Scientific Mysticism
‘Scientific Mysticism’ is a term coined by Michael Whiteman, a British-born South African mathematician and mystic. (This article may live read together with the article on Whiteman’sec life in addition to idea.)
Introduction
The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared every bit a title inwards the trilogy, Old as well as New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,ane two iii past Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.i Whiteman aimed to convey mysticism into the plain of scientific discipline every bit an entity that is ‘open-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, and illuminating.’one ‘Mysticism’ here is defined equally:
the study of everything not-physical, including the other worlds as well as their archetypal governance, too every bit our spiritual bodies, the facts in addition to their human relationship being known past the self-bear witness of directly observation together with non past reasoning or speculation.four
This indicates empirical scientific discipline, sharing territory amongst psychical inquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction betwixt ‘psychical’ as well as ‘mystical’ feel. The erstwhile includes the written report of purportedly not-physical events, the latter extends to states that take a feel of higher significance in addition to ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed beingness, together with orientation to the perceived source 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 well-nigh current translations every bit inadequate because the authors lacked psychical together with mystical feel. His revolutionary commentary, besides his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’v combined with canonical Buddhist texts, i 2 3 v present striking parallels with refinements of mod thought.
Whiteman’s job every bit a professor of applied mathematics provided a base of operations inwards physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base was extensive personal experience inward psychical as well as mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis and insight, in tune with Edmund Husserl’second phenomenology.six This aims at gaining confront-to-face up self-prove in addition to detailed precision, shedding the usual ‘cloak of ideas’. Science inward Whiteman’second utilisation is non an practise inwards theorizing.
Potentiality in addition to Actualization
A key to Whiteman’s scientific mysticism is the thought of potentiality together with actualization. This had been developed past the physicist Werner Heisenberg,seven who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes most through an occasion of observation, in addition to that this ‘happening’ is open up to physical description. But what governs the happening is non open up to physical observation; at best it tin be given mathematical face. So behind a physical upshot 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 ‘argue’ for something to pass off, is abstract inward a physical feel; you can’t put it inward a test subway.
Whiteman concurred that exclusively transcending logical substructures, potentialities, merit the term ‘reality’, as opposed to appearances. Appearances come up into beingness only on an occasion of observation, and volition be actualized differently for unlike people.
Whiteman wrote, ‘zippo specific tin can live actualized without the integration of “subjective” together with “objective” factors, not inward succession, but on the moment of actualization.’ane An observer who is freed inward about style from the physical country volition actualize for himself things that are beyond the reach of ordinary physical sensing. This is the beginning of psychical in addition to mystical perception.
Whiteman wrote, ‘The difference betwixt 1 “earth” in addition to another so depends upon the state of life inwards which the observer happens to be settled.’iii An private’second perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together with his own subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization rule operates inwards the mental sphere of every individual: thought together with images are actualizations inward consciousness of an individual’sec ‘idea-picture sphere’, equally he called it, which includes retentivity together with imagination.1
Actualization of Psi Phenomena
Whiteman saw telepathy resulting from the interaction or resonance between the idea-ikon spheres of individuals. The interaction is non actualized at the physical degree, and and then transfer of information occurs independently of physical infinite in addition to fourth dimension. Clairvoyance is resonance between the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or effect together with the thought-picture sphere of an individual, resulting inwards the actualization of impressions in the private’s thought-ikon sphere. Once over again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical space too fourth dimension, not being physically actualized. Psychokinesis may be regarded equally a contrary clairvoyant interaction; potentialities commonly linked in just about way to an private effect in physical actualizations.
Potentiality-actualization relationships should non live seen every bit static; potentiality-fields continually alter or educate, in addition to accept feedback loops, although non inward physical fourth dimension. This volition touch the event of time to come physical events, which helps to explain how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition as actualization inwards an individual’second idea-image sphere of developing potentiality-fields that may touch on futurity physical events. The private may fifty-fifty intervene in the physical actualization of these events by altering the potentiality-fields, and then allowing prevention of a precognized consequence from happening.1 Even if potentiality-fields are fourth dimension-ordered, resulting in a succession of events actualized in the physical world, the ordering is not fixed in the manner a road map is fixed. They are accessible in states of physical detachment, as well as then let limited modification together with the practise of gratis volition.
Out-of-trunk Experience
Whiteman defined mysticism as ‘the written report of everything not-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As only discussed, potentiality-fields accept the capacity to deliver dissimilar spaces or worlds of physical and non-physical actuality, depending on the land of the observer. Without this understanding, mysticism cannot start to make sense. Direct feel of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly in out-of-trunk feel, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ experience, since there is unremarkably awareness of a body of just about sort.
The commonest type he termed ‘chief separation’, inward which there is no awareness in the physical body, fifty-fifty though what appears to be the physical torso tin live viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical torso is under roughly grade of witting command, merely main awareness lies inwards another organism seemingly not located inwards the infinite of the physical trunk, too the 2 bodies are quite independent. In ‘3rd separation’ the physical body is usually under consummate command, merely at that place is full awareness of existence inward a dissimilar bodily class despite the locations of the ii bodies seeming to live the same. Difference betwixt the ii bodies may live radical, such as ane existence male person in addition to the other female person. 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 in addition to intensity, may range from appearing weak to seeming fifty-fifty more real together with meaningful than inwards physical life. At its well-nigh powerful, termed by him mystical, ‘Everything inward such states, spatial characteristics included, is known as if inwards archetypal unchanging class, as well as is thus startlingly more existent (rationally-objective, always-present) than the derivative together with shifting forms of the physical globe.’i He saw a call for ‘to distinguish between what is deceptive or illusory and what has the lineament of face up-to-confront objectivity in addition to truth which nosotros depict by proverb that a affair 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 range from ordinary dreaming (goose egg rating) to what is experienced equally spiritually releasing alongside a high grade of reality, namely mystical experience (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative feel. Features scoring inward the Index include continuity of memory betwixt physical as well as non-physical experience, free observation, ability to compare accurately with physical as well as not-physical states, awareness of nub as well as tangibility, communication of thought alongside others, together with a feeling of transcendence of physical life.
The General Index does not include reports of observing physical things during a separative feel. Regarded past nigh people equally veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could accept been made past clairvoyance or remote viewing, in addition to do non necessarily mean that something somehow separated from the physical trunk to make the observation. As Whiteman stated, whatever claimed physical supporting evidence merely has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who do non realize that separation is not established past them, merely who may thereby be induced to accept the “interior” testimony as having approximately bearing on “scientific fact”.’i
Whiteman’sec Index power look of express value to criterion parapsychology, where a useful scoring organisation should place experiences that charge per unit better than dream, hallucination or more or less class of pathology. In Whiteman’second Index the direction of ranking is towards mystical experience, which is hardly looked for inwards parapsychology, even shied away from. The lodge of ranking is: undeveloped, borderline, psychical, pre-mystical, mystical. Out of a possible sixteen points, experiences reaching half-dozen to viii points range equally ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed 2 paragraphs above. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ grade were noted inward 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’ way ‘like physical experience’. For Whiteman this was a key fault; higher reality tin can only hateful ‘dissimilar physical feel’.
Other Spaces
All separative feel, physical-similar or transformative, was considered past Whiteman to pass off in spaces other than physical, although frequently and then similar to what is presented physically as to be false for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ space. He wrote:
If one is taken into a ‘psychic’ infinite when not familiar alongside such states, or alongside fixed ideas almost them, and if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... there may live a potent view to mean that the objects are beingness observed physically; together with this applies even to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’sec physical torso inward its actual state of affairs.i
‘Fixed ideas’ assume there is alone 1 ‘real’ infinite that tin can live manifested, namely the physical Earth. A fixed thought will contribute to the potentialities governing a separative feel, in addition to Pb to the actualization of a physical-similar ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet equally someone gratis of the constraints of i-grade thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible diversity’ of appearance in other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may even so outcome inward ‘fantasy influences’ inwards undeveloped states, however highest development leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the surround, correspondingly, are distinguished by the character of the calorie-free, in addition to attain in intelligible grapheme, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing centre lineament, unitive freedom and sense of blending with other minds, equally the highest status, which is that of Mystical Form Liberation, is approached.’ In these descriptions, Whiteman states,
‘I’ as well as ‘me’ do non represent the familiar consciousness of self inwards the physical personality, or, inward fact, for anything that can live known in an ordinary physical country of heed. To understand what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must live ruled out.four
One mightiness inquiry how ‘other spaces’ are related to the physical too, if at all, to each other. In states classified by Whiteman equally 3rd separation, the not-physical torso holds much of the focus of attending merely does not appear to live spatially apart from the physical body; ‘the locations of the two bodies appear the same, inward spite of differences inwards their class too/or size and perhaps also in their surroundings.’ane This seems to correspond with a persuasion widespread in spiritist circles that unlike ‘levels’ of feel together with being all coincide spatially simply have unlike ‘vibration frequencies’, and so at that place is no contact or communication betwixt the diverse states except through especial mediating atmospheric condition. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ inward a item prepare of ‘facts of experience’,1 simply he did non introduce the thought of interpenetrating spaces every bit or so kind of cosmological system; he was disposed to keep to systems of facts, non constructs of theory.
Skills, Cycles
Whiteman was confident nearly discovering the underlying logic inwards phenomena, being convinced that behind whatever particular observation at that place is an intelligible structure ‘operative inward together with analysable out of the total feel’.eight He did not take Kant’s idea of the unknowability of things-inwards-themselves.viii Instead, at that place is ‘intellectual or perceptual noesis which transcends in a certain clear too unmistakable manner the onward urge of time, the stiff apartness of spatial objects, and the apparent isolation of the individual heed inward its country of fixation on bodily impressions. It is a state of free. Fixation beingness overcome, the heed opens out into universality’.eight We cannot accomplish this country, he believed ‘without psychological together with spiritual faculties of attention, judgement, purposiveness too self-subject field’, based on three ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, too Faith + Obedience.one (The origin of these skills inward his ain life is reported inwards Michael Whiteman.)
Active Recollection aims to call back or recover the centre inwards what is perceived, ‘and thus the attainment of objective insight too release’.one Husserl termed it the phenomenological epoché or stoppage, ‘the necessary performance which renders pure consciousness accessible to us’.i It is termed samādhi or sati inwards Indian literature.v Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized ground of free at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’i Obedience is non a country of subservience but orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right as well as Good.’i It operates inward conjunction amongst Faith in this transcendence.
The three foundational skills were structured into a four-office system known since ancient times too appearing in modern contexts inwards learning theory, Freud as well as Jung. Described equally the iv creative functions, these are ‘purposive campaign, deciding on way, putting into do, and a nigh cloak-and-dagger maturing of ane’second skills inwards effect’.three In ancient texts they are represented every bit four stages inwards the passage of the sun, ascension inward the due east, zenith inwards the due south, downward to Earth in the due west, and hole-and-corner inward the northward.thirteen This corresponds alongside aspiration (E), assessment (south), activity or manifestation (W), fulfilment or non-attachment (N); it besides corresponds respectively alongside Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.1
Whiteman placed bully 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, fear. This inwards plough may lead to ‘inner contests’,i two iii which hopefully overcome these spiritual deficiencies.
Physics too Psychology
In his search for underlying logic, and for universality, Whiteman converted his ‘psychological’ bicycle into a 16-plication number organization, alongside the aim of integrating it alongside a ‘physical’ sixteen-plication issue arrangement derived from 3 space in addition to 3 time dimensions. He noted that iii of the creative functions – cause, means, in addition to maturing – are composite, containing two ‘commencement principles’ of heart and soul in addition to existence, equivalent to potentiality and actualization. In plough, center together with beingness each have three constituents, termed by him ‘hypostases’, significant underlying, irreducible causes. The iii hypostases of center were seen as function, way, cease. The hypostases of existence were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the three-stage structure of creation called inward Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.i So, for case, ‘deciding on means’ combines ‘way’ (gist) first off with ‘actuation’ (beingness), and so with ‘becoming’ (existence), and finally alongside manifestation (being). The tertiary quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely every bit ‘beingness’ too and so lacks an ‘sum’ hypostasis.
This analysis allows the development of a issue organisation in psychology, as well as and so the prospect of comparison amongst a number system inwards physics.one ii three From these number systems Whiteman intended to provide ‘a clear-cut explanatory organization... as, for example, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited before whatsoever problems are tackled’.ii The hypostases of nitty-gritty were numbered one = role, ii = agency, iii = cease. The hypostases of existence were numbered half dozen = actuation, v = becoming, iv = manifestation/grounding. So, for example ‘East’ tin can be expressed as the combination sixteen (enthusiasm), fifteen (inspiration), 14 (intention). Combining the numbers one to half-dozen results in 16 subfunctions, inward agreement alongside ‘15 + i kalās, stages inwards any creative deed, as recognized in the Upanishads’.three
The physical issue organisation was derived from the three infinite together with 3 time dimensions. One time dimension lies in potentiality-fields with a fourth dimension-ordered, infinite-like expression noted to a higher place inward connection amongst precognition. Another fourth dimension dimension or part involves the processes leading to physical actualization from fourth dimension-structured potentiality. Finally in that location is physical clock-time; it is the entirely fourth dimension-dimension that is measurable. Combining the half-dozen dimensions yields a sixteen-crease issue organisation like the psychological subfunctions, ‘in such shut correspondence amongst the formulations of quantum theory that at that place is an obvious invitation to present the 2 as 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 persuasion that to explicate what nosotros experience is to
acknowledge a subjective cycle, such equally mystics, many theologians, as well as more or less psychologists accept admitted. This wheel, in its well-nigh complete grade is sixteenfold, as well as parallels exactly what may be called the ‘earth bike’ (equally it appears inward Quantum Field Theory) inward every way, while manifesting itself inwards every form of human feel. This is a class of potentiality which is discernible, and indeed tin can live lived by the private inwards an enormous diverseness of ‘altered states of consciousness’...3
Whiteman’sec Scientific Mysticism was a revolutionary endeavour to discern as well as characterize this potentiality.
John Poynton
Literature
ane. Whiteman, J.H.thousand. (1986). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-view in addition to inner contest. Volume ane, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
2. Whiteman, J.H.thousand. (2000). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical world-opinion together with inner competition. Volume ii, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
3. Whiteman, J.H.K. (2006). Old as well as New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical Earth-opinion and inner competition. Volume iii, Universal Theology too Life in other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
4. Whiteman, J.H.M. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber as well as Faber.
5. Whiteman, J.H.thou. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inward the low-cal of mystical feel. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
six. Husserl, E. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (trans. due west.R. Boyce Gibson). London: Allen & Unwin.
vii. Heisenberg, westward. (1959). Physics too Philosophy: the revolution in mod scientific discipline. London: Allen and Unwin.
8. Whiteman, J.H.one thousand. (1967). Philosophy of Space together with Time together with the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological report. London: Allen together with Unwin.
9. Whiteman, J.H.thousand. (1977). Parapsychology as well as physics. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
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