The Rise Of Empirical Mind
The 1600’s brought us the rise of the empirical mind with the Scientific Revolution led by Isaac Newton, Francis Bacon and John Locke, among others. Next, the 1700’s led us into what is termed the Age of Enlightenment. This era of history was led by such people as Voltaire, Benjamin Franklin, Johann Goethe, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, Immanuel Kant, Rene Descartes, Antoine Lavoisier, Thomas Hobbes and Baron de Montesquieu.
The above two eras were a general progression from the effects of the Renaissance Era (1300’s to 1600’s). The Renaissance (literally Rebirth) led the Western world out of the stagnation of the Middle Ages. The Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment were both highlighted by the pursuit of knowledge obtained by means of reason and the evidence of the five senses.
The Scientific Method
In the above noted eras of the 1600’s and 1700’s, a series of events took place marking the emergence of modern science. As a result of developments in mathematics, physics, astronomy, biology, anatomy, metallurgy and chemistry, the viewpoint of society moved toward empiricism. Then, in the 1800’s, this viewpoint culminated in the formation of what is known as the scientific method.
The scientific method is an observation-based process. To illustrate, the general structure of the scientific method is: (1) form a general question about something; (2) research the topic; (3) establish a hypothesis (a tentative conclusion using limited information); (4) experiment to gain more data; (5) analyze the data from your experiments; and (6) make a conclusion based on all observations.
In brief, empiricism has become the predominant worldview in today’s world. Empiricism is the conclusion that all knowledge is derived from sense experience. Accordingly, the empirical mind is the idea that everything that mankind knows to be true, comes from logic, experience and observations. If it is unseen, it is untrue.
C’mon, Let’s Be Logical About This
Have you ever heard anyone say, to you “C’mon, let’s be logical about this” or something similar to that? What they are saying to you is that what you are saying or proposing just does not make logical sense. When someone says that, they mean that what you are saying does not match up with the world’s reality. You may hear the words, “face the facts, things just don’t happen that way”.
They are operating in the empirical world. If the eyes do not see it (even with microscopes or telescopes), if the ears do not hear it, if it cannot be felt, then it ain’t there. Human logic is a way of thinking about something that seems correct and reasonable. Accordingly, a logical conclusion is always based on the existence of documentable proven facts.
Right Side – Left Side – Teamwork
The left side (or hemisphere) of your brain handles reading, writing and calculations. It is usually referred to as the logical side of the brain. Language, logic, critical thinking, numbers, reasoning all emanate from the left side of your brain.
Conversely, the right side (or hemisphere) of your brain deals more in images and processes in an intuitive manner. Some of the abilities of the right side are: imagination, expressing of emotions, intuition and creative arts.
Today neuroscientists know that the two sides of the brain work together to perform a wide variety of tasks. The two hemispheres communicate with each other through a structure called the corpus callosum. Each hemisphere has its unique specialties. Nevertheless, they have an intimate and collaborative working relationship with each other. And so it is in the world of manifesting. Your vision and your imaginative belief work together to manifest your desire.
A Truly Remarkable Woman
One of the most remarkable human beings of the twentieth century was the woman named Helen Keller. She lived from 1880 to 1962. Keller was an American author as well as a tireless advocate for those afflicted with blindness. In addition, she was a political activist and a well-travelled lecturer.
At 19 months of age, she contracted an unknown illness, possibly meningitis. This illness left Keller blind, deaf and unable to speak. The trifecta of tragedy. As a last chance before institutionalizing her, her parents hired a woman named Anne Sullivan to be her personal one-on-one instructor.
To make a long story short, under Sullivan’s tutelage, Keller would go on to successfully deal in a magnificent way with what life dealt her. She was the first person with combination blindness and deafness to earn a college degree from Radcliffe College of Harvard University in 1904. Furthermore, she wrote 14 books as well as numerous magazine articles. Along the way, Keller learned how to speak She was a prolific lecturer, travelling to 35 countries during the course of her life.
Helen Keller Was Blind – Her Vision Was Great
Helen Keller was blind but she had great vision. Inner vision. She understood that the Kingdom of God was within. Here are her words. “I know life is given to us so that we may grow in love. I believe that God is in me as the sun is in the color and fragrance of the flower, the Light in my darkness, the Voice in my silence”.
Jesus Christ clearly stated, “the Kingdom of God is within”. Helen Keller understood. She got it. Living within the Kingdom of God, she understood the words of Martin Luther King Jr. “love is the greatest force in the universe. It is the heartbeat of the moral cosmos. He who loves is a participant in the being of God”.
The Downfall Of The Empirical Mind
Your empirical mind looks at known causes and effects. Then it makes logical conclusions for the outcome of your action. Thus, it is a wonderful way to eliminate superstition, uncertainty or fear about an outcome. The “because it has always been done this way” argument for an action becomes obsolete. The “because fearless leader says to do it that way” becomes invalid if you know through empiricism that it is wrong. Logical empiricism is a beautiful thing. It has allowed the world to rid itself of many different “chains around the brain”. With that said however, the ultimate downfall of the empirical mind is its neglect of the spiritual underbelly of reality – imaginative belief. Faith.
The Courage To Go Beyond Logic
Conscious manifesting throughout your life has two distinct parts. First, in conscious manifesting, you have the prayer. It is the technique or method that you employ to manifest your desire. All the practical manifesting techniques that I have offered you in various articles in this blog are simply different forms of prayer.
Next, the second part in conscious manifesting, is the belief part. It is the illogical, nonempirical part. Develop a mindset of believing that your desire is real right now. It is called “living in the end”. What you wish to manifest is not in your future, but is with you right now. That part is the really hard part. To proceed beyond logic, beyond the empirical mind, takes courage. That is active faith. It is using the power of the Kingdom of God. It is what the Bible talks about when it calls faith the evidence of things unseen.
The Power Marriage
To empirically engage in a logical progression of actions is how you usually go about attempting to satisfy your desires. Conversely, prayer usually winds up being a begging or pleading with God to bring the specific desire to you. Consequently, this begging type of praying only serves to magnify the feeling within you that you do not already have what you desire.
Many solely use the empirical mind (the brain’s left hemisphere) to attempt to manifest their desires. It is a way of manifesting that is fraught with problems. You are attempting to break through a wall using your head as a battering ram. You may get through but boy, will your head hurt. Use the imagination part of your mind to formulate a crystal clear image of what you desire. Then preside over the ultimate power marriage. Marry your clear vision to the power of your faith – the power of imaginative belief. Live in the end.
Ask. Seek. Knock.
So how the hell do you get belief? How in the “real world” do you get faith when your problems are right in your face? As always, the answer is in the Bible. Ask. Seek. Knock. Then expect. Live in the end. Expect what you ask for to be revealed to you. Be alert when it is. Trust that what you seek will be shown to you. Be observant when it is. Finally, when the door of opportunity is opened for you, step on in.
Live within the Kingdom of God by practicing the Presence of God. Do this regardless of any and all outer negative circumstances. Circumstances do not matter, only state of being matters. Within this blog I have already posted a number of articles for you suggesting how to do this. Scroll to the search box. Enter the search term “Presence of God”. Can practicing the Presence of God be hard to do? Yes. Will it be rewarding to you? Very much Yes. You were created by God to consciously manifest. What are you waiting for?
Conceive. Believe. Receive.