Hi Kim,

You wrote, "Matter can not be created or destroyed. In all actuality can that be taken literally, since what we see is an illusion and only provides sensations for us?"

No, it's just part of the story. Consciousness can neither be created nor destroyed. Matter, energy, dark matter, and dark energy are creations of consciousness, the mind of God. Rather than say they're "created," it would be better to say they're "envisioned." The big bang, then, would really be a big thought.

Experience is only something our minds participate in. And the physical realm is just experiences, much like a dream. In a dream, we go places and talk with people, but the places aren't in matter, and the people don't have material bodies. And yet they're "real" to us. The reason is that the experience of a dream is no different from the experience of the physical realm.

Love and peace, Craig