Perspectives - Vol. 1, No. 1 - Towards An Intergral Science
The Need for a More Global Way of Knowing
What is reality? Nobody actually knows although everyone presumes to know it. Scientific theories have greatly changed our ordinary notion of reality, showing that human observation is not at all 'objective', because it critically depends on the very narrow limits of our perception and, mainly, on the particular theory or cultural system of reference we adopt to interpret our observations. No definition of reality or 'objective' matter actually exists either from a scientific or from a philosophical point of view. According to quantum physics, particles are not objects, but simply wave-functions, i.e., probabilities of being observed.
Our reality seems to be separated, apparently 'divided' into opposites, such as T and other, human being and environment, matter and spirit, body and mind, science and religion and so on. Science and particularly Quantum Physics discovered what sages and philosophers have been affirming for thousands of years, i.e., that we live in an illusion, in a restricted form of perception, which prevents us from awareness of parallel infinite worlds. Multidimensionality and the deep interconnectedness of the cosmos as well as the interdependence between the I subject' and the 'object' has already been expressed in fundamental principles such as the Mach's and the indeterminacy principle [1].
Although these concepts are quite well known, the awareness that they imply the need to change the scientific method of knowing is not widely accepted. A new paradigm necessarily implies a new and wider way of knowing, one which includes the traditional scientific method, but which also includes the subject and his main instrument: the human brain. The great potentialities of the human brain are still ignored by the great majority of humanity. Intuition, self-awareness, inner trust have always been essential components of the process of knowing, but tests, experimental proof and logical demonstrations are still considered the only way to be 'sure' of the so called scientific truths, although many, as for instance K. Popper, had shown that science cannot prove truth, but simply error!
Traditional scientific method has for centuries provided us with a powerful tool to go beyond individual opinions, but it is not truly objective, rather mainly intersubjective. It depends on a certain way of perceiving. It restricts us to what we can logically demonstrate and to what we can experimentally observe. This is a very tiny portion of all possible realities, which are suggested not only by poets, musicians and philosophers, but also by theoretical calculations. Multidimensionality, black and white holes, parallel worlds, virtual realities are today common terms in quantum cosmology, although our outer senses are simply not aware of them.
The Illusion
We normally believe that we see matter, but in reality we do not. We only see the light reflected and we don't see all this, but only the visible part of the vast electromagnetic spectrum. If our eyes were sensitive to different wave-lengths, such as X-rays, we should all appear as skeletons. Buildings would be transparent and subsoil would be visible. All the boundaries would be totally different. Different boundaries would also emerge if we could see in infrared wavelengths. 'Reality' critically depends on which specific wavelength we are observing. Transparency, visibility and solidity are qualities which are not 'intrinsic' to the 'object' but rather to our way of perceiving them.
Furthermore 'reality' is not just the small portion that we are able to observe, but it is essentially the set of our interpretations of the world. After centuries of restricted and distorted perception we have collectively developed a dual way of thinking. Duality is the conventional way of knowing. It presumes a distinction between the observer and the observed. Therefore it is the common belief that an 'objective' world exists. Duality is the main software to which subconsciously and 'normally' human beings comply. It is a state of mind, which underlies any conventional process of knowing and particularly the traditional scientific method.
'Objective' experimental proof and logical demonstration, the two pillars of the method, both fall within the logic of duality while paradoxically the method itself demonstrates an interdependence of the subject-object. Logical demonstration is possible only if we are outside the system which we are investigating [2], but being part of the Universe we are always inside any system. We are essentially a cosmic inter-connected web of fields, but we are trapped in the dual logic which pretends to ignore it.
How to go beyond the traditional Scientific Method
According to quantum physics 'reality' depends for its existence on the presence of a conscious observer [3]. The human being, the self-conscious observer, is the key to knowing. The subject as well as the object ultimately consist of multidimensional waves of probabilities. The 'distinction' between them is simply a function of self-awareness, which cannot be experimentally tested nor logically demonstrated. The 'objective' world is just the mirror of our interpretations. Neither 'objective' test nor dual logic can help us.
How to know is simple, very simple. It depends on a self-reflection process, an inner fusion between subject and object. Observer and observed become one, duality is overcome, oneness becomes evident. Laboratory tests are normally isolated from the environment. They claim to exclude any possible interference. Inner observation is exactly the opposite. It is an immersion into the multidimensional vibrant sea of frequencies in which we participate anyway. It is to dive into ourselves; it is to realize fully that we are multidimensional beings, sources of a creative universe. However there are some tricks that can be explained in scientific terms. Clairvoyants, magicians and sensitives are actually able to 'see' inner parallel realities, entities, worlds. They give interpretations that are are hard to believe, whereas intellec-tual people, particularly scientists, are not able to 'see' anything at all, although the holographic abilities of the brain exist for them too. Before engaging in a self-reflection process, we need first to recognize that any interpretation of the inner as well as of the outer vision critically depends on the cultural scheme we adopt, on our system of beliefs and, last but not least, that we need to know that we don't know.
Physical and mental relaxation are a necessary pre-condition to discovery, but not a sufficient one. When we close our eyes, relax and meditate. we are not automatically in a different state of consciousness. That is reached only when a threshold frequency of brain-waves is reached. We are normally out of tune. The human brain can be considered as a receiver and transmitter. Its ability to be tuned to a particular channel, or band of frequencies, depends on its ability to be truly silent, without attaching itself to any random thought.
Self-tuning and Role of Intuition
The brain is a set of states of energy or frequencies. It is constantly oscillating within a band of frequencies, which we call the 'normal' state. When we relax the average frequency of our brain changes until it reaches a threshold frequency, such as the alpha-frequency. At this frequency the amplitude of the brain-waves expands and a wider sense of being and knowing is thus obtained. We are in a natural alpha-frequency state when we are looking at a beautiful panorama or at anything that captures our attention irresistibly and totally.
A collective amplified oscillation takes place. A coherent state of being emerges, one which is quite different from the chaotic so called normal state. The alpha state is a self-attuning which allows us to know that we know. The self-organization of neurons is similar to that which occurs in a laser when a resonance effect is established between the oscillating field and the electrons. In the alpha state intuition is greatly enhanced and our holographic abilities become evident. Intuition is, I believe, a special ability of the brain despite the fact that it is generally considered vague and negligible.
Intuition plays a pre-eminent role in the development of knowledge. Many great theories come from intuition, which comes from the Latin and means: to go into. Intuition is the receiving ability of the brain, its feminine attitude, while the transmitting, producing thoughts or ideas, is the creative, masculine one. Both are useful and necessary, while any asymmetry between them is dangerous and negative.
Inner Marriage
Duality has permeated human culture for too long now. It is reflected in most aspects of human life. But as we have just seen, dualism is not intrinsic to the object but to the subject, to the mode of perceiving and thus conceiving of the world. Upon this basis illusory duality is erected the set of mental maps which comprise the common interpretation of the world, dividing subject from object, body from spirit, masculine and feminine, the I that I appear from the I that I am.
By recognising the unitary matrix of wave and particle aspects we can reconcile the contradiction, unifying the opposites and creating the unity for which humanity has always yearned. As its basis crumbles, the world of duality collapses, throwing into crisis all the behavioural maps which arise out of it: competition, exploitation of people and resources, indifference to the rest of the world. We overcome duality as we merge subject with object, looking inside ourselves, where we can attain that inner wisdom that is inherent in every human being.
The main illusion is the apparent duality between matter and vacuum, reflected into the famous wave-particle dualism, but also this main one can be recomposed in a unitary vision, through superluminal theories [4]. 'Matter is the crest of a wave on the sea', suggested Hermes. Physics has often recourse to the image of the sea. Particles are particular frequencies (eigen-values) of the sea of probabilities. Hermes' suggestion reconciles the wave-particle dualism, because it shows that the particle aspect [5] is the 'crest', i.e., just a portion of the wave aspect (in scientific terms, matter is a wave-packet with a particular frequency). The Hermetic sea has profound significance. It is Intelligent Information, Living Thought, Consciousness -- subject and 'object'. Both emerge by the same sea, but it is. for the subject to let the object emerge through his observation.
The Universe is not a collection of objects but rather the amazing, multiform, polyhedric and dynamic manifestation of subjects which are fundamentally all One. To be aware of Oneness we need to attune ourselves. Intuition is a receptive ability of the brain. Imagination is a creative one. To merge the two together is the alchemic inner marriage, which gives birth to the inner son: the superior human being.
When, relaxing, a threshold frequency is reached, we become aware of being One; no longer isolated individuals in desperate conflict with one another and with the world, but participants in a single global information, in a vibrant sea of infinite possibilities. Attuning within we become aware of our cosmic origin and of our own individual purpose on this planet; we know not only what it is, but mainly what we are. We participate in a global cosmic knowledge. A self-coherent and self-organized state of being emerges, which is similar to a crystal.
As a consequence, inner cosmic knowledge manifests itself in a new quality of life and relationship. Self-organization, natural in a crystal or in a laser, will progressively become not only the main way of knowing, but also the main individual and social behaviour. An integral global science is going to be born for a new planetary society aware of being One.
Notes
- The indeterminacy principle presumes a multidimensional space to describe wave-particles.
- This a result of the Godel's theorem
- The well known story of the Schrodinger's cat explains it clearly.
- See Scienza Intuitiva, ed. Crisalide & Noesis, 1994 (written in Italian), by the same author.
- According to Complex Relativity and superluminal theories, the particle aspect is a time-like aspect and the wave-aspect is a space-like aspect. These theories point out that a third aspect exists, which is the light-like aspect. Therefore they show that instead of a dualism a trinity of aspects exists (time-like; light-like; space-like; See Scienza Intuitiva.
This article originally appeared in Network and is republished here with permission.
APA Reference
Conforto, Giuliana (1996). Toward an integral science. [Online]. Network. [1996, March 15].
