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The conflict between spirituality and science.
The conflict between spirituality and science.
The conflict between spirituality and science.
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A Spiritual Awakening: A Reflection On Spiritual Films
“What I thought was unreal, now for me... seems in some ways to be more real than what I think to be real... which seems now more to be unreal.” What the Bleep Do We Know, Fred Alan Wolf, Theoretical Physicist
Spirituality is often approached either as a dogma with an emphasis on scripture and sacred texts, or as ritual with an emphasis on the legal norms. Certainly, many of the studies on religion have approached it from one of these angles. However, focusing solely on sacred texts and rituals can limit our understanding of the experiences and engagements of believers with religion. At the present, with breakthroughs in science and advancements in the study of quantum physics, spirituality rises once again to shine upon humanity’s quest for knowing the meaning of reality, of its nature and that of the universe that it belongs to. Forms of spirituality and mysticism can vary in their manifestations from culture to the other, but all are essentially springing up from the same eternal spring. They can be cinematographic and present in expressions and visions densely rich and that has a lot in common with the arts of cinema. Through discussing various themes and scenes from five films; Baraka, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring Again, What the Bleep Do We Know, The Secret and Al Mureed, this essay will illuminate how the spiritual manifestations in each film were mirroring the same reflection of a universal truth throughout the world heritage, in relation to the findings of quantum physics as shown in the film What the Bleep Do We Know.
Film is quite simply an astonishing medium in transmitting the illumination of spirituality and divinity. It can teach us about the spi...
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...paths can reflect this reality, and their differences are mere manifestations depending on the clarity of the medium.
Conclusively, through the lenses of quantum physics, the spiritual depictions in the discussed films speak volumes of how materialism that says that all of reality can be reduced to matter and its interactions, contradicts the findings of quantum sciences and experiences. Since our minds and thoughts perceptibly do affect the physical world, it would follow that they are themselves part of the lived reality. Therefore, the validity of spiritual experiences illustrated in these works or arts is evident and the evidence is increasing by the day. These all are a call as Rumi has said once, “when setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who never left home, keep on knocking
'til the joy inside opens a window, look to see who's there”.
world of mysticism, a world fraught with peril. First you must study the basic subjects, those
Smart, Ninian. "Blackboard, Religion 100." 6 March 2014. Seven Dimensions of Religion. Electronic Document. 6 March 2014.
Yet, as Professor H.S. Versnel flawlessly articulates, “Magic does not exist, nor does religion. What do exist are our definitions of these concepts” (177). Anthropologically evaluating the variance, it is moot and rooted in modern-Western bias that is irreconcilable with the reality of non-Western spiritual systems (Versnel 180). Yet, such perverse infusion of the concept of magic maintains its
The unknown has fascinated mankind for generations. It binds humans together, on a morally “higher” level. Yet, across continents and parted by oceans, each civilization has taken on its own interpretations of deities and monsters, but still, are bound together by the same thread of suspended disbelief to bring worship to the all-powerful forces working for or against them. Mysticism connects us, on a level of unexplainable and profound connections, chiefly by using its most powerful tool of all: storytelling.
Since the creation of films, their main goal was to appeal to mass audiences. However, once, the viewer looks past the appearance of films, the viewer realizes that the all-important purpose of films is to serve as a bridge connecting countries, cultures, and languages. This is because if you compare any two films that are from a foreign country or spoken in another language, there is the possibility of a connection between the two because of the fact that they have a universally understanding or interpretation. This is true for the French New Wave films; Contempt and Breathless directed by Jean-Luc Godard, and contemporary Indian films; Earth and Water directed by Deepa Mehta. All four films portray an individual’s role in society using sound and editing.
In the book, Philosophy Film, by Mary M. Litch, it examines the question briefly, “Does life have meaning?” To explore this idea, a question must be asked, than an argument must be formed, which requires critically thinking to concluded the discussion. This question is a basic question that can be answered through ones deep and disciplined thinking with multiple answers. The purpose of this book is to understand the foundation of Philosophy as well as its expression through film.
Livingstone, Paisley & Carl Plantinga. The Routledge Companion to Philosophy and Film. London: Routledge – Taylor & Francis Group. 2009. Print.
The principal vehicle for the spread of Sufism around the world, and more relevantly its emergence in America, is the religion’s artistic traditions – the sphere of culture. Early Sufi scholars and teachers situated their respective teachings and outlooks of Sufism in poetry, musical traditions and dance. Additionally, different orders of Sufism have outlined that these artistic traditions find their roots in dhikr, the “remembrance of God ” and any mindful deviation from these niyahs (religious intentions) is in fact detrimental to the cause of attaining spirituality. With the following traditionalistic intentions in mind, one can further delve into three specific practices: (1) Sufi poets like Rumi, (2) Qawaali music, and (3) the dance culture of the Whirling Dervishes.
Religion is an organized collection of beliefs and cultural systems that entail the worship of a supernatural and metaphysical being. “Religion just like other belief systems, when held onto so much, can stop one from making significant progress in life”. Together with religion come traditions that provide the people with ways to tackle life’s complexities. A subscription to the school of thought of great scholars
Haslam, Garth. (2003-2004). Spiritualism. Anomalies Article, 1-3. Retrieved November 1, 2004, from the Anomalies Database.
Rascaroli, Laura. "The Essay Film: Problems, Definitions, Textual Commitments." Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media 49.2 (2008): 24-47. JSTOR. Web. 08 May 2014.
Religion may have influenced the way an individual, society, and government act but sociological studies in religion does not have effect on one’s faith. Scientists believe that religion is merely psychological effect. There is no proof to the existence of God and scientific explanation on shamanism which revolves a...
Lyden, J. (2003). Film as religion: myths, morals, and rituals. New York, USA: NYU Press.
Movies take us inside the skin of people quite different from ourselves and to places different from our routine surroundings. As humans, we always seek enlargement of our being and wanted to be more than ourselves. Each one of us, by nature, sees the world with a perspective and selectivity different from others. But, we want to see the world through other’s eyes; imagine with other’s imaginations; feel with other’s hearts, at a same time as with our own. Movies offer us a window onto the wider world, broadening our perspective and opening our eyes to new wonders.
“Just as a candle cannot burn without fire, men cannot live without a spiritual life.” According to Buddha, everyone needs some form of spirituality to define his or her life and existence. Webster Dictionary defines spiritualism as “a system of beliefs or religious practices based on supposed communication with the spirits of the dead, often times through mediums.” Though this is one general definition of spiritualism, this concept is one that does not hold a conclusive meaning. Each and every single person has the ability and right to create and practice their own idea of spiritualism. From ancient times to present day, the term and practice of spirituality has transformed, particularly from region to region. Despite the discrepancies in practices and overall understanding of this idea, spirituality has had an effect and impact upon all of humanity since the creation of time. This religion that is believed to have been established in the early eighteen hundreds, after two little girls claimed to have the ability to talk to spirits, sparked interest in this spiritual movement, allowing it to spread rather rapidly over many geographical locations. Aside from being recognized as a religion, spiritualism is also believed to be a form of philosophy and a science in which spiritualists believe that there is life after death and try to demonstrate this through the ability of attempting to communicate with those that have passed on. Spiritualism was socially different from other religions in existence at the time because it presented followers with a more tolerant belief system that assimilated the principles and facts from a selection the world's religions. Spiritualism also made it acceptable for women to play a disti...