The profound question of humanity’s own existence has tormented the species since the first glimpses of consciousness. We have created complex tapestries of myths, tales, and belief systems over the ages, spanning civilizations and cultures, in our never-ending quest to comprehend the mysteries of life and death. We looked to the heavens amid the chaos of the beginning for comfort and direction in making gods and goddesses. We looked to these gods to help us understand the world and our place in it. Religions were developed to offer a foundation for morals, values, and a sense of direction, assisting people in overcoming obstacles and discovering fulfillment in life. Yet, there have always been some who ventured to challenge the orthodoxies and dogmas that constrained the minds of the devoted. They looked past the convention’s cloak and probed the edges of belief and comprehension.
Being baptized in the Catholic Church and coming from a very traditional family, I was aware from an early age that I did not belong there. To be quite honest, I didn’t care much about any of it at the time, but as I got older, I began to question myself, and it soon became clear that I needed to seek these answers and make an effort to understand life, death, and the realm beyond.
I discovered that belief is a very personal thing and that my own did not conform to traditional religious systems. I define myself as spiritual, not religious, and I have my own personal spiritual or philosophical views. I believe that the universe still holds many mysteries that science cannot explain, and I tend to disagree with Stephen Hawking’s assertion that the origin of the universe can be explained without the existence of God or a divine creator. I do not deny the existence of a being or deity who created the universe, but proving their existence is another matter.
My perspective was influenced by the ideas of people like Antoine Lavoisier and Carl Sagan, among others, and even someone as unlikely as Bill Hicks, as the road to discovering the mysteries of existence opened up before me.
Antoine Lavoisier was a French chemist who famously said, “Nothing is lost, nothing is created, everything is transformed.” I took his theory and adapted it in a way that resonated with me, thus creating my own “religion”. In essence, it advocates that matter and energy are constantly transforming into new forms and being recycled in various ways throughout the natural world, and that our energy, consciousness, or essence may transform and carry on being in some manner after we leave this world.
As Carl Sagan once said, “The cosmos is within us. We are made of starstuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” I found that looking at the stars in the night sky helped me understand how everything is connected and that, unlike what I had previously believed, I was not alone as I watched how new stars were born from the remnants of dead stars. His words helped me understand how small, but at the same time, how precious, life is.
“All matter is merely energy condensed to a slower vibration; we are all one consciousness experiencing itself subjectively; there is no such thing as death; life is only a dream; and we are the imagination of ourselves.” According to American comedian Bill Hicks, all matter is energy that has been condensed into a slower vibration. This theory is consistent with scientific theories that suggest that matter and energy are interchangeable. It emphasizes how everything in the universe is connected and suggests that there is a fundamental unity underneath the variety of physical forms.
The idea of interconnected consciousness or shared consciousness is suggested by Hicks' claim that we are all one consciousness perceiving itself subjectively. It suggests an underlying connection or shared essence that transcends individual identities and underlines our interconnectedness as humans.
The idea that life is simply a dream and that there is no such thing as death is a perspective present in many religious and philosophical systems. It suggests an underlying continuity or connectivity beyond physical existence, questioning the common view of life and death as separate and distinct realities.
The notion that “we are the imagination of ourselves” emphasizes both the inventive ability of human consciousness and the relevance of subjective experience in determining how we interpret the world. It implies that our thoughts, beliefs, and perceptions have a big impact on how the world appears to us and how we experience it.
New thoughts and beliefs can arise from the ashes of old paradigms, just as stars are born from the ashes of their predecessors. We have the power to ignite the flames of personal revelation from the depths of our souls, creating a spiritual path that is solely our own. As the seeker embraces the ability to create a personal religion, pulling inspiration from the wide fabric of human knowledge and experience, it is a voyage of self-discovery. For in the journey of creating a personal religion, the seeker discovers that the true essence of spirituality lies not in adherence to external doctrines, but in the awakening of the inner divine. May this tale inspire others to set out on their own spiritual journey. In the boundless realm of the spirit, there are no limits to the wonders that await those who dare to dream and create.
