Everything
Is Energy
NOTE: This discourse is an excerpt from the book The
Inner Path of Light.
One reason many people fail to get results from the path is that they
do not take command over their inner circumstances. Therefore, it is
helpful to understand the factors that prevent people from being in
control of themselves.
The following discourses
will describe the two most important factors that prevent you from improving
your inner (and outer) circumstances. However, to clearly explain these
factors, it is necessary to build a foundation that will clarify how
the human psyche works. This discourse will use the latest discoveries
of science to examine the question of whether people are more than just
material beings.
A new world view is needed
Let us perform a thought
experiment and mentally project ourselves back to medieval Europe. We
find ourselves surrounded by people who believe the Earth is flat and
that it is the center of the universe. For a person from the modern
world, this is a somewhat shocking discovery. How could people possibly
believe in ideas that are so obviously wrong? As we take a closer look,
we find two reasons why people believe the Earth is flat:
- From early childhood,
people are conditioned to believe the Earth is flat.
- Based on what people experience
through their senses, it makes sense to say that the Earth is flat.
When you look towards the
horizon, it seems reasonable that the Earth could be a flat disc and
that you might fall off the edge. When you observe the night sky, it
seems reasonable that the heavenly bodies are revolving around the Earth
and therefore this planet must be the center of the universe.
As we take a closer look
at medieval society, we realize that the belief in a flat Earth has
a profound influence on people’s view of themselves and their
world. In reality, this belief is limiting people in many subtle ways,
and it is preventing the progression of society as a whole. We clearly
see that this incorrect belief has to go. Therefore, we get exited when
a few scientists claim that the Earth is round and that it is not the
center of the universe. We think, “Now we will see some major
progress!”
To our dismay, the new scientific
findings are not universally accepted. The new idea encounters fierce
opposition from the powers that be and a general indifference from the
people. At first, we feel stunned. How could people possibly reject
a correct idea by clinging to old ideas that are so obviously incorrect?
As we take a closer look, we realize that medieval people are not unintelligent
or primitive. They are simply people, meaning that they are creatures
of habit. Therefore, they are reluctant to let go of an idea that is
familiar to them. As we watch the decades go by, we realize that it
takes a long time before people change their world view according to
the latest discoveries of science.
As we return to our own time,
we feel a sense of relief. In today’s world, people are no longer
bound by outdated beliefs in a flat Earth. Then, a nagging question
sneaks into our minds, “Are modern people really all that different?”
The people of today are also creatures of habit. Is it possible that
people still cling to outdated beliefs? What if modern people have not
adjusted their world view based on the latest discoveries of science?
Perhaps it might be helpful to take a closer look at scientific discoveries.
A relatively
important discovery
During the 1800s, some scientists
were talking about a phenomenon called “the end of science.”
Many scientists believed that existing scientific theories had explained
all of the natural laws that created the material universe. Current
theories could not account for a few things, but most scientists believed
that these were “details,” or “anomalies,” that
would soon be explained.
In 1903, a clerk at the Swiss
patent office in Bern started studying one of these anomalies. While
thinking about the problem, he had an intuitive vision that gave him
a new view of how the universe works. It took him almost two years to
translate this vision into a credible scientific theory. When he published
his new theory in 1905, he quickly became world-famous. His name was
Albert Einstein, and his new theory was the theory of relativity.
The theory of relativity
shook the foundations of physics and opened new vistas for scientific
investigation. Today, physicists still cannot fully explain all of the
implications of this groundbreaking theory. Unfortunately, the theory
of relativity has not had the same impact on the world view of the general
population. The reason is that most people, including many scientists,
have not understood or accepted the philosophical implications of this
theory. Had these implications been generally accepted, an entirely
new world view would have emerged.
If you are serious about
making progress on the path, you cannot allow yourself to be limited
by an outdated world view. Therefore, let us look at how the theory
of relativity as well as other scientific discoveries can help you open
up new opportunities for personal growth. As you consider the following
ideas, please do not forget to use the inner approach to knowledge.
Unity behind
diversity
When you examine the world
through your senses, you discover an incredible diversity. Yet science
has proven that this diversity exists only on the surface. When you
go beyond the level of sensory experience, you discover greater unity
and simplicity. All matter is made from molecules, and molecules are
made from the combination of two or more different atoms.
Even atoms are not the final
building blocks of matter. For decades, scientists believed that atoms
were made of only three so-called elementary particles. After Einstein’s
discoveries, scientists found numerous subatomic particles, but even
these particles are not the fundamental building blocks of matter. Scientists
still have not developed a final theory of how matter is formed, but
they do know that one cannot understand matter without understanding
energy. In other words, energy is the deeper, underlying reality behind
the diversity of so-called solid matter. The entire matter universe
is built on a foundation of vibrating energy.
The material world has many
barriers that seem impenetrable to the senses. For centuries, people
accepted the existence of an impenetrable barrier between the human
mind and the human body. Before Einstein, physicists thought the universe
was made from two separate elements, namely matter and energy. Although
matter and energy could interact, they always remained separate, much
like oil and water.
With his famous equation,
E=mc2, Einstein made this dualistic world view obsolete. His equation
proves that matter and energy are not separate elements and that one
can be converted into the other. Perhaps you were taught that a nuclear
reactor converts matter into energy, but this explanation is not quite
correct. A nuclear reactor simply frees the energy that is already stored
in the atom. Energy is stored in the atom because matter is made from
energy. Einstein’s equation states that everything is energy.
Cause and
effect
You have probably heard about
the concept of cause and effect. For centuries, some scientist have
attempted to explain every aspect of the universe as the effect of material
causes. (For example, some scientists believe that thoughts are produced
by chemical reactions in the brain.) As a result, many scientists have
not yet begun to consider cause and effect in light of the fact that
everything is energy.
Einstein’s seemingly
simple equation proves that there is more to cause and effect than meets
the eye. If everything is energy, then energy is the underlying reality.
Therefore, if we truly want to understand our observations of the matter
world, we need to consider that a physical phenomenon could be the effect
of a cause that takes place in a realm of energy. In other words, energy
could be the cause, and matter could be the effect. Perhaps the entire
matter universe is the effect of causes that occur in a deeper realm
of pure energy.
Although scientists know
a lot about energy, they still cannot answer the question, What is energy?
Instead, scientists talk about the properties of energy. The most distinct
property of energy is that it vibrates. Energy moves in waves, and scientists
talk about wavelength, amplitude and frequency. These words are simply
different ways to describe and measure the vibration of energy.
The only difference between
various forms of energy is a difference in vibration. You probably learned
in school that visible light is light-energy and that various colors
are created by light-energy of different frequencies. Violet light is
not fundamentally different from red light; it merely vibrates at a
higher rate. Furthermore, many forms of light are invisible to the human
eye. Ultraviolet light vibrates too quickly and infrared light vibrates
too slowly to be seen by the human eye.
This points to two interesting facts:
- Your senses cannot detect
certain forms of light, yet these forms of energy are as real as visible
light rays or solid matter. Likewise, the realm of invisible energy
is just as real as the matter universe.
- The only difference between
various forms of light is in their vibration. Because so-called solid
matter is a form of energy, it follows that the only difference between
matter and less physical energy is a difference in vibration. Therefore,
you can convert matter into energy, or energy into matter, by changing
the vibration of the energy.
Going beyond
matter
How valid is the idea of
a realm, a dimension or a world made of pure energy? Scientists do not
have final proof that such a realm exists, but they do have evidence.
Based on Einstein’s discovery, a group of physicists developed
a new branch of science called quantum physics, or quantum mechanics.
This science studies the world of subatomic particles, which is where
matter meets energy. Because matter is made from energy, there must
be a dividing line at which vibrating energy turns into solid matter.
Let us make this less abstract
by visualizing that we take a trip into the deeper realms of matter.
You know that your body is made from smaller building blocks called
cells. Cells are made from even smaller entities, namely molecules.
Molecules are made from atoms, and atoms are made from elementary particles
that are incredibly small. Scientists have found that elementary particles
are very different from what we normally consider a particle. In other
words, elementary particles are not a bunch of tiny billiard balls moving
around at the speed of light. In fact, scientists have discovered (and
proven through numerous experiments) that elementary particles have
a dual nature. Sometimes they behave as matter particles and sometimes
they behave as waves of pure energy.
This discovery has baffled
numerous physicists, but you don’t have to be a rocket scientist
to draw the logical conclusion. As you travel into the deeper levels
of matter, you reach a dividing line. On one side of the line you find
matter particles, and on the other side of the line you find pure energy.
In other words, science has demonstrated that there is something beyond
the matter universe. That something is a realm of pure energy.
Quantum physicists devote
their lives to studying the invisible world of subatomic particles/waves.
They have developed huge instruments, called particle accelerators,
to observe the subatomic world. These instruments have revealed how
subatomic particles can collide and create new particles, and scientists
are using these observations as the basis for figuring out how matter
is formed. However, particle accelerators have also revealed a phenomenon
which many present physicists consider an unimportant anomaly. Sometimes,
a subatomic particle can literally appear out of nowhere.
Experiments show that a particle
can appear and divide itself into several particles that travel some
distance; then those particles collide and disappear back into the nowhere
from which they came. What if this phenomenon turns out to be the key
to taking quantum physics to a new level? What if such experiments prove
that “matter” particles are the effects of an underlying
cause which takes place in a realm of pure energy, a realm that is beyond
the matter universe?
Some scientists have already formulated theories based on this possibility.
These physicists talk about a “quantum field” or a “vacuum
state” that lies beyond the horizon of the matter universe yet
produces the entire universe. Will such ideas one day become mainstream
science and empower humankind to develop a more complete world view?
While quantum physics studies
the realm of minute particles, astrophysics studies the realm of solar
systems and galaxies. Astrophysicists have discovered that the amount
of matter in the universe cannot account for the gravitational pull
that holds the universe together. In other words, if the universe was
made exclusively from visible matter, the galaxies would long ago have
drifted apart. In an attempt to explain this, some scientists have proposed
the existence of so-called dark matter which is invisible to the human
senses and (current) scientific instruments.
Where does dark matter exist?
What if it exists in a realm that is beyond the matter universe yet
connected to this universe? What if dark matter is actually pure energy,
energy that is “invisible” from the matter universe? Perhaps
we can find an underlying cause, existing in a realm of pure energy,
which is holding the material universe together. Perhaps the matter
universe is not a closed sphere but only one part of a larger whole.
Albert Einstein talked about the “space-time continuum.”
Perhaps we need to consider that there may be a “matter-energy
continuum” and that we cannot understand the material universe
without understanding what lies beyond it.
How this relates to self-help
Today most people still cling
to a dualistic world view and visualize a universe made from two separate
elements. We have a solid element, called matter, and a fluid element,
called energy. This dualistic world view is obviously based on the physical
senses. Most people cling to this world view; however, science has proven
that the human senses do not produce an accurate view of reality. In
a scientific age, a world view based on sensory perception is almost
as incomplete as the belief in a flat Earth.
If you are willing to leave
this world view behind, you can make major progress on your personal
path. You only need to adjust your world view to the scientific fact
that you live in a world in which everything is energy. In reality,
the concept of matter is inaccurate. Contrary to what your senses are
telling you, the seemingly solid substance that you call matter is made
from vibrating energy. Normally, you think of energy as a vibrating
substance that is always moving. Yet this vibrating energy can be captured
into a form, or matrix, that makes it appear as unchangeable matter.
Scientists cannot yet fully explain how this happens, but the theory
of relativity proves that it does happen.
What people call matter is
not an actual substance. Matter is a mental concept that was created
in the human mind. In reality, all matter is made from vibrating energy.
Some of this energy appears solid to the human senses because the senses
cannot detect the extremely fast vibrations of the energy that makes
up so-called matter. Just think of how a rubber band or the string on
a guitar can vibrate so quickly that you cannot see the individual vibrations
but only a blur.
To fully accept a new world
view, you might need to adjust your vocabulary. Instead of talking about
matter and energy, you need to talk about “stationary energy”
and “fluid energy.” You also need to start visualizing that
everything around you, no matter what your senses tell you, is made
from vibrating energy.
Why is it so important to
make this mental adjustment? Because by accepting that everything is
energy, you can open up exciting new possibilities that will empower
you to take control over your inner and outer circumstances.
The previous discourse explained
that the key to changing your outer situation is to first change your
inner situation. We can now gain a different perspective on this idea.
Your inner situation is obviously
the world of your mind and psyche. It should be obvious that your thoughts
and feelings are not made of matter. Regardless of what you might believe
about how thoughts and feelings are created, the thoughts and feelings
themselves are not material substances but forms of energy. Hardly anyone
disputes the existence of mental and emotional energy.
During most of recorded history,
people have believed in the existence of a nonmaterial phenomenon called
the soul. Only within the last couple of centuries have materialistic
scientists disputed the existence of the soul. These scientists claim
that all thoughts and feelings are the result of electrical and chemical
processes that take place in the physical brain.
If this were true, then the
entire concept of self-improvement would have no meaning. It could be
reduced to an attempt to find a wonder drug or an electromagnetic device
that would turn you into a perfect human being. If you were a hard-core
materialist, you probably would not be reading this book. Therefore,
let it be enough to say that even materialists seem to recognize that
thoughts and feelings are forms of energy.
If you compare this to our
previous considerations about the relationship between matter and energy,
you might develop a new perspective on the existence of the soul. We
have seen that matter does not produce energy. Although it is possible
to convert matter into energy, this process simply frees the energy
that is already stored in the matter substance. That energy is not produced
by matter, because energy is the fundamental building block that is
used to create matter in the first place. Therefore, the idea that the
brain can create mental and emotional energy seems to contradict the
discoveries of physics. A gross substance cannot produce the fundamental
substance from which it was created. Water is made from oxygen and hydrogen
atoms. Water does not produce the atoms; the atoms produce the water.
This does not mean that the
chemical and electrical processes in the brain have no influence upon
your thoughts or feelings. They obviously do, as demonstrated by scientific
experiments and common experience. However, the fact that your brain
can influence your thoughts does not prove that your brain produces
those thoughts. You have probably seen an experiment that sends a beam
of white light into a glass prism. The prism splits the white light
into several light rays that have the colors of the rainbow. If you
did not know that the white light entered the prism from an outside
source, you might reason that the prism produced light of different
colors. Likewise, if you define a theory which denies the existence
of anything beyond the material universe, your only option is to reason
that the brain produces thoughts.
Which came first, the brain or the soul?
If you are open to the idea
that life might have a nonmaterial side, you might reason that thoughts
are created by something that is beyond the brain. Thoughts are like
the white light which the prism of the brain splits into various colors.
If the brain is not creating
thought energy, then where are thoughts created? Could thought energy
possible come from a more fundamental level of reality, a level of pure
energy? Could it come from a nonmaterial entity that we might call the
soul?
Currently, we cannot scientifically
prove the existence of the soul. Yet neither do we have any way to disprove
the existence of the soul. Consequently, the existence or nonexistence
of the soul remains a matter of belief. To find your personal answer,
why not apply the inner approach to knowledge?
Does it seem right to you
that all of your mental and emotional processes are created by chemical
reactions in the gray matter that happens to be deposited between your
ears? Or does it seem logical that your thoughts and feelings originate
at a level of reality that is deeper or more fundamental than the matter
in the brain? Could it be that your thoughts and feelings originate
at the level of pure energy and that they are produced by the soul?
Could it be that the soul is not a product of the body but simply resides
in the body for a season? In other words, the soul might be the cause
and the body the effect.
Einstein’s theory of
relativity has proven that you are not a matter being but an energy
being. If you want to understand your true identity, you must look beyond
the matter sphere, or the material universe. Perhaps your body is a
vehicle through which the soul interacts with the material world. If
so, it follows that if you want to control your inner circumstance,
you must first take possession of your soul. Perhaps the key to discovering
your true identity might be hidden among the energy garments of your
soul. In the following discourses, we will take a journey into the world
of the soul.
Go to the next
discourse.
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Copyright
© 2003 by Kim Michaels |
