| For millennia religions and spiritual teachings advocated | | | | spread out upon the Earth, and men do not see it." |
| similar beliefs to explain our world. Today a growing | | | | Buddhists believe that it is impossible to understand the |
| number of scientists are proclaiming the universe is | | | | world through our senses, philosophies, or science. |
| spiritual. | | | | Judaism agrees that we cannot comprehend God. |
| Spiritual teachings | | | | The Sufis of Islam teach that metaphors and symbols |
| Australian aboriginals, whose culture goes back 60,000 | | | | cannot reveal the divine. According to Hinduism, maya |
| years, believe in "dreamtime" or tjukurpa-that there is | | | | is the illusion of reality in which we live. Taoism and |
| no separation of man and nature, of life and death, or | | | | Confucianism, although in many ways different, both |
| of past, present, and future. Their music unites | | | | hold that reality is beyond human comprehension. This |
| consciousness with the energy patterns of nature. | | | | brings us to science's take on reality. |
| Bantu, a traditional African religion, believes that life is | | | | Science, dogma, and a new mystery |
| force or muntu-a vital energy endowed with | | | | Scientists have clenched the concept of materialism |
| intelligence and will. Followers believe that the dead | | | | for three centuries. This belief that things such as |
| have deeper knowledge of the forces and interact | | | | atoms and molecules explain our world is a dogma |
| with the living. Native Americans believe in a dynamic | | | | needing to be buried. Scientists' materialism rationalized |
| energy system in which all systems of nature are one, | | | | chastising religions and spirituality for teaching outlandish |
| communicating and interacting. Mesoamerican | | | | concepts. Now the tables are turned. A decade ago, |
| religions-Maya, Zapitec, Mixtec, and Aztec-all had a | | | | scientists realized that 96% of our world is missing. It |
| concept of a vital force or energy in all life. At different | | | | isn't that they misplaced it; it is that despite an arsenal |
| times and places it was taught that everything is | | | | of sophisticated scientific instruments they can't find |
| energy-so what is life? | | | | the mysterious dark energy and dark matter which |
| For decades, scientists, healers, and spiritual followers | | | | are needed to explain their latest theories on the |
| have studied energy in the human body. But energy | | | | universe. Are the missing dark entities fiction? |
| concepts are thousands of years old, as in the Vedic | | | | Materialism is dead but many scientists refuse to |
| and Hindu teachings of energy points (or chakras). | | | | recognize it. The concepts replacing materialism |
| These ancient traditions recognize that energy is | | | | remains as elusive as dark matter, dark energy, parallel |
| located in bodily "energy centers." The Kabbalah, a | | | | universes, hidden dimensions, and the unfathomable |
| Jewish mystical philosophy, also recognizes such | | | | stuff in a vacuum. |
| energy and calls it nefish. Christian teachings have | | | | Science and spiritual teachings |
| numerous references to energy as life. In Hindu, | | | | Although scientists contributed tremendous |
| Kundalini is life's energy and can be utilized for a | | | | understanding of our world, invented wondrous |
| spiritual awakening. Reiki, a hands-on healing method, is | | | | contraptions, and revolutionized medicine, they have |
| derived from various Buddhist teachings; in Japanese, it | | | | been unable to comprehend reality. Scientists agree |
| means "spiritually guided life-force energy." Ok, if | | | | that energy is an apt metaphor for what is out there. |
| energy is everything including life, what is really out | | | | In the next few years scientists will utilize multibillion |
| there? | | | | dollar particle accelerators to address some of their |
| Spiritual and religious teachings generally agree that we | | | | new theories, but it remains to be seen whether we |
| humans cannot comprehend reality, which usually | | | | can ever comprehend reality. But for the lay person, |
| includes God. In general, religions teach that God and | | | | the bottom line is everything is energy just like the |
| mystical reality are different from what we experience | | | | ancients taught. A growing number of scientists |
| in ordinary consciousness. | | | | venture further and exhort the universe is mental and |
| Jesus, according to the Gnostic script Gospel of | | | | spiritual. This is part of the bridge between science and |
| Thomas 113, said, "The kingdom of the Father is | | | | spirituality. |