PSI Annual Journal 1999

The fool in Nietzche’s famous tale gloatingly declared, “God is dead.” He was not a wise fool, only an ordinary one because God is alive and well and inspiring the minds of some of our theoretical physicists and fourth dimensional mathematicians! Granted, it is a drastically different God from that of the fool, but then his God was always more or less a mirror image of his own limited perception.

However, we must announce another death: the passing away of the idea of life as a chemical accident. Actually, the notion received its deathblow back in the 1930’s when Sir James Jeans declared, “ the universe begins to look more like a great thought rather than a great machine.” But such revolutionary ideas take time to penetrate mass consciousness. Please note that I said, the idea of life as a chemical accident is dead, not the theory of the evolutionary or mechanical processes of the universe. That theory retains its validity, it only needs to be removed from its exalted pedestal and placed in its rightful position and purpose; namely, to explain the development, structure and function of the physical universe. But for an understanding of the meaning of existence this theory is simply inadequate. As we shall see when we explore the recent knowledge gained by pure science, the emphasis has been shifted to a dynamic new area; the mind and consciousness of man. It is here that we may find more complete answers to the mysteries of life.

It becomes ever more apparent that we are in the midst of a profound revolution in awareness; startling new ideas explode around us almost daily, disintegrating all kinds of established assumptions. That is, of course, if we allow it to touch us personally, for it is a fact that we often deprive ourselves from being affected because of the tendency to reject that which is unfamiliar or foreign to us.

Permit me then to expose you to some of the new scientific knowledge as well as the timeless insights of the mystics with regard to the nature of man and the universe.

To start with I like to stress that what I am going to present is available to everyone; there is nothing secret or occult about it. The books are there, the articles are there, all that it takes is the desire to know. And once we have stretched out our antennae, once we become sincere seekers, it is a constant source of amazement and delight how we are, almost mysteriously, led to the places, people and things we need in order to find.

To understand the changes in knowledge taking place it is necessary to contrast them briefly to the still prevalent view of life and the nature of humankind.

I mentioned already the idea of life as a chemical “accident”, a chance happening and called it a “dead idea”. I would now like to rephrase that assertion as follows: according to the latest scientific explorations the idea of life as a chemical accident is pure myth.

Unfortunately, since the public in general has not caught on to these discoveries, the great majority of the population continues to be shackled either to materialism or superstition or worse, to both.

As far as human psychology is concerned, it was – at least until the 1960s – colored by the assumption that man is an animal; maybe a little smarter and more egotistical than the rest, but still an animal.

In the 60’s there emerged a school of thought which described itself as Humanistic Psychology and has now been established as the so-called “Third Force”. Previously, however, the field belonged almost exclusively – save for Jung, Frankl and a few others – to two major schools: Freudian Psychology and Behaviorism, both seeing man as an animal and unfree because (a) in Freud’s view he is driven by inner instincts; and (b) in Behaviorism he is at the mercy of his environment. In either case he is not responsible for his behavior or for who he is.

The end result of these attitudes is well summed up by the humanistic psychologist, Dr. Henry Link:

“The predominant scientific and philosophical view of our age is that man as an individual is helpless; a creature without self-respect, without will power and without faith in himself.”

Such a limited view of man has fathered much of the dilemma and the sense of meaningless we encounter in the lives of people today. If we care to penetrate to the root causes of this predicament, we would most likely agree that it is an outgrowth of the hypothesis (which has been elevated to a theory) that life is nothing more than a chemical chance happening. I shall attempt to bring before you evidence that this attitude is based on fiction. I shall furthermore endeavor to share with you a vision that recognizes life as majestic, purposeful and challenging. In the process I hope to demonstrate our relatedness to a vast and magnificent Whole which gives direction and meaning to our individual lives.

In 1905, Albert Einstein shattered the complacency of classical physics with his Theory of Relativity, ushering in the new age of modern physics.

With a few equational strokes of his pen he dismissed from the universe every fixed reality except that of light. Light remains as the only constant, everything else is relative. No more absolutes in the physical universe.

A few years before that Max Planck had embarked on a path which would lead eventually to the formulation of quantum theory. When the principles of that theory were finally revealed, it cause in those sensitive enough to grasp its philosophical implications a kind of mental earthquake on a global scale. Neils Bohr, one of its pioneers, once said to Heisenberg, another giant in the field:
“Anyone who is not shocked by the quantum theory when first exposed to it simply does not understand it.”

To see the theory stated in general terms certainly does not move the average person:

“A quantum (a tiny bundle) of light exhibits a dual personality: it can be observed as either an electromagnetic wave or as a particle, but not as the two simultaneously.”

But now comes the explosive conclusion: The observer decides how to see it and thus what he wants it to be! That unexpected revelation reverses the entire view of life and the universe as held by classical physics, because that which used to be safely “out there” and could, supposedly, be objectively observed, no longer is:

The observer has become part of the process; he is a participant in the universe, and because he decides that he wants to see he stands now revealed as the creator of his own reality. This makes him, if we carry the idea a little further, responsible for his attitude and his actions.

You see, classical physics had believed that everything is composed of atoms, knitted to the laws of motion. This indicated that it was possible to describe completely the motion of the atoms and therefore, predict theoretically the state of the universe for all times. Naturally, such attitude encouraged the belief that our lives are governed by Inescapable Destiny.

Modern physics, on the other hand, teaches us that atoms are neither things nor objects but mathematical possibilities! This implies that probability and chance lie at the core of our definition of the universe, and that it is impossible to predict precisely any future state. This means, furthermore, that I, the observer, have the freedom and the chance to influence and change things. The universe and life have become open-ended possibilities! (Did you hear that, Mr. Skinner, the word is freedom. Now, if we stopped seeing ourselves as animals only, we might rediscover our dignity as well!)

When this concept of the choice of the observer is followed through to its final conclusion, then the necessity arises that the observer himself has to become the object of investigation. As the German physicist Von Weizacker observed,

“Man tries to penetrate the factual truth of nature, but in her last unfathomable reaches suddenly, as in a mirror he meets himself."

Clearer than ever there stands before us the ancient injunction:

“Man, know thyself.”

Quantum theory makes us aware that behind all the vast manifestations of the universe there remains the mystery of the self, the mystery of the consciousness which experiences.

The mystery of the self, and the mystery of consciousness, these two, especially in the West, largely unexplored areas, challenge modern man to reconstruct his concept of the universe and of the origin and purpose of life. Philosophically, quantum theory squarely bases the emphasis on consciousness, on inwardness. It thus deprives the idea of life as a chemical accident of its basis, for materialistic logic had, ironically, insisted that mind and consciousness are merely byproducts of matter.

How incredible the idea that chemicals by themselves could give rise to life and consciousness, or that mindless matter could create laws that regulate the life of planets, solar systems, galaxies, universes! There is symmetry, there is order, there is harmony – not to speak of diversity which in its magnitude is truly beyond comprehension. How could such Beauty and such Equilibrium be born and maintained without creative direction? Universally and individually Mind is the creator, Mind is the architect and builder, moving from an idea to a blueprint to physical manifestation. Mind transforms energy into matter, and sometimes when mind is out of balance we end up with too much matter as, for example in tumors and cancer. Imagine the changes in our life if we could in full consciousness employ all the creative powers of mind, instead of limiting ourselves to the mere 10 percent of our brain presently utilized! But, oh how hard it is to let go of familiar, often unexamined notion, and let the universe be “some other way.”

Our senses, which in one way are so useful for navigating on this plane of existence, can be quite a hindrance to the perception of a greater reality. Science, of course, has demonstrated for some time now that judgement based on mere appearance and sense impressions must constantly be corrected by our mind.

The sun does not move across the sky;
The earth is not flat;
The stick seen through the water is not bent.

Even the solidity of matter which common sense assures us is fact, vanishes into the mathematical probabilities and electromagnetic energy of the physicist. One can actually go so far as to declare that matter represents an idea in our mind because no one has ever contacted this mysterious “matter”. Of course, if someone hits you over the head with a brick, I doubt whether this fabulous concept will restrain you from punching him in his, scientifically speaking, equally non-existing nose! However, what the principle implies is that we live in a world of duality -–one being the reality of the senses and the other the reality of the mind. And we can be assured that each realm is governed by laws. We have the laws of physics and we have the laws of metaphysics. In fact, one of the outstanding pioneers, the Austrian cultural reformer, Rudolph Steiner, has called the collected data of his extensive investigation into non-physical realms, “spiritual science”.

We are, of course, constantly employing the laws of spiritual science in dealing with physical reality. Most of the time, however, we do so unaware. But a fine example to demonstrate the process is hypnotism. In hypnotism the larger mind operates independently of the laws of the body; a possibility demonstrated and taught throughout the ages by the great spiritual teachers of East and West.

What a turning point we have reached in the evolution of mankind when scientists affirm that all is mind rather than all is matter, and that the whole universe is an expression of mind in myriad form. What lovely echoes of the insights of the ancient Hindu sages! But then, the East has never experienced difficulty in this area since it has always believed in mind as a cosmic factor, seeing all the manifestations of the phenomenal world as the crystallized thoughts within Universal Mind. A look at the amazing developments tells us that we have only just begun. Contemplate this: Nobel prize winner John Eccles, studying the physiology of the brain, informs us that sound, color and smells are not outside of us but within us – all we receive is impulses of energy which are carried to our brain and there converted into a color, a sound, a smell! Lawrence Blair in his highly informative book, “Rhythms of Vision” puts this discovery into a broader and somewhat mindboggling perspective when he writes:

“There are good grounds for the awesome theory that scientific discovery is the projection into matter of the exploration of the human mind; and that all our worlds are lived within us, illusions of a lesser or greater power, maintained by the weight of corporate belief, but are seen as ‘out there’. What is ‘real’ is what we make real, even the color of the sky or the shape of a tree.”

Is it possible? The wisdom of the ages confirmed by science?

If you can take it, I expose you to some more. The newest idea in astrophysics is the concept of “Superspace”, also called the “Void”. (How interesting that scientists should have chosen that Zen Buddhist term!)

According to the “Big Bang” theory of the creation of the universe, the Void or Superspace is the backdrop against which regular space itself is doing its moving and changing – and it is that Superstage which expands and carries everything in it along. The Void, better known in quantum theory as the Vacuumstate, has now become the most important arena of exploration. To the minds engaged in that endeavor the universe of matter has become – are you ready? – just an accidental extra. (What do you know, did not some medieval mystics exhibit that same attitude toward matter?) You see, what we deal with in phenomenal world is mostly empty space, from the galaxies to the atom. 99 1/2% of all matter is void, which means if we were to collect all the protons and electrons in our body into one lump, we would end up with a mass the size of a (pardon me) mustard seed. And here is news: we are still shrinking!

But let us investigate further that great new discovery, the Void, which, by the way, turns out to be no void in the usual sense of the word at all, but the ground of all being and becoming. The Void is a state of perfect order and symmetry. It contains in unmanifested condition all forms of matter and energy. It is not influenced by space and time, yet is the source of all change. It is an all pervading field without boundaries and the home of all knowledge of matter and energy in the universe. It is also the source of all laws and the realm of all possibilities, including an infinite number of dimensions. What a miracle – the mystics have reincarnated as theoretical physicists! The cycle has been completed. In the words of T.S. Eliot, “We have arrived where we started and know the place for the first time.” Now our journey into true humanness can begin. This then, is the majestic vision of the vast organic whole out of which all parts are born.

I proposed in the beginning to demonstrate the fallacy of the hypothesis that life is a chance happening, a result only of the chemical interaction of a few primordial substances. If doubt remains, I am willing to present a few more “signs.”

Item #1 “Dr. Harold Klein, chief biologist on the Viking team said that if life did not evolve on Mars – a planet believed to be similar to earth in its beginnings – then the prevalent theory of the chemical evolution here on earth would need another looking at. Because the similar processes should have started on Mars if this theory is correct.” He added, that it would be “quite shocking” if the chemical theory of evolution were disproved. Need I remind you that no life as we know it has been found on Mars?

(I am using this as an example to make my point, not to imply that I believe that in this vast universe the earth is the only sphere that bears life. In a world where no two snowflakes are alike and every crumb of dirt teems with living things, I see no useless manifestations.)

Item #2 “Life after death.” Through the advancements of modern science it has now become possible to “resurrect” patients declared “clinically dead”. In hundreds of such case studies undertaken by Dr. Kubler-Ross and Dr. Raymond Moody these patients do not only relate similar experiences, but their accounts are remarkably like those portrayed in medieval descriptions and in the 5,000 year-old Tibetan Book of the Dead. All of which gives evidence that conscious existence continues without the physical vehicle and that therefore consciousness is the only possession we can truly call our own. We may further glean from this that the earth is only one classroom, one grade, in the multidimensional School of Being.

Item #3 “Scientists sanction ‘Psi’. After more than 40 years of research, scientists say they have proved that psychic phenomena are real.” To educate more people to that fact, the Smithsonian Institute last year sponsored a traveling exhibit on the subject. One of the items on display proves that some people have the ability to put images on unexposed film solely through the power of their minds. According to the hypothesis of chemical evolution psychic phenomena should not happen since that hypothesis, as we learned, sees the mind only as a byproduct of matter. And parapsychology gives clear evidence of consciousness transcending the physical! It defies thus all known laws of physical science. What an outrageous thing to do!

The existence of Psychic Phenomena is a particularly relevant point for our view of life since it also clearly demonstrates that the individual consciousness is part of a greater universal one that we all share. In the great universal unity each one of us is part of every one and every thing.

Dr. Willis Harman of Stanford Research Institute believes that “psychic research in the next few decades may be destined to have an impact comparable to that of Copernicus and Galileo.” In fact, he already calls it, “the Second Copernican Revolution.”

We can now recognize two key concepts: the greater Whole and the Oneness of all things. This quite naturally leads us to the mystics, for throughout the ages these elements have been the great pillars of their understanding of life. When we read their accounts of the transcending reality and become aware of their striking similarity we can only echo Abraham Maslow’s perceptive observation: “Is it not meaningful,” he asked “that the mystical experience has been described in almost identical words by people in every religion, every era and in every culture?” For those who long to understand life that certainty is meaningful.

What is a mystic? Generally speaking, a mystic is one whose being is permeated with an overwhelming love of and desire for union with Ultimate Reality, in the West referred to as God. To achieve that oneness he endeavors to purify his heart, make strong his love and complete his surrender. The brilliant English writer Evelynn Underhill defines him as a “genius of character” i.e., a human being who strives from self-knowledge to self-mastery. While the scientist seeks to know the external order of nature, the mystic seeks to know and to harmonize himself with the internalness of life. Not easy is the path that leads to harmony, that union, that oneness. One does not become a genius of character without immense struggles.

Again, the quantum physicist speaks of the Void and the mystic of Supreme Reality. Both agree that this reality lies beyond all opposites. The mystic has discovered that he can know that Reality only through love; through love alone can he rise above the duality of the sense world and experience the Oneness of all things. And this is what the mystic desires: to have direct experience of the Supreme Life Principle, not just to study it. In fact, not to know but to be is the mark of the true mystic.

He reminds us also that this Principal, this Divine Essence, is not external to anyone, but is contained in all things – a constant living Presence that can be experienced and known by everyone. He speaks with delight not only of experiencing God, but of participation in God (recall the idea of a participatory universe in quantum theory), and wholeness in God. All of which fill his life with joy and a “peace that passeth understanding.” If mystics have difficulty making us understand the splendors they are witnessing it may well be because we have limited our mind to intellectual logic while largely ignoring our own capacity for intuition and Logos.

And yet, most people have at least to some degree experienced what it is to be touched by the mystical way. Just think of the marvelous transformation of the world when we fall in love or have any of the so-called peak experiences in life. Not only do we then feel better, stronger and more unified, but the whole world looks better, more honest and more unified.

The great mystic is able to sustain these feelings and to have them to a much deeper degree so that for him the great illusion vanishes; all is one living unity. He considers the attainment of this unity the supreme goal of human achievement.

A point of great importance: the mystical experience leads not only to oneness with all things but it does at the same time give a greater awareness of the uniqueness and splendor of the individual self. We do not simply dissolve into the great Ocean of Being, but we become the Ocean of Being on its microcosmic scale. That is the great mystery.

May it also be said, even though there have been deviations from it, true mystical experience always results in greater participation in the world. If love of God does not lead to love of man, then somewhere along the path the directions have been read incorrectly.

The mystics have their awe inspiring visions of the spiritual universe, and we, thanks to the marvelous instruments of science, can now see to an ever greater extent the magnificence of the physical universe, from the incredible world within a cell to the sublime portrait of outer space.¹ What a wonderful promise for tomorrow: The scientist and the mystic working together to enlarge our understanding of the world and ourselves.

I suppose, if we were asked to synthesize these two disciplines, we could arrive at a number of different responses and a variety of conclusions. The message that seems to me the most striking is the idea of wholeness. A look at the state of the world quickly convinces that it is an idea which we strongly need to put into practice, both individually and collectively. The psychology of a new age can not possibly be anything less than a psychology of wholeness. It is true that the focus on halves and parts and fragments is important when we need to study details, but such a focus becomes limiting when we are ready to experience the whole. Scientists speak of the fact that every cell within the body had the potential to make another exact copy – or a million – of that body. Mystics, on the other hand, live the fact that each individual consciousness is a facet of a Cosmic Consciousness and assure us that we all have the potential to become a copy of that Consciousness. Thus, as a portion, a tiny part of the whole, we have all the qualities of the whole, which means that we are in potentiality never less than whole. However, to actualize that wholeness requires, among other things, that we dissolve the barriers of separateness that we have erected between ourselves and others.

The history of the world, especially that of western man, has been one of exclusion and onesidedness. We have become very skillful in exercising an either/or concept which has its strongest expression in our rigid standards of right and wrong. Admittedly, this phenomenal world is one of duality; but as was pointed out by the scientist and the mystic alike, in both the physical and spiritual realms of the universe there exists and weaves a unity transcending all dichotomies.

If we personally want to transcend duality we have to start by recognizing that both sides, both poles, are valid and in fact necessary for life. (Example, the positive and negative currents in electricity.) But we cannot overcome duality and fragmentation by preference for the one and the rejection of the other of the polarities. I see the solution in what I like to call the Love Union of Opposites, based on the principle of inclusion. Out of such a union may come the birth of a greater whole within us. It is not either/or but the acceptance of both that makes for completion:

Spirit and matter
positive and negative
essence and appearance
intuition and intellect
internal and external
contemplation and action
yin and yang
East and West
mysticism and science
masculine and feminine
mind and body
self and others

There is a special magic at the hour of twilight when the opposites of light and darkness are one in perfect sharing. In very ancient times this union was celebrated as the “holy hour.” Whole and holy are derived from the same root word. Therefore, as we make ourselves whole, we move also into the holiness of our being. Wholeness and holiness are then the great goals that life invites us to actualize.

During our analysis of life and the nature of human kind we have come from the idea of life as a chemical chance happening and man as an animal (a concept I believe arose from our ignorance of the nature of mind) to the idea of life being an expression of a Supreme Reality and man being a god in the making. (Because of his existence on this material plane, man, of course, is both.) In the process of our evaluation we have also discovered that the key which unlocks the secrets of Being is love. Once we recognize this truth we can say with Paul of Tarsus,

“If I understand all mysteries and all knowledge, but have not love, I am nothing.”

Or as an Indian mystic expresses it:

“Consciousness has created the universe, but love is its savior.” All the complexity of life can be surmounted by the Simplicity of Love. It becomes apparent too that sooner or later we must all enter that path of simplicity and become “geniuses of character.” As the story of the mystics shows it is a strenuous road to travel, an enormous mountain to scale, but from one who completed the ascent ages ago comes encouragement:

“The journey of a thousand miles” says Lao Tsu, “begins with a single step.”

* First presented at the Bux-mont Unitarian Fellowship on Oct. 30, 1977
1 * Here is just a snapshot of that sublimity: thanks to the Hale reflector on Mount Palomar we can now discern a million galaxies in the bowl of the Big Dipper alone!

RECOMMENDED BOOKS:

1. Physics & Beyond -- Werner Heisenberg
2. Rhythms of Vison – Lawrence Blair
3. Powers of Mind – Adam Smith
4. Mysticism – Evelynn Underhill
5. The Expansion of Awareness – Arthur W. Osborn
6. The Phenomenon of Man – Teilhard de Chardin
7. Macrocosm and Microcosm – Rudolf Steiner
8. Keys to Inner Space – Lehmann Hisey
9. Space, Time and Self – E. Norman Pearson
10. Cosmic Consciousness – Richard Burke
11. The Way of Zen – Alan W. Watts
12. Life after Life – Dr. Raymond Moody

PSI Symposium Annual Journal 1999