I read something today that seems so simple and yet to me it is extraordinary. The idea is that we have two bodies. Essentially a physical body and a spiritual body. When we have a problem with the spiritual body, it can manifest itself in a physical disease. The best example that I can think of is broken heart syndrome. It is when a person suffers from a great personal loss and in response the body goes into congestive heart failure.
The reason that I bring it up is that in ancient times, they believed that the spiritual, philosophical and scientific all were one. It caused lots of problems like Galileo being excommunicated from the church for daring to suggest that the planets revolve around the sun. However, today there’s such a separation of the spiritual, philosophical and scientific that religious won’t even consider that evolution is a viable theory. It is like the pendulum swung all the way to the other side.
I believe that there should be a middle ground where all three intersect. There was an ancient person who studied herbs. He would cut them up and then reduce them to ashes. Whenever someone wanted to know about the herb, he would take out a jar with the ashes and heat it just enough to cause a vapor. This vapor would cause the sensation of the herb.
In modern times, we of course, know about the aroma and sense of smell. Yet I thought what if it worked for all of us. Suppose that we had the sense of smell that a dog has. If we did, could we smell the ashes of someone long dead and know all about them? Is it possible that even if we were reduced to ashes, something about who we are remains enough so that we can be individually identified?
It seems so simple and yet it is extraordinary to think that yes, there’s more to me that my physical body. Science says there isn’t. Religion say there is. And philosophy has two schools of thought about it. What if our senses just don’t allow us to be to sense that other part of ourselves and proof it scientifically? What if one day we find a way to do so?
For now, I just know that if there’s a possibility, that’s good enough for me.
My faith saved me. May God’s peace reside in all of our hearts.
