There have been many different responses to the outbreak of COVID-19 within spiritual communities. Some people believe the virus is a smokescreen for some sort of sinister Capitalist agenda; others believe the opposite, that the virus will herald the end of our corrupt Capitalist societies; some believe the virus portends our shift from a three-dimensional level of consciousness to a five-dimensional level of consciousness; while others invent conspiracy theories that link the virus to the American and Russian governments. Others believe the virus has been manufactured by aliens.

Is the virus a cover-up for something far more sinister than the virus itself? Was the virus created to test our reaction to biological warfare? Did aliens invent it? Where does the ridiculousness end?

COVID-19 belongs to a family of coronaviruses that include SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and Mers (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome). The provenance of the virus was a ‘wet meat’ market in Wuhan, China, which is essentially a market where the meat of both live and dead animals is sold. Like SARS and Mers before it, COVID-19 originated in animals and has been contracted by humans. And like SARS and Mers, it has nothing to do with a cover-up. And it certainly has nothing to do with aliens.

The most common reaction amongst spiritual communities is that the virus engenders a mindset of fear, largely created and perpetuated by the media, but also by our own behaviours, such as panic buying foodstuffs and household amenities. But what if our ‘spiritual’ reaction to COVID-19 was also, to an extent, rooted in fear and is at risk of bypassing the reality of the situation?

For example, why do people invent conspiracy theories? As a coping mechanism; as a means of bypassing the real; to feed a hungry imagination; or because they aren’t satisfied with the reality of a situation, and therefore believe there must be something more to it? A conspiracy-theorist mindset is one of intrigue mixed with a desire to expose the ‘truth’; but it can also be rooted in suspicion, even paranoia. And what is suspicion and paranoia, other than manifestations of fear?

Conspiracy theories are an imaginative way of re-inventing our reality; but why? And, by extension, we might ask: why do people turn to spirituality anyway? It is usually for one of two reasons: they are looking for a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives; or they are looking for healing from trauma. Either way, seekers are seeking to remove themselves from an existing reality that does not serve them. They seek change, or transformation, in order to improve their current circumstances or perception of self. Any desire to change or transform is rooted in a desire to grow, but also in a desire to escape from, or some might say ‘transcend’ — which is often synonymous with ‘bypass’ — whatever situation or perception of the self is causing them pain.

Some seekers seek to elevate their consciousness to a five-dimensional vision of reality in order to ‘transcend’ their three-dimensional reality, for if the three-dimensional reality is the root of the trauma then the five-dimensional mindset is the means to overcome that trauma. This is all well and good, for a higher state of self-awareness grounded in love and compassion as opposed to fear and greed is desirable; but for me it is less about ‘transcending’ our three-dimensional reality than about bridging our 3D and 5D worlds. It is about how we can live in our 3D reality with a heightened sense of self, with a sense of purpose, and with compassion for our selves and for others.

So in the context of COVID-19, what does a five-dimensional consciousness involve?

Firstly, from a 3D perspective, the reality is: there is a highly contagious virus spreading across the globe and we must therefore do what we can to prevent our selves and others from contracting it. Now let’s take it one step further: from a 4D perspective the virus is ‘fake’, a diversion or distraction to cover up some form of ‘cleansing’ that is occurring on a global scale. This means that the corrupt, the exploitative, and the immoral in society will contract the virus and become exposed for who they are. A new social order will rise from the ashes of the old, including more equitable financial systems and a more environmentally friendly world. Now let’s take the final plunge: a 5D perspective entails believing that COVID-19 heralds the birth of the Age of Aquarius, a ‘water re-birth’, whereby our auric bodies will be cleansed. Allow me to quote a ‘spiritual’ post I ventured across on social media which foretells the coming of a 5D world:

‘Carona means crown, it is an aura of plasma around the sun. Our aura is golden, like a crown, and it represents the fourth phase of our water rebirth, which is plasma. When plasma merges with our light bodies, our auric self, then we are ‘crowned’ — a term used when a baby spirals down the birth canal. A spiral is a vortex, and when water is vortexed it adopts a crystalline structure. Our previous social order has ensured that our lifeforce waters, our plasma, is restricted, and so the virus represents a healing of our ‘waters’ both within and without.’

How did we leap from the word ‘caronavirus’ to the birth of a new age of water? The name ‘caronavirus’ has nothing to do with spirals, vortexes, or our lifeforce plasma. The name is derived from Latin corona, meaning “crown” or “wreath” and refers to the characteristic appearance of virions (the infective form of the virus) by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image reminiscent of a crown.

Personally, I believe that the most plausible, rational, and commonsensical reaction to the virus is the one adopted by a 3D consciousness because it is firmly rooted in the reality of the situation. So what can we glean from our over-reactions to COVID-19? Whether our reaction to coronavirus is from a conspiracy theorist or an aspirational 5D mindset, these approaches are at risk of bypassing the reality of the situation: the reality is that there is a global virus that is killing people, and as a result of the protective measures enforced by government, the economy will inevitably suffer. A lot. From a five-dimensional viewpoint, an overhaul in the economy may signal a shift from corrupt Capitalism to the Age of Aquarius, whatever the fuck that really means; but at what cost? Genuine, decent, hardworking people are losing their livelihoods, which impacts on their families, as well as their mental wellbeing. Who gives a shit about spirals and vortexes when people are dying?

At what point does spirituality become more about escapism and bypassing and less about how we live our lives right here, right now? As shitty as our reality can be, spirituality is about how we choose to face that shitty reality. For me, it is simply about living in this 3D world, this reality, with compassion and self-insight.

Whilst we are lost in our conspiracy theories or visions of a five-dimensional reality, let’s not forget those people who have lost their livelihood, or worse, lost a loved one. Let’s not forget compassion for those who need it most. And let’s not forget gratitude for those healthcare and emergency service workers who are striving every day to save lives, consequently putting themselves and their own families at risk.

With so much love and compassion already apparent in our three-dimensional reality, let’s be thankful for it and not take it for granted. If we look beyond the fear, the conspiracy theories, and the visions of a heightened consciousness, then we see that our 3D reality isn’t so bad: for there is love, there is compassion, there is togetherness; we can witness our astonishing will to survive and, with it, a sense of hope across the entire globe. All of these things exist right here, right now, and not in some reborn social order. And you don’t need a 5D mindset to see it. Indeed, seeing the beauty of our 3D represents a shift to a 5D consciousness in itself.

It’s time to put the conspiracy theories and the Age of Aquarius aside. It’s time to get real. If ‘spirituality’ is about ‘waking up’, then now is the time to open our eyes to the love that is all around us — a love born from crisis; but a love that is firmly rooted in our humanness and in our three-dimensional reality.