THAT MYSTERIOUS BEING WITHIN US ALL

Mark Lang

Whenever I receive recognition for some accomplishment, I make a point of mentioning that the true credit goes to the mysterious being that dwells within me. What do I mean by “mysterious being?” Well, let’s put it this way: it is that which sees through my eyes.

Let me ask you a few enlightened questions: who do you become when you enter dreamless sleep each night? What mysterious being keeps your heart beating? What is that which causes you to draw a breath consciously but which cannot be drawn in by your breath? What exactly is life energy? Is there a giver of life? (Notice I do not use the term, “God” in this context because that word is distorted and misrepresented too much by religious extremists.)

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If you think you can think your way to understanding this mysterious being, think again? It cannot be truly understood directly, only peripherally. It’s like when you are trying to see a very faint star in the night sky. When you look directly at it, it vanishes. However, if you use your peripheral vision and look to one side of that dim star, it becomes visible.

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Similarly, if you try to understand the mysterious being by directly thinking about it, it eludes you. When you chase after it, you case it away. Alternatively, by viewing the mysterious being peripherally, you can see more of it—but not completely. It’s as if you see it out of the corner of your subconscious awareness; this does not imply in any way that you can completely understand this mysterious being.

To claim full understanding would not only be arrogant, it would be delusional. Consider any such misguided claims with skepticism.

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I knew a man like that; he claimed to know the will of God. He belonged to a church which believed their interpretation of the scriptures was the only “right” one. Armed with this group delusion, he felt validated and supported in his irrational beliefs. So, with an authoritarian tone of voice, he would publicly tell people (outside of his religious group) what God wanted them to do.

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The problem with this type of grandiose thinking is that it’s so extremely self-congratulatory! It also creates a feeling of separation from the nonbelievers. The more you put yourself on a pedestal, the more you distance yourself from your fellow human beings. It should come as no surprise then to find that when you make a habit of separating yourself from others, you end up feeling lonely and depressed.

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The religious man I referred to earlier had moments of extreme elation when he would convince himself he knew the will of God. These emotional highs inevitably had bouts of deep depression where he felt socially disconnected and isolated. (You probably already guessed that.) Back and forth he would go between the highs and lows. It ruined two of his marriages and put a strain on his relationship with his children. Eventually, he sought professional help and was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and properly treated.

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During the time I counseled him, he was refusing to take his medication because he was feeling better. He was clearly in the manic phase of his disorder. He would get so excited that he would hop out of his chair to show me biblical quotes. Then he would start in with those self-righteous statements such as, “Did you know that you will not inherit the kingdom of God unless you believe this? Do you know that people with tattoos are going to hell? Did you know that it is a sin against God to have long hair?”

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When I pointed out that Jesus, himself, had long hair, he refused to believe it. In fact, he refused to believe anything that contradicted his dogmatic beliefs. He simply dismissed any contrary evidence as being a deception from the devil. Science, in particular, seemed most objectionable to him. He rejected any scientific data before I could even finish my sentence.

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As previously stated, people who judge others are creating an emotional separation that exacerbates their feelings of isolation, and this man suffered greatly from loneliness and depression. With the painful memories of two failed marriages and disengagement from his children, he isolated himself even further by only interacting with likeminded members of his church. Eventually, he stopped seeing me altogether. To this day, his fate is unknown.

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Something to meditate on today. After reading this, close your eyes and sit in silence for fifteen minutes. Do not try to hang onto any thought. Just let your thoughts come and go. Visualize each of your thoughts slowly tumbling down like dried leaves falling off a tree in autumn and settling on the ground.

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In the silence, reach out with your senses and feel the presence of the mysterious being within you—that life energy. Feel your heart beating in your chest and recognize that energy as pure love. Now feel the interconnectedness you share with the life energy of every being on the planet. Feel what that is like for you.

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Then open your eyes and start living life with the understanding you are one with all living things. The mysterious being within you connects with the mysterious being in all others. After all, life energy is life energy in any form.

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