Scientific Mysticism
‘Scientific Mysticism’ is a term coined by Michael Whiteman, a British-born South African mathematician together with mystic. (This article may be read together amongst the article on Whiteman’s life in addition to thought.)
Introduction
The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared equally a championship in the trilogy, Old and New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,i ii three past Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.i Whiteman aimed to convey mysticism into the field of scientific discipline as an entity that is ‘open-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, and illuminating.’1 ‘Mysticism’ here is defined as:
the written report of everything not-physical, including the other worlds too their archetypal governance, besides as our spiritual bodies, the facts too their human relationship beingness known by the self-testify of straight observation in addition to non by reasoning or speculation.four
This indicates empirical science, sharing territory alongside psychical enquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction between ‘psychical’ too ‘mystical’ experience. The former includes the written report of purportedly not-physical events, the latter extends to states that take a feel of higher significance too ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed being, too orientation to the perceived root of the Right too Good.
Whiteman was familiar alongside Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek and Biblical Hebrew, as well as quoted extensively from ancient texts. He regarded about current translations equally inadequate because the authors lacked psychical too mystical experience. His revolutionary commentary, too his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’5 combined alongside canonical Buddhist texts, i ii three five present hitting parallels with refinements of mod thought.
Whiteman’sec occupation as a professor of applied mathematics provided a base inwards physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base of operations was extensive personal experience inwards psychical as well as mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis and insight, inwards tune amongst Edmund Husserl’second phenomenology.six This aims at gaining face up-to-face up self-testify and detailed precision, shedding the common ‘cloak of ideas’. Science in Whiteman’sec use is non an do inwards theorizing.
Potentiality together with Actualization
A central to Whiteman’sec scientific mysticism is the idea of potentiality in addition to actualization. This had been developed past the physicist Werner Heisenberg,7 who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes nearly through an occasion of observation, and that this ‘happening’ is open up 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 issue 1 has to recognize what Heisenberg called ‘an objective trend or possibility, a “potentia” in the feel 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 metro.
Whiteman concurred that only 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 will live actualized differently for unlike people.
Whiteman wrote, ‘nothing specific can live actualized without the integration of “subjective” too “objective” factors, non inwards succession, just on the instant of actualization.’i An observer who is freed inward or so way from the physical state will actualize for himself things that are beyond the attain of ordinary physical sensing. This is the showtime of psychical too mystical perception.
Whiteman wrote, ‘The departure between one “globe” in addition to some other so depends upon the country of life inwards which the observer happens to be settled.’3 An individual’s perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together alongside his own subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization rule operates inward the mental sphere of every individual: idea as well as images are actualizations in consciousness of an private’s ‘thought-icon sphere’, as he called it, which includes memory and imagination.1
Actualization of Psi Phenomena
Whiteman saw telepathy resulting from the interaction or resonance between the thought-image spheres of individuals. The interaction is not actualized at the physical level, in addition to and so transfer of information occurs independently of physical space in addition to fourth dimension. Clairvoyance is resonance between the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or upshot in addition to the idea-picture sphere of an private, resulting in the actualization of impressions inwards the private’s thought-image sphere. Once once again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical infinite together with fourth dimension, not being physically actualized. Psychokinesis may be regarded equally a opposite clairvoyant interaction; potentialities unremarkably linked inwards about mode to an individual consequence inward physical actualizations.
Potentiality-actualization relationships should non live seen equally static; potentiality-fields continually alter or educate, too accept feedback loops, although not in physical time. This will affect the outcome of futurity physical events, which helps to explain how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition as actualization inwards an private’s thought-picture sphere of developing potentiality-fields that may bear upon hereafter physical events. The individual may even intervene in the physical actualization of these events past altering the potentiality-fields, and so allowing prevention of a precognized outcome from happening.1 Even if potentiality-fields are fourth dimension-ordered, resulting inward a succession of events actualized inwards the physical Earth, the ordering is non fixed inwards the way a road map is fixed. They are accessible inwards states of physical detachment, together with so allow limited modification in addition to the do of gratuitous volition.
Out-of-torso Experience
Whiteman defined mysticism equally ‘the study of everything non-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As simply discussed, potentiality-fields take 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 agreement, mysticism cannot set about to brand feel. Direct experience of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly inward out-of-trunk experience, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ experience, since there is ordinarily awareness of a body of around sort.
The commonest type he termed ‘chief separation’, in which there is no awareness inwards the physical trunk, fifty-fifty though what appears to live the physical torso can be viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical trunk is nether more or less grade of witting control, merely main awareness lies in some other organism seemingly non located inward the space of the physical torso, in addition to the ii bodies are quite independent. In ‘third separation’ the physical trunk is usually under complete control, simply there is full awareness of existence in a dissimilar bodily course despite the locations of the 2 bodies seeming to live the same. Difference between the 2 bodies may live radical, such every bit i being male as well as the other female person. For Whiteman, the highest mystical experiences were by and large of this type.
Whiteman noted that such not-physical experience, inward terms of reality-impression as well as intensity, may range from appearing weak to seeming even more existent in addition to meaningful than inwards physical life. At its virtually powerful, termed past him mystical, ‘Everything in such states, spatial characteristics included, is known equally if in archetypal unchanging form, too is thus startlingly more than existent (rationally-objective, ever-present) than the derivative and shifting forms of the physical earth.’1 He saw a need ‘to distinguish between what is deceptive or illusory too what has the lineament of confront-to-confront objectivity together with truth which we draw past saying that a affair is real.’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 (null rating) to what is experienced equally spiritually releasing amongst a high grade of reality, namely mystical experience (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative experience. Features scoring inward the Index include continuity of retentiveness betwixt physical and not-physical experience, costless observation, power to compare accurately alongside physical together with not-physical states, awareness of pith together with 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 by well-nigh people as veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could accept been made past clairvoyance or remote viewing, too do non necessarily mean that something somehow separated from the physical trunk to brand the observation. As Whiteman stated, whatever claimed physical supporting evidence but has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who do non realize that separation is non established by them, merely who may thereby be induced to have the “interior” testimony equally having just about bearing on “scientific fact”.’ane
Whiteman’s Index mightiness appear of express value to standard parapsychology, where a useful scoring organization should identify experiences that charge per unit meliorate than dream, hallucination or about form of pathology. In Whiteman’s Index the management of ranking is towards mystical feel, which is hardly looked for in parapsychology, fifty-fifty shied away from. The social club of ranking is: undeveloped, borderline, psychical, pre-mystical, mystical. Out of a possible 16 points, experiences reaching half-dozen to viii points grade as ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed two paragraphs above. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ rank 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 point reduced reality rating, since ‘reality’ means ‘similar physical experience’. For Whiteman this was a fundamental fault; higher reality tin entirely hateful ‘dissimilar physical experience’.
Other Spaces
All separative feel, physical-like or transformative, was considered past Whiteman to pass inwards spaces other than physical, although oftentimes and then similar to what is presented physically equally to be false for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ space. He wrote:
If one is taken into a ‘psychic’ space when non familiar alongside such states, or alongside fixed ideas nearly them, as well as if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... there may be a potent opinion to think that the objects are existence observed physically; together with this applies fifty-fifty to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’second physical torso inward its actual state of affairs.1
‘Fixed ideas’ assume at that place is alone i ‘real’ infinite that can live manifested, namely the physical world. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fixed idea volition contribute to the potentialities governing a separative experience, in addition to lead to the actualization of a physical-like ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet every bit soul gratis of the constraints of i-grade thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible diverseness’ of appearance inwards other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may even so consequence inwards ‘fantasy influences’ inward undeveloped states, even so highest evolution leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the environment, correspondingly, are distinguished past the character of the light, as well as gain inwards intelligible grapheme, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing middle character, unitive freedom and 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’ and ‘me’ make not correspond the familiar consciousness of self in the physical personality, or, inward fact, for anything that can live known in an ordinary physical state of heed. To sympathise what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must live ruled out.4
One power question how ‘other spaces’ are related to the physical as well as, if at all, to each other. In states classified past Whiteman every bit tertiary separation, the non-physical torso holds much of the focus of attending only does non seem to be spatially apart from the physical trunk; ‘the locations of the ii bodies appear the same, inward spite of differences inward their grade too/or size and possibly likewise inward their surroundings.’1 This seems to correspond with a thought widespread inward spiritist circles that dissimilar ‘levels’ of feel in addition to existence all coincide spatially just accept different ‘vibration frequencies’, then in that location is no contact or communication between the various states except through special mediating conditions. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ inwards a detail set up of ‘facts of feel’,i but he did non acquaint the thought of interpenetrating spaces as approximately form of cosmological system; he was disposed to go on to systems of facts, not constructs of theory.
Skills, Cycles
Whiteman was confident almost discovering the underlying logic inwards phenomena, beingness convinced that behind any detail observation in that location is an intelligible structure ‘operative inwards as well as analysable out of the full feel’.8 He did non take Kant’s thought of the unknowability of things-in-themselves.eight Instead, at that place is ‘intellectual or perceptual cognition which transcends inward a certain clear too unmistakable style the onward urge of time, the rigid apartness of spatial objects, too the apparent isolation of the individual mind inwards its country of fixation on bodily impressions. It is a land of unloosen. Fixation being overcome, the listen opens out into universality’.8 We cannot attain this state, he believed ‘without psychological together with spiritual faculties of attending, sentence, purposiveness together with self-subject’, based on iii ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, in addition to Faith + Obedience.one (The source of these skills in his ain life is reported in Michael Whiteman.)
Active Recollection aims to think or recover the heart and soul in what is perceived, ‘and thus the attainment of objective insight and unloose’.ane Husserl termed it the phenomenological epoché or stoppage, ‘the necessary operation which renders pure consciousness accessible to us’.one It is termed samādhi or sati inward Indian literature.v Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized ground of unloose at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’1 Obedience is not a land of subservience only orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right too Good.’1 It operates in conjunction amongst Faith inwards this transcendence.
The iii foundational skills were structured into a 4-function system known since ancient times too appearing inward modernistic contexts in learning theory, Freud too Jung. Described as the 4 creative functions, these are ‘purposive movement, deciding on way, putting into practise, together with a near undercover maturing of ane’sec skills inwards result’.iii In ancient texts they are represented as 4 stages inwards the passage of the Sun, rise in the due east, zenith in the due south, down to earth in the westward, in addition to hush-hush in the northward.xiii This corresponds amongst aspiration (east), assessment (south), activity or manifestation (westward), fulfilment or non-attachment (northward); it besides corresponds respectively alongside Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.one
Whiteman placed bang-up importance on this wheel having its opposites or ‘counterfeits’ of self-volition, self-satisfaction, automaticity, complacency, which may lead to a corresponding cycle of ‘stresses’ of expiry-feeling, shame, pain, fearfulness. This inwards plow may atomic number 82 to ‘inner contests’,i ii 3 which hopefully overcome these spiritual deficiencies.
Physics and Psychology
In his search for underlying logic, in addition to for universality, Whiteman converted his ‘psychological’ bike into a 16-bend issue arrangement, with the aim of integrating it alongside a ‘physical’ 16-bend issue organisation derived from three space in addition to three fourth dimension dimensions. He noted that iii of the creative functions – cause, means, together with maturing – are composite, containing 2 ‘outset principles’ of essence in addition to beingness, equivalent to potentiality too actualization. In plough, heart and existence each accept 3 constituents, termed by him ‘hypostases’, meaning underlying, irreducible causes. The iii hypostases of core were seen equally function, way, stop. The hypostases of beingness were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the iii-phase structure of creation called in Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.ane So, for instance, ‘deciding on way’ combines ‘means’ (pith) foremost amongst ‘actuation’ (being), so with ‘becoming’ (existence), and lastly with manifestation (being). The third quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely every bit ‘beingness’ and then lacks an ‘kernel’ hypostasis.
This analysis allows the evolution of a issue system inward psychology, too and then the prospect of comparison alongside a issue organisation in physics.ane two 3 From these number systems Whiteman intended to furnish ‘a clear-cut explanatory arrangement... as, for instance, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited earlier whatsoever problems are tackled’.two The hypostases of meat were numbered ane = use, 2 = way, three = terminate. The hypostases of beingness were numbered six = actuation, five = becoming, four = manifestation/grounding. So, for example ‘East’ tin be expressed equally the combination sixteen (enthusiasm), 15 (inspiration), fourteen (intention). Combining the numbers one to six results in xvi subfunctions, in agreement alongside ‘xv + 1 kalās, stages inwards any creative human action, as recognized inwards the Upanishads’.three
The physical number arrangement was derived from the iii space in addition to iii time dimensions. One time dimension lies in potentiality-fields alongside a time-ordered, infinite-similar expression noted to a higher place inward connection with precognition. Another fourth dimension dimension or office involves the processes leading to physical actualization from time-structured potentiality. Finally in that location is physical clock-time; it is the only time-dimension that is measurable. Combining the six dimensions yields a sixteen-bend issue arrangement like the psychological subfunctions, ‘inwards such shut correspondence with the formulations of quantum theory that at that place is an obvious invitation to demonstrate the 2 every bit aspects of an integrated agreement of the world’.nine
Space does non permit a tabulation of the physics/psychology correspondences, or how they were derived. The correspondences, all the same, satisfied Whiteman’second opinion that to explain what we experience is to
admit a subjective bicycle, such every bit mystics, many theologians, and close to psychologists take admitted. This cycle, in its about complete form is sixteenfold, together with parallels precisely what may be called the ‘Earth cycle’ (equally it appears in Quantum Field Theory) inward every way, patch manifesting itself inwards every sort of human being experience. This is a course of potentiality which is discernible, and indeed tin can be lived past the individual inward an enormous diversity of ‘altered states of consciousness’...three
Whiteman’s Scientific Mysticism was a revolutionary attempt to discern in addition to characterize this potentiality.
John Poynton
Literature
1. Whiteman, J.H.K. (1986). Old as well as New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical earth-view as well as inner competition. Volume i, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
ii. Whiteman, J.H.1000. (2000). Old as well as New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-view and inner contest. Volume 2, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
iii. Whiteman, J.H.G. (2006). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical globe-sentiment as well as inner contest. Volume 3, Universal Theology and Life inward other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
4. Whiteman, J.H.thou. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber together with Faber.
five. Whiteman, J.H.grand. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inwards the light of mystical feel. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.
half-dozen. Husserl, eastward. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (trans. westward.R. Boyce Gibson). London: Allen & Unwin.
seven. Heisenberg, west. (1959). Physics and Philosophy: the revolution inwards mod science. London: Allen together with Unwin.
viii. Whiteman, J.H.one thousand. (1967). Philosophy of Space in addition to Time in addition to the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological study. London: Allen as well as Unwin.
9. 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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