Incense of the Gods

Description

There is no longer any doubt that the intertwining of the spiritual and material aspects of humankind has been, and remains, the primary cause of the qualitative transformations that humanity has witnessed from the dawn of history to the present day.

If the systems of magic, divination, myth, and religion constitute the spiritual aspect, then medicine, astronomy, and chemistry represent the beginnings of science, which examines humanity, the universe, and all things. This intertwining was inevitable because humankind perceived and engaged with science through its spirit, not merely its senses. Scholars and researchers were astonished by the harmony that characterized the ancient East, a harmony in which humanity remained balanced, experiencing both innovation and peace. However, with the advent of the Greek era, divisions and rifts began to emerge between these spheres, and these continue to this day. Despite the rapid scientific progress achieved as a result, this sharp separation between the realms of human consciousness and experience has harmed humanity and its harmony with its environment and its forces. Many poets, artists, and visionary scientists have attempted to mend the rift that separated the spirit from science, but the relentless pursuit of knowledge and materialism, fueled by the urge for rapid consumption, has prevented the emergence of a new equilibrium.

This book, originally a doctoral dissertation submitted by researcher Khaz’al al-Majidi to the Institute of Arab History and Scientific Heritage for Graduate Studies, is an attempt to examine the interrelationship between medicine, magic, divination, myth, and religion in the heritage of Mesopotamia (Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria). After receiving his doctorate, he chose to present this dissertation as a book more accessible to readers. Therefore, he softened the academic tone and made it more engaging for enjoyable reading. He made necessary revisions and expanded the first chapter, which provides a general introduction to magic, myth, religion, and science, transforming it into a chapter that could stand alone as a book on these fields, regardless of their specific time and place.

He also added valuable insights in the final chapter, dedicated to the modern scientific perspective on these fields. This chapter, too, reads like a separate book, offering a view of magic, divination, myth, and religion through the lenses of psychological sciences (psychology and parapsychology) and natural sciences (quantum physics, relativity, and holism). These sciences interpret these phenomena either through the lens of conflicting forces between humanity and the universe, as in parapsychology, or through the lens of overwhelming forces permeating the universe and encompassing humanity as an energetic knot or scar, as in the natural sciences.

This book is essentially three books in one. While it sheds light on the practices of medicine, magic, divination, religious rituals and ceremonies, and mythological texts of the ancient world, it also attempts to reveal their interconnectedness and analyzes their deeper meanings and the hidden causes behind their emergence.

The author begins with a comprehensive scientific introduction, which constitutes a book in itself on magic, myth, religion, and science. This introduction attempts to define each field separately and distinguish it from the others, then to explain the relationships and overlaps between them. The book concludes with a distinguished chapter that draws upon modern sciences (psychology, parapsychology, quantum mechanics, and holism) to interpret the phenomena of magic, divination, myth, and religion in both ancient and modern times.

This book delves into the realms of the cosmic and spiritual unknown, attempting to explore them and unveil some of their hidden aspects through scientific analysis and novel research tools. Furthermore, it allows us to experience the ecstatic aroma of incense rising from those distant eras.