It has become incredibly obvious that science and religion have taken huge strides in deepening our understanding of the Universe. Recent discoveries have even started bringing these two areas of study together, albeit begrudgingly. Science rejects religion and religion rejects science. Regardless of differences both are the result of humans trying to find their place in the world. A lot of us just want to know who we are and where our sense of self comes from.

Naturally, we can’t lump science and religion together ignoring what makes them unique but we can find the common ground between these two arenas. Philosophy and psychology offer that bridge with ease.

Ever since Watson unearthed the concept of social conditioning countless advertisers have come up with new and exciting ways to flood our senses with stimuli intent on making us consume. They’re quite successful as well. Technological advances have allowed for pleasure-packed experiences that rival Nature herself. The end result being we are slowly stepping out of the inner world of Spirit and into the physical world of pleasure.

Naturally, psychology has expanded our understanding rapidly as a result. They’ve categorized how habits form based on what chemical responses trigger each action. More and more we seek to understand our mind in relation to things instead of how things relate to our Spirits.

Strangely enough, quantum physics seems to be moving us towards some very old world ideals in the process. The Hermetic Philosophy of the “All is Mind” is slowly cropping up again. Since the world is more familiar with the Hellenists than they are Heliopolis lets start there. Heraclitus believed everything existed in a state of flux where only change is constant. Anaxagoras affirmed this belief stating “the mind is the origin of motion and change.” So, our sense of self and how we relate to the world around us originates somewhere within the mind.

This philosophy plays into the notion that our brains are underpinned by quantum theory even if we can’t explain how thoughts form into the reality we see. While this is what seems to be happening we can’t explain it with any accuracy yet.

What we are certain of is that as we scale down from the cortex to the folding of proteins the brain functions as a parallel processor. While these proteins synthesize into our emotions it’s our memories intertwining with the data we take in that shape our concept of the world we see. Even if we can see our attitudes are encoded neurologically we still can’t give a satisfying response to where our sense of self comes from.

In What The Bleep Do We Know Dr. Stuart Hameroff describes how proteins folding inside the microtubule is mathematically identical to how thoughts form. Think of a Russian doll arrangement of mathematical precision duplicating itself upwards through our central nervous system into reality. We think it’s through this neighbor to neighbor interaction that our sense of self emerges from. Speculation states that our brains seem to function based on quantum effects from the Planck Scale upwards but we aren’t 100% certain.

Mystics see the breakdown in finding where the self comes from as the result of our attempting to side step the very fabric of the Cosmos. Their belief being that everything is made up from one form mental energy where everything exists in the Cosmic Mind of God.

“There is a universal proto-conscious mind which we access that can influence us, but it actually exists at the fundamental level of the Universe, at the planck scale.”

-Dr. Stuart Hameroff

Whether we use Heraclitus analogy of a soul/fire like substance or call it energy life itself seems to have a living source.

Factor in how all life from bacteria to human to the Universe itself holds and needs energy to exist the concept of Quantum Mysticism emerges. From the time humans come into being the very cells that comprise us and every action we take requires energy to do so.

Even ‘solid mass’ is nothing more than vibrating energy at the planck scale. Every single object in our physical world has energy stored within it. Einstein was the first scientist to attempt to tackle how much energy is required to make the appearance of mass.

Wait. Are we back to observation? And if the material and immaterial worlds are both comprised of energy are we the observer or the observed? If you feel a bit like a snake eating it’s own tail, relax. Einstein didn’t like the implications of his research either. Questions lead to more questions.

The takeaway is energy is the new wave concept of ‘Mind’ lined out by Hermetic philosophers of the ancient world. Science has done a lot for philosophy in this regard. We now know that on a cellular level sodium and potassium fire electrical impulses across our nervous systems streaming messages vital to our existence. This biochemically produced energy duplicates through its Russian doll arrangement fueling the various neurotransmitters responsible for our bodily functions.

From sound to thermal energy absorbed from the sun our bodies breakdown and coordinate the information flow and use it wherever necessary. This energy then transmutes into all we do. This subtle play of energy changing forms fuels existence itself. Now, Heraclitus insisted that the elements form a cycle which perpetually pass from one state into another constantly.

“Fire lives the death of air, and air lives the death of fire; water lives the death of earth, and earth that of water.”

-The Four Elements

This one life revolves in an endless circle and its unity cannot be dissolved or broken into parts, implying nothing ever really dies.

All I’m saying is it’s helpful to read scientific research alongside the mystics of old as they really paint a more complete picture together. See, these mystics were in tune with the Spirit of The Universe and genuinely explained the fabric of existence to us in their works. Just think about it a bit and we’ll discuss it in the comments.

Thank you so much for your time.