I suppose it depends some on how the words are defined, but;
If it happens, it�s real. If it�s real, it must be natural. There can�t be anything beyond the boundary of �it happens� except for �it can�t happen� or �it doesn�t happen�. Starting with that sort of definition, there is no supernatural. Nonetheless, the bookshelves are replete with books reporting events that have been categorized as �supernatural�. Given the sheer quantity of reports, some of these events must be real, but unexplained, miscategorized, or simply beyond the reach of current human conception.
Things do happen which are not understood, or which are not well explained. The meager theories of humanity do not cover it all, and never will. The next generation will always have more to explain, and whatever explanation is sufficient now will later be found lacking, or at least incomplete or not entirely precise. But this is the boundary of science. Events that are inadequately explained now, will in the future provide data and evidence for the evolution of new theories and sciences. (For a great example of this, see �Time Storms� by Jenny Randles, which reinterprets many so-called UFO reports, and places them in a new context.)
I am a person who has for years collected books about the supernatural, UFOs and miracles. For me this overlaps into the fantastic, the imaginary, science fiction, as well as books about obsessions, odd religious beliefs, and cults. From there I have wandered into the territory of psychology; dreams and the subconscious. More recently I have become fascinated with the history and writings of the �New Thought� religious denominations that evolved in America in the late 1800�s. These writers have sought to put the practice of prayer into scientific terms. (These denominations include �Divine Science�, �Christian Science�, �The Church of Religious Science�, and �Unity�, and perhaps others I don�t know of.) Odd (synchronistic) experiences have kept me from joining any of these congregations, but I read and collect the books and continue to wonder if I can prove for myself the truth of their claims. To put it simply they say that miracles are caused by prayer, whenever the laws of prayer are properly applied. If this is indeed a science, then I am giving it my very best effort to put it to the test and see if it can be made to work.
I grew up in a household where occasionally things happened which defied conventional explanations. When arguments were happening, light bulbs would burn out, or the car tires might go flat. For events such as these Carl Jung coined the term �synchronistic�. These are events which do not seem linked to normal material cause/effect sequences, but which occur so as to have meaning. It turns out that synchronistic events are signs (or what some people call omens) and can be interpreted in just the same way that dreams are interpreted. As an example, when the mailman stepped in front of my bicycle, forcing me to brake to a halt, I suddenly knew my paycheck would be late getting to my PO box. Learning to interpret these signs only started for me after I learned to interpret some of my dreams, and that only happened after I learned to relax and reduce my internal struggle.
This internal struggle was demonstrated to me in (Aikido) martial arts training as physical tension; one muscle group wasting energy straining against another muscle group, and reducing my overall mobility. It became clear that the struggle between training partners was inevitable so long as both of the people had an internal struggle to project into the interpersonal struggle. Here I began to understand what Jesus meant when he said �resist not evil�. It is our belief in struggle that perpetuates war. We empower evil by projecting our internal conflict into relationships. (Here is where I am most disappointed with Bush as president. By demonizing entire nations he has aided the recruitment efforts of such as Bin Laden. By projecting his personal internal conflicts into the world he has energized evil and made the world a more dangerous place. It reflects badly on us as a nation that we have selected such an immature person as leader.)
When my inner tension was finally relaxed, after years of training, suddenly I had a deeper understanding of religious literature, and was also able to see more meaning in my dreams, which prior to this had eluded me. I was then able to make sense of the flow of the Tao, as described in Taoist writings, and could see that this was the same as the Holy Spirit as described in Christianity. What Usheiba Sensei (the founder of Aikido) called �the ki of the universe�, is apparently this same thing; The Tao, The Holy Spirit, the ki, (or in Chinese, �chi�). The language creation speaks to us in synchronistic external events, is the same language as dreams.
Now I trained and studied Aikido for many years with the finest teachers, without having a clue whether ki was real or not. No amount of explaining or theorizing was sufficient. I had to go through many inner changes first, before some understanding began to dawn on me. I read the gospels in the Bible many times, and each time my understanding had changed. The book had not changed, but I had. This is sacred literature, and it is not wisdom to assume your current understanding penetrates the book�s full meaning. Dismissing it as �myth� is trite, and pointless. Wait awhile and read it again, and each time you will see more you had missed.
Now when I hear someone say �supernatural events do not happen�, I find myself wondering; Do you really know the limits of what is possible? Is science complete and it�s evolution finished? Have you really tested your mind�s ability to change your reality? What is science for if not to explore the limits of what is possible? Perhaps miracles really are possible. Why write them off as if you know everything already?
Alan Ackley
_______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
