Charles Dickens opens A Tale of Two Cities with one of the best-known lines in all of English literature:
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way – in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.
Although Dickens was writing in the mid-nineteenth century and referring to the late eighteenth-century and the period of the French Revolution, the line in the passage that jumps out at me is the period was so far like the present period. Certainly both those periods of history were fraught with changes in awareness, which also seems to be the case in the current time. Perhaps that perception is generally true for those at all times who struggle to understand their place in the “grand scheme of things.”
The principal factor driving current changes in perceptions is speed. In Dickens’ time the fastest way to get from London to New York was by sailing vessel. In terms of travel time, our planet has shrunk considerably since then. In Dickens’ time, the fastest way to send a message from London to New York was to write it on paper, put it in an envelope, buy postage, and put it on a sailing vessel, for eventual postal delivery. The typical time between sending and receipt was about 6 weeks, and that’s when all went well. Today, we can send a text or email message from New York to London in a matter of seconds. Those of us who watch the evening news can see video of major events in remote parts of the world within hours of when they happen, and sometimes the video coverage is “live,” seeing the events in “real time” as they are unfolding.
We, too, have wisdom and foolishness, belief and incredulity, Light and Darkness. Our computers, “smart phones,” and televisions show it to us almost every hour of every day. It is no wonder that our perception of time and space seems increasingly compressed. It is also no wonder that the interest in what might be called “the Eternal” has increased and expanded. People have, of course had a belief in an afterlife for all of recorded history, usually with some sense of Heaven for those who follow specific religious precepts, and a Hell for those who violate them. It is hard (perhaps impossible) to tell when such beliefs began, as they predate written history and continue to play an important role in our politics and behavior. In Medieval times, the French and English fought The Hundred Years’ War using religious differences as a way to consolidate political power. Today, two branches of Islam, Shia and Sunni seem to be fighting their version of the hundred years’ war.
Meanwhile, an alternative view of “The Eternal” seems to be gaining strength. The Mystical View of what we like to call “reality” has been gaining ground. Mystics have been part of every culture, of course, and regardless of their culture of origin, they have all had a similar view of the Nature of Reality. Only recently, however, has science begun to give credence to this view. The quest to find life on other planets and the investigation of what we have come to call Near Death Experiences have begun to provide confirmation for the mystical view of Reality.
Today’s Internet News (17 May 2015) contained not one but two articles about Nearing Death Awareness (NDEs): Is Heaven Real? People With Near Death Experiences Explain and His near-death experience and my doubt: When life defies hard science. One of the things that can be said for certain about NDEs is that they change an individual’s perspective of reality. One of the best examples of that is Eben Alexander’s book, Proof of Heaven.
One of the things to remember about the mystical view of reality, including the NDE view, doesn’t make the older views based on religious scriptures wrong. It just makes them metaphorical rather than accurate maps of Reality. In Medieval times, maps of the world were reasonably accurate for most of the European and Asian land masses, but because the oceans were mysterious, explorers were warned Here There Be Dragons. It’s worth remembering that humans have always found the unknown scary. Humans also have a history of punishing those who investigate and report on things that have been unknown. Galileo is, perhaps, the best known example of that. We can now look back with confidence and say, “Yes, Galileo was right, and the Church was wrong.”
And that should provide us with some perspective for the way our perceptions and beliefs are changing today. Can we accept and honor today’s Galileos, or will we follow in the footsteps of those who ridiculed and imprisoned him?