Stargate Atlantis describes a method of "ascension" followed by the ancients that allows humans to transcend from their physical form to a pure energy state. This is achieved by meditating for a long time on the inner self, becoming pure and facing your worst fears. They also come up with technology that elevates your heart rate, your body's metabolism and modifies various anatomical pieces creating a short cut.

Richard Bach points out through his invaluable wirtings in "Jonathon Livingstone Seagull", that achieving greatness in any chosen task will lead to a higher plane of existence. He also projects that there is no "finish line" and that there are infinite planes to jump to. Perfection, in this case, is the key to salvation and there is no end to it, there is no absolute truth except the will to break self-imposed barriers and to be able to guide others along the same path.

The rishi's on the Himalayan mountain ranges abandon all material life in the quest for eternal truth. According to the great Hindu epics, the "Ramayana" and "Mahabharatha", they stand on one leg for years together chanting god's name and offering theirselves in his service. It appears that realizing how insignificant you are, shedding every ounce of your ego and becoming totally selfless for a higher being lets you transcend.

Richard Bach, gets into the picture again with his "Illusions", where he takes a slightly modified view of releasing oneself from mortal obstacles. With a great short story to begin with, he describes how a fish breaks loose from its group and swims with the stream, allowing the envelope to take him on his journey. This wisdom imparted by this book lies more in realizing that every soul is capable of that release, and chastises looking upto to an ascended individual since this is possible by anyone of us. Taking us to the other side, it also shows the predicament of the higher being in the presence of mortal fools that look upto him as a Messiah, a messenger of god.

Having made it more than halfway through the "Fountainhead", I can compare "Howard Roark" to a mortal that strives to achieve what he feels is perfection in architecture. The complicated analysis that Ayn Rand brings out through verbal jousting between "Dominique" and "Toohey", shows us how perfection is never truly appreciated in a society. A society by my definition is an attempt to collude the strengths and weaknesses of individuals, thereby creating a well rounded entity. There is no place in society for a sheer individualist, who by this token will unfortunately be outcast as is the case with this character.

One needs to answer a greater question before seeking the path to salvation. What is salvation? Is it the quest for ultimate happiness? Is it the quest for greatness? Or is it the search for purpose, for a chance to glimpse the boundary of what scientists term infinity. To me, the whole point is moot since its an inifinite recursion. If you did catch a glimpse on this "boundary of the inifinite", the first question in your mind would be, whats beyond that? So, you see, there is no real answer. Unless, our minds are so puny that we are not able to ask the right questions. That must be it, maybe we are indeed dumb creations that get our hormones all jacked up when we seek the Infinite, when in fact it lies right in front of us. The problem, ofcourse lies in perception.

Goal of this lifetime: Conquer Perception!