Spirit Becoming Matter: A Thematic Analysis of Creation Stories
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 15 |
| Population | 15 creation stories from 11 cultural and religious traditions |
| Key findings | Argues that creation stories from diverse cultures share significant commonalities in process, elements, and implications, yielding 13 themes in four categories: consciousness, the elements, opposites and similars, and energy. The author proposes these similarities point toward a model of reality in which consciousness is primary and gives rise to physical form, all matter began as energy, and each part contains elements of the whole. |
Abstract
ObjectiveThis qualitative study examined the creation stories from a cross-section of cultures and traditions to determine whether there are important similarities. MethodsThematic analysis was conducted with 15 creation stories from 11 traditions. Initial coding was reviewed to develop themes, which were then recursively applied to the stories to find further examples and refine definitions. The resulting 13 themes were then clustered into 4 categories. ResultsThe diverse stories shared significant commonalities in their processes, elements, and implications. The first category is consciousness, which includes the themes of creator being, humans as co-creators, thought/mind, and one source. The second category is the elements, which includes the themes of water, light, and earth. The third category is opposites and similars, with no further subcategories. The fourth category is energy, which includes the themes of energy/vibration, breath, void, and time.ConclusionsSurprising similarities across cultures point toward a model of reality in which consciousness is primary, preceding, and giving rise to physical form. All matter started as energy, and each part contains elements of the whole. The findings suggest that the divine, or universal consciousness, is contained in all matter, that consciousness may be eternal, and that the continuum of consciousness facilitates communication between humans, the divine, and all manifest forms.