Kahlil Gibran once said, “The secret of singing lies in the vibration of the singer’s voice and in the heartbeat of the listener.” These words illuminate the art of efficient communication, especially when discussing complex ideas that defy basic scientific methods like analysis, calculation, and data comparison.
The goal of science is to move forward despite this, allowing for “intuition,” getting over preconceptions, and opening up new avenues and viewpoints. In this spirit, let’s delve into the writings of Itzhak Bentov, a scientist and a mystic who tragically died in a plane crash. Bentov’s work delves into the profound idea of “the connection between individuals beyond the body or, better yet, between souls.”
According to Bentov, “the authentic evolutionary experience transcends our physical bodies, mere vessels, and resides within the soul.” He posits that the soul is a product of the “individual cognitive process” and the knowledge accumulated throughout one’s lifetime. According to his framework, we can exist on various levels: the tangible, the advanced, and the spiritual.
As a scientist, Bentov challenges us to scientifically analyze the foundations that lead to the highest echelons of human consciousness. He urges us to harness the inherent abilities possessed by all human beings and to break free from the constraints of the mind and our sensory perceptions. Bentov endeavors to elucidate that, while individuals may perceive themselves as distant and isolated, there exists, at a higher level beyond the realm of physical reality, a realm where intersections and connections occur, extending infinitely between beings. These connections are, in essence, extensions beyond the physical world— connections of souls.
We can reach the spiritual level if we accelerate the process of evolution through cognitive acquisitions and a special inborn or acquired sensitivity that everyone of us possesses. This level of spirituality is the highest expression of soul-to-soul connection. Because of this, people are more than just observers of the world; they have awareness that turns the physical world into a gateway for going through a transition. Bentov claims that this change makes it easier to learn things that open doors to higher states of the soul.
Moreover, Albert Einstein reminds us that imagination is present in every mechanical operation. Itzhak Bentov encourages us to perceive human evolution beyond our ordinary senses, achieved through liberation from our dependence on the physical body and the constructs and superstructures of our minds, which are typically guided by mathematical logic.
In the writings of Giordano Bruno, we find a prelude to Bentov’s theories and Einstein’s insights: “The soul possesses a core that aspires toward higher intellects, but when the body persists, sensible visions recede through convergence and divergence, shaped by variations in time and place.” This concept foreshadows and anticipates the principles of “space-time relativity,” which posit that “space and time are not mere conditions in which we exist but modes through which we think.” Consequently, what we perceive is contingent upon the theories we employ to interpret our observations.
These geniuses, starting from their exploration of physics and the phenomenal world, have ventured into the realm of the intelligible. Bentov reassures us that “we are not solitary beings, adrift in materiality.” He posits that we are destined for “higher connections,” which indeed appear to be “the purpose of the wondrous journey that is life.”