Scientific Mysticism
‘Scientific Mysticism’ is a term coined by Michael Whiteman, a British-born South African mathematician in addition to mystic. (This article may be read together with the article on Whiteman’sec life too idea.)
Introduction
The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared equally a title inward the trilogy, Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,i two iii past Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.one Whiteman aimed to take mysticism into the champaign of science equally an entity that is ‘open up-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, as well as illuminating.’i ‘Mysticism’ hither is defined equally:
the report of everything not-physical, including the other worlds as well as their archetypal governance, too as our spiritual bodies, the facts and their human relationship beingness known by the self-prove of straight observation together with non past reasoning or speculation.4
This indicates empirical science, sharing territory amongst psychical enquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction between ‘psychical’ as well as ‘mystical’ feel. The old includes the written report of purportedly not-physical events, the latter extends to states that take a sense of higher significance in addition to ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed existence, too orientation to the perceived beginning of the Right too Good.
Whiteman was familiar with Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek in addition to Biblical Hebrew, together with quoted extensively from ancient texts. He regarded most current translations every bit inadequate because the authors lacked psychical too mystical feel. His revolutionary commentary, likewise his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’v combined alongside canonical Buddhist texts, one 2 iii five demo hit parallels with refinements of modernistic idea.
Whiteman’s job as a professor of applied mathematics provided a base inward physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base of operations was extensive personal feel inward psychical too mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis together with insight, inward tune with Edmund Husserl’sec phenomenology.half-dozen This aims at gaining confront-to-face self-prove and detailed precision, shedding the common ‘cloak of ideas’. Science inwards Whiteman’second utilization is not an do in theorizing.
Potentiality as well as Actualization
H5N1 central to Whiteman’second scientific mysticism is the idea of potentiality too actualization. This had been developed past the physicist Werner Heisenberg,vii who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes almost through an occasion of observation, as well as 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 can live given mathematical face. So behind a physical effect one has to recognize what Heisenberg called ‘an objective tendency or possibility, a “potentia” inwards the feel of Aristotelian philosophy’. And the governing potentia, the ‘reason’ for something to happen, is abstract in a physical feel; you tin can’t pose it inwards a exam metro.
Whiteman concurred that exclusively transcending logical substructures, potentialities, merit the term ‘reality’, equally opposed to appearances. Appearances come into being only on an occasion of observation, in addition to will be actualized differently for different people.
Whiteman wrote, ‘zero specific can be actualized without the integration of “subjective” together with “objective” factors, not inwards succession, but on the moment of actualization.’i An observer who is freed inwards or so mode from the physical country volition actualize for himself things that are beyond the achieve of ordinary physical sensing. This is the get-go of psychical as well as mystical perception.
Whiteman wrote, ‘The deviation betwixt ane “earth” as well as another and so depends upon the country of life inwards which the observer happens to be settled.’three An private’s perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together amongst his ain subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization rule operates in the mental sphere of every private: idea in addition to images are actualizations in consciousness of an private’s ‘thought-icon sphere’, equally he called it, which includes retentivity together with imagination.ane
Actualization of Psi Phenomena
Whiteman saw telepathy resulting from the interaction or resonance between the thought-image spheres of individuals. The interaction is non actualized at the physical grade, as well as and so transfer of data occurs independently of physical infinite in addition to fourth dimension. Clairvoyance is resonance betwixt the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or event too the idea-ikon sphere of an private, resulting inward the actualization of impressions in the individual’sec idea-icon sphere. Once over again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical infinite too time, non beingness physically actualized. Psychokinesis may live regarded equally a reverse clairvoyant interaction; potentialities ordinarily linked in some mode to an private issue in physical actualizations.
Potentiality-actualization relationships should not live seen as static; potentiality-fields continually alter or develop, and have feedback loops, although non inwards physical time. This will touch the outcome of futurity physical events, which helps to explain how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition as actualization inward an individual’sec thought-icon 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 past altering the potentiality-fields, and so allowing prevention of a precognized outcome from happening.i Even if potentiality-fields are time-ordered, resulting in a succession of events actualized inward the physical earth, the ordering is not fixed inwards the way a road map is fixed. They are accessible in states of physical detachment, too and then let express change in addition to the do of gratis will.
Out-of-body Experience
Whiteman defined mysticism every bit ‘the study of everything non-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As merely discussed, potentiality-fields have the capacity to deliver different spaces or worlds of physical as well as not-physical actuality, depending on the land of the observer. Without this understanding, mysticism cannot get down to brand feel. Direct feel of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly in out-of-body experience, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ feel, since there is unremarkably awareness of a body of more or less form.
The commonest type he termed ‘chief separation’, inwards which in that location is no awareness inwards the physical body, even though what appears to be the physical body tin be viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical torso is under or so level of witting command, only chief awareness lies in another organism seemingly not located in the infinite of the physical body, too the two bodies are quite independent. In ‘3rd separation’ the physical body is commonly under complete command, merely in that location is total awareness of beingness inward a unlike bodily grade despite the locations of the 2 bodies seeming to be the same. Difference between the 2 bodies may be radical, such equally i being male person together with the other female. For Whiteman, the highest mystical experiences were generally of this type.
Whiteman noted that such not-physical experience, inwards price of reality-impression together with intensity, may reach from appearing weak to seeming even more existent and meaningful than inwards physical life. At its almost powerful, termed past him mystical, ‘Everything in such states, spatial characteristics included, is known equally if inwards archetypal unchanging class, and is hence startlingly more than real (rationally-objective, ever-present) than the derivative together with shifting forms of the physical earth.’ane He saw a take ‘to distinguish betwixt what is deceptive or illusory as well as what has the lineament of face up-to-confront objectivity as well as truth which nosotros draw by saying that a thing is real.’ane This requires setting upwardly a numerical scale, which he called a General Index of Reality.
Index of Reality
This index covers a reach from ordinary dreaming (zip rating) to what is experienced as spiritually releasing with a high level of reality, namely mystical experience (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative feel. Features scoring inward the Index include continuity of retentivity between physical too not-physical feel, gratuitous observation, power to compare accurately with physical too non-physical states, awareness of nitty-gritty as well as tangibility, communication of idea alongside others, together with a feeling of transcendence of physical life.
The General Index does non include reports of observing physical things during a separative feel. Regarded past most people equally veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could have been made by clairvoyance or remote viewing, and do non necessarily hateful that something somehow separated from the physical trunk to make the observation. As Whiteman stated, any claimed physical supporting show just has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who do not realize that separation is non established by them, but who may thereby live induced to have the “interior” testimony every bit having some bearing on “scientific fact”.’ane
Whiteman’sec Index mightiness look of express value to criterion parapsychology, where a useful scoring organization should place experiences that rate meliorate than dream, hallucination or roughly class of pathology. In Whiteman’sec Index the direction of ranking is towards mystical feel, which is hardly looked for inward parapsychology, fifty-fifty shied away from. The club of ranking is: undeveloped, borderline, psychical, pre-mystical, mystical. Out of a possible xvi points, experiences reaching 6 to 8 points range every bit ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed ii paragraphs above. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ rate were noted inward the Introduction, in addition to demarcate ‘mystical’ from ‘psychical’. Yet inwards the eyes of a physically-fixated investigator, the mystical requirements would point reduced reality rating, since ‘reality’ means ‘like physical experience’. For Whiteman this was a primal error; higher reality tin alone hateful ‘dissimilar physical feel’.
Other Spaces
All separative experience, physical-similar or transformative, was considered by Whiteman to happen inwards spaces other than physical, although oftentimes so similar to what is presented physically every bit to live false for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ space. He wrote:
If one is taken into a ‘psychic’ infinite when non familiar alongside such states, or amongst fixed ideas nigh them, too if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... there may live a stiff opinion to mean that the objects are existence observed physically; as well as this applies even to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’sec physical trunk inwards its actual situation.ane
‘Fixed ideas’ assume at that place is alone i ‘existent’ space that tin can live manifested, namely the physical world. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fixed idea will contribute to the potentialities governing a separative feel, together with Pb to the actualization of a physical-like ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet equally soul complimentary of the constraints of one-level thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible diverseness’ of appearance inwards other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may still upshot inwards ‘fantasy influences’ inward undeveloped states, nevertheless highest development leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the environs, correspondingly, are distinguished past the quality of the light, in addition to attain in intelligible grapheme, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing center quality, unitive freedom together with feel of blending alongside other minds, as the highest status, which is that of Mystical Form Liberation, is approached.’ In these descriptions, Whiteman states,
‘I’ too ‘me’ make non stand for the familiar consciousness of self inward the physical personality, or, inward fact, for anything that tin can be known inwards an ordinary physical country of mind. To sympathize what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must be ruled out.4
One might inquiry 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 trunk holds much of the focus of attending simply does non seem to be spatially apart from the physical trunk; ‘the locations of the ii bodies look the same, inward spite of differences inward their course too/or size too perchance besides inward their environment.’i This seems to match with a view widespread inwards spiritist circles that different ‘levels’ of feel and beingness all coincide spatially but have unlike ‘vibration frequencies’, and then in that location is no contact or communication betwixt the various states except through exceptional mediating conditions. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ inwards a item set of ‘facts of experience’,one simply he did not introduce the thought of interpenetrating spaces equally some form of cosmological arrangement; he was disposed to continue to systems of facts, non constructs of theory.
Skills, Cycles
Whiteman was confident almost discovering the underlying logic inwards phenomena, existence convinced that behind any item observation there is an intelligible construction ‘operative inwards too analysable out of the total experience’.eight He did not accept Kant’second idea of the unknowability of things-in-themselves.8 Instead, at that place is ‘intellectual or perceptual noesis which transcends in a certain clear and unmistakable fashion the onward urge of time, the rigid apartness of spatial objects, and the apparent isolation of the individual listen inwards its land of fixation on bodily impressions. It is a land of unloosen. Fixation beingness overcome, the mind opens out into universality’.eight We cannot reach this state, he believed ‘without psychological as well as spiritual faculties of attending, judgement, purposiveness as well as self-discipline’, based on three ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, in addition to Faith + Obedience.one (The beginning of these skills in his own life is reported in Michael Whiteman.)
Active Recollection aims to retrieve or recover the substance inwards what is perceived, ‘as well as thus the attainment of objective insight too release’.ane Husserl termed it the phenomenological epoché or stoppage, ‘the necessary functioning which renders pure consciousness accessible to us’.i It is termed samādhi or sati in Indian literature.5 Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized ground of liberate at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’i Obedience is non a state of subservience only orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right as well as Good.’ane It operates in conjunction amongst Faith in this transcendence.
The three foundational skills were structured into a four-role arrangement known since ancient times and appearing inwards modern contexts in learning theory, Freud together with Jung. Described as the iv creative functions, these are ‘purposive crusade, deciding on way, putting into exercise, in addition to a nigh undercover maturing of ane’second skills in issue’.3 In ancient texts they are represented equally 4 stages inward the passage of the sun, ascent inward the eastward, zenith inward the southward, downwardly to world inward the due west, and underground inward the due north.13 This corresponds with aspiration (due east), assessment (due south), activeness or manifestation (W), fulfilment or non-attachment (N); it too corresponds respectively with Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.ane
Whiteman placed neat importance on this cycle having its opposites or ‘counterfeits’ of self-volition, self-satisfaction, automaticity, complacency, which may Pb to a corresponding wheel of ‘stresses’ of decease-feeling, shame, hurting, fear. This inwards turn may atomic number 82 to ‘inner contests’,i ii 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 xvi-fold issue system, alongside the aim of integrating it amongst a ‘physical’ 16-crease issue arrangement derived from three infinite too 3 fourth dimension dimensions. He noted that iii of the creative functions – drive, means, too maturing – are composite, containing ii ‘commencement principles’ of centre together with being, equivalent to potentiality together with actualization. In plow, marrow in addition to being each have 3 constituents, termed past him ‘hypostases’, significant underlying, irreducible causes. The three hypostases of nitty-gritty were seen equally purpose, means, finish. The hypostases of beingness were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the 3-phase structure of creation called inwards Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.i So, for instance, ‘deciding on agency’ combines ‘means’ (inwardness) first of all alongside ‘actuation’ (beingness), then alongside ‘becoming’ (beingness), together with lastly alongside manifestation (being). The tertiary quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely every bit ‘being’ and and so lacks an ‘pith’ hypostasis.
This analysis allows the development of a number organisation inwards psychology, and and so the prospect of comparison with a issue organization in physics.one 2 3 From these issue systems Whiteman intended to render ‘a clear-cut explanatory system... as, for instance, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited before whatsoever problems are tackled’.2 The hypostases of inwardness were numbered 1 = use, two = means, 3 = finish. The hypostases of beingness were numbered six = actuation, 5 = becoming, 4 = manifestation/grounding. So, for case ‘East’ tin live expressed every bit the combination 16 (enthusiasm), fifteen (inspiration), xiv (intention). Combining the numbers ane to half dozen results inward 16 subfunctions, inwards understanding with ‘fifteen + one kalās, stages inwards any creative human action, equally recognized in the Upanishads’.3
The physical issue arrangement was derived from the three space in addition to three fourth dimension dimensions. One time dimension lies inward potentiality-fields with a time-ordered, infinite-like aspect noted to a higher place inwards connexion amongst precognition. Another time dimension or function involves the processes leading to physical actualization from fourth dimension-structured potentiality. Finally in that location is physical clock-fourth dimension; it is the only time-dimension that is measurable. Combining the 6 dimensions yields a xvi-flexure number organization like the psychological subfunctions, ‘in such close correspondence with the formulations of quantum theory that there is an obvious invitation to demonstrate the ii equally aspects of an integrated understanding of the world’.9
Space does non permit 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 feel is to
admit a subjective wheel, such equally mystics, many theologians, in addition to approximately psychologists take admitted. This bike, in its most consummate class is sixteenfold, as well as parallels exactly what may live called the ‘world wheel’ (as it appears inwards Quantum Field Theory) inwards every manner, patch manifesting itself inwards every kind of human being feel. This is a form of potentiality which is discernible, as well as indeed can be lived by the private inward an enormous diverseness of ‘altered states of consciousness’...three
Whiteman’s Scientific Mysticism was a revolutionary endeavour to discern and characterize this potentiality.
John Poynton
Literature
i. Whiteman, J.H.K. (1986). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-thought in addition to inner competition. Volume i, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
two. Whiteman, J.H.yard. (2000). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical Earth-opinion as well as inner competition. Volume ii, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
3. Whiteman, J.H.K. (2006). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical earth-persuasion in addition to inner competition. Volume three, Universal Theology and Life inwards other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
four. Whiteman, J.H.thou. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber and Faber.
five. Whiteman, J.H.K. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inward the calorie-free of mystical feel. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
half dozen. Husserl, E. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (trans. west.R. Boyce Gibson). London: Allen & Unwin.
seven. Heisenberg, W. (1959). Physics and Philosophy: the revolution inwards mod scientific discipline. London: Allen in addition to Unwin.
8. Whiteman, J.H.thousand. (1967). Philosophy of Space as well as Time together with the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological written report. London: Allen and Unwin.
ix. Whiteman, J.H.grand. (1977). Parapsychology in addition to physics. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
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