Who are we?

The earliest traceable 'religious' are those who could have an experience which was out of the ordinary. They could somehow 'connect' to some force or flow and communicate with it, draw from it and reveal the hidden to the ordinary humans.

These 'Shamans', however, were also human.

Were their experiences really extraordinary? If their predictions came true, they proved their supernatural ability. If their predictions failed, they could be in one of two situations- they had failed once or they were never in touch!

If they could predict, can we assume that we are doomed to predestiny? Were, will be and always have been? What of free-will? And choice? We, as a race, claim these as unique mental faculties. What of our claim to a higher place on the hierarchy of life, solely on the premise that we have an extra-ordinary attribute? Are we the only species capable of something extraordinary?

Are we truly higher on the evolutionary scale?
Are we truly alone in the entire universe?

We must stop for a moment... Pause... and contemplate...

We are on Earth, which is one planet in one solar system in one galaxy. There are trillions of quintillion of galaxies, each with their own solar systems. It would, indeed, be extraordinary were we the only living creatures in the entire Universe!

If we were to take and consider an analogy from modern science- even computational neuroscience, we would begin to realise the enormity of our existence as also its insignificance!

There are scientists today who are duplicating a thinking, responding brain in robotics. A thinking, responding BRAIN! This is the Blue Gene Project. Exorbitant, but existent.

A robot that will think and respond like the human brain.
'We' have made it in our own image!
(Refer to the Bible- God made man in his own image)

We are in the process of becoming a Creator from being the created. If two or three or two hundred or three hundred or many many such Robotic Brains, capable of thinking and responding were to be put in a room, or a city or a country, what would their thoughts be? What would they respond to? What would they perceive of the environment? Would they think about their origin? Would their 'thinking' and 'responding' brain be able to conceptualise a Creator? Their Creator? When would such a search begin? What would it reveal? Would it really be cost-effective for the Creator to simply discard the exorbitantly expensive robots and consign them to the junk pile once their casing/ body was unable to perform? Would it make sense for The Brain to be retrieved and placed in a new casing to continue on...
Interesting as the scenario looks, outlandish as it feels, it is really not that far away into an unknown future with computational neurosciences and robotics progressing the way they are.

Such robots would be 'able' to 'think' and 'respond' only to the extent the Creator allows them to. Read that again- slowly. Such robots would be able to think and respond only to the extent their Creator ALLOWS them to!

They would be able to receive and perceive only what the creator will allow into their sphere of experience!

In the vastness of the Universe being the only thinking responding race is a highly unlikely proposition. Is it not equally likely that the Creator who created us, has put the seed of curiosity and enquiry in our 'thinking' and 'responding' mind? And this Creator is now slowly- very slowly, beginning to reveal itself to us? This Creator is now allowing us to experience the 'need' to observe, know and analyse the questions which till now did not enter our radar of experience.

Increasing number of people are having what they call mystical experiences that convert them from reluctant believers to ardent followers. Increasing number of people are beginning to feel that their life is full, yet empty! These are the people who begin to seek!

Some people do know they want to seek. They do know what they are looking for. There are, however, countless others who are simply trying to figure out what it is that is making them restless!

A teacher always makes the search easier. A map always makes the journey easier!

Find your way. Embark on your journey- with help or without- but travel you must.