Part 1: The Spirit World

And the light shineth in darkness: and the darkness did not comprehend it.

In contemporary times, our images of the spirit world are cast from the mold of many sources.

• Religious primary sources like the Bible or القرآن
• Suggestions and sermons from religious pastors, priests, or gurus
• Modern-secondary sources including the writings of saints, popes, and spiritual commentators
• Mass media depictions, like the spirit world in Avatar: The Last Airbender, heaven in What Dreams May Come, or paranormal reality shows and horror movies
• Depictions which come from spirit-critics; Richard Dawkins; atheist images of God
• Ideas which come from the mouths of celebrities and politicians
• The words of our family and friends
• Direct experiences which come from meditation, prayer, and psychedelic drugs

As information in the world becomes more and more available, separating the wheat from the chaff is becoming an increasingly arduous task. Yet, it is an increasingly interesting one, too. With access to so much, we have an opportunity to understand how our fellow men relate to the divine like never before in history.

Many people today may claim that religion is the realm of irrelevant fairy tales. Yet, even the most strident atheist must admit that the spirit world plays a deep role in animating the actions, culture, and self-understanding of billions of people. Is this not worth understanding in a meaningful way, beyond dismissing?

In this blog, I will share some things I've discovered about the spirit world in my short life. Some of it may be wrong; some, irrelevant. Compared to the vast ocean of the spiritual knowledge of humanity, it will contain just a drop. My purpose in writing is to understand better, to synthesize, and to concretize. Although it may be far beyond me, I also seek to write as a prayer: as a vehicle for opening myself to growing closer to the Divine.

Thank you for joining me on this journey.