Although there is considerable negative attention focused upon extremist Islamic sects, Islam is yet another religious teaching that has been hijacked by literalists proselytizing their own agenda, and there is much to be gleaned by the inner esoteric side of Islam in the form of Sufism.  The Sufis are credited with the advancement of science and mysticism during the Dark Ages and the propagation of Hermetic philosophy especially Alchemy.  The Sufis believe that through the study of nature and harmony one can better understand the will of God because nature is the manifestation of God.

Sufism is the inner, esoteric side of Islam, and it concerns itself with the Alchemical concept of purifying and preparing oneself in such a way so as to be able to approach and merge with God.  Many of the faithful in all traditions believe that we will merge with God after death.  But the Sufis attempt this encounter in life with direct experience which is similar to the Gnostics, and as in other esoteric traditions it is up to the individual to uncover the truth.  

Since it is the luminescence of God that we are seeking, one very well cannot approach that sublime nature with course impurities.  As light repels all darkness, one could never come close without first removing the shackles of our impure nature; for otherwise, our nature, or ego, would be torn to shreds in our futile attempt to storm the gates of Heaven.

For instance, this approach of man to God can be thought of as a transmuting of the primal energies of man into the sublime light of God. At the basest and most dense level of our being, we manifest the primal and chaotic creative energy that procreates the species and populates the planet. When this pure force is sublimated and raised to a higher level at the heart center it becomes that fuzzy feeling of romantic love which is based on our emotions.This process, although explicated much better in the Hindu and Buddhistic tantras, is the process and way of every esoteric tradition, even though the terminology and focus on sublime energy may be vastly different. Nonetheless, each is serving to show the process of taking the denser material man into the more sanctified light body before GOD! This, of course, will result in world peace, a global enlightenment and ultimately a true brotherhood of man.

From the depths of our subconscious erupts a myriad of archetypical images that help us relate to our world.  We imagine the most ideal outcome of a situation in order to better anticipate the consequences of our actions. Being the complex creatures we are and that we are inundated with images daily, we draw upon the established archetypes that are prevalent in our mythology and mass media to help us define our interactions and reality.

Despite this, the esotericist uses the archetypes to better attune to the Godhead, and although there is no specific name for it in Sufism, it is the ultimate archetypal human of the Adam Kadmon the Kabbalists speak of. This characteristic of the masterfully designed human is really what Sufis are trying to replicate as beings of light approaching God.    

A verse from one version of the Qur’an about esoteric interpretations reads “no one knows its hidden meaning except God and those who are firmly grounded in knowledge.” This knowledge does not mean the accumulation of facts, but the wisdom of individual experience, gnosis, which is the Holy Grail that each initiate seeks despite what path they may be treading.  The road to Heaven has many travelers from many diverse disciplines who would hold court with the Almighty, but more literal subscribers of dogma bifurcate into a darker realm.  

We understand this Islamic virtue of purifying oneself to please and serve God, and we see much of materialistic culture in which we are embedded as being the antithesis of what is godly. However, it leaves us in a quandary as to how some in the Islamic faith think it is their God given duty to proclaim holy war and wipe out what they view as unholy, even when what is being wiped out is pure innocence! There is no conceivable way these atrocities bring one closer to the light! Predictably, the egocentric literalist confuses the words of a timeless wisdom and uses them as a rationale to promulgate his fear-ridden and hateful egoistic desires.  

This is why we esotericists are strongly opposed to any literalist’s agenda that preaches hate, division, and conflict in the name of God; for there is a divine archetypal template of perfected behavior for all of Earth’s inhabitants to synchronize with, so that we can all co-exist in harmonic relationships which are truer to the hidden, sacred geometries behind creation.  The Universe started with a Singularity, the Alpha, and it will end with a singularity, the Singularity of God, the Omega Point.  

Jonathan McGregor Bethel and David Colin Healy are both writers and researchers.  They are the founders of Omega Point Institute, an online magazine and think tank dedicated to the research and dissemination of information pertaining to esoteric modes of thought and how those modes are solidifying  our collective future.  Whether it is the Technological Singularity, 2012 End Times, or the all encompassing omega point, these two individuals have much to say to clarify our view of the future.  www.omegapoint.org www.JonathanBethel.com