Are spirits a form of energy

[Miss Hepburn]

Originally Posted by bobjob

Those who feel they have had personal contact with God.... may be sure in their mind/psyche but even
then might not actually comprehend what they encountered.

I comprehended what I have encountered alright...it was a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the vastness of what 'He' is;
a grain of sand compared to all the grains on every planet in existence.

Like, take a holographic bookmark and cut it into a 100 pieces...now, each piece contains the whole picture of the 'giraffe'.
Now, think of each particle in just this Universe.
Each particle contains the Whole within it.
Oh yeah, I have a concept of The One...and that is not even 'it', this Magnificent Being!!

[bobjob]

Originally Posted by Miss Hepburn

I comprehended what I have encountered alright...it was a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of the vastness of what 'He' is;
a grain of sand compared to all the grains on every planet in existence.

Like, take a holographic bookmark and cut it into a 100 pieces...now, each piece contains the whole picture of the 'giraffe'.
Now, think of each particle in just this Universe.
Each particle contains the Whole within it.
Oh yeah, I have a concept of The One...and that is not even 'it', this Magnificent Being!!

exactly my point - What's experienced is wholly personal, deeply moving and entirely for that individual. And even then there's no certainty about what's experienced other than what's been experienced.

I like the hologram analogy.

[beginners_mind]

Yes it’s a personal, subjective experience but I think there is a feeling of certainty in those personal experiences once we realise there is no pathway into the spiritual through a materialistic science, and the only path, the only methodology, is personal, subjective experience.

I also think one of our challenges is to manifest that personal experience in the physical world somehow, through our being and through our actions. The spiritual is present everywhere on the earth plane and we just need to recognise it, but it’s usually a case of not seeing the wood from the trees, and we need to develop our spiritual sight, or personal, subjective connection to the spiritual first.

[bobjob]

Yes it’s a personal, subjective experience but I think there is a feeling of certainty in those personal experiences once we realise there is no pathway into the spiritual through a materialistic science, and the only path, the only methodology, is personal, subjective experience.

Of course that experience gives a feeling of certainty but the key is that it's only a personal feeling - there's no way of substantiating what was experienced. Whether it's accurate to say there is no pathway into the spiritual etc. is open to debate.

[beginners_mind]

You're probably right. Though I have had external verification of my inner experiences, you probably mean subjected to a placebo-controlled, double blind trial, so no. In order to progress in spiritual matters one has to let go of the rational mind's need for external validation and just trust one's experience.