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Scientific Mysticism

‘Scientific Mysticism’ is a term coined past Michael Whiteman, a British-born South African mathematician and mystic. (This article may live read together alongside the article on Whiteman’sec life and thought.)

Introduction

The term ‘scientific mysticism’ appeared every bit a title in the trilogy, Old and New Evidence on the Meaning of Life,^{ane two iii} by Michael Whiteman. Volume One was entitled An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.^one Whiteman aimed to take mysticism into the plain of scientific discipline every bit an entity that is ‘open up-minded, rigorously tested, rationally coherent, and illuminating.^’one ‘Mysticism’ hither is defined as:

the written report of everything non-physical, including the other worlds as well as their archetypal governance, likewise as our spiritual bodies, the facts together with their human relationship being known past the self-evidence of directly observation in addition to non past reasoning or speculation.^four

This indicates empirical scientific discipline, sharing territory amongst psychical enquiry. Yet Whiteman drew a distinction betwixt ‘psychical’ together with ‘mystical’ feel. The onetime includes the written report of purportedly non-physical events, the latter extends to states that take a feel of higher significance and ultimates, openness to guidance, transformed existence, too orientation to the perceived root of the Right together with Good.

Whiteman was familiar with Vedic, Sanskrit, Pali, Greek as well as Biblical Hebrew, in addition to quoted extensively from ancient texts. He regarded virtually current translations as inadequate because the authors lacked psychical and mystical feel. His revolutionary commentary, also his translation of ‘The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’⁵ combined with canonical Buddhist texts, ^{i two three 5} demo hit parallels amongst refinements of mod idea.

Whiteman’sec line of work every bit a professor of applied mathematics provided a base of operations in physics for his scientific mysticism. Another base was extensive personal experience in psychical as well as mystical states. His methods rested on observation, conceptual analysis together with insight, inwards melody with Edmund Husserl’second phenomenology.^six This aims at gaining confront-to-confront self-testify together with detailed precision, shedding the common ‘cloak of ideas’. Science inwards Whiteman’second use is not an practise inward theorizing.

Potentiality in addition to Actualization

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cardinal to Whiteman’s scientific mysticism is the thought of potentiality in addition to actualization. This had been developed past the physicist Werner Heisenberg,^seven who saw that a physical ‘happening’ comes about through an occasion of observation, as well as that this ‘happening’ is open to physical description. But what governs the happening is not open up to physical observation; at best it tin live given mathematical expression. So behind a physical consequence i has to recognize what Heisenberg called ‘an objective trend or possibility, a “potentia” inwards the sense of Aristotelian philosophy’. And the governing potentia, the ‘reason’ for something to hap, is abstract in a physical feel; y'all tin can’t put it inward a examination underground.

Whiteman concurred that alone transcending logical substructures, potentialities, merit the term ‘reality’, equally opposed to appearances. Appearances come into beingness only on an occasion of observation, too volition be actualized differently for unlike people.

Whiteman wrote, ‘cypher specific tin can be actualized without the integration of “subjective” too “objective” factors, not inward succession, just on the moment of actualization.’¹ An observer who is freed inwards close to mode from the physical state will actualize for himself things that are beyond the achieve of ordinary physical sensing. This is the start of psychical in addition to mystical perception.

Whiteman wrote, ‘The difference betwixt 1 “globe” in addition to another and then depends upon the state of life inwards which the observer happens to live settled.’^three An private’s perceiving results from integration of objective potentialities together alongside his ain subjective potentialities, including subconscious elements. Whiteman believed the potentiality-actualization rule operates inwards the mental sphere of every individual: thought too images are actualizations in consciousness of an individual’second ‘thought-image sphere’, every bit he called it, which includes retention too 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 non actualized at the physical grade, and and so transfer of information occurs independently of physical space and fourth dimension. Clairvoyance is resonance between the potentiality-sphere of a physical object or outcome in addition to the idea-icon sphere of an individual, resulting inwards the actualization of impressions in the private’sec thought-icon sphere. Once again, resonance or interaction happens independently of physical infinite as well as time, non existence physically actualized. Psychokinesis may be regarded every bit a reverse clairvoyant interaction; potentialities ordinarily linked inwards some manner to an private upshot inwards physical actualizations.

Potentiality-actualization relationships should not live seen equally static; potentiality-fields continually change or train, together with take feedback loops, although non inward physical time. This volition impact the outcome of future physical events, which helps to explain how precognition happens. Whiteman saw precognition every bit actualization in an individual’second idea-picture sphere of developing potentiality-fields that may impact future physical events. The private may even intervene in the physical actualization of these events by altering the potentiality-fields, and so allowing prevention of a precognized upshot from happening.^ane Even if potentiality-fields are fourth dimension-ordered, resulting inward a succession of events actualized in the physical Earth, the ordering is not fixed inwards the mode a route map is fixed. They are accessible inwards states of physical detachment, in addition to then allow express alteration in addition to the practice of free will.

Out-of-trunk Experience

Whiteman defined mysticism every bit ‘the report of everything non-physical, including the other worlds ...’ As simply discussed, potentiality-fields have the capacity to deliver unlike spaces or worlds of physical together with non-physical actuality, depending on the state of the observer. Without this agreement, mysticism cannot commence to brand feel. Direct experience of ‘the other worlds’ occurs mainly inward out-of-body feel, which Whiteman preferred to term ‘separative’ experience, since there is ordinarily awareness of a body of close to sort.

The commonest type he termed ‘principal separation’, inward which there is no awareness inward the physical torso, fifty-fifty though what appears to be the physical torso tin can be viewed. In ‘secondary separation’ the physical torso is nether roughly degree of witting command, but primary awareness lies inward some other organism seemingly non located inwards the space of the physical torso, in addition to the two bodies are quite independent. In ‘tertiary separation’ the physical torso is normally nether complete command, simply in that location is full awareness of beingness inwards a dissimilar bodily form despite the locations of the two bodies seeming to be the same. Difference betwixt the two bodies may live radical, such every bit i being male together with the other female. For Whiteman, the highest mystical experiences were generally of this type.

Whiteman noted that such not-physical feel, inwards damage of reality-impression and intensity, may reach from appearing weak to seeming fifty-fifty more real together with meaningful than inward physical life. At its well-nigh powerful, termed by him mystical, ‘Everything in such states, spatial characteristics included, is known as if inward archetypal unchanging grade, too is therefore startlingly more than existent (rationally-objective, always-present) than the derivative in addition to shifting forms of the physical world.^’1 He saw a ask ‘to distinguish between what is deceptive or illusory together with what has the lineament of face up-to-face up objectivity too truth which we draw past proverb that a matter is real.’ⁱ This requires setting upward a numerical scale, which he called a General Index of Reality.

Index of Reality

This index covers a reach from ordinary dreaming (aught rating) to what is experienced as spiritually releasing amongst a high degree of reality, namely mystical experience (high rating). The Index properly relates to separative experience. Features scoring inwards the Index include continuity of retentivity betwixt physical in addition to non-physical feel, gratuitous observation, ability to compare accurately amongst physical too not-physical states, awareness of inwardness together with tangibility, communication of thought amongst others, and a feeling of transcendence of physical life.

The General Index does not include reports of observing physical things during a separative feel. Regarded by nigh people as veridical (corresponding to reality), these observations could have been made past clairvoyance or remote viewing, in addition to do non necessarily hateful that something somehow separated from the physical trunk to make the observation. As Whiteman stated, whatsoever claimed physical supporting testify only has ‘chiefly propaganda value for the uninformed or sceptical, who do not realize that separation is non established past them, just who may thereby be induced to have the “interior” testimony as having or so bearing on “scientific fact”.’ⁱ

Whiteman’second Index might look of limited value to touchstone parapsychology, where a useful scoring system should identify experiences that rate amend than dream, hallucination or about course of pathology. In Whiteman’second Index the management of ranking is towards mystical experience, which is hardly looked for inward 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 six to 8 points grade every bit ‘psychical separations’, scoring on criteria listed ii paragraphs higher up. Further requirements of ‘mystical’ place were noted in the Introduction, too 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 key fault; higher reality tin can alone hateful ‘different physical experience’.

Other Spaces

All separative feel, physical-like or transformative, was considered by Whiteman to go on inward spaces other than physical, although oft and so like to what is presented physically equally to live false for it. He called it ‘duplicate physical’ space. He wrote:

If ane is taken into a ‘psychic’ space when non familiar with such states, or amongst fixed ideas nearly them, together with if the phenomena resemble physical ones closely... in that location may live a potent view to think that the objects are beingness observed physically; too this applies even to possible duplicate presentations of the observer’second physical trunk inward its actual situation.ⁱ

‘Fixed ideas’ assume in that location is exclusively i ‘real’ space that tin live manifested, namely the physical globe. H5N1 fixed idea will contribute to the potentialities governing a separative experience, and atomic number 82 to the actualization of a physical-like ‘duplicate’ scene. Yet equally individual gratuitous of the constraints of 1-degree thinking, Whiteman wrote of an ‘inexhaustible multifariousness’ of appearance in other spaces. Naturalistic conditioning may however outcome inwards ‘fantasy influences’ inwards undeveloped states, even so highest evolution leads to ‘perfectly acceptable forms of transcendent unified beauty’, where ‘the environs, correspondingly, are distinguished by the character of the lite, together with arrive at inwards intelligible grapheme, perfection of beauty, depth of glowing heart quality, unitive freedom too sense of blending alongside other minds, every bit the highest condition, which is that of Mystical Form Liberation, is approached.’ In these descriptions, Whiteman states,

‘I’ as well as ‘me’ make non correspond the familiar consciousness of self inwards the physical personality, or, in fact, for anything that can live known inwards an ordinary physical country of heed. To understand what is meant, the characteristics of the merged ordinary self must be ruled out.^four

One power interrogation how ‘other spaces’ are related to the physical together with, if at all, to each other. In states classified by Whiteman as tertiary separation, the non-physical torso holds much of the focus of attention simply does not seem to live spatially apart from the physical body; ‘the locations of the 2 bodies appear the same, inward spite of differences inwards their form together with/or size and perchance as well inward their environs.’^one This seems to check with a opinion widespread inwards spiritist circles that different ‘levels’ of experience as well as beingness all coincide spatially just take dissimilar ‘vibration frequencies’, and so at that place is no contact or communication between the various states except through especial mediating weather. Whiteman did include ‘interpenetrating spaces’ in a particular set of ‘facts of experience’,^one merely he did not present the idea of interpenetrating spaces as roughly sort of cosmological organisation; he was disposed to keep to systems of facts, non constructs of theory.

Skills, Cycles

Whiteman was confident nigh discovering the underlying logic in phenomena, being convinced that behind whatsoever detail observation at that place is an intelligible construction ‘operative inwards as well as analysable out of the full feel’.^eight He did not accept Kant’second idea of the unknowability of things-in-themselves.^viii Instead, there is ‘intellectual or perceptual noesis which transcends inwards a certain clear in addition to unmistakable mode 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 land of unloose. Fixation beingness overcome, the listen opens out into universality’.^eight We cannot reach this land, he believed ‘without psychological too spiritual faculties of attending, judgement, purposiveness too self-subject field’, based on 3 ‘foundational skills’ named Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection, together with Faith + Obedience.^one (The beginning of these skills in his own life is reported in Michael Whiteman.)

Active Recollection aims to call back or recover the gist inwards what is perceived, ‘and hence the attainment of objective insight as well as unloosen’.^ane Husserl termed it the phenomenological epoché or stoppage, ‘the necessary performance which renders pure consciousness accessible to us’.^one It is termed samādhi or sati inwards Indian literature.^five  Continuous Recollection is ‘the freely stabilized earth of unloose at which Active Recollection has been aiming.’^ane Obedience is non a state of subservience just orientation to ‘the transcendent Source of Right as well as Good.’^ane It operates inwards conjunction alongside Faith inward this transcendence.

The 3 foundational skills were structured into a four-office organisation known since ancient times and appearing inwards modernistic contexts inward learning theory, Freud too Jung. Described every bit the four creative functions, these are ‘purposive cause, deciding on way, putting into practice, in addition to a almost hush-hush maturing of 1’s skills in issue’.^three In ancient texts they are represented as 4 stages in the passage of the sun, ascension inwards the eastward, zenith inward the due south, downward to Earth inwards the west, and clandestine inwards the northward.^thirteen This corresponds with aspiration (due east), assessment (southward), action or manifestation (due west), fulfilment or not-attachment (north); it also corresponds respectively with Faith, Obedience, Active Recollection, Continuous Recollection.^one

Whiteman placed swell importance on this bike having its opposites or ‘counterfeits’ of self-will, self-satisfaction, automaticity, complacency, which may lead to a corresponding bicycle of ‘stresses’ of decease-feeling, shame, hurting, fright. This inward plough may atomic number 82 to ‘inner contests’,^{1 two iii} which hopefully overcome these spiritual deficiencies.

Physics in addition to Psychology

In his search for underlying logic, in addition to for universality, Whiteman converted his ‘psychological’ bicycle into a sixteen-crease issue arrangement, with the aim of integrating it with a ‘physical’ 16-crease issue organization derived from three space together with three fourth dimension dimensions. He noted that 3 of the creative functions – crusade, way, and maturing – are composite, containing ii ‘beginning principles’ of centre in addition to beingness, equivalent to potentiality as well as actualization. In turn, nitty-gritty together with beingness each accept iii constituents, termed past him ‘hypostases’, significant underlying, irreducible causes. The three hypostases of sum were seen equally role, way, end. The hypostases of existence were actuation, becoming, manifestation, the three-stage construction of creation called inward Upanishadic philosophy the Great Stride of Vishnu.¹  So, for instance, ‘deciding on means’ combines ‘agency’ (center) first of all with ‘actuation’ (existence), so amongst ‘becoming’ (existence), and in conclusion with manifestation (existence). The tertiary quarter, West, brings prior causes into manifestation purely every bit ‘existence’ too so lacks an ‘nub’ hypostasis.

This analysis allows the development of a issue organization inwards psychology, as well as then the prospect of comparison with a issue organisation in physics.^{1 ii three} From these number systems Whiteman intended to furnish ‘a clear-cutting explanatory organization... every bit, for case, the basic laws of mechanics are exhibited before any problems are tackled’.^two The hypostases of essence were numbered ane = role, ii = way, three = cease. The hypostases of beingness were numbered half-dozen = actuation, 5 = becoming, four = manifestation/grounding. So, for example ‘East’ tin live expressed every bit the combination xvi (enthusiasm), xv (inspiration), 14 (intention). Combining the numbers one to six results in xvi subfunctions, inwards understanding with ‘15 + one kalās, stages in whatever creative act, every bit recognized in the Upanishads’.^three

The physical number arrangement was derived from the 3 infinite as well as 3 time dimensions. One fourth dimension dimension lies in potentiality-fields alongside a time-ordered, infinite-like look noted above inwards connexion alongside precognition. Another time dimension or part involves the processes leading to physical actualization from fourth dimension-structured potentiality. Finally there is physical clock-time; it is the exclusively time-dimension that is measurable. Combining the six dimensions yields a 16-fold number system similar the psychological subfunctions, ‘inwards such close correspondence with the formulations of quantum theory that at that place is an obvious invitation to present the 2 as aspects of an integrated agreement of the globe’.⁹

Space does non permit a tabulation of the physics/psychology correspondences, or how they were derived. The correspondences, still, satisfied Whiteman’sec sentiment that to explicate what nosotros experience is to

acknowledge a subjective bicycle, such equally mystics, many theologians, and some psychologists have admitted. This cycle, inwards its about consummate class is sixteenfold, too parallels exactly what may live called the ‘earth wheel’ (equally it appears inwards Quantum Field Theory) in every fashion, piece manifesting itself in every variety of human being feel. This is a class of potentiality which is discernible, in addition to indeed can be lived past the individual inwards an enormous diversity of ‘altered states of consciousness’...^three

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

John Poynton

Literature

i. Whiteman, J.H.chiliad. (1986). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical world-sentiment in addition to inner competition. Volume 1, An Introduction to Scientific Mysticism.  Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

two. Whiteman, J.H.thou. (2000). Old too New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical world-thought as well as inner competition. Volume two, Dynamics of Spiritual Development. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

three. Whiteman, J.H.chiliad. (2006). Old in addition to New Evidence on the Meaning of Life: the mystical Earth-view and inner contest. Volume 3, Universal Theology together with Life in other Worlds. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

4. Whiteman, J.H.M. (1961). The Mystical Life. London: Faber in addition to Faber.

5. Whiteman, J.H.K. (1993). Aphorisms on Spiritual Method: the ‘Yoga Sutras of Patanjali’ inward the lite of mystical feel. Gerrards Cross: Colin Smythe.

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

seven. Heisenberg, west. (1959). Physics in addition to Philosophy: the revolution in mod scientific discipline. London: Allen as well as Unwin.

8. Whiteman, J.H.K. (1967). Philosophy of Space as well as Time in addition to the Inner Constitution of Nature: a phenomenological study. London: Allen as well as Unwin.

nine. Whiteman, J.H.G. (1977). Parapsychology together with physics. In Wolman, B.B. (ed.) Handbook of Parapsychology. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

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