’Idál, 17 ‘Ilm (Knowledge), 180 B.E.
Reflections on the Life of the Spirit
Quote for Reflection:
The other mode of the spirit’s influence and action is without these bodily instruments and organs. For example, in the state of sleep, it sees without eyes, it hears without ears, it speaks without a tongue, it runs without feet—in brief, all these powers are exerted without the mediation of instruments and organs. How often it happens that the spirit has a dream in the realm of sleep whose purport comes to be exactly materialized two years hence! Likewise, how often it happens that in the world of dreams the spirit solves a problem that it could not solve in the realm of wakefulness. Awake, the eye sees only a short distance, but in the realm of dreams one who is in the East may see the West. Awake, he sees only the present; in sleep he beholds the future. Awake, by the fastest means he travels at most seventy miles in an hour; in sleep he traverses East and West in the blink of an eye. For the spirit has two modes of travel: without means, or spiritual travel, and with means, or material travel—as birds that fly, or as being carried in a vehicle. — ‘Abdu’l-Bahá 1
Question for Consideration:
Can you give examples of the soul’s influence and action without bodily instruments? 2
Google Bard Response:
Here are some examples of the soul’s influence and action without bodily instruments:
- Dreams: As ‘Abdu’l-Bahá mentions in the quote, the soul can see, hear, speak, and run in the state of sleep. Dreams can be prophetic, meaning that they can foretell future events. They can also help us solve problems that we are facing in our waking lives.
- Intuition: Intuition is a sudden feeling or insight that comes over us without conscious reasoning. It is often described as a gut feeling or a sixth sense. The soul’s ability to perceive reality beyond the limits of our physical senses is a possible manifestation of intuition.
- Telepathy: The ability to communicate with another person’s mind without using physical means is telepathy. It is thought to be a form of soul-to-soul communication.
- Clairvoyance: Clairvoyance is the ability to see things that are beyond the reach of our physical vision. It may result from the soul’s ability to see into the spiritual world.
- Near-death experiences: Near-death experiences (NDEs) are experiences that people have when they are close to death. NDEs often involve visions of light, feelings of peace and love, and encounters with deceased loved ones. NDEs are thought to provide evidence of the soul’s existence and its ability to survive the death of the body.
These are a few examples of the soul’s influence and action without bodily instruments. There may be many more. While the Bahá’í teachings do not offer definitive explanations for all these phenomena, they affirm the reality of the soul and its ability to operate independently of the body.
It is important to note that the soul is a mystery. We do not fully understand how it works or interacts with the physical world. Nonetheless, the soul is a powerful force that can profoundly impact our lives and the world.
- ’Abdu’l-Bahá. Some Answered Questions. Bahá’í Reference Library. Accessed November 1, 2023. https://www.bahai.org/library/authoritative-texts/abdul-baha/some-answered-questions/10#009799446. ↩
- Ruhi Institute. Reflections on the Life of the Spirit. 4.1.2.PE May 2020. Vol. Book 1. 6 vols. Embarking on a Path of Service. Cali, Columbia: Ruhi Institute, 2020, 34-35. https://www.ruhi.org/en/walking-a-path-of-service/#RLS ↩
Frameworks for Understanding the World 