Cosmic jet lag- Moving too fast for your soul?
Recently I came across a friend who had been on quite a journey.
Not your average seaside trip, nope, she had travelled alone by trail bike (&boat) to the Sahara desert. And it was the way her journey unfolded that was extraordinary.
It seemed that through her planning, and her ability to be flexible around her plans there was another force at play, something like providence.
~ Johan Wolfgang von Goethe ~"there is one elementary truth, the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans. That the moment one definitely commits oneself, then Providence moves too."
So already we have a whole load of metaphors to unfold, I will not insult your intelligence and do it for you, and yes 5 days in the Desert with no help, no petrol stations, or extra water...it was seriously cool.
Anyway back to the point, one of the things she did say was that she had 11 days to get there, and only 3 to get back, she called her return a "cosmic jet lag" she travelled too fast for her "soul" to keep up with her.
So whats a soul? what is the spirit? This is not a new debate, but as I understand it, and have picked up from Buddhism & Yoga perhaps another view that helps to remain flexible around this, the Soul or what is known of as the "Atman" is the essence of life, the unchanging ever present energy which animates and witnesses the (in this case) spirit; the link from soul to the physical body in humans.
It is an edgy subject, and I love a good debate, so please feel free to comment..
The idea of cosmic jet lag, is, I think a great way to describe that feeling when you first arrive somewhere where you have travelled perhaps a bit faster than you are used to.. or supposed to?
I might even say a train journey could do it. Perhaps it's in the distance travelled, the amount of energy expended, who knows, maybe a combination, but it happens. neat to put a name to it.
So what is the soul thing?
And what isn't the soul?
Tricky one to define, lets lean on the old texts..
Atman:-soul;
"Ātman (/ˈɑːtmən/; Sanskrit: आत्मन्) is a Sanskrit word for the true or eternal Self or the self-existent essence or impersonal witness-consciousness within each individual. Atman is conceptually different from Jīvātman, which persists across multiple bodies and lifetimes." Vedas.
Prakriti,- the human form
Chitta,- the mind stuff
Ankara- the ego
These terms ( I hope) help to distinguish between the two realms of understanding of being an essence and living as a human on this gorgeous planet.
It might seem a little dark to our western minds, but in Yogic philosophy when the human body dies the Atman is then moved on to realise a new state. (there it gets complicated with Karma Vipaka- the ripening of your actions etc. thats for another blog I think!) And the body returns to the Earth.
We choose what to believe at any given moment, (good old free will) I can't help wondering if, when travelling, the Atman gets disjointed when flying at 533mph over vast spaces of land and water, when it would take months potentially to do the same on foot (or by trail bike).
This also reminds me of one of my other favourite quotes, this time from the ancient Vedic text The Upanishads:
"You are what your deep driving desire is.
As your desire so is your will.
As you will is, so is your deed.
As your deed is so is your destiny."
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Not sure what that connection is, but its a beautiful bit of ancient wisdom, and I also feel that these glimpses into old wisdom might not have all the answers to our modern questions, but provide a mystical poetry that we don't need answers for.
Hari Om Tat Sat
The manifested truth in all that is.
Much love
Katie
November 2024