Intersecting science and experience
Over the past few weeks I have continued to focus on I Am as I go about my daily routine. I even use it as a statement to myself before I meditate. I have gotten no farther in determining what I Am. In fact, the more certain I Am toward what I Am Not, the [...]
Not too long ago, and by that I mean earlier this week, I read that Deepak Chopra was inspired by Nisargadatta Maharaj. Having never heard of this person, I naturally Googled him. To be honest, I am still not sure who he is, but a book titled I Am That is a transcript of some [...]
The loopy nature of consciousness trips up scientists studying themselves This essay is part of Demystifying the Mind, a special report on the new science of consciousness. The next installments will appear in the February 25 and March 10 issues of Science News. When Francis Crick decided to embark on a scientific research career, he [...]
After spending time interviewing Tibetan monks while in Beijing, China, at the Lama Temple, correlations between their rituals and how they aligned with modern neuroplastic science began to surface. I was able to spend time with the Dalai Lama himself and found that he was curious about the question “Does consciousness in and of itself, [...]
Attachment removed, severed Enlightenment sought, desired Separation rears its pain Untamed heartless growth Attachment removed, emptied Fullness in the making Longing with no focus Focus with no target Farewell objects of false self Bandages for ego torn Skin raw from tape Wounds of forced detachment Attachment bonds broken Potential future developing Sadness for what will [...]
At the end of every year the media is rife with summations of the year’s best music, most profound news events, and of course, the best scientific discoveries. A quick internet search will show that in 2011 much has happened on the science front. Human stem cells have obtained from cloned embryos, quantum levitation was [...]
When Ben Helton signed up for an online dating service, under “religion” he called himself “spiritually apathetic.” Sunday mornings, when Bill Dohm turns his eyes toward heaven, he’s just checking the weather so he can fly his 1946 Aeronca Champ two-seater plane. Helton, 28, and Dohm, 54, aren’t atheists, either. They simply shrug off God, [...]
Dickens’ classic story, “A Christmas Carol,” has a lot to teach us about vision. Ebenezer Scrooge, a successful businessman, is known for being greedy and stingy. He embodies a narrow vision of life. The qualities of compassion, kindness and benevolence have no meaning for him. His narrow vision of what matters prevents Scrooge from caring [...]
I finished reading “Why God Won’t Go Away” by Dr. Andrew Newberg, Dr. Eugene D’Aquili, and Vince Rause. Though I found it started off a little slow, I must admit the book had a huge effect on my spirituality. The neuroscience is laid out by scientists in an easy to read format, lending the subject [...]
Here is an excellent video that explains the particle-wave duality and the act of observation on a system of particles. There are more elaborate studies that have been done that show a far more bizarre behaviour, but this is a good one to start. Observation alters the behaviour of particles, or they behave consciously. That’s [...]