Scientific Mysticism
‘Scientific Mysticism’ is a term coined by Michael Whiteman, a British-born South African mathematician too mystic. (This article may live read together with the article on Whiteman’sec life and idea.)
Introduction
The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared every bit a championship inwards the trilogy, Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,ane 2 three by Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.1 Whiteman aimed to bring mysticism into the champaign of scientific discipline every bit an entity that is ‘open up-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, as well as illuminating.’1 ‘Mysticism’ here is defined as:
the report of everything non-physical, including the other worlds in addition to their archetypal governance, besides every bit our spiritual bodies, the facts in addition to their human relationship beingness known past the self-show of straight observation in addition to non past reasoning or speculation.four
This indicates empirical scientific discipline, sharing territory amongst psychical enquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction between ‘psychical’ as well as ‘mystical’ experience. The former includes the written report of purportedly non-physical events, the latter extends to states that have a feel of higher significance as well as ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed existence, in addition to orientation to the perceived rootage of the Right as well as Good.
Whiteman was familiar amongst Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek as well as Biblical Hebrew, and quoted extensively from ancient texts. He regarded nearly current translations every bit inadequate because the authors lacked psychical together with mystical experience. His revolutionary commentary, too his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’5 combined amongst canonical Buddhist texts, ane two 3 five exhibit hit parallels with refinements of modern idea.
Whiteman’s line equally a professor of applied mathematics provided a base of operations inward physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base was extensive personal experience in psychical in addition to mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis and insight, inward tune with Edmund Husserl’sec phenomenology.half-dozen This aims at gaining confront-to-confront self-testify and detailed precision, shedding the usual ‘cloak of ideas’. Science in Whiteman’s usage is non an practice inwards theorizing.
Potentiality in addition to Actualization
H5N1 primal to Whiteman’s scientific mysticism is the idea of potentiality and actualization. This had been developed by the physicist Werner Heisenberg,7 who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes nearly through an occasion of observation, together with that this ‘happening’ is open to physical description. But what governs the happening is not open up to physical observation; at best it can live given mathematical aspect. So behind a physical effect one has to recognize what Heisenberg called ‘an objective trend or possibility, a “potentia” inwards the sense of Aristotelian philosophy’. And the governing potentia, the ‘reason’ for something to fall out, is abstract inward a physical feel; y'all tin can’t pose it in a test subway system.
Whiteman concurred that entirely transcending logical substructures, potentialities, merit the term ‘reality’, every bit opposed to appearances. Appearances come into beingness alone on an occasion of observation, as well as will be actualized differently for dissimilar people.
Whiteman wrote, ‘zilch specific tin be actualized without the integration of “subjective” as well as “objective” factors, not in succession, just on the instant of actualization.’ane An observer who is freed inwards roughly manner from the physical country will actualize for himself things that are beyond the attain of ordinary physical sensing. This is the starting time of psychical as well as mystical perception.
Whiteman wrote, ‘The difference betwixt ane “earth” in addition to some other so depends upon the country of life in which the observer happens to live settled.’three An private’second perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together alongside his ain subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization principle operates in the mental sphere of every private: idea in addition to images are actualizations inwards consciousness of an private’second ‘thought-ikon sphere’, every bit he called it, which includes retentiveness as well as imagination.i
Actualization of Psi Phenomena
Whiteman saw telepathy resulting from the interaction or resonance betwixt the thought-ikon spheres of individuals. The interaction is non actualized at the physical grade, as well as and then transfer of data occurs independently of physical space as well as time. Clairvoyance is resonance betwixt the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or consequence too the idea-image sphere of an individual, resulting inwards the actualization of impressions in the individual’second idea-ikon sphere. Once again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical space too fourth dimension, not beingness physically actualized. Psychokinesis may live regarded every bit a opposite clairvoyant interaction; potentialities normally linked inwards close to way to an individual upshot inward physical actualizations.
Potentiality-actualization relationships should non live seen every bit static; potentiality-fields continually modify or develop, together with have feedback loops, although not inward physical time. This volition bear upon the effect of hereafter physical events, which helps to explain how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition as actualization inward an private’s idea-icon sphere of developing potentiality-fields that may affect futurity physical events. The private may fifty-fifty intervene inwards the physical actualization of these events past altering the potentiality-fields, and so allowing prevention of a precognized event from happening.i Even if potentiality-fields are time-ordered, resulting in a succession of events actualized inwards the physical globe, the ordering is not fixed inwards the manner a road map is fixed. They are accessible inwards states of physical detachment, in addition to so allow express alteration as well as the practice of free will.
Out-of-body Experience
Whiteman defined mysticism equally ‘the study of everything non-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As just discussed, potentiality-fields take the capacity to deliver unlike spaces or worlds of physical together with not-physical actuality, depending on the country of the observer. Without this agreement, mysticism cannot get down to make feel. Direct experience of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly inwards out-of-body experience, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ feel, since at that place is ordinarily awareness of a body of just about sort.
The commonest type he termed ‘primary separation’, in which there is no awareness in the physical body, even though what appears to live the physical body tin can be viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical body is under or so degree of witting control, just principal awareness lies inwards another organism seemingly not located inwards the infinite of the physical torso, together with the ii bodies are quite independent. In ‘3rd separation’ the physical torso is normally nether consummate command, only there is full awareness of being in a unlike bodily grade despite the locations of the ii bodies seeming to be the same. Difference between the two bodies may be radical, such equally one beingness male person as well as the other female. For Whiteman, the highest mystical experiences were mostly of this type.
Whiteman noted that such not-physical experience, in price of reality-impression and intensity, may reach from appearing weak to seeming fifty-fifty more real in addition to meaningful than inwards physical life. At its nigh powerful, termed past him mystical, ‘Everything inward such states, spatial characteristics included, is known equally if inward archetypal unchanging grade, too is thence startlingly more than real (rationally-objective, e'er-present) than the derivative together with shifting forms of the physical globe.’1 He saw a take ‘to distinguish betwixt what is deceptive or illusory in addition to what has the character of face-to-face objectivity and truth which nosotros describe by saying that a matter is real.’i This requires setting upwards a numerical scale, which he called a General Index of Reality.
Index of Reality
This index covers a reach from ordinary dreaming (cypher rating) to what is experienced as spiritually releasing with a high grade of reality, namely mystical feel (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative feel. Features scoring in the Index include continuity of memory betwixt physical too non-physical feel, costless observation, ability to compare accurately alongside physical in addition to not-physical states, awareness of meat too tangibility, communication of idea with others, too a feeling of transcendence of physical life.
The General Index does non include reports of observing physical things during a separative experience. Regarded past most people as veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could have been made past clairvoyance or remote viewing, together with do non necessarily hateful that something somehow separated from the physical body to brand the observation. As Whiteman stated, whatsoever claimed physical supporting evidence simply has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who do not realize that separation is non established by them, only who may thereby live induced to have the “interior” testimony every bit having approximately bearing on “scientific fact”.’ane
Whiteman’s Index power seem of express value to touchstone parapsychology, where a useful scoring organization should place experiences that charge per unit meliorate than dream, hallucination or just about course of pathology. In Whiteman’second Index the direction of ranking is towards mystical feel, which is hardly looked for inwards parapsychology, even shied away from. The order of ranking is: undeveloped, borderline, psychical, pre-mystical, mystical. Out of a possible sixteen points, experiences reaching six to 8 points place as ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed ii paragraphs to a higher place. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ grade were noted inwards the Introduction, as well as demarcate ‘mystical’ from ‘psychical’. Yet inward the eyes of a physically-fixated investigator, the mystical requirements would betoken reduced reality rating, since ‘reality’ way ‘similar physical experience’. For Whiteman this was a central fault; higher reality tin can only mean ‘dissimilar physical experience’.
Other Spaces
All separative experience, physical-like or transformative, was considered past Whiteman to take place in spaces other than physical, although often and then similar to what is presented physically as to live mistaken for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ infinite. He wrote:
If i is taken into a ‘psychic’ infinite when not familiar with such states, or amongst fixed ideas virtually them, and if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... at that place may be a potent opinion to mean that the objects are being observed physically; together with this applies fifty-fifty to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’s physical body in its actual state of affairs.1
‘Fixed ideas’ assume at that place is exclusively one ‘existent’ space that tin live manifested, namely the physical world. A fixed thought will contribute to the potentialities governing a separative feel, together with atomic number 82 to the actualization of a physical-similar ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet equally mortal gratis of the constraints of 1-degree thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible multifariousness’ of appearance inward other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may even so issue inward ‘fantasy influences’ in undeveloped states, notwithstanding highest evolution leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the environs, correspondingly, are distinguished by the lineament of the light, too reach inwards intelligible grapheme, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing middle lineament, unitive liberty and feel of blending amongst other minds, every bit the highest status, which is that of Mystical Form Liberation, is approached.’ In these descriptions, Whiteman states,
‘I’ and ‘me’ do non represent the familiar consciousness of self inward the physical personality, or, inwards fact, for anything that can be known inward an ordinary physical state of listen. To empathize what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must live ruled out.four
One mightiness question how ‘other spaces’ are related to the physical in addition to, if at all, to each other. In states classified by Whiteman equally tertiary separation, the non-physical body holds much of the focus of attention just does non appear to live spatially apart from the physical body; ‘the locations of the two bodies look the same, inward spite of differences in their class and/or size together with peradventure also inward their surround.’ane This seems to match amongst a opinion widespread in spiritist circles that dissimilar ‘levels’ of experience and being all coincide spatially simply take different ‘vibration frequencies’, then at that place is no contact or communication betwixt the various states except through exceptional mediating atmospheric condition. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ in a particular set up of ‘facts of experience’,one merely he did non acquaint the thought of interpenetrating spaces as just about form of cosmological organisation; he was disposed to proceed to systems of facts, non constructs of theory.
Skills, Cycles
Whiteman was confident most discovering the underlying logic inwards phenomena, existence convinced that behind whatever particular observation in that location is an intelligible structure ‘operative inward in addition to analysable out of the full feel’.8 He did not take Kant’s idea of the unknowability of things-inwards-themselves.eight Instead, there is ‘intellectual or perceptual knowledge which transcends inwards a certain clear too unmistakable fashion the onward urge of fourth dimension, the rigid apartness of spatial objects, in addition to the apparent isolation of the private mind inward its land of fixation on bodily impressions. It is a land of free. Fixation being overcome, the listen opens out into universality’.eight We cannot reach this country, he believed ‘without psychological too spiritual faculties of attention, judgement, purposiveness together with self-bailiwick’, based on 3 ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, together with Faith + Obedience.i (The root of these skills in his ain life is reported inward Michael Whiteman.)
Active Recollection aims to call up or recover the essence inwards what is perceived, ‘and therefore the attainment of objective insight too unloose’.one Husserl termed it the phenomenological epoché or stoppage, ‘the necessary performance which renders pure consciousness accessible to us’.1 It is termed samādhi or sati inwards Indian literature.5 Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized earth of unloosen at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’i Obedience is non a state of subservience merely orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right together with Good.’i It operates inwards conjunction amongst Faith inwards this transcendence.
The three foundational skills were structured into a 4-part organisation known since ancient times as well as appearing in modernistic contexts inward learning theory, Freud and Jung. Described every bit the 4 creative functions, these are ‘purposive effort, deciding on agency, putting into practise, and a about clandestine maturing of i’s skills in event’.3 In ancient texts they are represented as 4 stages in the passage of the Sun, rise inwards the east, zenith inwards the south, downward to Earth inward the due west, together with hugger-mugger in the due north.thirteen This corresponds alongside aspiration (due east), assessment (south), activity or manifestation (W), fulfilment or non-attachment (north); it too corresponds respectively alongside Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.one
Whiteman placed nifty importance on this bicycle having its opposites or ‘counterfeits’ of self-will, self-satisfaction, automaticity, complacency, which may lead to a corresponding cycle of ‘stresses’ of decease-feeling, shame, hurting, fear. This inwards plough may atomic number 82 to ‘inner contests’,1 2 3 which hopefully overcome these spiritual deficiencies.
Physics together with Psychology
In his search for underlying logic, too for universality, Whiteman converted his ‘psychological’ cycle into a 16-bend issue system, with the aim of integrating it alongside a ‘physical’ xvi-fold issue organization derived from three infinite as well as iii time dimensions. He noted that three of the creative functions – campaign, way, and maturing – are composite, containing ii ‘showtime principles’ of center too existence, equivalent to potentiality and actualization. In turn, pith and existence each have 3 constituents, termed past him ‘hypostases’, significant underlying, irreducible causes. The iii hypostases of nub were seen as use, means, cease. The hypostases of existence were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the 3-phase construction of creation called in Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.ane So, for instance, ‘deciding on means’ combines ‘way’ (kernel) foremost amongst ‘actuation’ (beingness), and so alongside ‘becoming’ (existence), as well as finally with manifestation (existence). The tertiary quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely as ‘existence’ as well as and so lacks an ‘meat’ hypostasis.
This analysis allows the development of a number organization inward psychology, in addition to then the prospect of comparing alongside a issue organization inwards physics.i ii iii From these issue systems Whiteman intended to furnish ‘a clear-cut explanatory arrangement... equally, for case, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited before any problems are tackled’.ii The hypostases of kernel were numbered 1 = role, two = agency, three = stop. The hypostases of existence were numbered half-dozen = actuation, v = becoming, four = manifestation/grounding. So, for case ‘East’ tin can live expressed every bit the combination 16 (enthusiasm), 15 (inspiration), 14 (intention). Combining the numbers i to 6 results inward 16 subfunctions, inwards understanding with ‘fifteen + ane kalās, stages in whatsoever creative act, as recognized inward the Upanishads’.3
The physical issue organization was derived from the 3 infinite too three fourth dimension dimensions. One time dimension lies inwards potentiality-fields with a time-ordered, infinite-similar facial expression noted higher up inwards connexion with precognition. Another time dimension or office involves the processes leading to physical actualization from time-structured potentiality. Finally there is physical clock-time; it is the only time-dimension that is measurable. Combining the vi dimensions yields a sixteen-crease issue arrangement similar the psychological subfunctions, ‘inwards such shut correspondence with the formulations of quantum theory that in that location is an obvious invitation to demo the 2 every bit aspects of an integrated understanding of the earth’.9
Space does not let a tabulation of the physics/psychology correspondences, or how they were derived. The correspondences, all the same, satisfied Whiteman’s sentiment that to explain what we experience is to
acknowledge a subjective bicycle, such equally mystics, many theologians, too close to psychologists have admitted. This cycle, inward its near complete form is sixteenfold, too parallels just what may live called the ‘earth cycle’ (equally it appears in Quantum Field Theory) inward every fashion, while manifesting itself in every variety of man feel. This is a course of potentiality which is discernible, in addition to indeed tin can be lived past the individual in an enormous multifariousness of ‘altered states of consciousness’...iii
Whiteman’second Scientific Mysticism was a revolutionary attempt to discern in addition to characterize this potentiality.
John Poynton
Literature
ane. Whiteman, J.H.1000. (1986). Old as well as New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-persuasion too inner contest. Volume one, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
2. Whiteman, J.H.G. (2000). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-view together with inner contest. Volume 2, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
iii. Whiteman, J.H.K. (2006). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical earth-thought together with inner contest. Volume three, Universal Theology and Life inwards other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
4. Whiteman, J.H.one thousand. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber and Faber.
five. Whiteman, J.H.one thousand. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inwards the lite of mystical feel. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
6. Husserl, E. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (trans. due west.R. Boyce Gibson). London: Allen & Unwin.
seven. Heisenberg, westward. (1959). Physics as well as Philosophy: the revolution inwards mod scientific discipline. London: Allen as well as Unwin.
eight. Whiteman, J.H.yard. (1967). Philosophy of Space as well as Time as well as the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological written report. London: Allen together with Unwin.
ix. Whiteman, J.H.1000. (1977). Parapsychology in addition to physics. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
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