Our Magical World
The final instalment of the Blog posts entitled “Creatures of the Mind” ended with the following words:
“Our world is not the product of some supernatural creator. It is instead a magical kaleidoscope of form that is ever linked to the creative power of thought. And we who sojourn in this wondrous world of form, are actually the true makers of its magic“.
It is likely that most readers of this paragraph dismissed these words as a florid example of intellectual speculation that bore little relevance to the world of pots and pans, and the realities of cruelty, hardship and hunger that bedevil our planet at this critical time.
The idea that our physical world, consisting of things that can be seen, touched, smelled, tasted and heard; that appears to be the same to everyone, could be created by something as evanescent and variable as the mind, seems to defy all rational logic.
The tough-minded realist scorns such an idea. For him, or her, reality is self-evident. The reality of anything is determined by its impact on their senses.
Suppose, for example, I stand in front of a large tree. I can see the tree clearly in front of me. By touching the trunk, I can feel that it is solid. I can feel the particular texture of the bark and leaves. I can smell it and note its distinctive scent. If I take a leaf and chew it, I can taste its flavour, whether pleasant or otherwise.
If I break off a branch, I can hear it snap, and feel the force with which it resists my effort. But that isn’t all. I can also ask a friend to describe the tree to me. When they describe its height, colour, shape and so on, I find that we both agree on our descriptions.
From this I gain additional information about the tree. I know that it inhabits my friend’s world in the same way that it exists in mine. We both agree that the tree exists, and that it has character and substance.
This combination of sensory experience together with the evidence of those around me, confirms for me the reality of the tree, and that it exists in space as a real physical object, separate from myself.
I can also, if I wish, climb the tree. If I then decide to jump out of the tree, I will fall to the ground with a considerable impact. It is this impact that further confirms for me the reality of the tree, and the world of which it is a part.
My subjective experience, or rather the sensations which the tree inspires in me, serves to define the nature of the tree. It seems obvious to me that the tree exists quite independently of myself and that it is totally separate from me. There seems no link between me and the tree.
And that is the way I come to relate to everything around me. My world appears to exist as an assortment of physical objects located separately from me in space, while my life consists of my interactions with these objects in a separate dimension called time.
So when Western scientists began to examine the world around them, one of the first things they wanted to know was what this “real world” was made of. They little realised at that time that this would be a journey that would last over five hundred years, and would lead them from the solid ground of physics, to the ethereal world of mysticism and metaphysics.
When Galileo developed his telescope, he was convinced that the world he was investigating consisted of solid, physical matter that moved in empty space. The wonder of his telescope was that it permitted him to discover just how vast that macrocosm of space really was.
The scientists who succeeded Galileo continued to build their theories upon this foundation of solid matter. The entire edifice of scientific thought in the classical (or pre-twentieth century) era, was founded upon the unchallenged evidence of the senses.
With the coming of the atomic age, scientists began to unravel the secrets of those tiny particles of matter that had hitherto been too small to investigate experimentally. As the inner secrets of the atom came to be revealed, so the awesome doubt began to grow that the essential fundamentals upon which the whole of classical science had been built, might actually be false.
Galileo and his colleagues had believed that everything in nature could be investigated in an objective and neutral way, and that the experimental data derived by any single scientist could be replicated by any other scientist who was prepared to adopt the same scientific protocols.
The discoveries of Quantum Mechanics in the 20th century proved that this was not so. When reduced to its essential nature, all physical matter was found to be a manifestation of energy. However, this energy did not consist of separate, indivisible bits, which could subsequently be re-combined to form the whole of the phenomenal universe.
Instead, this energy was found to manifest in particular patterns, and these patterns showed an amazing capacity for transforming themselves into yet more patterns. Scientists found to their dismay that all physical matter was composed of particular patterns of energy that were constantly being created and destroyed. (The Embarrassing Menagerie)
Furthermore, it was found that these patterns of energy could not be investigated independently. In some strange but infuriating fashion they were found to be inextricably bound up with the nature of the observer.
The scientist could no longer view nature in an objective and impartial manner, as men like Galileo, Newton and Kelvin had imagined. In fact the result of any scientific experiment was seen to be crucially dependent upon the expectations of the person conducting the experiment.
Nothing could be observed in nature without that act of observation fundamentally altering the very nature of what was being observed. It became clear that it was impossible, even in theory, to examine nature “as it really was”. It could only be investigated in that form in which it appeared in consciousness.
In the new world of Quantum Physics, Nature could no longer be thought of as something that existed independently of consciousness, but was something that was moulded and shaped by consciousness itself. As the physicist Henry Margenau has succinctly explained:
“There is no purely objective way to perceive something, to perceive it as it is before consciousness shapes it into something we can perceive. What looks objective to us is what we construct and are accustomed to see.” 1
The witness was no longer the neutral observer of what was seen, but was now an active participant in the creation of what was observed. The impact of this discovery served to shatter forever the concept of the universe operating as a sort of Giant Machine.
The devastating blow which the discoveries of Quantum Mechanics dealt to the world of classical science, was that the idea of a separate, objective universe, independent of the observer, was seen to be illusory. The universe was no longer something that existed apart from the witness, but was something which resolved itself ultimately into consciousness itself.
All that could be said about the universe was that it existed, and that it did so in the form of various impressions in consciousness. The world of physics, the study of outward natural phenomena, had led to the world of metaphysics, the study of the mind.
Physicists had now begun to glimpse the world of matter as a manifestation of mind. This was a discovery which was to become increasingly in harmony with the experiences described by mystics.
To the mystics, consciousness was the basic source of all manifestation. Not only was matter a manifestation in consciousness, but it was actually shaped by the nature of that consciousness.
According to the mystics, the universe was not some aggregate of objects located independently in space, but was a series of images projected upon consciousness. In this bio-centric view of the universe, the testimony of the Sages served to restore the medieval belief in man as the centre of the universe, albeit on a more exalted level of thought.
The individual was no longer an inconsequential cog in the Giant Machine, but was in fact the actual creator and sustainer of the universe. The shape in which the universe manifested was moulded by his or her thoughts. And as these thoughts changed, so the experience of the observer and the nature of the universe changed as well.
In this new view of the universe, the search to understand the true nature of reality has taken a dramatic and unexpected turn. Attention has now become focused on ourselves. Since everything that is seen and experienced in the universe is a reflection within consciousness, there can be no objective “reality” in the universe itself.
Not only are these images of the universe not real, but they vary from individual to individual. What this means is that there is no single universe that is common to all minds, and which is experienced in the same way by every person. Different people experience the universe in different ways
Each of us conjures up in consciousness our own unique world in which to function. However, as we grow, we are taught, initially by our parents, and then by all the other people with whom we come in contact, to shape our world so that it is similar to that which is experienced by the people around us.
In this way, we learn through a process of cultural conditioning to create our own personal universe in terms which are common to those people who share our own particular culture. However, different cultures experience the world in different ways. So the world of an Australian aborigine or of an African bushman is strikingly different from our own.
But whatever sort of world we learn to create in consciousness, the “reality” with which these images appear to be endowed is not an intrinsic feature of the images themselves. Instead, they manifest a character which is derived from the inherent nature of the projecting consciousness.
Nothing that is witnessed is or can be real, for all images in consciousness are transitory and illusory. It makes no difference what level of consciousness is involved. After-life images have no greater reality than those of waking consciousness, hallucination or dream.
The truth is that the world that appears so outwardly real to our senses, is in fact a subjective creation of our own minds.
Because the universe that we have created for ourselves is a subjective projection in consciousness, rather than the outward manifestation of an external Creator, it follows that this universe of ours cannot be bound by restricting rules and laws.
The so called “laws of science” to which the universe appears to bow in homage, are simply the manifestations of our codified thinking. Our world expresses order and law because we have chosen to make it so. Our universe has come to be revealed to us in the manner that we have come to think of it.
If we should happen to change our way of thinking, our universe will reveal itself afresh, in ever new and wondrous ways. The limits of the universe are in fact the limits of our minds, for as we believe it to exist, so it comes to manifest. This is the message of the Sages.
In our daily lives we are free to express ourselves in unlimited ways. The thoughts that we generate in our minds are the seeds which germinate in the form of our experiences. We are free to tailor our experiences in life therefore, by deliberately choosing those thoughts which give birth to the creatures of our desires.
We truly are the creators of our lives, free to follow the longings of our heart-felt hopes. The major barrier which prevents us from achieving our desires is simply the belief that we are bound. But as we find recorded in the ancient Hindu text Tripura Rahasya:
“The strongest fetter is the certainty that one is bound. It is as false as the fearful hallucinations of a frightened child.” 2
In projecting a universe that is in accordance with the consensual views of our society, we inevitably come to impose upon ourselves the limitations which are inherent in our group beliefs. Our universe comes then to reflect these limitations in ways which curtail the free expression of our desires.
It is the nature of our beliefs, rather than of any inherent shortcomings in the universe, which then prevent us from experiencing our full potential. The universe in which we live reflects the current thinking of our times. It is not static, but changes as the underlying thoughts themselves change.
Every individual therefore, is not only bound by a comprehensive description of the world, but continually contributes to it as well. Any individual who, perhaps through intuitive inspiration, comes to view the world in a novel way, may ultimately come to influence the combined world view of an entire society.
Our western scientific description of the universe has in fact been moulded by such singular individuals as Galileo, Newton and Einstein. In experiencing the universe as they have taught us to describe it, we imagine that we have come to see the universe “as it really is”. All we have done in fact has been to change our thoughts. The universe, which mirrors these thoughts, has then modified itself accordingly.
When we seek to fulfill our desires, we do so within the framework of our accepted patterns of belief. Within the constraints imposed upon us by our world description, our desires become fulfilled in direct proportion to the energy with which they are invested.
When we recognise that the limits imposed upon us by our world are actually the reflections of our own beliefs, we then become capable of redefining our description of the world, and by so doing demolish our former limitations.
Since the universe is always a personal projection of our minds, we are always free to redefine the terms of our personal universe, whether or not this meets with the collective approval of our society. We may then be able to act in ways which seem impossible according to the world-view of the group.
Let us suppose for example that I have been injured in an automobile accident. My neck is broken and I find myself paralysed from the head down. It may be that the collective medical opinion which contributes to my description of the world, decides that nothing further can be done for me, and that I am doomed to remain a quadriplegic.
If this is the case then I have two options before me. I can either accept my handicap as bravely as I can, as an unfortunate “fact” of life, and learn to adapt my life to the severe limits which this handicap entails. However, I also have a second option which, although revolutionary, rests upon impeccable grounds, attested to by the Sages.
I can if I wish, and if I have the courage, simply alter my description of the world.
I can choose to create a new description of the world in which my injury is able to be healed, allowing me to walk again and to recover the complete use of my body. Of course my physician, schooled within the traditional description of the universe, will assure me that I am mad.
But my paralysis is not an irremediable “fact” of nature, but only becomes so when I believe this to be true myself. If I can replace my former belief with the new belief that it is possible to overcome my physical handicap, then I can certainly achieve the impossible and overcome my paralysis.
In order to do this I need three requirements. First of all I need an intense desire to be healed. Secondly I need the concentration of mind necessary to visualise this desire, the image of the body healed. Finally I need the faith, the inner conviction that it will be healed, and the commitment to continue holding to this new belief until my healing is complete.
I need to be careful however not to underestimate the challenge which lies before me. In order to succeed, I not only need to energise my new belief to the point where it reaches physical manifestation, but also to overcome my old belief which suggests that what I am attempting to do is impossible.
My efforts will also fly in the face of those around me who are still committed to the old belief, and who will attempt, no doubt out of “love” for me, to persuade me that what I am doing is hopeless and doomed to failure.
I have, however, one trump card in my favour. My ultimate success in redefining my world of thought may encourage them to do the same, and in so doing, may help them to break down their own barriers of unbelief.
We tend of course to be trapped into thinking that what is possible in life is limited by various “laws of science” or “laws of nature”, and that these laws impose irrevocable limits on our capabilities. Yet according to the mystics there are no such laws.
It is worth recalling the words of Jesus, who told his disciples that anyone who possessed the faith of a tiny mustard seed would be able to move mountains, and that “nothing shall be impossible to you”. (Matthew 17: 20)
Jesus didn’t qualify this statement by saying that nothing was impossible as long as it didn’t conflict with the laws of nature. In fact all of his miracles proved that it was possible to do things that modern science deems impossible, as long as one had the necessary faith.
What we consider to be “laws of nature” are merely those beliefs within which we have chosen to imprison ourselves. The truth is blindingly simple. The universe is a product of thought. The sole purpose of the universe is to mirror our thinking. It does not matter what these thoughts are.
As Maharaj has pointed out, “Space is neutral – one can fill it with what one likes.” 3 There is no limit to what we can achieve, as Maharaj has confirmed:
“The desirable is imagined and wanted and manifests itself as something tangible or conceivable. Thus is created the world in which we live, our personal world.” 4
In spite of the wonders which the prescriptive thoughts of science have wrought in our world, they remain a constricting web of belief which limits our freedom of expression. The “laws of science” do not pose ultimate limits on what we can or cannot achieve. They simply represent the codified thinking of the scientific community.
Our scientific beliefs are chains which deny us the fulfilment of that inherent potential which is our birthright. If we can bring ourselves to transcend the limits of our own beliefs, we can inherit a world of wonder that dwarfs our imagination. In fact, wonder is that vital ingredient in life that has been vanquished by the materialism of modern science.
The constricting mould which presently dominates scientific thinking is that our world is ultimately law-abiding and predictable. It is this basic predictability and conformity that has robbed us of something essential to the spontaneity of life.
The narrow confines of the scientific description of the universe have stripped life of much of its intrinsic majesty and worth, and have deprived us of that sense of mystery and delight which is so much a feature of the outlook of the child. As Carl Jung wrote in his memoirs:
“It is important to have a secret, a premonition of things unknown. It fills life with something impersonal, a numinosum. A man who has never experienced that has missed something important.
” He must sense that he lives in a world which in some respects is mysterious; that things happen and can be experienced which remain inexplicable; that not everything which happens can be anticipated. The unexpected and the incredible belong in this world. Only then is life whole.” 5
The universe is ever free and unfettered. It is a place of mystery and wonder. Events continually occur which are unplanned and unexplained. No theory of the universe can hope to circumscribe all its contents. The universe will always be too rich for any theory.
It is at heart an unfathomable and exhilarating place. In its free and untrammelled expression the universe constantly defies our understanding. In the words of the Yaqui sorcerer don Juan:
“The world is incomprehensible. We won’t ever understand it; we won’t ever unravel its secrets. Thus we must treat it as it is, a sheer mystery!” 6
To the mystic the world is at once mysterious and profound. In the ebb and flow of its expression it continues to defy analysis. Those of us who have adopted a scientific description of the world take comfort in the fact that science has helped to render our world reliable and predictable.
In so doing it has served effectively to banish the phantoms of our fears. We have become sufficiently emboldened by this success to believe that we can challenge the insight of the Sages. For as one visitor to Nisargadatta Maharaj remarked:
Visitor: “The sciences have made much progress. We know the body and the mind much better than our ancestors. Your traditional way of describing and analysing mind and matter is no longer valid.
Maharaj: But where are your scientists and their sciences? Are they not again images in your mind?
Visitor: Here lies the basic difference! To me they are not my projections. They were before I was born and shall be when I am dead.
Maharaj: Of course. Once you accept space and time as real, you will consider yourself minute and short lived. But are they real? Have you ever investigated?” 7
It is the investigation into the world of space and time that reveals the inexpressible wonder and power that lies at the root of all manifested life. In tracing the origin of matter to its source, the world is seen to be a creature of the mind, shaped by the swirling waters of thought.
Our fragile egos are built upon sequential experiences in a world which we have learned to shape in ways that are in consonance with others of our culture. When this consensual description comes to be threatened, we react with dread at the threat it poses to our very personalities.
Our personalities have been built upon a pyramid of fears, and ignorance of our real nature has served to enshrine these fears. It is only when we come to see that we ourselves have spun the web of circumstance which now imprisons us, that we may discover that our fears are groundless. They are impediments to joy. As Maharaj reveals:
“Once you realize that all comes from within, that the world in which you live has not been projected onto you, but by you, your fear comes to an end. It is only when you fully accept your responsibility for the little world in which you live and watch the progress of its creation, preservation and destruction, that you may be free from your imaginary bondage.” 8
It is through the investigation of our own internal being, shining within us as the “I Am” sensation, that the path to Ultimate Reality can be found.
This Reality, the sun of pure Awareness, is not a product of consciousness, nor can images in consciousness lead us to it. It transcends all images, and the only way to experience it is to transcend all images and all levels of consciousness.
Only those who are prepared to transcend the limited worlds of consciousness can come to know the unlimited expanse of the true, unblemished Reality.
The call of the mystic, the good news of the Sage, ever beckons us to the rediscovery of our ancestral home. The joy that lies in the welcome of that home-coming is beyond all telling. It is the measureless depth of eternal Awareness, freed from the boundaries of experience, exulting in its blissful nature.
It is the perception of this goal, and the quest for its attainment, that lends new meaning to our lives. Our steps are then marked with value, verve and grace. When, like the prodigal son of old, we return at last to our own true home, there is great rejoicing.
We who have for so long sought our comfort, wealth and pleasure in a myriad different things, and pursued them down the course of a myriad different lives, now rest at peace in the splendour of Our Father’s Mansion. The purpose of our lives is finally fulfilled.
The nature of this victory is captured in the words of the American naturalist and philosopher Henry David Thoreau:
“I am from the beginning, knowing no end, no aim. No sun illumines me, for I dissolve all lesser lights in my own intenser and steadier light. I am a restful kernel in the magazine of the universe.” 9
References
1 Henry Margenau and Lawrence LeShan, “Einstein’s Space and Van Goch’s Sky“, Macmillan, New York, 1982, p. 189.
2 “Tripura Rahasya“, translated by Swami Saraswathi, Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, 1962, pp. 153-154.
3 “I Am That“, Conversations with Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, translated by Maurice Frydman, Book I, p. 100.
4 Ibid, Book I, p. 11.
5 Carl Jung, “Memories, Dreams, Reflections” recorded and edited by A.Jaffe, Pantheon Books, New York, 1961, p. 356.
6 Carlos Castaneda. “A Separate Reality“, Simon and Schuster, New York, 1971, p. 264.
7 “I Am That“, Book I, op. cit., p.287.
8 Ibid, Book II, p. 42.
9 Henry Thoreau, “Essays, Journals and Poems“, edited by Dean Flower, Fawcett, Greenwich, 1975, p. 598.
