In the dusty pastures edging the town of Hat Creek, California sits the Allen Telescope Array. This instrument features 350 antennas which will improve the search for signals from other planets. The first phase of the Allen Telescope Array became operational in October 2007 and it won't be long before the full Telescope Array will buzz into action. But let’s be real. Will we ever turn on the TV and hear an excited newscaster reading a report of signals from another planet...let alone live images of a giant UFO hovering over New York City? It seems far-fetched. And it’s one of what I consider to be the three great mysteries of the human experience. They are as follows:
1. Is there life on other planets? (aliens)
2. Is there life after death? (ghosts)
3. Can we forsee the future? (psychics)
Aliens, ghosts, and physics make for great movies, but we remain with no definitive proof of their existence. Life would change dramatically if there was actual proof of another dimension...life after death, contact with aliens, psychics with absolute forecasts of the future.
One thing to note. The science shows we might be better off without such proof. The state of embracing mystery ("mystical") is proving to be a soothing, healing state. A study by Andrew Greeley for the National Opinion Research Center showed that "people who experience genuine mystical states enjoy much higher levels of psychological health...expressed in terms of higher self-esteem, lower levels of anxiety, and a more positive outlook on life.”
Here are some tips on nurturing a positive relationship with mystery:
1. Mystery is Fuel
What don’t you understand? What can you not seem to possess? What is the gaping hole in your life? Recognize how these elusive factors create a certain fuel, hunger, and passion.
"Mystery is a resource, like coal or gold, and its preservation is a fine thing."
-Tim Cahill
2. Mystery is Beauty
Too much data, facts, and info clutters the mind. There’s something spacious and liberating about the unknown. Sometimes it's better to release your desire for answers and solutions, whether they regard your relationship, career, or project. When you get home from work tonight, lie down, forget your issues, deadlines, and to-do lists. And open your mind. It's good for your health.
"The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious...He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead..." Albert Einstein
3. Knowledge (Opposite of Mystery) is Overrated
Brilliant physicist Stephen Hawking said that if there is intelligent life elsewhere, when it gets smart enough to send signals into space, it's probably also smart enough to make destructive nuclear weapons. In other words, intelligence tends to cause problems.
“Life is not about the meaning. It’s about the feeling.” – Joseph Campbell
by David Romanelli (www.yeahdave.com)
To read about my horrific experience with a psychic, check out my book, Yeah Dave's Guide to Livin' the Moment
