Spirituality is one of the most discussed topics but at the same time, unfortunately, it is one of the most misconceived subjects of all times. Most of the times Spirituality and Religion are not understood in the right sense. In this post we will try to look at spirituality with an entirely different perspective and correlate it to Science.

Spirituality is simply a science, just like physics, that was built to answer questions. Some questions have been asked innumerable times since the beginning of time and perhaps at every tick of the clock a few people out there ask this to themselves. Who am 'I'? Why am 'I' here? Where did 'I' come from? Am 'I' just matter like this chair or am 'I' something more?

'I' is a consciousness. It cannot be measured and quantified. You can measure the characteristics of your body but you cannot measure 'I'. Then what is this 'I'? "I am John" - no, that is just a name by which others identify you. "I am David's son" - no, that is only how you are related to David. “I am employee of Microsoft” – no, that is what you do for a living. Answers will dry out but you cannot give an answer to the question. All these answers only describe something that is an attribute of your body or something that you perform.

Everyone would have heard of the Big Bang. Here is the video link for a very good lecture from Stephen Hawking on 'Origin of the Universe'- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFjwXe-pXvM&feature=related . According to the theory the entire universe is expanding like a bubble. This lead to the conclusion that the universe was in a contracted and dense state at some point in time. It is not the matter that is expanding but the space itself. Also, according to the theory the entire universe was in a state of singularity i.e. was located in a point without volume and infinite density. There was no Space, no Time. A state of absolute zero. It is pretty difficult for an ordinary mind to think of something without Space itself !

Ok, then what existed before space and time? The only answer is 'Consciousness'. Consciousness is the one and only thing that does not depend upon space or time to exist. Your consciousness does not require a body for its existence. But your body requires your consciousness to make it ‘alive’. It is infinite, not measurable and eternal.

Why did the Big Bang occur at all? Scientists like Stephen Hawking have been trying to give an answer with the help of quantum mechanics. Till date we do not have an answer. At the state of singularity, with zero volume and infinite density, none of the laws of physics hold good. Physics established its laws only after the Big Bang occurred i.e. only after matter and energy evolved.

What does Spirituality have to say in this regard? Prior to the Big Bang, there was just one consciousness that was in serenity, nirvana - the perfect one. Space, matter, energy are the irregularities that blew up from this perfect state. But why did that happen? Spirituality can explain.. Very authoritatively..