“Up close, an atom is composed of tinier bits of matter whirling at lightning speed around a huge empty space. …

“If you zero in on these bits of subatomic matter, they are not material at all but rather mere vibrations of energy that have taken on the appearance of solidity. This discovery, that matter is a fluctuation of energy dressed up in a different guise, fueled the quantum revolution lrd by Einsten and his colleagues. …

“The quantum revolution made it inevitable that our world-view would change. Quantum physics proved that the infinite variety of objects we see around us—stars, galaxies, mountains, trees, butterflies, and amoebas—is connnected by infinite, eternal, unbounded quantum fields, a kind of invisible quilt that has all creation stitched into it. Objects that look seperate and distinct to us are in fact all sewn into the design of this vast quilt. The hard edges of any object , such as a chair or a table, are an illusion forces upon us by the limits of our sight. If we had eyes tuned to the qquantum world, we would see these edges blur and finally ment, giving way to unlimited quantum fields. …

“It is nw believed that a single superfield, called the unified field, exists; it is the ultimate reality that underlies all of nature.” ~Deepak Chopra

Looking at the Atom

As Chopra says, the atom was for centuries considered the smallest particle of matter and was fairly solid. Only the invention of more powerful microscopes made it possible to see that the atom was not solid at all, but made up of smaller particles whirling around each other. When I was in grade school and high school, this was typically depicted as a nucleus of particles with solid electrons swirling around it only a short distance away. The new quantum version has the electron a greater distance from the nucleus, and it is all fuzzy to show that it isn’t solid at all, but only appears solid when observed.

All Connected

The greater discovery of Quantum Physics is that these tiny subatomic particles are all connected to each other in some as yet unknown way. While many scientists who favor a more Newtonian view of the world insist that this interconnectedness of subatomic particles does not extend out to larger objects like trees and people. While that opinion may give them some comfort, it doesn’t make sense. If everything is made of atoms, which are made of smaller subatomic particles, and those particles are interconnected, then everything and everyone is interconnected. On a material level of existence, that interconnectedness is not apparent, but at a higher, more spiritual level it is. Dr. Chopra refers to this as a great quilt, but I don’t think that gives an accurate view. A quilt is made up of many pieces that are sewn together, yet they remain separate. The idea here is that objects are not truly separate but are joined to all other objects, directly or indirectly. And that is just on the physical level and in the universe of matter.

The Spiritual Side of Interconnectedness

This interconnectedness is even greater on a spiritual level. We only have to think a little about what spirits are. Spirit is not restricted or affected in any way by space and time. A spirit occupies all space and all time simultaneously. As a result, they are clearly all interconnected. If every spirit is infinite, then in any location, no matter how small, all spirits are there. So while physical subatomic particles/waves are connected to others in the same time and space, spirits are connected in all times and all spaces. It is the goal of spiritual development to reach that level of consciousness where we become aware of that interconnectedness and become One with the All. This doesn’t mean we lose our individuality, but it does mean that individuality is more limited than most of us believe.

Being Healthy

A final note on being healthy. The quote from Dr. Chopra comes from his book titled “Perfect Health”. In this book, he expresses the idea that disease and aging are optional. In a quantum world, we must understand that nearly every cell in our bodies is regularly replaced. It is only because we believe in it that the process allows the cells to age or develop disease. He says that if we can change our beliefs to understand that those cells can reproduce perfectly each time, no matter how old we get, we will live much longer and healthier lives. Gene Savoy, Sr. taught the same idea.

“It is the object of contemplative prayer, as it is the object of all education, to discipline and develop certain growing faculties. Here, the faculties are those of the ‘transcendental self,’ the ‘new person’—all those powers which we associate with the ‘spiritual consciousness.’ The ‘Sons of God,’ however, like the sons of men, begin as babies, and their first lessons must not be too hard. Therefore the educative process conforms to and takes advantage of every step of the natural process of growth: as we, in the education of our children, make the natural order in which their faculties develop the basis of our scheme of cultivation. Recollection, Quiet, and Contemplation, then, answer to the order in which the mystic’s powers unfold. Roughly speaking, we shall find the forms of spiritual attention which is called ‘Meditative, or ‘Recollective’ go side to side with the purification of the Self; that ‘Quiet’ tends to be characteristic of illumination, that contemplation proper—at any rate in its highest forms—is most fully experienced by those who have attained, or nearly attained, the United Way. At the same time, just as the self in its ‘first mystic life,’ before it has passed through the dark night of the spirit, often seems to run through the whole gamut of spiritual states, and attain that immediate experience of the Absolute which it seeks—though as a fact, it has not reached those higher levels of consciousness on which true and permanent union takes place.” ~Evelyn Underhill

Discipline and Development

Ms. Underhill is correct in linking together discipline and development in any educative process. With virtually any type of education, self-discipline goes together with developing the skills or knowledge of that education. This is probably more important with our spiritual development than with any other form of education. A person who gains spiritual knowledge without also developing the discipline to handle and control that knowledge can harm themselves or others, and either negate into developing the dark side or become frightened and stop their spiritual development entirely. So the smart spiritual school or teacher helps the student develop discipline at the same time they are learning spiritual development techniques. Think of Mr. Miyagi teaching Daniel in the original (1984) version of “The Karate Kid”. He made Daniel develop patience and discipline before learning Karate.

The New Person

I have taken the liberty here of modernizing Underhill’s statement which originally read “new man” because I want it to be clear that it applies to women as well. What Underhill is saying here is that with proper spiritual development, we don’t just become better educated, we become a new person, a transcendental person who is greater than before such development. You are not just educating yourself, as with studying math, for example, but literally changing yourself.

Sons and Daughters of God

Just as our physical self begins as a baby, so does the newly awakened spirit. While a spirit is never a baby, it is similar to one in that it is uneducated, so its education must start with the basics. You wouldn’t put an infant in a college physics class. Likewise, you don’t start teaching spiritual development with advanced methods and knowledge. It might not have to be as basic as stacking blocks and coloring in color books, still, the concept applies. The beginning student must start at the beginning and progress slowly, with very few exceptions. And a good school will allow each student to progress at his or her own speed, and not forde them to go too fast or slow them down so much that they lose interest.

The Order in Which Powers Unfold

While we are all individuals, and some may develop differently than others, there is a general order in which spiritual development happens. So a good spiritual education takes that into account and teaches in the order in which things usually develop. And it isn’t just the order in which they develop, but the order in which they can be understood. It is also true that some people develop certain spiritual gifts while others don’t. As a dog owner, I have been disappointed at times in my limited ability to communicate with animals, yet this is an advanced gift that few develop until a very late stage, so I accept that now, and make use of those spiritual abilities that have developed. It should be noted that spiritual abilities and psychic abilities are not the same, so try not to confuse the two.

Dark Night of the Spirit

The Dark Night of the Spirit (or Soul) is something mentioned often in regard to spiritual development. Some express the idea that without going through such a period of great difficulties and depression, spiritual development cannot happen. Fortunately, that is not true. While we all go through some difficulties, something as deep as the Dark Night of the Spirit doesn’t always happen, nor does it have to. Just as some people are easier to wake from deep physical sleep than others, so too some are easier to awaken from the deep sleep of spirit than others. And having a Dark Night of the Soul does not guarantee a spiritual awakening. Many have such an experience and do not develop spiritually at all. So don’t seek out such an experience on the idea that it will awaken your spiritual faculties. Following the techniques of a spiritual school like Cosolargy is a better and safer way to do it.