Most people, except atheists (about 7% of the population) and possibly some agnostics (people who are not sure if there “is” a God), believe that there is a Power that created the Universe. Although there are hundreds of names for this Power — including Creator, Allah, Lord, Jehovah — the most commonly used word in our society is God.
It may interest you to know that the word for “God” is not in Judeo-Christian scriptures written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek or Latin. Nor is it in older religious texts in India and other parts of the world. It is thought that the word for God first appeared in a German manuscript in the 6th century, and is related to a word meaning “good.”
Beyond the belief that God “exists,” the concepts, ideas, theories and opinions about God differ widely. Some people see God as a benevolent Being possessed of human -like characteristics and emotions; others see God as a punishing, demanding Being who may sometimes be benevolent if He chooses, but still very human-like.
Some think of God as sitting in judgment, deciding whose prayers He will answer and whose He will reject. Some people are pleased with God, especially when they get what they prayed for, and some are displeased and angry because they or a dear friend or family member is sick, or injured or suffering severe loss.
Some stop “believing in” God because a loved one died, in spite of their fervent prayers.
In competitions (the Olympics, sports, and reality shows such as “American Idol,” “The X Factor,” etc.) when many individuals and team members pray to win and only one person or team wins, the winners often thank God for answering their prayers (Hmm…I wonder what the non-winning individuals and teams think, when their prayers aren’t answered.)
It is not my intention to tell you “how” you should think of and relate to your conception of God. Rather, it is my intention to give you some thoughts to reflect upon, based on research, knowledge, intuition and theories of philosophers, mystics, sages, metaphysicians, psychologists, physicists and quantum physicists.
I have spent most of my adult life delving into the teachings that can answer the most meaningful questions – “Who or what am I? Why am I Here? What do I need to know in order to find fulfillment in my physical life?”
Perhaps you contemplate these questions also. The information (and misinformation) on this kind of subject matter is almost endless.
I consider it my purpose (mission?) to research, correlate, integrate, clarify and simplify the massive amount of material — from philosophy, ancient wisdom, mysticism, psychology, neuroscience, metaphysics, physics and quantum physics – so that I can have enough knowledge and understanding to live a meaningful life, and offer enough verifiable information so that other people can have more success, health and happiness in their lives.
While there is much detailed information in my books, “Vibrational Harmony” – the Secret of Success, Health and Happiness” and Loving the Game of Life – Discovering Who You Are and Why You Are Here,” the purpose of this article is to give you some important knowledge and provide you with insights and food-for-thought on subjects related to living a fulfilled life — beginning with what we mean when we use the word God.
The Creator Is Both Transcendent And Immanent
Unless you understand what the subject line above means, it is easy to be confused and frustrated by the many apparent conflicting and contradictory personal and spiritual growth teachings, and the seemingly senseless and traumatic events and conditions of human life.
Since I was not familiar with these words for many years after I began my spiritual journey, I am going to define and explain them.
Transcendent means beyond, “outside of.” In reference to God, it means that God is outside of time and space, wholly independent of the material Universe, and beyond all physical laws.
Immanent means “within.”
Thus, there is a God (also known as “ultimate Reality,” “the Absolute,” “the Infinite”) that is the originator of creation, and remains outside of it. This is the transcendent God that is separate from Its creations. Ultimate Reality is also transcendent in knowledge, so that It remains above the human mind’s ability to “know”
or understand It.
“It is not for the finite mind to understand the Infinite.” While that statement does not appear to be in the Bible, it clearly has scriptural meaning.
This transcendent God (The Infinite, Ultimate Reality) is spaceless, massless, timeless, motionless, and completely devoid of attributes. Emanating from It is an expressive aspect with attributes that make possible the manifestation of all-that-exists.
This is the immanent God that is within and throughout all of creation. It is sometimes referred to as Consciousness or Spirit.
As Ram Dass, spiritual teacher and author of “Remember, Be Here Now” says, “Across planes of consciousness, we have to live with the paradox that opposite things can be simultaneously true.”
Yes, God is both independent of Its creation and within it.
God And Energy – What’s The Relationship?
Years ago I attended a fascinating symposium in which physicists, quantum physicists, mystics and spiritual teachers participated. They gathered together to express their views (based on having delved deeply into the mysteries of science and spirituality for years) as to whether God and Energy are the same thing — whether everything that exists is God, or whether everything that exists is energy.
Their unanimous conclusion was that the Power we call God and the energy that makes up everything that exists and manifests in our material Universe (physical and non-physical) is one and the same. In their viewpoint, it would be just as correct to say, “There is nothing but God” (or “there is ONLY God”) or “There is nothing but energy” (or there is ONLY Energy). In other words, they concluded that both are “the Truth.”
In my opinion, God and energy are not “exactly” the same. However, God uses energy and the Laws of energy and physics to continue the process of, and to maintain, Its Creation.
The Unified Field Of Energy
Everything manifests out of “the unified field of energy,” commonly called “The Field. Therefore, everything is made up of vibrating energy. The Field is not spaceless, timeless, massless and motionless; rather it contains every vibration that has ever vibrated since “the beginning” (whenever that was).
This includes all the vibrations of all the changing events, things, conditions, situations, and human beliefs, judgments, opinions, thoughts and emotions.
Our life experiences come from out of “The Field.” The Field is a mass of energy in constant vibration. Everything that manifests from The Field –physical and non-physical — is a form of vibrating energy. All of these vibrations have their own specific frequencies. WE are forms of vibrating energy, and we create and attract what becomes “our life” – in the forms of other people, things, conditions, situations, circumstances, events, etc. – according to our individual energy field and the frequencies of our vibrations.
Whatever we experience in our life reveals to us that at some level we are in “vibrational harmony” with “it” (whatever “it” is) – whether or not we desire it, and whether or not we are aware of “how” we attracted/created it. In other words, our energy field (composed of vibrations) and the energy field we attracted or created are in resonance with each other — which is what “vibrational harmony” means.
The God that we relate to, that we pray to, that we implore – the immanent expressive aspect – is in every speck, drop, molecule, subatomic particle and quark of “The Field.” Therefore, when you have strong intention, faith and belief about something you want to experience or create in your life (and no subconscious programs that interfere) you can attract the components necessary for its manifestation from the unified field of energy (The Field), and you are justified in feeling “God brought it to me.”
So…Are God And Energy The Same?
Whether you see God and energy as the same depends on your perspective, and whether you are referring to the transcendent ultimate Reality, or Its immanent expressive aspect.
When we reflect upon “higher” metaphysical teachings, we conclude that since God (the ultimate Reality; the Absolute, the Infinite) is the originator of ALL that exists –including the energy we use to create and attract the experiences that become our life — then everything is God.
Some people will not kill a bug because they do not want to kill a part of God. (That is an interesting and loving perspective; however, God cannot die.)
If we reflect upon the theories of physics and quantum physics, then we agree with Einstein, who said: “There is only one thing in the Universe and that is Energy.
That which we have heretofore called matter is nothing but Energy whose vibrations have been so lowered that it is perceptible to our senses.”
It is notable that Einstein, considered one of the most brilliant scientists of the 20th century, was a very spiritual man who also said, “Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a Spirit is manifest in the Laws of the Universe.”
As you read earlier, opposite things can simultaneously be true.
