The return to sensitive communication
according to ancient civilizations.

    Before returning to the evolution of languages in the light of scientific discoveries, let's take a look at some of the Middle Eastern myths that describe the evolution of mankind.
    Written in some cases over 2,600 years ago, using only the knowledge of the time, these myths describe the history of various peoples and their relationships with their rulers and gods.
Astronomy did not yet exist. The study of the sky, however, enabled us to identify the seasons and organize cultures, while the stars were understood as a means of divination [cf : astrology].
Evolution was unknown at the time, and every phenomenon had its origin in a creative agent: man and woman were at the origin of their child, the fig tree was at the origin of the fig, the rumble in the sky started the storm, lightning started the fire, and the king organized all human achievements.
Likewise, the universe and life had a creator at their origin.
Today, even if the origin of the Universe remains an unfathomable mystery, knowledge has evolved, and science now answers many of the unknowns.

    However, while it's legitimate to continue believing in certain explanations given in those remote times, we're going to focus, as we did previously with the myth of Babel, on interpreting these myths by considering the way knowledge was advancing at the time, based solely on the workings of human thought.
To do this, we need to read these stories differently.
These texts lose some of their sacred character, but gain in comprehensibility for today's reader.

    As we know, human thought develops its understanding of the world through an ability to compare new, sometimes unintelligible events with known ones : analogy.
This was the only way to understand the world in the absence of our current knowledge.
We'll use the same way of thinking to understand these texts.

    In this way, we can compare the actions of a god of the universe who grants land and rewards his followers, with those of a Mesopotamian king who rewards his subjects.
As for man, who could not escape the power of his sovereign, it was natural that he could not escape the power of his god.

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    Among these stories, we are going to look at two of them, rich in dreams that highlight one of the characteristics of REM sleep : an intuition revealed by the images of dreams.
These writings, taken from the Gospels and written 2,000 years ago, illustrate the development of thought since the first myths and the difficulty of escaping the collective rules laid down at that time.

    As we have already done, it is the evolutionary aspects of the human psyche that we are interested in here, avoiding any polemics with the countless clerics, writers, exegetes and researchers who have devoted their lives to the study of these myths. Some have done so to confirm their beliefs, others to better understand the evolution of societies and cultures and the way in which these texts appeared and were transformed as they were interpreted.
In this field, as in many others, knowledge will always remain incomplete.

    These aspects of human thought also explain the existence of accounts that differ according to the apostles or scholars who have tried to give an account of the thought of the prophet Jesus. The variability of these texts has forced us to make choices that have nothing to do with their credibility. For example, the choice we have made here of Matthew 1:18 does not call into question the writings of Luke 1:5-31, or of the other apostles.

    The differing descriptions and interpretations between Matthew and Luke, for example, simply reflect the difficulty of trying to recount, decades later, an essentially oral history and teaching.

    What the prophet Jesus was able to teach remains in the hearts of men, but to describe it in words is to come up against the weakness of words when it comes to describing feelings, and to attempt to place these feelings in a historical context to give them a concrete value, is to forget that feelings are part, not of the history of the human species, but of the history of Evolution as a whole.
This is why all these texts, as part of the history of evolution, describe the beginning (Genesis), the course (the life of the Israelite tribes), and the end of an era, leaving the door open to major changes (Apocalypse).

2 – The return of sensitive communication :

A – The beginnings of a new world :

    Scientific discoveries have taught us that species evolve in two ways :
- firstly, during life, by adapting to current events and fixing in the DNA chain the new learnings that will be passed on to future generations,
- then death occurs, removing the carriers of maladaptive behavior from the older generation. Evolution is then relaunched through their descendants.
The birth of a child is therefore a “refresher course” for the previous generation, which is struggling to adapt and must leave it to the younger generations to resume evolution [cf : The role of jumping genes-in french].

    In this passage from the Gospels, a birth is announced, with all that it represents in terms of a return to the sources of life. The indispensable characteristics laid down by evolution reappear in the child who is born : this child will be able to exploit his or her abilities to succeed where the previous generation may have failed, provided circumstances are favorable.
Here, this birth is not presented as the usual birth requiring a biological father; it is the fruit of the “Spirit”. It appears to us as the result of a transformation, a maturing of thought on the part of the parental couple.
The newborn child will begin life with its own capacities, and in a family environment where thinking has matured and can immediately favor its natural tendencies.








    Who is the originator of this birth, if we remain in the usual biological space ? A man and a woman. Who is responsible for education at this time in history? The man. We know, moreover, that the rules of education were very hard on the child : at that time, the richness of a toddler's capacities was not yet known, rules took precedence over love, and the harshness of education over the happiness that comes from exercising a moral sense.
As for Joseph, he's a good man, respectful of others. His love is such that he even proposes to set his wife free. This is a far cry from the stoning for adultery authorized by the Law.


    By giving precedence to love over the law, Joseph is the man who allows his child to flourish.







    The dream then makes its appearance. Belonging to the realm of man's unconscious, we have seen that the work of the unconscious precedes conscious thoughts, elaborating in the shadows all the work that preludes awareness (in french) .
It is the result of this unconscious work that language calls « intuition ». This is revealed here in the message of the dream.
What does this messenger from the unconscious say to Joseph ?
« You have nothing to be ashamed of in your experience with Mary. The conception of this child is not just a carnal act, but the result of real love, the sign of a healthy spirit. »



    Moreover, if we consider woman as the expression of man's hidden sensitivity, the angel's injunction takes on another meaning: “Do not fear to be sensitive, for your child also possesses this sensitivity selected by evolution.







    In a culture and age where men have the power to make decisions, it's clear that only a newborn male child could transform this society as it waits for a « messiah » capable of initiating real change.
Joseph, a good man, is aware of the shortcomings of the society in which he lives. Although he cannot bring about this change himself, he will pass on his example to his son. Mary's presence will be indispensable.



    This child will become a guide whose example will prevail in a world where violence, lies and all the biases of thought alter adult behavior.






    This passage would seem to indicate that the dream is premonitory. However, let's not forget that the story was told several decades after the events [cf : the writings of Matthew and Luke] . It was not Joseph who recounted his dream, and his child had not yet become Christ ; it was the disciples who reported events in which they had not participated.
However, without a written trace or formal proof of an event, the narrative is generally altered, whether intentionally or not.
So, to avoid any polemics, we'll confine ourselves to following the narrative in order to understand the storyteller's train of thought, putting aside any religious or esoteric vision.
We can then consider that Joseph's dream was indeed the result of an intuition based on prior knowledge.
Indeed, many creative intuitions were born much later (Jules Verne and heavier-than-air aircraft, George Orwell and 1984).









    We learn here that the child of Joseph and Mary will have two denominations. By his parents, he will be Jesus, “the one who saves”, and by the people he will be Emmanuel, “the savior who is among them”.
The text indicates that this child will possess, from birth, a quality that will determine his destiny : driven by a moral sense of divine origin (let's not forget that we have equated the new god with evolution [cf : Evolution of languages] which has endowed the very young with an innate moral sense), this new man will transform, by his example, the society in which he will live.











    The man, who wields power in this culture, allies himself with the woman, the symbol of a sensitivity too often silenced.
The male monocracy that prevails in families is replaced here by the cooperation of Jesus' parents. It is this strong bond of love that will contribute to the development of their child.

Psychologically, Joseph, who is described as a good man, will bring his sensitivity to bear on his decisions.
Let's not forget that reason and sensitivity, apparently so contradictory, are complementary.








    The bonds established are no longer based on a purely physical relationship, but on the development of dialogue and mutual respect.

B – The journey of the Magi - Discovery of the world and resumption of evolution :

    Des hommes, qui connaissent l’importance du voyage, source de connaissances et d’ouverture d’esprit sur le monde [cf : La porte de l’évolution], font un long voyage jusqu’à Jérusalem.










    However, these men were not interested in a place, but in an event, a birth, that had just taken place. They relied on an intuition linking the appearance of a star to a major change : the birth of a child, a sign of renewal in a family.
In this case, the renewal concerns a people under Roman domination.








    The local institution, in this case a king appointed and installed in the capital by a foreign authority, was worried.









    All those in control of society are consulted, to the exclusion of the common people.
The inquiry is not about the quality of the event, but about the threat it may represent.
The child's disappearance is already suggested.

    Here, commonplace behaviours are described : some, in search of discovery, are always on the move, welcoming change with joy and reverence ; others, attached to their habits, struggle to accept anything that might threaten their way of life.






    Administrative officials and priests stay out of changes : they manage collective rules. If peoples need this management, they also need prophets who nourish their hopes.


Their prophet, attentive to his intuitions, perceived that a change was coming, and that it had to happen in Bethlehem, cradle of the family of King David, who became a hero after defeating the Philistine giant Goliath.






    Beeing the keeper means here, in reference to the shepherd who leads his flock to pasture, to act as protector, and to let his sheep freely choose their food. The shepherd accompanies and does not impose a lifestyle.
This new leader will not feast on his people; on the contrary, he will protect them and allow them to choose from among the riches of Life.
He will be in the line of great kings, like King David.









    The visitors were called. But just as they came out into the open to announce the happy event, the powers that be acted in the shadows to protect their power.

Here we find a common psychological approach to maintaining control of a situation : it is important to keep one's intentions secret.








    After secrecy, the second characteristic of monocratic authority is lying.
Here we have the main elements of a form of control that does not meet moral criteria.








    When in doubt, human beings like to cling to signs that tell us how to act.
Now, we know that the particularity of consciousness is to focus (in french). Here, it focuses on a light in the sky, an inaccessible place full of mystery.







    The vision of the star ‘spoke’ to the hearts of the Magi like a draft of language.
The organ of vision thus appears to be the intermediary between what we perceive and the feeling we experience.
‘Seeing, like hearing or touching, gives us access to a deeper part of the reality of the world : that which our senses reveal to us.
If anxiety accompanies all rigid authority, happiness animates those who discover the world.








    Whereas power encourages us to possess, sensitivity encourages us to share.

What are the symbolic representations of sharing in this story ?
- Gold : this inalterable metal has multiple functions: artistic, commercial, exchange or hoarding.
This is why gold can be used to describe sensitivity. It is enduring, present throughout a human being's life. It is universal and richly expressive: it enabled communication long before the advent of language, and makes it possible to adapt to all facets of life, whether beautiful or useful.
- Frankincense : is a fragrance that was considered more precious than gold in ancient times.
- Spices : with medicinal virtues, they evoke the sensitivity that enables us to assess our vital needs and fight disease.








    As we have seen, the child is moved by what he feels.
The Magi, who had lost some of their sensitivity, were not immediately aware of the danger. However, this sensitivity still exists : it arises like an intuition, under the mask of a dream, and it proves to be right.
Herod's reassuring words (Matthew 2:8) concealed a great danger !

https://utpictura18.univ-amu.fr/notice/17928-songe-trois-rois-mages-cathedrale-dautun







    Joseph's intuition was similar to that of the Magi.
Here we see one of the advantages of REM sleep: linked to instinctive functioning and free from frontal control, it delivers, through dreams, messages (in french)that come from the activity of a consciousness that is usually inaccessible and cannot be influenced by words.
How can this be explained?
We have seen that living in a group requires the inhibition of a certain number of individual behaviours that are considered asocial. For example, the opinion of a hierarchical superior prevails and imposes submission.
However, during sleep, frontal control ceases and the dreamer's feelings can be revealed. Worries not perceived in everyday life will surface during the dream, while an entity experienced as protective will dispense judicious advice.








    Respectful of his nocturnal intuitions, Joseph complied with the injunctions of his unconscious, which, like an inner guide, brought him the information he had missed during the day.






    What's more, Joseph was able to combine his intuitive nocturnal knowledge, which warned him of danger, with the knowledge of events indicating Herod's death.
Joseph thus acquires an awareness that enables him to take into account both what he feels and what he learns.








    Evolution has fostered in children a sense of morality, i.e. the well-being of themselves and others, but even today, every despot is driven to kill in order to maintain his power.







    Jeremiah was a prophet made famous for his predictions revealed through his dreams.






    Rachel, who could represent feminine sensitivity here, needs to express her emotions in order to find peace.
But consolation consists partly in limiting the expression of emotions.
While sensitive human beings are capable of perceiving the tragedy of a situation, a despot devoid of empathy is incapable of doing so.

What's more, experiencing violent emotions is often the trigger for profound changes in society : that's when what you feel takes precedence over everything you've learned. [NdA]







    The news of this death is marked by a new dream for Joseph.
For those who listen to what they feel, every event is a source of awareness and change.
Old behaviours are bound to disappear, but will they be followed by real change ?







    This dream shows that Joseph's worries have been allayed : he can return to Judea.


   Here again, the activity of his unconscious remains precious. As a pious man, he knew the history of his people, and in particular the history of Jacob.
Without being aware of it, Joseph was able to link his own actions to those of Isaac's son: he had fought against human forces, and perhaps now he would have to go against the divine message.






    So Joseph returns to the land of Jacob (now Israel) with a child, the promise of a fundamental change that will transform the word brought by previous generations.
Societies, which had recognised the importance of the law and a common belief to ensure their cohesion, were about to recognise the importance of individual sensitivity. The law that this will establish will no longer be based on coercion, but on mutual respect.









    We can compare Joseph's reaction to that of Jacob, who asserted his personality by fighting the angel. Indeed, Jacob, by ‘jousting against heavenly and human powers’, triumphed over both his individualism and heavenly authority. He thus acquired another name, ‘He who wrestles with God’.
As for Joseph, after trusting only his dreams, he finds himself confronted with reality: the presence of Archelaus in Judea.
Concern reappears : should he obey the angel ?
    Although his decision is not yet certain, this time his perception of a real danger prevails over his dream. Joseph does not have to fight the angel to affirm his choices: the anxiety he has felt has changed the advice given by the angel. The angel agrees with Joseph's choice and allows him to follow his own path towards Galilee.
Joseph's exile had matured him: after having trusted only his dreams, he now took account of reality in order to act.
    Like Jacob, Joseph sets out for the destination he has chosen, with his own knowledge (that of his reason, aware of reality), accompanied by his loving wife (who listens to his feelings and intuitions), and his child (the promise of future transformation).








     Galilee seemed to Joseph to be a better place to live than Judea, and it was there that he went.
Like Jacob, he was able to make a decision without any human or divine influence. He is the father who will be able to bring up his child with a clear conscience.

Conclusion :

    The awakening of sensitivity combined with a deep grounding in reality leads to a new consciousness.
Every child to be born will then be able to blossom thanks to the capacities it carries within itself.












3 - The evolution of human communication : (in french)


Bibliography :