Definitions: Metaphysics
Posted on September 10, 2007 By OneMysticalMonkey
Metaphysics. It’s a mouthful of an often-misunderstood word, but it really just means “after physics”. The term can be difficult to define, encompassing many often-misunderstood practices, but it is the philosophical exploration of and personal experiences on the nature of reality. Metaphysics explores such questions and concepts such as “What is the nature of mind?”, “Does God exist? In what form?”, and “What is the sound of one hand clapping?”. It’s a branch of philosophy, related to natural sciences such as physics and psychology. In a more generalized definition of the term, Metaphysics may also encompass practices such as astrology, mediumship and channels, divination (tarot, I-Ching, etc.), holistic healers, meditation teachers and techniques, yogis and gurus, and more – as well as ponderings on the Ultimate Nature of Reality.
Practically speaking metaphysics is the observation, analysis and exploration of ALL things… all emotion, thought, beliefs, all cultural and societal phenomena, spiritual experiences and explorations, mystical manifestations and experiences, etc. Metaphysics means an Open Mind with which to not immediately accept, but also not immediately reject all things, all possibilities and potentials, states of being, alternate realities, alternate Beings, the interconnectedness of Nature and humanity and the possibility that this whole physicality is nothing more than a dream…
It means making a point to evaluate everything for and by yourself, taking nobody’s interpretation of anything as definitive (regardless, and sometimes especially because of their claims of ‘authority’), coming to your own conclusions according to your own truths as they resonate within your heart center. It is a humbling experience, for to do this one frequently finds themselves in the minority (even among other Pathwalkers), because each understanding or meaning of a ‘truth’ is intensely personal – whether it is a level of awareness, an aspect of physical reality, some part of the society or cultures in which we live, or the meaning behind the color “pink” when applied to some metaphysical aspect.
Metaphysics is also one Pathway to evolution – physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually – through the process of constant evaluation of the Self and of/for the World. It is the process of understanding “what makes us tick”, recognizing our often expected, emotional responses to external stimuli, and striving for something beyond a Pavlovian response to the World and towards each other. It is the practice of experience, and of experiential reality… observing, learning, and living in the world consciously. It is a stepping stone, or series of stepping stones on the Path, on which a sense of connectedness may often found – even if we must first sift through some dirt…
Namaste.
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