The Quest for the Soul (A brief overview on transcendence)
- Ludvick Vanleinbock
- May 2, 2017
- 5 min read
Since the dawn of mankind, we as a species have coexisted side by side with nature. Just as all other species have. Often, we have felt like victims to the ever illusive natural order of existence. As man began to progress through time, we decided to embark upon the voyage of a lifetime; trying to understand the reasons behind why things occur the way that they do. In order to facilitate this path of discovery, man created several different forms of organized systems of thought and belief. In the beginning, man created mythos (myth), mythos adapted lugos (logic) and ethos (ethics), which eventually evolved into philosophy. Philosophy then became science with the increased importance of lugos and the need for measurable evidence. Science, with the use of its many technological advancements, eventually took a very strong hold on civilized society. It did this by painting the illusion that we were able to acquire an absolute understanding of reality. All of these carefully crafted sectors of organized thought can be viewed from two major aspects, which are the exterior and interior view points. Both of these aspects were believed to provide human beings with the understanding that they so craved and illuminate their way toward transcendence.
Outer and Inner Transcendence
One of the very first tools invented to better understand the meaning behind the natural order of existence was the creation of mythos. In places all over the world, where humans had sprung to life, people began to create civilizations by gathering together in order to increase there chances at survival. Every individual group utilized it's own unique myth that would serve to give answers to the mysteries of life. Things that would influence the group of people as a whole. All mythos shared one characteristic in common; the belief of super natural beings that help to form and regulate the natural world around them that they referred to, simply, as Gods. For these tribal like groups of people it was very important to follow strict rituals and rites in order to connect to, gain favor, or please their gods in order to prevent their wrath. In performing these rituals man whole heartedly believed that their exterior actions could help to bring them closer to their gods and in so doing give them a sense of transandence. Man had also believed that only when performing these rituals and rites was when they could receive the assistance or transandence that they desired. With the creation of science, which steadily strives to abolish any form of mythos, man validated all scientific idea with a form of complete absolution with the use of measurable facts and supporting evidence. Although science and religion are often time viewed as two completely separate entities it is the need for absolution and unwavering following of ideas that help to define both of these organized system of thought and belief that make these two just one of the two sides to the same coin.
At the turn of the first millennia BCE man began to go through a dramatic change in consciousness that would shift focus away from the understanding that connection to the divine super natural force of the universe for transcendence and assistance could only be obtained through external performance of ritual and rites. The time period that bared witness to major transformation was the axial age that spanned from 900-200 bce. The axial age promoted a much more personal approach towards beliefs, and raised the notion that a lot of things in existence could be understood through introspection. With this central idea at hand many believe enlightenment was something they could achieve if it was seemly sought after and took root within them. Philosophy was one of the by products of this unique time period of man and firmly asserted to accomplish one must first understand what it is they are doing and why it is they are doing it. At first philosophy began to internalize rituals and rites in order to fully understand them before engaging in them, and eventually did away with having to perform them at all feeling as though the purposes of these sacred acts could be accomplished within them once the essence was fully grasped. Philosophy adapted a very strict following to lugos and valued the contributions that others could provide towards philosophical pursuit. Eventually philosophy evolved into science which shifted its focus back onto the external. Unlike the following of mythos that preceded it, science utilized extreme usage of lugos as well as the observational study of the external world in order to determine its nature rather than simply listening to the tales that were passed down from generation to generation. Although science may be a concept that take root within an individual just as philosophy had done before it, it is the fact that everything must first be proven in the external world and only after it has been prove can it then be accepted as the absolute truth to adapt within that separates science from philosophy.
Breaking into the new age
As mentioned earlier one common trait apparent in mythos, philosophy, and science is a sense of absolution and unwavering commitment found in all religion. As each of these evolved from one to the other the later made efforts to all together do away with the former while spreading it's message of being the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Philosophy was the first to heavily adapt lugos into it foundation, yet it still used some mythos as a speculative concept. Eventually lugos took over completely forcing mythos to all together be abandoned and replace with cold hard facts and only the facts. This shift in focus changed some of philosophies core value and inadvertently created what is now known as science. Philosophy was also responsible for the creation what is referred to as metaphysics. Traditionally metaphysics was viewed as a branch of philosophy that covered the first cause and nature of reality. Today however metaphysics can be inter exchanged with the word new age which tends to bridge the gaps between various subjects and find a peaceful balance and coexistence between them all. Some subjects that can be seen as falling under this category are as followed: Philosophy, Religion, Parapsychology, Mysticism, Yoga, ESP, Dream studies, Astrology, Meditation, Self-help studies, Positive thinking, Transcendentalism, Life after death, and Reincarnation. Today many people try to discover their own personal belief system often times incorporating as many different subjects the feel a drawing towards and simply label themselves as undefined spiritualist. These types of people seem to find an inner peace as they discover what best suites them on their road to transandence. No matter what one chooses to believe or not believe in is completely up to them, but its important to understand that discovery and self educating are just as important as the answers that one is seeking to acquire.
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