The Cosmic Web
In 1987 I wrote a book called “The Cosmic Web”. It began with the following words:
“The central theme of this book is that each of us spins a web of thought which becomes for us our personal reality. This web of thought creates the world we see around us, the creatures that inhabit it, the mountains and the seas, the forces of nature, as well as the vast cosmos of intergalactic space.
“Everything that we experience in this universe is a product of our minds. This cosmic web of thought becomes for us a paradise or a prison. And because we ourselves have spun this web, each one of us is free to change it if we wish. We truly are the gods and creators of our cosmic playground, and the art of living becomes the art of spinning what we want”.
The book consisted of twenty chapters which are summarised below.
Chapter One – The Tangled Web
The chapter begins with a statement of the central theme of the book, which is that each one of us spins a cosmic web of thought, which becomes for us our personal reality.
Because the universe is a subjective phenomenon, and not an objective reality, as we have for so long believed, we are always free to recreate our personal universe in a way which conforms to our desires. Each one of us is free to spin a web of personal belief which then reveals itself as our individual reality.
This theme is not new. It is shown to be an idea that has its roots in the earliest writings of humanity. It has been echoed by spiritual Sages from generation to generation. It is also an idea that has found corroboration in the discoveries of nuclear physics.
The book is an investigation of personal reality, and draws on a richly varied cast, including ancient philosophers and modern scientists. It is illuminated by evidence drawn from an eclectic range of sources. In the investigation of reality, it examines particular anomalies which at present defy conventional scientific explanation. In so doing, it is guided by the maxim of John Herschel, who observed that:
“The occurrences which, according to received theories, ought not to happen, are the facts which serve as clues to new discoveries.”
The chapter concludes with selected anecdotes, each of which details a specific occurrence which, according to accepted scientific thinking, ought not to have happened, yet which clearly has happened. These cases serve to illustrate the tangled web of confusion which surrounds our current perception of reality.
Each of these cases is further analysed in succeeding chapters, in a way which reveals an insight into a new view of the universe.
Chapter Two – An Arc of Light
In this chapter, the medieval concept of the universe is outlined, together with the major historical developments whereby this medieval system of thought gave way, step by step, to the edifice of classical science that existed at the dawn of the nuclear age.
Reality, according to the medieval system of thought, is described within its context of Judaeo-Christian theory, as embellished by Aristotelian philosophy.
This geocentric view of the universe, with man as the centre of creation and the reason for its being, was undermined, first by Copernicus and later by Galileo. Despite the determined efforts of the Church to withstand these onslaughts, a new approach towards an understanding of reality became established in the form of empirical science, whereby speculative theory became subject to observational confirmation.
This new system of analysis reached its zenith in the life and work of Isaac Newton, who was able to link specific features of the natural world together in precise mathematical relationships, which could then be confirmed by physical experiment.
Although Newton deferred to the idea of an omnipotent creator, who was responsible for the harmonious conduct of the universe, this divine role in the workings of nature was opposed by Rene Descartes. His ideas subsequently led to the emergence of a mechanical view of nature, in which the universe was considered to be bound by distinct and inviolable laws of behaviour.
These laws reduced the universe to a phenomenon that was both consistent and predictable. This comfortable world of classical science was shattered by the explosion of the atomic bomb. While this revolutionary development has pitched the world into an age of potential cataclysmic destruction, it also heralds an era of understanding which promises, ultimately, to enable humanity to transcend the apparent limitations of matter, energy, space and time.
Chapter Three – The Embarrassing Menagerie
The discoveries of the inner constituents of the atom provided scientists with revolutionary insights into the nature of reality.
It was only in the twentieth century that scientists acquired the means to delve into the structure of the atom, and to discover its constituents. Initial experiments were conducted by Ernest Rutherford, who used radioactive energy in the form of alpha particles to bombard the atom.
However, these radioactive particles had insufficient strength to penetrate the nucleus. Scientists then began to develop special devices which enabled them to accelerate particles artificially to the point where they had sufficient energy to smash the atomic nucleus.
These collision experiments led to the discovery of numerous hitherto unsuspected particles. Instead of the few elementary particles which scientists had expected to discover inside the atom, they were astonished to find more and more new particles. These particles were not stable in themselves, but broke down spontaneously into yet other particles.
The atom, which had previously been considered to be a dense piece of ultimate matter, was now found to host a menagerie of subsidiary particles, none of which were either fixed or elementary.
The subatomic world came to be recognised as a constant interchange of energy; a cosmic dance of creation and annihilation. Atoms were found to possess no ultimate ingredients. Furthermore, the predictability of the old interpretation of reality depended on the ability to make fixed measurements of the movements of individual particles. Werner Heisenberg demonstrated that this was impossible, because the very act of measurement altered the motions of the particles concerned.
The classical idea of a predictable world had to be abandoned. This unpredictability made the world a more insecure place, but it led scientists to glimpse the possibility that the universe might not actually be the product of fixed laws. It might, in fact, be subject to the manipulation of our minds.
Chapter Four – Creators of the Universe
Classical scientists considered space and time as separate aspects of nature that existed independently of each other. It was the paradox of the consistency of the recorded speed of light which led Albert Einstein to challenge this assumption.
Einstein proved that the speed of light could only be constant if space and time themselves changed, and did so in relation to the observer. The classical concept of space and time thus had to be replaced by a single unified concept of space/time. Any change in the one would inevitable lead to an alteration of the other.
Einstein also showed that matter was equivalent to energy. The energy which existed in matter was not inert, however, for it seemed to display intelligence, as shown in the double-slit experiment of light. John Clauser and Stuart Freedman demonstrated further that one particle was capable of influencing another, even though the two particles were vast distances apart.
This demolished the classical principle of local causes, which required that physical effects must necessarily be the result of directly related causes. Particles seemed, in fact, to know precisely what other particles were doing, and were able to alter their behaviour accordingly.
Because the entire universe is comprised of the same substratum of energy, it is not possible at the subatomic level to separate one object from another. Furthermore, whatever is seen is not independent of the observer, for the observer always interacts with what is observed.
The “observer” of classical science has had to be replaced by the term “participator”. Quantum mechanics has thus shown that there is no such thing as a universe that is separate from the observer. Whatever is seen is inextricably bound up with the mind of the observer.
The universe thus resolves itself into a subjective phenomenon appearing in consciousness. This leads to the revelation that it is we ourselves who hold the key to creativity, and that we are not pawns in a giant, uncaring universe. By changing the contents of our minds, we are free to change the nature of our universe.
Chapter Five – In Search of Reality
In its quest for an understanding of the true nature of the universe, science has been led, gradually but inexorably, to the study of metaphysics.
In order to learn the true nature of reality, it is necessary to investigate the nature of ourselves, the “participators” in this panorama of creation. This investigation has long been the focus of oriental philosophy, which has its roots in the teachings of the ancient Rishis of India.
The discoveries of these early Rishis were at first transmitted orally to chosen disciples. Later, they came to be written down, and have since passed into the literary tradition, under the title of the Vedas. These writings contain the distillation of the teachings of the ancient Rishis.
They taught that there existed one single Reality, which they called “Brahman”, that underlay all transient forms, and which formed the substratum of the universe.
This Reality had a twin aspect. It was the ultimate principle of creation, yet was itself impervious to change. It also existed at the heart of all conscious life in the form of the “I am” sensation. The Rishis laid down four major paths which led to the personal discovery of this Reality. They were the paths of Bhakti, Karma, Jnana and Raja-Yoga.
The teachings of the Indian Rishis were paralleled by the Chinese sage Lao-Tse, who called this primal Reality Tao. The same ideas permeate the teachings of the Buddha and of the Christ, just as they continue to be taught today by the modern Rishis of India.
Each of the paths delineated by the ancient Rishis has yielded exemplars in the twentieth century, in the persons of Sri Ramakrishna, Mahatma Gandhi, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramana Maharshi and Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj.
In order to pursue further the true nature of the phenomenal world, it is easier to refer to the words of these modern mystics, who have themselves transcended the limitations of the mind, and are thus able to provide direct insights into the real nature of the world.
Chapter Six – Into the Void
The Reality which underlies the phenomenal universe is hidden by an obscuring veil, which is the creative womb of all life. All manifested forms emerge from this dark cavern which mystics call the Void.
The power which generates the appearance of form is referred to by the Rishis as Maya. Maya manifests in form through energy which the ancients called Prana. This Prana is not an inert form of energy, but is intrinsically intelligent. All created form thus manifests inherent intelligence. This energy is not only intelligent, but conscious.
This consciousness, which is reflected in the individual creature as the “I am” sensation, is the dim glow of primordial Awareness which characterises Supreme Reality. Consciousness emerges as a natural consequence whenever energy coalesces into form.
It is the by-product of form, and cannot exist independently of form. When the form “dies”, the consciousness associated with that form dissolves, and the primal intelligent energy which made up that form reverts to the undifferentiated state of the Void. The same principle animates all created form.
It is the presence in consciousness of the sense “I am”, which gives rise to personality. Images generated by the projecting power of Maya are displayed upon the screen of consciousness. These images are retained by the faculty of memory.
By linking successive images together in memory upon the thread of the “I am”, the illusory personality emerges. This personality has no basis in Reality, but is a consequence of the projection of images in consciousness. Each personality is thus a sequence of images, held together in memory. When consciousness subsides into the primal energy of the Void, the imagined personality vanishes with it.
Just as the personality is an illusory creation arising out of the projections of Maya, so the world is equally illusory. The phenomenal world is simply a series of images projected in consciousness. The personality and the world share similar natures, and are mutually independent.
The appearance of personality is always accompanied by an appearance of the world, and vice-versa. The apparent age of the universe is equally illusory, for it is continually being created, moment by moment, in consciousness.
Chapter Seven – The Eye of the Mind
We have become so conditioned by the evidence of our senses, that we confidently claim that what we sense is a true reflection of an outer world that exists independently of ourselves.
Yet we are surrounded by evidence which demonstrates that what we sense is illusory and is, in fact, a projection of our minds. The most common evidence of this projective process is the phenomenon of hallucination.
Various examples are given of these and other visionary states that are conjured up by psychedelic substances. The experiences of Aldous Huxley are used to describe the nature of these experiences, as well as the sense of reality which they impart.
While hallucinogenic experiences are most frequently prompted by chemical agents, they can equally well be triggered by such states as exertion, stress or emotional shock. Instances of such cases are provided.
Ultimately, however, no outward stimulus at all is needed for the mind to create hallucinogenic effects. They can be experienced merely by stopping the customary flow of images to the brain. Deprived of outer stimulation, the mind cunningly substitutes images, sounds, smells, etc. of its own selection, as experiments in sensory deprivation conducted by John Lilly clearly show.
Further examples of subjective projections are those of religious visions. The experiences recounted by Carl Jung testify to their scope and veridical nature. Finally, there is the universal experience of dreams, which demonstrate the ability of the mind to project images and events which rival, in every respect, those of the “real” world.
All of these examples show vision to be a projective faculty of mind, rather than a simple process of witnessing a real, outer world.
A detailed examination of the accepted process of vision reveals that science is unable to contribute any understanding of the way in which electrical signals in the brain are converted into images in consciousness. The brain, in fact, is actually a creation of the mind, and not the other way around, as sages and mystics have long testified.
Chapter Eight – The Realm of Thought
Every visionary state, including that of the waking world, is characterised by a series of fleeting images registered upon our conscious minds. All these worlds are dependent on consciousness, and vanish when consciousness disappears.
We have imagined our waking images to be products of our physical brains. Yet, as the Sages have confirmed, our brains, as well as our bodies, are themselves images contained in the mind. The mind itself is nothing more than a sequence of thoughts. Our entire universe is simply a collection of thoughts.
Without thought, there can be no universe and no presiding personality. Our personal reality is a creation of thought. Each system of reality is unique to each thinker, and varies from one personality to another. There is no outer universe that is common to all people.
Each one of us creates our own universe, which takes its character from the contents of our minds. As we change the contents of our minds, so the nature of the universe that we experience changes too. Because we are also creatures of thought, if we wish to change our personalities, we have only to change the nature of our thinking. This is the testimony of the Sages.
Not only is the content of our universe shaped by our thoughts, but the experiences which befall us are moulded by our desires. We are free to determine the nature of our experiences in life by choosing the nature of our desires.
The crucial element in the creative process of desire is faith, which is the determination to act on our desires in the confident belief that they will come to pass. The stronger the desire, and the more clearly it is focussed in the mind, the more quickly it is able to manifest in physical form.
The universe is infinitely plastic. It can be moulded into any shape we wish. It responds to any desire that is imprinted upon the mind that projects it. There are no rules, nor are there any laws which limit the potential expression of the universe. We are ever free to spin the cosmic web of our dreams.
Chapter Nine – Shades of the Prison-House
The unborn child lives at first like an enlightened Sage, being a simple witness to events which are reflected on the screen of consciousness. As the child grows, it begins to associate its sense of being, the “I am” within, with the images it witnesses. The images then begin to be held in memory, creating a sequential path of personality.
To the infant, the images that it sees are initially mere reflections in consciousness. As the personality seeks to interact with these images, however, it learns to project these images, and in so doing to create for itself a three-dimensional world filled with objects in space that are subject to events in time.
In the creation of its world, the young child is guided by the thought-forms of its parents, and later by the thinking that is characteristic of its culture. Each child thus learns to create for itself a world that is commonly shared by others in that society. This acquisition of culture is a process of moulding the thinking of the child, so that it successfully learns to create a world of consensus.
Although the child is free to create a world of its own choice, it is condemned to isolation unless it learns to create a world that is consistent with that of its own society. It is in this way that the child comes to share a common universe of experience. It learns to spin a cosmic web of thought that matches the common pattern.
The world which the child comes to inhabit is always a limitation of its potential freedom. The world that it creates serves ultimately to confine the personality within the constraints of its own thinking. In the process of growth the child comes to be imprisoned within the boundaries of belief. Its world is circumscribed by specific rules of behaviour that determine just what can and cannot be done.
These rules are not inherent in the universe. They are simply a reflection of codified beliefs. Yet the boundaries of belief, which effectively limit that personality, only continue to confine it for as long as it chooses to remain bound. It is always free to step beyond the prison walls.
Chapter Ten – Beyond the Grave
The influence of thought reaches beyond the gulf of what is known as death. Just as our beliefs in life influence the experiences of our waking world, so they continue to determine the character of our experiences after death. The play of images in consciousness continues, albeit on a different level.
The influence of belief on experience after death is evidenced by the teachings of the Sages, as well as in such literary works as the Egyptian and Tibetan Books of the Dead.
The evocative worlds of heaven and hell are not eternal verities, but are simply the continued pageant of images projected in consciousness. They have no reality in and of themselves. The sense of identity continues in a different form, and this sequence of experience subsequently gives way to a new cycle of incarnation.
Examples taken from scientific studies of near-death experience, bear out the contention that after-life experience continues within specific confines of belief. The near-death experiences recorded by Western subjects, for example, are entirely different from those recounted by Oriental people.
All after-life experiences, however, are intrinsically illusory, and have no ultimate reality. The soul that believes it has previously died, finds itself born again in new worlds of expression. This sequence of birth and death continues in an unbroken cycle for as long as the soul clings to the idea of personality, and is motivated by the desire for experience.
It is only by voluntarily surrendering its identity, that the individual soul merges into the Universal Reality, in the ultimate state of Enlightenment, as revealed by the Sages.
The chapter ends with a recapitulation of the quest for the meaning of Reality. It retraces the path followed by Western science, and shows how the findings of quantum mechanics have dovetailed with the esoteric teachings of Oriental philosophy. These twin paths of investigation have become united in a common matrix.
This new view of the universe is not mere vacuous philosophy. It is an insight that is pregnant with power.
Chapter Eleven – The Dimensions of Belief
The chapter begins with a review of the Biblical account of how Jesus raised the daughter of the Roman centurion from the dead.
It goes on to illustrate that this incident was not unique to Jesus, as similar resurrections have been performed, both before the time of Jesus, as well as in the modern era. Furthermore, this power is not limited to those of supposed divine origin, but resides in ordinary people as well.
Additional examples are given of other “miraculous” events, in which physical matter has been manipulated by the human mind. Again, this ability has been demonstrated equally by average people as well as by religious saints.
The secret of this ability is shown to lie, not in some form of divine gift given only to righteous devotees of God, but in the logical and precise application of the power of the human mind. The creative potential of the mind is explained, together with those factors which are requisite to successful creation. These factors are also illustrated by means of anecdotal evidence.
The extraordinary events and powers which have come to be termed “miraculous” are generally rejected today, because they conflict with the basic tenets of science. These accepted beliefs of science have effectively reduced the apparent behaviour of the universe to a code of principles or laws.
Quotations from the Sages are used to point out the fallacy of these beliefs. They explain that it is the limiting effect of scientific thought that moulds the universe into functioning as scientists have come to expect.
Being a subjective phenomenon, and not an objective reality, the universe comes to manifest exactly those beliefs which are dominant in the projecting mind.
When limiting beliefs make up the foundation of this projection, limiting results automatically follow. The Sages consistently point to the fact that the universe is the manifestation of a principle that is fundamentally free, and one which can never be reduced to a fixed set of laws.
In order to understand the fallacy of the accepted laws of science, it is necessary to examine more closely the precise way in which these laws have come to be derived.
Chapter Twelve – The Modern Magicians
Western science has its roots in ancient Greece. The Greeks learned to substitute symbols for specific features of the physical world, and then linked these symbols together in the form of mathematical expressions. But whereas the Greeks were satisfied with deductive theory based on analysis alone, modern science has sought to verify its theories by means of empirical experiment.
The basis of all science is observation. Observables are the facts of science. But before observables can become facts, they must first be measured. Something which cannot be measured cannot be admitted as a scientific fact. These facts are valueless, however, unless they can be linked together in a meaningful way. Science has traditionally investigated facts via tentative hypotheses.
Every hypothesis is initially mind-made and subjective. Each hypothesis is at first evaluated by means of carefully controlled experiments. If there is sufficient validating evidence, a hypothesis can now be upgraded to a scientific theory. This theory is then tested further by means of prediction.
If the empirical evidence continues to substantiate the theory, and there is no conflicting evidence, the theory is then elevated to the status of law. All scientific laws have been derived in this fashion.
Quantum mechanics has demonstrated that the central belief of classical science – the idea that it is possible to observe nature “objectively” – is an illusion. Because each observer actively influences the result of each experiment in a unique way, patterned on his or her belief, science can never hope to reduce nature to a series of laws that are binding on all observers.
What science has done, in fact, has been to manipulate the universe, as Thomas Kuhn has pointed out, into a scientific way of thinking. It has slowly beaten nature into behaving according to the requirements of scientific belief. The universe has thus come to manifest those beliefs which are fundamental to scientific thought. This manifestation has then been taken as evidential proof that these scientific laws are true indicators of outer reality.
Science, then, does not expose nature as it “really is”. Rather, it moulds nature according to its own expectations. In so doing, science has come to reveal itself as more akin to magic, and the scientists of today should more properly be viewed as modern magicians.
Chapter Thirteen – The Shifting Paradigm
The mirroring effect, whereby the universe is slowly moulded into a pattern of experience which reflects current thinking, is demonstrated today in the field of paranormal behaviour, where examples of such unexplained behaviour have been christened by the Greek word Psi.
Psi phenomena have, by definition, fallen outside of the scope of traditional science. Yet evidence continues to mount of cases where the mind has been able to influence matter in quite astonishing ways. Numerous examples are quoted of such anomalous phenomena, together with their links to various states of mind.
In the investigation of the paranormal, it is shown why some investigators are successful while others are not, and also why this apparent conflict in nature exists. Other examples are given explaining the significance of the level of humidity in the efficacy of paranormal experiments, as well as the character and level of emotion involved.
As more and more cases of anomalous behaviour occur, it is clear that the existing paradigm of scientific theory has now become ripe for revolutionary change. The need exists for a new insight into nature, which is able to encompass these paranormal dimensions, yet without discounting the validity of what was known before.
The very existence of Psi phenomena serves to prove the limitations of Cartesian dualism, which sought to separate all experience into opposing realms of matter and of mind. The anomalous behaviour which is ever more widely being reported, indicates that a direct link exists between mind and matter. As such, it calls for a new scientific paradigm in which these two opposing realms can be united.
There is evidence to suggest that this new paradigm has already been formulated, in the work of a brilliant, yet hitherto unknown German scientist. The scope of this new paradigm has the potential to open up new vistas of scientific discovery.
It may also reveal the universe to be a far more dazzling place than classical scientists could ever have supposed. The technological marvels which this new paradigm might initiate, could well see mankind’s wildest dreams fulfilled.
Chapter Fourteen – Origins in Upheaval
During medieval times, when the Church of Rome dominated people’s minds, the various species of organic life were considered to be separate and unique creations of an omnipotent God.
It was Charles Darwin who first provided a systematic challenge to this dogma, by suggesting that different species were actually interlinked.
Through a process known as Evolution, which extended over geological spans of time, Darwin proposed that simple forms of life had changed into the more complex, in a linear sequence which culminated in the appearance of man.
The method whereby physical characteristics were transferred from one generation to another, was later found to depend on genes, which determined the precise physical form of every creature. This was the view of creation which had come to dominate the era of classical science.
The discoveries of the twentieth century, however, have done nothing to verify Darwin’s basic theory of evolution. The great problems, which Darwin himself pointed out in his Origin of Species, remain unanswered still.
To a growing body of biologists, not only are there no valid grounds for continuing to support the classical theory of evolution, but they have increasingly come to wonder how such a theory ever came to be accepted as a scientific law.
The legion of flaws now present in the theory of Neo-Darwinism, has led directly to a renewed popularity in Creationism, and an attempt to overthrow science with a return to medieval thinking.
By means of examples and quotations, it is suggested that the new scientific paradigm which now dawns, holds the promise, not only of bridging the Cartesian chasm between matter and mind, but also of resolving the existing crisis between science and the church over the origin of species.
The chapter concludes by pointing to numerous cases which reveal that, because the universe is a subjective phenomenon, and not an objective reality, that has slowly evolved over billions of years, it is always possible to change physical form by the overriding powers of the mind.
Since the entire concept of form is itself mental, there are no ultimate limits to form, nor can physical disabilities limit the potential creativity of the presiding mind.
Chapter Fifteen The Sceptre of Hermes
The chapter begins with a series of anecdotes representative of various forms of healing. It compares aboriginal or shamanistic medicine with that of psychic surgery and faith healing. It points out that each one of these forms of healing has its foundation in a particular framework of belief, which is both necessary and self-serving.
Far from being the products of superstition or gullibility, the efficacy of these systems of healing is shown to be the natural consequence of a new view of healing. This new insight into the healing process, is also a derivative of a new scientific paradigm, which both justifies these methods and validates their techniques. Other illustrations of paranormal behaviour also confirm this conclusion.
By examining the healing arts of ancient China and India, it is possible to see how each traditional form of healing operates within a specific context of belief. These forms of healing continue to be effective only as long as these constellations of belief continue to be held. These examples also serve to show that there is no frame of reference of disease that can be either absolute, or “correct”.
The Western system of healing, based on the pathogenic agency of disease, resolves itself into just another system of belief, among many. While its range of applications may exceed those of primitive societies, the Western approach to disease carries no inherent superiority. Consequently, it can never hope to monopolise the art of healing.
New forms of healing continue to be developed. Each of these relies upon its own framework of belief. Symptoms are diagnosed according to that particular pattern of belief, and treatments are devised accordingly.
Thus the sensation of a particular symptom may be diagnosed as a certain type of disease within one frame of reference, and an altogether different form of malady in another. Neither diagnosis is ultimately “true”. Each is valid within its own context of belief, and a person suffering from that symptom may get relief by either method.
This leads to the conclusion that the true source of all disease operates initially at the level of the mind. Those who recognise this insight, gain the power to heal themselves directly, without resorting to intermediaries in the form of medical practitioners.
Chapter Sixteen – This Manner of Man
Because classical scientists considered the universe to be an objective reality existing in space independently of the observer, they thought that nature operated by means of blind forces over which they had no control.
According to the teachings of the Sages, however, the forces of nature are all subject to the mind. As such, any individual is potentially capable of controlling them. This was illustrated by the “miracle” of Jesus overcoming the wind and waves, and walking on water.
Similar miracles have been performed by numerous other Sages. They have also been demonstrated by ordinary people who, through unusual circumstances, have learned to harness these powers.
Not only do we all possess the power to control the weather, but the weather is at all times a barometer of those thoughts and feelings which create the world. Because of this, the condition of humanity at any particular time may be judged by an evaluation of existing global weather patterns.
Past civilisations which have succumbed to moral decay, have unwittingly brought upon themselves natural disasters on a regional or global scale.
A similar natural catastrophe now seems to be forthcoming, based on the revelations of the Bible and the predictions of such savants as Nostradamus.
Were such a cataclysm to happen in the near future, it would not be the result of chance forces of nature, or the wrath of some divine Creator. It would be the predictable and logical result of those forces which we ourselves have initiated.
The chapter concludes with a review of past anecdotes, pointing out common features in each. It summarises the method whereby we can control the circumstances of our lives, and overcome the limitations of our individual situations. These conclusions are substantiated by references to the actual words of Sages, as well as excerpts from leading spiritual works.
Chapter Seventeen – Creatures of the Mind
This chapter deals with anomalous creatures which defy conventional understanding. Starting with a personal sighting set in the high Himalayas, it includes other representative examples drawn from around the world. It notes the predominance of reports of peculiar lake creatures, which are seen and sometimes photographed, yet are never found or proven to have physical existence.
These strange aquatic creatures have their counterparts on the land, in the form of hairy bipeds, which leave footprints before disappearing, equally mysteriously, into thin air. Accounts are also included of extraordinary flying creatures which defy biological analysis. These mysterious phenomena are shown to have been matched by equally elusive phantoms of the past. Such creatures include fairies, werewolves and vampires.
Drawing upon the ideas developed in the latest theories of science, which parallel the ancient teachings of the Sages, these manifestations are shown to be creations of the mind. They are temporary visitors in our reality from subtler realms of consciousness.
The process whereby these creatures come to manifest is explained, as well as the reason why they soon vanish from sight, back into the planes of mind from which they emerged. These creatures of the mind also point to a deeper truth, which is that all physical matter has its origin in subtler levels of consciousness. Before any form can appear in our physical world, it must first be preceded by its subtle equivalent in a non-physical realm.
It is the recognition of this mental source of physical form that has allowed certain esoteric cultures, in places such as Tibet, to create thought-forms at will. These thought-forms, or Tulpas, have the ability to materialise into our world of flesh and blood. While they manifest, they function just like normal creatures. Reference is made to the French mystic, Alexandra David-Neel, who was able to conjure up a physical being, simply through the powers of her mind.
These materialised thought-forms, or doppelgangers, have been witnessed by people in every culture throughout history. They continue to be witnessed to this day. However, the character and form which these creatures take betrays a particular significance. They serve to reflect the subconscious fears and delusions of humanity.
Chapter Eighteen – The Lure of Reform
We live today in a world of change. Yet we all have to deal with frustrating events that run counter to our desires. If only we could truly mould the world according to our desires, we feel that we would be supremely happy. The problem of our world seems to lie in the fact that we seem powerless to change our worlds as we would like.
This problem, according to the Sages, stems from the fact that we have misunderstood the true nature of our world.
We believe that we are surrounded by an objective world that exists apart from us, and which is subject to forces over which we have no control. Far from being impotent, however, the Sages point out that we have power beyond our imaginings, and that we are free to use this power as we wish.
Though we are easily beguiled by the lure of reform, our attempts at change only seem to increase our frustrations. When confronted by outward difficulties, or the impediments of others, we seek to change our circumstances by imposing our will on others.
But by doing this, we merely add to our difficulties. The secret, according to the Sages, is not to resist our difficulties, or try to change the problems that we see around us.
When we try to compel others to change their ways, we actually increase the force with which they are resisted. Our actions simply add to our sorrows. The paradox of life is that we can only reform our world by reforming ourselves.
Once we recognise this truth, and attend to the challenge of self-reform, social reform follows automatically. A peaceful and harmonious world will only arise when there is peace and harmony in our hearts. Peace can never be imposed from without, no matter how powerful or noble the intent.
The chapter ends with a recent example of how the social reform of an entire community of destitute peasants, living in filth and without hope, was changed by two humble people who chose to reform their hearts. This example illustrates the truth of the age-old refrain of Sages and divinely inspired leaders throughout history.
Chapter Nineteen – The Cosmic Web
This chapter is a recapitulation of the central theme of this book, which is that the world, which appears so real to our senses, is actually an illusion. It is illusory, not because it does not exist, but because what is perceived to exist is not representative of an outer reality.
It draws on the findings of quantum mechanics and the direct experience of mystics, to support the contention that our universe is a projection in consciousness. This projection is created, and recreated, moment by moment. And just as the world cannot exist without an observer, so too the individual observer must be seen to be illusory, and a product of consciousness as well.
Because the universe is not an objective reality, but a subjective projection in consciousness, it follows that the world is influenced by the contents of consciousness, which are thoughts. As thoughts change, so the universe comes to change as well, according to a pattern of belief.
Because experience manifests according to belief, and because belief varies from culture to culture and from age to age, there can be no rules which govern the manifestation of what is taken to be the real world.
Instead of functioning in a predetermined and predictable way, according to the laws that science has formulated, the universe is infinitely flexible, and always responds to any change in the underlying pattern of belief.
The basic plasticity of the world is illustrated by examples, such as “radionics” and dowsing, as developed by such twentieth century innovators as Albert Abrams and Thomas Lethbridge.
The chapter concludes by pointing out that each one of us is free to spin a cosmic web of thought, which then becomes for us our world of personal reality. Yet we remain ever captive within this web, for as long as we choose to spin.
It is only when we attempt, voluntarily, to unravel this web of thought that we have spun, that true freedom can be found. This discovery becomes a revelation of our unlimited potential, and of our ineffable nature.
Chapter Twenty – The Unravelled Web
The final chapter unravels that web of thought with which we have made our personal universe, and reveals that state of supreme freedom which awaits each one of us. This goal is the target of all the religions of this world, and is the ultimate meaning of our lives.
Our universal web of thought is characterised by the ancient symbol of the maze. In order to penetrate to the heart of this labyrinthine web, it is necessary to pursue the thread out of which this entire universe has been constructed, back to its central source. The goal of this endeavour frees us forever from the limitations of the maze.
We are not obliged to spin. Yet for as long as we continue to be prompted by desire, we are bound to spin a universe, which is the theatre in which these desires can be fulfilled. And so, for apparent lifetime after lifetime, we remain caught within the confines of the web.
No matter how refined our web, and no matter how elegant its pattern, we continue to be the captives of our creation. We continue to be bound by the dimensions of matter, energy, space and time.
The secret of the cosmic web is that we are able to transcend these limitations. We can be eternally free. The price of this freedom is the relinquishment of our personal desires. We become free only when we cease to spin. This is the teaching of the Sages.
The nature of this triumph, the transcendence of all limitation, is a joy beyond all telling. This accomplishment is described in the words of the Indian Sage Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj, who reveals it in simple language. Through conversations with various questioners, he allows us to glimpse the nature of this state.
In the attainment of this goal, there is an end to struggle, and an end to sorrow. We are all destined to be free. After long ages of imagined lives, each one of us will finally reach the centre of the maze.
This goal is not remote. It is not something which beckons across the span of time. It is ever within us. It reveals itself as the presence of the “I am”.
The moment of our awakening advances on us NOW.
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