Day 307 of 365 - Science and Spirituality
I've broached this topic a bit previously in terms of biology and healing, in the vein of us being able to impact the way our genes express and how our organs and systems function via how we choose to direct our minds. Think of the science of epigenetics, which states that how a gene turns it's function on or off is affected by the environment to which it is exposed.
In the past, most of us may have thought that science and spirituality were separate categories which never overlapped. In the world of Newtonian physics, by which most of the modern world operated in concrete terms for the past couple of centuries, this was usually the case. Also, in the Cartesian idea of the way the world functions, the body is a separate entity from the mind and spirit.
However, as science has advanced so much in the last fifty years, the models of how we see our body, the earth and the universe functioning, has changed, due to the understanding of quantum physics. This modern physics has taught us that things are not as straight forward as we once thought. For example, it has become fairly mainstream knowledge that some physics experiments have clearly demonstrated that the participation of an observer changes the outcome, thus creating a different reality. This was the experiment where, depending on the role of the observer, the result of the experiment is either a particle or a wave. Although this may seem obscure, it was a proof that we live in a participatory universe.
The universe is not something 'out there' which is separate from us. We are way more than we think we are. We are part of the universal ecosystem which gives us experiences at different levels of awareness. When we operate from a singular identity, using our ego/mind, we feel separate and fragmented. But, our awareness goes far beyond just ourselves, if we allow ourselves to experience a much larger version. We are a part of the human family and we can share our experiences with others, experiencing togetherness. This awareness of our interactivity with others also can give us a sense that there is even more beyond that.
The concept of consciousness asks us to think bigger, as having an awareness beyond what is just physical, to a sense of being co-creators of the life experience. We can assume that we live in a conscious universe. Some of the laws of quantum physics help explain this. They are the law of complementarity, which tells us that objects have complementary properties which cannot be measured simultaneously, i.e., the particle vs. wave experiment. There is also the law of universality which describes the 'as above, so below' aspect of the universe; think of patterns like fractals and spirals which occur from the way images of distant galaxies present, down to the level of tiny organisms on our earth in the same pattern. Thirdly, there is the law of interactivity which describes how everything interacts with everything else.
Some people still think of the science of quantum physics as being 'woo-woo', but it is based on mathematical astrophysics. By challenging us to expand our sense of awareness, it merges science and spirituality. We can think of it as a continuum of experience from brain to mind to consciousness. Why does this matter? It's because it can change our perception of our existence from being a separate self, to one of being a part of global humanity and beyond. In such a world, science and spirituality are not two separate things. They exist together in all of us and expand our potential and shared reality of being human.
A meditation practice that I've recently resumed, is based on these kind of concepts in an indirect way. In the guided meditation, I am asked to get beyond the focus of my body to a greater sense of awareness/consciousness, and from there to focus on the feeling of a desired intent, while remaining connected to my heart. The idea is that we create or draw from the resources of what is greater than us to manifest concrete changes in our reality. Done consistently, great results from this kind of meditation practice are being demonstrated. Perhaps I will be able to report on my own results at some point down the road.
(Ideas for this post are courtesy of an interview I listened to with astrophysicist Dr. Menas C. Kafatos, who has written and spoken widely on the topic of science and spirituality. The meditation reference is related to the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. If interested, you can find more information on their websites or through many videos on YouTube.)
In the past, most of us may have thought that science and spirituality were separate categories which never overlapped. In the world of Newtonian physics, by which most of the modern world operated in concrete terms for the past couple of centuries, this was usually the case. Also, in the Cartesian idea of the way the world functions, the body is a separate entity from the mind and spirit.
However, as science has advanced so much in the last fifty years, the models of how we see our body, the earth and the universe functioning, has changed, due to the understanding of quantum physics. This modern physics has taught us that things are not as straight forward as we once thought. For example, it has become fairly mainstream knowledge that some physics experiments have clearly demonstrated that the participation of an observer changes the outcome, thus creating a different reality. This was the experiment where, depending on the role of the observer, the result of the experiment is either a particle or a wave. Although this may seem obscure, it was a proof that we live in a participatory universe.
The universe is not something 'out there' which is separate from us. We are way more than we think we are. We are part of the universal ecosystem which gives us experiences at different levels of awareness. When we operate from a singular identity, using our ego/mind, we feel separate and fragmented. But, our awareness goes far beyond just ourselves, if we allow ourselves to experience a much larger version. We are a part of the human family and we can share our experiences with others, experiencing togetherness. This awareness of our interactivity with others also can give us a sense that there is even more beyond that.
The concept of consciousness asks us to think bigger, as having an awareness beyond what is just physical, to a sense of being co-creators of the life experience. We can assume that we live in a conscious universe. Some of the laws of quantum physics help explain this. They are the law of complementarity, which tells us that objects have complementary properties which cannot be measured simultaneously, i.e., the particle vs. wave experiment. There is also the law of universality which describes the 'as above, so below' aspect of the universe; think of patterns like fractals and spirals which occur from the way images of distant galaxies present, down to the level of tiny organisms on our earth in the same pattern. Thirdly, there is the law of interactivity which describes how everything interacts with everything else.
Some people still think of the science of quantum physics as being 'woo-woo', but it is based on mathematical astrophysics. By challenging us to expand our sense of awareness, it merges science and spirituality. We can think of it as a continuum of experience from brain to mind to consciousness. Why does this matter? It's because it can change our perception of our existence from being a separate self, to one of being a part of global humanity and beyond. In such a world, science and spirituality are not two separate things. They exist together in all of us and expand our potential and shared reality of being human.
A meditation practice that I've recently resumed, is based on these kind of concepts in an indirect way. In the guided meditation, I am asked to get beyond the focus of my body to a greater sense of awareness/consciousness, and from there to focus on the feeling of a desired intent, while remaining connected to my heart. The idea is that we create or draw from the resources of what is greater than us to manifest concrete changes in our reality. Done consistently, great results from this kind of meditation practice are being demonstrated. Perhaps I will be able to report on my own results at some point down the road.
(Ideas for this post are courtesy of an interview I listened to with astrophysicist Dr. Menas C. Kafatos, who has written and spoken widely on the topic of science and spirituality. The meditation reference is related to the work of Dr. Joe Dispenza. If interested, you can find more information on their websites or through many videos on YouTube.)
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