Sometimes I watch documentaries on tv such as the Discovery Channel, etc. Often they deal with the origins of the universe and hit you with staggering statistics now familiar to us all. For example, supposedly there are more stars in the universe than all the grains of sand on the world’s beaches. The purpose for saying this? That life elsewhere, even intelligent life, is commonplace, but the huge distances prevent contact. Scientists delight in putting forth such information which boils down to we humans are less than insignificant. All right, suppose there is life out there, especially intelligent life. Further, let’s suppose we contacted that life and discovered it was more or less similar to our own and that it led to more civilizations. Despite the wondrous nature of this discovery, we’d find out that it the universal laws of physics pertain there even if some bizarre differences exist. The point? More of the same stuff exists there as it is here…and it’s everywhere, no real surprise. If the laws of physics are universal, chances are the laws of spirituality are universal. That is, there’d be more or less stages of development. Even higher stages, already intuited on earth, would follow the same map. Such an observation appears to dampen the spirit of discovery, far from my intent. There seems something inbuilt within us that would never be satisfied. Period.

Another favorite theme of science…evolution. It’s triumphed with varying degrees of delight more to rub dirt in the noses of those against it than to state a fact. Evolution appears a genuine obstacle when it comes to things spiritual but really isn’t. The real problem is that in general the West has a stunted appreciation of contemplation.

More snow squalls last evening into the night with a kind of fog hanging over Reykjavik as I can see from my apartment. Here in the second half of March we seem to be making up for February’s lovely weather.