Fiat Lux

Why light is the rosy path for both religion and modern physics

In contemplating the mysteries of light, modern science and mysticism share some interesting convergences.

Light as an image of the divine is central to many of the world’s religions.

Genesis opens with God creating light (phōs) from the void and this word re-appears as the symbol for Christ at the opening of John’s Gospel (“the true Light”). In Islam, Nūr is the divine presence of Allah. In Hinduism, it is jyoti. In Buddhism, prajñā is the inner light of consciousness, connected with transcendental wisdom.

Whether literal (chasing away darkness) or metaphorical (as representation of spiritual attainment), light is connected with knowledge, truth, and the ultimate reality.