Unexpected Treasures: I practiced as a psychotherapist for more than 45 years. One of the unexpected treasures of this work came in the form of fleeting moments when the atmosphere of the room took on a warmth and a depth beyond the ordinary as understandings and relationships settled into new arrangements.
A colleague and friend of mine, the late Rev. Dr. Arie Johannes Han Van Den Blink, talked about these kinds of moments. Han was well-steeped in tradition and he saw these special moments as Mysterium Parvum or Small Mysteries in contrast to Mysterium Tremendum. Mysterium Parvum was visualized as Minor Sparkles. For me, the sparkles in these moments remind me of the gentle magic of fireflies at twilight at the end of a fall day in southern Michigan.
People who’ve experienced Mysterium Tremendum report its effect as transformational even if ineffable. I’ve never had a moment like that but I’ve had any number of special moments that were small mysteries, where the atmosphere had a sparkle, either in the mood or sometimes the light itself. These were moments when understandings and resolutions replaced confusion and intense struggles.
The point is that likely many of us have these small special moments. While they may not stack up as overwhelming or radically transformative, they are worthy of our focus and attention because they are stepping stones on the pathway of our growth – as individuals as well as one of the species on this planet.
The Pattern of Evolution: As I look at what I’ve learned about the evolution of our Universe in our current epoch, I see an overall pattern of moving from the simple to the complex. This is true for the evolution of life on this planet as well.
This pattern also shows up in the dynamics of Minor Sparkles. What creates these moments is the integration of the originally opposing dynamics into a new whole that holds everything together in a single slice of reality. Somehow two individual points seemingly in opposition to each other are brought together by being linked to a joining quality. This is a move from the simple to the complex.[1]
I am positing that the pattern of our personal development follows the same pattern as the rest of the Universe. This argues that there is a purposive nature to evolution that marks all of reality. This purpose at a most basic level is to increase the intensity of experience by increasing the complexity of the integration, each integration being a new creation.[2]
A case in point: A married client, who had struggled for years with her sexual identity, finally accepts the fact she is bisexual while choosing to remain faithful to the man to whom she is married. She was raised in a conservative Christian tradition which condemned same sex attraction as exceptionally sinful. Her growth came when she could accept that her bisexuality was something that was natural for her.
Minor Sparkles happen when we are at a moment of transformation that is in harmony with the movement of the Universe from simple to complex. Subjectively, my experience is of a comfortable flow with a sense of being at home in the moment. I have a sense of settling into the warm present and my gut relaxes. I’m safe. Everything feels “right.” I feel attuned to the fullness of the present.
I’ve had these moments in other settings as well. Given the catastrophic inhumaneness of what is pouring forth from DC across the nation, as well as what is stirring in numerous locations around the world, it is more important than ever to recognize and appreciate these moments of Minor Sparkles.
Our ability to recognize Minor Sparkles when things are flowing in harmony with the winds of the Universe means we also know when what is happening is in opposition to the winds of the Universe. Things feel Wrong. These moments need to be highlighted as they call for opposition, for pushback, for finding and creating a healing transformation.
To get there requires aiming for the most fundamental need of all, which is to belong with others, to matter to others, to be important to those who are important to us.
Please share your moments of Minor Sparkles in the comments!
[1] Philosopher Alfred North Whitehead called this a contrast.
[2] Whitehead noted that creativity is the one principle that characterizes the entire universe.
Thank you David, I enjoyed lingering over "Calling Forth Minor Sparkles" like one does with a tasty latte. That the sparkle is an aspect of the Universe (physical reality) resonates with me. It exist naturally in every human but is often repressed by things that are of that other reality, social reality, which is a collective fantasy of human imagination. If the Universe issues forth a sparkle then social reality can repress it under its dark unrelenting cloud. I struggle to see the sparkle under that cloud. I know its there. I wonder how we can release it from it's captivity. This sounds like a good plot for a Neil Gaiman novel.
Beautifully written!