How to Know You're Superhuman
Pssst ... It's the Light Within You; All of Us
One of my favorite digital images near our home.
"The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of Light." - Matthew 6:22
In the poetic language of the ancient scriptures, Light often symbolizes knowledge, purity, and the divine. Yet, as the world becomes increasingly fascinated by the wonders of quantum physics, we've started to understand that Light's significance isn't merely symbolic.
In this article, we'll journey together through spiritual wisdom and quantum wonders to discover how the essence of Light within us might hold the key to unlocking our superhuman selves.
Buckle up, for this journey takes us from the core of our very being to the mysteries of the cosmos. Let's delve into the luminous connection between spiritual transformation, the metaphor of Light, and the revolutionary insights of quantum mechanics.
The premise for my article is the superhuman power within you, me, and all of us is Light.
All we need to do is learn to search inside ourselves.
But first, you must believe.
And learn to get out of our own way.
In the Beginning
Let’s go way back in time …
“In the beginning, God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”
Among many ancient spiritual texts, the Book of Genesis beautifully captures the essence of Light as an elemental force, a divine gift that ignited life and consciousness in our universe.
As we delve deeper into spiritual teachings across diverse cultures, we find a similar reverence for Light, a universal symbol of wisdom, purity, and divine connection. These sacred texts are not merely historical or religious documents; they serve as profound metaphysical maps that guide us on our transformational journey toward self-discovery and spiritual transformation.
As we explore these spiritual guideposts alongside the groundbreaking insights of quantum mechanics, we realize that the metaphor of Light might be more than symbolic—it might be a clue to the divine, luminescent essence within us all, the key to unlocking our superhuman potential.
Meet Huston Smith
Huston Smith was a prominent scholar of world religions, renowned for his ability to distill complex spiritual concepts into accessible, reader-friendly language. Born in 1919 in China to Methodist missionaries, he spent his early life immersed in a culture vastly different from his American roots.
This early exposure to diverse religious practices sparked a lifelong fascination with comparative religion. Smith taught at various prestigious universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of California, Berkeley. He wrote numerous books on the topic, with "The World's Religions" among the most popular.
In the book Why Religion Matters, Smith echoes this sentiment when he asserts in Chapter 8 that "Light is a universal metaphor for God." This statement acknowledges the symbolic use of Light across diverse religious traditions as an embodiment of the divine.
Without Light, the Sun, we’re dead. Even though most of us realize this, it’s easy to take the Sun for granted. I submit that we take life for granted if we take Light for granted.
Bhagavad Gita 5.15 reveals, "The all-pervading Light of consciousness is veiled by ignorance, and thus people are deluded and led to perform ill deeds."
According to Smith, "Light creates."
Einstein Loved the Light
In chapter 8 of Why Religion Matters, Smith writes that Albert Einstein, one of the greatest scientific minds in history, once expressed his intent to reflect on the nature of Light for the remainder of his life.
Einstein’s love for Light underscores the vital role light plays not only in spiritual discourse but also in the realm of science. His love for Light harmonizes seamlessly with the principles of quantum mechanics, which posit that everything in the universe, including us, comprises particles of Light, or photons.
Look, science is full of mystery, just like religion!
Einstein said, "It is impossible to imagine a physical quantity which essentially determines the course of world events without assuming Planck's radiation formula to be valid. At present, though, science has not got the least conception of what to do about 'light quanta.'"
If you want to learn more about Albert Einstein, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1921 for his work on the photoelectric effect, check out the official website of the Nobel Prize: "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1921."
Einstein was instrumental in the development of quantum mechanics. His work on the photoelectric effect introduced the concept of "light quanta," or photons, which are packets of Light with discrete energies. This work was a crucial step toward the development of quantum theory.
Science Made Simple
I’m no scientist—just an insatiably curious student and writer. Let’s break down some funky aspects of quantum science that relate to the teeny-tiny parts of our world. You know, the stuff that's so small we can't see it, like atoms and even smaller bits inside atoms, including something called photons.
Here are some of the quirky aspects of Light found in photons:
Photons are fascinating because they're the particles that make up Light. Light in the form of particles appears when you can see light beams straight down through the clouds. But Light can also spread like ripples in a pond after throwing in a stone. That's it acting like a wave. This crazy ability to be two things at once is one of the things that makes quantum physics so cool (and a bit mind-boggling).
Imagine you're at a shop that only sells socks in pairs. Even if you need just one sock, you can't buy it – you must buy the whole pair. Now, Light's energy behaves similarly. When it comes to photons, which are like the 'socks' of the light world, you can't have half a photon. You've got to have a whole one. It's an all-or-nothing deal. That's what we mean when we say Light's energy is 'quantized'’ It's like buying socks - you've got to take the whole pair!
And lastly, Light can do some other serious sci-fi stuff. For instance, a single photon can be in multiple places simultaneously (wild, right?) until we measure or observe it. And if photons become "entangled" (think of it like the best BFF bond ever), what happens to one photon instantly affects its buddy, no matter how far apart they are. Now that's some serious friendship goals!
In a nutshell, Light isn't as simple as it seems. It can be a wave or a particle; it has this all-or-nothing energy thing going on and can do fantastic teleport-style tricks.
And all of this is happening right under our noses.
Who doesn’t love a great mystery?
Miracle or science?
Huston Smith writes, "What this all comes down to is that the two great epochal changes in twentieth-century physics - relativity theory for the large and very fast, and quantum mechanics for the very small - both relate to light."
Hence, both macroscopic and microscopic perspectives of the universe are intrinsically tied to the concept of Light, hinting at a profound interconnectedness between our spiritual understanding and the nature of the universe.
The idea that we are, at our core, composed of pure Light is not just a spiritual metaphor but a scientific reality grounded in quantum mechanics. This convergence between spirituality and science suggests that our quest for self-discovery and understanding of the universe are not as disparate as they seem.
Rather, they are two facets of the same journey: to realize our inherent oneness with the divine light that permeates the cosmos.
Search Inside Yourself: Find Your Superhuman!
In closing, the metaphoric power of Light in spiritual traditions, corroborated by the scientific revelations of quantum mechanics, suggests that we must look inward to find our superhuman selves.
To understand that our essence is not separate from the universe but intrinsically a part of it. After all, if you ever doubted that you’re part of the One, Unity, and an essential player in the grand scheme of things, never forget that you, me, and the rest of us are part of THE UNI-verse.
The very iron found in the hemoglobins of your blood comes from the stars and Earth. Not only are you made of Light, but you’re also a freaking star!
The transformation occurs when we understand and truly embrace that we are all but manifestations of that same divine Light, born of the cosmos and destined to return to it.
The quest to find our superhuman self is, therefore, a journey of Light - a journey towards enlightenment, self-discovery, and ultimately, unity with the divine.
As we walk this path, the Light within us grows brighter, guiding us toward the profound realization that we are. Indeed, stardust made sentient, each of us a tiny universe in our own right and a bearer of divine Light.
Truth!