What are material Things?

What are material things?

BY Jimmy Henderson (Hons (phil) MA (psych)

“Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.”

Aesop

We know from scientific research that so-called material objects are only complex combinations and concentrations of energy having characteristics which we perceive as colour, mass and form. This links up with some psychological research (Constructivism), which suggests that images of objects and indeed reality itself, are actually constructed and assembled in our minds. For example, a sand-castle appears solid enough, but a simple sweep of the hand or foot is sufficient to reduce it to its constituent parts, namely fine grains of sand.

The words ‘solid’ and ‘real’ are therefore only concepts we use to describe a level of energy  which is tangible to our senses. However, science and psychology both suggest that there is certainly a basis to reality, although it certainly may not be exactly as we perceive it, and probably a representation of something far more fluid and complex.

In his article, ‘The primacy of consciousness’ Peter Russel believes that the building blocks of so-called matter (molecules, atoms, and sub-atomic particles) are ultimately derived from a mental essence or ‘mindstuff’ called chitta in Sanskrit, which is essentially consciousness. This would correspond to the older mystical concept of the ‘ethers’ and provide the underlying form to the images, sounds, sensations, thoughts, and feelings we experience. However, exactly how thought or consciousness can become sufficiently concentrated to form substance is still not clear, although Russel suggests that ‘variations’ do take place within the mental essence.

The human brain also has the ability to augment, add to, or fill in gaps in perception. This implies that if we encounter an object or experience for which we do not yet have an existing memory or visual concept to use as a reference, we will struggle to categorise it in its natural state and our interpretative processes will present it in a symbolic form (such as substance), which is more familiar.

‘We are formed from ‘star stuff, the same energy patterns that formed the universe’

J. Henderson

Scientifically, the possibility therefore exists that consciousness itself could be equated with conscious energy, which when entering this plane of existence, becomes recognisable forms of energy. In line with this thinking, the ‘variations’ that Russel refers to could ultimately be patterns of thought (imagery) within a greater universal Mind, moulded by the power of pure intention to become matrices for the formation of energy patterns which we presently perceive as matter, natural substances (the elements) and physical phenomena. 

This has recently been scientifically proven by the discovery of a universal field able to bring about cohesion and mass on this plane of reality (the Higgs-Boson or ‘God’-particles). In other words, with one's realisation of substance being relative to the mind, even though experienced by us as dense and solid, our notion of substance could very well still be only patterns (images) formed within a universal (divine) Mind.

Jimmy Henderson is a philosopher, metaphysician and the author of a number of books and articles on self-development. He has an Honours degree in philosophy (metaphysics) and a Masters degree in Psychology. His books ‘Multi-Dimensional Thinking’ (2007) and ‘Multi-dimensional Perception’ (2010) are available on Amazon.com and Kalahari.com and can also be ordered via the Metavarsity website as well as his own website www.jimmyhendersonbooks.com