How do we know what we know? Where does our knowledge of the outside world come from?
The answer given by Greek philosopher Aristotle about 2,350 years ago, which is accepted by modern-day scientists, is that all knowledge comes from our five physical senses of sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste. Aristotle declared, “Nothing is in our intellect which was not at first in our senses.”
However, as I got exposed to various fields of knowledge beyond science and religion, I began to suspect that Aristotle may not be entirely correct, that there are certain types of knowledge which could not have come from the senses.
Throughout recorded history there have always existed special individuals who had the power or ability to tap into some kind of hidden knowledge or wisdom not possessed by ordinary mortals.
Where does this knowledge come from? The prophets and the founders of all religions claim this knowledge to have come directly from God, which is, of course, very difficult to prove. One can only accept such claims by blind faith or reject them altogether. It is not possible to argue about them.
But one very wise and highly influential Greek philosopher named Socrates (who lived about 420 B.C.) had an unusual and novel claim. He said that his extraordinary knowledge came from an invisible, intelligent force he called his “Daemon.” Socrates, of course, was not referring here to what the Christian religion (which did not yet exist at the time of Socrates) calls the Devil or Demon.
According to the great historian, Plutarch, Socrates’ Daemon had been with him since he was a baby and gave him visions to guide him in all the actions of his life. The daemon “also shed light upon hidden and obscure matters and such as could not be discovered by unassisted human understanding.”
Peculiar power
It was also believed by those who knew Socrates that his Daemon had some peculiar and extraordinary power. It foretold, through Socrates, the overthrow of the Athenians in Sicily.
Whether Socrates’ Daemon came from some invisible spirit or higher intelligence independent of himself, or was a product of his own subconscious mind, we cannot tell. But if Socrates had lived during the modern era, he would most likely be declared insane or just hallucinating and confined to a mental institution.
Now let’s jump to a 20th century example of somebody I actually met who obviously could not have obtained certain knowledge beyond his five physical senses. He used to work as a graphic artist and public relations officer of a well-known family-owned car manufacturing company in the Philippines during the martial law years.
Konrad (as we shall call him) could obtain extraordinary knowledge of past, present and future by channeling through automatic writing an invisible entity who called himself Ang Suhriones or simply Ang Suh.
When I asked where he came from, Ang Suh revealed that he was from the upper fifth dimension and had never had a human existence. In other words, he was a pure spirit. He said he came to teach man about the nature of the spirit world. But many times, Ang Suh also gave much information about mundane matters whenever asked about them.
For example, Ang Suh revealed through Konrad that the company he was working with would collapse, at a time when this company was at the height of its success and was even expanding very fast. This event actually happened.
He revealed the existence of a book about breaking the spirit and its author, which was completely unknown to Konrad or to the person to whom he revealed it. A week later that book was shown to him by a female friend he fetched at the airport. She happened to be carrying that same book in her bag.
In 1984, Ang Suh also revealed my past incarnation as a high priest in ancient Egypt who “wrote scriptures dedicated to the gods.” I was, according to him, called the Golden One, because I had predicted the golden years of Egypt.
My life as a monk in ancient Egypt was earlier revealed to me by a female psychic in Quezon City in 1989, at a time when I didn’t believe in reincarnation. This explained to me my strong affinity for ancient Egypt and also Greek civilizations. Ang Suh also revealed secret information known only to the individuals concerned, including intimate details.
The point is that there is such knowledge which could not have come from the five senses of man. They exist. But such sources of knowledge, and the method of obtaining it, are beyond science and religion.
That is no reason to completely reject it.
Attend the next Inner Mind Development Seminar on July 4-5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Rm. 308, Prince Plaza I, Legazpi St., Legazpi Village, Greenbelt, Makati. For details or reservations call tel. 8107245 or 0998-9886292.