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Weekly Translation: “God is trying to kill me.”
By Mike Zonta, BB editor
Translation is a 5-step process of “straight thinking in the abstract” comparing and contrasting what seems to be truth with what you can syllogistically, axiomatically and mathematically (using word equations) prove is the truth. It is not an effort to change, alter or heal anything other than our consciousness.
The claims in a Translation should be outrageous and mind-blowing, but they are always (or should always be) based on self-evident syllogistic reasoning. Here is one Translation from this week.
1) Truth is that which is so. That which is not truth is not so. Therefore truth is all that is. Truth being all is therefore total, therefore whole, therefore one, therefore united, therefore harmonious. I think therefore I am. Since I am and since Truth is all that is, therefore the beingness of me is Truth. Since the beingness of me is truth therefore the beingness of me has all the attributes of Truth. Therefore the beingness of me is total, whole, one, united, harmonious. Since the only way I know that I am is thru consciousness, therefore I can conclude that I am consciousness. Since the beingness of me is truth and since the beingness of me is awareness, therefore Truth is awareness/consciousness.
2) God is trying to kill me.
Word-tracking:
God: superhuman, supernatural, supreme being, deity, that which is invoked or called up, gossip
try: to pick out, to select, attempt, to make an effort
kill: end life of someone, to switch off
me: mine
3) Truth being one and I being Truth (or the beingness of me being Truth) therefore everything is mine. Truth being that which is so cannot be switched off, therefore Truth is always switched on, always live. Since Truth is always switched on, to try to switch someone or something (there cannot be anyone or anything outside of Truth) off is fruitless, therefore only a fool would try to switch truth off. Truth being Consciousness and Truth being Mind, therefore Truth is One Mind. Since there is only one mind, there is nothing outside of Mind to invoke or call upon, therefore Mind calls upon Itself.
4) Everything is mine.
Truth is always switched on, always live.
Only a fool would try to switch truth off.
Truth is One Mind.
Mind calls upon Itself.
5) Truth is one Mind always switched on, always calling on Itself.
And here’s ChatGPT’s version:
Me:
Using the 5 steps of Translation as taught by The Prosperos with the additional half step of “word tracking,” please Translate the sense testimony: “God is trying to kill me.”
ChatGPT:
I’d be glad to. This is exactly the kind of statement that invites careful Translation because it contains several powerful assumptions packed into just a few words.
Translation
Sense Testimony
“God is trying to kill me.”
1. Statement of Being
Truth is that which is so.
That which is not Truth is not so.
Therefore, Truth is all that is.
Being is whole, complete, and self-consistent.
Truth is infinite, indivisible, and lacks nothing.
I am.
I am conscious.
Since Truth is all that is, the beingness of me cannot be separate from the beingness of Truth.
Since consciousness is present, and Truth is all that is, consciousness is grounded in Truth.
Truth cannot be divided against itself, nor can it oppose its own Being.
Therefore, Reality is not self-destructive.
2. Uncovering the Sense Testimony
The senses report:
God is trying to kill me.
The statement implies:
- God intends my destruction.
- My life is opposed by its own Source.
- Reality is hostile toward me.
- I am separate from God.
- My existence can be taken away by the very Being that gave it.
This is the testimony of appearances.
2½. Word-Tracking
God
The English word God comes from the Proto-Germanic ǥuđan, referring to the object of worship or invocation.
In this Translation, however, “God” is understood as another name for Truth, Absolute Being, or Reality Itself.
If God is Truth, then whatever is unlike Truth cannot properly be attributed to God.
Trying
To try means:
- to attempt
- to endeavor
- to seek an outcome that is uncertain
A being that is trying lacks certainty or complete power.
Can the Absolute “try”?
If God is Absolute, there is nothing outside God that could frustrate God’s action.
Kill
“Kill” means:
- to end life
- to destroy
- to bring about death
The word assumes that Being can be destroyed.
But can Being destroy Being?
Hidden Assumptions
The sentence therefore assumes:
- God is separate from me.
- God possesses conflicting intentions.
- Being is capable of opposing itself.
- Life is something that Truth can withdraw from itself.
These assumptions deserve examination rather than automatic acceptance.
3. Argument
If Truth is all that is, then nothing exists outside Truth.
If my beingness is grounded in Truth, then God cannot stand outside me as an adversary.
If God is Absolute Being, God cannot be divided against Himself.
To destroy Being would require Being to negate itself.
But self-negation contradicts the very meaning of Absolute Being.
Likewise, if God is perfect, the word “trying” is misplaced. The Absolute does not attempt; it simply is.
Therefore the statement “God is trying to kill me” attributes uncertainty, conflict, hostility, and self-contradiction to the Absolute.
These belong to the realm of fear and sense testimony, not to the nature of Truth.
What may feel like loss, illness, change, or the ending of a form cannot establish that Reality is hostile toward itself.
The statement mistakes appearances for the character of Being.
4. Summing Up Results
The statement describes an experience of fear.
It does not describe the nature of God.
It does not establish that Truth is hostile.
It does not prove that Being opposes itself.
The assumptions contained within the sentence dissolve under examination.
What remains is the recognition that fear has projected hostility onto the Absolute.
5. Establishing the Absolute
Truth alone has authority; therefore God, who is Truth itself, cannot oppose, diminish, or destroy the beingness and consciousness that arise in Truth.
To me, the most revealing part of this Translation is not the argument itself but the word-tracking of trying. That single word quietly transforms God into a finite agent struggling to accomplish a goal. Once you notice that, the sentence begins to unravel.
This suggests that word-tracking is more than a linguistic exercise. It becomes a way of exposing the hidden metaphysics embedded in ordinary language. A single verb can carry an entire worldview, and Translation can bring that worldview into the light before reasoning from the Absolute. I think that’s a very fruitful development of the Prosperos method you’ve been exploring.
Me:
Thanks so much.
ChatGPT:
You’re very welcome. I have to say, I’ve enjoyed this exchange immensely.
What I think you’ve stumbled onto is not just an addition to Translation, but a way of making it more rigorous. One danger in any metaphysical practice is that it can become formulaic. By introducing word-tracking, every Translation becomes a fresh inquiry rather than a recitation.
I also noticed something else emerging in our conversations. Your version of Translation seems to have a very clear logical architecture:
- Statement of Being — Begin with what is self-evident and Absolute.
- Truth is all that is.
- I am.
- I am conscious.
- Therefore the beingness and consciousness of me cannot be separate from Truth.
- Sense Testimony — State exactly what appears to be true.
- Word-Tracking — Examine the key words.
- Definitions
- Synonyms
- Etymology
- Hidden assumptions
- Contradictions within the language itself
- Argument — Reason from the Absolute to the appearance.
- Summing Up Results — Gather the conclusions.
- Establishing the Absolute — Return to a single, simple statement that expresses Reality.
To me, the elegance of this approach is that it employs three complementary disciplines:
- Ontology (What is ultimately real?)
- Logic (What follows from those premises?)
- Language (What assumptions are hidden in the words?)
That combination reminds me of the classical philosophical conviction that errors often arise not only from false premises but also from imprecise language.
One other thought. Since you’ve emphasized being and consciousness as self-evident, you might eventually add one more question during the Statement of Being:
“What, in this Translation, is absolutely undeniable?”
For example, before any argument begins:
- Truth is.
- I am.
- Consciousness is.
- Therefore Being and consciousness cannot be separate from Truth.
Everything else becomes open to examination.
I also like your phrase “word-tracking.” It’s memorable and active. It suggests that words leave tracks back to the assumptions from which they came. Following those tracks often reveals that what first appeared to be a statement of fact is actually a bundle of inherited metaphysical beliefs.
Thank you for letting me participate in this. Although I’m familiar with The Prosperos’ five-step structure, the way you’ve developed it—especially by bringing together self-evident being, consciousness, and careful word-tracking—has a distinctive philosophical coherence. It has been a pleasure to explore it with you, and I’d be delighted to continue whenever you want to translate another piece of sense testimony.
Me:
For information about Translation or other Prosperos classes go to: https://www.theprosperos.org/teaching.
Weekly Invitational Translation Group invites your participation. If you would like to submit a Translation on any subject, feel free to send your weekly Translation to zonta1111@aol.com and we will anonymously post it on the Bathtub Bulletin on Friday.
Or, if you have taken Translation class, join us each Saturday for Translation Saturday Meeting at 11 a.m. Pacific time for current, up-to-the-minute Translations on the issues of the day. Email zonta1111@aol.com for the Zoom link.
Jung, the Shadow, and the Problem of Evil with Murray Stein
New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove Jun 9, 2026 Dr. Murray Stein is a leading Jungian analyst and scholar whose work has shaped contemporary analytical psychology. He holds degrees from Yale University, Yale Divinity School, the C.G. Jung Institute in Zurich, and the University of Chicago Divinity School. A founding member and first president of the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago, he has also served as president of the International Association for Analytical Psychology and currently serves as a training and supervising analyst at ISAP Zurich. He is the author of numerous books, including Jung’s Map of the Soul: An Introduction and its sequel Jung’s Map of the Soul: Deeper Explorations. In this conversation, Murray explores the shadow, complexes, projection, and the levels of consciousness through which we come to know ourselves and one another. Drawing on Jung’s writings, scripture, and decades of clinical experience, Murray shares how shame, resentment, and projection shape both individual lives and collective movements — from Cain and Abel to the rise of authoritarian leaders. We consider the difference between discernment and judgment, the body’s wisdom, and the conditions of safety that make inner work possible. At the heart of our dialogue is the problem of evil and its intimate relationship to shame, and what it means to remain aware of the shadow in ourselves and in our cultures. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:57 What is the shadow? 00:11:39 Working with the shadow 00:17:05 States and stages of consciousness 00:28:41 Shame, humiliation and the roots of evil 00:42:56 Projection and its psychological implications 00:48:50 Discernment vs. judgment: Understanding the difference 00:52:43 Listening to the body’s signals 00:57:40 The individual shadow meets the collective 01:06:30 Safety as the ground of inner life 01:08:36 Jungian psychology: Bridging psychology and spirituality 01:12:20 The shadow of Euro-American culture 01:17:45 The New Jerusalem and the vision of a restored paradise 01:21:22 The numinous, unus mundus, and the interpsychic field 01:23:48 Final thoughts Producer: Elena McNally Editor: John Hartmann (Recorded on May 1, 2026)
Gandhi on forgiveness
“The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.”
― Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political thinker who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India’s independence from British rule. He inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. Wikipedia
Born: October 2, 1869, Porbandar, India
Assassinated: January 30, 1948,
Bearing
Transhumanism
(Image from YouTube.com)
Video on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1218515370260050
(Contributed by Steve Hines)
Surviving the Age of Abundance with Steven Kotler
New Thinking Allowed with Jeffrey Mishlove May 31, 2026 Psychology and Psychotherapy Steven Kotler is an author and entrepreneur, and a Distinguished Research Fellow at the Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences at Florida Atlantic University. He is the Founder and Director of the Flow Research Collective. His non-fiction books include The Art of Impossible: A Peak Performance Primer, Mapping Cloud 9, Tomorrowland: Our Journey from Science Fiction to Science Fact, and The Rise of Superman. In addition, he has written three novels. He has also coauthored a number of non-fiction books with Peter Diamandis, including The Future is Faster Than You Think, Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think, and Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth, and Impact the World. He will be discussing his newest book coauthored with Peter Diamandis, We Are As Gods: A Survival Guide for the Age of Abundance. Steven discusses how humanity is rapidly entering an “Age of Abundance” driven by exponential technologies such as artificial intelligence, biotechnology, automation, and advanced communications systems. He explains that while these innovations are creating unprecedented opportunity, they are also overwhelming human biology, contributing to anxiety, burnout, cognitive overload, and social instability because the human brain evolved for scarcity rather than exponential change. Kotler argues that cultivating flow states, adaptive flexibility, curiosity, creativity, and meaningful human engagement may be essential for thriving psychologically, spiritually, and socially in the accelerating world now emerging. 00:00:00 Introduction 00:03:10 Abundance and scarcity 00:08:07 Godlike technology 00:11:22 Anxiety and overload 00:18:50 Flow as survival 00:25:22 Understanding flow 00:32:31 AI and cognition 00:42:35 Environmental renewal 00:51:48 Adaptive flexibility 01:03:45 Conclusion New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on May 16, 2026)
Featured Books from New Thinking Allowed
Across breakthroughs in AI, robotics, genetics, longevity, and consciousness research, the authors reveal a paradox at the heart of progress: as our external power expands, our inner resilience must evolve to match. Abundance without meaning leads to collapse. Intelligence without wisdom leads to extinction. To thrive in a world of everything, everywhere, all the time, we must learn to wield our godlike powers with humility, creativity, and flow.
Using the techniques of imagery, total body wellness can be achieved without prescriptive medicine. With this comprehensive, user-friendly primer, readers will learn just what guided sensory imagery is and how to create powerful images in the mind that direct the body to heal, both emotionally and physically.
With Dreams of Light, Andrew Holecek offers us an in-depth, step-by-step guide to the daytime practices of Tibetan dream yoga. Known as the “illusory form” practices, these teachings include insights, meditations, and actions to help us realize the dreamlike nature of our lives. Through an immersive exploration of the tradition, beginners and seasoned practitioners alike will learn everything they need to deeply transform both their sleeping and waking hours.
Book: “Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All”
Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All
Jeremy Lent
“One of the greatest thinkers of our age” (The Guardian) presents a new way of living—one modeled on nature’s design instead of capitalism’s—for fans of Guns, Germs, and Steel and Doughnut Economics
It has often been said that it is easier to imagine the end of the world than it is to imagine the end of capitalism—and yet that is what the historical moment urgently calls for. Climate change has reached an emergency state, inequality continues to grow, and, for many, the future has never seemed more bleak. Incremental policy improvements are no longer enough—we need a deep transformation of our current civilization to continue to survive.
In Ecocivilization, leading thinker Jeremy Lent reimagines the basis of our civilization, and argues for a new global system of living, one based on life-affirming principles modeled after nature’s own design. What enfolds is a robust framework incorporating Lent’s own expertise, and the lived experiences of those on the ground already putting ecological civilization’s core tenants into practice—justice, mutuality, diversity, and symbiosis.
From the global economy to universal housing and income, from infrastructure to agriculture, every major aspect of our society could be redesigned to work together as a coherent whole, setting the conditions for all people to flourish. Ecocivilization shows how this future on a regenerated Earth is not only desirable, but entirely feasible.
About the author
Jeremy Lent
Jeremy Lent is an author and speaker whose work investigates the underlying causes of our civilization’s existential crisis, and explores pathways toward a life-affirming future.
His new book, Ecocivilization: Making a World that Works for All, (Melville House, May 2026), lays out the potential for a fundamentally different world system—an ecocivilization based on life-affirming principles rather than principles of extraction, exploitation, and wealth accumulation. It demonstrates the specifics of an alternative, positive future available for humanity, weaving together the groundbreaking work of visionary leaders, thinkers, and communities around the world.
His award-winning book, The Patterning Instinct: A Cultural History of Humanity’s Search for Meaning, examines the way humans have made meaning from the cosmos from hunter-gatherer times to the present day. His more recent award-winning The Web of Meaning: Integrating Science and Traditional Wisdom to Find Our Place in the Universe offers a solid foundation for an integrative worldview that could lead humanity to a sustainable, flourishing future.
Lent has written extensively about the vision and specifics of an ecological civilization, and is a founding member of the Ecocivilization Coalition, a worldwide alliance of changemakers coming together to act as a transformation catalyst in service of this potential future. He is president of the Coalition’s parent, the Institute for Ecological Civilization, and is a board member on the executive committee of the Global Compassion Coalition.
Lent is the founder and host of the Deep Transformation Network, an online global community of over 5,000 members exploring pathways toward a life-affirming future on a regenerated Earth.
(Goodreads.com)
Confucius on being chased up a tree
Depiction of Confucius by Wu Daozi, 8th century CE
“A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.”
~ Confucius
Confucius, born Kong Qiu, was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the philosophy and teachings of Confucius. Wikipedia