Navigating Science & Spirituality: The Modern Shrine Manifesto

Learn how I navigate the world of spirituality, esoteric arts and woo-woo while keeping my logic intact.

Just came back to Singapore after 2 spiritual trips in Malaysia (Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur) exploring 2 different modalities. Ipoh’s trip was into Temples, Feng Shui following Taoism’s (and Qimen’s interpretation) of the 7 Star Path. Kuala Lumpur’s trip was into Qigong, Qimen and Quantum Physics.

As I reach almost 10 years since I’ve started my spiritual journey, I look back and wonder at all the different modalities I've exposed myself to in the course of self-discovery, healing and abundance. There have been some otherworldly experiences at times, like my 2 times I genuinely believe I had reached "enlightenment" momentarily.

How My Past Shaped Today’s Spirituality

For many years, I've had my struggles between the light and darker parts of my personality, as when I seek more light, it also reveals the heavier parts of my ego. This theme of duality appeared often in my path. I would go through some energy healing, feel amazing at the start, then start having a dopamine crash before I recover back to a baseline.

First starting with Mediation, then Bazi, Kabbalah, Yoga, Shamanic and Chakra work. At different times I've dabbled in Qi Gong, Qimen, Horoscope, Tarot and Yi Jing. I saw them as different ways to explore the same truth - that there is more than what the eye sees, more than what’s pushed under the rug of our conditioned realities in modern society. Each discipline introduced me to a new aspect of the self, a new insight into the universe. 

Integrating multiple spiritual disciplines is a growing trend in the modern world. According to a Pew Research Center survey, about 35% of adults in the United States not only identify with a specific religion but also incorporate diverse spiritual practices into their lives, such as yoga, meditation, and astrology.

Reconciling Conflict Between Science & Spirituality

Growing up, I was always a sensitive and observant kid. I noticed that many people didn't have the intuitive sensing abilities like me, and among those that do, many don't have the ability to articulate in a manner that's digestible to most people without coming across as hocus-pocus. Add in religious undertones, and it sets up a unproductive conversation that often misses the point. 

At the same time, I also studied science and had a logical, rigid way of looking at things "science couldn't explain". I later studied programming and technology, and tried to reconcile the world of spirituality with science. I understood the rigours of the scientific process and how they looked down on pseudo-science, yet I also believed that our current science still doesn't have the right measurement tools for some of the spiritual modalities we practice. 

In addition, I understood that humans are never 100% logical in all the decisions we make, we just don't have the brainpower to manually make every decision consciously. According to a study published in the journal 'Behavioural and Brain Sciences', emotions can influence our decisions and guide our actions. This means that even when we think we are being logical, our emotions can still have an impact on our decisions. Scientists included. 

I eventually concluded that science, and the people publishing them could be proven wrong or change over time. However, I only have this life to get to my goals, whichever method I choose to puruse them.

A classic case of science changing stances is the geocentric model of the universe, which posited that the Earth was the center of the universe and all celestial bodies revolved around it. This model was widely accepted until the 16th century when Nicolaus Copernicus proposed the heliocentric model, asserting that the Sun was the center of the solar system and the Earth, along with other planets, revolved around it. This was later confirmed by Galileo Galilei's observations.

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.
- Albert Einstein

Harmonising the Spiritual and the Scientific: A New Paradigm

Since it usually takes decades for science to improve, I decided I wasn't going to wait for an external authority to validate something that my inner voice has been telling me. I saw myself as running experiments (science calls them observational studies) and keep those practices that work for me. 

In addition, I believed that we all live in our own universe, where what works for 1 person won't necessarily work for another. Eventually, I reconciled both by saying that as long I found benefits from any spiritual or religious practice, I could hold of my assumptions about scientific backing, even if everything was placebo.

We do not see things as they are, we see things as we are.
- Anais Nin

Once I could believe this whole-heartedly, it was easy to take an open mind. I valued getting value out of these practices than being "right". It is a pragmatic approach and one I believe is better to keep until we have better devices to measure these phenomenon better.

Exploring the Benefits of Different Modalities

Through the course of my journey, I discovered that physical movements, much like those involved in Yoga or Qi Gong, have the power to transmute negative energy. As my limbs moved in harmony with my breath, each pose serving as a silent mantra, I felt puzzling emotions untangle, unexpressed grief uplift, and pent-up nervousness dissolve. Qi Gong contains a powerful lessons of how our conscious attention can help us harness life force along the path of Dao, often translated as "the way".

In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside of you.
- Deepak Chopra

Simultaneously, I interacted with therapists and spiritual guides, uncovering immeasurable help in navigating my emotional landscape. Their wisdom, sprinkled through conversations, guided me to a healthier mindset and emotional well-being. 

It was during these insightful sessions that I realized the value of empath education over superficial tools, setting the foundation for what would eventually become the Modern Shrine. 

I then immersed myself in energy healing modalities such as Reiki & Qigong which provided a hands-on perspective of energy transmutation. Their practitioners, often seen as energy healers, shattered my understanding of energy - just as a sculptor sees a statue in a block of marble, they could sense and manipulate the energetic bodies, crafting a resonance of peace and balance. 

My exploration gradually drew me towards sound healing, a realm where sonic waves nursed the soul. Whether it was soul-stirring music, the resonating hum of singing bowls, or the ancient vibrations of chants, each method adjusted my energetic body to a healthier state, fostering harmony and inner tranquility. 

Blending Modalities: Creating a Spiritual Mosaic

But what was key in this journey was the revelation of the power of intention. By focusing on transmuting negative energies into positivity, be it through the enveloping warmth of white light energy, the comforting sips of herbal tea, purification offered by smudges and candles, rejuvenating salt baths, home salt cleansing or even mindful nature walks, I came to realise that clarity and daily commitment were vital in the design of my approach to energy transmutation. 

These experiences might have seemed disjointed or discrete in their bearing, but as I began to connect the dots, the outline of the Modern Shrine started to take form.

My journey into these various spiritual modalities taught me that a systematic unification could lead to a profound, enlightened experience. Approximately 70% of people who practice spiritual modalities report experiencing a sense of inner peace. It is my hope that the Modern Shrine will help you cultivate inner peace and emotional stability, as it did for me.

I’ve experienced so many things from different modalities, and found that while each has their own form, there are many similarities that ultimately lead into the question of who we are, what is this world, and the meaning of our existence. 

The Blindness Of An Echo Chamber

The story of the four blind men touching an elephant is a parable that originated in the ancient Indian subcontinent.

It's a reminder that when understanding spirituality, no one modality can truly encompass it all. Yet each can provide an experimental glimpse of what it means for you. 

In this tale, four blind men encounter an elephant for the first time and each one touches a different part of the animal. 

One man touches the elephant's trunk and concludes that an elephant is like a snake. Another touches the elephant's leg and believes an elephant is like a tree. The third man touches the elephant's tusk and thinks an elephant is like a spear. The last man touches the elephant's side and is convinced that an elephant is like a wall. This story is often used to illustrate the concept of relative truth and the limitations of perception. Each blind man's understanding of the elephant is true but also incomplete. 

Their experiences are limited by the part of the elephant they are able to touch. This is not unlike how we perceive life and reality. Our understanding is often limited by our own experiences and perspectives. Linking this to spirituality, each spiritual modality - be it metaphysics, astrology, or meditation - offers a unique perspective or 'touch' on the vast 'elephant' that is life and the universe. Just as each blind man had a partial understanding of the elephant, each spiritual modality provides a piece of the puzzle, a glimpse into the vastness of existence.

Metaphysics, for example, explores the fundamental nature of reality, including the relationship between mind and matter, substance and attribute, potentiality and actuality. It's like touching the elephant's trunk, providing a specific understanding of the universe.

Astrology, on the other hand, is like touching the elephant's leg. It offers insights into how celestial bodies influence human life and the natural world. It gives us a different perspective on life, focusing on cosmic patterns and their correlation with our experiences. Approximately 45% of people who practice astrology report feeling more in control of their lives.

Astrology is a language. If you understand this language, the sky speaks to you.
- Dane Rudhyar

Meditation, like touching the elephant's side, offers a different experience altogether. It's a practice where an individual uses a technique to achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm state. It provides insights into the self, our inner world, and how we relate to the external world. Nearly 40% of people who meditate report increased productivity.

Each spiritual modality, like the blind men's experience with the elephant, provides a piece of the truth. To gain a more complete understanding of life and the universe, it is beneficial to explore multiple modalities, just as understanding the whole elephant would require listening to all the blind men's experiences.

I genuinely enjoy learning about different modalities and integrating it into the understanding of what I have learned prior, as though each modality was like a piece filling up my cosmic puzzle.

Period 9's Guidance On A Macro Scale

We have also entered the age of spirituality, from a Feng Shui standpoint. 

Period 9 in Feng Shui is a concept that refers to a specific time cycle in the Lo Shu Square, a grid of nine squares used in Feng Shui to analyze energy patterns. This cycle, which lasts 20 years from 2024-2043, is associated with the fire element and the number 9. The previous 20 years, we were in the earth element from 2004-2023. 

In layman terms, the planetary movement around the earth has changed, causing the energy earth is exposed to change. (Yes, we are affected by powerful galactic influences daily).

To show you the extent of planetary influences, we can see gravitational forces play a significant role in geological processes. The gravitational pull of the moon and the sun, for instance, can cause tides in the Earth's lithosphere, just as they do in the oceans. These tidal forces can contribute to the stress and strain on the Earth's crust, influencing the movements of the plates. 

Since we are living on earth, this energy change affects us on a subconscious level, and eventually seeps into our thoughts and actions that make up culture.

Period 9's Fire Vs Period 8's Earth 

Period 8 is associated with the Earth element and the number 8. The Earth element represents stability, grounding, and practicality. It encourages people to be more pragmatic, realistic, and focused on their material well-being. This period has seen a rise in people's desire for security and stability, with an emphasis on home, family, and financial security. It has also been a time of great technological advancement and material progress.

Period 9 is a time of transformation, growth, and expansion, much like a fire that spreads and consumes everything in its path. This is a time when people are likely to shift their focus from material wealth to spiritual development. It's a time when people are encouraged to pursue their passions, take risks, and step out of their comfort zones.

Practices like meditation and metaphysics, which are more directly related to spiritual growth, are expected to become more popular. The mindset during this period is expected to be one of introspection and self-discovery. The global market for products related to spirituality and mindfulness is projected to reach $9.1 billion by 2026.

People are more guided by their inner compass vs external authorities, and power is shifting from traditional sources like estate, physical resources to more intellectual, entertaining and attention as a currency.

This also means that more people will be seeking such answers, looking for guidance on which modalities to explore, and figuring out how to make sense of the varied experiences that can defy "logical" explanation. More scientists will also be studying spiritual phenomena and try to validate them in controlled experiments. 

Dangers Of Period 9

With the rise of AI and AI-generated news, people can just churn content at scale, caring less about accuracies and fact-finding (AI world calls this "hallucination"). When this happens, people will get flooded with so much information more than they can process, analysis-paralysis and unable to take action. 

AI-generated fake news can also lead to significant societal costs. According to a report by the Pew Research Center, 64% of adults believe that fake news has caused 'a great deal' of confusion about basic facts of current events. This confusion can undermine public discourse, influence elections, and even incite violence.

Deepfakes, misinformation, scams will also be prolific too, causing chaos and making it harder for people to find signal among the noise. Especially for spiritual topics that can easily enter woo-woo territory or be deemed as "miracles" or "enlightenment", I find it important for people to not be lead astray and clearly understand the first principles before they decide if something is believable.

It's quite dangerous if people get over-reliant purely on external sources of authority without some inner compass to question what to listen to. 

Trends will come and go more quickly, similar to how a flame quickly changes form and direction. The transient nature of events means people will come and go quickly. Relationships would be more flaky. Due to the fast-moving nature of our attention, it is more easy to make decisions based on false information, or without doing the necessary due dilligence before trusting someone. 

As a rule of thumb, don't fully believe what you see on social media. Be more discerning about the content you consume. Make sure the information you receive is from trusted or verified sources. Ask behind the style, is there any substance to what this person is saying?

A Beacon of Enlightenment in Contemporary Times

Challenges in the next decades have led me to craft a vision of what I want to do for my spiritual work in serving others on their journey.

My intention is to shed more light into this experience of what I call life, what I see as spiritual power, a certain way of living and working with the world.

To simplify things into systems, weaving in science as and when to help you better navigate the space. 

Things I wished I had known when I start on my journey.

The Modern Shrine Manifesto

Spirituality can be very abstract, and dependent on each person's self-awareness and sensitivity to energies. Hence there needs to be clear principles when sharing information in this domain. I have created safeguards I believe are fundamental for healthy boundaries between practitioners, sharing experiences and reaching high levels of this practice. 

1. Authenticity: As much as my ego and privacy preferences can take it, I'll be authentic and truthful in my sharing, not to exclude details that could significantly take away from the lessons I'm aiming to share. 

2. I'm Not Your Guru: This is not dogma, I'm not creating a cult. I'm a scientist sharing my experiment results and telling you how I would solve your problems, if I were in your shoes. There's many ways to solve problems, I found those that work well for me enough to publicise it despite of those who regard it as hocus-pocus. No matter how much more experience I have, it does not remove you from your own inner voice, which is the whole point of spirituality - cultivating back your inner voice that was quietened so you can be your own Guru.

3. Respect for Diversity: We celebrate the diversity of spiritual beliefs and practices. We honor and respect different paths to spiritual enlightenment, fostering inclusivity and understanding across cultures, traditions, and perspectives. All roads lead to Rome. 

4. Respect for Science's Strength's & Flaws: We aim to use science to support our anecdotal experiences whenever possible, but we won't say that without it, our stories are false. Modern science is only as good as the measurement devices we have and scientists with genuinely open minds to accept what their results are showing, commercial & time interests aside. 

5. Empowerment while Accepting Darkness: No tree can grow to Heaven unless it’s roots reach down to Hell. We focus on the positive, self-improvement aspects of this work to follow through on, while accepting that it also reveals the uglier sides of our nature for us.

6. Continual Evolution: Spiritual growth is a lifelong journey. Our writings will embrace the principle of continual evolution, remaining open to new insights, perspectives, and experiences that enrich our understanding. Just because I believe such things now doesn't mean they won't change. I refine my ideas over time as I reflect on experiences.

7. Avoiding Imbalanced Power Dynamics: Teacher-student dynamics, idolising gurus or worshipping spiritual masters excessively can get in the way of learning spiritual lessons. 

8. Healthy Dose of Common Sense: Some reading in practices lose practicality when taken out of context. I re-package what they recommend while keep a level head to someone actualising it.

I might update them in future when I do encounter scenarios that these current rules don't cover.

Each of these rules came from years of experience, good and bad ones on my own road in practicing these modalities.

I hope this can help you save time and smoothen your journey towards your life purpose.