Real , matter-real

Real-istic: consider life in terms of that which is real.

Matter-real-ize: make something come into matter.

Matter-real: real matter which is tangible, visible, observable and changeable.

Real-ity: that which has been made real, or matter-real-ized.

Interestingly “mater” is from the Latin māter (“mother”), partly via Late Middle English “matere”

And it is through our mother that we matter-real-ize.

That we come to be matter.

Also very interestingly: “Matter loses its material nature at the molecular level. Anything at that and lower levels of organization is not made of “stuff” anymore, but rather of space and energy.”

I’m chewing on two things at the same time.

First, our Origin.

Second, MetaPhysics.

Let me start at metaphysics.

But what is metaphysics?

They say:

And furthermore it is arranged that: Areas of metaphysical studies include ontology, cosmology, and often, epistemology.

A longer definition could be: Metaphysics is a type of philosophy or study that uses broad concepts to help define reality and our understanding of it.

And then: Metaphysics may be divided into (i) General Metaphysics, or Ontology; (ii) Psychical, or Religious, Metaphysics, concerned chiefly with the questions of (1) God, (2) Freedom, (3) Immortality; and (iii) Physical Metaphysics, which discusses the real nature of Time, Space, Laws of Nature, Matter, etc.

It is interesting how we categorise and organise words and information ℹ️ almost likes spells ✨ 🪄 in a thick leather bound volume on an old rough wooden lectern.

I would say:

Perhaps we should specifically include “belief” and “spirit” alongside “mind” & “emotion”, although the only measurable influence which have been studied, is that of the mind, in neuroscience.

Neuroscience occupies itself with the influence of the mind on the body.

But metaphysics, I believe, includes all that can not be seen: mind, spirit and emotion, as expressed in words and beliefs, together, and its ability to influence and/or matter-real-ize that which is matter.

I suppose we could say:

Now before you respond with a big fat frown and a decided “no”, take a moment to consider this ☝️ statement …

It works in the positive and the negative.

And for most of us it happens unconsciously.

Or without conscious intent.

We say, “someone makes me sick to my stomach”, or “is a pain in the neck”.

We say: “this problem or person is a big headache”.

Or something gives me sleepless nights.

These are all expressions of the intangible matter-real-izing in our life.

Small examples.

A bigger more tangible example would be the “placebo effect”.

The placebo effect is when a person’s physical or mental health appears to improve after taking a placebo or ‘dummy’ treatment.

Placebo is Latin for ‘I will please’ and refers to a treatment that appears real, but is designed to have no therapeutic benefit.

And yet – our real-ity improves or is affected.

Our matter-real real-ity is affected.

Physically it changes.

In the Roman Catholic Religious Tradition there is the phenomenon of stigmata.

Stigmata (in Christian tradition) are marks corresponding to those left on Christ’s body by the Crucifixion, (said to have been impressed by divine favour on the bodies of St Francis of Assisi and others).

A neuroscientist (and there are neuroscientific studies published about this) might say it is the influence of the mind on the body.

But I believe we all experience it, consciously, but mostly unconsciously and unintentionally, in our daily lives, our health, our wellness, our relationships and the ease (or dis-ease) with which we live.

This brings me to our Origin.

I am very familiar with the Ancient Jewish and Christian religious texts and theology.

I grew up in the home of a Reformed Evangelical Minister.

And I studied Aramaic, Hebrew and Greek in order to read and understand the ancient texts in their original languages and translations.

Later I read Islamic Theology and the Quran.

As well as an eclectic selection of Buddhist and Hindu texts.

We know Judaism, Islam and Christianity share the same creation narrative.

It starts with: the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

According to these beliefs, the Earth was.

And God was “on the Earth” in their Spirit.

These monotheistic faiths’ creation narratives do not say that the Creator created the earth, but rather that They created on earth or with earth.

And then … God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,^[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

The whole “so that they may rule” thing is an interesting part of this narrative.

And it has definitely matter-real-ized strongly in the modern and post-modern eras.

Later a little more about that, but for now, let’s just note: “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness …”

“Let us“ – this speaks of a plurality which Reformed Theology has formalised in “the One Triune God” who is “Father, Son and Spirit”.

But always “He”.

This “formalising” is a theory that was chosen, which is distinctly absent from the texts (Old and New Testaments) on which the theory was based.

“In our image, in our likeness” – this speaks then as “with plurality” as well, and as able to create, or matter-real-ize what is intangible into what is tangible.

At least.

If we look at Buddhism it could be said that: “They believe that the Buddha and all human beings have their origin in what is variously called Buddha Nature, Buddha Mind, or Emptiness. This is not “nothing,” but is the completely indescribable Source of all Existence.”

“Mind & Nature“ as Origin.

Hold on to that.

In Hinduism the narrative goes like this: A lotus flower grew from Lord Vishnu’s navel with Brahma sitting on it. Brahma separated the flower into three parts – the heavens, the Earth and the sky. Out of loneliness, Brahma split himself into two to create a male and a female. From this male and female all beings were created.

Brahma (Sanskrit: ब्रह्मा, romanized: Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as “the Creator” within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu and Shiva. He is associated with creation, knowledge, and the Vedas.

A plurality as well.

What about “in their likeness”?

“The Eastern mystical religion of Hinduism makes the amazing claim that the true human self is none other than God himself. In other words, for Hindus the human soul is divine.”

Not in their likeness or like them, but Them.

As for Native American ⛺️ 🐎 myths they are many.

“The Lakota Sioux, like other tribal nations, had many versions of a creation story but all involved Wakan Tanka (Great Mystery or Great Spirit), the supreme creative power in the universe, who made all things and so caused all to be related as a family, whether human, animal, plant, spirit, or element; one’s ‘relatives …

The Great Spirit.

Who made all things.

According to Jack D. Forbes : “The cosmic visions of indigenous peoples are significantly diverse. Each nation and community has its own unique traditions. Still, several characteristics stand out. First, it is common to envision the creative process of the universe as a form of thought or mental process. Second, it is common to have a source of creation that is plural, either because several entities participate in creation or because the process as it unfolds includes many sacred actors stemming from a First Principle (Father/Mother or Grandfather/Grandmother). Third, the agents of creation are seldom pictured as human, but are depicted instead as “wakan” (holy), or animal-like (coyote, raven, great white hare, etc.), or as forces of nature (such as wind/breath).”

Plurality for sure.

And idea or desire into matter.

I believe our Origin used a “spark” of themselves to create us.

In each of us is a spark of Them from Who we come.

And like They, we are imbued with the ability to desire into real-ity.

And we do it.

Mostly without realising that we are doing it.

We believe it.

We think it & feel it.

We say it.

And it matter-real-izes.

That is the process.

And should we wish to change what we believe, so that we can change what we think & feel, we could change what we say, working our way backwards, gradually (as we constantly and intentionally change what we say) thinking and feeling differently and eventually believing differently.

And as we do we will notice that something different has matter-real-ized.

Louis Hay, in her book 📖 You can heal Your Life, says: we speak to our self and act towards our self, the way adults spoke to us and treated us when we were little.

We do it without realising.

Listen to how you speak to your self.

I was quite shocked when I did that.

There were no words of love.

No kindness.

No forgiveness.

There were many demands – expectations and very little flexibility.

Very little honor, or grace.

And it showed in my real-ity.