What is a “Worldview”? A worldview is a person’s set of assumptions about the basic makeup and nature of the world and universe. A fully developed worldview gives basic answers to questions such as:

1) What is ultimately the prime reality? (…such as “God”, or Matter/Energy)
2) What is the basic nature of the universe?
3) What is the basic nature and condition of man?
4) What happens to man at death?
5) What is the reason or basis of ethics and morality?

One of the biggest problems of present society is the effect of overall change and acceleration on human psychology. Neither individual minds nor collective culture seem able to cope with the unpredictable change and growing complexity. Stress, uncertainty and frustration increase, minds are overloaded with information, knowledge fragments, values erode, negative developments are consistently overemphasized, while positive ones are ignored.

The resulting climate is one of nihilism, anxiety and despair. While the wisdom gathered in the past has lost much of its validity, we don’t have a clear vision of the future either. As a result, there does not seem to be anything left to guide our actions.

What we need is a framework that ties everything together, that allows us to understand society, the world, and our place in it, and that could help us to make the critical decisions which will shape our future. It would synthesize the wisdom gathered in the different scientific disciplines, philosophies and religions.

Rather than focusing on small sections of reality, it would provide us with a picture of the whole. In particular, it would help us to understand, and therefore cope with, complexity and change. Such a conceptual framework may be called a “world view”.

There are seven fundamental components of a world view. I will discuss them one by one, attempting to capture the main ideas.

A model of the world

It should allow us to understand how the world functions and how it is structured. “World” here means the totality, everything that exists around us, including the physical universe, the Earth, life, mind, society and culture. We ourselves are an important part of that world. Therefore, a world view should also answer the basic question: “Who are we?”.

Explanation

The second component is supposed to explain the first one. It should answer the questions: “Why is the world the way it is? Where does it all come from? Where do we come from?”. This is perhaps the most important part of a world view. If we can explain how and why a particular phenomenon (say life or mind) has arisen, we will be able to better understand how that phenomenon functions. It will also help us to understand how that phenomenon will continue to evolve.

Futurology

This extrapolation of past evolution into the future defines a third component of a world view: futurology. It should answer the question “Where are we going to?” It should give us a list of possibilities, of more or less probable future developments. But this will confront us with a choice: which of the different alternatives should we promote and which should we avoid?

Values

This is the more fundamental issue of value: “What is good and what is evil?” The theory of values defines the fourth component of a world view. It includes morality or ethics, the system of rules which tells us how we should or should not behave. It also gives us a sense of purpose, a direction or set of goals to guide our actions. Together with the answer to the question “why?”, the answer to the question “what for?”, may help us to understand the real meaning of life.

Action

Knowing what to strive for does not yet mean knowing how to get there, though. The next component must be a theory of action (praxiology). It would answer the question “How should we act?” It would help us to solve practical problems and to implement
plans of action.

Knowledge

Plans are based on knowledge and information, on theories and models describing the phenomena we encounter. Therefore, we need to understand how we can construct reliable models. This is the component of knowledge acquisition. It is equivalent to what in philosophy is called “epistemology” or “the theory of knowledge”. It should allow us to distinguish better theories from worse theories. It should answer the traditional philosophical question “What is true and what is false?”

Building Blocks

The final point on the agenda of a world view builder is not meant to answer any fundamental question. It just reminds us that world views cannot be developed from scratch. You need building blocks to start with. These building blocks can be found in existing theories, models, concepts, guidelines and values, scattered over the different disciplines and ideologies. This defines the seventh component: fragments of world views as a starting point.

After considering the main worldviews held by most all of mankind, how does one go about deciding which one is best, which must be false, and which one, if any, has a high probably of being true? (Truth is that which matches up with reality.)

To begin with, we must assume that something exists. Every full-orbed worldview recognizes this. Next, we must assume that we can actually know something, and that we can think true thoughts. A reasonable starting-point for this might well be that of Descartes’ reasoning: “I think, therefore I am.” This demonstrates that we do exist, and that we know something which is self-evidently true …a reasonable starting point.

Along with assuming that we can know something, come the three laws of logical thought, which are: the law of identity, the law of opposites, and the law of non-contradiction.

The “Law of Identity” states: In a certain specific context (set of facts and circumstances), a proposition (thing or situation) has only one single meaning.

The “Law of Opposites” (or the “excluded middle”) states: That one specific meaning is either true or false, but cannot be both.

“The Law of Non-Contradiction” states: Two such propositions cannot both be true, if one affirms while the other denies the same thing at the same time and in the same respect.

If these laws of thought are denied, then all meaningful thought and communication is destroyed, and our existence proceeds into nonsense and nihilism.

The Three Truth-Tests

Logical thinking allows us to list three distinctive qualities which test the truthfulness of any worldview:

FIRST, an adequate worldview must be consistent within itself, and non-contradictory. Any contradiction is a definite indication that the worldview contains at least some untruth; And if the contradiction involves an essential element of the worldview, then the worldview must be false, having failed the first truth-test.

SECOND, an adequate worldview must fit virtually all the relevant facts and data of reality and human experience. The worldview which accounts for the greatest number of facts, with the fewest difficulties, has the highest probability of being a worldview which is true. A worldview which is inconsistent with human experience and with the empirical facts of history, nature and the universe, fails the second truth-test.

THIRD, an adequate worldview must be subjectively satisfactory and livable on an every-day basis. We must ask: When a man is done philosophizing about the nature of his worldview, can he live it out, and does he actually practice it in his daily life? …If not, then the actions of his life reveal his true inner conviction of the untruth of that worldview …it is not livable, therefore, that worldview fails the third truth-test.

Study any worldview, and evaluate it with these truth-tests in mind.

Developing a world view that supports connecting to your inner guidance is an essential part of being able to develop your intuitive power. In an effort to make sense out of our world, we develop a philosophy of life. For most of us this philosophy is the basis of our core beliefs. As we saw earlier, beliefs have the power to inhibit or empower our development. Our philosophy of life answers existential questions: Who are we? Why are we here? How do we relate to the Creator or the Universal forces?

There are many ways to answer these questions; consequently, a variety of philosophies have developed throughout the world. I do not believe there is any one correct world view. If there is an ultimate truth, I am not qualified to discern what it is. However, I find it helpful to judge philosophies not on the basis of right or wrong, but on their ability to empower or inhibit the expression of my potential. I encourage you to reevaluate your world view judging it on its ability to inhibit or empower you to express yourself fully.

In the following paragraphs, I am sharing my world view with you. It is a philosophy that supports your ability to tap into the divine wisdom and develop your intuitive powers. It is not THE truth, but it is MY truth. Feel free to accept those parts that make sense to you and discard those ideas that do not fit your understanding of life. Your philosophy is ultimately your choice. It may be the most sacred choice you have; therefore, choose wisely.

My philosophy is best defined as Spiritualistic, New Thought Christianity or Metaphysical Christianity. This is not New Age, not Mysticism, not Mind Cure, not Mental Science and definitely not Christian Science. It is however: A total belief in God and the search for Truth, Love and Spiritual Law. It is based on the teachings of God with a metaphysical interpretation.

My most fundamental philosophical belief is the oneness of all life. There is one life (unity) expressing itself through all life forms (diversity), and that life is God, the good omnipotent. God is everywhere present, everywhere intelligent, and everywhere powerful. It is God flowing through me, expressing as me, creating my world. The me I think of as ego or personality is simply an extension of this incredible force that creates the entire universe. I am connected, through the spirit part of me, to All That Is. There is one mind, one spirit, and it is God.

Therefore, when I desire information, wisdom, or knowledge, it is available to me through my spirit self, from the one mind of God. As I allow myself (ego/personality) to connect to the one mind (God), I have easy access to all the information I need in my life. I have the ability to take my conscious awareness through the spirit self into the one mind to connect to anything I wish to know. I can either open my spiritual centers allowing the information to flow into my mind, or I can raise my awareness to the one mind and get the information I need.

In my philosophy, I am only separated from this oneness when I limit myself through fear or a false belief in separation. The connection is always there. It is only my choice as to where I focus my awareness that gives me the feeling of oneness or separation. When I focus my attention on the unity of life, I experience peace, harmony, and fulfillment. When I choose to turn my powerful consciousness towards separation, I experience fear and lack. It is my beliefs, thoughts, words, and imagination that create my experiences in life.

This philosophy empowers me to access Divine wisdom, develop my intuitive power, and live a peaceful, harmonious, abundant life.

What is it about this Spiritual “way of life” that makes me so unique? I try to always act positively, instead of reacting negatively; use words that are kind, helpful and uplifting – not angry or discouraging; practice forgiveness, instead of judgment and condemnation; act with kindness and patience, instead of haste and rudeness; seek and see the good in all situations even those that may at first, seem adverse to them; behold the Christ in all persons, even at those times when it is difficult to do so; do not use force or threats to gain an advantage – but pray and trust God to bring forth the highest good for all; volunteer and give of myself for the sake of expressing good, rather than to be “seen of men.”

The search for truth, love and spiritual fulfillment are of course the very things that allow the more physical laws (those made by men and science) to explain and justify their usually outrageous decisions. These man-made laws cannot change anything – they are merely there to try to explain. With a practical twentieth century approach to classical old philosophies, I believe that religion must, overall, be practical and should apply (and be applied) to both the problems and the joys of everyday life.

To develop your intuitive powers and receive inner guidance … you need to adopt a philosophy that enables you to find answers within yourself. There are many philosophies from which to choose. My philosophy is only one possibility!