The Human Experience through the Spiritual Lens of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” ~ Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit priest, scientist, and philosopher lived from 1881 to 1955. He was a pioneer in blending religious experience with natural science, particularly through his ideas on spirituality and evolution. His work explored the development of spirituality in the evolving universe, suggesting that the cosmos is moving towards spiritual unity.
Teilhard‘s ideas significantly influenced New Age beliefs and spirituality, though indirectly, and this influence diverged from his original Christian theological context.
The New Age movement, characterized by a diverse and eclectic blend of spiritual, mystical, and esoteric beliefs, draws from various sources, including Eastern religions, esoteric Christianity, science, psychology, and environmentalism, to create a holistic and often syncretic spiritual framework.
Teilhard’s observation that “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience,” invites us to contemplate the very essence of our existence and our priorities as human beings.
By viewing ourselves as spiritual beings on a human journey, rather than human beings on a spiritual journey, we can look beyond the immediate, tangible aspects of life and consider the broader, more profound implications of our actions, relationships, and personal growth.
This view urges us to look beyond the mundane and the transient and to foster a deeper appreciation for the interconnectedness of all life and the universe.
