Mystical Experience Science

Scientific Mysticism

‘Scientific Mysticism’ is a term coined by Michael Whiteman, a British-born South African mathematician together with mystic. (This article may live read together with the article on Whiteman’s life together with idea.)

Introduction

The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared as a championship inward the trilogy, Old together with New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,^{i ii 3} past Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.^one Whiteman aimed to convey mysticism into the plain of science equally an entity that is ‘open-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, as well as illuminating.^’one ‘Mysticism’ hither is defined as:

the report of everything non-physical, including the other worlds together with their archetypal governance, also as our spiritual bodies, the facts in addition to their human relationship beingness known by the self-testify of straight observation and not past reasoning or speculation.^four

This indicates empirical scientific discipline, sharing territory amongst psychical inquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction betwixt ‘psychical’ together with ‘mystical’ feel. The former includes the study of purportedly non-physical events, the latter extends to states that have a sense of higher significance too ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed being, as well as orientation to the perceived origin of the Right too Good.

Whiteman was familiar amongst Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek together with Biblical Hebrew, in addition to quoted extensively from ancient texts. He regarded nearly current translations as inadequate because the authors lacked psychical and mystical experience. His revolutionary commentary, besides his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’^v combined alongside canonical Buddhist texts, ^{1 two iii five} demo hitting parallels alongside refinements of mod thought.

Whiteman’second job equally a professor of applied mathematics provided a base inward physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base was extensive personal feel inward psychical together with mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis together with insight, inward melody alongside Edmund Husserl’second phenomenology.^six This aims at gaining confront-to-face up self-testify as well as detailed precision, shedding the common ‘cloak of ideas’. Science inwards Whiteman’sec utilization is non an practise inward theorizing.

Potentiality as well as Actualization

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 fundamental to Whiteman’sec scientific mysticism is the idea of potentiality and actualization. This had been developed by the physicist Werner Heisenberg,⁷ who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes nigh through an occasion of observation, and that this ‘happening’ is open to physical description. But what governs the happening is not open up to physical observation; at best it can be given mathematical aspect. So behind a physical consequence 1 has to recognize what Heisenberg called ‘an objective tendency or possibility, a “potentia” inward the feel of Aristotelian philosophy’. And the governing potentia, the ‘argue’ for something to take place, is abstract inward a physical sense; you lot tin can’t position it inwards a exam metro.

Whiteman concurred that solely transcending logical substructures, potentialities, merit the term ‘reality’, every bit opposed to appearances. Appearances come into existence solely on an occasion of observation, and volition be actualized differently for different people.

Whiteman wrote, ‘nada specific tin live actualized without the integration of “subjective” too “objective” factors, non in succession, just on the moment of actualization.’^one An observer who is freed inward some manner from the physical land volition actualize for himself things that are beyond the accomplish of ordinary physical sensing. This is the first of psychical together with mystical perception.

Whiteman wrote, ‘The difference betwixt i “Earth” as well as some other then depends upon the country of life inward which the observer happens to live settled.’³ An individual’s perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together amongst his ain subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization principle operates inwards the mental sphere of every private: thought in addition to images are actualizations in consciousness of an individual’s ‘idea-icon sphere’, as he called it, which includes retentiveness and imagination.^ane

Actualization of Psi Phenomena

Whiteman saw telepathy resulting from the interaction or resonance betwixt the idea-ikon spheres of individuals. The interaction is not actualized at the physical level, as well as then transfer of information occurs independently of physical space too time. Clairvoyance is resonance between the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or issue too the idea-picture sphere of an private, resulting inwards the actualization of impressions inwards the private’second idea-ikon sphere. Once once again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical infinite together with time, non beingness physically actualized. Psychokinesis may live regarded every bit a contrary clairvoyant interaction; potentialities normally linked in close to style to an private issue inward physical actualizations.

Potentiality-actualization relationships should non live seen equally static; potentiality-fields continually modify or prepare, as well as accept feedback loops, although not in physical time. This will touch on the upshot of time to come physical events, which helps to explicate how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition every bit actualization inwards an individual’second thought-picture sphere of developing potentiality-fields that may bear on future physical events. The individual may fifty-fifty intervene in the physical actualization of these events by altering the potentiality-fields, then allowing prevention of a precognized issue from happening.ⁱ Even if potentiality-fields are time-ordered, resulting inwards a succession of events actualized in the physical world, the ordering is non fixed inward the way a road map is fixed. They are accessible in states of physical detachment, and and so allow express alteration together with the do of gratuitous will.

Out-of-trunk Experience

Whiteman defined mysticism equally ‘the written report of everything not-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As simply discussed, potentiality-fields accept the capacity to deliver different spaces or worlds of physical as well as non-physical actuality, depending on the country of the observer. Without this understanding, mysticism cannot start to brand sense. Direct feel of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly inwards out-of-body feel, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ feel, since at that place is usually awareness of a body of close to variety.

The commonest type he termed ‘chief separation’, in which in that location is no awareness inwards the physical torso, fifty-fifty though what appears to be the physical torso can live viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical trunk is under roughly level of conscious control, just main awareness lies in another organism seemingly non located inwards the infinite of the physical body, and the ii bodies are quite independent. In ‘tertiary separation’ the physical torso is unremarkably nether complete command, but there is total awareness of being in a dissimilar bodily class despite the locations of the ii bodies seeming to live the same. Difference betwixt the 2 bodies may live radical, such equally ane being male as well as the other female. For Whiteman, the highest mystical experiences were mostly of this type.

Whiteman noted that such not-physical experience, inward terms of reality-impression in addition to intensity, may range from appearing weak to seeming even more real and meaningful than in physical life. At its near powerful, termed past him mystical, ‘Everything inwards such states, spatial characteristics included, is known every bit if inward archetypal unchanging grade, together with is therefore startlingly more than real (rationally-objective, always-introduce) than the derivative together with shifting forms of the physical world.^’one He saw a ask ‘to distinguish betwixt what is deceptive or illusory as well as what has the lineament of face up-to-face objectivity too truth which nosotros describe by proverb that a thing is real.’ⁱ 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 (zip rating) to what is experienced every bit spiritually releasing with a high grade of reality, namely mystical experience (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative feel. Features scoring inwards the Index include continuity of memory between physical as well as not-physical experience, gratuitous observation, power to compare accurately alongside physical as well as non-physical states, awareness of gist and tangibility, communication of idea alongside others, in addition to a feeling of transcendence of physical life.

The General Index does not include reports of observing physical things during a separative feel. Regarded past nearly people equally veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could take been made past clairvoyance or remote viewing, too make not necessarily mean that something somehow separated from the physical body to brand the observation. As Whiteman stated, whatever claimed physical supporting show merely has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who do non realize that separation is not established by them, just who may thereby be induced to have the “interior” testimony as having some bearing on “scientific fact”.’¹

Whiteman’s Index power seem of limited value to criterion parapsychology, where a useful scoring organisation should identify experiences that rate improve than dream, hallucination or some course of pathology. In Whiteman’second Index the direction of ranking is towards mystical feel, which is hardly looked for in parapsychology, fifty-fifty shied away from. The lodge of ranking is: undeveloped, borderline, psychical, pre-mystical, mystical.  Out of a possible xvi points, experiences reaching half-dozen to eight points grade every bit ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed two paragraphs in a higher place. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ grade were noted in the Introduction, as well as demarcate ‘mystical’ from ‘psychical’. Yet inward the eyes of a physically-fixated investigator, the mystical requirements would bespeak reduced reality rating, since ‘reality’ means ‘like physical feel’. For Whiteman this was a cardinal fault; higher reality tin only mean ‘dissimilar physical experience’.

Other Spaces

All separative feel, physical-similar or transformative, was considered past Whiteman to pass off inwards spaces other than physical, although often and so like to what is presented physically equally to live mistaken for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ infinite. He wrote:

If one is taken into a ‘psychic’ infinite when not familiar amongst such states, or alongside fixed ideas near them, as well as if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... there may be a potent opinion to mean that the objects are being observed physically; and this applies fifty-fifty to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’s physical torso inwards its actual situation.ⁱ

‘Fixed ideas’ assume there is alone ane ‘real’ infinite that tin live manifested, namely the physical earth. H5N1 fixed idea volition contribute to the potentialities governing a separative feel, and Pb to the actualization of a physical-like ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet as somebody costless of the constraints of 1-grade thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible multifariousness’ of appearance inwards other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may even so issue inward ‘fantasy influences’ inwards undeveloped states, nevertheless highest development leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the surroundings, correspondingly, are distinguished past the lineament of the low-cal, in addition to attain inwards intelligible character, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing eye quality, unitive liberty too sense of blending with other minds, equally the highest condition, which is that of Mystical Form Liberation, is approached.’ In these descriptions, Whiteman states,

‘I’ and ‘me’ do not stand for the familiar consciousness of self inward the physical personality, or, in fact, for anything that tin live known in an ordinary physical land of listen. To empathise what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must be ruled out.^four

One mightiness enquiry how ‘other spaces’ are related to the physical and, if at all, to each other. In states classified past Whiteman as 3rd separation, the not-physical body holds much of the focus of attending only does not seem to live spatially apart from the physical trunk; ‘the locations of the ii bodies appear the same, inward spite of differences inward their form in addition to/or size together with peradventure too inwards their environs.’ⁱ This seems to correspond alongside a sentiment widespread inwards spiritist circles that dissimilar ‘levels’ of experience as well as existence all coincide spatially but accept different ‘vibration frequencies’, and then there is no contact or communication betwixt the various states except through exceptional mediating weather condition. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ inwards a particular set of ‘facts of feel’,^ane merely he did non introduce the thought of interpenetrating spaces as some sort of cosmological organisation; he was disposed to go on to systems of facts, non constructs of theory.

Skills, Cycles

Whiteman was confident nearly discovering the underlying logic in phenomena, being convinced that behind whatsoever detail observation there is an intelligible structure ‘operative inwards together with analysable out of the total experience’.⁸ He did non have Kant’sec thought of the unknowability of things-inward-themselves.⁸ Instead, at that place is ‘intellectual or perceptual noesis which transcends inward a certain clear and unmistakable style the onward urge of fourth dimension, the stiff apartness of spatial objects, as well as the apparent isolation of the private heed inward its state of fixation on bodily impressions. It is a country of loose. Fixation being overcome, the mind opens out into universality’.^eight We cannot accomplish this land, he believed ‘without psychological too spiritual faculties of attention, sentence, purposiveness and self-discipline’, based on 3 ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, as well as Faith + Obedience.ⁱ (The origin of these skills in his own life is reported inward Michael Whiteman.)

Active Recollection aims to recollect or recover the pith in what is perceived, ‘in addition to thus the attainment of objective insight too free’.^ane 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 inward Indian literature.⁵  Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized earth of free at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’¹ Obedience is not a state of subservience simply orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right in addition to Good.’¹ It operates in conjunction with Faith inwards this transcendence.

The 3 foundational skills were structured into a 4-role organization known since ancient times in addition to appearing in modernistic contexts inwards learning theory, Freud and Jung. Described equally the 4 creative functions, these are ‘purposive effort, deciding on agency, putting into practice, in addition to a near secret maturing of one’s skills in effect’.^three In ancient texts they are represented every bit iv stages in the passage of the sun, ascension in the E, zenith inward the south, downwards to Earth inwards the westward, and undercover inwards the due north.¹³ This corresponds alongside aspiration (due east), assessment (southward), action or manifestation (westward), fulfilment or not-attachment (northward); it besides corresponds respectively alongside Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.^ane

Whiteman placed smashing importance on this bicycle having its opposites or ‘counterfeits’ of self-will, self-satisfaction, automaticity, complacency, which may Pb to a corresponding bike of ‘stresses’ of death-feeling, shame, hurting, fright. This in plough may lead to ‘inner contests’,^{i 2 3} which hopefully overcome these spiritual deficiencies.

Physics and Psychology

In his search for underlying logic, and for universality, Whiteman converted his ‘psychological’ cycle into a sixteen-flexure issue system, alongside the aim of integrating it with a ‘physical’ sixteen-fold number organisation derived from 3 space too 3 time dimensions. He noted that iii of the creative functions – campaign, way, too maturing – are composite, containing ii ‘outset principles’ of substance together with beingness, equivalent to potentiality and actualization. In plow, substance as well as beingness each have three constituents, termed by him ‘hypostases’, pregnant underlying, irreducible causes. The three hypostases of gist were seen as role, means, cease. The hypostases of beingness were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the 3-stage structure of creation called inwards Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.^ane  So, for instance, ‘deciding on means’ combines ‘way’ (inwardness) first of all amongst ‘actuation’ (existence), so alongside ‘becoming’ (beingness), as well as finally with manifestation (existence). The tertiary quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely as ‘existence’ together with then lacks an ‘essence’ hypostasis.

This analysis allows the evolution of a number system in psychology, and then the prospect of comparison with a issue organization inward physics.^{i two 3} From these number systems Whiteman intended to furnish ‘a clear-cut explanatory organisation... every bit, for instance, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited before whatsoever problems are tackled’.^two The hypostases of marrow were numbered one = role, ii = means, three = cease. The hypostases of existence were numbered half-dozen = actuation, five = becoming, four = manifestation/grounding. So, for instance ‘East’ tin can be expressed every bit the combination 16 (enthusiasm), 15 (inspiration), 14 (intention). Combining the numbers ane to half-dozen results inward xvi subfunctions, inwards understanding alongside ‘fifteen + ane kalās, stages inwards any creative human activity, every bit recognized inward the Upanishads’.ⁱⁱⁱ

The physical issue arrangement was derived from the iii space as well as iii time dimensions. One fourth dimension dimension lies inwards potentiality-fields with a fourth dimension-ordered, space-like facial expression noted higher up in connection alongside precognition. Another time dimension or part involves the processes leading to physical actualization from time-structured potentiality. Finally there is physical clock-time; it is the alone fourth dimension-dimension that is measurable. Combining the half-dozen dimensions yields a sixteen-crease issue organisation similar the psychological subfunctions, ‘inwards such close correspondence amongst the formulations of quantum theory that there is an obvious invitation to demo the two equally aspects of an integrated agreement of the world’.^nine

Space does not let a tabulation of the physics/psychology correspondences, or how they were derived. The correspondences, even so, satisfied Whiteman’second sentiment that to explicate what nosotros feel is to

admit a subjective cycle, such every bit mystics, many theologians, together with about psychologists have admitted. This bicycle, in its almost complete form is sixteenfold, together with parallels exactly what may be called the ‘Earth bicycle’ (every bit it appears in Quantum Field Theory) inwards every style, while manifesting itself in every kind of homo feel. This is a grade of potentiality which is discernible, as well as indeed tin can be lived by the private in an enormous multifariousness of ‘altered states of consciousness’...ⁱⁱⁱ

Whiteman’second Scientific Mysticism was a revolutionary try to discern and characterize this potentiality.

John Poynton

Literature

ane. Whiteman, J.H.yard. (1986). Old together with New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical Earth-sentiment too inner competition. Volume ane, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.  Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

ii. Whiteman, J.H.chiliad. (2000). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical earth-persuasion in addition to inner contest. Volume two, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

three. Whiteman, J.H.M. (2006). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical world-persuasion as well as inner competition. Volume 3, Universal Theology and Life inward other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

iv. Whiteman, J.H.G. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber as well as Faber.

five. Whiteman, J.H.grand. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inward the light of mystical experience. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

half-dozen. Husserl, east. (1931). Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology (trans. W.R. Boyce Gibson). London: Allen & Unwin.

seven. Heisenberg, W. (1959). Physics as well as Philosophy: the revolution inwards mod scientific discipline. London: Allen and Unwin.

viii. Whiteman, J.H.G. (1967). Philosophy of Space together with Time and the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological study. London: Allen too Unwin.

9. Whiteman, J.H.K. (1977). Parapsychology as well as physics. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

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