The Seven Adjutant Mind Spirits - a Revelation for a Scientific Explanation of Mind

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By Bruce Johnson

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(Presented at the 2016 Science Symposium)

This article approaches the Seven Adjutant Mind Spirits from three angles.

The goal is to present the admitted ‘revelation’ of the seven Adjutant Mind Spirits, as at least a credible theory, worthy of scientific consideration. To present a reasonable and competitive theory, that holds up to thoughtful and practical examination.

The AJMS concept is a comprehensive ‘framework’ that allows plenty of room for other current views about ‘mind’, to readily fit in. However, the exception is, the Adjutant Mind Spirits concept does go beyond the fairly common belief, that the origin and function of ‘mind’ is exclusively a combination of DNA and electro-chemical brain activity.

Broadly speaking, the AJMS act as a ‘bridge’, by providing a ‘mind’ that depends on, and is anchored in the brain; but then goes beyond the material level, and leads to a much higher level, eventually ‘bridging’ the vast gap between ‘body’ and ‘spirit’. (Focus of this article is the ‘Adjutant’ level of mind. The Urantia Book frames ‘Adjutant mind’ as the lower level human type mind, an auxiliary temporary mortal mind, patterned after the higher level ‘Cosmic mind’ of the Infinite Spirit).

Another introductory point: The AJMS concept is quite simple... yet upon further study, at the same time can also be very complex! For example, we are describing several influences, combined and in relationship with a unique ‘personality’, that in total, create a unified experience that is perfectly integrated. Scientifically speaking, its kind of like the gases hydrogen plus oxygen are experienced together as water, but in our case, the parts are a bit more difficult to actually measure or separate. Sorting through these ‘parts’ can take some serious pondering!

65:6.10: “The physical brain with its associated nervous system possesses innate capacity for response to mind ministry just as the developing mind of a personality possesses a certain innate capacity for spirit receptivity and therefore contains the potentials of spiritual progress and attainment. Intellectual, social, moral, and spiritual evolution are dependent on the mind ministry of the seven adjutant spirits and their superphysical associates.”

65:7.2 “...Nevertheless, the perfect integration of these spirit endowments with the ordained and natural procedure of the unfolding and inherent regime of the Life Carriers is responsible for the mortal inability to discern, in the phenomenon of mind, aught but the hand of nature and the outworking of natural processes, albeit you are occasionally somewhat perplexed in explaining all of everything connected with the natural reactions of mind as it is associated with matter. And if Urantia were operating more in accordance with the original plans, you would observe even less to arrest your attention in the phenomenon of mind.”

PART 1: The Seven Adjutant Mind Spirits

Here are some defining and historical quotes:

(65:7.6) “...acquisition of the potential of the ability to learn from experience marks the beginning of the functioning of the adjutant spirits, and they function from the lowliest minds of primitive and invisible existences up to the highest types...”




62:6.3 “At first only the spirit of intuition could function in the instinctive and reflex behavior of the primordial animal life. With the differentiation of understanding to endow such creatures with the gift of spontaneous association of ideas. Later on we observed the spirit of courage in operation; evolving animals really developed a crude form of protective self-consciousness. Subsequent to the appearance of the mammalian groups, we beheld the spirit of knowledge manifesting itself in increased measure. And the evolution of the higher mammals brought the function of the spirit of counsel, with the resulting growth of the herd instinct and the beginnings of primitive social development.” (refer to Paper 36: Section 5, for further specifics on each adjutant).

58:6.7 “The physiologic equipment and the anatomic structure of all new orders of life are in response to the action of physical law, but the subsequent endowment of mind is a bestowal of the adjutant mind-spirits in accordance with innate brain capacity. Mind , while not a physical evolution, is wholly dependent on the brain capacity afforded by purely physical and evolutionary developments.”

36:5.1) “It is the presence of the seven adjutant mind-spirits on the primitive worlds that conditions the course of organic evolution; that explains why evolution is purposeful and not accidental.”

... Early Mammals appeared about 50 million years ago:

62:6.1 “We, the Life Carriers on Urantia,..had been watching...the functioning of the seven adjutant mind-spirits assigned to Urantia at the time of our arrival on the planet. Throughout the long evolutionary development of planetary life, these tireless mind ministers had ever registered their increasing ability to contact with the successively expanding brain capacities..”

62:6.4 “Increasingly, on down through the dawn mammals, the mid-mammals, and the Primates, we had observed the augmented service of the first five adjutants. But never had the remaining two, the highest mind ministers, been able to function in the Urantia type of evolutionary mind.”

101:6.4. “Wisdom embraces the ideas formulated from protoplasmic memory in process of association and recombination, and such phenomena differentiate human mind from mere animal mind. Animals have knowledge, but only man possesses wisdom capacity.”

62:6.5 “Imagine our joy one day—the twins were about ten years old—when the spirit of worship made its first contact with the mind of the female twin and shortly thereafter with the male. We knew that something closely akin to human mind was approaching culmination; and when, about a year later, they finally resolved, as a result of meditative thought and purposeful decision, to flee from home and journey north, then did the spirit of wisdom begin to function on Urantia and in these two now recognized human minds.”

... The concept of a preexisting non-material mind ministry, that is paired with biological evolution, isn’t yet considered within the ‘physical’ sciences. Evolution’s ‘survival of the fittest’ principle does acknowledge that beyond genetic changes, higher ‘intelligence’ is also a part of the evolutionary process.

Here’s one definition of human ‘intelligence’: “A very general mental capability that, among other things, involves the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, comprehend complex ideas, learn quickly and learn from experience. It is not merely book learning, a narrow academic skill, or test-taking smarts. Rather, it reflects a capability for comprehending our surroundings—"catching on," "making sense" of things, or "figuring out" what to do.” (from Mainstream Science on Intelligence-1994-Wall Street Journal signed by fifty-two researchers)... So it seems qualities such as ‘understanding’, ‘knowledge’, and even ‘wisdom’, fit well with describing human intelligence.

The condensed seven ADJM history could be: all seven AJMS have been present to ‘minister mind’ on Urantia, since the very beginning of life, some 550 million years ago, slowly connecting with the various evolving animal brains, as they each develop and grow in receptivity and capacity. (for fun, think along the lines of the riddle, “which came first – the Chicken or the Egg?”... Brain or Mind?!).

For those of you pondering about very low level functioning life – the UB does describe the additional ‘mechanical’ type of mind, 42:10.3 “Preadjutant-spirit minds. This level of mind is nonexperiencing and on the inhabited worlds is ministered by the Master Physical Controllers. This is mechanical mind, the nonteachable intellect of the most primitive forms of material life”

PART 2: Further Study of Wisdom

36:5.12 “The spirit of wisdom - ... This is the highest of the adjutants, the spirit co-ordinator and articulator of the work of all the others... to utilize the co-ordination of all their past experience and present opportunities for the acquisition of all of everything that all of the other six mental ministers can mobilize in the mind of the organism concerned. Wisdom is the acme of intellectual performance. Wisdom is the goal of a purely mental and moral existence.”

Wisdom is almost universally valued. The idea of having “wisdom”, or being “wise”, is used by most of us on a regular basis. Even most Atheist won’t argue about the existence and value of wisdom. But, its a quality that’s hard to measure, and complicated by differing views. Opinions are often debated, as to what is truly wise. Can wisdom be put into a formula, or computer program? Can wisdom be gained only through experience? Can wisdom be taught? Is it variable and unique to each experience, and are there many levels of wisdom? Can I ever become completely wise!? Is human wisdom different than divine wisdom?... Or a flat dismissal of wisdom’s importance: “This topic just gives me a headache. I’d much prefer to think about the material world and outer space than inner space!?”

Here are some Urantia Book quotes offering various insights about Wisdom:

71:7.2 “..Teachers must be free beings, real leaders, to the end that philosophy, the search for wisdom, may become the chief educational pursuit....mankind may gradually experience the ascending levels of mortal wisdom, which are: 1.The knowledge of things. 2. The realization of meanings. 3. The appreciation of values. 4. The nobility of work—duty. 5. The motivation of goals—morality. 6. The love of service—character. 7. Cosmic insight—spiritual discernment.”

81:6.22 “Science, guided by wisdom, may become man's great social liberator. A mechanical age can prove disastrous only to a nation whose intellectual level is too low to discover those wise methods and sound techniques for successfully adjusting to the transition difficulties arising from the sudden loss of employment by large numbers consequent upon the too rapid invention of new types of laborsaving machinery.”

92:0.1... “Evolutionary religion arose slowly throughout the millenniums of mankind's experiential career through the ministry of the following influences operating within, and impinging upon, savage, barbarian, and civilized man: The adjutant of worship—the appearance in animal consciousness of superanimal potentials for reality perception. This might be termed the primordial human instinct for Deity. The adjutant of wisdomthe manifestation in a worshipful mind of the tendency to direct its adoration in higher channels of expression and toward ever-expanding concepts of Deity reality.

92:0.4... “This ministry to a worship-craving and wisdom-desiring mind creates the capacity to self-realize the postulate of human survival, both in theologic concept and as an actual and factual personality experience.”

102:3.5 “Science, knowledge, leads to fact consciousness; religion, experience, leads to value consciousness; philosophy, wisdom, leads to co-ordinate consciousness; revelation (the substitute for morontia mota) leads to the consciousness of true reality;”

103:9.6...”Reason, wisdom, and faith are man's highest human attainments. Reason introduces man to the world of facts, to things; wisdom introduces him to a world of truth, to relationships; faith initiates him into a world of divinity, spiritual experience.”

85:7.3 “When the worship urge is admonished and directed by wisdom—meditative and experiential thinking—it then begins to develop into the phenomenon of real religion. When the seventh adjutant spirit, the spirit of wisdom, achieves effective ministration, then in worship man begins to turn away from nature and natural objects to the God of nature and to the eternal Creator of all things natural.”

108:2.2 “The Adjusters cannot invade the mortal mind until it has been duly prepared by the indwelling ministry of the adjutant mind-spirits and encircuited in the Holy Spirit. And it requires the co-ordinate function of all seven adjutants to thus qualify the human mind for the reception of an Adjuster.” 107:9.3 “The valor and wisdom exhibited by Thought Adjusters suggest that they have undergone a training of tremendous scope and range..”

19:2.6 “The Perfectors of Wisdom and my order of personality, the Divine Counselors, together with the Universal Censors, constitute the highest orders of beings who may and do engage in the work of revealing truth to the individual planets and systems,..”(authors of the UB Forward, plus first 21 Papers!)


146:2.14 “Jesus taught that the prayer for divine guidance over the pathway of earthly life was next in importance to the petition for a knowledge of the Father's will. In reality this means a prayer for divine wisdom.”

157:6.2.. “Henceforth his one ideal of living was the revelation of the Father, while his one idea in teaching was to present to his universe the personification of that supreme wisdom which can only be comprehended by living it

133:5.4 “Scientists may some day measure the energy, or force manifestations, of gravitation, light, and electricity, but these same scientists can never (scientifically) tell you what these universe phenomena are. Science deals with physical-energy activities; religion deals with eternal values. True philosophy grows out of the wisdom which does its best to correlate these quantitative and qualitative observations. There always exists the danger that the purely physical scientist may become afflicted with mathematical pride and statistical egotism,”

195:6.3 “The pursuit of mere knowledge, without the attendant interpretation of wisdom and the spiritual insight of religious experience, eventually leads to pessimism and human despair. A little knowledge is truly disconcerting.”

The broad intention of the above quotes is to recognize, include and prioritize ‘wisdom’, as we increasingly depend on the rapid advances of scientific knowledge, in the quest to control our material world. True wisdom embraces science; why not vice versa?

PART 3: Using Case Studies

At this point, we’ve presented the basic concept of ‘ministering’ adjutant mind spirits We have described the first five AJMS; qualities of mind found in various combinations in the ‘animal’ world. The two additional AJMS, worship and wisdom, are highly active only at the human level. The lower AJMS, such as courage and knowledge, can be somewhat measured or observed – are mostly quantitative characteristics. But the highest two, worship and wisdom, cannot be easily measured or directly observed – they are qualitative characteristics... And in addition, only higher animals have consciousness, with just humans having ‘self-consciousness’.

16:9.4 “Human self-consciousness implies the recognition of the reality of selves other than the conscious self and further implies that such awareness is mutual; that the self is known as it knows.”

112:2.10. “There exists a great cosmic gulf between matter and thought, and this gulf is immeasurably greater between material mind and spiritual love. Consciousness, much less self-consciousness, cannot be explained by any theory of mechanistic electronic association or materialistic energy phenomena.”

195:6.13 “If men were only machines, they would react more or less uniformly to a material universe. Individuality, much less personality, would be nonexistent.” 133:7.10..”this kind of material mind would be utterly lacking in a sense of moral values and would be without a guiding sense of spiritual dominance which is so essential to achieving harmonious personality unity in time,” 133:7.11 “That individuals so differ in their life performances indicates, not only the varying endowments of heredity and the different influences of the environment, but also the degree of unification with the indwelling spirit of the Father.”

130:4.9.. “animals (not having worship and wisdom) cannot experience superconsciousness, consciousness of consciousness. The animal mind is only conscious of the objective universe..”

Throughout history, many theories have been proposed toward the yet unresolved mysteries surrounding consciousness. Here’s a few of the basic areas currently being explored: expanding consciousness, subconscious, the unconscious, the superconscious. Wide ranging theories are based on the physical sciences, psychology, and/or philosophy... Indeed certain regions of the brain are proven associated with various higher mental functions. And many now believe that computerized ‘artificial intelligence’ will soon outperform our mere ‘human’ abilities. I guess this might suggest that humans are simply an evolutionary step, towards a world dominated by robots!? (a joke!)

Here’s one example of ‘consciousness’ research: Since 1994, the biennial series "Toward a Science of Consciousness" conferences are a landmark of international, interdisciplinary events sponsored by the University of Arizona devoted entirely to unlocking the mysteries of consciousness. They have explored the whole spectrum of approaches from philosophy of mind and cognitive science, to neurobiology, pharmacology, and molecular dynamics, phenomenological accounts, and physics. The Center for Consciousness Studies at the University of Arizona was formed in 1998..... Center not only integrates these areas, but "thinks outside the box" of conventional wisdom which has thus far, at least, failed to make significant breakthroughs. (from homepage website)

How can we introduce the AJMS, into scientific dialog exploring mind and consciousness? Ordinary scientific methods aren’t able to demonstrate the existence of dynamics that are beyond ‘matter’; that can’t be seen or precisely measured.

This is where we can use the approach of ‘Case Study’ method, as a way to look at the AJMS ‘in-action’. A case study is basically analyzing a particular instance or example in order to illustrate a thesis or principle.

First though a mention about interrelatedness:

Our focus to this point has been on the AJMS, but its very important to keep in mind additional presences mentioned by the UB, including ‘Personality’ and the ‘Thought Adjuster’. These factors are all at work, but combined together are experienced as one. Remember: “simple,.. but also complex!?” All are essential to our ‘human’ status. All seamlessly work to create a singular Bruce,.. or YOU!

Personality unifies: 133:7.9 “Without the effective functioning of a consciousness sorter and associator there would not exist sufficient unity to warrant the designation of a selfhood. Such an ununified mind could hardly attain conscious levels of human status. If the associations of consciousness were just an accident, the minds of all men would then exhibit the uncontrolled and random associations of certain phases of mental madness”.

112:2.9 “The possession of personality identifies man as a spiritual being since the unity of selfhood and the self-consciousness of personality are endowments of the supermaterial world..”

The AJMS depend upon increasing receptivity and capacity of the brain, throughout the long course of life’s physical evolution. And each ‘ministering spirit’ on its own, has varying degrees of successful response with each individual brain. For example: there are many, many versions of intuition, understanding, courage, knowledge, counsel, etc, etc! It follows then, that each of us likely represents a unique combination and interpretation these qualities... Emphasis for this study is on individual minds having particular ‘receptivity’ and ‘capacity’.

The Case Study examples are to suggest different personal responses and interpretations, within an individual’s capacities. Also, its important to mention that expanding true growth is preceded first by intention; ‘Free Will’ choices.

And for perspective: Evolution is not only physical change. Its mental and spiritual, too. The human mind is still Evolving! As our capacity and receptivity continue to increase, the deep untapped potentials ministered by each ‘super-conscious’ AJMS, will continue to blossom in humankind for the foreseeable centuries yet to come.

Now with all this in mind, we will look at some examples, using the ‘Case Study’ method, as a way to recognize the AJMS ‘in-action’, (in unison with Personality and Thought Adjuster).

Carl Jung (1875-1961) - Much of my adult life was centered around psychology and mental health, with a degree in psychology, RN, and then working in adolescent psychiatric nursing. I had also been studying the wonders of my UB since age 21 (1969)... Later on, in the 1990s, I became active in a weekly ‘Jungian’ group – where I was soon intrigued by the spiritual nature of Jung’s very extensive writings and theories. Jung, a psychiatrist, was a keen observer of individuals, cultures, history, and especially his own inner experiences, trying to make sense out of his intense inner images and feelings. He wrote extensively: 22 volumes plus an autobiography. I was struck by how Jung’s theories described a very similar pattern, to the UB descriptions about experiencing spiritual growth... Co-incidentally, both Jung and Dr. William Sadler (1875-1969), studied under Freud in the early 1900s. Jung broke with Freud in 1912, when he published his revolutionary “Psychology of the Unconscious”. Dr Sadler became a prominent American psychiatrist, and authored 15+ psychology based books.

Jung takes an approach that is essentially the reverse of the mainstream's practice of advancing established knowledge step by step. Instead, Jung began with the highest levels of his own spiritual experiences, and then derives the lower levels of psychology and physiology from them.... As a prominent member of the psychiatric profession, Jung always asserted that his psychology was a science, and empirically based. (primary reference for Jung info: Jung: Memories, Dreams, and Reflections, 1961)

I’ll briefly describe one broad Jungian concept, “Individuation”, as example:

‘Individuation’ is the process of becoming aware of oneself, of one’s make-up, and the way to discover one’s true, inner self. Its goal is to become a totally developed, integrated personality. Individuation is linking up the conscious to the unconscious; or our ego mind with our inner ‘terra incognita’, our unknown inner terrain. It is the experience of discovering the divine in yourself, or the discovery of the totality of your Self. Individuation is a natural, inherent process. Jung believed using this common process could develop a sense of community, which would unite humankind. The natural outcome would result in the individuated person feeling deeper responsibility to support and serve others, and to foster peace, wholeness and integrity in the world.

.... Some concepts further developed by Jung were the ‘collective unconscious’, synchronicity, active imagination (similar to the UBs ‘creative imagination’), and dream analysis. Jung is credited with the inspiration that led to the founding of Alcoholics Anonymous. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is based on Jung’s ‘types’.

One thing further before leaving Jung: I want to elaborate a bit more about his practice of ‘active imagination’, which particularly appeals to me, and is key to the individuation process. Very broadly speaking it includes searching for the underlying meanings, being represented symbolically within one’s conscious thoughts, daily events, or dreams. It can be applied with psychoanalysis, or experiencing art, music, or just simple impressions that arise from everyday events... I want to share some UB quotes next on ‘creative imagination’, that I feel overlaps with the intent of Jungian ‘active imagination’:

9:8.12 “..Third Source personalities are endowed with all and more than man associates with the concept of personality; they have minds embracing memory, reason, judgment, creative imagination, idea association, decision, choice, and numerous additional powers..” 52:1.2 “The evolutionary races of color.. begin to appear about the time that primitive man is developing a simple language and is beginning to exercise the creative imagination.” 80:3.3 “The European civilization of this early post-Adamic period was a unique blend of the vigor and art of the blue men with the creative imagination of the Adamites.” 91:3.1 “Children, when first learning to make use of language, are prone to think out loud, to express their thoughts in words, even if no one is present to hear them. With the dawn of creative imagination they evince a tendency to converse with imaginary companions... By this technique the child early learns to convert his monologue conversations into pseudo dialogues in which this alter ego makes replies to his verbal thinking and wish expression. Very much of an adult's thinking is mentally carried on in conversational form.” 109:5.1 “Supreme and self-acting Adjusters are often able to contribute factors of spiritual import to the human mind when it flows freely in the liberated but controlled channels of creative imagination. At such times, and sometimes during sleep, the Adjuster is able to arrest the mental currents, to stay the flow, and then to divert the idea procession; and all this is done in order to effect deep spiritual transformations in the higher recesses of the superconsciousness. 110:5.6 “More often, in beings of your order, that which you accept as the Adjuster's voice is in reality the emanation of your own intellect. This is dangerous ground, and every human being must settle these problems for himself in accordance with his natural human wisdom and superhuman insight.”

Now consider several everyday examples as evidence, of the many personal interpretations likely expressing the AJMS ‘in-action’:

Movies for examples. Why do some movies resonate so widely? How about the ‘Wizard of Oz’, with its quests for a brain, a heart, courage, and returning ‘home’ at all costs, and discovering the answers were with you all along? (plus with the song, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’). How about ‘Peter Pan’, drawn to courageous adventures, although a little short on wisdom, but given special guidance from his personal fairy Tinker Bell? Imagine your own favorite movie, and see if you can find themes that represent various combinations of AJMS inspiration?

Or Mental Health for examples: Could Autism be a receptivity, or capacity problem with adjutant ‘Counsel’? Could a Savant be exceptional with adjutant ‘Knowledge’, but have difficulties with ‘Understanding’? Could Addiction be misdirected ‘Worship’, an unfulfilled urge for something truly meaningful?

A few random Worship examples: Does worshiping money, indicate fair receptivity of sixth adjutant Worship, but the seventh adjutant Wisdom is a bit immature?... Might be similar with other types of worship - such as worship of a teenage idol, or sex, or a sacred object, even nature, etc, etc, etc!?

A closing central point: The UB presents ‘Mind’ as a BRIDGE, bridging the vast gap between Body and Spirit. This Bridge (maybe shaped like a Rainbow?) will remain ‘a work-in-progress’ for literally many lifetimes to come. Being earthbound mortal humans, we begin on the material side of the ‘Bridge’. We are well equipped... and our adventurous journey is just beginning!!

Thanks for considering these ‘simple-but-complex’ ideas! Basically, the ‘take-awaygoal’ for this wordy buildup is to stimulate YOUR pondering of where can YOU imagine these amazing AJMS in-action?

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