The Metaphysical Gatsby

Romping with the Mind of God

This is not a movie review, even though I did see the recent release of The Great Gatsby. I was curious to see how Baz Luhrmann would direct this adaptation of the great American novel. I came away with a new appreciation of the metaphysical aspects of this allegory of a man's search for meaning and how he found success in attaining his singular dream. The ambition of Gatsby, of course, was erasing five years of separation from Daisy Buchanan and building a dream based on their previous attraction. Even though it was common sense in the 1920s that rich girls don't marry poor boys, Gatsby's dream and ambition was focused on changing his life and going from rags to riches to take Daisy away from her husband and child. Set in boom times for the one-percent wealthy families in post-war America, the novel shows how high Gatsby had to climb to attain and pass the wealth of the Buchanan family.

Instead of accepting his "penniless" condition and giving up any though of ever reuniting with an ultra rich and spoiled woman of his dreams, Gatsby made Daisy his raison d'etre and the sole meaning to his being. Meditation was not mentioned in the novel, but it was obvious that Gatsby truly believed in the law of attraction. By focusing on his goal with intensity and abandon, he put himself in situations that would eventually lead to his acquiring outrageous wealth through both legitimate and dubious means. The metaphor of "Romping with the Mind of God" puts Gatsby in the category of a true metaphysical science practitioner. Using singular vision, he enters into a position of actually becoming one with God and the universe. I can reach back into my own memory to recall a similar situation when I concentrated all my energy and will power to reach a goal. Carl Jung, the great psychologist and visionary, believed in what's called the Collective Unconscious, which can be compared to a database containing all existing wisdom in the universe. We can access this database through the practice of meditation. I can recall many times when I cleared my thoughts, meditated and received inspiration that would become the seed from which my dreams manifested forth. Gatsby refused to look back to his condition of poverty, but instead lived in the NOW and sought to carry it into the future.

Fall from Grace

Gatsby's singular focus on reuniting with Daisy was flawed by two things. Sure, he was able to build great wealth beyond the imagination of most men at the time, but, he built his empire based on his own dreams and desires. He used his memory of Daisy to paint each of his gains and and successes with a nice veneer of opulence. After all, this was Gatsby's dream and vision. He saw the world through rose-colored glasses of his mind. The flaw would eventually become clear when Daisy questioned the dream world that Gatsby had made for the two of them. She already had the jaded wealth and comfort afforded her by the Buchanan family. Her attraction to Gatsby was not fueled by unity with the universe, but by more profane attraction to the trappings of wealth. In comparison to Gatsby's lofty idealism, Daisy exhibited the whims of a spoiled and uncaring woman. Gatsby was Utopian in his vision, but Daisy's vision was shallow and transitory.

The second flaw to Gatsby's vision was his desire to recapture the five years of separation from Daisy. In essence, he wanted to take his wealth and return with Daisy to a time before marriage and child entrapped her. God's time is not linear, but cosmic and eternally progressive. The only time to connect with God is in the present moment, in the NOW. Jesus said, "Once you have put your shoulder to the plow, never look back!" By looking back, Gatsby disconnected from the dynamic universal source of energy. He could no longer romp with the mind of God, but was forced to see Daisy as she really was, as she chose to be. After all, she had her own dreams and visions. Gatsby was never able to regain his connection with the divine source, and his life and dreams spiraled downward. In fact, it might be said that, looking back, he was forced to deal with all the karma from his deeds that propelled him to the top.  

Living in the NOW

The lesson to this allegory is essential. We can do what Gatsby did and have a singular vision. But, we must collaborate with others to co-create Heaven on Earth. It's fine to have a dream and vision for the future, but we must take into consideration the desires and needs of others. Gatsby tried to be an alchemist and turn Daisy's base metal into Gold. To perform miracles, we must work with like-minded individuals who deeply desire to share a common goal. We must live in the NOW, the only place where God resides and universal principles operate. If we don't, then the green light at the end of Daisy's dock will be forever clouded by the mists of flawed plans and visions.

Blessings!

Rev. Alfred P. Voto, M.Msc.