WillSpirit!

In an earlier post, I mentioned the transcendent state as consisting of three great realizations: unity, love, and rightness. When we feel the world aligned in this way, are we delusional, or are we finally awake in the truest sense?

Let’s consider the deep experience of cosmic unity. Many Eastern spiritual traditions revolve around awareness of interdependence, and Western religious systems emphasize fusion on one or more levels: union with God (always), union with humankind (often), and union with nature (sometimes). But unity is not just a mystical concept; it is a verifiable principle that spans the full spectrum of reality, including physical, ecological, structural, social, and spiritual realms.

On the physical plane, we are immersed in a sea of powerful forces. We adhere to the surface of Earth by the mystery of gravity, while our biological cycles are determined by planetary rotation, tidal fluctuations, and seasonal shifts. Cosmic rays stream through our bodies, and solar radiation supports life on earth. We look like independent entities walking around, but ambulation belies our utter immersion in the physical matrix that surrounds us.

Ecologically, we breath oxygen generated by plants, drink water molecules that have cycled through countless bodies over eons, and eat food produced by the ceaseless engine of life on Earth. We live in a thin organic envelope that wraps around the vast mineral globe. Our bodies are infiltrated through and through with microorganisms, and we would not survive long without the bacteria that live within us.

Structurally, we rely on other people for every aspect of modern life. Safe in our solid buildings, we forget the contractors who erect dwellings and workplaces. We rarely consider all who labor to develop irrigation systems, grow crops, transport food, and prepare it for sale. We turn on the light switch without giving thought to the workers who design and maintain the power grid. We roar past road crews on the freeway without considering how quickly our transportation system would fail without constant effort by others.

Socially, we act within a web of relationships that spans the globe. Even something as inconsequential as this blog extends the network incrementally. Closer to home, we depend on our acquaintances and loved ones to keep us feeling engaged and optimistic. Without relationships and social support, we’d have far greater trouble enduring the many frustrations of life.

Spiritually, we feel connected with all living creatures, all humans, and divine forces that are simultaneously subtle and awesome. Although religion is embattled in this largely secular world, cutting edge science is vindicating the age-old belief that important but veiled currents, essentially mystical, run through our lives. Quantum mechanical influences once believed restricted to subatomic realms likely connect our minds continuously with a vast global consciousness.

So profound feelings of unity are neither fictions nor delusions. Even if one prefers to discount mystical and global quantum influences, the interpenetration between lives is undeniable. We depend on the biosphere and one another in ways that become obvious during times of breakdown. For instance, when climate change threatens our lifestyle or natural disasters decimate infrastructure, we quickly wake up to our dependence. The deep feelings of connection with life, humanity, and the cosmos that come during ‘peak experiences’ are actually the times when we are most in touch with our true condition.