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Ask TWPT: The Veil Between the Worlds
by Marcus Foxglove Griffin
During a recent interview with Magick Mind Radio, I was
asked an intriguing and timely question: “Do you believe in a veil between the
worlds of the living and the dead? I was further asked: “If so, do you believe
the veil thins at Samhain as is often suggested”? As creator and lead
investigator for WISP (Witches in Search of the Paranormal), the veil between
the worlds is a topic that I am frequently asked to give my opinion on.
Unfortunately, the veil is a very difficult topic to broach without evoking a
great deal of controversy and debate. Be that as it may, let’s take a look at
the veil between the worlds and see if we can draw a conclusion that is
spiritually meaningful and scientifically sound.
I am first and foremost a metaphysician, but as a serious
researcher and investigator of the paranormal, I must also be a full time
scientist. The metaphysician in me believes in a veil between the worlds. The
metaphysician in me believes that the veil thins at Samhain or “summers end”.
Samhain has always held great spiritual significance for me personally, and is
arguably one of the most mystical times of the year for many neo-pagans. That
being said,
“belief” isn’t proof of a veil between the worlds. “Mystical” isn’t
physical evidence of a veil, and causes the scientist in me to raise a
skeptical eyebrow. Belief isn’t evidence in the vaguest sense of the word, and
in no way scientifically supports the existence of a veil between the worlds of
the living and the dead. Or does it…although belief isn’t something tangible,
and its affects on the physical plane cannot currently be quantified; belief in
itself is a very powerful thing. Some occult practitioners (myself included)
incorporate into their magickal practice what is known as thought equals form.
This is the ability to create change in the physical world using only the power
of the mind, dispensing with the traditional rituals and elements of spellcasting.
Many non-practitioners use thought equals form to affect change in the physical
world all of the time without ever realizing it. How many times in your life
have you heard of someone “thinking” them self sick, or “thinking” them self
into a state of depression?
If a person can make him or her self ill (or
healthy for that matter) simply by utilizing the powers of thought and belief,
it would stand to reason that a large number of people believing in the same
thing at the same time could in one form or another bring that “thing” into
existence; even a veil between the worlds. While I’m not suggesting that a
hundred thousand Yeti enthusiasts are capable of conjuring Bigfoot out of thin
air simply by believing in him, the metaphysician in me has seen enough
evidence of thought equals form to know that it’s a real power, and not the
whimsy of an overactive imagination. The problem with such evidence however, is
that it is not of a type that can be collected and analyzed scientifically. The
scientist in me therefore, cannot consider such evidence legitimate, and the
evidence must therefore be discarded unconditionally. Perhaps one-day
scientists will identify the layer of energy that we refer to as the veil
between the worlds and be able to study it. Perhaps they will discover that the
thinning of this layer of energy occurs naturally every year on or around the
31st of October, and is caused by atmospheric conditions or the distance of the
earth from the sun, not by supernatural forces. Perhaps a veil between the
worlds will never be scientifically identified, and will forever be reserved
for the mystical mind and the deepest recesses of our imaginations.
So all things considered, my conclusion about a veil between
the worlds is thus: No tangible evidence can be produced to support the
existence of a veil between the worlds. The case for a veil between the worlds
is therefore scientifically unsound. On the metaphysical side of the coin,
believing in the existence of things unseen and immeasurable only requires
faith, which is a belief that isn’t based on proof. So the next time someone
asks me if I believe in a veil between the worlds that thins on Samhain, the
scientist in me can honestly answer no. The metaphysician in me however, can
answer yes, and all you need to experience it is a little faith.
Samhain is nearly upon us, and there are thousands upon
thousands of people out there right now who believe in a veil between the
worlds, and who believe that the veil is growing thinner by the minute. The
Witch in me is excited about the pending Samhain ritual, and yes, even
decorating the yard and doling out candy to costumed marauders with
cavity-filled grins on Halloween night. After all, perhaps even they have some
small part to play in the thinning of the veil. On All Hallows Eve, the world
is crawling with witches and wizards, with ghosts and with ghouls. Some are
real and some imagined; some are mimics, and some the real deal. And if should
decide to go in search of them, as a hunter of ghosts and things that go bump
in the night, I offer you this one warning: Be careful what you go looking for.
If you seek out the unknown, the unknown just might seek you back…
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