The agony of blind beliefs leading to superstitious practices has always been a bane for any constructive thought and development.  History has shown that rational and radical thinking were never allowed to sprout under the suppressive attitudes and practices of the so-called religious dogmas.  Science has literally changed the way we have perceived life in the past.  While the common man did not understand life in its correct perspective, the religious leaders had their own interpretation of life, skewed in their favour for their own advantage.  So long as science did not reveal of its enormity and pervasiveness, religious leaders (not spiritual off-course) held sway on the psychology of the masses and had tremendous influence on the way ordinary people led their lives.  When rational thinking started surfacing out, conflicts were unavoidable between the two. Science and scientific thinking had to gradually usurp its position to tame the abusive use of religion on the lives of people.  Naturally so, science has tempered the way people look at religion today.

Let us not forget, even for a moment, that science too has its own pitfalls and there are people in this community who want to sway people like it happened from the religious leaders in the past.  Not everything is within the grasp of science to demonstrate that it has all the wherewithal to answer the limitations of man.  There are many more things beyond its reach.  The only solace is that it has developed self-correcting factors, and science and its methods are willing to submit to rationality unlike the religious leaders.  It is so pervasive that anything that is blindly followed or done is subject to a violent scrutiny among its peers and between generations.

Let us admit that our ancient seers were intellectually sharp and had tremendous intuitions, which is evident from the whole lot of literature that has been left behind for us (notwithstanding that they too are not the whole of what existed).  This characteristic has eroded, in us, over the years.  Therefore we have resorted to depending upon what is revealing or is in the nature of deductive reasoning.  Unlike our fore-fathers, we find it difficult to fathom subtle issues of nature.  While nature has abundance and is self-revealing, there are many things in its crucible that we fail to understand.  Many of our ancestral hermits had transcendental experiences through intuition.  In the absence of such intuitional instincts, we are left with very little option but to depend upon the achievements of scientific community or on things that we physically perceive.

As this universe has progressed, it has gone through complex changes and such changes are inevitable.  Whether it is the impact of science or scientific thinking, such changes are inherent nature of man.  He has been changing and evolving over the centuries.  Science, or the methods of science, after all is a discipline and has been culled out from his different styles of thinking and living.  While at one time he may reveal himself in one style and at yet another time he may be comfortable to put-on a different robe.  Also, it may be possible that different sections of the society may put on different robes and adopt different styles of thinking and living.  This therefore brings to the fore, the constant search of mankind for something it believes is unknown to it. Be that as it may, spiritual India has seen a discipline of its own. Wearing on the robe of spirituality has come to it so naturally, that with all its ebb and tide, its people have remained steadfast to this discipline in spite of the onslaught of science on the life of people on this universe. 

It is interesting to observe and note that in India, whether it is the scientific community or people falling outside its realm have tremendous faith on the spiritual developments that have taken place here.  There is a reasonable amount of equilibrium maintained between science and spirituality.  Is this an irrational behaviour? Definitely not, as some matured thoughts have been handed down and have swayed into the Indian minds that operates naturally without the feeling of any blind belief.  There is enough and enough ancient literature to reason out the superiority of spiritual thinking beyond the rational thinking.  One reason for such a difference is that the scientific advances are materialistic in approach and anything beyond the materialistic world, science has no answers.  Science is still in its infancy and has to go a long way in understanding the nuances and subtleties existing in this cosmos. Spiritual approach has its own dimension, and this discipline if nurtured in its true sense reveals more than what can be discovered from a scientific approach.  Today we are able to observe and critically examine that as the rationalistic or the scientific approach moves deeper and deeper, it culminates itself into the spiritual world throwing out all beliefs held thus far.  To the Indian scientist, this experience is no surprise for he has been exposed to the philosophy that truth is more than what meets the eye. Again, the scientific rules have not matured to enter the realms of spirituality to decipher the depth and variety of this cosmos.

Spirituality has dominated the lives of Indians over the ages.  The overall environment from the Vedic ages has taught and nurtured several truths through the hidden language.  It has created awe in the lives of our people irrespective of what path of life they have chosen for themselves.  This trait has been nurtured further when a scientific belief, for whatever reason, no longer holds water, establishing the limitations of science.   Also, when science is unable to explain the non-materialistic complexities in life, an Indian mind finds answers and solace by engaging its thoughts in the spiritual domain.  It happens so naturally that it is an easier task to go back and forth without having to exert any extra effort. This probably distinguishes the quality of the Indian mind from the rest of the world, when materialistic aspirations are given a go by.

If one carefully observes the recent modern developments, more and more materialistic abundance is creating dissatisfaction among the haves.  Once the materialistic desire is fulfilled, they are unable to see where to tread further.  They are willing to pawn the modern material comforts for the benefits of spiritual revelations and peace.  Similarly, deeper and deeper scientific investigations are carrying the scientists into the spiritual non-materialistic world.  It is more a movement towards the single truth, and the deeper we go the more we are convinced that it is not the real truth.  Did not our seers say this to us?  Indian spirituality has no surprises.  All that it requires is our tremendous faith in believing that truth is not what we actually see and understand but something more and beyond that needs to be experienced.  What we have to do in this material world can be mechanical, repetitive and dependent on scientific truths.  But, when one travels into the domain of spirituality, the scientific base crumbles offering tremendous energy to pull oneself out of the effects of gravity on this earth and see multi-dimensional view of the cosmos without having to move from where one is seated.  It is an experience of joy and bliss that the Indian mind can fathom.

In conclusion, it is important to understand that whatever the scientific and modern developments can offer is only the tip of the iceberg.  It is a miniscule of what an earnest spiritual attempt can offer.  While living in this material world, it is still possible to experience the wonders of the spiritual world so long as there is a serious and matured attempt.  Materialistic aspirations have to be kept at bay without being carried away by the glitter and glamour, which can only be a burning candle in front of the radiant sun.  Indian spiritual and philosophical mind will always remain in the crowd but will not be part of it, as it understands the futility of such a behaviour.  Spirituality is beyond religion and beyond materialistic science.  The discipline of science too is putting all its efforts, and making every attempt, to discover this truth.