Signs & Science: Spirits and spirituality

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DRAFT

قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ

اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ

لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ

وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌ

Say, "He (is) Allah, the One.

Allah, the Eternal, the Absolute.

Not He begets and not He is begotten.

And not is for Him equivalent any [one]."

[Al-Quran 112]

The Quran is quite clear that there is only One Deity, One God: Allah, and that He is not related to anyone. Moreover, we do not know what He looks like. We know that He has created everything and everyone, and all created beings must submit to Him.

Spirituality is on the rise. After a brief interval of secular, atheistic world view, many people crossover to spirituality as their chosen way of life. Some indulge in experiences involving mind-altering substances, and report fantastic visions. They also report their experiences as healing, and perspective-changing. They come to revere the beings in their vision, almost to the point of association with the Only God (polytheism). Some go as far as to reject the One, True Creator God, and take these created beings of their visions as worthy of worship. As archeological findings are increasingly available globally, it seems clear that the same deception has been going on since ancient times, with overlaps in imagery and art giving away the common origins of these experiences.

While Abrahamic scriptures admit to the existence of invisible creatures, both good and bad; yet they insist on the monotheistic faith in, and worship of, the One and Only God who created everything and everyone. They need to be consciously aware that the spiritual beings encountered in trance-like situations are a trial, and are a source of misguidance.

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belief in the unseen

ذٰلِكَ الۡڪِتٰبُ لَا رَيۡبَۛۚۖ فِيۡهِۛۚ هُدًى لِّلۡمُتَّقِيۡنَۙ‏ ٢

الَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِالۡغَيۡبِ وَ يُقِيۡمُوۡنَ الصَّلٰوةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقۡنٰهُمۡ يُنۡفِقُوۡنَۙ‏ ٣

وَالَّذِيۡنَ يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ بِمَۤا اُنۡزِلَ اِلَيۡكَ وَمَاۤ اُنۡزِلَ مِنۡ قَبۡلِكَۚ وَبِالۡاٰخِرَةِ هُمۡ يُوۡقِنُوۡنَؕ‏ ٤

This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allāh

Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,

And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muḥammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain [in faith].

[Al-Quran 2:2-4, Translation: Saheeh International]

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وَاِلٰهُكُمۡ اِلٰهٌ وَّاحِدٌ ۚ لَآ اِلٰهَ اِلَّا هُوَ الرَّحۡمٰنُ الرَّحِيۡمُ‏ ١٦٣ اِنَّ فِىۡ خَلۡقِ السَّمٰوٰتِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ وَاخۡتِلَافِ الَّيۡلِ وَالنَّهَارِ وَالۡفُلۡكِ الَّتِىۡ تَجۡرِىۡ فِى الۡبَحۡرِ بِمَا يَنۡفَعُ النَّاسَ وَمَآ اَنۡزَلَ اللّٰهُ مِنَ السَّمَآءِ مِنۡ مَّآءٍ فَاَحۡيَا بِهِ الۡاَرۡضَ بَعۡدَ مَوۡتِهَا وَبَثَّ فِيۡهَا مِنۡ کُلِّ دَآ بَّةٍ وَّتَصۡرِيۡفِ الرِّيٰحِ وَالسَّحَابِ الۡمُسَخَّرِ بَيۡنَ السَّمَآءِ وَالۡاَرۡضِ لَاٰيٰتٍ لِّقَوۡمٍ يَّعۡقِلُوۡنَ‏ ١٦٤ وَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَنۡ يَّتَّخِذُ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ اَنۡدَادًا يُّحِبُّوۡنَهُمۡ كَحُبِّ اللّٰهِؕ وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡٓا اَشَدُّ حُبًّا لِّلّٰهِ ؕ وَلَوۡ يَرَى الَّذِيۡنَ ظَلَمُوۡٓا اِذۡ يَرَوۡنَ الۡعَذَابَۙ اَنَّ الۡقُوَّةَ لِلّٰهِ جَمِيۡعًا ۙ وَّاَنَّ اللّٰهَ شَدِيۡدُ الۡعَذَابِ‏ ١٦٥ اِذۡ تَبَرَّاَ الَّذِيۡنَ اتُّبِعُوۡا مِنَ الَّذِيۡنَ اتَّبَعُوۡا وَرَاَوُا الۡعَذَابَ وَ تَقَطَّعَتۡ بِهِمُ الۡاَسۡبَابُ‏ ١٦٦ وَقَالَ الَّذِيۡنَ اتَّبَعُوۡا لَوۡ اَنَّ لَنَا كَرَّةً فَنَتَبَرَّاَ مِنۡهُمۡ كَمَا تَبَرَّءُوۡا مِنَّا ؕ كَذٰلِكَ يُرِيۡهِمُ اللّٰهُ اَعۡمَالَهُمۡ حَسَرٰتٍ عَلَيۡهِمۡؕ وَمَا هُمۡ بِخٰرِجِيۡنَ مِنَ النَّارِ‏ ١٦٧

And your god is one God. There is no deity [worthy of worship] except Him, the Entirely Merciful, the Especially Merciful. Indeed, in the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the alternation of the night and the day, and the [great] ships which sail through the sea with that which benefits people, and what Allāh has sent down from the heavens of rain, giving life thereby to the earth after its lifelessness and dispersing therein every [kind of] moving creature, and [His] directing of the winds and the clouds controlled between the heaven and earth are signs for a people who use reason. And [yet], among the people are those who take other than Allāh as equals [to Him]. They love them as they [should] love Allāh. But those who believe are stronger in love for Allāh. And if only they who have wronged would consider [that] when they see the punishment, [they will be certain] that all power belongs to Allāh and that Allāh is severe in punishment. [And they should consider that] when those who have been followed disassociate themselves from those who followed [them], and they [all] see the punishment, and cut off from them are the ties [of relationship], Those who followed will say, "If only we had another turn [at worldly life] so we could disassociate ourselves from them as they have disassociated themselves from us." Thus will Allāh show them their deeds as regrets upon them. And they are never to emerge from the Fire.

[Al-Quran 2:163-167, Translation: Saheeh International]

from where you cannot see them

يٰبَنِىۡۤ اٰدَمَ لَا يَفۡتِنَـنَّكُمُ الشَّيۡطٰنُ كَمَاۤ اَخۡرَجَ اَبَوَيۡكُمۡ مِّنَ الۡجَـنَّةِ يَنۡزِعُ عَنۡهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوۡءاٰتِهِمَا ؕ اِنَّهٗ يَرٰٮكُمۡ هُوَ وَقَبِيۡلُهٗ مِنۡ حَيۡثُ لَا تَرَوۡنَهُمۡ ؕ اِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا الشَّيٰطِيۡنَ اَوۡلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِيۡنَ لَا يُؤۡمِنُوۡنَ‏ ٢٧

O children of Adam, let not Satan tempt you as he removed your parents from Paradise, stripping them of their clothing1 to show them their private parts. Indeed, he sees you, he and his tribe, from where you do not see them. Indeed, We have made the devils allies to those who do not believe.

[Al-Quran 7:27, Translation: Saheeh International]

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they can neither create nor re-create

قُلۡ اِنَّ رَبِّىۡ يَقۡذِفُ بِالۡحَـقِّۚ عَلَّامُ الۡغُيُوۡبِ‏

٤٨ قُلۡ جَآءَ الۡحَـقُّ وَمَا يُبۡدِئُ الۡبَاطِلُ وَمَا يُعِيۡدُ‏ ٤٩

Say, "Indeed, my Lord projects the truth, Knower of the unseen."

Say, "The truth has come, and falsehood can neither begin [anything] nor repeat [it]."

[Al-Quran 34:48-49, Translation: Saheeh International]

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they establish contact

وَّاَنَّهٗ كَانَ رِجَالٌ مِّنَ الۡاِنۡسِ يَعُوۡذُوۡنَ بِرِجَالٍ مِّنَ الۡجِنِّ فَزَادُوۡهُمۡ رَهَقًا ۙ‏ ٦

And there were men from mankind who sought refuge in men from the jinn, so they [only] increased them in burden [i.e., sin].

[Al-Quran 72:6, Translation: Saheeh International]

As mentioned in The Shuar & The Achuar (الشُّعَرَاءُ)

The shamans claim to be in touch with spirit powers who guide them. They revere these beings. Generally these beings appear in their trance. Quite often, they report them as snakes.

While Abrahamic religions believe in the existence of other realms, hidden from normal human view, yet they are quite clear in their knowledge that there exists no God but the One and Only God.

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Destroying the Ego (Psyche)
The Quran informs us that Allah does not change the condition of a people until they change what is within their NAFS:

لَهُ مُعَقِّبَاتٌ مِّن بَيْنِ يَدَيْهِ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِ يَحْفَظُونَهُ مِنْ أَمْرِ اللَّهِ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُغَيِّرُ مَا بِقَوْمٍ حَتَّىٰ يُغَيِّرُوا مَا بِأَنفُسِهِمْ وَإِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍ سُوءًا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُ وَمَا لَهُم مِّن دُونِهِ مِن وَالٍ
For him (are) successive (Angels) before him and behind him, who guard him by (the) Command of Allah. Indeed, Allah (does) not change the condition of a people, until they change what (is) in ~~themselves~~ their NAFS. And when Allah wills for a people misfortune, then (there is) no turning away of it, and not for them besides Him any protector.
[Al-Quran 13:11, translation edited]

Growing popular openly, at an alarming rate, is the use of psychedelics: mind-altering medicinal plant derivatives, all over the world and particularly in the Amazon Jungle. The shamans administer and oversee the rituals. The consumers mainly report (i) destruction of the ego, (ii) healing, (iii) contact with strange creatures, (iv) the snake mother, (v) hybrid monsters, among other experiences.

The polytheistic pantheon contains many strange creatures, and the snake is an essential part of their mythology. The snake || serpent || dragon, also known as the devil or Satan, is an essential part of the story of The Bible, Genesis 3, the Fall of Adam. It begins with the statement:

1Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made.
[The Bible, Genesis 3:1]

The Quran also mentions the snakes and the reptiles. There is an entire Surah al-Jinn that delves in the details. More on this at: جَانٌّ (Snake || Jinn) || The Creation & Emergence of Species || Q15 23-50 || Q12

To quote Ruku #18 from Surah an-Nisa` which explicitly mentions that the worship of the female deity is actually the worship of the devil:

اِنَّ اللّٰهَ لَا يَغۡفِرُ اَنۡ يُّشۡرَكَ بِهٖ وَيَغۡفِرُ مَا دُوۡنَ ذٰ لِكَ لِمَنۡ يَّشَآءُ ؕ وَمَنۡ يُّشۡرِكۡ بِاللّٰهِ فَقَدۡ ضَلَّ ضَلٰلًاۢ بَعِيۡدًا‏ ١١٦ اِنۡ يَّدۡعُوۡنَ مِنۡ دُوۡنِهٖۤ اِلَّاۤ اِنٰـثًـا ۚ وَاِنۡ يَّدۡعُوۡنَ اِلَّا شَيۡـطٰنًا مَّرِيۡدًا ۙ‏ ١١٧ لَّـعَنَهُ اللّٰهُ ۘ وَقَالَ لَاَ تَّخِذَنَّ مِنۡ عِبَادِكَ نَصِيۡبًا مَّفۡرُوۡضًا ۙ‏ ١١٨ وَّلَاُضِلَّـنَّهُمۡ وَلَاُمَنِّيَنَّهُمۡ وَلَاٰمُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَيُبَـتِّكُنَّ اٰذَانَ الۡاَنۡعَامِ وَلَاٰمُرَنَّهُمۡ فَلَيُغَيِّرُنَّ خَلۡقَ اللّٰهِؕ وَمَنۡ يَّتَّخِذِ الشَّيۡطٰنَ وَلِيًّا مِّنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ فَقَدۡ خَسِرَ خُسۡرَانًا مُّبِيۡنًا ؕ‏ ١١٩ يَعِدُهُمۡ وَيُمَنِّيۡهِمۡ ؕ وَمَا يَعِدُهُمُ الشَّيۡـطٰنُ اِلَّا غُرُوۡرًا‏ ١٢٠
اُولٰٓٮِٕكَ مَاۡوٰٮهُمۡ جَهَـنَّمُ وَلَا يَجِدُوۡنَ عَنۡهَا مَحِيۡصًا‏ ١٢١
وَالَّذِيۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا وَعَمِلُوا الصّٰلِحٰتِ سَنُدۡخِلُهُمۡ جَنّٰتٍ تَجۡرِىۡ مِنۡ تَحۡتِهَا الۡاَنۡهٰرُ خٰلِدِيۡنَ فِيۡهَاۤ اَبَدًا ؕ وَعۡدَ اللّٰهِ حَقًّا ؕ وَمَنۡ اَصۡدَقُ مِنَ اللّٰهِ قِيۡلًا‏ ١٢٢ لَـيۡسَ بِاَمَانِيِّكُمۡ وَلَاۤ اَمَانِىِّ اَهۡلِ الۡـكِتٰبِؕ مَنۡ يَّعۡمَلۡ سُوۡٓءًا يُّجۡزَ بِهٖۙ وَ لَا يَجِدۡ لَهٗ مِنۡ دُوۡنِ اللّٰهِ وَلِيًّا وَّلَا نَصِيۡرًا‏ ١٢٣ وَمَنۡ يَّعۡمَلۡ مِنَ الصّٰلِحٰتِ مِنۡ ذَكَرٍ اَوۡ اُنۡثٰى وَهُوَ مُؤۡمِنٌ فَاُولٰٓٮِٕكَ يَدۡخُلُوۡنَ الۡجَـنَّةَ وَلَا يُظۡلَمُوۡنَ نَقِيۡرًا‏ ١٢٤ وَمَنۡ اَحۡسَنُ دِيۡنًا مِّمَّنۡ اَسۡلَمَ وَجۡهَهٗ لِلّٰهِ وَهُوَ مُحۡسِنٌ وَّاتَّبَعَ مِلَّةَ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ حَنِيۡفًا ؕ وَاتَّخَذَ اللّٰهُ اِبۡرٰهِيۡمَ خَلِيۡلًا‏ ١٢٥ وَلِلّٰهِ مَا فِى السَّمٰوٰتِ وَمَا فِى الۡاَرۡضِؕ وَكَانَ اللّٰهُ بِكُلِّ شَىۡءٍ مُّحِيۡـطًا١٢٦

Indeed, Allāh does not forgive association with Him, but He forgives what is less than that for whom He wills. And he who associates others with Allāh has certainly gone far astray. They call upon instead of Him none but female [deities], and they [actually] call upon none but a rebellious Satan, Whom Allāh has cursed. For he had said, "I will surely take from among Your servants a specific portion. And I will mislead them, and I will arouse in them [sinful] desires, and I will command them so they will slit the ears of cattle, and I will command them so they will change the creation of Allāh." And whoever takes Satan as an ally instead of Allāh has certainly sustained a clear loss. He [i.e., Satan] promises them and arouses desire in them. But Satan does not promise them except delusion.
The refuge of those will be Hell, and they will not find from it an escape.
But the ones who believe and do righteous deeds - We will admit them to gardens beneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide forever. [It is] the promise of Allāh, [which is] truth, and who is more truthful than Allāh in statement. It [i.e., Paradise] is not [obtained] by your wishful thinking nor by that of the People of the Scripture. Whoever does a wrong will be recompensed for it, and he will not find besides Allāh a protector or a helper. And whoever does righteous deeds, whether male or female, while being a believer - those will enter Paradise and will not be wronged, [even as much as] the speck on a date seed. And who is better in religion than one who submits himself to Allāh while being a doer of good and follows the religion of Abraham, inclining toward truth? And Allāh took Abraham as an intimate friend. And to Allāh belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And ever is Allāh, of all things, encompassing.
[Al-Quran 4:116-126, Translation: Saheeh International]

Polytheistic beliefs and traditions stand in sharp contrast to the monotheistic Abrahamic faith in the One and Only Deity. The polytheistic mighty ancient civilisations progressed, and their relics testify to their technological prowess. It seems like they all share a similar love for this world and its immediate benefits, but at the cost of the Hereafter.