Kosmic patterns 

by Marinus Jan Marijs

A cyclical pattern in historical development that forms a time constant

The book “Mysticism, its history and challenge” by Bruno Borchert gives a list of 370 mystics from more than 30 countries, that are known in history and who are mentioned in encyclopedia (this list is also placed here below). When these mystics are put into a diagram (see here below), a rather remarkable cyclical pattern of 425 years becomes visible. The data used here, comes from the book Mysticism, its history and challenge” – Borchert; Bruno. Samuel Weisner  inc. York Beach Maine 1994 ISBN 0-87728-772-4 page 407 -> 436.

Diagram: ↓ Number of mystics, → Timeline  2000 BC → 2070 AD, cyclical time pattern of ± 425 years               © Marinus Jan Marijs

click on diagram to view larger image

Along the horizontal axis is a time period of 4000 years. The number of mystics is set out on the vertical axis. This is where the peaks become visible.

• At the far left are Akhenaten, Zoroaster and Moses.
• Around 900 BC was the time of the Hebrew prophet Elijah.
• The Upanishads were also written around this time.
•  Around 480 BC is the period of the great Greek philosophers: Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Parmenides, Plato; the Indian thinkers/mystics Gautama Buddha and Mahavira; the Hebrew prophet Ezekiel and the Chinese philosophers Lao Tzu and Confucius.
• The next peak is just before the start of the Christian era, with Philo of Alexandria, Jesus of Nazareth, Paul of Tarsus, John the Evangelist, Asvaghosa.
• Here we find the Neo-Pythagoreans, and the start of Christianity.
• Around 370 AD was the time of Augustine and the Neoplatonic philosophers, Christianity becomes the state religion of the Roman Empire.
•  Around 795 AD:  The philosophy of Shankara in India, Islamic mysticism and Chinese Buddhism.
•  Around 1220 AD: Dōgen, one of the greatest Zen masters; the great Persian mystic poets Rumi, Sa’di and Attar. Further the Cabalists, Saint Francis of Assisi, Thomas Aquinas, Dante and Meister Eckhart.
• Around 1645AD comes the renaissance, which was strongly influenced by Neoplatonic ideas. This was the era of the great German mystics Boehme and Gichtel, the Cabalists, Saint John of the Cross, Saint Teresa of Avilla, Spinoza, Swedenborg, Pascal and George Fox.

The diagram shows a remarkable cyclical pattern, with peaks around the following years: 1330 BC, 905 BC, 480 BC, 55 BC, 370 AD, 795 AD, 1220 AD, 1645 AD. According to this pattern, the next peaks can be expected around the years 2070 and 2495 and so on. This cyclical pattern cannot be explained by biological or cultural influences. It is too dispersed over vast geographical areas and different cultures. The pattern suggests that there is some kind of an “arranging power” manifesting itself within mysticism, philosophy and human spirituality.

List of 370 Mystics

On the following pages you will find a complete list of the 370 mystics included in the diagram. The list of 370 mystics in Bruno Borchert his book was in alphabetical order, here they are placed in chronological order

• AKHENATEN (d. 1333 B.C.)
• ZOROASTER (between 1500 and 1200 B.C.)
• MOSES (13th century B.C.)
• ELIJAH (ninth century B.C.)
• MAHAVIRA (ca. 560 B.C.)
• EZEKIEL (sixth century B.C.)
• PYTHAGORAS (ca. 575- after 500 B.C.)
• BUDDHA (ca. 560-480 B.C.)
• CONFUSIUS (551-479 B.C.)
• LAO-TSE (ca. 500 B.C.)
• HERACLITUS (ca. 544-484 B.C.)
• PARMENIDES (ca. 512-433  B.C.)
• PLATO (428-348 B.C.)
• MENG-TSE (372-289 B.C. )
• TSJWANG-TSE (369-286 B.C. )
• HSUN-TSU (313-238 B.C.)
• TSOU-YEN (305-240 B.C.)
• TUNG-CHUNG-SHU (ca. 176-104 B.C.)
• PHILO OF ALEXANDRIA (ca. 25 B.C. – A.D. 45)
• JESUS OF NAZARETH (d. ca. 33)
• PAUL OF TARSUS (d. ca. A.D. 60)
• JOHN THE EVANGELIST (first century)
• ASVAGHOSA (first century)
• EPICTETUS (ca. 50- ca. 130)
• AKIBA (ca. 50-135)
• VALENTINUS (second century A.D.)
• MARCUS AURELIUS (121-180)
• CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA (ca. 150-215)
• ORIGEN (ca. 185-254)
• PLOTINUS (ca. 204-270)
• MANI (216-277)
• PORPHYRY (234-306)
• ANTHONY, ABBOT (251-356)
• PACHOMIUS (ca. 287-347)
• MACARIUS THE GREAT (ca. 300-390)
• EPHRAEM OF SYRIA (ca.306-373)
• GREGORY OF NAZIANZE (329-390)
• BASIL THE GREAT (ca.330-379)
• GREGORY OF NYSSA (ca. 335-394)
• EVAGRIUS PONTICUS (346-399)
• MARIA OF EGYPT (d. 421)
• AUGUSTINE, AURELIUS (354-430)
• CASSIAN, JOHN (360-435)
• SIMEON THE STYLITE (ca. 389-459)
• DIADOCHUS OF PHOTICE (mid-fifth century)
• PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE (ca. 500)
• BODHIDHARMA (ca. 470-543)
• BARSANUPHIUS (d. ca. 540)
• BENEDICT OF NURSIA (ca. 480-547)
• GREGORY THE GREAT (ca. 540-604)
• CHI-TSANG (549-623)
• MOHAMMED (570-632)
• MAXIMUS CONFESSOR (580-662)
• HSUAN-TSANG (597-664)
• John Climacus (d. 649)
• Shen-Hsin (606-706)
• Alypius The Stylite (7^th century)
• ISAAC OF NINEVEH (second half of the 7^th century)
• Hui-Nung (638-713)
• IBRAHIM BEN ADHAM (d. 777)
• RABIA AL-ADAWIYA (d. 803)
• MA-RUF AL KARKHI (d. 815)
• HESYCHIUS OF SINAI (eight-ninth century)
• NAMMALVAR (eight-ninth century)
• KUKAI (774-835)
• MOEHASIBI, AL-HARITH BEN ASSAD AL- (781-857)
• SHANKARA (788-820)
• DHU AN-NUN (d. ca. 861)
• ABU YAZID (ca. 801-874)
• JOHN SCOTUS ERIGENA (810-877)
• SAHL AT- TUSTRARI (818-896)
• HAKIM AT-TIRMIDHI, AL- (d. 898)
• JOENIAD, ABU EL-OASIM AL- (d. 910)
• HALLADJ, MANSUR AL- (858-922)
• SHIBLI, BEN DJAHDAR AL- (861-945)
• GREGORY OF NAREK (ca. 944-1010)
• SYMEON THE NEW THEOLOGIAN (ca.949-1022)
• ABU SA’ID IBU AL-CHAIR (967-1049)
• QUSHAYRI, AL- (986-1074)
• JOHN OF FÉCAMP (ca. 990-1078)
• JOHN GUALBERTUS (ca. 1000-1073)
• ANSARI, ABDALLAH (1006-1088)
• SALOMON BEN JUDA IBN GABIROL (1020-1057)
• BRUNO THE CARTHUSIAN (1032-1101)
• BACHYA BEN JOSEPH IBN PAKUDA (1040-1110)
• SANAI (ca. 1050-1131)
• RAMANUJA (1050-1137)
• MILAREPA, JETSUN (1052-1135)
• GHAZZALI, ABU HAMID MOHAMMED AL- (1058-1111)
• OMAR KHAYYAM (ca. 1062-1123)
• LABKYI, SGRONMA (11^th – 12^th century)
• RUPERT OF DEUTZ (1075-1130)
• WILLIAM OF SAINT-THIERRY (1085-1148)
• BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX (1090-1153)
• HUGH OF SAINT-VICTOR (1096-1141)
• HILDEGARD OF BINGEN (1098-1179)
• ARNOLD OF BRESCIA (ca. 1100-1155)
• GUERRICUS OF IGNY (d. 1157)
• AELRED OF RIEVAULX (1110-1167)
• JACOB NAZIR (12^th century)
• MAHADEVIYAKKA (12^th century)
• RICHARD OF SAINT-VICTOR (1123-1175)
• ABRAHAM BEN DAVID OF POSQUIÈRES (ca. 1125-1198)
• ELISABETH OF SCHÖNAU (1129-1164)
• JOACHIM OF FIORE (ca. 1130-1202)
• HONEN (1133-1212)
• MOSES MAIMONIDES (1135-1204)
• AMAURY (d. ca. 1206)
• ATTAR, FARID AD-DIN (1142-1220)
• SUHRAWARDI-AL-MAQTOEL (ca. 1155-1191)
• JUDA BEN SAMUEL HA-CHASID (ca. 1150-1217)
• NAJMUDDIN KUBRA (d. ca. 1220)
• ISAAC THE BLIND (ca. 1160-1235)
• ELEAZER BEN JUDA OF WORMS (ca. 1165- ca. 1230)
• IBN AL-ARABI (1165-1240)
• DOMINIC (1170-1221)
• SHINRAN (1173-1262)
• MARIE DES OIGNES (1177-1213)
• FRANCIS OF ASSISI (1181-1226)
• IBN-AL-FARID (1181-1235)
• ABRAHAM BEN MOSES BEN MAIMON (1186-1237)
• ABRAHAM BEN ISAAC OF NARBONNE (1186-1237)
• EZRA BEN SOLOMON (d. ca. 1238)
• THOMAS OF VERCELLI (d. 1246)
• ADELHEID VAN SCHAARBEEK (d. 1250)
• JULIANA OF CORNILLON (1192-1258)
• CLARE OF ASSISI (1194-1253)
• NACHMANIDES (1194-1270)
• ANTHONY OF PADUA (1195-1231)
• MADHWA (1199-1278)
• AZRIEL OF GERONA (beginning of the 13^th century)
• DOGEN (1200-1253)
• BEATRIX OF NAZARETH (1200-1268)
• DAVID OF AUGSBURG (1200-1272)
• ALBERTUS MAGNUS (ca. 1200-1280)
• SADI, MOSLIH AL ‘DIN ABU MOHAMMED ABDALLAH (ca. 1200-1292)
• RUMI, JALAL AD-DIN (1207-1273)
• ISAAC BEN ABRAHAM IBN LATIF (ca. 1210-1280)
• MECHTHILD OF MAGDEBURG (ca. 1210- 1282 or 1294)
• BONAVENTURA (ca. 1217-1274)
• THOMAS AQUINAS (1225-1274)
• JACOB BEN JACOB HA-COHEN (mid-13^th century)
• ABRAHAM BEN ISAAC (middle 13^th century)
• JACOB BEN SHESHET GERONDI (mid-13^th century)
• HADEWYCH (13^th century)
• NICHEREN (13^th century)
• NICEPHORUS THE HERMIT (13^th century)
• ISAAC BEN JACOB HA-COHEN (13^th century)
• YUNUS EMRE (13^th century)
• TODROS BEN JOSHEP HA-LEVI ABULAFIA (1220-1298)
• JACOPONE DA TODI (ca. 1228-1306)
• WICHMANN VON ARNSTEIN (ca. 1230-1270)
• MOSES BEN SOLOMON BEN SIMEON OF BURGOS (1230- 1300)
• LULL, RAMON (1232-1315)
• IPPEN (1239-1289)
• ABRAHAM BEN SAMUEL ABULAFIA (1240- after 1291)
• MOSES BEN SHEM TOV DE LEON (ca. 1240-1305)
• MECHTHILD OF HACKEBORN (1241-1299)
• MARGARETA OF CORTONA (1247-1297)
• ANGELA OF FOLIGNO (ca. 1249-1309)
• PORETE, MARGARET (d. 1310)
• DIETRICH VON FREIBERG (d. after 1310)
• APPELMANS, GHERAERT (ca. 1250-1325)
• ANGELUS CLARENUS (ca. 1250-1337)
• GERTRUDE OF HELFTA (1256-1302)
• ECKHART (1260-1327)
• DANTE, ALIGHIERI (1265-1321)
• ASHIK PASHA (1271-1332)
• GREGORY OF SINAI (1275-1346)
• MUSO SOSEKI (1275-1351)
• EBNER, CHRISTINA (1277-1356)
• EBNER, MARGARET (1292-1351)
• RUYSBROECK, JOHN (1293-1381)
• SUSO, HENRY (ca. 1295-1366)
• LUDOLF VON SACHSEN (ca. 1295-1378)
• GREGORY PALMAS (1296-1359)
• ROLLE, RICHARD (ca, 1300-1349)
• STAGEL, ELISABETH (d. ca. 1360)
• TAULER, JOHN (1300-1361)
• BIRGITTA OF SWEDEN (1303-1373)
• LANGMANN, ADELHEID (d. 1375)
• MERSWIN, RULMAN (1307-1382)
• LEEUWEN, JAN VAN (1314-1378)
• JORDEANS, WILLEM (ca. 1321-1372)
• HEINRICH OF NÖRDLINGEN (d. after 1379)
• HILTON, WALTER (ca. 1330-1396)
• GERARD GROOT (1340-1384)
• JULIAN OF NORWICH (ca. 1342-1442)
• CATHERINE OF SIENA (1347-1380)
• GERSON, JEAN (DE) (1363-1429)
• JILI, ABDU ‘L-KARIM IBN IBRAHIM AL- (1365-1424)
• ZERBOLT OF ZUTPHEN, GERARD (1367-1398)
• RAMANANDA (1370-1440)
• KEMPE, MARGERY (ca. 1373-1440)
• GERLACH PETERS (1378-1411)
• THOMAS Á KEMPIS (1379-1471)
• IKKYU (1394-1481)
• HERP, HENDRIK (ca. 1400-1473)
• NICOLAS OF CUSA (1401-1464)
• DIONYSIUS THE CARTHUSIAN (1402-1471)
• PICO DELLA MIRANDOLA, GIOVANNI (1403-1494)
• CATHERINE OF BOLOGNA (1413-1463)
• DJAMI, ABD AL RAHMAN (1414-1492)
• NICOLAS OF FLUE (1417-1487)
• BERTKEN, SISTER (ca. 1427-1514)
• FICINO, MARSILIO (1433-1499)
• KABIR (ca. 1440-1518)
• CATHERINE OF GENOA (1447-1510)
• BLOMMEVEEN, PIETER (1466-1536)
• NANAK (1469-1539)
• VALLABNA (1473-1531)
• DAVID BEN SOLOMON IBN ZIMBA (1479-1573)
• BERNARDINUS OF LAREDO (1482-1540)
• LUTHER, MARTIN (1483-1546)
• CAITANYA, BISYVRAMBHARA (1485-1533)
• AGRIPPA OF NETTESHEIM, HEINRICH CORNELIUS (1486-1535)
• KARO, JOSEPH (1488-1575)
• SCHWENKFELD, KASPAR VON (1489-1561)
• MÜNZER, THOMAS (1490-1525)
• IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA (1491-1556)
• OSUNA, FRANCISCO DE (ca. 1492-1540)
• PARACELSUS, PHILIPPUS AUREOLUS (1493-1541)
• FRANCK, SEBASTIAN (1499-1542)
• DENCK, HANS (ca. 1500-1527)
• JORISZ, DAVID (1501-1556)
• NICLEAS, HENDRIK (1502-1580)
• SALOMON BEN MOSES HA-LEVI ALKABEZ (1505-1576)
• TERESA OF AVILA (1515-1582)
• PULLEN, JAN PELGRIM (ca. 1520-1608)
• MOSES BEN JACOB CORDOVERO (1522-1570)
• CATHERINE DEI RICCI ( 1522-1590)
• MORDECHAI BEN JUDA DATO (1525-1600)
• DEE, JOHN (1527-1608)
• PINTO, FREI HEITOR (1528-1584)
• ALVAREZ, BALTASAR (1533-1580)
• WEIGEL, VALENTIN (1533-1588)
• ISAAC BEN SALOMON LURIA (1534-1572)
• JOHN OF THE ANGELS (1536-1609)
• GAGLIARDI, ACHILLE (1537-1607)
• JOHN OF THE CROSS (1542-1591)
• CHAIM BEN JOSEPH VITAL (1542-1620)
• HIERONYMUS A MATRE DEI (1545-1614)
• HAMZAH, PANSURI (ca, 1600)
• BRUNO, GIORDANO (1548-1600)
• ANNA VAN SINT-BARTHO-LOMEUS (1549-1626)
• PONTE, LUDOVICUS DE (1554-1624)
• ARNDT, JOHANN (1555-1621)
• NICOLAI, PHILIPP (1556-1608)
• BENEDICT CANFIELD (1564-1610)
• PAZZI, MARIA MADDALENA DEI (1566-1607)
• ACARIE, BARBE JEANNE (1566-1618)
• FRANCIS DE SALES (1567-1622)
• JEAN DE SAINT-SAMSON (1571-1636)
• CHANTAL, JEANNE-FRANCOISE FRÉMIOT (1572-1671)
• BÉRULLE, PIERRE DE (1575-1629)
• BOEHME, JAKOB (1575-1634)
• BAKER, AUGUSTINUS (1575-1641)
• ROSA OF LIMA (1586-1617)
• ANDREAE, JOHANN VALENTIN (1586-1654)
• JOHN VAN DEN BOSCH (1588-1635)
• ARNAUD, JAQELINE-MARIE-ANGÉLIQUE DE SAINTE-MADELEINE (1591-1661)
• COMENIUS, JOHAN AMOS (1592-1670)
• ARNAUD, JEANNE- CATHERINE-AGNES (1593-1671)
• FELGENHAUER, PAUL (1593-1677)
• FALCONI DE BUSATMANTE, JUAN (1596-1638)
• GUYART, MARIE (1599-1672)
• SURIN, JEAN JOSEPH (1600-1665)
• BERNIÈRES-LOUVIGNY, JEAN DE (1602-1659)
• AGREDA, MARIA DE JESUS (1602-1665)
• JOSEPH OF COPERTINO (1603-1663)
• BETKE, JOACHIM (1606-1663)
• HOBURG, CHRISTIAN (1607-1675)
• PORDAGE, JOHN (1607-1681)
• OLIER, JEAN-JACQUES (1608-1657)
• LABADIE, JEAN DE (1610-1674)
• BOURIGNON DE LA PORTE, ANTOINETTE (1610-1680)
• CRASHAW, RICHARD (1612-1649)
• ARNAUD, ANTOINE (1612-1694)
• LAURENTIUS VAN DE VERRIJZENS (1614-1691)
• JIVA GOSVAMIN (17^th century)
• MICHAEL A. S. AUGUSTINO (1622-1684)
• VAUGHAN, HENRY (1622-1695)
• PETYT, MARIA (1623-1677)
• ANGELUS SILESIUS (1624-1677)
• FOX, GEORGE (1624-1691)
• SABBATAI ZEVI (1626-1676)
• VINCENT DE PAUL (1628-1660)
• BUNYAN, JOHN (1628-1688)
• MOLINOS, MIGUEL DE (1628-1696)
• MÜLLER, HEINRICH (1631-1675)
• PASCAL, BLAISE (1633-1662)
• SPENER, PHILIPP JAKOB (1635-1705)
• TRAHENRE, THOMAS (ca. 1637-1674)
• SPINOZA, BARUCH DE (1637-1677)
• GICHTEL, JOHANN GEORG (1638-1710)
• MATSUO BASHO (1644-1694)
• ALACOQUE, MARGARETHA MARIA (1647-1690)
• GUYON, JEANNE-MARIE BOUVIER DE LA MOTHE (1648-1717)
• KUHLMANN, QUIRINUS (1651-1689)
• FÉNELON, FRANÇOIS DE SALIGNAC DE LA MOTHE (1651-1715)
• ARNOLD, GOTTFRIED (1666-1714)
• SWEDENBORG, EMANUEL (1688-1772)
• HAKUIN (1685-1768)
• LAW, WILLIAM (1686-1761)
• PAUL OF THE CROSS (1694-1775)
• TERSTEEGEN, GERHARD (1697-1769)
• ISRAEL BEN ELIEZER (ca. 1700-1760)
• ZINZENDORF, NIKOLAUS LUDWIG VON (d. 1760)
• DOV BAER OF MEZHIRECH (d. 1772)
• COSMAS DE ETOLIER (d. 1779)
• OETINGER, FRIEDRICH CHRISTOPH (1702-1782)
• DUTOIT, JEAN-PHILIPPE (1721-1793)
• TIKHON OF ZADONSK (1724-1783)
• MENAHEM MENDEL OF VITEBSK (1730-1788)
• GROU, JEAN (1731-1803)
• LEVI ISAAC BEN MEIR VAN BERDITCHEV (ca. 1740-1810)
• SAINT-MARTIN, LOUIS CLAUDE DE (1743-1803)
• JACOB ISAAC OF LUBLIN (1745-1815)
• LABRE, BENOIT JOSEPH (1748-1783)
• BLAKE, WILLIAM (1757-1827)
• BAADER, FRANZ XAVER VON (1765-1841)
• SCHLEIERMACHER, FRIEDRICH ERNST DANIEL (1768-1834)
• NOVALIS (1772-1801)
• NACHMAN OF BRESLOV (1772-1811)
• EMMERICK, ANNA KATHARINA (1774-1824)
• MENAHEM MENDEL OF KOTSK (1781-1859)
• BLUMHARDT, JOHANN CHRISTOPH (1805-1910)
• TENNYSON, ALFRED (1809-1892)
• DIETERLEN, CHRISTOPHE (1818-1874)
• BAUDELAIRE, PIERRE, CHARLES (1821-1867)
• BOOTH, WILLIAM (1829-1912)
• GEZELLE, GUIDO (1830-1899)
• BLAVATSKY, HELENA PETROVA (1831-1891)
• BODELSCHWINGH, FRIEDRICH VON (1831-1910)
• RAMAKRISHNA (1836-1886)
• MAUMIGNY, RENÉ DE (1837-1917)
• MALLARMÉ, STEPHANE (1842-1898)
• BESANT, ANNIE (1847-1933)
• JEFFERIES, RICHARD JOHN (1848-1887)
• SOLOVYEV, VLADIMIR SERGEIEVITCH (1853-1900)
• THOMPSON, FRANCIS (1859-1907)
• STEINER, RUDOLF (1861-1925)
• TAGORE, RABINDRANATH (1861-1941)
• VIVEKANANDA (1863-1902)
• UNAMUNO Y JUGO, MIGUEL DE (1864-1936)
• CHAPMAN, JOHN HENRY (1865-1933)
• GANDHI, MOHANDAS KARAMCHAND (1869-1948)
• AUROBINDO GHOSE, SRI (1872-1950)
• THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX (1873-1897)
• UNDERHILL, EVELYN (1875-1941)
• GURDJIEFF, GEORGE IVANOVICH (1877-1949)
• HESSE, HERMAN (1877-1962)
• GALGANI, GEMMA (1878-1903)
• BUBER, MARTIN (1878-1965)
• BRANDSMA, TITUS (1881-1942)
• TEILHARD DE CHARDIN, PIERRE (1881-1955)
• KHAN, HAZRAT INAYAT (1882-1927)
• GIBRAN, KHALIL (1883-1931)
• FOUCALD, CHARLES EUGENE (1885-1916)
• RADHAKRISHNAN, SARVEPALLI (1888-1975)
• HUXLEY, ALDOUS LEONARD (1894-1963)
• KRISHNAMURTI, JIDDU (1895-1985)
• NEUMANN, THERESE (1898-1962)
• SAINT-EXUPÉRY, ANTOINE DE (1900-1944)
• HAMMARSKJÖLD, DAG HJALMAR AGNA CARL (1905-1961)
• BONHOEFFER, DIETRICH (1906-1945)
• WEIL, SIMONE (1909-1943)
• HAAN, WIM DE (1913-1967)
• THAKAR, VIMALA (1923-2009)
• DA FREE JOHN (1939-2008)

 

A serial pattern

At the beginning of this chapter it is shown that by arranging the dates of the 370 best-known mystics along a timeline, a cyclical pattern of 425 years emerges, (see the blue diagram here above). Although anthropologists have been searching for years for such a pattern [1] – to the best of our knowledge without finding one – the 425-year cycle in human culture shown in the diagram shows a very convincing correspondence. This pattern could be the only one of its kind in human history.

It is remarkable that the cyclical periodic peaks come every 425 years and doesn’t change its time span, while the world’s population is increasing.

This is in contrast with, for example, technological development which accelerated through human history.

While this cyclical time pattern is easy to see, the question remains as to how or why it arises.

A parallel pattern

A first step in the search for a solution to this problem can be taken by turning to a discussion between Krishnamurti and theoretical physicist David Bohm, published in the book “The ending of Time” [2]. Chapter 8 of the book recounts a conversation between the two men where it is suggested that if there were between five and ten enlightened people (Buddha’s) alive at the same time in history, then the whole of humanity would be transformed. (Krishnamurti brought forward this idea in a number of his books and talks). The explanation for this would be that since all consciousness comes from the ‘Ground’ (the Absolute), the activity of the enlightened ones would affect the whole of humanity from the ‘Ground’ up.

Krishnamurti and Bohm both agreed that this idea was correct, but concluded that there was no logical proof for it. In reaching this conclusion, they were assuming that the situation was hypothetical in that it would take place in the future, and that the data required to provide logical proof were not yet available.

However, it would seem that the data are indeed available, because such conjunctions of circumstances did already occur in the past: during the axial age.

The phrase ‘the axial age’ was coined by the existentialist philosopher Karl Jaspers: “In the years centering around 500 BC”  [3] (this ‘centering around 500 BC’ is seen in the blue diagram here above).

Around 500 BC the developments in Greece were tempestuous. In a very short period, logic, ethics, natural philosophy, state philosophy, aesthetics, physics, pedagogy and meta-physics emerged. These developments unfolded at a remarkable speed.

At the same time, similar events were taking place in other parts of the world. This parallelism is not only striking, but defied every explanatory hypothesis. The revolutionary developments taking place in Greece were also taking place in China, India and in Canaan with the Hebrews.

These events included enormous spiritual developments. In a very short period Buddhism and Jainism were established, the great Hebrew prophets came to the foreground and in China Lao Tzu and Confucius appeared. This all happened simultaneously with the development of philosophy, mathematics, logic, science and mysticism in Greece. 

It is remarkable that the shift from mythic to rational in the axial age, was at the same time as the first (high)causal mystics in human history manifested themselves in the sixth century B.C.

Relevant in this regard is a book from the American philosopher Ken Wilber “Up From Eden” [4], in which he shows the correlations between the average-mode stages that emerged at any given epoch and most-advanced states of the most evolved religious figures.

Karl Jaspers [5] called the period around 500 B.C., “the turning point in human history”. According to Arthur Koestler [6], it “would radically transform humanity within the next two thousand years, more than the foregoing two hundred thousand years had done”.

H.J. Störig [7] found it both astonishing and inexplicable that the human spirit could take such an enormous step forward at different places on the globe, in several mutually closed cultures, at the same time: “It goes against the grain with us to consider this typical coincidence of circumstances as just chance. However, a convincing explanation of this coincidence has not been found so far”.

If this information is connected with the Krishnamurti/Bohm hypothesis, we see that five to ten highly developed mystics were indeed living at the same time on the globe (see also figure below).

Greek philosopher/mystics:

Pythagoras           580 → 500 B.C.     (High causal mystic)
Heraclitus             544 → 484 B.C.
Parmenides           512 → 443 B.C.
Empedocles          493 → 433 B.C.
Socrates                470 → 399 B.C.

China:

Lao Tzu                609 → 517 B.C.     (High causal mystic)
Confucius             551 → 479 B.C.

India:

Mahavira              599 → 527 B.C.     (High causal mystic)
Buddha                560 → 480 B.C.     (High causal mystic)
Sariputta             sixth century B.C.

Hebrew prophets:

Jeremiah               7th and 6th century B.C.
Deutero-Isaiah      597 → 538 B.C.
Ezekiel                  sixth century B.C.  (High causal mystic)
Daniel                   sixth century B.C.

The fact that with the axial age – new structures and levels of consciousness became available (and to a certain degree, with every new peak (as seen in the blue diagram) – i.e. every 425 years since the axial age), seems to be proof that the Krishnamurti/Bohm hypothesis is correct.

Of course, not all the mystics alive around the years 370, 795, 1220 and 1645 were enlightened (high-causal). But it seems that around 500 BC there were five to ten enlightened mystics alive on the globe.

The two peaks of 1220 and 1645 both show 39 mystics simultaneously but presumably there were not more than 5 to 10 high causal mystics among them.

The purpose behind this cyclical pattern

The following question arises: “Why is there a cyclical time pattern in historical development?”

It is possible to correlate the presence of a cluster of at least five to ten enlightened mystics with the availability of new structures of development every 425 years. This leads to the conclusion that if no such clustering had been present and if, instead, there had been one or two enlightened mystics on the globe at all times, no such development could have taken place. 

It seems unlikely that such a regular cyclical pattern could be accidental.

If it is not, then there must be some arranging/regulating influence generating these clusters with the purpose of producing change of the order that took place during the axial age, and subsequent changes of the same kind but at a higher level.                              

[1]: See Kroeber, A.L., (professor of anthropology); “The configurations of culture growth”. University of California Press Berkeley, 1944;

[2]: J. Krishnamurti and David Bohm, “The ending of Time”. London Gollancz, 1985.

[3]: Karl Jaspers, “The Origin and Goal of History”, 1949.

[4]: Ken Wilber; “Up From Eden,  a transpersonal view of human evolution”, Anchor Press/Doubleday, Garden City, New York 1981.

[5]: Hans Joachim Störig; “Kleine Weltgeschichte der Philosophie”,W. Kohlhammer – Verlag, Stuttgart. 1950.

[6]: Ibid.

[7]: Ibid.