Quantum Physics, Ramtha,Masuro Emoto, Ken Wilber, & Consciousness

www.julianwalkeryoga.com


mercuria, thanks for the fun and informative article:

there is so much confusion about the implications of these sorts of statements and research.

wilber edited an anthology called quantum questions in which he compiles the actual mystic writings of all the major quantum revolutionaries and discusses the problems of  misunderstood quantum theory. it's a very good read: here.

he points out that all of those guys became mystics not because they felt that quantum physics proved mysticism - au contraire - they became mystics precisely because they realized that as deep as they had gone "down the rabbit hole" there was something that science (even and especially quantum physics) couldnt touch.

particles at the quantum level do not have consciousness. reducing the fields of psychology, spirituality, and philosophy to observations made at the quantum level is not particularly useful - nor is it particularly spiritual, as it reduces interior consciousness and meaning to empirical exterior observation....in philosophy it's called a "category error".

again it's like trying to interpret shakespeare with a slide rule.

or trying to solve a chemistry equation with a rumi poem.

though these things are beautifully related. part of what makes the individual disciplines  so beautiful is that they refer specifically to the distinct realms of experience and knowledge they signify.

in order to deeply understand the relationships between things one needs to first be able to differentiate them.

the 4 quadrant model from integral theory is an incredibly useful tool here.  a fantastic introduction worthy of your intelligence: here.

also quantum theory in no way refutes reality as we know it - it just gives us more fascinating questions about the quantum level.

quantum physics still operates on and answers to the scientific method. as much as some would like it to be, it is not a refutation of existing science, psychology, philosophy etc, - merely an extension of one domain of science. other implications are speculative and tend to be fantastical. quantum theory is certainly not proof of any of the nonsense new agers wisely intone. not even close.

consider:

1) masuro emoto's claims about thought-energy being held in water. he keeps elements of his "machinery" and experimental method and data secret and refuses to be subjected to standard scientific verification - even after being offered $1 million to do so. Here's the wiki on him.

2) university of columbia physicist david albert has publicly refuted what the bleep and said they misrepresented his views in the movie even after he spent hours explaining how misguided it is to say that quantum physics tells us anything about consciousness. here's the article.


3) ramtha is the inspiration behind what the bleep. the moviemakers are all her students and she and two other followers are the only non-scientists interviewed. j.z. knight ("channelling ramtha")  is another one of these super successful scam-artist charlatans that people like bashar aspire to become. this one claims to be channeling an entity that lived in lemuria and conquered atlantis 3,500 years ago! see for yourself: here.

i have known a couple folks who were in her cult. the usual loss of critical thinking and autonomy, irrational beliefs, large price tags, worship of the leader etc...

abdication of critical thinking in the name of relativism, spirituality, or what have you is a really big problem.  the fascinating thing is that people who use their intelllects, critical thinking etc very well in other areas have often been conditioned to turn it off when approaching anything with spiritual overtones - bad idea!
 

my next post will be about how cults and charlatans prey on the extreme lack of critical thinking and acceptance of false authority in the spiritual community. it's a real mess,  and a serious challenge for the creation of an authentic 21st century spirituality.

www.julianwalkeryoga.com