The Lost Symbol Chapter 132-133

CHAPTER 132Katherine Solomons heart felt light as she hurried up the hill toward the origin of the Washington Monument. She had endured great shock and tragedy tonight, and until now her thoughts were refocused now, if only temporarily, on the wonderful bleaks ray of light had shargond with her in front . . . news she had just confirmed with her very own middles.My search is safe. both of it.Her labs holographic data drives had been destroyed tonight, nevertheless ear trickeryr, at the House of the Temple, Peter had informed her that he had been ar jackpotumly keeping just nowtocksups of altogether her Noetic research in the SMSC executive mangleices. You know Im utterly fascinated with your work, he had explained, and I wanted to follow your progress with bug out disturbing you.Katherine? a deep sound c every last(predicate)ed out.She looked up.A l one and only(a) figure stood in silhouette at the base of the illuminated monument.Robert She hurried oer and hugged him. I heard the good news, Langdon utter. You m former(a)iness be relieved.Her voice cracked with emotion. Incredibly. The research Peter had saved was a scientific tour de forcea massive collection of experiments that turn out gentle thought was a real and measurable force in the universe. Katherines experiments demonstrated the effect of human thought on perpetu everyyything from ice crystals to random-event generators to the social movement of subatomic particles. The results were conclusive and irrefutable, with the potential to transform skeptics into trustrs and affect global opinion on a massive scale. Everything is going to transmute, Robert. Everything.Peter for sure thinks so.Katherine glanced just somewhat for her brother.Hospital, Langdon express. I insisted he go as a favor to me.Katherine exhaled, relieved. convey you.He told me to wait for you here.Katherine nodded, her gaze climbing the glowing white obelisk. He said he was bringing you here. Something or so Laus Deo? He didnt elaborate. Langdon gave a banal chuckle. Im not sure I entirely attend it myself. He glanced up at the top of the monument. Your brother said quite a a couple of(prenominal) things tonight that I couldnt get my mind near.Let me guess, Katherine said. past Mysteries, accomplishment, and the consecrated Scriptures?Bingo.Wel abide by to my reality. She winked. Peter initiated me into this long ago. It fueled a lot of my research.Intuitively, some(prenominal) of what he said do sense. Langdon shook his head. alone intellectu ally . . .Katherine smiled and fix up her arm around him. You know, Robert, I may be able to religious service you with that.Deep inside the Capitol Building, Architect Warren Bellamy was walking polish up a deserted hallway.Only one thing left to do tonight, he thought.When he arrived at his office, he retrieved a very old primordial from his desk drawer. The key was black iron, long and slender, with faded markings. He slid it into his pocket and indeed prep ard himself to welcome his guests.Robert Langdon and Katherine Solomon were on their way to the Capitol. At Peters request, Bellamy was to provide them with a very r be opportunitythe chance to plant optics upon this buildings al well-nigh magnificent secret . . . something that could be revealed only by the Architect.CHAPTER 133High in a higher place the radix of the Capitol Rotunda, Robert Langdon inched nervously around the circular catwalk that extended just downstairs the jacket crown of the dome. He peered tentatively over the railing, dizzied by the height, electrostatic unable to believe it had been less than ten hours since Peters circulate had appeared in the middle of the floor below.On that same floor, the Architect of the Capitol was now a tiny arrest some hundred and eighty feet below, moving steadily across the Rotunda and thus disappearing. Bellamy had escorted Langdon and Katherine up to this balcony, leaving them here with very specific instructions. Peters instructions.Langdon eyed the old iron key that Bellamy had handed to him. thuslyce he glanced over at a cramped stairwell that ascended from this level . . . climbing higher still. paragon attend to me. These narrow stairs, according to the Architect, led up to a small surface entre that could be unlocked with the iron key in Langdons hand.beyond the door lay something that Peter insisted Langdon and Katherine influence. Peter had not elaborated, but quite had left strict instructions regarding the precise hour at which the door was to be opened. We return to wait to open the door? wherefore?Langdon suss out his watch again and groaned.Slipping the key into his pocket, he gazed across the gape void before him at the remote side of the balcony. Katherine had walked fearlessly ahead, simply unfazed by the height. She was now halfway around the circumference, admiring every inch of Brumidis The beau ideal of Washington, which loom ed directly over their heads. From this rare vantage point, the fifteen- foot-tall figures that adorned the nearly tail fin thousand square feet of the Capitol Dome were visible in astonishing detail.Langdon saturnine his back to Katherine, faced the outer wall, and whispered very quietly, Katherine, this is your con apprehension speaking. Why did you abandon Robert?Katherine was apparently familiar with the domes give wayling acoustical properties . . . because the wall whispered back. Because Robert is being a chicken. He should come over here with me. We dedicate plenty of time before were allowed to open that door.Langdon knew she was right and reluctantly make his way around the balcony, hugging the wall as he went.This ceiling is absolutely amazing, Katherine marveled, her neck craned to take in the enormous splendor of the perfection bash. Mythical gods all mixed in with scientific inventors and their creations? And to think this is the simulacrum at the center of our C apitol.Langdon turned his eyes upward to the sprawling forms of Franklin, Fulton, and international Morse code with their technological inventions. A shining rainbow arched away from these figures, guiding his eye to George Washington ascending to heaven on a cloud. The great declare of man becoming divinity.Katherine said, Its as if the entire essence of the Ancient Mysteries is hovering over the Rotunda.Langdon had to admit, not many frescoes in the world fused scientific inventions with unreal gods and human apotheosis. This ceilings spectacular collection of ambits was indeed a message of the Ancient Mysteries, and it was here for a reason. The founding fathers had envisioned America as a blank rottervas, a fertile field on which the seeds of the mysteries could be sown. Today, this soaring iconthe father of our country ascending to heavenhung silently in a higher place our law subscribers, leaders, and presidents . . . a bold reminder, a map to the future, a promise of a time when man would evolve to complete spiritual maturity.Robert, Katherine whispered, her gaze still fixated on the massive figures of Americas great inventors accompanied by Minerva. Its prophetic, really. Today, mans most ripe(p) inventions are being used to study mans most superannuated ideas. The science of Noetics may be new, but its in truth the oldest science on priming coatthe study of human thought. She turned to him now, her eyes filled with wonder. And were culture that the ancients actually understood thought more profoundly than we do today.Makes sense, Langdon replied. The human mind was the only technology the ancients had at their disposal. The early philosophers studied it relentlessly.Yes The ancient texts are obsessed with the power of the human mind. The Vedas describe the flow of mind energy. The Pistis Sophia describes familiar consciousness. The Zohar explores the nature of mind spirit. The Shamanic texts predict Einsteins remote influence in terms of meliorate at a distance. Its all there And dont even get me started somewhat the watchword.You, too? Langdon said, chuckling. Your brother tried to convince me that the Bible is encoded with scientific information.It certainly is, she said. And if you dont believe Peter, read some of Newtons esoteric texts on the Bible. When you start to understand the cryptic parables in the Bible, Robert, you realize its a study of the human mind.Langdon shrugged. I guess Id interrupt go back and read it again.Let me communicate you something, she said, clearly not appreciating his skepticism. When the Bible tells us to go build our synagogue . . . a temple that we must build with no tools and making no noise, what temple do you think its talking about?Well, the text does say your organic structure is a temple.Yes, Corinthians 316. You are the temple of God. She smiled at him. And the Gospel of legerdemain says the exact same thing. Robert, the Scriptures are well aware of the power pote ntial within us, and they are rede us to dominate that power . . . urging us to build the temples of our minds.Unfortunately, I think much of the religious world is waiting for a real temple to be rebuilt. Its part of the messianic Prophecy.Yes, but that overlooks an important point. The Second Coming is the coming of manthe importation when mankind finally builds the temple of his mind.I dont know, Langdon said, rubbing his chin. Im no Bible scholar, but Im pretty sure the Scriptures describe in detail a forcible temple that needs to be built. The structure is described as being in two splitan outer temple called the consecrated Place and an inner sanctuary called the Holy of Holies. The two parts are separated from each other by a thin veil.Katherine grinned. delightful good recall for a Bible skeptic. By the way, feel you ever seen an actual human brain? Its built in two partsan outer part called the dura mater and an inner part called the pia mater. These two parts are s eparated by the arachnoida veil of sack uplike tissue.Langdon cocked his head in surprise.Gently, she reached up and touched Langdons temple. Theres a reason they call this your temple, Robert.As Langdon tried to process what Katherine had said, he flashed accidentally on the gnostic Gospel of Mary Where the mind is, there is the treasure. by chance youve heard, Katherine said, softly now, about the brain scans taken of yogis while they meditate? The human brain, in advanced states of focus, go forth physically create a pliant substance from the pineal gland. This brain secretion is unlike anything else in the body. It has an marvelous healing effect, can literally regenerate cells, and may be one of the reasons yogis live so long. This is real science, Robert. This substance has inconceivable properties and can be created only by a mind that is highly tuned to a deep focused state.I remember reading about that a few years back.Yes, and on that topic, youre familiar with the B ibles account of manna from heaven?Langdon saw no connection. You mean the magical substance that fell from heaven to nourish the empty-bellied?Exactly. The substance was said to heal the sick, provide everlasting life, and, strangely, cause no waste in those who consumed it. Katherine paused, as if waiting for him to understand. Robert? she prodded. A kind of food that fell from heaven? She tapped her temple. Magically heals the body? Creates no waste? Dont you see? These are code words, Robert Temple is code for body. Heaven is code for mind. Jacobs black market is your spine. And manna is this rare brain secretion. When you see these code words in Scripture, pay attention. They are often markers for a more profound core concealed beneath the surface.Katherines words were coming out in rapid-fire term now, explaining how this same magical substance appeared throughout the Ancient Mysteries Nectar of the Gods, elixir of Life, Fountain of Youth, Philosophers Stone, ambrosia, d ew, ojas, soma. whence she launched into an explanation about the brains pineal gland representing the all-seeing eye of God. According to Matthew 622, she said excitedly, when your eye is single, your body fills with light. This concept is as well as represented by the Ajna chakra and the dot on a Hindus forehead, whichKatherine stopped short, look sheepish. Sorry . . . I know Im rambling. I just find this all so exhilarating. For years Ive studied the ancients claims of mans awesome mental power, and now science is showing us that accessing that power is an actual physical process. Our brains, if used correctly, can call forth powers that are quite literally superhuman. The Bible, like many ancient texts, is a detailed exposition of the most sophisticated railcar ever created . . . the human mind. She sighed. Incredibly, science has yet to scratch the surface of the minds in well(p) promise.It sounds like your work in Noetics will be a quantum outpouring forward.Or backwar d, she said. The ancients already knew many of the scientific truths were now rediscovering. Within a content of years, modern man will be forced to combine what is now unthinkable our minds can generate energy capable of transforming physical matter. She paused. Particles act to our thoughts . . . which means our thoughts pick out the power to change the world.Langdon smiled softly.What my research has brought me to believe is this, Katherine said. God is very reala mental energy that pervades everything. And we, as human beings, have been created in that imageIm unconsolable? Langdon interrupted. Created in the image of . . . mental energy?Exactly. Our physical bodies have evolved over the ages, but it was our minds that were created in the image of God. Weve been reading the Bible too literally. We learn that God created us in his image, but its not our physical bodies that resemble God, its our minds.Langdon was silent now, richly engrossed.This is the great gift, Robert, and God is waiting for us to understand it. All around the world, we are gazing skyward, waiting for God . . . never realizing that God is waiting for us. Katherine paused, allow her words soak in. We are creators, and yet we naively play the percentage of the created. We see ourselves as helpless sheep buffeted around by the God who made us. We kneel like frightened children, begging for help, for forgiveness, for good luck. But once we realize that we are truly created in the Creators image, we will start to understand that we, too, must be Creators. When we understand this fact, the doors will burst replete(p) open for human potential.Langdon recalled a passage that had al ways stuck with him from the work of the philosopher male P. Hall If the infinite had not desired man to be wise, he would not have bestowed upon him the faculty of knowing. Langdon gazed up again at the image of The Apotheosis of Washingtonthe symbolic ascent of man to deity. The created . . . becoming the Creator.The most amazing part, Katherine said, is that as soon as we humans begin to harness our true power, we will have enormous control over our world. We will be able to design reality rather than merely react to it. Langdon lowered his gaze. That sounds . . . dangerous.Katherine looked startled . . . and impressed. Yes, exactly If thoughts affect the world, then we must be very careful how we think. Destructive thoughts have influence, too, and we all know its far easier to destroy than it is to create.Langdon thought of all the lore about needing to protect the ancient wisdom from the unworthy and share it only with the savant. He thought of the invisible College, and the great scientist Isaac Newtons request to Robert Boyle to keep high silence about their secret research. It cannot be communicated, Newton wrote in 1676, without immense damage to the world.Theres an interesting twine here, Katherine said. The great irony is that all the religions of the world, for centurie s, have been urging their followers to dig the concepts of organized religion and opinion. Now science, which for centuries has derided religion as superstition, must admit that its future(a) big frontier is quite literally the science of faith and belief . . . the power of focused conviction and intention. The same science that eroded our faith in the miraculous is now building a bridge back across the chasm it created.Langdon considered her words for a long time. Slowly he raise his eyes again to the Apotheosis. I have a question, he said, sounding back at Katherine. Even if I could accept, just for an instant, that I have the power to change physical matter with my mind, and literally manifest all that I desire . . . Im afraid I see nothing in my life to make me believe I have such power.She shrugged. Then youre not aspect hard enough.Come on, I want a real answer. Thats the answer of a priest. I want the answer of a scientist.You want a real answer? Here it is. If I hand y ou a violin and say you have the capability to use it to make incredible music, I am not fiction. You do have the capability, but youll need enormous amounts of practice to manifest it. This is no different from learning to use your mind, Robert. Well-directed thought is a learned skill. To manifest an intention requires laserlike focus, full sensory visualization, and a profound belief. We have proven this in a lab. And just like playing a violin, there are state who exhibit greater natural ability than others. Look to history. Look to the stories of those enlightened minds who performed miraculous feats.Katherine, please dont tell me you actually believe in the miracles. I mean, seriously . . . turning water into wine, healing the sick with the touch of a hand?Katherine took a long breath and blew it out slowly. I have witnessed people transform cancer cells into healthy cells simply by cerebration about them. I have witnessed human minds affecting the physical world in myriad ways. And once you see that happen, Robert, once this becomes part of your reality, then some of the miracles you read about become simply a matter of degree.Langdon was pensive. Its an inspiring way to see the world, Katherine, but for me, it just feels like an unachievable leap of faith. And as you know, faith has never come easily for me.Then dont think of it as faith. Think of it simply as changing your perspective, pass judgment that the world is not precisely as you imagine. Historically, every major scientific breakthrough began with a simple idea that threatened to overturn all of our beliefs. The simple statement the earth is round was mocked as utterly impossible because most people believed the oceans would flow off the planet. Heliocentricity was called heresy. Small minds have always lashed out at what they dont understand. There are those who create . . . and those who tear down. That dynamic has existed for all time. But eventually the creators find believers, and t he depend of believers reaches a critical mass, and short the world becomes round, or the solar system becomes heliocentric. Perception is transformed, and a new reality is born.Langdon nodded, his thoughts drifting now.You have a funny look on your face, she said.Oh, I dont know. For some reason I was just remembering how I used to canoe out into the middle of the lake late at night, lie down under the stars, and think about stuff like this.She nodded knowingly. I think we all have a similar memory. Something about lying on our backs staring up at the heavens . . . opens the mind. She glanced up at the ceiling and then said, Give me your jacket.What? He took it off and gave it to her.She folded it twice and lay it down on the catwalk like a long pillow. Lie down.Langdon lay on his back, and Katherine positioned his head on half of the folded jacket. Then she lay down beside himtwo kids, shoulder to shoulder on the narrow catwalk, staring up at Brumidis enormous fresco.Okay, she whispered. Put yourself in that same mind-set . . . a kid lying out in a canoe . . . looking up at the stars . . . his mind open and full of wonder.Langdon tried to obey, although at the moment, prone and comfortable, he was feeling a sudden wave of exhaustion. As his vision blurred, he perceived a muted shape overhead that immediately woke him. Is that possible? He could not believe he hadnt observe it before, but the figures in The Apotheosis of Washington were clearly arranged in two concentric ringsa circle within a circle. The Apotheosis is also a circumpunct? Langdon wondered what else he had missed tonight.Theres something important I want to tell you, Robert. Theres another fraction to all this . . . a piece that I believe is the single most astonishing aspect of my research.Theres more? Katherine propped herself on her elbow. And I promise . . . if we as humans can aboveboard grasp this one simple truth . . . the world will change overnight.She now had his full attention .I should preface this, she said, by reminding you of the Masonic mantras to gather up what is scattered . . . to bring order from chaos . . . to find at-one-ment. Go on. Langdon was intrigued.Katherine smiled down at him. We have scientifically proven that the power of human thought grows exponentially with the number of minds that share that thought.Langdon remained silent, wondering where she was going with this idea.What Im saying is this . . . two heads are better than one . . . and yet two heads are not twice better, they are many, many times better. Multiple minds working in unison detonate a thoughts effect . . . exponentially. This is the inherent power of prayer groups, healing circles, interpret in unison, and worshipping en masse. The idea of frequent consciousness is no vapourous New Age concept. Its a hard-core scientific reality . . . and harnessing it has the potential to transform our world. This is the underlying discovery of Noetic Science. Whats more, its ha ppening right now. You can feel it all around you. Technology is linking us in ways we never imagined possible Twitter, Google, Wikipedia, and othersall blend to create a web of interconnected minds. She laughed. And I guarantee you, as soon as I publish my work, the Twitterati will all be sending tweets that say, learning about Noetics, and interest in this science will explode exponentially.Langdons eyelids felt impossibly heavy. You know, I still havent learned how to send a twitter.A tweet, she corrected, laughing.Im sorry?Never mind. Close your eyes. Ill wake you when its time.Langdon realized he had all but forgotten the old key the Architect had given them . . . and why they had come up here. As a new wave of exhaustion engulfed him, Langdon take out his eyes. In the darkness of his mind, he found himself thinking about universal consciousness . . . about Platos writings on the mind of the world and host God . . . Jungs collective unconscious. The notion was as simple as it was startling.God is found in the collection of Many . . . rather than in the One.Elohim, Langdon said suddenly, his eyes flying open again as he made an unexpected connection.Im sorry? Katherine was still gazing down at him.Elohim, he repeated. The Hebraical word for God in the Old Testament Ive always wondered about it.Katherine gave a knowing smile. Yes. The word is plural.Exactly Langdon had never understood why the very first passages of the Bible referred to God as a plural being. Elohim. The Almighty God in Genesis was described not as One . . . but as Many.God is plural, Katherine whispered, because the minds of man are plural.Langdons thoughts were verticillate now . . . dreams, memories, hopes, fears, revelations . . . all swirling above him in the Rotunda dome. As his eyes began to cultivation again, he found himself staring at three words in Latin, painted within the Apotheosis.E PLURIBUS UNUM.Out of many, one, he thought, slipping off into sleep.