Understanding Metaphysics: Using Psychology to Better Understand Metaphysical Experiences: Metaphysics Explained Series, #1

By Jimmy Henderson

Understanding and unlocking the power of metaphysics is no longer a secret or only meant for the guru, the serious disciple or the lifelong philosopher. 

New discoveries in science are moving the boundaries of what is possible and this is going to undoubtedly change the course of humanity's evolution. However, you may be wondering exactly what this means to you and how you can benefit from this new knowledge?

 

Bestselling author Dr Jimmy Henderson, a cognitive scientist with a background in science and technology, has devoted years to the study of psychology, especially the deeper realms of the subconscious mind. Using his unique approach of multi-dimensional thinking, he introduces you to new ideas on self, creation, reality, time and space, life after death and the idea of a universal mind or consciousness behind it all. 

 

Jimmy takes a pioneering step forward as he puts into words the ideas and experiences linked to metaphysical processes. By sharing his personal experiences as well as those of other practitioners, he aims to give you a refreshingly direct answer as to how it all works. The knowledge is written and presented in a manner aimed at deliberately challenging your present thinking and help you grow.

 

In this book Jimmy explores a number of crucial questions such as:

• What is metaphysics?
• How is metaphysics useful for everyday thinking?
• How to reprogram your mind 
• A new view of the mind and the idea of one universal consciousness 
• The development of new and powerful mental skills 
• Unlocking the power of your subconscious mind

In imparting his knowledge to you Jimmy hopes that you will be able to share in the amazing new inner experiences which will infuse your life with a new, richer meaning and purpose.

 

What the readers are saying

"He shares from the heart and his approach is put across very clearly and it is very understandable." Piliana 

"This book is brilliant in context and the author has brought it together in a pretty simple explanation."Tilanie

"Wow. This book is stunning, I learnt so much. People need this type of material and understanding now to advance and go forward." Michelle
 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Neo-world Consultants
• Release date: Aug 17, 2020
• ISBN: 9781990966330

Jimmy Henderson

Jimmy has an Honours degree in Philosophy (metaphysics), a post-graduate certificate in Trauma Counselling and a Ph.D in Psychology from the University of South Africa. Jimmy has studied mind and spirit for over thirty years as a member of the Rosicrucian Order (AMORC) and is the published author of a number of books, e-books and many articles on the power of the mind, counselling and relationships. He and has spoken many times on local SA radio stations as a guest speaker on his books, as well as emotional/psychological issues, parenting and relationships. In his books and articles he combines psychological research with metaphysics and spirituality and it is this grounding that makes them unique. He is regarded as a specialist in human thinking and behaviour,having previously being an HR director and a service delivery programme-manager until his retirement. He has since worked part-time as a trauma counsellor for a large South African bank and also lectured at a local management school. He is presently also a distance (e-tutor) for the University of South Africa in psychology and has also been a volunteer Lifeline counsellor and trainer for many years. He believes that his purpose at this time is to help persons who are sincere in their striving for self-improvement and development to find their way along their particular path. In this way he also sees himself also as a teacher, having the ability to explain truth in a simple and practical way. He is available to give talks to groups in South Africa

Book preview

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to thank my editor and publisher, David Henderson of www.myebook.online for his assistance in the completion, publication and marketing of this book. This has been a long and difficult process and I am grateful for all the help received from friends and helpers along the way. For those of you also wishing to publish I would suggest visiting his website.

PREFACE

‘The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.’

Albert Einstein

WHO IS JIMMY HENDERSON?

As a young boy from a broken home, I had very humble beginnings. Money was tight, and being quite a few years older than my younger siblings, I felt lonely and abandoned by my absent father. I was quite sickly, spending most of my adolescent years introverted and withdrawn. In hindsight, the ‘gifts’ I got from this period of my life were the ability to be alone with myself, to think deeply and sensitively, while from my struggling mother I gained inner strength and faith.

In the early seventies, if your family was not wealthy, you had to be content to miss university and either take up a trade or enter the government service. I enjoyed science as a school subject and after school took the opportunity to enter the police force as a trainee radio technical specialist, which offered a better salary. The drawback was that I had to do the police training and later also border duties which involved being exposed to violence and danger. However, I believe that this training and the conflict experiences were formative and indeed necessary, as my self-esteem and confidence grew as a result and I was able to advance in the police ranks over 30 years to reach the rank of Senior Superintendent and became the Commander of the Durban Technical Unit and later Regional Head of Human Resources Management.

LOOKING BACK

It is now strange to look back and see how these different experiences shaped my interest in metaphysics, as it was during the first of these border excursions in 1974 that I first came into contact with the books of Lobsang Rampa, an Eastern sage who many of you might know as one of the first mystics to put his metaphysical experiences into popular paperback form. His books certainly piqued my interest, but it was only during my last border trip in 1978 that I came across members of the Rosicrucian Order, a society dedicated to metaphysical study and practice which interested me even further. Upon my return I joined the local lodge, signed up for the studies and over 35 years later, am still a member. I attribute my present metaphysical interest and work to my studies with this Order as well as the many metaphysical and esoteric books I have read and the spiritual teachers who have helped me during this time.

THE STORY CONTINUES

By this time I had also developed an interest in psychology and began with undergraduate studies in 1982. A little later I joined Lifeline, a non-profit organisation involved in lay crisis counselling, and spent over 30 years with them as a counsellor and trainer.

In the mid-eighties, I began preparing the draft for a metaphysical book which I tried to publish. Many of you will laugh, or perhaps cry if you knew of the challenges that faced aspirant writers at that time. Fortunately, I had the moral support of a dear friend from the Order who was a published author and she kept me motivated.

The traditional publication route in this country was almost impossible. Imagine completing a 300-page manuscript on a typewriter (no computers in those days), making copies and packing them for postage to overseas publishers, as I could find no local publishers in my genre in those days before online search engines. Apart from the expense, the turnaround time for packing, posting and receiving a written reply was three to four months, and each time the manuscript was rejected for obscure reasons. In some cases, it was simply returned unopened. After a period of two years during which I sent the manuscript to a number of different overseas publishing houses, I gave up, feeling disillusioned, and put away the whole idea of becoming a writer.

The big change came in the mid-nineties, when, as a result of political changes in the country, I found myself removed from my top work position and my career effectively came to a halt. I admit I took it very badly, as up to that time I had been very driven and ambitious. Things came to a head around the year 2000 when the sky literally turned grey and I entered the dark night of the soul, a period of depression brought on by long-standing feelings of helplessness and hopelessness which took me many years to overcome (or at least, to manage). During this time I applied for, and was given, early medical retirement, having already served 30 years.

This time of loneliness and feelings of abandonment took me back to my childhood days when I had experienced similar feelings, but fortunately this time I was an adult and had better skills to deal with it. Looking back, this dark period was also a ‘gift’ in that it allowed me to release my driving ambition and the insidious promptings of my ego which brought on the pain and anguish. In other words, this experience had allowed me to rediscover myself and start afresh. As a result, I threw myself into intense metaphysical study to find meaning in my life, self-published my first manuscript and took the time to complete my psychological studies. After 35 years of study. I graduated in 2016 at the age of 64 with a doctorate in psychology.

During 2005 I was fortunate to have found a publisher in Cape Town who helped me publish my second and third metaphysical books and more recently another publisher who has assisted me with a number of short guides on counselling.

I suppose that at this time many of you will ask why, as a fully-fledged cognitive scientist with a background in science, technology and psychology, I would still be interested in metaphysics. At first glance, they seem to be so far apart. However, what I have learnt from my studies and my past experiences is that, if we take the time to look deeper, many metaphysical or so-called ‘spiritual’ phenomena can be explained with science and psychology. And this is what I try to show in this book. This approach of explaining metaphysics and ‘spirituality’ in terms of psychology and the activity of our minds is called psycho-spirituality¹.

PSYCHO-SPIRITUALITY

Linking spiritual or metaphysical experiences to the operations of our minds does not mean that I consider them any less real or without value, in fact, just the opposite. Making use of real-life examples backed up by accepted scientific and psychological research, these experiences should be more credible to those of you still ‘sitting on the fence’ so to speak, when it comes to metaphysics. Metaphysics simply means ‘that which goes beyond physics’. This implies that, although we metaphysicians might begin our search for truth with science and psychology, we delve deeper to uncover higher, potentially hidden principles.

The problem is that a fear of the unknown holds us back from so many new and exciting experiences found just outside our comfort zone. This fear is the result of our early conditioning by our parents, teachers and friends. Having doubts about something stops us from exploring new ideas and prevents us from ever reaching a deeper understanding of ourselves and of our reality. Surprisingly, this fear is kept going by our egos. It is almost as if they do not want us to find a deeper truth and wish to keep us bound to a sort of lower ego-consciousness, in which we focus only on ourselves and our own selfish needs. This action of the ego also keeps us tied to a certain view of reality. Everything that does not fit this view is seen as a threat. In fact, our egos actively fight to protect their sovereignty, prompting us to become angry and lash out at anything or anyone seen as a possible threat.

Most people believe their version of the truth to be the only correct one. To see this in action, we only have to look at the powerful emotions and violence due to clashes of political, ideological, religious or cultural beliefs in the world today. In most cases, this fear of the new, unknown and extraordinary is due to a simple lack of insight and understanding. The result? We are afraid to look beyond our past experiences or present beliefs for the answers to important questions.

I am not saying that you have to accept everything that is written in this book. Maintain an open mind and perhaps you will find something useful and valuable to add to your own view of life.

A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH

As far as my psycho-spiritual approach in this book is concerned, in my earlier publication Multi-Dimensional Thinking I introduced the idea that we will only find deeper levels of truth if we are prepared to move outside of the ‘box’ of day-to-day thinking. I introduced a multi-dimensional approach to problem-solving in which I used logic and reasoning to draw facts and research from a colourful mix of science, psychology, philosophy, theology, symbolism and metaphysics until I arrived at the essence of the problem. In other words, in this book, I will once again be crossing the lines or boundaries of different fields of knowledge and drawing from, and comparing ideas from each of these fields.

I found that when I used this approach I was able to superimpose ideas from these different areas, broadening my perspectives and view, and answers spontaneously began to present themselves. In psychology, this is called an ‘immediate insight’ into problem-solving. My earlier book Multi-Dimensional Thinking will give you a greater understanding of this approach.

ENDNOTES

I know that it may be difficult to get hold of the information I have listed as sources, so I have used online references as much as possible and put in endnotes in the case of difficult concepts and ideas. The numbered endnotes are explained and linked to their online sources at the end of each chapter. I hope this makes the book easier to read.

REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES

I have also included quite a few real-life examples in the text to show you how the skills should be applied and to point out the kind of inner experiences that can result from the exercise. I hope you find them interesting and informative. Names have been changed to ensure confidentiality.

A GRADED APPROACH

I introduce a graded approach to learning in this book by grouping the chapters into three different themes increasing in difficulty, starting with those chapters which fall under the introductory theme; ‘The start of metaphysical understanding’, then moving onto those chapters associated with the intermediate theme, ‘The application of metaphysical principles’ and finally, dealing with the most complex ideas and practices in the final chapters under the heading of ‘Advanced metaphysical work’.

YOUR OWN PERSONAL JOURNEY

I really want you to see this book as a guide along your own personal journey into the knowledge of metaphysics and a process of self-development which will take you through to self-actualisation. If you can identify with and enjoy the processes as much as I do then I will have succeeded in my goal with this book. Remember that higher guidance will be with you every step of the way. Keep an open mind, take courage and make a commitment to move forward with me into the light of a new reality and understanding of yourself and the universe.

A SUMMARY OF THE CHAPTERS

‘As long as your mind is free, you are free.’

J. Henderson

WHAT TO EXPECT FROM THIS BOOK

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

My first goal is to try to convince you that metaphysics itself is not as obscure, shadowy and frightening as it is made out to be and that we do, in fact, use so-called metaphysical practices every day without knowing it, as they are part of our normal personal growth and development.

You may find naturalist, evolutionary undertones in this book, but please don’t be put off by the idea of ‘evolution’, as this does not mean that I believe that we descended from monkeys. One simply has to look deeper to see this. For instance, although we may have a common ancestor in some sort of genetic ‘soup’, our bodies have developed separately from other species for millions of years and we are the only species complex enough to support full self-awareness. I do touch on this issue in this book, but I give it a religious twist by linking it to the idea of the ‘embodiment of the soul’.

CHAPTER 2: THE POWERS OF THE MIND

I begin by showing you how many metaphysical processes are simply latent abilities of our minds, especially the subconscious parts. I believe that ‘mind’ and consciousness are laced together to form the golden thread that links all knowledge, and go as far as saying that they are the keys to understanding the secrets of the universe. The reason I say this is because our minds are far more active than we ever realised in creating our sense of reality. In fact, I show how they can change or even ‘add to’ what we see and hear, influencing what we believe to be true. They are very selective in what they allow in, with the result that we tend to overlook important experiences and lessons which could otherwise change our beliefs about ourselves and reality.

CHAPTER 3: SELF-DEVELOPMENT

I assert that metaphysical development is really a natural part of our personal growth and show how it fits into an upward personal growth curve. I discuss the various stages of the growth curve, starting at the point when we first become aware of our need to grow, to the time that we begin to take action to simplify our lives, increase our mindfulness, quieten our minds and reach emotional wellness, to the final stage in which I show how metaphysical practices such as meditation and visualisation form the apex of the growth curve and how spiritual wholeness can be compared to self-actualisation.

CHAPTER 4: NEW SKILLS IN UNFOLDMENT

I introduce more advanced concepts and also deeper metaphysical processes for those of you ready to begin your personal growth. In this chapter I describe and explain in great detail the type of skills you will need and how you can develop them. These include meditation and spontaneous visual imagery², or simply ‘spontaneous imagery’. This is an extremely powerful skill which will change your whole view of reality. I have personally used these exercises and know them to be effective, as will be seen in the real-life examples I present.

CHAPTER 5: A UNIVERSAL COLLECTIVE MIND

I combine scientific, psychological and metaphysical research to introduce you to the idea of the universe itself being linked to the actions of a Universal Collective Mind³ and our existence to that of a Universal Soul, both aspects of a single creative source.

To continue, I show how the idea of a single ‘mind-reality’ underlying all of creation is supported by quantum scientists⁴, who believe that their research shows that the Universe itself may, in some way, be conscious. In a conscious universe, everything, every part, would naturally be conscious in some way, with all living beings sharing in this one consciousness to varying degrees. Being plugged into a single Collective Consciousness⁵ or in this case, a ‘Universal Mind’, can explain many of the so-called spiritual experiences and events in our lives which we, as yet, do not fully understand. For example, if we are all connected at a deep subconscious level it would be easy to communicate with one another as long as we are all on the same ‘wavelength’ (in the same state of mind).

THE QUANTUM MODEL

The Quantum Model of the Universe leads to new and exciting ideas, such as the view that we are all connected at a sub-atomic (energy) level and are different parts of a ‘whole’. To support this idea further, I present ideas from systems theory in psychology as well as another scientific theory which suggests that the universe may be holographic⁶. This theory promotes the idea that what we see as reality is simply a hologram created by a Universal Mind. I know this is a radical departure from normal thinking, but it does explain several paradoxes in everyday life which I point out.

Next, I show that this idea of one Universal Mind is not new and has been around in different forms for many centuries, but is hidden in myths, analogies and metaphors. I open up and expose these metaphors and analogies to modern scientific research with the idea that you will at least consider the possibility of a single, conscious, collective source (or consciousness) in the universe. I believe the time has now arrived to re-examine this possibility in line with modern science and psychology.

ARCHETYPES

The idea of a single, Universal, Collective Mind also explains many age-old theological dilemmas. For example, how concepts of God are formed and how some people can have real, inner, personal experiences of ‘deities’ or celestial ‘personalities’ while others cannot, or simply do not believe in it. Using the framework of universal archetypes⁷ as presented by Carl Jung, I offer an explanation for these experiences in terms of mental processes in this collective area of the subconscious mind and show the role of archetypes concerning all life and consciousness in the universe, including our own coming-into-being.

CHAPTER 6: THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

I introduce you to your own subconscious mind, its powers and its role in your metaphysical development and how important and necessary it is for your inner development to gain its cooperation. I also show you how to bring about and cement this relationship.

CHAPTER 7: ENGAGEMENT

I discuss a scientific approach to engaging the Universal Mind and communicating with archetypal personalities as well as other so-called ‘spiritual’ beings within its many dimensions. This is a very powerful section for which you need to have mastered meditation and spontaneous imagery for it to be effective.

CHAPTER 8: ENERGY

I discuss the metaphysical concept of energy, the different sources of energy in the universe, how to access and work with body-energy, and finally, how to use healing energies to assist others.

CHAPTER 9: NEW MENTAL SKILLS

I describe the latent powers of our minds and show how metaphysical practices can work to bring about a greater realisation of our authentic selves, our souls, and a mastery of will-power, intent and spontaneous imagery. This results in ‘gifts’ of lucid dreaming, telepathy, intuition, channelling and out-of-body experiences.

CHAPTER 10: INITIATIONS

Chapter 10 deals with rituals and initiations as well as the type of trials and tests and experiences you can expect during your metaphysical development.

CHAPTER 11: MENTAL CREATION

This is a very important chapter which unpacks the principles and methods of creating powerful thought-forms and how to project your consciousness into different dimensions of the Universal Mind. This section is not recommended for novices as it is quite demanding.

CHAPTER 12: NEW INSIGHTS

Finally, based on my experiences within a connected state while engaging with the Universal Mind as a ‘collective’, or community of minds, in this chapter I present some new ideas on what is consciousness, reality, the essence and power of love, the meaning of life and what happens after death. I also introduce you to the idea of world-service as a means of meeting your full potential.

WHAT I HOPE

I believe that the most important and exciting outcome of this book would be for you to accept that you are not bound by the limits of normal day-to-day experiences, but have an unlimited potential to grow, to develop and unfold inwardly to embrace all parts of your being. I invite, no, I challenge you, to open your minds and journey with me into the mysteries of your subconscious minds and ultimately connect and work with the one Universal Mind which is the source of all life and consciousness. I promise that you will all gain something from this experience.

ENDNOTE REFERENCES

1.   Psycho-spirituality – finding relationships between spirituality and the workings of the mind https://www.yourdictionary.com/psychospiritual

2.   Spontaneous visual imagery – what happens when visual images appear in our mind’s eye unexpectedly without our own actions https://psychologydictionary.org/spontaneous-imagery

3.   Universal Collective Mind – the idea that there is only one mind in the Universe in which we all share. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/328538224_Universal_Consciousness_Collective_Evidence_on_the_Basis_of_Current_Physics_and_Philosophy_of_Mind_Part1

4.   Quantum scientists – research which focuses on the relationships between sub-atomic particles, in this case, in support of a Conscious Universe. https://bigthink.com/philip-perry/the-universe-may-be-conscious-prominent-scientists-state

5.   Holographic – research which suggests that the Universe behaves like a hologram https://phys.org/news/2017-01-reveals-substantial-evidence-holographic-universe.html

6.   Collective Consciousness – The idea that we all share in one Consciousness https://www.thoughtco.com/collective-consciousness-definition-3026118 https://www.britannica.com/science/collective-unconscious

7.   Universal archetypes – personality patterns said to exist within our subconscious minds http://www.soulcraft.co/essays/the_12_common_archetypes.html

THE START OF METAPHYSICAL UNDERSTANDING

CHAPTER ONE

Introduction to Metaphysics

‘The most beautiful and most profound experience is the sensation of the mystical.’

Albert Einstein

In this chapter, I introduce you to the concept of metaphysics, which I explain as ‘the study and practice of principles going beyond normal, everyday scientific research and understanding’. In this case, my aim will be to try to show you that metaphysics is not what it is made out to be and can actually be seen as a legitimate part of normal human growth and development.

For instance, I show you how metaphysics can be reconciled with science, being based on sound psychological and scientific principles and go further by saying that we actually use metaphysical processes daily without our even knowing it. For example, when we use our imagination and see ourselves lying and enjoying ourselves on the beach we are actually accessing the same parts of our brains that we do during visualisation, and when we use positive thoughts and words to keep ourselves motivated during the day, we are simply duplicating common subliminal practices such as the use of affirmations and intentions.

For those who are concerned that metaphysics will clash with their religious values and beliefs, in this chapter I also show how metaphysics promotes an open spirituality, one which acknowledges the role of religion, but goes beyond dogma to stand firmly on fundamental spiritual principles which are at the heart of all religions.

Finally, I point out the close relationship between psychology and metaphysics as anchored in the all-important role of the activity of the mind in what we see and experience of the world and reality, especially the actions of our subconscious minds and the characteristics of consciousness itself. I show that consciousness is not just self-awareness but a fundamental principle of the Universe, an active, dynamic and transformative process.

Be prepared to open your minds and I will help you with your inner journey into the mysteries of your minds and the universe and show you the new worlds of perception and experience that come with a study of metaphysics.

WHAT IS METAPHYSICS?

Metaphysics does not stand alone. It links up with fields of study such as science, technology, psychology, philosophy and even theology, but the difference is that, in metaphysics there are no ‘boxes’ or limits to thinking. It goes beyond the ‘rules’ and boundaries set for these fields.

I know that many people are still suspicious or even critical of metaphysics, mysticism, or any teachings which do not fit into mainstream science or religion. People are uncomfortable with new concepts such as ‘consciousness’, ‘interconnectedness’, ‘aura’, psychic’ and ‘channelling’. Yet these are just new, broader concepts with the ability to draw science, psychology, philosophy and theology into a wider and more holistic framework of thinking which encourages free thought and avoids some of the pitfalls in these other fields of knowledge.

The problem is that we tend to fear anything that we do not understand. Much of the fear actually comes from the doubt, uncertainty and even confusion about what metaphysics really is. Metaphysics aims to highlight certain scientific and psychological principles which are not yet fully understood.

A MULTI-DIMENSIONAL APPROACH

If you ever wish to grow your thinking and understanding, you cannot expect it to always fit neatly into the boxes prescribed by traditional fields of knowledge. Be prepared to move ‘out of the box’ of everyday thinking and try out my multi-dimensional approach. With this method I superimpose facts from different fields of study as well as the lesser-known areas of symbolism and semantics, to explore the meaning of symbols and even the metaphors we use to arrive at creative solutions to word-problems, thinking dilemmas and paradoxes.

SUPERIMPOSED TRANSPARENCIES

In the days before digital projectors, we had to use a photocopier to make ‘transparencies’, a clear plastic sheet on which we would have typed information, a diagram or any picture we wished to share with the class or group. This sheet was placed on what was called an overhead projector, magnified by a strong lens and light, and projected onto the wall or a screen.

For the purposes of this analogy let us assume that, with regard to any issue, each field has only a single transparency on which there is an image representing their knowledge of this issue. Each transparency gives us as the viewer, only a single perspective from a specific point of view, but if we superimpose the transparencies one on top of another, we begin to see a far larger, more complex and more comprehensive image.

Each field of knowledge, whether it is science, psychology, philosophy or theology, has a set of rules, guidelines and boundaries which permits them only a single view or perspective. In thinking multi-dimensionally and metaphysically, I am opening every one of these ‘boxes’, looking inside and taking what I need to examine the issue from all possible angles. In this way, I get a complete view of reality, including possible hidden, universal principles.

CAN METAPHYSICS BE RECONCILED WITH SCIENCE?

‘Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. Match the frequency of the reality you want and you cannot help but get that reality. It can be no other way. This is not philosophy. This is physics.’

Albert Einstein

Metaphysical ideas are often built on accepted and proven scientific and psychological theories. For example, the above quote by Albert Einstein highlights how he often seemed to combine science with spirituality. According to Einstein, science itself shows that our universe is actually one of pure energy. This means that, at a sub-atomic level, what we see as ‘substance’ is only different concentrations of energy-particles bound up in different ways. Psychologists share a similar idea, in that the current view is that the images we see of the world are actually put together in our minds. In other words, what we see and feel is the result of our senses, which, in terms of science, respond to different types and levels of energy.

This view is shared in metaphysics, but in this case, we take these conclusions one step further. Some quantum physicists have already suggested that this sub-atomic energy itself comes from a higher state, a conscious type of energy or ‘consciousness’ itself. In his article, ‘The primacy of consciousness’, Dr Peter Russel¹ theorises that material things have their beginning in a mind-essence, (called ‘chitta’ in Sanskrit), which he says, is pure, concentrated consciousness.

Is this as far-fetched as it sounds? Let’s look back to science where we find a recent discovery of a universal field which causes sub-atomic particles to come together and take on mass (the Higgs-Boson or ‘God’-particle)². Could this ‘universal field’ not be the conscious energy Dr Russel speaks about? This idea of a pure state of consciousness with the power to create is one of the building blocks of the idea of a Universal Mind giving rise to reality as we know it, and I am not the only one who believes this.

As an example, let’s look at the following statement by Dr John Hagelin, a well-known particle physicist:

And what we’ve discovered at the core basis of the universe, the foundation of the universe, is a single unified field of intelligence; a field that unites gravity with electromagnetism, light with radioactivity, with the nuclear force. So that all the forces of nature and all the so-called particles of nature – quarks, leptons, protons, neutrons – are now understood to be one. They’re all just different ripples on a single ocean of existence that is the unified field… And that field is a non-material field. It is ultimately a field of consciousness and everything in the universe is nothing but that. Planets, trees, people, animals – we’re all just waves of vibration of this underlying, unified, superstring field…

Science is not so far removed from metaphysics when it comes to the nature of the universe. And there will be more examples of their agreement on some matters later on in the book.

I have thrown you in the deep end of metaphysics, but let’s carry on!

WHAT DOES THE CHURCH SAY ABOUT METAPHYSICS?

‘All religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree. All these aspirations are directed toward ennobling man’s life, lifting it from the sphere of mere physical existence and leading the individual towards freedom.’

Albert Einstein

There is not such a big gap between metaphysics and church teachings as you might think. The main problem is that metaphysical concepts sound strange to many religious people.

If you look throughout history, you will see that meditation and contemplation have been practised by some priests and monks for many centuries. When it comes to dogma, theological beliefs about the soul and divine spirit form an important part of metaphysical philosophy.

It is true that metaphysics has the potential to give us a broader, more open-minded view of ‘God’ than many traditional scriptures. The reason for this is that most theologians believe that God can only be known through the Scriptures, whereas in metaphysics, it is believed that it is possible to have direct experiences of ‘Source’ through our minds during enhanced states of consciousness associated with meditation and contemplation. This, of course, opens metaphysics up to religious criticism.

I believe that the many concepts of God which exist in the world today are actually describing the same spiritual reality, but are merely presented differently because of different cultures, historical periods and the personal interpretations of religious leaders. For example, during ancient times when people were ruled by fearful, angry and vengeful monarchs, their view of God was one of a wrathful and even cruel ruler. However, in line with our present-day moral advancement, God is now accepted as benevolent and loving. If differing views of God are relative to circumstances and times, it would mean that recent metaphysical views of God should also be accepted.

METAPHYSICS AND RELIGION ARE REALLY NOT THAT EXCLUSIVE

I believe religious beliefs to be useful as long as they provide us with the opportunities, guidance and direction with which to arrive at a workable and fulfilling spiritual experience which we can call our own. Unfortunately, many people remain with a religious system that does not meet their spiritual needs simply out of fear. My problem is that many of these systems can be rigid, inflexible and closed to new ideas and so become fertile breeding grounds for the shadows of delusion or self-righteousness.

THE RELIGIOUS VIEW OF MAN COMPARED WITH METAPHYSICS

The following scenario highlights what I consider to be the most important difference between metaphysics and theology as taught in the churches. I was reading an article that compared the view of mankind presented by the churches with the view offered in metaphysics. According to the article, religion sees people as weak, fallen and sinful, whereas in metaphysics they are seen as magical, unlimited and powerful. For this reason, the article was quite critical of religion.

I am not naturally critical of any religion. I believe them all to be useful in giving guidance, but only insofar as they do not enforce specific dogma, punt their beliefs as the exclusive truth, or impose a