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..:: Existence ::..

By

Alan Schneider

                                                                                                            

              What is this existence, this life we live on the Physical Plane of manifestation? What does it mean to exist? How can we attain a sufficiently distant perspective of observation to validate our perceptions of physical existence, since we are apparently so completely entrained within it? What can be said with any degree of reliability about our condition, its meaning, and purpose? What I will say here amounts to suggestions, to possibilities regarding the apparent form, and of hypothetical alternative forms, of existence, all by way of addressing the questions noted above. I shall begin at the extreme extent of the most expansive notion of physical existence that we possess – the known universe itself, its possible origin, ultimate nature, and the implications of that nature for human observers here on Earth.  

            Most of those human observers would probably agree with the contention that constant turbulence typifies existence – change is the only truly permanent condition observable in the universe. Where and how did this turbulent condition originate? The answer given by science to this question, and one that seems plausible enough, is that the universe as we know it originated from a primordial energy burst, or some kind of bursting or explosion, customarily referred to as “The Big Bang”. This is presumed, based upon astronomical evidence and measurement of the movement of the observable structures in space, to have originated some fifteen billion years ago at a “location” millions of light years “behind” our galaxy. The universe also appears to be continuously expanding at this time, and the most distant phenomena, radio waves emanating from the far edges of the universe, are presumed to be remnants of the Big Bang – more evidence that some kind of incredible explosion gave birth to the physical mechanism of reality. It is surmised that the inertia created by the primordial explosion will eventually dissipate, causing the expansion of the universe to halt, and then gravitational influences will effect a reversal of the process – the universe will begin to contract, slowly at first, but with increasing rapidity, until the totality of manifestation compresses back into the tiny space of a quantum singularity, and then rebirths in another “Big Bang”.  

            There are interesting variations on this theory. The recently postulated existence of “Dark Matter” in space, and its effect on gravitation, has resulted in renewed speculation regarding the existence of “antigravity” and “antigravitons”.  The graviton is an as yet hypothetical quantum particle of gravitational attraction, and the antigraviton is an even more hypothetical particle of antigravity – the also hypothetical tendency of things to repel each other under certain conditions, as opposed to attract each other. It is presumed that Dark Matter, which has a theoretical relationship to antigravity as yet not well understood, is somehow present in the universe of conventional electromagnetic material, evidenced only by gravitational interactions not well explained by either Newtonian of Relativity physics. This presence of Dark Matter may, under certain theoretical circumstances, generate a tendency for things to “fly apart” from each other under the influence of antigravity at an accelerating pace as time progresses, causing the universe to expand faster and faster, until the rate of expansion presumably reaches the speed of light, and existence disappears. It must be noted here that the presence of Dark Matter is still largely theoretical itself, being indicated by gravitational anomalies in galaxy rotation, and may well be the manifestation of other conditions yet to be observed, or an incomplete understanding of existing gravitational theory, both having significantly less dire implications for the fate of the universe as a whole.  

            And Einstein suggested that space itself is curved, that is, distorted at the fundamental level of what he called spacetime (also referred to as hyperspace in today’s media). In this scenario, the supposed rate of expansion of things is less critical, since the universe is essentially a closed system with a finite, albeit extremely remote, boundary. Presumably, everything in existence is inevitably conforming to the curvature of hyperspace as it travels along whatever apparent path we can see, even the entire universe itself. This can be viewed as another interesting variant of the “Big Bang” theory of a pulsating universe, in which the alternate expansion and contraction of existence continuously “travels” through hyperspace, effectively, however, never retracing the same path in “real” space. 

            Even if Dark Matter and antigravity become the defining conditions of existence, and the universe eventually flies apart and disappears, the departing material must still go somewhere, at least according to the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy, which states that the amount of existence is fixed – things can be transformed, but never really created or destroyed. Here again we enter the realm of the purely hypothetical with the discussion of the tachyon, a theoretical quantum particle that can exceed the speed of light (long held to be the only constant value according to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity), and travel back into the past in doing so.  Under this model, when the entire universe eventually reaches and exceeds the speed of light, it will transition through hyperspace backwards in time, essentially returning to the quantum singularity previously mentioned, but once again traveling along a non-repetitive route in real space.  

            If we exclude what is currently not supported by any kind of experiential evidence, or very little direct evidence at any rate (however interesting such speculations may be) then we are left with the Big Bang pulsating model as the most probable explanation of the origin and behavior of the physical universe.  This model does a reasonably satisfactory job of explaining things at the level of the macrocosm, and remains comprehensible for individuals having intelligence quotients lower than 200 points! As already noted, the typifying, defining characteristic of this universe is constant change – turbulence – and this turbulence occurs at not only the level of the macrocosm, but the microcosm as well – quantum events are notoriously transitory in virtually all theoretical models postulated by science. In fact, the Quantum universe is even more turbulent than the Relativity universe – supposedly blinking out, and back into, existence at picosecond intervals, and subject to divergence into parallel universe expressions every time any observation is made. Since the rate of observation of the human central nervous system – the presumed origin of our observational capability – is arguably in the sub-hertz (perhaps hundredths a second) of region, this adds yet another dimension to the Quantum turbulence of the microcosm.  Thus, in whatever scenario used, the agitation and turbulence of physical existence appears to be both profound and continuous. This much we can be sure of.  

            One of the supreme caveats of Quantum Theory is that observation depends upon the observer, and this is also a feature of Relativity Theory, which holds that the relative movement of the observer is the critical factor effecting observation. All that we know comes to us through the senses, and is interpreted, that is assigned meaning, by the ego, the observable essence of the observer concept. Now, if that ego is even partially removed from the process of observation by a given technique, such as meditation, a very interesting series of events takes place. When we nullify the influence of the ego in observation, the very nature of the observational process is radically altered, as are the resultant observations themselves, up to and including the “observation” that constitutes the universe, life, and existence. Bluntly, we notice that our individual and collective existences as experienced on the Physical Plane, and viewed from any social or scientific perspective, are essentially flawed.  The remainder of this essay deals with specifically how flawed our physical perception of “reality” really is (at least in comparison to the alternative experience of the meditation process) and what this flawed condition implies for humanity. 

            The whole of existence on the manifest Physical Plane, right up to the macrocosmic level of the known universe, and down to the microcosmic level of the cosmic string is broken, fragmented, and utterly incomplete. No scientific theory or system of thought, however sublime, will ever accurately and completely describe the universe, because all such theories are themselves intrinsically flawed as the products of the flawed human mind. It may well be that this condition results from, and is a consequence of, our human state of incarnation, a state that we can never really escape from, and beyond which all other knowledge, even the Knowledge of Ascension, is theoretical. Thus, even though I have myself attained Ascension and Samadhi, I am still composing this document from the perspective of the Physical Plane, using ego processing in my living human body as the price of physical communication. Apart from the realm of forensics, and very arguably from that of parapsychology, the Dead tell no tales – communication is the exclusive domain of living manifestations.  But enough dispassionate observations, conducted from sufficiently detached viewpoints, will inevitably reveal how utterly wrong this physical existence of ours really is. A few comments follow regarding the nature and extent of that sequence of errors and imperfect observations we call “life”.  

            One of the more intriguing postulates of science concerns the concept of antimatter. Anitmaterial particles (antiquanta) have been observed for decades as the transitory results of collisions in particle accelerators. There are such things as antiprotons (a negatively charged proton), positrons (a positively charged electron), and so forth. It has been theoretically postulated that there is even an anti-universe, anti-Earth, and anti-humanity, all existing in some parallel dimension to our own, and there may even be anti-parallel universes as well. What meditation eventually reveals, and what the Yogi and Guru know all too well, is that it is this universe we experience in the body and senses which is the real anti-universe – the broken universe – and it is we ourselves who are the Cabalist Qlippoth – the broken fragments of perception and manifestation littering the area around the base of the Tree of Life, below even the relatively idealized Sephira of Malkuth, the Cabalist representation of the Physical Plane of existence. The broken physical universe and our broken physical perception are reflections of each other on the Physical Plane of experience.           

            Most people who even think at all, who ever ponder upon the conditions of this life, will occasionally have some perception of the wrongness of this existence, of its transitory and illusory qualities knowable through the physical senses. It is tempting to say that this is ascribable solely to the incarnate form, but that form has ultimately evolved from the raw material of this universe as an inevitably manifest consequence of existence, and even that process of evolution was wrong.  It is as if this existence was an accident of cosmic fate, but I believe the “error” goes further than that. The omnipresent turbulence and fundamental chaos that define events here in our continuum point to only one conclusion – creation was intended to be what we experience, and we are what we were intended to be as the observers of that experience. 

            What kind of Creator would author such a work? What could be the motivations of such a Being? In Christian Mysticism, the actual work of constructing this universe was presumably done by Lucifer, one of, and arguably the first, subharmonic of God. Supposedly, Lucifer was “with the program” of Creation, right up until God decided to place a human caretaker in the picture! Lucifer found this to be insulting to his role as the “construction foreman”, and began interfering with things, eventually causing a complete schism with God, and resulting in the formation of the Underworld of Hell, where he was subsequently imprisoned.  This did not cool his wrath, and he continued (and continues) to make as much trouble for humanity as he can. There are, of course, many other metaphysical explanations for the problem of negativity – of evil. A perhaps more forgiving approach is the imbalance theory, which holds that evil is simply the manifest result of an imbalanced condition, or conditions, existing in life.  The problem here is that physical life itself is comprehensively imbalanced for the term, permitting only transitory homeostasis, and  still eventually resulting in that “return to equilibrium” known as death. And ascribing all negativity to one malevolent entity ignores the fact that everything in experience is more or less malicious, perhaps particularly when seen through the lens of malice, but nevertheless always partially ill-intended simply by virtue of selfish human motivations. Clearly, there is more to the problem of evil to be considered. We must therefore examine the ego and the Soul to understand the problem of evil. 

            Although it cannot be directly observed, the ego as a concept is indicated well enough by much indirect evidence to be accepted as at least an effective working model of sentience by most reasonably objective observers. Most of us have a sense of our immediate inner being – the ego – making conscious, purposeful decisions that we use to guide ourselves through life. The ego is the physical, perceptual focus of consciousness. Now, the spiritual, moral focus of consciousness is the Soul, a significantly less substantiated manifestation than the ego, and one that is not even a properly scientific construct. The Soul exists at the level of the Heart, or Fourth, Chakra in Yogic Theory, well past the Astral Plane of the Second Chakra, the level of the archetypes and imagination, and completely removed from the physical sensory perception of the First Chakra, Muladhara. The Soul is experienced as compassion and selfless love, and known through faith in God. The Soul is composed of Divine Light radiating directly from God as the Logos existing in the Seventh, and highest, Chakra. The Soul is the reason for the physical expression of incarnation, and Karma is the set of physical and spiritual conditions determined by God to be needed to guide the evolution of the Soul through incarnate manifestation.  

            Our Karma can be positive or negative, and is usually a combnation of both. On the negative side, if our destiny is to be evil, and workers of darkness, that we will be until the Soul has been sufficiently exposed to the vibration of personal evil to learn the moral consequences of that experience on an intimately personal, spiritual level that transcends simple perception. Then, and only then, will the experience of evil have been assimilated at the level of sensitivity that will result in the spiritual evolution of the Soul to a higher state of moral manifestation, bringing it permanently closer to God and the Divine Light.  The Logos exists on a Plane of Perfection – in a state of Pure Love and Light – no flaws are present there. This is automatic and intrinsic for God – no further requirement for action exists. The imperfections, however, still exist – on the lower Planes of Manifestation, and particularly on our Physical Plane of sensory experience. As trite and simplistic as this may seem, the flaws had to go somewhere, and descended through the Planes of Ideation until a dense enough condition was reached to sustain their expression – the physical body on the Physical Plane! This is why everything on the Physical Plane is intrinsically wrong; we are wrong by our very physical nature, as is everything in our realm of sensory experience, no matter how “right” those things may initially seem to be. This is the essence of evil, flaws, and negativity – selfish actions born of ignorance. 

            The corrective measure for negative Karma is Dharma – acts of spiritual devotion to God typified by selfless service.  That which is dedicated to God and the spiritual well being of humanity transforms evil intent into grace and positive Karma by spiritually transforming the Soul, thereby achieving the goal of spiritual evolution while we are still incarnate. The more selflessly one can live, the better – the life devoted to spiritual achievement and Soul enhancement is the best possible life of all. All that is given to God is returned to us many times over in terms of wisdom, grace, and inner peace. 

            Meditation is one of, if not the most, powerful forms of Dharma, because it automatically accesses the spiritual continuum leading to the Logos through negation of the ego and its persistent material focus on the Physical Plane. Almost everyone who practices meditation successfully for even one instance reports an enhanced state of well being during the process, and improved functioning on the Physical Plane afterwards. Why? Because we have taken a step away from the inherent negativity of the anti-universe of physical perception, and back toward the Truth of Divine Love and Light on the higher spiritual planes. From the perspective of Freudian psychology, the latter is an insane and absurd statement, but consider this – the ultimate destination of the body, ego, and physical senses on the Physical Plane is oblivion. There is no reason whatsoever to suppose that any of these three manifestations of existence survive physical death. And even if there is no “Physical Plane” per se – only external reality – any process which effectively relieves human suffering, and particularly one with no adverse physiological side effects like meditation that relieves existential suffering, must be viewed as fundamentally beneficial. Even if meditation does not result in full Ascension and Samadhi during a given incarnation, the positive, healthful benefits are undeniable. The simple experience of deep relaxation for a short interval, with or without any attendant spiritual enhancement, is healing of the entire organism – body, mind, and spirit. And all of this as the reward for simply voluntarily shutting down the ego and distancing perception from the senses for a short period of time! 

            It would appear that the best thing we can do in life, at least from the perspective of Enlightenment, is to closely control and minimize the influence of the ego and sensory perception on the Physical Plane, performing only the essential material actions needed to maintain physical and mental health for the duration. And dedicating our consciousness and activities to God, whether or not any physical evidence of any kind supports the existence of the Divine Truth, is a priority of the greatest importance. It is sufficient that this Truth represents the greatest good for human beings, and the best goal one can strive for in this existence of turbulence and illusion.

 

                                                                               - With Love, Alan -

                                                                         (CR2008, Alan Schneider)

 

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