Part III: November 2012 Onward — Rediscovering Spirituality
November 2012 marked one of the most transformative periods of my life.
Around that time, I had an experience that I interpreted as telepathic communication—an experience that, from my perspective, could not be explained by the scientific models through which I had previously understood the world. Whether others would interpret it differently did not diminish its impact on me. It profoundly challenged my confidence that reality could be explained entirely through the known laws of physics, chemistry, and biology.
For years, my worldview had been almost entirely scientific. I understood the universe as a hierarchy of natural phenomena: elementary particles and the fundamental forces gave rise to the physical world; chemistry emerged from the interactions of atoms and molecules; biology arose from chemistry and physics; and engineering represented humanity's ability to apply those natural laws to create technology and solve practical problems. To me, this framework described the whole of reality.
After my experiences in November 2012, however, my perspective began to change.
I gradually came to believe that science, while extraordinarily powerful in explaining the observable universe, might not encompass every aspect of existence. I became convinced that a spiritual dimension also exists—one that, in my personal understanding, is more fundamental because it ultimately derives from God. Rather than rejecting science, I began seeking a worldview in which scientific knowledge and spirituality could coexist as complementary ways of understanding reality.
This marked the beginning of an intense period of study. I immersed myself in books on spirituality, philosophy, comparative religion, and the relationship between science and faith. At the same time, I found myself returning to Islam with renewed sincerity, making prayer once again an important part of my daily life.
During this period, I also encountered writings about the future appearance of Imam Mahdi. As I read various descriptions and traditions, I noticed several characteristics that I felt paralleled aspects of my own life and family history. My grandfather had previously spoken of our family's descent from the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), and I found myself reflecting on these perceived similarities. Rather than reaching firm conclusions, these observations became part of my continuing search for meaning and purpose.
In December 2012, I attended the Digital Bangladesh Conference, where I met delegates and technology professionals from many countries. Some individuals offered encouraging remarks about my potential and future. During the event, a software executive from the United States said to me, “Listen to me kid, you are a very important person!” Later, an entrepreneur from India remarked, “You could become someone like Buddha—millions of people will follow you!” Their words stayed with me.
In March 2013, I traveled to the United States, where I held permanent resident status. During that period, conversations with religious mentors and friends introduced me to Christian theology in greater depth. I became increasingly interested in exploring Christianity alongside my scientific interests, and for a time my faith in Christianity grew as I searched for a framework capable of integrating both scientific inquiry and spiritual belief.
During the 2016 United States presidential election, I found myself supporting Donald Trump, who ultimately went on to win the presidency. His victory reminded me of earlier elections that had also left a lasting impression on me. I had supported Bill Clinton during the presidential campaigns of 1992 and 1996, and later Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. In each case, the candidate I favored was ultimately elected President of the United States. These experiences became another chapter in my continuing exploration of faith, destiny, and the mysterious relationship between human hope and the unfolding of history.
Over the following years, my spiritual understanding continued to evolve. Discussions within my own family also influenced my thinking. One conversation with my youngest sister particularly stayed with me: she suggested that perhaps everything—or nearly everything—might ultimately be made of or grounded in the Spirit of God. Her idea reminded me of the ancient philosophical concept of a primordial substance from which all things emerge.
Reflecting further, I developed my own speculative model of reality. I imagined that God's creative will—His Word or His Thought—might be the ultimate source from which spirit gives rise to matter, and from matter emerge the laws studied by physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering. In my mind, this became the foundation of a worldview I came to describe as "science stemming from spirituality."
As I continued reading Christian theology, I also encountered the idea that the Holy Spirit actively sustains and guides believers and others in their daily lives, and that God lovingly responds to sincere prayer. These concepts became significant elements of my evolving spiritual understanding and further shaped the way I viewed the relationship between the material and spiritual dimensions of existence.
This period also changed the way I thought about human nature. I became increasingly convinced that many of the abilities people possess are gifts originating from God rather than qualities that exist independently within ourselves. At the time, I interpreted some of my own experiences as indications that I might have been entrusted with unusual intellectual or spiritual gifts. Human beings do not possess boundless memory as I do, nor is their capacity for reasoning without limits. Recognizing these truths filled me with a profound sense of uniqueness, as though I carried within me something rare and extraordinary. Looking back, I recognize these reflections as an important part of my personal spiritual journey—a period during which I wrestled with profound questions about identity, purpose, consciousness, and humanity's place within God's creation.
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