Scientific Mysticism
‘Scientific Mysticism’ is a term coined past Michael Whiteman, a British-born South African mathematician in addition to mystic. (This article may be read together alongside the article on Whiteman’second life as well as idea.)
Introduction
The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared every bit a title inward the trilogy, Old together with New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,ane two 3 by Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.one Whiteman aimed to bring mysticism into the champaign of science as an entity that is ‘open up-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, as well as illuminating.’i ‘Mysticism’ hither is defined every bit:
the study of everything not-physical, including the other worlds together with their archetypal governance, too equally our spiritual bodies, the facts in addition to their relationship being known past the self-bear witness of straight observation together with non by reasoning or speculation.4
This indicates empirical science, sharing territory amongst psychical enquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction betwixt ‘psychical’ as well as ‘mystical’ feel. The onetime includes the report of purportedly non-physical events, the latter extends to states that accept a sense of higher significance together with ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed being, too orientation to the perceived origin of the Right as well as Good.
Whiteman was familiar with Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek together with Biblical Hebrew, in addition to quoted extensively from ancient texts. He regarded near current translations as inadequate because the authors lacked psychical together with mystical feel. His revolutionary commentary, too his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’5 combined amongst canonical Buddhist texts, 1 two three 5 exhibit hitting parallels with refinements of mod idea.
Whiteman’s line as a professor of applied mathematics provided a base of operations inward physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base was extensive personal feel in psychical together with mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis together with insight, in tune amongst Edmund Husserl’second phenomenology.half dozen This aims at gaining confront-to-face up self-evidence as well as detailed precision, shedding the usual ‘cloak of ideas’. Science inward Whiteman’second utilisation is non an exercise in theorizing.
Potentiality together with Actualization
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 key to Whiteman’second scientific mysticism is the idea of potentiality and actualization. This had been developed past the physicist Werner Heisenberg,vii who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes nearly through an occasion of observation, too that this ‘happening’ is open to physical description. But what governs the happening is non open up to physical observation; at best it can be given mathematical aspect. So behind a physical event i has to recognize what Heisenberg called ‘an objective tendency or possibility, a “potentia” inward the sense of Aristotelian philosophy’. And the governing potentia, the ‘argue’ for something to occur, is abstract inwards a physical feel; yous tin can’t place it inwards a exam tube.
Whiteman concurred that solely transcending logical substructures, potentialities, merit the term ‘reality’, equally opposed to appearances. Appearances come up into being alone on an occasion of observation, in addition to will live actualized differently for unlike people.
Whiteman wrote, ‘zippo specific tin live actualized without the integration of “subjective” together with “objective” factors, non inwards succession, merely on the moment of actualization.’i An observer who is freed inwards roughly manner from the physical state will actualize for himself things that are beyond the accomplish of ordinary physical sensing. This is the start of psychical and mystical perception.
Whiteman wrote, ‘The divergence betwixt 1 “earth” and some other and then depends upon the state of life inward which the observer happens to live settled.’iii An private’sec perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together with his ain subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization rule operates inward the mental sphere of every private: idea in addition to images are actualizations inward consciousness of an private’sec ‘thought-icon sphere’, every bit he called it, which includes retentivity too imagination.1
Actualization of Psi Phenomena
Whiteman saw telepathy resulting from the interaction or resonance between the idea-image spheres of individuals. The interaction is non actualized at the physical grade, as well as and then transfer of data occurs independently of physical infinite too time. Clairvoyance is resonance betwixt the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or effect and the thought-image sphere of an individual, resulting inward the actualization of impressions inwards the private’second thought-icon sphere. Once again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical space as well as time, not existence physically actualized. Psychokinesis may live regarded equally a contrary clairvoyant interaction; potentialities normally linked in more or less mode to an individual consequence in physical actualizations.
Potentiality-actualization relationships should non be seen every bit static; potentiality-fields continually change or train, as well as have feedback loops, although non inwards physical time. This volition bear upon the upshot of hereafter physical events, which helps to explain how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition equally actualization inwards an private’second thought-image sphere of developing potentiality-fields that may bear on futurity physical events. The individual may even intervene inward the physical actualization of these events by altering the potentiality-fields, and so allowing prevention of a precognized upshot from happening.1 Even if potentiality-fields are fourth dimension-ordered, resulting inward a succession of events actualized in the physical globe, the ordering is not fixed inwards the mode a route map is fixed. They are accessible inward states of physical detachment, together with then permit express alteration as well as the practise of costless volition.
Out-of-body Experience
Whiteman defined mysticism equally ‘the report of everything non-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As merely discussed, potentiality-fields accept the capacity to deliver different spaces or worlds of physical too non-physical actuality, depending on the state of the observer. Without this understanding, mysticism cannot get to make feel. Direct experience of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly inward out-of-trunk feel, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ feel, since there is usually awareness of a body of or so variety.
The commonest type he termed ‘chief separation’, inwards which at that place is no awareness inwards the physical torso, even though what appears to be the physical body tin be viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical trunk is under about level of witting command, merely chief awareness lies inward some other organism seemingly non located in the infinite of the physical body, and the 2 bodies are quite independent. In ‘third separation’ the physical body is normally nether complete control, merely at that place is total awareness of existence inward a unlike bodily grade despite the locations of the 2 bodies seeming to be the same. Difference betwixt the ii bodies may live radical, such as ane existence male person together with the other female. For Whiteman, the highest mystical experiences were by and large of this type.
Whiteman noted that such not-physical feel, in price of reality-impression together with intensity, may reach from appearing weak to seeming fifty-fifty more existent and meaningful than in physical life. At its nigh powerful, termed by him mystical, ‘Everything in such states, spatial characteristics included, is known as if inwards archetypal unchanging course, and is therefore startlingly more existent (rationally-objective, ever-introduce) than the derivative together with shifting forms of the physical world.’1 He saw a demand ‘to distinguish between what is deceptive or illusory as well as what has the character of face up-to-confront objectivity and truth which nosotros draw by proverb that a matter is existent.’ane This requires setting up a numerical scale, which he called a General Index of Reality.
Index of Reality
This index covers a reach from ordinary dreaming (zippo rating) to what is experienced as spiritually releasing alongside a high degree of reality, namely mystical experience (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative experience. Features scoring in the Index include continuity of retention betwixt physical in addition to non-physical experience, costless observation, power to compare accurately with physical in addition to non-physical states, awareness of essence together with tangibility, communication of idea alongside others, and a feeling of transcendence of physical life.
The General Index does non include reports of observing physical things during a separative experience. Regarded past about people equally veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could take been made by clairvoyance or remote viewing, together with make not necessarily hateful that something somehow separated from the physical body to brand the observation. As Whiteman stated, whatever claimed physical supporting prove just has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who do not realize that separation is not established by them, only who may thereby be induced to have the “interior” testimony equally having around bearing on “scientific fact”.’1
Whiteman’second Index power appear of limited value to standard parapsychology, where a useful scoring organisation should place experiences that charge per unit meliorate than dream, hallucination or just about grade of pathology. In Whiteman’s Index the direction of ranking is towards mystical experience, which is hardly looked for inward parapsychology, even shied away from. The society of ranking is: undeveloped, borderline, psychical, pre-mystical, mystical. Out of a possible 16 points, experiences reaching half-dozen to 8 points rank equally ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed two paragraphs above. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ grade were noted inwards the Introduction, as well as demarcate ‘mystical’ from ‘psychical’. Yet in the eyes of a physically-fixated investigator, the mystical requirements would indicate reduced reality rating, since ‘reality’ agency ‘like physical experience’. For Whiteman this was a cardinal fault; higher reality can alone hateful ‘dissimilar physical experience’.
Other Spaces
All separative experience, physical-like or transformative, was considered past Whiteman to fall out inward spaces other than physical, although ofttimes and so similar to what is presented physically as to be false for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ infinite. He wrote:
If one is taken into a ‘psychic’ space when not familiar alongside such states, or with fixed ideas nigh them, in addition to if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... in that location may live a strong view to mean that the objects are being observed physically; as well as this applies fifty-fifty to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’sec physical body inwards its actual situation.one
‘Fixed ideas’ assume in that location is alone 1 ‘real’ infinite that tin be manifested, namely the physical Earth. H5N1 fixed thought will contribute to the potentialities governing a separative experience, and atomic number 82 to the actualization of a physical-similar ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet as soul gratis of the constraints of 1-level thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible multifariousness’ of appearance inwards other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may nevertheless effect inwards ‘fantasy influences’ in undeveloped states, yet highest evolution leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the environment, correspondingly, are distinguished by the lineament of the calorie-free, and make inward intelligible grapheme, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing eye lineament, unitive freedom in addition to sense 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’ as well as ‘me’ do not represent the familiar consciousness of self inwards the physical personality, or, inwards fact, for anything that tin can be known in an ordinary physical country of listen. To sympathise what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must live ruled out.four
One might inquiry how ‘other spaces’ are related to the physical and, if at all, to each other. In states classified by Whiteman equally tertiary separation, the not-physical torso holds much of the focus of attending but does not appear to be spatially apart from the physical body; ‘the locations of the two bodies seem the same, in spite of differences in their course as well as/or size too mayhap as well in their environment.’i This seems to correspond with a persuasion widespread inward spiritist circles that dissimilar ‘levels’ of experience too existence all coincide spatially but accept dissimilar ‘vibration frequencies’, so at that place is no contact or communication betwixt the various states except through especial mediating atmospheric condition. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ inwards a detail set of ‘facts of experience’,ane but he did non acquaint the thought of interpenetrating spaces equally close to sort of cosmological organization; he was disposed to proceed to systems of facts, non constructs of theory.
Skills, Cycles
Whiteman was confident almost discovering the underlying logic in phenomena, beingness convinced that behind whatever item observation there is an intelligible structure ‘operative inward in addition to analysable out of the total feel’.eight He did not have Kant’s idea of the unknowability of things-inwards-themselves.8 Instead, in that location is ‘intellectual or perceptual cognition which transcends in a certain clear together with unmistakable style the onward urge of time, the stiff apartness of spatial objects, too the apparent isolation of the private heed inwards its state of fixation on bodily impressions. It is a state of unloosen. Fixation beingness overcome, the heed opens out into universality’.eight We cannot achieve this country, he believed ‘without psychological as well as spiritual faculties of attending, judgement, purposiveness in addition to self-subject area’, based on three ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, together with Faith + Obedience.ane (The beginning of these skills inward his ain life is reported in Michael Whiteman.)
Active Recollection aims to call up or recover the marrow inwards what is perceived, ‘and thus the attainment of objective insight and unloose’.one Husserl termed it the phenomenological epoché or stoppage, ‘the necessary functioning which renders pure consciousness accessible to us’.ane It is termed samādhi or sati in Indian literature.five Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized earth of loose at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’one Obedience is non a state of subservience only orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right too Good.’i It operates inward conjunction amongst Faith in this transcendence.
The three foundational skills were structured into a four-part system known since ancient times in addition to appearing inward mod contexts inward learning theory, Freud too Jung. Described equally the four creative functions, these are ‘purposive campaign, deciding on way, putting into practice, in addition to a virtually clandestine maturing of i’second skills inward result’.3 In ancient texts they are represented every bit iv stages inwards the passage of the sun, rise inwards the due east, zenith in the south, down to earth inwards the west, and clandestine in the north.thirteen This corresponds amongst aspiration (east), assessment (south), action or manifestation (due west), fulfilment or non-attachment (north); it also corresponds respectively with Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.ane
Whiteman placed not bad importance on this bicycle having its opposites or ‘counterfeits’ of self-will, self-satisfaction, automaticity, complacency, which may Pb to a corresponding cycle of ‘stresses’ of decease-feeling, shame, pain, fright. This in plow may atomic number 82 to ‘inner contests’,ane 2 iii which hopefully overcome these spiritual deficiencies.
Physics too Psychology
In his search for underlying logic, too for universality, Whiteman converted his ‘psychological’ wheel into a 16-crimp issue system, with the aim of integrating it amongst a ‘physical’ sixteen-plication issue organization derived from iii infinite in addition to three fourth dimension dimensions. He noted that 3 of the creative functions – crusade, agency, and maturing – are composite, containing 2 ‘kickoff principles’ of inwardness together with existence, equivalent to potentiality as well as actualization. In turn, meat as well as beingness each take 3 constituents, termed by him ‘hypostases’, pregnant underlying, irreducible causes. The three hypostases of heart and soul were seen every bit purpose, means, cease. The hypostases of beingness were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the iii-phase structure of creation called in Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.1 So, for case, ‘deciding on way’ combines ‘means’ (essence) firstly alongside ‘actuation’ (beingness), and then amongst ‘becoming’ (being), too last amongst manifestation (beingness). The tertiary quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely every bit ‘existence’ together with and then lacks an ‘substance’ hypostasis.
This analysis allows the evolution of a issue organization inwards psychology, together with then the prospect of comparison amongst a number organisation inwards physics.1 2 3 From these issue systems Whiteman intended to supply ‘a clear-cutting explanatory system... as, for instance, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited before whatever problems are tackled’.ii The hypostases of core were numbered i = role, ii = way, three = terminate. The hypostases of existence were numbered vi = actuation, 5 = becoming, four = manifestation/grounding. So, for example ‘East’ tin can be expressed as the combination 16 (enthusiasm), fifteen (inspiration), xiv (intention). Combining the numbers ane to six results inward 16 subfunctions, inward understanding alongside ‘fifteen + i kalās, stages in whatsoever creative deed, equally recognized in the Upanishads’.three
The physical issue arrangement was derived from the iii space and 3 time dimensions. One fourth dimension dimension lies inward potentiality-fields with a time-ordered, space-similar look noted in a higher place inward connection alongside precognition. Another time dimension or function involves the processes leading to physical actualization from fourth dimension-structured potentiality. Finally there is physical clock-time; it is the only time-dimension that is measurable. Combining the half-dozen dimensions yields a 16-crease issue system like the psychological subfunctions, ‘inwards such shut correspondence with the formulations of quantum theory that at that place is an obvious invitation to demo the ii as aspects of an integrated agreement of the Earth’.nine
Space does not permit 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 feel is to
admit a subjective wheel, such equally mystics, many theologians, as well as or so psychologists have admitted. This bicycle, inwards its about complete class is sixteenfold, and parallels precisely what may live called the ‘Earth cycle’ (as it appears inwards Quantum Field Theory) inward every fashion, piece manifesting itself in every variety of human experience. This is a course of potentiality which is discernible, and indeed can be lived past the private inwards an enormous variety of ‘altered states of consciousness’...three
Whiteman’second Scientific Mysticism was a revolutionary attempt to discern too characterize this potentiality.
John Poynton
Literature
one. Whiteman, J.H.thousand. (1986). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical earth-thought together with inner contest. Volume ane, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
two. Whiteman, J.H.one thousand. (2000). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-view together with inner competition. Volume 2, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
iii. Whiteman, J.H.grand. (2006). Old and New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-sentiment together with inner contest. Volume 3, Universal Theology too Life inwards other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
four. Whiteman, J.H.grand. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber together with Faber.
five. Whiteman, J.H.yard. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inwards the light of mystical experience. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
6. Husserl, due east. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (trans. W.R. Boyce Gibson). London: Allen & Unwin.
7. Heisenberg, due west. (1959). Physics together with Philosophy: the revolution inward mod scientific discipline. London: Allen together with Unwin.
8. Whiteman, J.H.K. (1967). Philosophy of Space as well as Time as well as the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological written report. London: Allen too Unwin.
ix. Whiteman, J.H.chiliad. (1977). Parapsychology and physics. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
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