From a scientific perspective, focusing strictly on the materialistic manifestation of life on earth, the destiny of the human body as a life form is death – both individually and collectively. As each person much die, all life on earth will eventually succumb when the sun of our solar system eventually burns itself out. If we don’t destroy ourselves first or experience some global catastrophe beyond human control (such as a collision with an asteroid or comet), the longer-term demise of life on earth is probably some billions of years in the future.
Perhaps by then humans will have developed the capability to live in other locations in the universe and thus sustain the human form – whatever it might be at that point. This is merely science fiction – but science fiction is sometimes prophetic.
In the mean time, life on earth continues to adapt and evolve, much as Darwin theorized. Evolutionary theory does not leave much room for destiny – there is no purpose or meaning to life except to survive and reproduce itself.
Yes, life does seem to become more complex and diverse over time. But according to Darwinian evolution, there is no specific direction to the process. It is random and blind.
Currently the human form has assumed a predominant position in the tree of life, just as dinosaurs and other creatures did in their own time. But if the past is any indicator for the future, we too shall pass.
From a biological perspective, the destiny of the human body is somewhat bleak, considering the spectacular success that it has achieved in evolutionary terms. From a strictly materialistic viewpoint, it would appear that death and extinction is the fate of the human body.
But there are other perspectives on the origins and destiny of human beings and the physical body. Undoubtedly, evolutionary theory is correct in postulating a relatively long and gradual progression in the development of life on earth. The fossil record documents the millions of years that life has required to express itself in diverse and varied forms. In that sense, physical evolution is a fact.
Yet from a metaphysical perspective, all forms of material manifestation on earth are merely shadows of the realm of spirit. The various biological forms are patterns cast by the divine mind that channels spirit into the material universe. There is purpose and meaning to the process that exceeds survival of the fittest. This is particularly true with regard to the human body.
The Cayce creation story describes soul involvement in the development of life on earth. As souls explored the physical universe and practiced their divine, co-creative abilities in the multiple dimensions of this reality, some adventurous individuals made their way to this solar system and to planet earth, millions of years ago in earth time. Perhaps some of these souls even participated in the creation of this system and its planets – godlings trying out their co-creative abilities.
At a certain point as life evolved on the planet, these souls chose to become involved in the process at the material level by projecting thought forms into matter and pushing their consciousness into these forms. This downward trend in the soul’s journey is called involution. Thus souls became entangled, entrapped, and encased in matter. Divine intervention was required to provide a suitable biological vehicle for the wayward souls to work out their lessons in the classroom of earth.
The created physical body relied heavily on the evolutionary patterns that had been successfully adapted over millions of years, and yet there were some specific adaptations that befitted the presence of souls in the flesh bodies. The human bodies present in the world today represent this retrofit of spiritual beings into the evolutionary biology of life on earth. As souls continue to grow and develop in terms of spiritual awakening, the human body will continue to change and evolve as an appropriate vehicle for soul expression and development.
The physical body is certainly remarkable in its ability for healing and regeneration. The Cayce readings insist that with proper care and attention to assimilations, eliminations, and attunement of the glands, especially the pineal gland, the human body can be sustained for hundreds or even thousands of years.
If fact, the readings state that his has actually been achieved in ancient times. Considering that one of the goals of the modern science of aging is the perpetuation of the body and extension of the lifespan, this would seem to a probable direction in terms of human evolution. From a broader perspective, the upward evolutionary swing in the soul’s experience on planet earth is defined by stages of development called root races.
Over thousands of years of earth time, the human body has been transformed - raised in its vibratory rate to better accommodate soul development. As with the spiritualization of desire in a previous lesson, so the physical body is being spiritualized – enlightened to a higher purpose in those individuals focused on a spiritual ideal.
As forerunners in this evolutionary process, spiritual masters throughout the ages have achieved a degree of enlightenment that radiates a higher energy pattern. The body of Jesus after his resurrection exemplifies the destiny of the body in its glorified, enlightened state. The concept of a glorified body, filled with light from within, will be explored in greater detail in a later lesson. It is this eternal, celestial form that is the destiny of the body.