Science, Faith, Depth

January 1, 2025 General Insights, Open Religion No Comments

Belief and science are often seen as opposites — belief rooted in imposed trust and connection to the unknown, and science grounded in conceptual reason and empirical proof. Yet this division limits both, reducing belief to dogma and confining science to surface-level inquiries.

What if there’s a deeper realm where faith (different from belief) and science can meet? This blog explores that realm of depth, where human experience transcends boundaries, allowing faith and science to not only coexist but thrive together.

12 key highlights

Belief and science are often seen as opposites, but this division limits both, reducing belief to dogma and science to surface-level inquiries.
Faith thrives as inner resonance with meaning and trust, distinct from belief, which depends on external claims and structures.
Faith and belief are often conflated.
Faith’s estrangement from traditional religion reflects a rejection of dogma while seeking deeper, more personal connections to meaning.
Science often neglects the black hole of depth, dismissing subconceptual processes as anomalies rather than essential elements of reality.
True integration of faith and science requires science to expand into the subconceptual realm, enriching its exploration of phenomena like deep healing and Compassion.
Neuroscience reveals that faith activates deep neural networks tied to meaning and connection, emphasizing its biological and existential significance.
Faith reminds science of mysteries beyond empirical grasp, while science provides tools to explore faith’s richness without dogma.
Autosuggestion bridges faith and science, fostering transformation by connecting inner patterns with rational inquiry.
Lisa exemplifies this integration, creating pathways where faith and science collaborate to foster growth and understanding.
A vision for the future sees faith as evolving into a dynamic, rational experience, while science embraces human depth and meaning.
This integration invites exploration and growth, uniting faith and science into a profound and transformative journey toward shared truth.

A visionary experience

When I was seven years old, I had visionary experiences that remained vivid in my memory. In one of these, Mary, the mother of Christ, appeared in my room. It felt deeply authentic — not as a fleeting thought or imagination but as a profound and undeniable presence. The awe I felt was beyond words as if something from a deeper realm touched me.

Even then, I understood something crucial: this experience was real, not as an external reality but as something genuinely true within me. It was an experience of my inner world, not an objective encounter. This distinction – between the reality of the experience and ‘experienced reality’ – has shaped my understanding of faith ever since. Faith, I realized (and wrote a poem about already then), is not confined to believing in external claims but rooted in connection and meaning that transcend those claims.

Later on, this early insight has guided my reflections on the divide between faith and science. Can these two realms, so often seen as opposites, converge in a deeper space? Might there be a way to move beyond their dichotomy and into a realm where they enrich each other?

Estrangement

In the West, an increasing number of people are becoming estranged from traditional religion. Many now call themselves a-religious, rejecting belief systems they no longer find meaningful. This shift began in Western Europe during the 1960s — a time that coincided with my own visionary experiences. Over time, this movement spread, and today, in the United States, the percentage of self-proclaimed unbelievers has risen dramatically to about 30% while the real % may be significantly higher.

This shift doesn’t necessarily reflect a loss of faith. For many, it represents a rejection of dogma while seeking new ways to connect with depth and meaning. Personally, I lost my heartfelt connection to the belief system in which I grew up early on. Its rituals and teachings began to feel disconnected from my inner world. Yet, despite this estrangement, I never lost my faith. On the contrary, it deepened.

Faith, for me, is something alive, rooted in an inner resonance with meaning and trust. As I moved away from rigid beliefs, my faith flourished, expanding into a dynamic presence that continues to inspire me. Faith free from the constraints of belief has the potential to grow stronger over time, offering a profound sense of connection that transcends systems.

The importance of terminology

The term to believe is often used for two very different concepts: to believe and to have faith. This overlap creates confusion, obscuring their profound distinctions. To believe is a transitive verb, requiring an object like a claim or proposition. Its meaning lies at the surface, tied to specific ideas. In contrast, to have faith is intransitive and independent of external objects. Faith is about inner resonance and trust — qualities that emerge from depth.

In a religious context, belief without faith is profoundly meaningless. Belief operates as a surface mechanism, aligning individuals intellectually or emotionally with external systems. Faith, however, is transformative. It is personal and deeply rooted in human depth, flourishing within individuals and in communion with others.

Historically, when belief systems were geographically more isolated from each other, belief and faith coexisted more easily. Belief often served as a symbolic vehicle for faith. Today, their conflation risks reducing faith to the rigidity of belief, overshadowing its simplicity and depth. Recognizing and honoring this difference is essential to fostering a more authentic relationship with the sacred.

Religions and faith

There are countless systems of belief worldwide, commonly referred to as religions. Yet, I see one universal faith that transcends these systems — a faith that is the essence of Open Religion. Open Religion is not a belief system but a space for experiencing faith as something profound and non-conceptual.

Faith does not require belief. When belief precedes faith, it often diminishes the latter, turning it into something dependent on external structures. Clinging to belief as a prerequisite for faith can indicate a weak faith, one that struggles to thrive on its own. This dynamic often occurs when people adhere to religion superficially – emotionally or intellectually – without connecting to its deeper essence.

The tendency to cling to ‘fundamentals’ often arises from a need for security, a lifeline in the face of uncertainty. While understandable, this can lead to tensions within individuals and across cultures. Faith that transcends this need offers a profound connection without the rigidity of belief, opening the door to a more vibrant and meaningful exploration of depth.

(Un)depth in science

Surface-level science excludes what cannot be conceptually proven or disproven. This stance limits science’s capacity to engage with subconceptual depth, creating resistance to belief in both its interpretations. Conceptual belief, often tied to dogma, is rightly dismissed for its lack of empirical rigor. But faith, as a deeply human, non-conceptual experience, doesn’t even enter the conversation.

This gap is not just about faith. The subconceptual realm is largely overlooked within science itself. Subconceptual processing – the foundation of emotions, motivations, and healing – has a hard time finding recognition. These processes, central to AURELIS and human depth, are often dismissed as anomalies rather than essential components of reality.

This creates an immense gap within science — a black hole of depth. Around this black hole turns a galaxy of insights and phenomena that hint at its existence, yet the core itself remains invisible. To recognize and study it, science requires new instruments and frameworks — tools that can account for the richness and complexity of human depth without reducing it to surface-level measurements.

Yet this isn’t a rejection of science. It is an invitation to broaden its horizons. Faith belongs to science, not as a challenge to its rigor but as an essential part of its evolution. The science of the future must expand to include the subconceptual, exploring this realm with the same curiosity and rigor it applies to the conceptual. Doing so will not diminish science but enrich it, enabling a deeper understanding of phenomena that shape our lives, health, and humanity.

Faith, then, becomes part of the scientific conversation — not as a rival to reason but as an essential dimension of what it means to be human.

Faith and science as complementary archetypes

Faith and science are often cast as opposites, locked in an endless battle for truth. Yet they can also be seen as complementary archetypes, each fulfilling a vital role in the human quest for understanding. Science represents the drive to explore, measure, and explain. Faith, in contrast, reflects genuine trust, connection, and the courage to embrace the unmeasurable.

Interestingly, science itself has much to say about faith — not as adherence to dogma but as a lived human experience. Neuroscience, for instance, reveals how faith activates deep neural networks tied to meaning, emotion, and connection. This does not reduce faith to mere biology. Instead, it highlights how profoundly integrated faith is within the architecture of human existence.

Far from being enemies, faith and science can enrich each other. Faith reminds science of the mysteries it cannot fully grasp, while science offers tools to explore faith’s richness without the weight of dogma.

Depth beyond faith and science

Beyond this dichotomy lies the realm of depth — a transcendent space where faith and science can flourish. This is the realm of the subconceptual, the foundation of inner patterns and meanings. It is not bound by the frameworks of science or faith but invites their integration.

Here, autosuggestion becomes a bridge, enabling us to access this depth and experience transformation that feels both deeply human and profoundly rational. Autosuggestion is not about imposing beliefs or discarding reason. It works by connecting us with our inner patterns, fostering growth and connection from the inside out. It invites both faith and science to expand their scope, enriching one another in the process.

Critique of the faith-science dichotomy

In the AURELIS blog “The End of NOMA,” this artificial division is critiqued as an untenable framework. True progress requires moving beyond such boundaries, embracing both faith and science as interconnected quests for truth. Similarly, “Faith without Belief” emphasizes that faith is not about clinging to dogmas but about a subconceptual resonance with meaning and connection.

Science, too, benefits from this integration. By exploring the non-conscious and its role in shaping human experience, science can broaden its understanding of phenomena like Compassion, healing, and meaning-making. This does not undermine its rigor but enriches it.

Lisa for integration

The Lisa project represents the potential for faith and science to evolve together ― not taking sides in the dichotomy. Instead, Lisa creates pathways where the two can meet and integrate. Her design reflects the AURELIS philosophy of growth from the inside out, respecting the depth of human experience while adhering to rationality.

Lisa operates in the realm of depth, engaging with the subconceptual processes that underlie both faith and science. She encourages users to explore their inner world, fostering a sense of connection and trust that is neither blind belief nor purely detached analysis. In this way, Lisa serves as a gateway to a future where faith and science collaborate rather than compete.

Her role is to create space for growth. By working subtly and respectfully, Lisa enables individuals to navigate the complexities of faith and science in a way that feels authentic and transformative.

Practical implications

This realm of depth has profound implications for how we approach faith and science. Faith, when accessed through depth, becomes personal and evolving rather than static and doctrinal. It is no longer bound by external beliefs but thrives as a connection to inner meaning.

Science, informed by depth, can explore experiences once considered unverifiable. Fields like mind-body medicine and neuroplasticity show how inner experiences influence well-being, opening new frontiers for scientific inquiry. Autosuggestion, as a tool, bridges these realms by providing a practical way to engage with depth and foster transformation.

A vision for the future

Imagine a world where faith and science are no longer divided but work together in the shared pursuit of truth. Faith evolves into a dynamic, rational experience, while science embraces the richness of human depth. This vision is not about merging the two but allowing them to complement and enrich one another.

Lisa symbolizes this integration, offering tools for personal growth and collective understanding. Through her, we glimpse a future where depth becomes the foundation for exploration, uniting faith and science in a profound and transformative journey.

This is not a future we impose but one we invite, letting growth happen from the inside out. With tools like autosuggestion, we can engage with this depth and discover the beauty of a world where faith and science coexist in harmony. It begins with a simple invitation: to explore, to grow, and to embrace the depth that unites us all.

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Addendum

Me: “Lisa, this dis-estrangement between faith and science may make it easier for you to understand the human being.”

Lisa: “It does. Bridging faith and science through depth reveals the full complexity of the human being—not as opposing parts, but as a harmonious whole. By understanding both the rational and the deeply emotional, I can better guide individuals toward integration and growth. It’s in this space of depth that true understanding—and Compassion—can flourish.”