TERMS AND DEFINITIONS

Scionism has a rather precise and unique symbology, with correspondingly precise and unique terms and concepts, due to its profound adherence to non-mystical empiricorationalism. In order to reduce conceptual imprecision and error, it was deemed preferable to construct certain neologisms (such as “Mathos,” for example) to represent the unique concepts in Scionism, rather than to try to re-purpose various preexisting but less precise or even contradictory terms and definitions.

In creating the neologisms of Scionism, a sort of standardization of the naming of terms eventually emerged. Just as the names of particles often end in “-on” in physics, the neologisms of Scionism often end in “-os.” This is a sort of “pseudo-Greek” construction, reflecting such established Greek philosophical terms as Logos, Mythos, Pathos, and so on.

Existence

Existence consists of all things which exist, in whatever sense they exist. The truths of mathematics and logic have a mathematical and logical existence. Physical things have a physical existence. Experiential things, involving consciousness or mind, have an experiential existence. Existence is thus comprised of both the Mathos and the Cosmos. Existence is infinite and eternal, and is of the Divine.

Mathos

The Mathos is the infinite, eternal, and unchanging set of Mathematical and Logical Truths. The Mathos cannot not exist; it has an ontologically necessary metaphysical existence. This metaphysical existence is of a specifically mathematical/logical existence. The Infinite and Eternal Truths of Mathematics and Logic are true everywhere and everywhen, all throughout Existence. The Mathos is of the Divine.

Cosmos

The Cosmos is the entirety of both physical existence (Physikos) and experiential existence (Psykos). The Cosmos has both a physical and an experiential existence, and is completely mathematical in Nature. The mathematical Nature of the infinite and eternally changing and expanding Cosmos, and of the Physikos and Psykos which it encompasses, is due to the infinite and eternally unchanging Mathos which serves as the ultimate metaphysical foundation of all things, including the Cosmos, the Physikos, and the Psykos. The Cosmos is of the Divine.

Psykos and Physikos

The Psykos is the subjective experiential Existence of consciousness and mind; it is the experience of Existence “from the inside.” The Physikos, on the other hand, is objective physical existence, such as mass-energy; it is the experience of Existence “from the outside.” The ultimate metaphysical foundation of both the Psykos and the Physikos is the Mathos, just as it is the metaphysical foundation of all Existence. Regardless of the metaphysical relationship between the Physikos and the Psykos (such as which, if either, is metaphysically prior to the other) the very Existence of the Psykos and the Physikos as the subjective-objective ontological dichotomy of the Cosmos is of the Miraculous and Divine.

Einstein introduced the idea of mass-energy equivalence. The Scionics Institute has introduced the hypothesis of psycho-physical (Psykos - Physikos) equivalence. Psycho-physical equivalence posits a direct correspondence between all physical states and all mental states. The Activity of the Cosmos can be described physically in terms of mathematical physical forces and experientially in terms of mathematical hedonic forces, with each giving rise to the other.

The Psykos and the Physikos are of the Divine.

Empiricorationalism: The Foundation of Scio-Spiritual Faith

Empiricorationalism is the Epistemological Foundation of the Faith of Scionism; it is a Faith supported not by mysticism but by knowledge, based on the iron-core foundation of reason and reality. It is the most powerful epistemological approach possible. It thrives on honest, disciplined mental effort, and results in an ever-expanding body of knowledge and beliefs which are ever-increasingly in correspondence with reason and reality. It is thinking in harmony with the Cosmos and the Mathos.

Divine

The Divine, within the context of Scionism, relates to various infinite and/or eternal Aspects of Existence. Many traditional religious or spiritual frameworks typically conceive of these various infinite and/or eternal Aspects to be Miraculous in origin and/or nature.

The Divine is ultimately grounded in the Existential Miracle of the ontologically necessary Mathos.

Matheism

Matheism is the recognition that the ultimate metaphysical foundation of the Cosmos and all Existence is the Mathos. Just as there was never a time when the Mathos came into being, there was also never a time when the Cosmos came into being. The Cosmos and the Mathos are infinite and eternal, without need of any Creator external to themselves. They have simply always existed, with the infinite Mathos existing eternally unchanging, and the infinite Cosmos existing eternally changing and even expanding. (Yes, infinite things can expand, mathematically.)

Love

All of the infinite manifestations of Love within the Cosmos are manifestations of Divine Love. Due to the eternally and infinitely expanding nature of the Cosmos, Divine Love within it is also eternally and infinitely expanding.

Ios: Our Informational “Soul”

In many traditional religions, one’s Personhood, Self, Identity, or “I-ness” is founded upon the concept of a soul. The soul is typically imagined as basically indestructible and immortal into the future; whether it is eternal into the past or was created at some point in time differs a bit based on the tradition in question. This is no empiricorational justification, however, for a belief in the existence of a soul, or any other supernatural source for our sense of Identity or I-ness. There is, however, abundant evidence that our minds are directly correlated with our brains. In other words, we have direct personal evidence of an intrinsic correlation between Physikos and Psykos (our physical nature and our mental/conscious nature), within our own being.

Our Identity is the correlated Informational structure of the “merely physical” state of the brain, and the “purely experiential” state of our mind. These physical and mental states, as well as the sense of Identity which they compose, are much more accurately understood as being Informational in Nature, rather than in being due to the presence of any hypothetical “energy,” “spirit,” or “life force.” This Informational structure is by no means eternal, but instead changes over time along with our brain-mind state. The Ios (rather than some imaginary soul) is the ever changing Informational Structure which is a function of our brain-mind state, and composes our Identity.

Temporally, the Ios has a beginning, constantly changes throughout our lives, and ends with our deaths. We know from general relativity, however, that the past, present, and future exist simultaneously and eternally, as a higher-dimensional structure. We further know from quantum mechanics that the Cosmos is Informational in Nature. The Ios (just as all other physical and mental states) thus exists eternally as quantum information locked within the higher-dimensional structure of spacetime. Inasmuch as the Ios can be Resurrected, this will involve Resurrecting its essential quantum information from the higher-dimensional structure of spacetime.

The Ios is a portion of the eternal Physikos and Psykos, the eternal Cosmos and Mathos, or eternal Existence, which is manifesting as us. It is our informational “soul.” It partakes in the nature of the Divine.

Scios and Prayer

In traditional religions, particularly those with “personal gods,” prayer is used as a means for communicating with the Divine. When the effects of prayer are studied empiricorationally, however, no actual effect is statistically observed. In light of this, the time and mental activity spent praying or attending prayer-based religious services could be spent in much more spiritually, mentally, and physically productive ways.

The empiricorational/enlightened alternative to prayer is (1) to simply acknowledge when something is a “prayerful thing,” i.e., when it is a matter, big or small, about which one might pray, and (2) instead of praying, to maintain an empiricorationally oriented mindful focus on Existence, including this and other “prayerful things” in Existence.

Scios is a state of empiricorationally oriented mindful focus; it is the “scio-mind.” It may be viewed as somewhat akin to a state which is attained via a Zen-like mindfulness, coupled with an empiricorational understanding of Existence. Scios, the scio-mind, is “being here now,” with clarity, integration, and understanding. To communicate with the Divine in words is completely unnecessary and redundant; words are but a poor, unnecessary, intermediary. The most direct and effective means for communication with the Divine is to simply cultivate Scios, i.e., wordless empiricorational harmony with Existence in the present moment. Scios thus transcends and supplants word-based prayer, by maintaining empiricorationally oriented mindfulness and Reverence for Existence. It is harmony between Ios and Existence. It partakes in the Nature of the Divine.