To me it seems that what the ancient people of the world were believing in is what we call today, quantum physics. I think spirituality and quantum physics go hand in hand. The funny thing is that it wasn't until 1925 that we "discovered" what ancient people already knew. In 1925 Albert Einstein came to the conclusion that E = MC2. Or, Energy (light) equals everything.
Now we have a choice. Newtonian physics vs Quantum physics! Is everything solid, as Isaac Newton believed or is everything energy, as Einstein believed?
Newtonian Physics was Isaac Newton's theory based on the late 17th century belief that the Universe was made up of what was believed at the time to be solid objects, (atoms) which were attracted towards each other by gravity. This theory was extended in the 19th century to include the structures of atoms (also known as matter) as being the fundamental building blocks of nature. According to this limited Newtonian Physics view, it was believed that atoms were of a solid nature. In other words they believed that electrons, protons, etc. that each atom consisted of, was a solid mass or solid physical object.
What Einstein's world changing discovery would prove was that these atoms, could be broken down, examined and looked at further. What they discovered is that the subatomic particles which collectively formed the atoms were pure energy. (light)
At that time though, Einstein honestly believed that this energy he had discovered existed in the form of particles, aka matter. In other words they had an "appearance" of being solid. Although he was "partially" correct, his theory differed from another noted physicist of that day, named Thomas Young. Young believed that energy existed as a wave form and was not particles at all.
Ok, so at this point we have one noted physicist saying energy is waves and another saying that energy is particles. Einstein's discovery proved that all things broken down to their most basic form consist of the same stuff. What is this stuff? Pure nergy and it's this one energy which makes up all things. Sounds familiar!
Side note; I read in Deepak Chopra's book, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind that he believed nothing is as it seems from a scientific viewpoint. He explains that solidity is not true on a molecular level and that if you had a microscope powerful enough, you could see through your hand because the atoms and molecules that make up your physical body are all separated from themselves, giving the illusion of solidity. The same thing applies to wood, rock and all things in between.
It is only our thought patterns which make things as they seem. Our thought patterns are governed by our upbringings. As kids, we believe in all manner of things, and we question everything. We quickly learn and adopt the perspective of elders and are encouraged to "keep our feet on the ground" and get on with the job of growing older, reproducing and dying. After all...that's life, right?
So could the power of positive thinking actually be real? Could thinking positively about a situation create a positive outcome? When I say "thinking" I mean concentrating fully. Focussing on not only the outcome of an event, but running through the whole process in your mind, from start to finish. Like an athlete that visualises over and over again winning a race. Or a footy player kicking that goal that wins the game, or a boxer "seeing" himself win a title fight. They envision themselves training, competing and winning. They feel the celebration and enjoy their success over and over long before the event has even taken place. Could they subconsciously be harnessing natural energy and redirecting it towards their goal, therefore creating their own reality? It would seem so. If you want something badly enough and truly believe it to be not only possible, but a foregone reality, it more than often comes true.
Whether it is a positive or negative outcome seems to be down to your subconscious, which I believe to be the true master of our destinies. If you can reprogram your subconscious thoughts, and train them to automatically go to positive thoughts on any given subject, you'll go a long way to achieving happiness.
I believe that we all need to learn and accept that we don't live in a world of a few billion people. We live in our own little worlds and I guess that is what makes us all gods, as a wise man once said. We can choose to follow our own paths, or be dragged down another's. Free will! When someone tells you something is wrong or is not true, aren't they just telling you they want you to believe their view, not your own? Truth and correctness are subjective.
Now, to spirituality and its obvious links to quantum physics. Both accept the reality of illusion. What does it mean to say that the ground beneath your feet, the air you breathe, and your own body are illusions? How can anything so evidently real not be real? Well, given that it appears that the building blocks that make up atoms are not really particles at all. They are nothing more than energy, organized as information!
Fundamentally, nothing real exists at all.
Even before quantum physics, we knew that an atom occupies a massive space, compared to the miniscule amount of solid material in it.
So even on the 'normal" physical plane, what we perceive as a solid tabletop is at best a whirling dance of tiny particles, with much more space in it than solid matter.
Therefore, what we perceive as reality has little correlation with what's actually real. This is an underlying premise to all spirituality.
Regardless of how much we may want the world to be solid and real, and no matter how much the brain and body insist that it is real...nothing can change the fact that the perception of physical reality is in fact wrong.
This perception of "reality" would seem to be merely a prison of the mind. We believe what our senses tell us, and so we disbelieve in the underlying reality. The reality of consciousness.
So, can we escape this mind prison which appears so solid, but is in fact barely even here. If it is only perception builds it around us, surely we can choose a different perception. Instead of being like a fly which bashes itself against a closed window, could we simply choose instead to go through the open door?
This would surely be spiritual enlightenment and personal freedom!
How liberating would it be to be free of the illusion of being you? No longer would it matter what others expect or think of you. No longer can it matter what you expect or think of yourself. I think this is what Jesus was trying to convey.
There is no "you" there to pin expectations and judgements on! Spiritual enlightenment would free you to be absolutely true to the essence of who you are.
Of course, spiritual enlightenment may not be an easy transformation. The brain would resist and your ego (that that you believe yourself to be) would want to stay centre-stage. That's why it would take so much practice to be spiritually enlightened. Not because it's far away from you or difficult to attain. But because part of you would always resist. It would be extremely difficult, if not impossible for some people to leave their egos behind. That's probably why some people talk about their fear of "god". If you came face to face with the power that creates all, the illusion you have created about yourself would dissolve, you'd be completely dismantled, and the ego of some couldn't handle that.
So, boiling it all down, we know that energy is everything, and everything is energy throughout the universe. Jesus was a real flesh and blood man that walked the earth, just like many others in antiquity, delivering the same message, and that the ancient people knew far more about, and were far more spiritual than the average person today. The gnostic, esoteric teachings of the past, which are now scientifically proven facts could very well be the key to a happy life, and considering we are more energy beings than flesh and blood beings, a happy afterlife. The gnostic teachings of Jesus (not the church) may well be the right path, and science is helping to prove it.
I guess we'll all just wait and see what happens at the end of our little worlds.
Maybe I just think too much 😕
Anyway....I'm off to start a cult! 😛