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Add to FavoritesMuch passion will undoubtedly be brought to bear on this debate, especially by those who believe in the literal teachings of the New Testament. Nevertheless, this question cannot be answered with any certainty by either side.
Does Anything Exist Outside of the Mind?
There is no evidence that heaven is a real place but then there is no evidence that any place is "real." There are differences of opinion among quantum physicists. Some, however, have come to the conclusion that both time and space are fictions. This is also the conclusion of certain spiritual or metaphysical teachings.
From this point of view, it could be claimed that everything we experience, including space and time, is a state of being, a state of consciousness. This would include the idea of heaven. It would also include the idea of physical reality. The Hindus believe that physical reality is maya, an illusion. Maya comes from the word "to create." So our physical universe and our own physical experiences are an illusion created by mind or being.
Reality as Illusion
From a religious point of view, one would say that some divine being is the creator of this great illusion. You could also say that we are the creators of our own illusions or at least participate in their creation. There is some interesting evidence that we can and do affect our physical experience with our minds. I won't go into all of the studies on psychic abilities. There are other powerful pieces of evidence for physical reality as an illusion.
One of the most interesting to me is multiple personality disorder. Those suffering from this bizarre disorder have an amazing capability of changing their bodies as they change from one state of being/consciousness/ personality to another. Just to name a few of the more interesting changes, tumors and birth marks come and go, illnesses, including diabetes, come and go, handwriting changes, skills and knowledge change, visual acuity (and eye color in one case) change from one personality to another.
This suggests that even the physical body is far more fluid than we assume. Miraculous instantaneous healings also suggest this kind of fluidity. In a recent study, shared by a friend of mine, researchers studied some housekeeping ladies who worked at a hotel. They noticed that these ladies worked very hard every day and yet all were overweight. Their hard physical labor didn't seem to affect their bodies in a positive way.
The employees said that they didn't have time to exercise or go to a club so they weren't able to lose any weight. All the researchers did was tell the housekeepers that because of the physical work they did every day, they should be losing weight just from doing their jobs. This suggestion was enough to cause these women to immediately being losing weight without changing their diets or any of their behaviors.
Heaven on Earth
When we talk about heaven, it seems to me that the mind or being or consciousness of any individual is capable of experiencing heaven while still being physical. It is likely that many people reading this article have had small experiences of heaven, experiences of oneness with humanity or oneness with God. Simply losing oneself in a beautiful sunset or in a feeling of love for another, are experiences of heaven.
Others of you have had "peak" experiences, times when all seemed right with the world, times of extreme joy and happiness, times when everything seemed to be as it should. I would say, in fact, that the goal of most spiritual systems is precisely to bring such experiences into life as a daily way of being. This is enlightenment. This is Christ or Buddha consciousness.
Whethe r we are in the physical or out of the physical, it is very likely that what we experience will proceed from our mind, from our being. That being the case, we can choose each day whether we wish to experience heaven or hell. We can use our mind and our being to form the world and the life we desire. We can decide to stop being victims and choose to be creators, creating the maya that brings more peace, joy, and abundance into our lives, more love.
Learn more about this author, Bob Trowbridge.
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Place
I gaze up into the sky and see the clouds gracefully dancing as the sunlight begs to break through and releases its powerful rays. I hear rain thunderously pounding the pavement, as the wind gently pushes me in directions that aren't always my choice. I have to believe that heaven is real; that forces exist stronger than our human will, and that after this crazy, beautiful life, there is a place for eternal happiness. Heaven is real.
Heaven is a spiritual haven, whether one believes it to be a real concrete palace, or a mansion for the soul and spirituality. It is hard to describe or support one's belief in the physical or spiritual existence of Heaven, because it is based on faith. Faith is not a physical commodity, it isn't tangible. Faith can't be physically given, but is a priceless and precious gift of the soul. Faith is learned, it is absorbed, and in it's most beautiful state, it is spiritually given from one soul to another. Faith should never be taken for granted; it is a gift that has to be nourished and nurtured, just like a newborn babe thirsting for its existence.
Once you have faith, the question isn't if Heaven exists in a physical or spiritual manner. The answer is simply and sweet;-Heaven exists. If you believe, as I do, in the bible scriptures, you can quote saint and sinner alike, to attest to the physical attributes of heaven. Or, you could simply read Don Piper's inspirational book, "Heaven is Real", and you with have no doubts that such a glorious existence with our maker exists. Piper introduces his experience with the physical and spiritual realm of Heaven by stating, "Heaven is real. I know it because I have been there and back." The author testifies to his documented death and journey to the golden strewed streets of heaven; meeting the precious relatives who had passed before him, and then his unwilling journey back to earth. Unwilling, because he found a beautiful state of being, where both the real physical place of Heaven coexists with the spiritual state. The author experienced a death experience, and miraculously was resuscitated after 90 minutes, only to confirm the physical and spiritual presence of Heaven and the glory of its existence.
Piper's experience is one that has been repetitive with others who have experienced near death journeys; with the mere exception that Piper, was in fact, pronounced dead and in that state for 90 minutes, as documented in medical records. One thing all these fortunate people have in common, is their desire to confirm an awesome place decribed as Heaven, that exists beyond this earthly state. They all have returned to this earth with the desire to profess the existence of Heaven and to help their fellow humanity living on earth. They all have lost their selfless ways and have journeyed to an existence far beyond our mundane lives.
Saint Paul is quoted below so very eloquently: Paul (1 Cor 13.9-13 RSV) wrote,
"For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love."
How glorious the day we meet again, in the glory of the Heavens, where life is eternal, pain is fleeting, and heaven is real.
Learn more about this author, Nancy Todisco.
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Difference of opinion? Debate now.
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