The Beginning Of All Things

Modern man is often reluctant to accept that his remote ancestors were endowed with keen intelligence and acute powers of observation. As a consequence, we tend to dismiss as mere nonsense accounts that have come down to us regarding the beginning of all things. Therefore, like wayward children who refuse to acknowledge the legacy of wisdom accumulated by our parents we often find ourselves adrift upon a sea of uncertainty. But the laws which operate within the human psyche continue to function, undisturbed by our periodic ignorance of their existence. 

The axiom of modern science which states that ‘matter can neither be created nor destroyed’ - matter is immortal. And since immortality is an attribute of God and the Cosmic, then matter is ‘the oldest of all things.’ Further, modern theories accounting for the origin and evolution of our solar system, and presumably the entire physical universe as well, are based on the existence of a sort of cosmic ‘plasma.’ Plasma is a state of matter that is neither gas, liquid, nor solid, but a sort of fourth, ‘fluid,’ state in which there are only free electrons and free atomic nuclei. From this ‘plasma’ the ions, atoms, and molecules that compose our physical universe are born. 

The Big Bang 

The most widely accepted theory accounting for the origin or creation of our physical universe is that referred to as the Big Bang Theory. According to this theory, the universe began in a giant explosion. Current estimates suggest that 20,000 million light years have elapsed since the Big Bang occurred. Because of the original explosion, our universe continues to expand and, according to some scientist, will continue to do so until it ‘runs down’ much as does a wound spring in a clock. However, this theory does not attempt to account for how our universe ‘wound up’ in the first place. 

A second theory holds that ‘there has never been a beginning.’ Instead of a single instance of creation, the proponents of this theory envision a universe in which new matter continually comes into being to fill the space created by the observed expansion of the universe. According to this theory, the appearance of the universe remains reasonably constant from age to age. However, most scientific observations indicate that the appearance of the universe constantly changes. 

An intriguing variant of the Big Bang is the theory of the Oscillating Universe. According to this theory, the universe is continually blowing up and contracting in cycles. An oscillating universe would have neither beginning nor end, but would go through cycles of expansion and contraction. Presumably it would ‘come into’ and ‘go out of’ existence in a rhythmic manner. 

In the face of the rejection of ancient knowledge by many people today, we need to account for the unmistakable correspondence, existing between ancient and modern view. Many people today also dismiss the idea of psyche or soul. Could the correspondence between ancient myths and modern science be in some way relate to the nature of psyche or soul? 

Our present level of understanding owes much to the knowledge gleaned by those brave men and women of past ages who dared to harness the creative power that ensouls our universe and characterizes the human psyche. As we stand in awe of this creative force, we may seek comfort in the wisdom of the ancients who assure us that true knowledge is always rediscovered. Our spiritual ancestors discovered that the laws and principles which operate in our world and within the psyche are eternal and ageless. They also sensed that the secret to experiencing creation involves a turning within. Ancient myths and legends down through the ages point to the maxim: “know thyself.” Through meditation we can each discover whether creation is a chance occurrence of the past, or whether creation is eternally present. Through meditation each of us can come to witness creation. 

- Author unknown