Overcoming Total Darkness!

                     Eigengrau or Eigenlicht, dark light or brain gray...

 

Author’s Note

 

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” 
― Plato

 

Reflections

 

        What does the word darkness mean? The word darkness can have a variety of meanings including the following: gloom; evilness; lack of understanding or compassion; reference to death or suffering; the state of being dark, lack of light, the product of being dark; the state or quality of reflecting little light, of tending to a blackish or brownish color.

 

         Many people have never experienced total darkness.  I first experienced “total darkness” in Mammoth Cave, during a cave tour, when the guide turned off all the lights in the cave. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like when engulfed in absolute darkness…maybe a feeling of helplessness as you strain your eyes against the darkness? Interestingly, when in absolute darkness, you do “see” …it has been called Eigengrau or Eigenlicht, dark light or brain gray, the uniform dark gray background many people report seeing in the absence of light. Researchers have discovered closed eye visualizations (CEV) occur in the absence of light. There are five known levels of CEV perception which can be achieved either through chemical stimuli or through mediative relaxation techniques.  

 

         It would seem from modern research darkness is not synonymous with “nothingness”. Maybe darkness encompasses a primitive chaos and the powers of that chaos, with the so-called Prince of Darkness in some religious circles representing Satan. Others might argue darkness is not essentially evil, but only associated with death and destruction, captivity, and spiritual darkness.

 

What about the darkness that occurs in the womb during human development, occurring in a water environment? Can this environment be linked to the environment that existed prior to the “big bang”, a singularity existing in a water environment, in total darkness, with the light trapped within the singularity, trapped by the resistance of the darkness surrounding it? 

 

Is the natural state of the universe one of darkness, chaos, with the positive energy of the creator God, trapped by the resistance of darkness, which represents evil…this evil is trying to prevent the release of light, with creation representing the release of light, the positive energy of the creator God, into the surrounding darkness, just as stated in the account of creation in Genesis, “Let there be Light!”

 

I would argue to overcome feelings of sadness and to resist doubt, we must learn to overcome the law of resistance, overcome the obstacles of darkness blocking the light, the truth that surrounds us, the truth always accessible to us because of our creator God’s grace, if we would just reach out to Him and grasp it!

 

Silent Prayer

 

Oh, creator God, when we are faced with complete darkness in life, bring someone into our life to light the way to eternal understanding!

 

Music

 

Light at the End of the Darkness by Chris Christian

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EszGLC5r4bU

 

Have a great day!

Barry