Today, without true religious guidance, what we learn about reality and the universe generally comes from science. Science has made incredible strides in understanding the universe but, as with most subjects, it is vital to remember that only a fraction of total knowledge has been discovered.

Imagine taking a radio and a phonograph back in time 600 years to the brilliant scientists of the Renaissance. Those men would quickly learn the mechanical function of the phonograph. Yet, try as they might, the same scientists could never determine the radio’s use or mechanism. Science would remain unable to measure radio waves for another 500 years. If you had told the Renaissance scientists that invisible, undetectable radio waves existed throughout the universe, they would have shrugged and moved on to more quantifiable studies.

Living organisms are far more complex than either a radio or a phonograph – and yet this analogy is useful. Our DNA is a physical data storage mechanism that scientists have only recently discovered. You can imagine that this stored data is similar to a phonograph disk’s data storage. Current scientific theory states that our entire physical being is written on DNA and is passed mechanically to the next generation. This is only one of countless instances where people have clung to incomplete theories.

Life is more complex than the DNA model. Imagine, in addition to the “phonograph” function, life also has a “radio” communication function. One example clearly occurs in humans with the use of language. To a distant observer, language would be an unknown invisible signal that allows the human race to share knowledge and act in a concerted manner. Speech and writing enable our collective human consciousness. This collective consciousness is an element of human development beyond the data “physically” transmitted in our DNA. Our DNA and mental capacity is similar to that of humans 50,000 years ago. It is the collective consciousness enabled by language that has allowed us to develop a lifestyle, civilization and knowledge so radically different from our ancestors.

While individuals generally can’t feel the collective human mind, there is a second more immediate example of collective consciousness. Each nerve cell in our brain contains only a fraction of the data of the whole. By linking connectors between nerve cells a “collective” mind is formed which we are able to feel as our individual mind. These examples are relatively indisputable, though rarely considered. Ancient religion taught a much larger and more complex model however.

Imagine again that each living thing has a “radio” function – a transmitter and receiver using signals that are unknown to science today just as radio waves were 500 years ago. There is significant statistical and anecdotal evidence to support this hypothesis. Numerous studies of subtle ESP functions give enormous odds in favor of an unknown communication method. One of the best recent examples is Princeton University’s “Global Consciousness Project.” Anecdotal evidence of ESP is also extremely strong, particularly in cases between identical twins or parents and children. The more similar the DNA, the more “attuned” this ESP function appears to be. Viewed this way, all life would form a collective subconscious with stronger influences from the life forms, races, and family members most closely related to us. This model finally begins to explain transmission of knowledge, such as instincts, which are beyond the scope of DNA. For further examples of evolution beyond the scope of a DNA model, I highly recommend the excellent book, A New Science of Life by Dr. Rupert Sheldrake.

Formation of a collective subconscious for all life, shocking as it may seem, is only a fraction of the knowledge lost to us today. I bring it up for two reasons. First, the collective subconscious is the easiest part of ancient wisdom for us to understand or envision based on our current knowledge. Secondly, it is necessary to theorize the “radio” function and collective subconscious of life in order to comprehend lost elements of religion and to become aware of important warnings.

Much of early religion was concerned with this subtle transmission of knowledge within the collective subconscious. However, religious methods to aid transmission were strongly guarded. Ancient religion recognized the power of knowledge and took protective measures to ensure that people and institutions grew in a sustainable balanced manner. Having lost our religious traditions, we lost our guide to the connectivity of consciousness. More importantly however, we lost controls over how quickly and in what order knowledge (power) was transmitted. Science has been very prolific in reconstituting knowledge, but it has not replaced religion’s methods of ensuring that individuals and societies learn in a balanced sequence.

To illustrate this point, let me tell the story of two famous scientists.

The first man was very devout as both a Christian and a scientist. He tirelessly studied esoteric traditions such as alchemy in an attempt to understand God and the universe. He, and many scientists of his day, believed in prisca sapientia – a spiritual wisdom that was first revealed by God. It may surprise you to learn that this spiritual scientist was Sir Isaac Newton.

The second man strove to, “read the mind of God.” He claimed, “I never came upon any of my discoveries through the process of rational thinking." Rather, he believed in a “cosmic intelligence” and once stated that most profound scientists believed in, “an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.” This man was Einstein, the second founder of the modern scientific era.

The stories don’t end here. Newton published his inspired theories and, not surprisingly, the “secular” world of commerce and engineering quickly put this knowledge to practical use. The theory of gravitation was particularly useful in developing long-range artillery. Preeminence in this field of knowledge helped the British Empire dominate the world. British soldiers could destroy lives in a terribly efficient and impersonal manner that kept them largely unaware of the suffering they inflicted.

You may have already guessed the story of Einstein. He had wanted to keep his enlightened knowledge separate from the world of material applications – just as the Greeks and other ancients had traditionally done with their science. It must have been devastating for Einstein to realize his enlightened theory might become responsible for the Germans developing an atomic bomb. Einstein knew that he had to initiate an effort for America to develop the atomic bomb first. Again, a new weapon had been discovered which made warfare even more horrific, detached, and impersonal. Einstein’s final wisdom came too late when he said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our science has exceeded our humanity” and that science, “has changed everything except our way of thinking… the solution to this problem lies in the heart of mankind.”

Religion had recognized for millennia the importance of Einstein’s quote. Individuals will connect to consciousness and knowledge outside of themselves. The insights and wisdom imparted in this connection have a great potential to throw individuals and sometimes all of society out of balance.

Our world is in a balance. This duality is described variously as “good and evil”, “knowledge and ignorance” or yin and yang. Anything that is too far out of balance tends to disappear from our particular part of the universe. As any religion, society, or individual moves to one side of this balance, a foundation must first be built to support that change. Insights need to be supported by prior spiritual development in the individual receiving them. Secondly, before these insights are given to all of society, the culture itself must be prepared - our science must never exceed our humanity.

To have a spiritual experience is not really so difficult. Many people have had some type of epiphany or moment of clarity. It can be brought on by something as clumsy as hallucinogenic drugs or a crisis. The difficult thing is to sustain increased clarity in a useful manner rather than sinking back to your prior level or in some cases even depression or insanity over what was lost. The people who end up worse off after having a spiritual insight may be the ones who pushed themselves too quickly, perhaps with drugs, before they built a foundation.

There are numerous references and metaphors for spiritual setbacks in most religions including Christianity. Icarus’ flight and the Tower of Babel are two ancient metaphors. Jesus more directly states (Matthew 12:43), “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none. Then he says, I will return into my house from where I came; and when he returns, he finds it empty, swept and garnished. Then he goes, and takes with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.”

All of the possible types of spiritual setbacks could fill volumes. Examples range from an LSD user who goes insane upon “seeing God", to a society whose enlightened science threatens to destroy it. The key point is, as with anything, there will be failures. In the absence of a perfect teacher, the only course seems to be preparation and dealing with setbacks rather than denying or ignoring them or turning to anger and self pity.

Religious traditions often stress the need to carefully consider the effects of your actions. When negative outcomes (karma) do occur from one’s actions, it is always stressed that this karma should be dealt with before moving forward and compounding the mistake. If you take time to consider your actions before rushing down a particular path, you will often sense whether or not your intentions are positively inspired or driven by negative desires. Changes in the balance of your life (or in our society) should never be motivated by any form of egotism. People should always consider the possible negative outcomes of a change and work to correct any problems before moving along further. This focus on resolving existing problems before rushing ahead is a message from ancient religion that is vitally important to modern man.

This article is condensed from a chapter of, The Real Story of Money, Health, and Religion, by Loren Howe available in paperback or $1.25 download at: http://www.lulu.com/content/592768