God Beyond Religion: Eclectic Spirituality and Science

"The main interest of my work is not concerned with the treatment of neuroses but rather with the approach to the numinous. But the fact that the approach to the numinous is the real therapy, and inasmuch as you attain to the numinous experience you are released from the curse of pathology."

~Carl Jung

From the most ancient hermetic teaching, to the bulk of the worlds religions, the concept that the universe is created by an ethereal, spiritual source is ubiquitous. Further, most acknowledge that the source of all creativity is thought or consciousness. Even the most scientific materialists, who believe that hydrogen was the prime substance, that it swirled and condensed, and through fusion birthed all the other elements, have no explanation for whence came hydrogen and what set it in motion. The writer of the book of Hebrews in the Christian Bible said that it was by faith people understand that the world of form was created by the unseen. Both the Old Testament and New Testaments of the bible explain that the universe was spoken and therefore thought into existence. 

The Tao Te Ching states that the ineffable Tao expressed itself and was therefore the mother of all spirit and matter. The writer of the Kybalion, quoting ancient hermetic teaching states that the "All is mind, the universe is mental." The stoics of ancient Greece believed that the universe was created by the Logos, which is a thought spoken. Quantum mechanics suggests that by the observation of matter at the quantum level that sub atomic particles are conscious of being observed. 

Dr. Donald Hoffman and his team of cognitive scientists believe they have proven that the material reality we experience is but an interface of conscious agents similar to a computer program, a holographic simulation, or a three dimensional video game. I think that this preponderance of beliefs and theories more than substantiates the importance of the numinous. In case you are not familiar with the word numinous, I will include the definition. Numinous: having a strong religious or spiritual quality; indicating or suggesting the presence of divinity.

While I am not suggesting that the above is an unanimously proven fact, it is most certainly interesting that it is so widely spread over the progression of the millenniums. One certainly could be considered reasonable having strong belief in the existence of the divine supernatural. And yet, over the centuries religion has also been responsible for some of the grossest atrocities against humanity and to a great degree the source of much of mental illness. So it is my belief that when Carl Jung, made the statement he was meaning eclectic spirituality that embraces the best of mystical revelation and science. One without the other creates a slippery slope to malady. It therefore is important to see spirituality and science as compatible. To see that neither one is exclusively intolerant of the other.

This is the place where intuition is extremely important. It could likewise be called spiritual discernment. Avoiding ridged dogmatic beliefs is key in allowing the intuition to logically co-exist along side of scientific theory. I want to emphasize the word theory. All science is indeed theory. Good science is based upon observed and tested theory and yet in the end it is still theory and over the centuries, theories have been found to be inadequate in the presence of new information and observation. It logically follows in my view, that places where mystical revelation and science agree and track together, a solid spiritual foundation for faith is established. 

What I have found over time, and especially recently, is that current scientific studies in physics and cognitive science have bolstered my faith. While I believe that my faith in a creative source, a higher purpose, would be an important factor to me anyway, because I have seen too much evidence for the spiritual and supernatural, the fact is, that current scientific investigation is adding a lot of credence to my beliefs. I still have an abiding belief in Jesus. I do not see it in the same way as I once did. In a lot of ways it is richer and more real. My faith in Jesus fits well within the framework of what I call eclectic spirituality. It is Jesus minus the toxicity. I have truly come to believe that God is love, and that love is precisely what the apostle Paul defined it as in his first letter to the Corinthians. I want to post it here from the NIV. 

1Co 13:4-8  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  (5)  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  (6)  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  (7)  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  (8)  Love never fails. 

Understand that this is the definition of God! Yes, let that sink in... So then, when Jung speaks of the approach to the numinous he is speaking of correctly discerning the spirit of God, the spirit of the universal and cosmic Christ. If one would simply judge mystical revelation by this standard, one would not have a problem with knowing the difference between mystical revelation from the source and the religious meandering thoughts of humans. One can also look for spiritual fruit. The fruit of the spirit of God is love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, kindness, goodness and temperance. The standard is easy to discern, and it will never guide us wrong. Understanding the nature of the divine, and the realization that we are partakers of divinity, will go farther toward healing our neurosis's and psychosis's than any other one thing. It is a reality found in many mystical traditions.