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 alongside the article on Whiteman’second life and idea.)
Introduction
The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared every bit a championship inward the trilogy, Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,i two three by Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.i Whiteman aimed to bring mysticism into the plain of scientific discipline as an entity that is ‘open up-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, and illuminating.’i ‘Mysticism’ hither is defined as:
the study of everything non-physical, including the other worlds too their archetypal governance, besides equally our spiritual bodies, the facts in addition to their relationship being known past the self-evidence of direct observation and not by reasoning or speculation.iv
This indicates empirical science, sharing territory with psychical inquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction betwixt ‘psychical’ and ‘mystical’ experience. The old includes the report of purportedly non-physical events, the latter extends to states that take a sense of higher significance as well as ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed existence, together with orientation to the perceived root of the Right too Good.
Whiteman was familiar alongside Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek and Biblical Hebrew, in addition to quoted extensively from ancient texts. He regarded well-nigh current translations equally inadequate because the authors lacked psychical too mystical experience. His revolutionary commentary, too his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’v combined amongst canonical Buddhist texts, i 2 3 5 demonstrate striking parallels with refinements of mod thought.
Whiteman’second line as a professor of applied mathematics provided a base of operations in physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base of operations was extensive personal feel inwards psychical as well as mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis as well as insight, in melody alongside Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology.vi This aims at gaining confront-to-face self-bear witness in addition to detailed precision, shedding the common ‘cloak of ideas’. Science inward Whiteman’second usage is not an practise inwards theorizing.
Potentiality in addition to Actualization
Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cardinal to Whiteman’second scientific mysticism is the thought of potentiality too actualization. This had been developed past the physicist Werner Heisenberg,vii who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes well-nigh through an occasion of observation, as well as that this ‘happening’ is open to physical description. But what governs the happening is non open up to physical observation; at best it tin be given mathematical look. So behind a physical issue one has to recognize what Heisenberg called ‘an objective trend or possibility, a “potentia” in the sense of Aristotelian philosophy’. And the governing potentia, the ‘reason’ for something to happen, is abstract inwards a physical feel; you tin’t put it inward a test subway system.
Whiteman concurred that solely transcending logical substructures, potentialities, merit the term ‘reality’, as opposed to appearances. Appearances come up into being alone on an occasion of observation, as well as volition live actualized differently for dissimilar people.
Whiteman wrote, ‘zero specific can live actualized without the integration of “subjective” and “objective” factors, non inward succession, just on the moment of actualization.’ane An observer who is freed inwards just about manner from the physical state volition actualize for himself things that are beyond the reach of ordinary physical sensing. This is the starting time of psychical as well as mystical perception.
Whiteman wrote, ‘The difference betwixt one “earth” in addition to some other then depends upon the land of life in which the observer happens to be settled.’3 An individual’sec perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together alongside his ain subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization principle operates inwards the mental sphere of every individual: idea too images are actualizations inward consciousness of an private’second ‘thought-image sphere’, equally he called it, which includes retention in addition to imagination.1
Actualization of Psi Phenomena
Whiteman saw telepathy resulting from the interaction or resonance betwixt the idea-icon spheres of individuals. The interaction is not actualized at the physical grade, in addition to so transfer of information occurs independently of physical infinite as well as fourth dimension. Clairvoyance is resonance betwixt the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or result in addition to the thought-picture sphere of an private, resulting inwards the actualization of impressions inwards the private’s idea-icon sphere. Once once again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical infinite in addition to fourth dimension, non being physically actualized. Psychokinesis may be regarded equally a contrary clairvoyant interaction; potentialities commonly linked in approximately fashion to an private event in physical actualizations.
Potentiality-actualization relationships should non be seen every bit static; potentiality-fields continually alter or train, and accept feedback loops, although not in physical time. This will bear upon the upshot of time to come physical events, which helps to explicate how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition as actualization inward an private’second thought-picture sphere of developing potentiality-fields that may bear upon futurity physical events. The private may fifty-fifty intervene in the physical actualization of these events past altering the potentiality-fields, then allowing prevention of a precognized effect from happening.i Even if potentiality-fields are time-ordered, resulting inwards a succession of events actualized in the physical earth, the ordering is non fixed inwards the manner a route map is fixed. They are accessible inwards states of physical detachment, in addition to and so permit limited modification in addition to the do of costless will.
Out-of-torso Experience
Whiteman defined mysticism as ‘the report of everything not-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As just discussed, potentiality-fields have the capacity to deliver unlike spaces or worlds of physical and non-physical actuality, depending on the country of the observer. Without this understanding, mysticism cannot commence to brand feel. Direct feel of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly inward out-of-torso feel, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ feel, since at that place is ordinarily awareness of a torso of some sort.
The commonest type he termed ‘main separation’, inward which there is no awareness in the physical body, fifty-fifty though what appears to be the physical body tin can be viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical body is under just about grade of witting control, simply master awareness lies in some other organism seemingly non located inwards the space of the physical trunk, together with the ii bodies are quite independent. In ‘tertiary separation’ the physical torso is commonly under consummate control, merely in that location is total awareness of existence inward a unlike bodily form despite the locations of the ii bodies seeming to be the same. Difference betwixt the ii bodies may be radical, such equally ane beingness male as well as the other female person. For Whiteman, the highest mystical experiences were generally of this type.
Whiteman noted that such not-physical feel, inwards terms of reality-impression together with intensity, may reach from appearing weak to seeming fifty-fifty more existent too meaningful than inward physical life. At its almost powerful, termed by him mystical, ‘Everything in such states, spatial characteristics included, is known every bit if inwards archetypal unchanging grade, too is hence startlingly more than real (rationally-objective, ever-introduce) than the derivative together with shifting forms of the physical earth.’i He saw a necessitate ‘to distinguish between what is deceptive or illusory too what has the character of face up-to-confront objectivity and truth which nosotros draw by saying that a affair is existent.’one 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 (naught rating) to what is experienced every bit spiritually releasing amongst a high grade of reality, namely mystical experience (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative experience. Features scoring inwards the Index include continuity of retention betwixt physical in addition to non-physical feel, complimentary observation, power to compare accurately with physical too not-physical states, awareness of kernel in addition to tangibility, communication of thought 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 by well-nigh people equally veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could have been made past clairvoyance or remote viewing, and make non necessarily mean that something somehow separated from the physical trunk to make the observation. As Whiteman stated, whatever claimed physical supporting bear witness but has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who make not realize that separation is non established past them, but who may thereby be induced to accept the “interior” testimony equally having close to bearing on “scientific fact”.’one
Whiteman’second Index mightiness appear of limited value to touchstone parapsychology, where a useful scoring organization should identify experiences that charge per unit improve than dream, hallucination or roughly form of pathology. In Whiteman’sec Index the direction of ranking is towards mystical feel, which is hardly looked for inwards parapsychology, fifty-fifty shied away from. The society of ranking is: undeveloped, borderline, psychical, pre-mystical, mystical. Out of a possible sixteen points, experiences reaching vi to 8 points place equally ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed 2 paragraphs above. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ place were noted inwards the Introduction, too demarcate ‘mystical’ from ‘psychical’. Yet inward the eyes of a physically-fixated investigator, the mystical requirements would betoken reduced reality rating, since ‘reality’ agency ‘similar physical feel’. For Whiteman this was a key mistake; higher reality tin exclusively mean ‘unlike physical feel’.
Other Spaces
All separative feel, physical-like or transformative, was considered by Whiteman to go on inward spaces other than physical, although oftentimes so like to what is presented physically equally to be false for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ infinite. He wrote:
If one is taken into a ‘psychic’ space when non familiar alongside such states, or alongside fixed ideas well-nigh them, as well as if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... there may be a strong view to mean that the objects are existence observed physically; too this applies even to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’s physical trunk inward its actual situation.ane
‘Fixed ideas’ assume there is only 1 ‘real’ infinite that tin can live manifested, namely the physical world. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fixed thought will contribute to the potentialities governing a separative experience, too atomic number 82 to the actualization of a physical-similar ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet as soul gratuitous of the constraints of i-degree thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible diversity’ of appearance in other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may even so upshot inwards ‘fantasy influences’ inward undeveloped states, yet highest evolution leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the environs, correspondingly, are distinguished by the lineament of the lite, too make in intelligible character, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing center quality, unitive liberty and feel of blending with other minds, as the highest condition, which is that of Mystical Form Liberation, is approached.’ In these descriptions, Whiteman states,
‘I’ together with ‘me’ make not represent the familiar consciousness of self in the physical personality, or, inward fact, for anything that can live known in an ordinary physical land of mind. To sympathise what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must be ruled out.4
One might interrogation how ‘other spaces’ are related to the physical in addition to, if at all, to each other. In states classified by Whiteman equally third separation, the not-physical torso holds much of the focus of attending only does not appear to be spatially apart from the physical trunk; ‘the locations of the two bodies appear the same, in spite of differences inwards their form as well as/or size and perhaps also inwards their environs.’i This seems to check alongside a opinion widespread inward spiritist circles that different ‘levels’ of feel and existence all coincide spatially merely have dissimilar ‘vibration frequencies’, and then at that place is no contact or communication betwixt the diverse states except through particular mediating weather. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ inwards a particular set of ‘facts of feel’,1 just he did non present the idea of interpenetrating spaces every bit around sort of cosmological organisation; he was disposed to go on to systems of facts, not constructs of theory.
Skills, Cycles
Whiteman was confident virtually discovering the underlying logic inward phenomena, beingness convinced that behind any detail observation in that location is an intelligible structure ‘operative inwards as well as analysable out of the total feel’.8 He did non take Kant’second thought of the unknowability of things-inward-themselves.8 Instead, there is ‘intellectual or perceptual noesis which transcends inward a certain clear as well as unmistakable fashion the onward urge of time, the rigid apartness of spatial objects, as well as the apparent isolation of the private heed in its state of fixation on bodily impressions. It is a state of release. Fixation beingness overcome, the heed opens out into universality’.viii We cannot reach this state, he believed ‘without psychological in addition to spiritual faculties of attention, sentence, purposiveness and self-subject field’, based on iii ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, too Faith + Obedience.one (The beginning of these skills in his ain life is reported inward Michael Whiteman.)
Active Recollection aims to think or recover the meat inwards what is perceived, ‘in addition to therefore the attainment of objective insight as well as release’.i 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 inwards Indian literature.5 Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized earth of free at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’one Obedience is non a country of subservience merely orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right as well as Good.’1 It operates in conjunction amongst Faith in this transcendence.
The iii foundational skills were structured into a four-part system known since ancient times in addition to appearing in modern contexts inward learning theory, Freud and Jung. Described every bit the four creative functions, these are ‘purposive cause, deciding on way, putting into do, too a nearly secret maturing of 1’second skills inward result’.three In ancient texts they are represented equally iv stages inwards the passage of the sun, ascension inward the east, zenith inward the southward, downwardly to earth inwards the W, as well as hugger-mugger inwards the N.13 This corresponds alongside aspiration (E), assessment (south), activeness or manifestation (west), fulfilment or non-attachment (due north); it besides corresponds respectively alongside Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.i
Whiteman placed peachy importance on this cycle having its opposites or ‘counterfeits’ of self-will, self-satisfaction, automaticity, complacency, which may atomic number 82 to a corresponding wheel of ‘stresses’ of expiry-feeling, shame, pain, fright. This inwards plow may lead to ‘inner contests’,1 ii 3 which hopefully overcome these spiritual deficiencies.
Physics and Psychology
In his search for underlying logic, as well as for universality, Whiteman converted his ‘psychological’ cycle into a sixteen-bend number arrangement, alongside the aim of integrating it amongst a ‘physical’ 16-crimp number system derived from 3 infinite together with three time dimensions. He noted that iii of the creative functions – crusade, means, together with maturing – are composite, containing ii ‘starting time principles’ of nub as well as being, equivalent to potentiality in addition to actualization. In plow, sum in addition to existence each accept iii constituents, termed past him ‘hypostases’, significant underlying, irreducible causes. The three hypostases of center were seen equally role, way, finish. The hypostases of beingness were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the 3-phase structure of creation called inward Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.i So, for case, ‘deciding on way’ combines ‘means’ (centre) first of all amongst ‘actuation’ (being), so amongst ‘becoming’ (being), in addition to in conclusion amongst manifestation (beingness). The third quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely as ‘existence’ and so lacks an ‘sum’ hypostasis.
This analysis allows the evolution of a issue organisation inward psychology, together with and then the prospect of comparing amongst a issue organisation inward physics.i two 3 From these issue systems Whiteman intended to supply ‘a clear-cutting explanatory organization... every bit, for instance, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited before whatever problems are tackled’.2 The hypostases of nitty-gritty were numbered ane = purpose, two = means, 3 = end. The hypostases of beingness were numbered half-dozen = actuation, v = becoming, four = manifestation/grounding. So, for example ‘East’ tin can be expressed equally the combination 16 (enthusiasm), xv (inspiration), xiv (intention). Combining the numbers ane to 6 results inward sixteen subfunctions, inward agreement with ‘fifteen + ane kalās, stages inwards whatever creative act, every bit recognized in the Upanishads’.three
The physical number organisation was derived from the three space together with 3 fourth dimension dimensions. One time dimension lies in potentiality-fields with a time-ordered, space-similar aspect noted above inwards connectedness alongside precognition. Another time dimension or part involves the processes leading to physical actualization from fourth dimension-structured potentiality. Finally at that place is physical clock-time; it is the only fourth dimension-dimension that is measurable. Combining the vi dimensions yields a sixteen-plication number system similar the psychological subfunctions, ‘inward such shut correspondence amongst the formulations of quantum theory that there is an obvious invitation to demo the two as aspects of an integrated agreement of the earth’.ix
Space does not allow a tabulation of the physics/psychology correspondences, or how they were derived. The correspondences, all the same, satisfied Whiteman’s opinion that to explain what we experience is to
acknowledge a subjective cycle, such every bit mystics, many theologians, as well as roughly psychologists accept admitted. This bicycle, in its about complete class is sixteenfold, as well as parallels exactly what may be called the ‘earth cycle’ (equally it appears inwards Quantum Field Theory) inward every mode, patch manifesting itself inwards every sort of human feel. This is a course of potentiality which is discernible, too indeed can be lived by the private in an enormous multifariousness of ‘altered states of consciousness’...iii
Whiteman’sec Scientific Mysticism was a revolutionary try to discern too characterize this potentiality.
John Poynton
Literature
1. Whiteman, J.H.one thousand. (1986). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical Earth-sentiment and inner contest. Volume ane, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
two. Whiteman, J.H.1000. (2000). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical Earth-view in addition to inner competition. Volume two, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
3. Whiteman, J.H.thousand. (2006). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical world-thought and inner competition. Volume three, Universal Theology too Life in other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
iv. Whiteman, J.H.one thousand. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber and Faber.
v. Whiteman, J.H.thou. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inward the lite of mystical experience. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
half-dozen. Husserl, due east. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (trans. westward.R. Boyce Gibson). London: Allen & Unwin.
seven. Heisenberg, due west. (1959). Physics as well as Philosophy: the revolution inward mod science. London: Allen together with Unwin.
viii. Whiteman, J.H.thousand. (1967). Philosophy of Space as well as Time together with the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological study. London: Allen too Unwin.
nine. Whiteman, J.H.G. (1977). Parapsychology too physics. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
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