A tiny step to transformation! ;)

Read and re-read and re-re-read Lost Symbol. And yes, once again, as always, I’m in love with Dan Brown and the mystical things he writes about. What fascinates me is the synergy of science, philosophy and religion as put forward in his books, especially this book – ‘Lost Symbol’. The deep underlining concept of the book has a freakish resemblance with my leisure thoughts and ‘time-pass-googling' on religion, philosophy etc. The influence of ancient sayings, doctrinal words on modern science has always intrigued me. Dad is the first person who brought this topic to me one day, just as a part of casual chit-chat. And from then onwards, it has never failed to interest me. This Dan Brown’s latest book rekindled that interest.

All the ancient books or ‘Words’ have been symbolic, full of metaphors. Just a simple fact like this (and to believe this fact, you can verify on your own) can help solve so many unsolved questions that seems to revere the mystery around. I never knew that the word ‘apocalypse’ is actually a Greek word, meaning ‘lifting the veil’ or ‘revelation’!, surprising contrast to the commonplace notion that the word symbolizes ‘end of the world’, hence destruction. But the metaphor actually suggests, end of an era or end of certain beliefs or practices and not the literal destruction of the world. It does satisfy my skepticism regarding the 2012 apocalypse.

I have always believed that we really need to dig deep inside every tradition or practice or belief before going all pessimistic about it. (that is one reason I am skeptic about God. But I feel I got a new insight in this respect as well. God Himself is possibly a concept full of metaphors. Guess, I need a lot more time to come up with some opinion about this) Brown rightly says, the symbolical, dual-meaning expressions veils the underneath significance.

There are many such astounding facts in this book - atonement which is if seen clearly at-one-ment, the explanation why human body is called temple and what is the true meaning of ‘god resides in us’ and loads.  I was awestruck at the theory of similarity the author put forward regarding the power of brain secretion (power to heal, outlive which is also proved right in real science) and ‘manna from heaven’.  The architectural mysteries, influence of religion on science, everything in the book is mesmerizing. 

And I have started developing a new faith in religions and traditions. Not that I disbelieved or disrespected before, but yes, I was skeptic (like I said) and still am, probably little less. But ‘Lost Symbol’ is such instigation that I have started my little ‘dig-around-study’ which is kind of gaining me the voids or gaps in my beliefs. 

I feel like agreeing with Brown and many others have also said that religion as we perceive and practice is widely misunderstood. And that is root cause of terror-inflicting activities and socio-religious tension. I have mentioned in my blog before that I’m not a religious person. [ http://srijita-pal.blogspot.com/2008/09/wat-abt-taking-humanity-as-religion.html ] May be that is not wholly true. It is the hypocrisy in the name of religion and God that infuriates me.

Well, off to work on this newly found TOI of mine. Will keep posting if I get flabbergasted again.