When the ancients gazed to the heavens and began asking "Why is it so ?" philosophy was born. As these questions led to new discoveries, philosophy, science and religion were seen as one: inquiries into the nature of reality.
Today most believe a dichotomy is necessary and it's unwise to link philosophy or religion with science. Attempts to offer plausible scientific explanations for seemingly "Out of body" type experiences or the like are seen as fruitless inquiries into the "unexplainable".
Fortunately not all physicists share these views and I find the thoughts of Dr Allen Wolf very interesting.
During an interview with Dr Allen Wolf entitled "Physics of the Soul" he talks about how he believes we always have one foot in the past and one in the present. He is particularly interested in dreamtime and the culture of the indigenous Australians.
"There is the Aboriginal Spiritual legend that the Great Spirit dreamed all this into existence. The land of Australia is a sacred land in which the Great Spirit currently abides and lives and sleeps, and is awakened from time to time partially when an Aboriginal women has found out she is pregnant, and feels life emerging in her as she goes out on walkabout. And she feels this presence of a life within her, and says 'Aah that's the spirit of the land at this particulate spot, that's now inside of me". So the whole idea of the dreaming spirit awakens in birth"
If your interested in his thinking click here to view his website.
To day I think an understanding of Quantum Mechanics can help underpin our philosophy and a provide a better understanding of the nature of our own reality.
I think the strange world of "quantum mechanics" leads us to a conclusion that we have power to influence events, more so than was previosly understood. What happens is influenced by the observer, we cannot remain independant, so we are all "empowered" to realise outcomes.
It doesn't mean life wont be hard or painful, but ultimately I think it means we are responsible collectively and individually for that reality, reflected in the world we create through our actions. In that sense all life is miraculous.
5 comments:
And somewhere between the smallest particle (in any which state, in every wich state it is) and the gigantichness of the grotesque meta-universe we try to make the best out of it while understanding not even a fraction of it all..
I definitely need a glass of whine Lindsay..
Great blog, I'll be back.
Warm regards from Amsterdam,
DA
Thanks for your post on my site - I really enjoy Rachael's music (and your writing). Now I know why you can talk about sun on your back... I live in Nelson, Canada - beautiful mountain town in British Columbia. However, it's dark by 4:00 pm these days and the cold and snow are arriving. I'm not a skier either.
House swap? :)
http://www.city.nelson.bc.ca/
Just realized I responded to the wrong post - your mind time out is great too.
Hi Ms Squiggle
Thanks for your comment and I think you are correct.
What I was referring to was the "realisation" from observations carried out of particles in their "quantum state" that revealed our observation influence their behaviour. So we are unable to remain independant, as we influence the particles behaviour by our observation.
So what I am saying is the strange world of "quantum mechanics " confirms what was already imagined by our forefathers.
Nothing new, but it's realtively new to science.
Hence the "humanists" of our recent new age "enlightenment"(modernity )who embraced "atheism" as an autonomous( we are free )rational way to make sense of the world are now having a hard time arguing that from a philosophical point of view as there views are very narrow.
No allowances for anthing other than to go down the road of autonomy based upon the "rationalism" of the human mind!
Most peple are rejecting this focus,seeking a form of "spirituality".
I think we help people make sense " of their "spirituality" by showing the link to science, for the secular and the spiritaal are different expressions of the one.
I'm reading through some of your back posts, and this one really caught my eye. Dreamtime, and the timeless awareness during pregnancy; it gives me a better internal picture of the elusiveness of the whole concept of time. It's hard for me to think of it as anything but a line, when so many things need to be done chronologically - like meals!
Christmas 2005
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