Levi H. Dowling
Encyclopedia
Levi H. Dowling was an American
preacher
. He was born in Bellville
, Ohio
. His father, of Scots
and Welsh
descent, was a pioneer preacher among the Disciples of Christ
. At the age of thirteen, in his first public debate, he took the negative side against a Presbyterian Elder
on "The Everlasting Punishment of the Wicked
."
Levi began preaching at the age of sixteen; and at the age of eighteen was pastor
of a small church. He entered the United States Army
at the age of twenty, as a chaplain
, and served in this capacity to the end of the Civil War
. In 1866-1867, he was a student at Northwestern Christian University
at Indianapolis
, Indiana
.
The next year he began publishing Sunday School
literature, issuing Sunday School Lesson Papers, Song Books, and a Children's Sunday School Paper. Dowling preached President Lincoln's funeral
service to Union troops
in Illinois
. He was the author of two spiritual healing books Self-Culture and Biopneuma: The Science of the Great Breath. The Publisher's Introduction to Biopneuma says that Levi taught chemistry
, toxicology
, physiology
, histology
, and lectured on the use of electricity
in medicine
.
Much of his time was devoted to the cause of Prohibition
. He was a graduate of two medical colleges
, and practiced medicine for a number of years. He finally retired from the medical profession to resume literary
work.
Even as a child, he was impressed with the sensitiveness of the finer ethers, and believed that in some manner they were sensitized plates on which sounds, even thoughts, were recorded. With avidity he entered into the deeper studies of etheric
vibration , determined to solve the great mysteries of the heavens for himself. Forty years he spent in study and silent meditation
, and allegedly eventually he found himself in that stage of spiritual
consciousness
that permitted him to enter the domain of these superfine ethers, and become familiar with their mysteries. During the meditation, it was claimed that he was able to repeat events, as many times as necessary, in order to provide us with a perfect transcript. He spent many months transcribing the events he supposedly witnessed – in “The Book of God’s Remembrance” also known as The Akashic Records
. His transcription is commonly known as “The Aquarian Gospel.” He allegedly learned that the imaginings of his boyhood days were founded upon veritable facts, and that every thought of every living thing is there recorded. He claimed that as a boy, he also had a vision in which he was told that he was to "build a white city." and this vision was repeated three times with years intervening. The building of the "white city" was The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ
.
(full title: The Aquarian Age
Gospel of Jesus, the Christ of the Piscean Age) in the late 19th century and published it in 1908. He claimed it was the true story of the life of Jesus
, including “the ‘lost’ eighteen years
silent in the New Testament
.” Dowling claimed to have transcribed it from the Akashic Records
. He transcribed the book in the early morning hours from two to six - the absolutely "quiet hours".
The Aquarian Age denotes the human race as standing on the cusp of the Piscean-Aquarian Ages
. Aquarius is an air sign and the New Age
is already noted for remarkable inventions for the use of air
, electricity
, magnetism
, etc. Men navigate the air as fish
do the sea
, and send their thoughts spinning around the world with the speed of lightning. The word Aquarius is derived from the Latin
word aqua
, meaning water
. Aquarius is, however, the water bearer, and the symbol of the sign, which is the, eleventh sign of the Zodiac
, is a man carrying in his right hand a pitcher of water.
teachings. It is similar to the "I AM Movement" and the Ascended Master Teachings.
Through exhaustive archival research, ACCU founder, Rev. Dr. J. L. Watson discovered that in a letter to Levi Dowling's brother-in-law, Isaac Newton Demmon (1842-1920), he relates his being appointed divisional chaplain and topographical engineer serving on Gen. Egan's staff in the 3rd Provisional Division and him giving a eulogy to Union troops in Illinois at a memorial service in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. No prior biographer of Levi Dowling had ever mentioned this fact.http://bentley.umich.edu/research/guides/civilwar/civilwar_search.php?nameid=292 In a biographical sketch included in the original publication of "Self-culture," Levi is said to have taught and lectured medical students in the use of electricity in medicine, and thus had an early influence on modern medicine. The Aquarian Christine Church considers Dowling an Ascended Master.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
. He was born in Bellville
Bellville, Ohio
Bellville is a village in Richland County in the U.S. state of Ohio. It is part of the Mansfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,773 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. His father, of Scots
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
and Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
descent, was a pioneer preacher among the Disciples of Christ
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
The Christian Church is a Mainline Protestant denomination in North America. It is often referred to as The Christian Church, The Disciples of Christ, or more simply as The Disciples...
. At the age of thirteen, in his first public debate, he took the negative side against a Presbyterian Elder
Elder (Christianity)
An elder in Christianity is a person valued for his wisdom who accordingly holds a particular position of responsibility in a Christian group. In some Christian traditions an elder is a clergy person who usually serves a local church or churches and who has been ordained to a ministry of Word,...
on "The Everlasting Punishment of the Wicked
Hell in Christian beliefs
Christian views on Hell vary, but in general traditionally agree that hell is a place or a state in which the souls of the unsaved suffer the consequences of sin....
."
Levi began preaching at the age of sixteen; and at the age of eighteen was pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
of a small church. He entered the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
at the age of twenty, as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
, and served in this capacity to the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. In 1866-1867, he was a student at Northwestern Christian University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
at Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
.
The next year he began publishing Sunday School
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...
literature, issuing Sunday School Lesson Papers, Song Books, and a Children's Sunday School Paper. Dowling preached President Lincoln's funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
service to Union troops
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. He was the author of two spiritual healing books Self-Culture and Biopneuma: The Science of the Great Breath. The Publisher's Introduction to Biopneuma says that Levi taught chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
, toxicology
Toxicology
Toxicology is a branch of biology, chemistry, and medicine concerned with the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms...
, physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, histology
Histology
Histology is the study of the microscopic anatomy of cells and tissues of plants and animals. It is performed by examining cells and tissues commonly by sectioning and staining; followed by examination under a light microscope or electron microscope...
, and lectured on the use of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
in medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
.
Much of his time was devoted to the cause of Prohibition
Prohibition
Prohibition of alcohol, often referred to simply as prohibition, is the practice of prohibiting the manufacture, transportation, import, export, sale, and consumption of alcohol and alcoholic beverages. The term can also apply to the periods in the histories of the countries during which the...
. He was a graduate of two medical colleges
Medical school
A medical school is a tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches medicine. Degree programs offered at medical schools often include Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Philosophy, master's degree, or other post-secondary...
, and practiced medicine for a number of years. He finally retired from the medical profession to resume literary
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
work.
Even as a child, he was impressed with the sensitiveness of the finer ethers, and believed that in some manner they were sensitized plates on which sounds, even thoughts, were recorded. With avidity he entered into the deeper studies of etheric
Luminiferous aether
In the late 19th century, luminiferous aether or ether, meaning light-bearing aether, was the term used to describe a medium for the propagation of light....
vibration , determined to solve the great mysteries of the heavens for himself. Forty years he spent in study and silent meditation
Meditation
Meditation is any form of a family of practices in which practitioners train their minds or self-induce a mode of consciousness to realize some benefit....
, and allegedly eventually he found himself in that stage of spiritual
Spirituality
Spirituality can refer to an ultimate or an alleged immaterial reality; an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of his/her being; or the “deepest values and meanings by which people live.” Spiritual practices, including meditation, prayer and contemplation, are intended to develop...
consciousness
Consciousness
Consciousness is a term that refers to the relationship between the mind and the world with which it interacts. It has been defined as: subjectivity, awareness, the ability to experience or to feel, wakefulness, having a sense of selfhood, and the executive control system of the mind...
that permitted him to enter the domain of these superfine ethers, and become familiar with their mysteries. During the meditation, it was claimed that he was able to repeat events, as many times as necessary, in order to provide us with a perfect transcript. He spent many months transcribing the events he supposedly witnessed – in “The Book of God’s Remembrance” also known as The Akashic Records
Akashic Records
The akashic records is a term used in theosophy to describe a compendium of mystical knowledge encoded in a non-physical plane of existence. These records are described as containing all knowledge of human experience and the history of the cosmos...
. His transcription is commonly known as “The Aquarian Gospel.” He allegedly learned that the imaginings of his boyhood days were founded upon veritable facts, and that every thought of every living thing is there recorded. He claimed that as a boy, he also had a vision in which he was told that he was to "build a white city." and this vision was repeated three times with years intervening. The building of the "white city" was The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ
The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ
The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ is a book by Levi H. Dowling, first published in 1908. He said he had transcribed the text of the book from the Akashic records...
.
The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ
Dowling wrote The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the ChristThe Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ
The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ is a book by Levi H. Dowling, first published in 1908. He said he had transcribed the text of the book from the Akashic records...
(full title: The Aquarian Age
Age of Aquarius
The Age of Aquarius is either the current or new age in the cycle of astrological ages. Each astrological age is approximately 2,150 years long, on average, but there are various methods of calculating this length that may yield longer or shorter time spans depending upon the technique used...
Gospel of Jesus, the Christ of the Piscean Age) in the late 19th century and published it in 1908. He claimed it was the true story of the life of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
, including “the ‘lost’ eighteen years
Lost years of Jesus
The lost years of Jesus concerns the undocumented timespan between Jesus's childhood and the beginning of his ministry as recorded in the New Testament....
silent in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
.” Dowling claimed to have transcribed it from the Akashic Records
Akashic Records
The akashic records is a term used in theosophy to describe a compendium of mystical knowledge encoded in a non-physical plane of existence. These records are described as containing all knowledge of human experience and the history of the cosmos...
. He transcribed the book in the early morning hours from two to six - the absolutely "quiet hours".
The Aquarian Age denotes the human race as standing on the cusp of the Piscean-Aquarian Ages
Astrological age
An astrological age is a time period which astrology postulates parallels major changes in the development of Earth's inhabitants, particularly relating to culture, society and politics. There are twelve astrological ages corresponding to the twelve zodiacal signs in western astrology. At the...
. Aquarius is an air sign and the New Age
New Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
is already noted for remarkable inventions for the use of air
Earth's atmosphere
The atmosphere of Earth is a layer of gases surrounding the planet Earth that is retained by Earth's gravity. The atmosphere protects life on Earth by absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention , and reducing temperature extremes between day and night...
, electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
, magnetism
Magnetism
Magnetism is a property of materials that respond at an atomic or subatomic level to an applied magnetic field. Ferromagnetism is the strongest and most familiar type of magnetism. It is responsible for the behavior of permanent magnets, which produce their own persistent magnetic fields, as well...
, etc. Men navigate the air as fish
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
do the sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
, and send their thoughts spinning around the world with the speed of lightning. The word Aquarius is derived from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
word aqua
Aqua
- Music :* Aqua , a Danish pop band* Aqua , American record producer and composer of film and television scores* Aqua, album by Edgar Froese* Aqua , 1992* "Aqua", a piano piece by Ryuichi Sakamoto...
, meaning water
Water
Water is a chemical substance with the chemical formula H2O. A water molecule contains one oxygen and two hydrogen atoms connected by covalent bonds. Water is a liquid at ambient conditions, but it often co-exists on Earth with its solid state, ice, and gaseous state . Water also exists in a...
. Aquarius is, however, the water bearer, and the symbol of the sign, which is the, eleventh sign of the Zodiac
Zodiac
In astronomy, the zodiac is a circle of twelve 30° divisions of celestial longitude which are centred upon the ecliptic: the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year...
, is a man carrying in his right hand a pitcher of water.
Legacy
The Aquarian Christine Church Universal, Inc. (ACCU) is a denomination founded on the teachings found in The Aquarian Gospel and other writings by Levi H. Dowling. These include Self-culture and Biopneuma: The Science of the Holy Breath. The church also incorporates other New AgeNew Age
The New Age movement is a Western spiritual movement that developed in the second half of the 20th century. Its central precepts have been described as "drawing on both Eastern and Western spiritual and metaphysical traditions and then infusing them with influences from self-help and motivational...
teachings. It is similar to the "I AM Movement" and the Ascended Master Teachings.
Through exhaustive archival research, ACCU founder, Rev. Dr. J. L. Watson discovered that in a letter to Levi Dowling's brother-in-law, Isaac Newton Demmon (1842-1920), he relates his being appointed divisional chaplain and topographical engineer serving on Gen. Egan's staff in the 3rd Provisional Division and him giving a eulogy to Union troops in Illinois at a memorial service in honor of President Abraham Lincoln. No prior biographer of Levi Dowling had ever mentioned this fact.http://bentley.umich.edu/research/guides/civilwar/civilwar_search.php?nameid=292 In a biographical sketch included in the original publication of "Self-culture," Levi is said to have taught and lectured medical students in the use of electricity in medicine, and thus had an early influence on modern medicine. The Aquarian Christine Church considers Dowling an Ascended Master.
See also
- The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the ChristThe Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the ChristThe Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ is a book by Levi H. Dowling, first published in 1908. He said he had transcribed the text of the book from the Akashic records...
- Akashic recordsAkashic RecordsThe akashic records is a term used in theosophy to describe a compendium of mystical knowledge encoded in a non-physical plane of existence. These records are described as containing all knowledge of human experience and the history of the cosmos...
- Edgar CayceEdgar CayceEdgar Cayce was an American psychic who allegedly had the ability to give answers to questions on subjects such as healing or Atlantis while in a hypnotic trance...
- ClairvoyanceClairvoyanceThe term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
- Esoteric cosmologyEsoteric cosmologyEsoteric cosmology is cosmology that is an intrinsic part of an esoteric or occult system of thought. It almost always deals with at least some of the following themes: emanation, involution, spiritual evolution, epigenesis, planes of existence or higher worlds , hierarchies of spiritual beings,...
- Plane (cosmology)
- Morphogenetic field (Rupert Sheldrake)
- MindstreamMindstreamMindstream in Buddhist philosophy is the moment-to-moment "continuum" of awareness. There are a number of terms in the Buddhist literature that may well be rendered "mindstream"...
- TermaTerma (Buddhism)Terma are key Tibetan Buddhist and Bön teachings, which the tradition holds were originally esoterically hidden by various adepts such as Padmasambhava and his consorts in the 8th century for future discovery at auspicious times by other adepts, known as tertöns. As such, they represent a...
- TertönTertönA tertön is a discoverer of ancient texts or "terma". Many tertöns are considered incarnations of the 25 main disciples of Padmasambhava. A vast system of transmission lineages developed...