Consciousness and Spirituality: Widening the Scientific Perspective

Dictionary meanings of consciousness also include awareness, the two meanings being virtually interchangeable. It is the state of being conscious, awareness of ones own existence, sensations, thoughts and feelings. A secondary meaning is the thoughts and feelings, collectively, of an individual or of an aggregate of people.

One of the criticisms of the scientific method is that it often operates on the reductionist principle; if the parts of a whole are obtained and examined they will give the required analysis to explain how the whole operates, its reason for being, how it interacts with its environment. In other words, the total environment consists of parts, which come together to form a wholistic phenomenon. Part of the rationale for this approach may relate to Darwin's theory of evolution which posits that all life has evolved from simple living entities, which gradually developed complex systems as they interacted with one another, the weak growths giving way to those which were stronger and more competitive.

Perhaps the time has now been reached to reassess the scientific mode of research and to pay more attention to what science has discovered about the constitution of the universe. Scientific theories do not usually last the course as further research reveals new evidence that either overturns, or remodels, previous fixed beliefs.

There is now reason to look at the universe as a whole, which then broke down into parts. The 'big bang' hypothesis states that the universe began as a single entity which exploded and sent its energy spreading throughout space, much like the result of exploding the atom. Quantum physics then goes on to state that everything in the universe is actually energy, in many different forms and configurations. In other words, there is no solidity in fact, merely a slowing down of vibrations that we can see and feel with our senses.

Whenever a new discovery is made it may well become a dogma as it becomes embedded in life's beliefs and can be difficult to overcome because so many of us dislike change because it means venturing into new realms with a concomitant need to learn new ways of doing things. An entire education system may need to be revamped against an inbuilt inertia and resistance to change. For this reason, the approach of science and spirituality will take time, as the proponents of the previous classical beliefs gradually die off or are willing to consider that there is indeed good reason to embrace the new thought.

Spirituality states that there is one Creative Being, that is immanent, omnipotent, and transcendent. A supreme consciousness that brought a universe into being out of Itself but remained apart from its creation. In the Baghavad Gita, Krishna states - "Having pervaded this entire universe with a fragment of Myself, I remain". Krishna, in this aspect, is the Supreme Creative being and following the dictum 'as above, so below', and using the analogy of dreams it can be said that human beings, when they dream, cast a fragment of themselves off to enter a mythical world while remaining whole and generally unaffected by the dream. Some consequences can flow from dreams but then, we are not immanent, omnipotent, and transcendent.

It is not too outlandish to state that all of the energies of the universe consist of consciousness. In fact, that is one of the tenets of quantum physics, that the particles of energy which subsume all physical phenomena are conscious. Certainly they have awareness, which, as we have seen, is a meaning of consciousness. In experiments, which were undertaken because of a theory that all particles of energy are twinned, i.e., one having a clockwise spin and the other an anticlockwise one, it was discovered that theory was fact, change the spin of a twinned particle and the other immediately reverses its spin even thought they may be at opposite ends of the universe. Faster than light? Einstein proved that light and matter are interchangeable and there will be many more discoveries to be made regarding the properties of the energies in the created universe.

If, indeed, all particles are conscious, aware, then it can be stated that everything in the universe is connected and this can explain many otherwise imponderable occurrences. The 'big bang' was wholeness and as it unfolded the parts, of necessity, must be related, if not subsidiary creations must have occurred by insertion, from where? Ad there is no evidence for the latter occurrence we can assume that the universe is, in essence, of one mind, one consciousness.

A unified field of consciousness, such as that outlined above should be provable through observed associations within that field. Some of the following examples have been backed up by scientific research, others have yet to be verified by that method but can be assumed to have veracity due to their apparent connectedness.

A pioneer in the investigation of claims that plants have consciousness, or at least the lesser definition of awareness, is Cleve Backster. In his book, 'Primary Perception', he gives the background of his training in the use of polygraph equipment which came in useful as part of his work while employed by the CIA. His first experiment was initiated by his thought as whether it would be possible to measure the rate at which water rose in a Dracaena plant from the roots into a leaf. He used a polygraph machine which is based on changes in electrical resistance in the skin. After attaching the electrode plates he set the machine going and then decided to see if threats, somewhat akin to the feelings a criminal might get when challenged by the statement that they committed a crime, night provoke a reaction. Backster did not talk to the plant but instead he thought he would get a match and burn the leaf with the electrodes on. As soon as he let that thought out he saw the polygraph recording pen move rapidly to the top of the chart. Did the plant read his mind?

Since that initial experiment Cleve Backster has performed many, many, different approaches to the question of whether life forms other than the human have an awareness that indicates there is a form of consciousness which can be measured. At seminars he has given ha has been challenged because other scientists say they cannot replicate his experiments. His answer to that is that a properly automated experiment is needed to eliminate any connection or bond between the experimenter and the life form being monitored. This necessity is backed up by findings that in many experiments the results can tend to be affected by the consciousness of the experimenter if it is deeply connected to the procedure taking place.

Cleve Backster has a set of factors to be taken into account to provide the appropriate remoteness: -

1. Ensure the plant to be used is not in the lab for more than an hour prior to the experiment.
2. No animal experiments should be going on in the lab at the same time.
3. Ensure no life form is injured or terminated during the experiment.
4. The experimenter must not have had previous involvement with the plant.
5. Ensure that noises, visitors, phone conversations etc., are avoided during the experiment.

Human bodies, although apparently solid, can be visualised as miniature universes. Based on the findings of quantum physics that all we cognise consists of particles in a constant fervour of movement it can be accepted that we are, in reality, areas of space occupied by atoms that are, in themselves, mostly space. The apparent solidity is cause by the inability of our eyes to capture the extremely rapid movements and they therefore blur together to form what we accept as a solid.

The energy of the atoms is actually a form of electricity and electricity, as we are all aware, can be channelled by conducting it along pathways. That introduction was needed to deal with the issue of organ transplants between humans. One reason for rejection of a transplanted organ, unless there is an introduction of a sublimating substance (which is itself composed of electrical energy), is an incompatibility between the electrical make-ups of human beings. The receiving body does not want to accept the transplanted organ, it is an alien construct and carries an interesting thought. It is also part of another person's consciousness. I referred to this situation in my book 'Connectedness'. In chapter 7 'Health and Growth', I recorded findings by Paul Pearsall Ph.D., a pschyoneuroimmunologist, that appeared in his book 'The Heart's Code'. Here is an excerpt from Health and Growth.

• two men, one of whom gave his good heart (he had poor lungs which needed a transplant) to another whilst himself receiving a healthy heart plus lungs from a donor, agreed that the food cravings experienced were exactly those of the one who had given the heart to him. Not only that, the wives of the two men also agreed that personality traits had also been transferred, even to the point that the recipient would mention the donor's wife's name when he was making love to his wife.
• The widow of a heart donor, after his death, spoke to the mother of the recipient, a heavily accented Spanish-speaker. The mother said her son now uses the word copacetic all the time despite that not being a Spanish word. The widow said her husband always used that word to signify that everything was OK.
• A heart transplant surgeon said one of his patients now had a fear of killing himself. The heart received was from a person who committed suicide.
• An eight-year old girl started screaming at night about the man who had murdered her donor. She had received the heart of a ten-year old girl who had been murdered. The eight-year old described the murderer, knew who he was, the time of the murder, the weapon, the place, the clothes he wore, etc. He was apprehended by the police.

Human bodies are not of the mass-produced variety i.e., virtually identical, they are all very individual as evidenced by the need to carefully ensure the right blood type is used in transfusions; varied reactions to drugs, herbs, foods, etc. DNA is virtually special to each human being thus ensuring that production of proteins and hormones, on which the body relies, are not identical but require foods and medicines which are compatible.

Reading books by Rupert Sheldrake, amongst others, opens up the thought that every species may be immersed in its own morphogenetic field, or, as one can surmise, a field of consciousness special to that species. The convergence of eastern spiritual wisdom with the occidental has introduced the theme that all life is backed by informing entities which have an influence on the groups for which they are responsible. Eastern names for these informing entities are Devas, the western equivalent being Angels and other ephemeral beings.

These informing entities, which are fully dealt with in the many books on the subject, are the probable reason why all living creatures tend to follow similar lives and to be able to live fully functioning lives without being taught by their progenitors. Birds build nests instinctively and when they fly in flocks they move as one. Colonies of ants act as one entity with specialised parts. Insects communicate through a variety of apparatuses, symbiosis between plants and insects, which cannot exist apart from one another, and so on, the list is copious in its extent.

The consciousness which produced the universe has diffused itself down through the various planes of existence so that at the lowest level it is regarded as instinct. As the complexity of the created life increases so does its consciousness as anyone who ahs a domesticated animal can vouch for. Man, being the final product of the visible created life, and possessor of the greatest degree of conscious awareness has more leeway in decision-making. And that is where we are being led, by an inner need to overcome our reliance on the physical world and being to re-unite with the spiritual impulse that sent us forth to act as the feedback mechanism for that great Creative Being out of whom we originated.

Telepathy is defined as 'communication between minds by some means other than sensory'. This attribute that many people possess is the bane of the scientific community because how does one find a satisfactory conclusion based on the rigours of scientific research which insists on experiments being replicable. Despite scepticism on the part of many scientists telepathy does occur and a rationale can be given by stating that all human minds are part of humanity's collective unconscious and therefore there can be instantaneous communication whether it be unbidden or part of a deliberate conscious act to so communicate.

If the universe is actually a construct in consciousness the possibility of telepathy being a quality possessed by some, if not all, human beings, is very probable. In order to verify the potential for mind to mind communication without any use of our five senses; touch, sight, hearing, taste and smell, a look at some experiments that have been verified will be of assistance. One such series of experiments were those noted above, communication of thoughts to plants and other living matter. Water is an element that has many strange properties, one of which was utilised by Mr. Masaru Emoto, a Japanese researcher who has published two volumes titled 'Messages from Water'. He developed a photographic technique that relies on freezing droplets of water after they have been exposed to human vibrational energy, thoughts, words, ideas and music. Included in the two volumes are many photographs of water that has been frozen after being subject to thoughts such as a prayer to make it healthy, expressions of various emotions such as fear, panic, love.

In her book 'The Field', by Lynne McTaggart, there is evidence that consciousness can have an effect on blood cells at a distance from the experimenter. William Braud, a psychologist, placed volunteers in a room distant from that in which red blood cells in a saline solution were to be exposed to a fatal amount of salt. The volunteers were asked to 'protect' the red blood cells by reducing their rate of haemolysis with results indicating that they were able to so protect them for a period of time.

Remote viewing is akin to telepathy as it requires a searcher to contact something which may be far removed and describe what is contacted. Dr. H. E. Puthoff Ph.D., who is at the Institute for Advanced Studies at Austin, Texas, has described many instances of this ability in various papers and books.

New York artist Ingo Swann had contacted Dr. Puthoff after a visit to Cleve Backsters laboratory and he was invited to Stanford University which was hosting a CIA-initiated remote viewing research project. A surprise was sprung on Ingo Swann as he was told there was an apparatus (a well-shielded magnetometer in a vault below the floor of the building) that he should attempt to contact and describe. He did so and appeared to penetrate its operation after which he proceeded to 'remote view' the apparatus and drew a reasonable facsimile of its rather complex (and heretofore unpublished) construction.

Scientists have led an unremitting search for a basic substance through which moves the various energies which have been revealed over the years. Theory after theory has had to be discarded and perhaps it will be useful to look at ether as it is referred to in literature devoted to the world of spirit. In The Soul and its Mechanism by A.A. Bailey we read, on page 54 - "There is nothing but energy, and it functions through a substance which interpenetrates and actuates all forms, and which is analogous to the ether of the modern world. Matter is energy or spirit in its densest form, and spirit is matter in its most sublimated aspect".

As all forms are penetrated by ether, every form has an etheric form or etheric body.

In Telepathy, also by A. A. Bailey, we read on page 2 - "…..,and what the scientists call ether: this word "ether" is a generic term covering the ocean of energies which are all inter-related and which constitute that one synthetic energy body of our planet".