How much of “the way of the world” do we truly understand consciously? Is it possible we understand it more unconsciously than we do consciously?
Or in other words, do we have an awareness of how the world works that is deeper and broader than our conscious awareness?
It seems to me that some people are very comfortable answering Yes to this question. I definitely fall into this category.
Then there are those that seem to carry a deep seated disdain for this type of thinking. To me, it seems that these folks fear or resent or simply invalidate the idea that inner-thinking and inner-experience can reveal any sort of truth about the world outside.
But I would ask… no matter how much we learn through science, no matter how much we measure all the amazing objects “out there”… how much do we really know about them?
If anything, we have a tendency to replace the open and mysterious with poorly understood concepts. In the end, these concepts simply become props on the stage upon which we play out our lives’ greatest acts.
A great example of this is our very understanding of this thing we call The Universe.
Much like the term God, this term… “The Universe” will mean very different things to different people. I got a chuckle out of this patronizing and snide post that belittles a person for feeling gratitude toward The Universe. After all, how could another person’s belief system possibly measure up to our own?
Ours is right. Ours is true. Ours makes sense.
Even if we simply try to comprehend a more or less scientific understanding of The Universe - what the heck is it? I am college educated. I understand the basics. But the more we know, the more we learn about what we do not know.
I mean, I “get it” — to a degree.
But still… c’mon. Just how big is it? What’s outside of it? Nothing, you say? Am I able to truly comprehend nothingness? Seriously… how can my brain truly comprehend the age, size, or complexity of something like “The Universe”??? And yet, there it is - a word used in everyday language that we all just assume means something more or less specific.
I will never forget sitting in front of the TV as a kid watching in absolute amazement as Carl Sagan talked to me about the science of the Universe. I love this quote:
“It is far better to grasp the universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.”
~ Carl Sagan
I agree entirely, and can only guess that we would go about our grasping by different means :)
I also appreciate the work of Stephen W. Hawking, who said:
“Even if there is only one possible unified theory, it is just a set of rules and equations. What is it that breathes fire into the equations and makes a universe for them to describe?”
Indeed… what is it that breathes fire into the equations?
Any answer offered up rides on waves of language from you to me. Verbal Conscious Language is inherently limited.
And so we come back to the root of the question… how do we know?
Knowing bubbles up from within. Only when a deep inner knowing matches the language and words coming to us through Verbal-Conscious-Language do we recognize it. There must be a mutual context, a shared world view… you and I must co-exist in the same ecosystem of thought for us to even see one another as valid Providers and Consumers of Language and Thought.
What’s more - this deep inner knowing is larger and broader than the outer knowing. Our lives are full of opportunities to see this knowing play out in a variety of contrasting ways. For any shallow prop on the stage, we can knock it down and replace it with the real thing. A thing of depth and dimension.
This play of life is what life is about. It is about creativity, exploration, and Joy. And when our deep inner-knowing aligns with our outer awareness, things feel lighter and easier. Things happen. There is more Joy. There is inherently less conflict.
In this state of being, there is resonance.
Resonance is defined as: “the state of a system in which an abnormally large vibration is produced in response to an external stimulus, occurring when the frequency of the stimulus is the same, or nearly the same, as the natural vibration frequency of the system”.
The Universe is a word that points to an idea… and for me, this idea is a place which is a system. It is a system of energetic information. I am part of that system. I am of the system. Does the system care about me? Yes - very much so. And No - not at all. This is the problem with language. Just because I can ask a question does not mean it is a valid question. Just because I answer it one way does not mean I cannot answer it another.
When Abraham-Hicks states “there is great love for you here”, we will each hear what we are drawn to hearing. Our understanding will depend on our alignment with the words and thoughts.
I’ll leave you with a big Thank You for reading these thoughts, and with this quote from Alan Watts:
“You and I are all as much continuous with the physical universe as a wave is continuous with the ocean. The ocean waves, and the universe peoples. And as I wave and say to you ‘Yoo-hoo!’ the world is waving with me at you and saying ‘Hi! I’m here!’ “
