The physical world is real; especially when we stub our toe.  There is mass and when it interacts with other mass there is contact, sometimes described as “Ouch!”  Our everyday life reminds us this physical world is real.  And yet….there is the unseen that impacts us, energy that shapes our here and now.

The borderline between the seen and unseen is sometimes called the Thin Veil.  On a metaphysical level the veil is considered a barrier between the physical and spiritual realms. On a quantum physics level this “borderline” becomes a little more defined when we read about the multiple dimensions.

In our everyday existence we are familiar with the three dimensions of height, width and depth. The fourth dimension adds the factor of time and motion.  We can see this when a 3d object moves; it’s demonstrating the fourth dimension aka space/time. But what comes after the third dimension? There’s a Rod Sterling quote “There is a fifth dimension, beyond that which is known to man.  It is a dimension as vast as space and as timeless as infinity. It is the middle ground between light and shadow, between science and superstition.” In a more down-to-earth explanation, some have used gravity as an example of a higher dimension (i.e., a fundamental natural force that is unseen yet impacts our three-dimensional universe.) See  The 5th Dimension | Science Trends

Scientists focus on what can be measured, even if it’s unseen to our human eye.  Somewhat similarly, theologians focus on “how things change.” Theologians also ask and attempt to answer big questions like: How the universe came into existence? and What happens to individuals before they are born and after they die? It is this intersection of physics and metaphysics that has always interested me.  For example, there are two Albert Einstein quotes that have inspired my wisdom search:

“For us believing physicists, the distinction between past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion.” -Einstein, The Expanded Quotable Einstein. Calaprice, Alice, ed. (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000). p. 75.

“I believe that I have cosmic religious feelings. I never could grasp how one could satisfy these feelings by praying to limited objects…. The whole of nature is life, and life, as I observe it, rejects a God resembling man. I like to experience the universe as one harmonious whole. Every cell has life. Matter, too, has life; it is energy solidified. Our bodies are like prisons, and I look forward to be free, but I don’t speculate on what will happen to me. I live here now, and my responsibility is in this world now…. I deal with natural laws. This is my work here on earth.” – Einstein, Einstein and the Poet. Hermanns, William (Branden Books, 2013) p.64.

I look forward to learning more about the Thin Veil and someday passing through it to visit with my ancestors and loved ones who have preceded me. What a wonderful reunion that will be. I’m curious, what have your experiences been with the Thin Veil?  How do you perceive the higher dimensions?