Robyn E Lebron an infinitely subtle underlying cause called spirit Spirituality then validates its existence with the means of truth validation available to humankind: sense perception, critical thought, and collective effort Science and spirituality both search for the hidden truth of existence Figure 2-4 compares (a) the spiritual perspective of the material universe emerging from spirit with (b) the scientific perspective of it emerging from energy Science sees energy as less comprehensive than spirit, which is seen by spirituality as encompassing both body and mind: energy and consciousness in an indivisible manner Because of different approaches, the scenarios on the paths are different But they arrive at conclusions that are substantially similar, if not exactly the same Both spirituality and science conclude that diverse existence is connected by the same underlying reality, but that the connecting reality is invisible Its invisibility poses a problem Spiritual scientists of the world have been looking for the first principle that underlies everything, every being and every discipline of knowledge in the universe They arrived at the certainty of knowing that there is one, although this one will always be unknowable They named That One differently, using the language of their locale and culture This book refers to it as the “ultimate reality,” the spirit, or the Absolute Being the very first cause of all that exists, ultimate reality 44