The Belief on Trial Truth of Jesus' Story?

"And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world

 as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come," (Matthew 24:14).

This post continues with the notion of Jesus as a natural philosopher, and the "riddle-me-this" nature of "allegorical-storytelling." As I explore the "belief-on-trial" truth of Jesus' spiritual diagnosis of humanity's system's of belief. And why I believe the quotation above is a prophecy about the end of "perceptual-confusion" created by the linguistic nature of belief. When the story is read with an awareness of the way words describe & disguise reality and why the root meaning of the word, "Spirit is Breath." A personal awareness that helps to make natural sense of Jesus' story. In the context of the allegorical―having hidden spiritual meaning that transcends the literal sense of a sacred text―nature of the storytelling tropes. And why belief in a "two-worlds" mythology of existence, was most likely the historical reason for Jesus' teaching people how to "spiritually-diagnose" the nature of belief? Please consider:

The phrase "two worlds" in mythology usually refers to the universal dualistic concept dividing existence into a mortal physical realm and a supernatural spiritual or divine realm (often called the Otherworld). It can also describe specific creation myths featuring two opposing elemental realms.

And please contemplate the possibility that Jesus' trial is the crux―the most important part of a problem, issue, or argument―of the belief on trial truth of Jesus' story? As a story that allegorically questioned the truth of belief in a two worlds mythology of Gods and mortals? And that there is a spiritually diagnostic method within the dialectical ―method of questioning established thought―nature of the words describing Jesus' trial? That can be understood as an allegory of the "mind-torturing nature of truth," that will undoubtedly happen when you put our own belief on trial. 

As I ask you to contemplate whether the dialogue of Jesus' trial, demonstrates the kind of play on words, that belongs to the tradition of allegorical storytelling, like Plato's Allegory of the cave? And like me, you could ask your favorite AI; "could the story of Jesus be allegorical like Plato's cave?" And compare it to this introduction to footnote 1, which I hope you will also take the time to read:

Yes, the story of Jesus can absolutely be viewed as an allegory, and scholars, theologians, and philosophers have long noted the profound structural and spiritual parallels between the narratives of Jesus and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.

Jesus' Trial? An Allegory of Our Words of Belief! Put on Trial?

So this subheading section explores whether the words describing Jesus' trail can be understood spiritually, as an allegorical story of our human beliefs put on trial? And furthermore, as a spiritual allegory of the "mind-torturing" nature of truth? The truth of beliefs in the natural & supernatural nature of the two-worlds mythology of Jesus' historical era? And the truth about the linguistic nature of beliefs in our own era? Or how the practice of spiritual self-diagnosis Jesus' most likely taught, is about putting the linguistic nature of beliefs on trial? If we take the view that Jesus' was a natural philosopher who taught people parables, because he understood the "perceptual-confusion" inherent in language? As we examine the "allegorically-dialectical" nature of these words describing Jesus' trial: 

Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “Your own people and chief priests handed you over to me. What is it you have done?”Jesus answered "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews and said to them, “I find no guilt in Him," (John 18:33-38). 

Please consider the possibility that when Pilate asks Jesus; "Are you the king of the Jews?" That this question about Jesus' belief, is an allegorical way of suggesting that Jesus is a king of philosophy? As testified by his unparalleled philosophical advice to love your enemy? And that the "belief-on-trial" truth of Jesus' story, as a king of philosophy & spiritual self-diagnosis, is expressed in the words:

"My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice."

I mean, does Pilate's famous retort; "What is truth?" Speak to the paradoxically-allegorical nature, of the belief on trial truth of Jesus' story? As a story that is ultimately about the perceptual-confusion inherent in the linguistic nature of our human systems of belief? For as I explained in the post: The Era of Natural Philosophy & End Times Prophecy? I believe we humans become so "mentally-bound" to an unquestioned belief in "reality-labeling" words. That we can’t conceive of the possibility that the true nature of reality literally hides in plain sight? 

That our wisest ancestors understood the perceptual-confusion, built into the reality-labeling nature of linguistically determined beliefs. Or that the allegorical nature of the story of Jesus, involves the mind torturing nature of truth, about the personal nature of belief? Like the mind-torturing way the truth of my own reality, is both described & disguised by the words David Bates? As a belief about my reality, that can be tested by the simple thought experiments: "will describing myself with any other words I care to imagine, change my reality?" "And does spiritual self-diagnosis involve putting belief on trial?" 

In order to discern how our social creature nature, "clothes" our mind's in the recursive―the ability to place a linguistic unit inside another unit of the same type, with this repeating rule letting people build endlessly long sentences―nature of language? Despite the undeniable fact that the "reality" of everything we see around us, "is not a Word!" A undeniable fact I believe is expressed in Jesus' comment about people: "because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand?" Which I believe to be a spiritual truth statement about the subconsciously orchestrated and functionally automatic nature of being human, and how language makes us feel like we are more conscious of reality, than we actually are.

And is Jesus' comment about ordinary people, from an era when "reality-wise" people created "allegorical" sayings and stories about the way language shapes our personal understanding of reality? Does taking an allegorical view of Jesus' story, make it possible to understand Jesus' as a natural philosopher, who taught the spiritual self-diagnosis practices that lead to a conversion of consciousness? A conversion that differentiates―show or find the difference between things that are compared―the nature language and nature reality? And a rather mind-torturing conversion I experience myself, through the spiritually self-diagnosing question: "is the reality of everything I can see around me; a Word?"

A question that tortures my conscious mind, because it directly challenges the subconsciously orchestrated and functionally automatic nature of my behavior. Like the functionally automatic way I can see things and can remember associated words. With this spiritually self-diagnosing question, firstly creating an uneasy awareness of the mind-torturing nature of facing the truth about my self-deceiving belief in the reality-labeling nature of words. 

An experience of anxiety I learned to resolve, by feeling the "biologically-receptive-nature" of my eyes surface-level impressions of reality, and the "psychologically-projective-nature" of remembered words. As I learned how to balance my biologically receptive and psychologically projective form of consciousness. And came to see the cross of Jesus' crucifixion, as symbolic of a need for humanity to balance our experience of consciousness, by putting our beliefs on trial, so to speak.

So! What are you feeling & thinking about this notion of the belief on trial truth of Jesus' story? And whether the mind-torturing nature of truth about beliefs, is allegorically expressed in these words: 

"Therefore Pilate said to Him, “So You are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.” Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?"

When compared to the way Jesus' subsequent crucifixion is generally understood as the "tortured-body" of one particular person in history? Do you feel the question about whether you believe the reality of everything you see is a word? Is a kind of "mind-torturing" spiritual truth question, about your belief in the reality-labeling nature of words? That somehow resonates with the true reason for Jesus' saying: "Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand?" Or do you believe this statement is about the truth of a supernatural realm, all Christian true believers experience after death? And that Jesus' story simply confirms the nature of belief in a "two-worlds" (natural & supernatural) reality of existence, in ancient mythology?

Taking Up Your Cross & Following Jesus Daily?

"You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free," (John 8:32).

In the context of Jesus' statement about knowing the truth that makes you free. Can you follow Jesus daily through the "self-cross-examining" nature of putting your beliefs on trial? Does the question about whether you believe the reality of everything you see, is a word? Disrupt the subconsciously orchestrated and functionally automatic way your mind normally works? 

In the way your mind creates our shared need of a linguistically determined consensus-reality system of beliefs? As a mentally agreed upon sense-of-reality, that demands the unquestioning faith of a belief in words? And is the very thought of whether the reality of everything you see is a word, a "mind-torturing" experience of putting your beliefs on trial, so to speak?

As I continue articulating my own belief that Jesus' story is an "allegorically" clever system of storytelling tropes about how to experience a spiritually deeper sense of reality. As I did in the blog post: The Jesus K.I.S.S. Truth That Sets You Free? Where I suggested that the meaning of the word Christ, as "anointed one" is universally applicable to the biologically conceived nature of the human mind. Which for me at least, raises the question: "can the story of Jesus be considered as an intuitive allegory of human biology & psychology?" And like me, you could ask this question of your favorite AI, and compare its response with this introduction to footnote 2, which I hope you will also take the time to read:

Yes, the story of Jesus can absolutely be interpreted as an intuitive allegory of human biology and psychology. Many scholars, psychologists, and esoteric thinkers view biblical narratives not just as historical or theological texts, but as symbolic maps of the human condition.

And in the context of  the belief on trial truth of Jesus' story? Does Jesus' clearly stated reason for teaching people parables, demonstrate an understanding of the perceptual-confusion created by belief? And the mind-torturing nature of inconvenient spiritual truths? Spiritual truths about how we cover-up the true nature of a reality, with the sounds & symbols nature of language? And does the belief on trial truth of Jesus' story, revolve around the paradox of a need for a mentally agreed upon consensus-reality & true form of spirituality?

Which is arguably what is seen historically, in the way Jesus' spiritual teachings were crafted into the cryptic Biblical verses, with an agreed upon consensus-reality, "politics-of-belief" agenda? The political art of communication agenda, I believe was, and still is, driven by the paradox of our need to differentiate ourselves from each other and the reality of the world we all see? Yet, a psychologically projective agenda that leaves people yearning for a spiritually deeper sense of reality? 

A spiritually deeper sense of reality that allows our sense of psychological differences and physical similarities to comfortably coexist? Through a commonsense understanding that neither our own, nor the reality of everything we can see; is a Word? And a felt-sense awareness that the root meaning of the words spirit, spiritual, and spirituality; is Breath? That leads to a balancing realization of the "entwined" nature of our biologically receptive and psychologically projective form of consciousness?

Which is why I have come to believe that it makes more sense to read Jesus' story, as a "riddle-me-this" approach towards the nature of belief and a spiritually deeper sense of reality? Than to read the allegorical nature of storytelling tropes like Jesus' trial, crucifixion, resurrection, & ascension. As words expressing the truth of belief in a two-worlds (natural & supernatural) mythology of existence? 

And as I finish this post, continuing this series theme of good news that can be preached to the whole world. About the cryptically wise meaning of the words "and then the end will come?" Through a conscious realization about our personal experience of perceptual confusion? Enabling an increasingly urgent need to balance humanity's biologically receptive & psychologically projective, experience of consciousness. So that the prophecies of the end of our species perceptual-confusion, may come to world-wide fruition.

I can only hope that I've provided some useful food for thought and body-wise contemplation about the historical purpose of the Jesus' story. The possibility of experiencing a second coming of your mind, by learning to embody the simple ruth of Jesus' resurrection philosophy? Please let me know what you feel and think about this blog post, in the historical context of truth, goodness, & beauty.

Best wishes,

David Bates.

Footnotes:

1. (Yes, the story of Jesus can absolutely be viewed as an allegory, and scholars, theologians, and philosophers have long noted the profound structural and spiritual parallels between the narratives of Jesus and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. [1, 2]

While mainstream Christianity views Jesus as a historical figure, a robust tradition of Christian mysticism, Gnosticism, and secular philosophy interprets the gospel narratives as symbolic frameworks meant to describe human psychology, biology, and the journey of the soul. [1, 2]

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The Structural Parallels: Jesus and the Cave

Plato's allegory describes prisoners chained in a dark cave who mistake shadows on a wall for absolute reality. When one prisoner escapes into the sunlight and returns to share the truth, the remaining prisoners mock, reject, and ultimately threaten to kill him. [1, 2]

The life of Jesus follows an almost identical narrative arc: [1, 2]

• The Cave as the Material World: In Gnostic and mystical traditions, the "cave" or "Egypt" represents the dense physical body or material realm. This aligns with biblical passages describing humanity as trapped in "spiritual darkness" and ignorance. [1, 2]
• The Freed Prisoner as Christ: Jesus acts as the figure who descends from a higher, transcendent realm of reality (the sunlight) into the density of human illusion (the cave) to bring revelation. [1, 2]
• The Rejection and Crucifixion: Plato noted that the cave dwellers would kill anyone who tried to dismantle their illusions. This mirrors the Gospel narrative, where Jesus’s message challenges the consensus reality and religious authorities of his day, directly leading to his persecution and crucifixion. [1, 2, 3]

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Dimensions of the Allegory

┌───────────────────────────────┐
│     The Transcendent Realm    │ ───► The Sun (Plato) / The Divine Father (Jesus)
└───────────────┬───────────────┘
                │ Descends to awaken
                ▼
┌───────────────────────────────┐
│      The Material Cave        │ ───► Shadows on the Wall / Consensus Waking Dream
└───────────────────────────────┘

1. A Psychological Allegory

From a psychological perspective, the story of Jesus represents the awakening of the higher self or Christ-consciousness within an individual.

• The "Ascent": Events like the Transfiguration or climbing the mountain are interpreted not as physical journeys, but as the internal elevation of consciousness above base human instincts. [1]
• The Crucifixion of Ego: The death of Jesus represents the painful dismantling of the ego and the false identity built on "shadows," while the Resurrection represents the birth of a unified, enlightened psychological state. [1, 2, 3]

2. An Allegory of Language and "Waking Dreams"

Humanity heavily relies on words, symbols, and labels to interpret existence, often mistaking the symbol for the thing itself. [1]

• In Plato's cave, the prisoners give names to the shadows, treating arbitrary shapes as absolute truth.
• Similarly, an allegorical reading of the Gospels suggests that humanity lives in a "waking dream" of consensus reality—trapped by dogmatic concepts, tribal definitions, and literal interpretations. The allegorical Jesus represents the breaking of these mental constructs, urging people to experience the fluid, living truth rather than worshiping the static "letters" of the law. [1, 2]

3. A Biological and Macrocosmic Analogy

Some esoteric traditions view the narrative as an intuitive map of human biology and cosmology.

• The Incarnation: The soul’s descent into the physical body is viewed as a form of imprisonment in matter.
• The Solar Myth: The reliance on solar imagery—Jesus as the "Light of the World" who dies and rises—mirrors how ancient cultures used allegorical storytelling to describe the cycles of nature, the sun, and the biological life-force that sustains human anatomy. [1, 2, 3]

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Direct Comparison: Plato vs. The Gospels

Dimension	Plato's Cave Allegory	The Story of Jesus
The Problem	Prisoners chained by illusion, watching shadows.	Humanity trapped in spiritual darkness and sin.
The Catalyst	A freed prisoner experiences the outside world and the sun.	Christ enters the world as the True Light from the Father.
The Process	A painful, blinding adjustment to actual sunlight.	Metanoia (repentance/transformation) and spiritual rebirth.
The Backlash	The prisoners mock the enlightened one and plot death.	The worldly authorities reject the message and crucify him.

Whether one views the New Testament as literal history or pure philosophy, treating it as an intuitive allegory provides a profound framework for understanding the perennial human struggle: waking up from collective illusions and facing the resistance of a world comfortable in the dark. [1, 2] )

2. (Yes, the story of Jesus can absolutely be interpreted as an intuitive allegory of human biology and psychology. Many scholars, psychologists, and esoteric thinkers view biblical narratives not just as historical or theological texts, but as symbolic maps of the human condition. [1]

Psychological Interpretations

Carl Jung and modern psychologists view the life of Jesus as a blueprint for psychological growth. [1]

• The Individuation Process: Jung viewed Christ as a symbol of the "Self." His journey represents individuation—the psychological process of integrating the conscious and unconscious mind to become a whole person. [1, 2, 3]
• The Crucifixion: Psychologically, this represents the death of the ego. It is the painful but necessary breakdown of selfish desires, pride, and old identity structures. [1]
• The Resurrection: This symbolizes psychological rebirth. After the ego dies, a higher, more integrated consciousness emerges, allowing a person to live with greater purpose and emotional maturity. [1]
• The Shadow and Temptation: Jesus confronting Satan in the desert parallels the psychological need to face one's "shadow"—the darker, rejected parts of the psyche—and master them through self-awareness. [1]

Biological and Physiological Interpretations

Esoteric and anatomical interpretations (often called "Physio-Theology" or "Sacred Secretion") map biblical geography and events directly onto human anatomy.

• The 33 Years of Life: Thinkers in this tradition point out that the human spinal column has 33 vertebrae. The life of Jesus is seen as the journey of life-force energy traveling up the spine.
• Golgotha (The Place of the Skull): Jesus is crucified at Golgotha. In biological allegory, this represents the energy reaching the brain (the skull), where the final transformation of consciousness takes place.
• The Brain Structures: Some esoteric theories link the "Father" to the pineal gland (light/intuition) and the "Son" to the pituitary gland (manifestation/growth). The harmonious interaction of these glands regulates human chemistry and mood.
• The Temple: The New Testament states that "your body is a temple." In this view, the stories of cleansing the temple or performing miracles are metaphors for optimizing biological health, nervous system balance, and cellular regeneration.

The Universal Archetype

Whether viewed through biology or psychology, the narrative serves as an intuitive framework for human transformation. It mirrors the universal experience of suffering, processing trauma (the tomb), and ultimately evolving into a higher state of being.)