Deus factus sum – I have become God

I first read the words “Deus factus sum” in Grace and Grit, a wonderful book by acclaimed philosopher Ken Wilber, and was fascinated by the concept that in three words summarized my entire take on existence. Now, before anything else, I must say that this realization has been more than anything a humbling one.

When I think of the words I have become God (something that can seem arbitrary and for many nothing short of obscene), I do so accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of joy, hope and above all: wholeness.

In many religions god, goddesses, divine spirits or beings are perceived as something external. They are seen as heavenly deities that are looking down on us, judging, testing and punishing for wrongdoings. In some traditions it is convolutedly stipulated that we have to live by certain standards and complete a series of requisites in order to be accepted into their heavenly “afterlife.” Many individuals live under the delusion that their god(s) is/are the one and only supreme, omnipotent, ever-present, creator of all things, and live in constant fear of his/her final judgment.

I don’t want to sound preachy, I really don’t. I want to stay away from climbing on a pedestal of dogmatic claims that leave no room for contemplation because it is precisely our ability to question, meditate and scrutinize about our origins and purpose that will eventually lead to a better understanding about our true nature.

My reflection

It doesn't matter what we believe in, where we are from, or who we pray to because in the end we all are an eclectic combination of energy and matter having an individual human experience amid the vastness of the universe. And the universe is pretty big. Neither energy nor matter can be created or destroyed ever; it is only changing all the time, evolving perpetually carrying on throughout the cosmos forever… like god.

God is in everything we are told sometimes. He is the alpha and the omega. If this is so, we are part of it and we have god within. Although I have to say that I don't feel comfortable calling it god, at least not in the same sense that a lot of people do because I think it's presumptuous. Almost any definition or explanation that we are told about “god” or a divinity is falling significantly short of real understanding of the notion.

Yes, to a certain extent we have limited perception, but this goes back to our individual capacity for reflection and meditation because divinity is an individual experience. It is a mistake to let somebody tell us who god “is” or what god “wants.” That is such a limiting proposition. True divinity can only be experienced by the self and it will be different for everybody.

If we accept what somebody says god is (e.g. religion), then this becomes a cognitive process and we are losing the most important element of the divine which is experiencing it. Have you heard of enlightenment?

What if…

I can only imagine what the world would be like if from the beginning we had been taught to look for god within. I can only imagine what a different reality we would have if we hadn’t been taught to seek the “approval” of external deities that are judging our every action. There is no judgment and there is no hell. There is an "origin" of life and energy, there is a point in time when everything started and it is because of this that we are all connected. There is no division. There is no separation between what is sacred or divine and us. We are sacred and divine ourselves. Everything is sacred and divine.

I know I don't have all the answers. I know I am limited to my experiences in this human condition, but I also know that whether we want to or not, we will all transcend this form at some point in time and our bodily limitations will end as we fuse with infinity. And this is ok.

God, or the divine, or the all-powerful creators of everything that exists in the universe are/is everywhere and in everything ALL the time, including us. So by definition, you have become god as well. You became god even before you were born, and will still be god well after you die. You just have to realize it, and experience it.

Love to all.

We live here, there and beyond.

An anthropologist friend of mine who I respect a great deal said that "The problem with trying to understand my nature [my consciousness, self, or personal identity] by going all the way down to the molecular level, is that I don't live on that level. I live on the level of medium-sized bodies. That's the world I inhabit." Always the pragmatic (and he brings up a valid point too), but this is my reasoning: If anything, this is but a matter of perception and of course awareness.


I don't think we can categorically state that we don't live in the molecular level anymore than we can assert that we don't live in our hearts, or bodies or even brains. It is clear that we "live" in all those levels as well, but it is also evident that limiting our core "essence" to them is somewhat of a quandary because these components are in a state of constant change, regeneration, impermanence, and yet our very core, our identity remains.

This, to me, is remarkable evidence that whatever it is that constitutes our innermost essence exists beyond what we can be readily aware of. We are not aware of all those things because it would be too much to handle. It is a way to keep us sane. Can you imagine the information that we would have to process if we were aware of the cells that constitute every single hair we have? Or our skin? Yet, these too are all part of what we presently "are," but again, they do not constitute our very essence.

I am not suggesting that what goes on in the molecular level and beyond is more or less important than what we are conscious of, but I do think that as an elemental part of our "self" it is important that we become "aware" of it. Maybe, and just maybe, this is some form of Enlightenment. Who knows? One with the universe? Why not? It all comes from the same point somewhere back in time and all that is really happening is that everything is transforming and manifesting in different forms.

What would happen, for instance, if you lost all your memories? Imagine every single thought, experience, idea and memory you ever had was completely wiped away from your brain. Everything. Would you still be you? – And just to be annoying- would your essence still be the same?

I think an important part of our identity comes from our experiences, but how can we deny a "self" that is by all means real, independently of what we see, hear and even live? This "Self" may be different than the one we are aware of in our everyday as we go about life, but does that makes it any less real just because we are not fully conscious of it at all times?

I think it is a mistake to disregard this part of our identity. I think this "self" is essential (pun intended) in understanding our presence and place in this universe. This is, if you ask me, a very natural approach. I see this as a method that integrates all the different elements of the being, material and non-material, because after all we are also energy… but this is a whole other subject in it of itself.

♠ ♠ ♠