| Many of us into metaphysics are
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| | often pitting one against the other, as
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| frequently called upon by our "non-New
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| | if the two of them were mutually
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| Age" friends and acquaintances to explain
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| | exclusive or antithetical.
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| ourselves and our metaphysical
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| | Interestingly, however, religion based on
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| orientation to them. "What is
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| | theism is, by definition, a part of
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| metaphysics" "What is the 'New Age?'"
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| | metaphysics, as any concept of a deity in
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| "What do you believe in?" "What makes
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| | traditional Western religion is outside
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| your spirituality different?"
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| | the purview of our three-dimensional
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| As those of us hard-core metaphysical
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| | reality.
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| types know, you can't really say that
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| | Which leads us to another interesting
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| there is any one set of beliefs that all
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| | hallmark of contemporary metaphysics and
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| "New Agers" are into. (As a matter of
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| | the "New Age:" the spirituality is
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| fact, the term "New Age" or "New Ager" is
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| | experiential.
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| somewhat distasteful to many into
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| | And some of the causative factors
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| metaphysics.) The New Age "movement" is
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| | involved with this experiencing of
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| a widely diversified conglomerate of
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| | spirituality are somewhat understandable.
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| subsets of ideas and explorations - so
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| | Many have theorized that the current
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| truly diversified that one could hardly
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| | interest in spirituality and metaphysics
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| ascribe the term "movement" to it, as
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| | may in part be viewed as a reaction
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| this term connotes a cohesive, unified
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| | against the Age of Reason and the
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| organization. One person into crystals
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| | perceived pursuant overemphasis on the
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| and spirit guides, for example, may not
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| | strictly material and empirical - that
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| be into UFO abduction phenomena. And
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| | there is a longing for the transcendently
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| those into paganism or magick may not
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| | spiritual, instead of feeling bogged down
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| necessarily break bread together well
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| | in a strict immersion in the physical.
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| with those into angels or Christed
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| | I. e., after a couple of centuries of
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| energy.
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| | emphasis on the empirically provable and
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| So, what is it that links those of us
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| | concrete, there is a longingfor the
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| into metaphysics and the New Age
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| | spiritual as an antidote.
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| together? What are the common threads?
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| | Just as the Age of Reason spawned a
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| First of all, let's look at the terms
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| | golden age for science and intellect,
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| themselves, so that we may gain some
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| | Western religions became more oriented
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| insight into what we are identifying
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| | toward beliefs and religious practices
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| ourselves with.
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| | that grew out of and drew upon the left
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| "Metaphysics" is a term derived from the
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| | brain - i. e., in religious beliefs and
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| Greek: "meta" is a prefix meaning beyond
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| | practices, we stayed in our heads.
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| or greater than and "physics" refers to
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| | At the same time, Western religions have
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| that which is physical (or at least what
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| | traditionally encouraged adherents to
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| we as a culture understand at the present
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| | cede control to the church and its
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| time to be our physical reality). Thus,
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| | authority, rather than encouraging
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| we can thank Greek for our term
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| | believers to take individual
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| metaphysics - the realm of that which
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| | responsibility for their own
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| transcends physical reality.
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| | spirituality. This approach worked for
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| The term "New Age," on the other hand,
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| | centuries until the advent of more public
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| does not have such a lengthy history or
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| | education and the resultant higher
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| tradition. Ostensibly coined during the
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| | education of the populace. Education
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| 60's (1960's, not the 19th or any other
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| | leads to empowerment.
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| century prior to this one), the term "New
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| | Small wonder, then, that New Agers and
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| Age" referred to the new astrological age
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| | those into metaphysics want to experience
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| we Earthlings were on the cusp of
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| | their spirituality, so that they may feel
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| entering: the Age of Aquarius. (We had
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| | it, rather than simply think it, and that
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| been in the Age of Pisces, we were told,
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| | they want to have some control over their
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| for about 2000 years.)
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| | practice or manifestation of it, rather
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| On the face of it, it might appear that
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| | than strictly going through an external
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| metaphysics and the New Age might not
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| | intermediary. This shift to a feeling of
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| have anything intrinsically in common.
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| | control over one's expression of
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| However, one common link would appear to
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| | spirituality also reflects the trend
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| be that of spirituality. For example,
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| | towards personal responsibility, as well
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| little would seem to light up the eyes of
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| | as personal empowerment.
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| those into metaphysics more than a
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| | Experiential spirituality may be
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| discussion of those things spiritual.
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| | expressed in various ways: some learn to
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| What transcends our so-called physical
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| | meditate to tap into the divine; some are
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| reality more than spirit?
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| | sensitized to the divine in nature and
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| With regard to the New Age, one hallmark
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| | animals; some become healers or receive
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| of the transition from the Piscean to the
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| | healing work; some seek to tap into the
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| Aquarian Age is the anticipated shift in
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| | divine and receive guidance; etc. The
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| consciousness, whether it is defined as a
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| | list goes on and on….
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| vibrational frequency shift precipitated
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| | Experiential spirituality shifts
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| by our approach to and entrance into the
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| | spirituality from something "out there,"
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| Photon Belt or is defined as an awakening
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| | impersonal, and external, to an
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| and concurrent "raising of awareness"
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| | internalization of the divine. Aside
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| brought about by astrological influences
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| | from this making more people mystics
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| and energies. Consciousness is also the
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| | because they transcend the physical in
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| stuff that dreams - and matters spiritual
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| | their spiritual explorations, it also
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| - are made of.
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| | represents a democritization of the
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| Thus, one link between metaphysics and
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| | spiritual, whereby we take control of our
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| the New Age "movement" would appear to be
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| | spirituality, get out of being
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| spirituality and consciousness - those
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| | exclusively in our heads and move into
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| topics deemed insubstantial and
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| | our hearts (and hopefully then move
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| ephemeral, at least to the minds of those
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| | towards linking our hearts and our
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| more pragmatic, empirical, and skeptical
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| | minds), and take personal responsibility
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| among us.
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| | for understanding our personal beliefs
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| The above may represent somewhat of an
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| | and acting accordingly. (Another
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| oversimplification, but we may be
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| | interesting reflection of the trend in
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| hard-pressed to find a New Ager or
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| | our world toward democracy….)
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| someone into metaphysics who wasn't
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| | It is through experiential spirituality
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| basically pursuing some facet of
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| | that we truly come to know what we
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| spirituality, consciousness, or energy (a
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| | believe and what we resonate with. It is
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| basic building block of reality and that
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| | a knowing akin to gnosis, where what we
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| which may be affected by consciousness
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| | experience becomes a knowing that is a
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| and spirituality).
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| | true knowing - because we've been there.
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| And this emphasis on spirituality and
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| | Which is quite different from believing
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| consciousness reflects an acknowledgment
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| | in ism's , creeds, and tenets we've been
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| that we are, in essence, spiritual beings
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| | told by external agents or authorities
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| - and beings of pure energy, as
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| | are true, but that we haven't truly
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| consciousness is a form of energy - even
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| | experienced.
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| though we are "in the body." As Wayne
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| | So, "what is metaphysics?" "What are you
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| Dyer says, "We are spiritual beings
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| | into?" The next time someone asks us
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| having a human experience." Or, as
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| | where we're coming from with our
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| Deepak Chopra says, our bodies are
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| | "metaphysical stuff," maybe the notion of
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| contained within our consciousness, not
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| | experiential spirituality and real gnosis
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| our consciousness contained within our
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| | may be some grist for our mill in
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| bodies.
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| | grinding out our answer.
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| Many people have attempted to compare
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| | First published in the March 1996 issue
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| traditional religion and metaphysics,
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| | of "Innerchange.
|