I'm not sure if it's funny, amazingly interesting or just pathetic. Perhaps it's all three. Of course I am referring to the delusions of grandeur and power we humans tend to bestow upon ourselves.
There are many fancy and quite large words learned physicians of the mind use to categorize and discuss this odd human condition. And these same words are just another manifestation of the very same delusions they attempt to define.
Truth is, we humans have an innate need to believe that we understand our existence and the existence of our universe. The vast majority of us are content with our delusionment. And being content with it, we allow ourselves to believe in a vast pool of so-called knowledge that is based almost entirely upon our blind acceptance of delusion.
Those of you who may have attended higher institutions of dellusionment, might sigh and say, "Yes, well that's the difference between students of the scientific method and everyone else." Science trades in facts. These facts can be demonstrated to be facts because they can be proved mathematically and in laboratory experiments.
Yes, well come back when you can prove that you exist. Tell me about scientific facts when you can numerically demonstrate and describe your consciousness, that most fundamental aspect of your "being" in the so called here and now; the spark which allows you to imagine that you know anything at all as fact. Until you can do that, you can never be certain of anything, can you?
It is true. We are sane creatures only so long as we believe that we understand, not that we do in fact understand.
So is there anything wrong with this condition? Perhaps the answer is yes and know (no pun intended). If Descartes was in fact correct in his assumption, namely that if I think, therefore I am, then surely understanding our existence is of prime importance. A thinking person would want to do that above all else, wouldn't they?
The answer is, apparently not!
Back in the early 20th century, so called "scientific" scholars decided there was no intrinsic value in studying the fact that we and the physical universe exist. So they decided to ignore the existence of matter and concentrated instead on quantifying it mathematically, and determining its physics and chemistry.
Hence all of science is based on disillusionment. It's like watching someone pull a rabbit out of a hat. You can study the rabbit all you like, but you'll never learn a thing about the magic that caused the rabbit to exist.
Scientists think learning all you can about the rabbit is of greatest importance. Philosophers say the hat that was used to bring forth the rabbit is the most important area of study. And religion would have us believe the magician who pulled the rabbit out of the hat is the only one deserving of our ultimate attention. For them, that magician is God.
There was a time in our history when philosophy, scientific study and even religion were all pristine. By pristine I mean those who peered into these so called schools of thought were still innocent and filled with wonder at each new pebble of understanding and discovery they found within their collective stream of consciousness.
Mankind was on the frontier of disillusionment. We knew we didn't know. This awareness filled us with wonder, and also an awful sense of dread because we understood and accepted the degree of our own ignorance. And this was good.
So long as we were aware of our ignorance and freely admitted that our most complete understanding of anything amounted to little more than ignorance we were pristine human beings. What theologians would call a "God fearing people".
Those days are long gone. Returning to my magic act allegory, the more we studied the rabbit, the less we cared about the hat. The less we cared about the hat, the more we needed to have faith in the goodness and wisdom of the magician who controlled the hat. And most especially those who pretended to represent the Magician among men.
Today we find the boundaries of science, philosophy and religion blurring. As our collective awareness expands, we begin to find that most of our so called knowledge is really based on delusion. In other words, the more we learn about the rabbit and the hat, the more we know we don't know.
As scientists, philosophers and theologians become more aware of their inherent delusions, the more they begin to frantically look for answers within the delusionment of other disciplines. So we have "born again" scientists claiming the so called "creation myth" could be "science based". We see more and more theologians who are embracing philosophy and so on.
Meanwhile, back at the original magic show in that more pristine time, there was yet another even smaller group in attendance. Though remaining in the shadows, it was obvious to them that the entire performance was about the magic and not so much the hat or the rabbit.
These were the first students of mysticism. Down through the eons, they have continued their study of the universal force that brings forth all that we are and perceive to be. Their pristine teachings have been handed down to each new generation, who are in turn charged with the task of testing and expanding the knowledge base for those who will come after. In fact, most modern religions can trace their roots to the earliest mystery schools of ages past.
To study mysticism is to study the natural laws of the universe. Through the understanding of these laws one finds the universe, and indeed all of existence, is based upon divine order. Every motion, thought, action and deed results in a perfectly just and orderly consequence.
All of existence becomes one cohesive and perfect expression of divine will. And in that perfect expression there are no delusions other than those we allow to exist by believing in them.
In mysticism to believe is to accept what is not known. Knowing is never believing.
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