The Mystery of You is the Mystery of Space

In eastern wisdom traditions, particularly Vedanta and Kashmir Shaivism, space-time are not objective realities. We're getting there in science too. You know, time certainly is relative depending on the gravitational field according to general theory of relativity and depending on the speed of the observer according to special relativity. So if time is relative and space-time is a continuum, then even space-time are relative, not absolute. So we're getting there in science, although science doesn't define the observer. But in eastern wisdom traditions, space-time is actually a subjective experience. So according to the Vedanta, Akasha, which is fundamental space, differentiates or modifies itself into everything that we call the five elements space, air, fire, water and earth. And then there's a sixth element that's added that's called time and they are subjective experiences. Now let's do a simple exercise to give you an idea of what we're talking about. Look at the space around you, look at the space around me. So this space, this experience of space is only possible because there are objects. If there were no objects, then you would not have any experience of space. Okay, now turn your attention to what I'm saying and close your eyes and just in your mind imagine the same objects. And now you're in a different space, it's called mental space. And those objects could be objects but they could also be ideas and thoughts and feelings and emotions. So that's a second kind of space that's called mental space. And now if you transcend, if you close your eyes and practice a mantra to the point where there's no mantra and no thought, then everything disappears. Space, time, energy, information, matter disappears. That's the third space, transcendental space. So there's physical space, there's mental space, there's transcendental space. And that transcendental space differentiates into physical and mental space simultaneously. We are neither. We are the transcendent possibility of space-time and causality in what is called now. Think about that.