR4)

• Degree of Will/Willingness– “It was a continual lifting it up, saying “if this isn’t right take it

away.” And there were times when I knew I was willing to do that.” (CR1)

Mediating Factors• Effort and Grace

– “You probably can’t seek unless you have some sense that there’s something calling you, something to be sought.” (CR1)

• Set and Setting– “If we want to regularly access the Divine Will, it’s about

creating the kind of space in our lives where that can happen.” (CR6)

• Life Experience and Events– “I think everything I've done in my life, even all the

experiences that I thought I hated in growing up…have all been important…for me to have.” (CR7)

• Transcendent Education– “Another pattern that keeps showing up...is that you’ll have an

experience and...then the reoccurrence of it in different forms is just lifting you to a higher quality of knowing.” (CR3)

Mapping the ExperienceGuidance Experience Template

REMOVING THE OBSTACLES

Seeking

DISCERNINGTHE MESSAGE

Following

Source

CONTINUOUSTRANSMISSION

OPENINGTHE CHANNELS

Receiving

The Flow of the Experience

Mapping the Experience

Metaphors of Divine Encounter

METAPHORS THEMES

Divine Flow, Inner River Connecting with a Flow

Divine Gravity Connecting with a Field

Divine Invitation Sensing Energetic Shifts

Divine Vehicle, Pipeline Becoming a Conduit

Dwelling Place Self-Sanctification

Nature, Life as Guidance Intermediary Elements

Divine Stillness Exclusion of Elements

“It’s…like a river flowing deep within me that I could dip into at anytime.” (CR5)

Resonant Learning “We’re going to elevate this conversation to the place that is speaking

from an open heart where divine guidance will flow through us and make a space for the Holy One to dwell.” (CR9)

• Each of the coresearcher’s metaphors of divine encounter appeared to have been experientially transmitted to the researcher through some kind of “mimicking” or resonant interaction phenomenon.

• This resonant learning phenomenon appeared to occur before, during and after each coresearcher interview.

Guidance on the Path of Inquiry “I talked with God one morning and He led me to [the discovery of the clay].”

– George Washington Carver

• The researcher tested 40 guidance-related self-experimentation methods and applied them to all aspects of this inquiry and the researcher’s everyday life.

• While all tested methods appeared to have a significant effect, some methods seemed to have a greater perceived effect.

• Familiarity, frequency, and duration of practice did not seem to be a significant factor in a methods perceived effect.

• The methods that seemed more effective appeared to be more resonant with the researcher on some unconscious level.

Applications

• Guidance Experience Template

• Guidance Experience Evaluation Checklist

• Synthesized Guidance Practice– Daily Purification

Practice– Situational Guidance

Meditation

The Experience of Divine GuidanceA Qualitative Study of the Human Endeavor to Seek, Receive,

and Follow Guidance from a Perceived Divine Source

A Doctoral Dissertation by Mark Allan Kaplan, Ph.D.Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, 2005Available at Google Play and Dissertations Abstracts

Research Presentation, June 2005Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto, CA