Henri Bergson (1859–1941) was one of the most influential French philosophers of the late 19th century-early 20th century. Bergson was awarded the 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature. In his book, Creative Evolution, Bergson wrote,

“Fortunately, some are born with spiritual immune systems that sooner or later give rejection to the illusory worldview grafted upon them from birth through social conditioning. They begin sensing that something is amiss, and start looking for answers. Inner knowledge and anomalous outer experiences show them a side of reality others are oblivious to, and so begins their journey of awakening. Each step of the journey is made by following the heart instead of following the crowd and by choosing knowledge over the veils of ignorance.”

Some useful points to consider:

1. Because each of us is fundamentally part of one ultimate reality and all its implications for our existence and human experience, there is within us an intolerance for religious, social, and cultural conditioning that violates what we most deeply know is real and true.

2. No matter how hard we try to ignore, manage, compensate or anesthetize the cognitive dissonance and disharmony we feel inside, this inner conflict and suffering becomes a catalyst for questioning and seeking answers.

3. Rather than being told what to think, believe and feel, we begin to evaluate our religious, social and cultural conditioning against the truth we know inside ourselves and what we find as real in our own personal and direct experience.

4. Our path forward is forged upon a new relationship with ourselves and we discover a friendship with our heart in which we are no longer capable of betraying the deepest realities and truths it reveals to us.

Jim Palmer