Potential and Actual

The material world we live in is the world of science, senses, atoms, particles, forces and chemistry that can be measured and controlled to the degree we understand it through science and technology. It is also the world where our emotions are expressed through various relationships. It is a world of causes and effects that can be described and predicted to some degree as well.

The metaphysical world, if you choose to believe it. It is the ultimate cause of everything we see in the physical world. Even though there are billions of causes and effects that occur in the material world every nanosecond, the underlying ultimate cause (or first cause using Aristotle's language), is the metaphysical world. Some world views are completely materialistic and deny the existence of the metaphysical world.

If you are consistently scientific even into the realm of your personal life you might fall into this group. However, if you have any spiritual beliefs beyond that of naturalist or humanist style, you likely believe there is an underlying ground of being for the physical world. Differences of opinion about the nature of the metaphysical and its relationship to the physical occur once a belief in the metaphysical exists.

Maybe a few contrasts will help. In this list the left side represents the physical world and the right side the metaphysical:

• Relative - Absolute
• Actual - Potential
• Effect - Cause
• Sensory - Extra-sensory
• Objective - Subjective
• Changing - Constant
• Logical - Intuitive
• Approximate - Perfect
• Becoming - Ground of Being

In my interpretation, the metaphysical is not in the realm of the supernatural. Everything is One that includes what we'd call the metaphysical and the physical. We have our Source and Ground of Being in the metaphysical. We access the metaphysical through a consciousness that is aware of the Source. This awareness can be developed and increased if we have the will to do it. It is what allows us to truly discover who we are and to embark on a path of self-actualization and true expression and demonstration in the physical, or relative world.

Our consciousness can be raised to the extent that we have the potential to act from a position of a higher consciousness (sometimes called Christ, Buddha, Brahman, etc. depending on which religious tradition is used for language). The typical secular term for this is self-actualization. As we raise our consciousness we are able to respond to stimuli from the relative world in a way that is closer to the absolute. We are able to bring the potential of perfection from the absolute world into a more accurate instantiation in the physical world. This is the ideal, but not typical as most of us move up and down through lower and higher levels of awareness.

The metaphysical world is the place of pure potential. The physical world is the place of actuality. The potential of Energy/Light/Mind/Spirit needs the full experience of the Relative world and participates with all conscious entities in a dynamic co-creation of the material and psychic Universe. The depth of this bi-directional participation can be increased by seeking in order to find and knocking so that the door might be opened to us.

Metaphysics, Physics, Theology, and the Bible

I've always been intrigued by the so-called "magic" numbers from the Bible. Not the bottom-up analysis trying to come up with secret messages based on computer analysis of original Hebrew scriptures. But the more macro-level numbers that appear many times and have special significance. The most well-known of these are 3, 7, 12 and 40.

Of these, 3 has been of the most practical usage in my life. It's also used colloquially in phrases like "third time is the charm". I wrote a blog a long time ago about the optimum number of choices for any given circumstance that I believe is 3. When I really need to learn challenging material and know it cold, one discipline is to read/study the material 3 times. In the world of computer software, it is interesting that new products usually reach a foundational level of maturity on version 3.

One of the more interesting applications of the "power of 3" is the realization that the Bible can be read and understood on 3 different levels.

1. Literal - every word is the absolute literal word of God and must be believed and followed without change.
2. Story - the Bible is a collection of stories that teach us moral lessons. It is not important if they are historically true or not
3. Metaphysical - the Bible is a collection of stories that have metaphysical meaning. None of the stories are meant to talk about things that occurred in the physical world. Everything is symbolism that speaks of the evolution of human consciousness.

Of these, number 1 is the least useful for obvious reasons. Which translation? Do I have to go back to original text and learn Greek or Hebrew to really know? What about the evidence we have that mistakes, purposeful or otherwise, can be seen thoughout the history of copying and translating the originals? What about the contradictions? What is the practical relevance to my life reading this way about ancient cultures? Is this making the spriritual mistake of following the letter of the law as the Pharisees were accused of doing?

Level 2 is a useful way to read the Scripture to get practical moral lessons. Read in this way the stories are timeless and can be mapped onto contemporary situations for guidance and enlightenment.

The third level, the metaphysical, is in the realm of "secret knowledge" as understood by alternative ancient Christian sects such as the Gnostic Christians. This was a belief that the scriptures were written at multiple levels so that they can meet the reader where they are. The highest level of understanding is the symbolic, psychical or consciousness level. An understanding at this level yields the highest benefit and is closer to the Truth, but is difficult to understand by the uninitiated or untrained.

The third level is more interesting today because of the fact that we are a much more educated and advanced world than 2000 years ago. It makes it possible for more people to gain an understanding at this level since more of us are capable of thinking at higher levels of abstraction. Another factor is that knowledge of multiple religions and spiritual paths add layers of understanding to the metaphysical interpretations that are possible. A third factor is the connection with modern science that is possible when this level is used as a framework for study.

Many interesting connections and much spiritual enlightenment can be gained by a close metaphysical reading of the Bible, broadening that information to include ideas from Eastern Religions and Philosophy, then connecting to Modern Science especially in the areas of Evolution, DNA, Quantum Physics and String Theory. A quantitative understanding of the sciences is not necessary to get this understanding. However, a good conceptual grounding in world religions and the fundamental sciences is useful, either before starting a metaphysical study or picked up along the way.

The spiritual power that can be gained by integrating the perspectives of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Philosophy, Physics, DNA, Evolution and Cosmology is a large step toward "Christ Consciousness" that is present in all religions but called by different names.

Modern Physics

Modern physics tells us about incredible worlds that exist in the infinitely small and the infinitely large. M-theory, String Theory, 4 fundamental forces, Standard Model, SuperGravity and Quantum Mechanics are just a small subset of theories that are used to describe the physical world. The closer we get to a Theory of Everything the more impossible the chance of a scientific proof of the theory becomes. At what point does Physics become Metaphysics?

That is a particularly interesting question to me, given that I am in the middle of a conscious study of Metaphysics for the next few weeks. Listening to some of the best Theoretical Physicists talk about Strings, (mem)Branes, Collisions, Dark Matter, Dark Energy and on and on I am struck by how closely it resembles historical Metaphysical explanations for the Universe. Not on specifics, but on the style of communication.

Physics today is grounded and driven by extremely sophisticated mathematics that ordinary laymen such as myself cannot understand. It requires significant scientific and mathematical background. So, the implications of the theories that are predicted by the math must be communicated in "stories". Stories tell us about the wonderful worlds that exist in parallel Universes, Multiverses (multiple universes) and strange particles that zip, collide, split, disintegrate and form new particles at the sub-atomic level.

A story is the fundamental component of Mythology. That's where we started. Metaphysics, starting with Platonism and descendents told Metaphysical stories held together with logic. Modern Physics seems to have advanced to the point where we are weaving extremely grand and complete theories of the physical world told in the form of Stories that are held together by Mathematics, or Formal Logic. So, modern physics is based on a concrete and mathematically provable Logic, where as Metaphysics is held together by pure logic.

No matter how far Modern Physics takes us, though, it is still focused on the Effect, whereas Metaphysics is focused on the Cause. At some point, Cause can get very close to Effect. However, it can probably never get there. Another aspect of Metaphysics is that some forms are held together by personal experience in Consciousness as well as Logic.

The stories of modern physics seem to be contemporary versions of myths that we can spin with some degree of foundation or grounding in very sophisticated Formal Logic. (Mathematics). However, the goal is to understand the Effect so thoroughly that the Cause will be revealed. Metaphysics has a different starting point, which is to understand the Cause through Logic, Intuition and Meditation so thoroughly that the Effect makes sense at the highest level so that the true Order of the Effect can be understood and influenced by the intuitive insights of Metaphysics.

Sorry if I've boiled this down to much to be understandable. Obviously, many hours of stimulating and clarifying conversation are possible from these concepts.