Truth, Beauty and Goodness
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The Urantia Book reveals there are three types of energy: physical, mindal, and spiritual.[1] The physical energy system we see and experience every moment of our lives on Earth, is not all there is. There is also an energy system for intelligence, called mindal, which we will not discuss here. The third energy continuum is spiritual energy.
Material reality
There is a dichotomy to reality most of us are unaware of. There certainly is material reality, what we see and feel and touch; these are our everyday experiences. Material reality deals with facts which can be investigated using scientific techniques; an object has a certain size and color and weight, which are verifiable. Spiritual reality deals with value, nearness to God, which can be investigated by spiritual means.
While we may think of our material surroundings as being substantial that is not the case. Indeed, matter is but the shadow of enduring spirit reality.[2]
All of the matter that makes up our bodies and surrounds us is basically empty space. Matter is made up of molecules composed of atoms of various kinds. The nucleus of an atom is its core where the mass of that atom resides. If this atom is expanded so that it becomes the size of your thumbnail, the nucleus would be no bigger than a cuticle cell in that thumbnail; physical matter is mostly empty space.[3]
We feel matter because of the fields of energy comprising each atom. When we touch something we are not actually feeling anything solid because there is very little solid there. What we experience is the interaction of the atomic fields in our hands, or whatever, with the corresponding fields of the object we are touching. Our material reality is built up from a complex web of atomic fields. From this viewpoint our physical “reality” becomes a hodgepodge of energy fields.
The matter surrounding us appears to be real because we are composed of similar matter, our physical portion at any rate, and our entire being is tuned to this portion of creation. This world of matter is where we live and have our being; we would do well to become the best we can here and now simply because it is our present reality.
Spiritual reality
In addition to the physical realm we also exist in a spiritual reality which is more subtle yet more vital. The power of love gives a slight indication of the power spiritual reality has. Modern materialistic society has ignored spiritual reality at its peril.
It may not be possible to describe spiritual reality using language based upon material thoughts. The best we can do is to give broad characterizations. It is difficult for us to recognize that everything we are aware of is something other than completely substantial, less than total reality. The spiritual component of our world, of our being, needs to be reckoned with and nurtured.
We cannot see spirit beings because our awareness, our vision, is limited to the electro-magnetic spectrum, which is to say, physical reality. Spirit beings are invisible because they exist in a different energy continuum, the spiritual realm. It is not so much that they can walk through our walls; rather to them our physical walls do not even exist.
We can get some of idea of the difference between physical reality and spiritual reality when we consider our emotions. Our physical emotions are concrete, easily recognizable; some of these are pain, heat, lust, cold, hunger, fear, and such. Spiritual emotions are more subtle yet more powerful. These include love, empathy, brotherhood and spiritual yearning. Our physical emotions reside only in the physical realm while our spiritual emotions are in the spiritual realm and lead us closer to God who is spirit.
Perhaps the best we can hope for is to recognize spiritual reality is a vital component of our existence even though for now we may only glimpse it through faith. Spiritual values are those that lead us Godward and anything leading us away from God has no spiritual value.
The goal of eternity
Our society must become more aware of spiritual reality; however this may take a major event. We need something to make us aware of the need to seek a more spiritual existence for all citizens; this spark may be anything: a major war, riots in the streets, an economic collapse or perhaps a spiritual awakening. People need to become aware of their eternal spiritual possibilities, what will be in store for them if they reach out and grasp eternal goals and seek spiritual reality.
The goal of eternity has been obscured from the majority of our sisters and brothers; we have become more interested in tomorrow’s football game or something equally transitory than in considering where we will be a thousand years from now. Spiritual reality beckons us to seek a higher awareness, seek to reach out to God knowing He is with us guiding us toward Him.
Further reading
“Light of Truth: Anticipating the Triumph of Righteousness”
Chapter 2 – Spiritual Reality
Urantia Book
One of the more difficult papers (Paper 42, Energy—Mind and Matter) discusses physical reality and gives some information about spiritual reality.
For more about physical reality see:
Paper 41 Physical Aspects of the Local Universe
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All references are to The Urantia Book unless stated otherwise. The number refers to the single column version in the format page.paragraph; 140.10 ↑
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141.1 ↑
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http://www.pbs.org/newshour/rundown/just-ask-what-would-a-baseball-sized-atom-look-like/ ↑