Guest Author - Andrea Gardiner, Ph.D.

As observers of physical reality we are often mesmerized by what we see, feel, hear, and smell. Our senses are dazzled by scents, colors, and sounds all day long. We are so hypnotized by what we are physically sensing that we hardly stop to consider the nature of the very thing we are observing. The philosophy of metaphysics however does not take this question for granted. Metaphysics concerns itself with the very nature of the existence and reality. The word itself speaks to the nature of the philosophy; it is of Greek origin and combines the words meta, meaning above, and physics, referring to physical reality. The general study of philosophy in and of itself is metaphysical by nature, as it seeks to question and find the First Cause and Oneness. To dive into this concept, let’s put together a clearer picture of the nature of Being.

In its quest to seek First Cause, metaphysics does not attempt to separate the observer from the thing being observed. It banishes the thought that physical reality is solid and real or separate and distinct from mankind. Metaphysics views the Universe and everything in it as pure positive energy. Now positive in the context of this article refers to neither good nor bad, it is simply meant as emphasis for the purity of the “stuff” itself, which is energy. The matter that is seen or unseen, felt or not felt, heard or not heard is all composed of energy. This energy itself is neutral but is directed and observed via consciousness; Universal Mind is this consciousness. It is not only consciousness, but pure energy as well, making it the observed and the observer! It is the First Cause.

Quite literally, Mind is the consciousness of all Being within the Universe and it is here that all things must originate. This leads to the underlying principle that all things must exist in thought within Mind prior to its actualization into matter, circumstances, or events. It matters not what the “thing” is that has manifested because at its core exists Mind. This is the very concept of Oneness, as it displays interconnectedness between all things with consciousness of Mind being the unifying agent.

Metaphysics is by nature the “First Philosophy” as it seeks to explain the origin of all things. It is the search for truth that does not merely explore the results of energy, which is perceived reality, but rather aims to hunt for the source instead.