God, the Numinous, and Psychological Barriers
An even more profound (and emotionally laden) experience of nothingness is encountered when we confront a divine presence—whether this be in a group setting or alone. I turn to John Lilly, the noted author of books about swimming with dolphins and immersing oneself in tanks that deprived one of all sensory experiences (producing a state of nothingness: solitude, isolation and confinement).
Many Godly Simulations: Lilly has used these experiences to map out the journey to some “simulation” of God (Lilly (1956/1975). Much like Don Howard (featured in previous essays in this series) writes about the profound challenge of creating God out of nothing while also requiring an existing God to account for the emerges of something (our universe) out of nothing, John Lilly identifies our existence in a “universe trying to describe itself” (Lilly, 1956/1975 p. 23) According to Lilly (1956/1975, p. 23):
“When one looks inside and sees himself, there is nothing. Feedback is complete in the void; however, there is a sense of being, consciousness, a state of being I am, I am that, I am it, which finally leads one to a [recognition of one’s body and its many physical and mental functions.]”
Amid this struggle to grapple with nothingness (as Lilly did in confronting the “cyclone” of thought and feeling in his tank) one finds the need to “simulate” a God who creates something out of nothingness. In this simulation, a set of connected concepts, ideas, and interacting models are produced that closely resemble what the simulator takes to be reality—leading to an acceptance of this “simulated” reality as the real thing.
For John Lilly, the simulated God can exist “out there.” This God is the transcendent being that is envisioned in many religions (such as Judaism, and Christianity). God can instead exist inside oneself or one can exist inside God. I would note that this is the case with spiritual traditions purporting that there is nothing but God, or a solipsistic biocentrism that purports there is nothing but one’s individual consciousness (Lanza, 2010).
God is also simulated in the personification of God as she/he/it, this simulation of God commonly found in the magnificent paintings of the Sistine Chapel or in the more mundane Sunday School portraits of a handsome (always Caucasian) male figure sitting on a throne in cloud-enhanced heaven. In addition, Lilly points to replacement of the traditional God with the God-like addiction to drugs, sex, and the perfection of the body. God is also created to prepare one for death, to exemplify one’s feelings of righteous wrath or compassion.
According to Lilly, we may produce Gods that justify war, that guide science—and recently that is to be found in the computers we have invented (amplified today by the God of artificial intelligence). I would add to what Lilly has observed. Whether real or simulated, God is embedded in a human struggle to make sense of a constructed universe that impinging on our life. As transcendent beings, we can’t avoid confronting the challenges of a God present in our life. It is the daily presence of a powerful simulated or real God that can bring us “to our knees.” I would suggest that regardless of the God we have invented (simulated) or acknowledged, there is always a sense of over-whelm, mystery, and compelling attraction.
