The Masters

The ultimate purpose is complete mastery of the Mind over the Material world; the harnessing of human nature to human needs. – said by the Great Nikola Tesla.

The Masters of our world seem to have touched what Terence McKenna refers to as “Alchemical Gold.” This, of course, is a metaphor, but it is nothing short of our continuity. They volunteered to look like fools in their times and endure the painful rite of passage we all know awaits us when stepping onto the path of mastery. Without these people, imagine how dull, empty, and mundane your life would actually be—a world devoid of color, depth, and understanding. The reminder that the world around us was crafted through the eye of a visionary, just to move humanity a millimeter closer to another checkpoint of progress, is fascinating.

For example, the buildings around us, our cars, the devices we use, the paintings in our museums, and the poetry being taught in a 10th-grade literary arts class as standard education were once just thoughts in someone's mind. If those thoughts were not watered and fed, they would not exist. These Masters have left us all a gift.

Pioneering is what allows shifts to involve themselves in our way of life. How we distribute food across the world, communicate with one another, or know the steps needed to create a fine arts oil painting—because the Masters showed us a way. They sacrificed their social lives, sleep, and even their livelihoods to chip away at a sculpture that would enthrall generations to come. The Masters we often look up to seem to have acquired the impossible. We see them as phenoms, one-of-a-kind exceptions. But that’s a lie.

Whoever told you that you can’t be among the Masters is severely out of touch with themselves. They have settled for average. They are afraid of anything beyond it because their default mode is comfortable. Stepping down a path of self-mastery absolutely involves being completely uncomfortable at times.

I am not fully actualized by any means. I don’t consider myself a Master yet. But that's because I am honest with myself and can truthfully say that I am a work in progress. Every day brings me different challenges. But the more I move through the world consciously channeling this version of myself, the more tangible and possible it seems to master myself.

So who are the Masters, the ones who have earned that title? It may vary depending on who you ask. I’m not going to sit here with fluff and tell you I don’t have my favorites. Some Masters speak to us, and some don’t. It’s okay to be biased, to have a list of people who reached a certain level of mastery and have inspired or awakened something in you.

It’s only appropriate to start with Nikola Tesla. For years he has fascinated me and is a symbol of what is possible when one is in unison with science and spirituality. Tesla knew that the way he saw the world, compared to other scientists in the 1920s, was indeed unique. He understood that his work was for the future. He had no agenda to accumulate wealth, fame, or accolades. He had one goal in mind: to master it. He wanted to use his own refinement to assemble inventions that would outlast his life and serve as a gift to the future.

Tesla said: “My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get a new idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination and make improvements and operate the device in my mind. When I have gone so far as to embody everything in my invention, every possible improvement I can think of, and when I see no fault anywhere, I put concrete into the final product of my brain.”

This quote reveals Tesla's unique approach to invention, highlighting his reliance on visualization and mental experimentation before physically creating his groundbreaking devices.

Nikola Tesla, renowned for his pioneering work in electricity and electromagnetism, also harbored a deep spiritual side that influenced his scientific endeavors. This aspect of Tesla's life is often overshadowed by his technological achievements, but it played a significant role in shaping his understanding of the universe and his approach to invention.

Tesla believed in a harmonious universe governed by fundamental principles of energy, vibration, and frequency. He was convinced that if we could understand these principles, we could harness the true power of the natural world. This belief stemmed from a blend of scientific insight and a deeper, quasi-spiritual sense of connection with the cosmos.

Energy, Vibration, and Frequency: Tesla thought that the universe was a symphony of alternating currents, with all matter essentially composed of energy at different frequencies. This view mirrored Eastern philosophies and spiritual teachings that speak of the universe in terms of energy and vibration. Tesla's famous quote, “If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of energy, frequency, and vibration,” reflects this perspective.

While Tesla is celebrated for his contributions to science and technology, understanding his spiritual side provides a more holistic view of him as a thinker who sought to bridge the material and immaterial worlds. His life and work exemplify the belief that science and spirituality can coexist and enrich each other, offering insights that are both profound and practical.

Nikola Tesla was just a kid who immigrated from Serbia to New York in the early 1900s because he admired Thomas Edison. When he got his foot in the door, he worked tirelessly. Most days, Tesla would work 20+ hours with virtually no sleep. At one point, he worked 84 hours straight without rest.

This began a mentorship between the two. Slowly but surely, Nikola Tesla revealed himself to be an absolute genius with his unique take on engineering. But eventually, Tesla and Edison had a falling out. Edison was a bonafide opportunist who saw Tesla’s alternating current as competition and tried to sabotage his reputation.

Tesla didn’t have a competitive bone in his body but he definitely did not like Edison. In fact, in 1912, when both were offered a shared Nobel Prize, Tesla declined. He spoke seven languages, was a voracious reader, and had a photographic memory. He believed in abstinence, reportedly viewing sexual energy as sacred and better used for his work.

As a child, Tesla was said to have an ‘overactive imagination’ and often saw things others didn’t. Some may call Tesla a scientist, others a mystic, eccentric, idealist, overrated, or underrated. But he was a man constantly thinking about—and crafting—the future. He hoped one day every human would have access to free, wireless energy. Most importantly, he wanted humans to understand that the unseen universe of energy, frequency, and vibration was telling us something.

Nikola Tesla was a Master. I also like to think of him as a humanitarian. I imagine him sitting at his desk in New York 100 years ago, eyes closed, envisioning someone like us utilizing his inventions and pondering the universe just as he did. Maybe Tesla knew time wasn’t linear. Or maybe he knew the future was accessed by becoming it.

Tesla died of old age, likely with dementia, in the New Yorker hotel. He never married or had children. But he birthed the 21st century of innovation.

Now let’s get into our second Master.

You might think I’d say Leonardo da Vinci, Beethoven, Steve Jobs, or Albert Einstein. Instead, I want to talk about someone few have heard of. Her name was Hypatia.

Hypatia was an astronomer, mathematician, and leader of the Neoplatonist School of Philosophy. Like Tesla, she was at her peak in the intellectual hub of her world. She taught students of different religious backgrounds about number theory, mathematics (including Euclid’s Elements), and astronomy. Her curriculum included Neoplatonism, a school of thought that synthesized Plato’s philosophy with other traditions, exploring the nature of the universe, the soul, and intellectual and spiritual practices.

She also designed scientific instruments, like devices to measure fluid density and the astrolabe for navigation. For a woman to be a teacher or pioneer at this time was practically unheard of anywhere else.

Hypatia’s teachings were influential, attracting students from across the Mediterranean. She was committed to logic, empirical evidence, and the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake—principles that earned her reverence.

Raised by her father Theon, a respected mathematician, she made new astronomical discoveries. But she lived during a time of strong religious and political tension in Alexandria. Eventually, she became a target of the very people she taught. Most of her work was destroyed after her death.

Imagine a literal civil war happening, with Hypatia blamed for tensions simply because she refused to adopt any one religion. Despite attempts to persuade her to convert, she remained committed to questioning her beliefs.

As Alexandria burned, Hypatia was brutally tortured and publicly murdered by a Christian mob.

Behind every ancient tale there’s ambiguity. We can’t know exactly how events unfolded, who was in the right or wrong, or why so much knowledge was destroyed. But we can take Hypatia’s logical approach and meditate on what likely happened. She may not have had all the answers, but in my view she was a Master—someone ahead of her time.

Whatever she said in her lectures must have disrupted her students’ reality so deeply that it proved Plato’s cave allegory: truth can provoke denial, envy, and violence.

Hypatia’s spirit is alive. She continues to inspire others to wonder about the cosmos and share that curiosity. Despite attempts to erase her from history, her influence endures.

That leads me to the third Master: Hayao Miyazaki, the visionary behind Studio Ghibli.

Miyazaki is renowned for imaginative storytelling and symbolic themes, exploring humanity’s relationship with nature, the journey from childhood to maturity, and the clash between tradition and modernity.

My favorite of his works is Spirited Away, a coming-of-age story exploring greed, innocence, and personal growth. The bathhouse represents society’s complexity, while Chihiro’s journey symbolizes resilience.

Howl’s Moving Castle explores self-discovery, love, and the futility of war, with the ever-changing castle symbolizing life’s transformation. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind introduced his environmental themes in a post-apocalyptic world, with expansive landscapes and intricate designs showing the contrast between nature and technology.

Miyazaki once said: “Creating is not about conveying a message or articulating logic… It’s about discovering the pleasure hidden within you.”

He was a perfectionist who faced skepticism, long hours, and industry challenges, but his high standards and vision paved the way for future animators and made him the GOAT of animation.

When we humanize the unfoldment of a child discovering adventure and purpose, we remember that tiny flame we forgot about. A Master in cinema can change someone’s heart in hours—with color, transition, character development, and music.

Nikola Tesla, Hypatia of Alexandria, Hayao Miyazaki, and countless others have gone through their own development consciously, creatively, purposefully, and lovingly so that you can find the hidden pleasure within yourself—and become a Master too.

You may not feel like a Master, and that’s okay. But look at yourself in the mirror and say: I’m not a Master—yet.

Hypatia of Alexandria said it best: “Life is an unfoldment, and the further we travel, the more truth we can comprehend. To understand the things that are at our door is the best preparation for understanding those that lie beyond it.”

As Tesla implied, humans need Masters.