written 14
April, 2018
published 21 April 18
Modern science began four centuries ago, in
response to the dogma of the church, which defined the world by faith and
tradition. Scientific investigation
focused on measurable, objective, physical conditions, which could be examined
with less controversy than the spiritual or philosophic subjects. The success of scientific materialism led to
technological advances, and transformed the planet with the industrial
revolution.
The basic assumptions
of materialism are: objectivism (only what is external to the mind is real),
positivism (only what can be measured is real), and reductionism (the whole can
be completely determined by examining the parts). Consciousness is not considered relevant, and
if described at all, is considered an "emergent phenomenon", arising
from complex material form. This view of
mindless matter, has led to debasement of the planet and oppression and
extinction of other species.
Continued
investigation of the deep nature of matter, however, resulted in quantum
physics a little over a century ago. Experimental
results challenged the assumptions of materialism, and showed that consciousness,
while subjective, could not be ignored, because observation affects matter. The mind/matter issue has raged for millennia,
as different eras valued one over the other.
Panpsychism,
proposes that every speck of matter has an element of consciousness associated
with it. First suggested over 2500 years
ago, it reflects eastern Vedic science, and is currently experiencing a revival
in western science.
Physics
describes how matter works in the four-dimensional world of space/time, but can't
say why it is. As dimensionality is increased, different qualities will arise. One-dimensional lines have extent, two-dimensional
planes have area, three-dimensional volumes have density, and the fourth
dimension of time adds duration.
In materialism,
consciousness is assumed to be bounded by four dimensions, but it may be a
quality of a higher dimensionality. Research
has shown that consciousness is non-local, a scientific way of describing a
connection within a higher dimensional order.
Matter has also been shown to be non-local, which follows if matter is
an expression of consciousness.
Quantum
physics tells us the energy of each speck of mass is a relative peak in an
ocean of energy. Just as patterns within
the three-dimensional atmosphere and ocean, create shapes in the two-dimensional
ocean surface, perhaps patterns in the volume of consciousness shape the energy
waves we experience as matter. That
would mean matter is the expression of conscious patterns, but may not embody
consciousness itself.
Consciousness
can be defined as a combination of awareness and volition. All life, even as simple as bacteria and
viruses, exhibit awareness of the environment and volition in response. Experiments done in the '90s, showed that
bacteria can modify their DNA in response to environmental change. Placebo studies show physical healing can be
affected by state of mind, and we know stress can be a killer.
It seems a
stretch to say that rocks are aware, but if living systems are simply
complicated collections of the same elements as rocks, when does awareness
arise? This is a fundamental question for
materialists: how does awareness arise from non-awareness? By assuming that awareness is always associated
with matter, there is no question about how it arises as things get more
complicated. Instead we can start to
examine how awareness, and self-awareness, manifest with increasing material complexity
and relationship.
The founders
of Findhorn, in Scotland, described making connection in meditation with the
"over-soul" of vegetables, self-aware entities associated with each crop. By working with these entities, Findhorn grew
quantities of large vegetables on barren soil, which brought world renown to
this spiritual community. A carrot is
too simple an organism to embody awareness, but is nevertheless the material
expression of such awareness in a higher dimension.
As
complexity increases, particularly neural networks, organisms have the ability
to materially embody awareness, even to the point where we have personal
self-awareness as humans. We also have
access to patterns of higher order awareness in the form of reincarnation, intuition,
and psychic capacities.
The unity of
reality lies in these higher dimensions, which encompass the material world. We are spiritual beings having a material
experience.
