The Godhead is unchanging, complete, a diamond Being, as postulated by the philosophers; in fact the only rock-hard reality. Yet occasionally sparks come from this Eternal ousis, like virtual particles emerging from the vacuum, and even more rarely become real/permanent particles, as physical particles did in the early universe. The Emanations of the Parzufs in Kabbala doctrine, or the Aeons of Gnostic teaching, are such permanent sparks (steady-burning candles), as are the angels and archangels of the Christians. The lower Parzufs or Aeons (after the Divine Fall) created the world of living things, including humans, who are again only virtual particles, flickering in and out of existence like sparks from the Eternal Fire.

We are virtual particles, doomed (or privileged) soon to merge back into the Vacuum/Plenum. Enfolded into the hidden order, as in Bohm’s theory. As virtual particles, we would have no individuality or identity as eternal souls, and so could not be re-incarnated; but as personalities, something we may have earned through a good life, we may have lost this fungibility and acquired souls. How this plays out is a mystery.

Perhaps God is not finished with us yet.