Larry, point taken. A friend with much experience in meditation of different cultures and also a serious talmid hacham pointed out certain commonplaces. He posits that deep successful meditations of many sorts all lead to a resulting experience of an overarching unity in all of Creation – the presence of God, if you will. He used Zen and Catholic mystics as two examples that he knows something about. The difference is that Torah provides an articulate framework so that the experience isn’t vague, but results in a greater recognition of Hashem specifically. What is interesting here, is that I wasn’t meditating in a ‘usual’ sense of intending to do so. Yet there was a focussed meditative quality to what I was doing, and it resulted in a specific impression of a heightened appreciation of Hashem’s will expressed in His creation. And, of course, other paths can tragically involve or strengthen avodah zarah/foreign worship.

David, I understand that experience well. Your mention of Asimov (I would add other classic author/scientists like Clarke) is interesting since I’ve always enjoyed his work. The wonder and excitement is there indeed, but lacks the focussing lense of Sinai. Your last line is food for thought.

Shanah Tovah!

A great article! Although I have a mostly litvishe background I enjoyed reading about your journey and I can relate to your love for all those eclectic sources of inspiration.

I’ve always been inspired by the physics and chemistry of the world around us, and also the physiology when you consider living things. Even before I was religious I was drawn to a pure research field due to my love of science (and science fiction). One can find a world of interest in a grain of sand! Authors like Isaac Asimov could convey this excitement, without connecting it to a religious experience at all.

However, without emunah one lacks any true feeling of gratitude, and perhaps that’s the insight you conveyed to that couple in the woods.