The race for discovering the 'Theory of Everything' is one of the main engagements of the world of the modern science particularly the theoretical physics. It is supposed be unifying theory for reconciling the differences between the predictable old man of macro-physics and his youthful but mercurial quantum sibling. Recently in an essay in Scientific American, Stephen Hawking and a fellow theoretical physicist averred that physicists may never find a theory of everything! He now hopes that a "family of interconnected theories" will emerge, each “describing a certain reality under specific conditions”. Earlier Stephen Hawking had famously predicted that unified theory of everything would be found by year 2000!
IT IS RIGHT HERE!
The solution is staring at us, right in our faces. 'Theory of Everything' simply must be theory of everything without exception or exclusion. It sounds too simple and obvious. However by not paying heed to this simple definition of everything, modern science has painted itself to a corner and made the search of 'Theory of Everything' increasingly difficult for itself to the point that even giant like Stephen Hawking has given up the quest!
MATTER, ENERGY, FORCES AND....WHAT?
According to science this universe is made up of matter, energy and forces. Does that account for everything? What about consciousness?
It is not that science is not conscious of the consciousness. However it has decided not to take official notice. Let us recall the basic biology lesson. The world is divided into living and non-living. Living Organisms are defined by their observed characteristics - growth, reproduction, metabolism and abilities to sense environment and mount a suitable response, self-organise & interact and emergence.
Why is there no mention of consciousness? Science works on principle of experimental proof. Existence of consciousness is obvious even to a scientist as he is himself doing everything including the scientific activities from his consciousness. It is there! We all know. However its existence is difficult to prove 'scientifically'. What is the difference between a dead body and a living one? All these abilities like growth, reproduction, interaction with environment, exist when the body is alive and disappear when it dies. What goes out? Science skirts the question. This silence of science has led to ridiculous attempts to ‘scientify’ human consciousness like the famous experiment which concluded that the soul weighs 21 grams!
WHY THE SILENCE?
Why has science maintained a studied silence on consciousness? Answer lies in origins of disciplines of science, philosophy and psychology. Modern human has divided the knowledge into number of disciplines for ease of study. The classification and clubbing of disciplines is quite insightful. We have science and then we have humanities. History, Political Science, Sociology and Philosophy being part of humanities makes sense but why Psychology?
Philosophy is mostly theorization on human condition and ethics but it does touch on subject of consciousness. However the discussions on consciousness are more dialectical than substantive. Descartes (1596 - 1650) believed strongly in the concept of consciousness, maintaining that it was consciousness that separated us from animals and that our bodies could influence our consciousness and that the beginnings of these interactions lay in the pineal gland. Plato too believed in concept of body and soul. Psychology on the other hand deals squarely with human consciousness. However, at best it has been considered as a pseudo-science.
Scepticism of science on consciousness is justifiable. It is not easy for science to tussle with religion over consciousness even though historically science has been engaged in struggle to free human mind from shackles of religion. Religion demands faith and is not open to criticism or critical examination of its averments. The theories of creation in religions are messily enmeshed in myths and fantasies but any attempt at critical examination evokes fierce response.
Moreover, science is not a pursuit of the average human. Only the brightest of us understand, participate and contribute to science. Religion on the other hand is business of all and sundry. Even the dullest of human species can meddle in it confidently! Its low eligibility requirement of faith is much less taxing than sharpness of intellect, spirit of questioning, devotion to doubt and ritual of proof that pursuit of science demands. No wonder the scientific community, a minority of enlightened beings surrounded by masses high on what Marx called opium, adopted safe strategies to shield themselves from the potentially vengeful fervent of the larger human populace. They avoided confrontation with religion and tactfully left the matters of ‘spirit’, 'soul' and ‘consciousness’ to the religion. It was a survival strategy!
Galileo has finally been tendered an apology by the Church. Does it mean that time has come for change of strategy? Will religion let go so easily? Science has to look at religion as a sibling – born of same human mind and understand its nature.
THE LAYERED NATURE OF RELIGION
All religions exhibit a layered structure. Firstly, there is the common man's religion based on faith and devotion and comprising of rituals, ethical code of conduct, symbols like dressing and other worldly things.
Then there is philosophical layer which is usually treated as preserve of the priestly class. This philosophical knowledge serves to elevate the priests over the common adherents of the faith. It also provides for pastime to the religious elites in form of intellectual debates like the dialogues of Greeks or the dvait, advait, vishisht-advait tri-series in Indian philosophy.
The innermost circle in all religions is the meditative tradition. This is heritage in custody of the most enlightened souls who have the aptitude to seek the truth beyond fetters of formal religion. These seekers of ultimate reality usually keep away from the ritualistic and philosophical streams and are quite dismissive of them at times.
Upanishads in Hinduism represents its meditative stream. Saivism is stridently tantric and meditative. Aghora and other tantric traditions though misused by some adherents and hence misunderstood by common people are profoundly meditative. Infact the Vajrayana Buddhism of Tibet has its root in tantric traditions of mainland India.
Buddhism and Jainism were born as meditative religions. Realisation that communicating this deep knowledge to the common man was not feasible, led to propounding of palatable madhyama-marg and other precepts of conduct and ethics. However Mahayana had to emerge further to cater to common man’s desire for simpler worship and ritual based religion. We also have Kabala in Judaism and similar other traditions in Christianity besides the traditions in China and Far East mostly having base in Buddhism.
A detailed science of consciousness has been developed by these seekers of truth. Science needs to recognise that ‘religion’ is actually three brothers – the Worshipper, the Philosopher and the Meditator! Science needs to take a look at and talk to the last one. He is the silent type but like the scientist he is a seeker of truth and his methods are quite the same!
SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
All meditative traditions though varying in terms of the techniques operate on body-consciousness interface. Body is the lab in which experiential experiments with one’s consciousness are conducted. There is a spirit of enquiry and standard of proof. One has to walk the path oneself and only hold true what one personally experiences. Indirect or intellectual knowledge is not counted as knowledge and is merely a tool to navigate the path of true experiential knowledge. In most meditative traditions the actual technique is kept closely guarded and transmitted only through direct teaching of Guru.
Meditative techniques vary in terms of object of focus. One may focus on thoughts, breath, bodily sensations or even emptiness. However in all meditative traditions objective is detachment of mind/consciousness from its interface with body so that the consciousness becomes the ultimate observer and sees the real nature of existence. Even Aghora practice of consumption of human flesh is with intent of overcoming the inbuilt deep revulsion in human mind. In meditation revulsion or attraction are same i.e. attachments. Similarly in Tibetan (Vajrayana) Buddhism sex has a purpose of transcending what is the most fundamentally hardwired urge in all life forms particularly more so humans.
In all meditative traditions consciousness exists. It enters bodies of living organisms including human in particular manner and it resides in our bodies in frame of energy centers (chakras) and channels. Our consciousness interfaces with the body and through the sensory organs of the body with rest of the world. This interface operates on basis of natural karmic laws. Until or unless one adopts meditative practices, the laws practically run the life and we live driven by our sensory organs and our physical and emotional habits. That is the concept of Maya!
There is a huge body of literature codifying the experiential knowledge of these meditative masters where every existential phenomenon is explained and a structured explanation of nature of existence including human consciousness and its interaction with matter and energy is given.
THE TAO OF PHYSICS
Existence of the codified literature of science of consciousness did not go unnoticed in the scientific world. Tao of Physics (1975) by physicist Fritjof Capra exhaustively analysed the remarkable similarity between concepts of Modern Physics and Eastern Mysticism. However the approach was to find parallels of modern physics concepts in the meditative traditions databank and hence the focus was on concepts familiar to modern physics like space, time, fields etc. Consciousness doesn’t have a place in modern physics so search for its parallel is not prominently featured. Moreover, Capra treats the two knowledge streams as parallels which shall not meet and states “What we need is not synthesis but dynamic interplay between mystical intuition and scientific analysis“
It is time to move beyond Capra. The mystic is not hung up on his need for the science. Dalai Lama uses all modern gadgets but is not attached to them! It is the scientist who needs attitudinal re-orientation.
THE WAY FORWARD
Science, firstly, must give a place to consciousness in theoretical physics framework. World now should be composed of Matter + Energy + Forces + Laws + Consciousness. Similarly ‘living’ has to be defined as comprising of matter + consciousness. It sounds simple but science simply dreads this proposition!
Secondly science will have to be patient about definition, proof and measurement of this new physical entity. Proof of existence of consciousness though indirect is quite evident. Science has been remarkably tolerant when accepting highly imaginative theories in particle physics. Standard Model of particles has been constantly adjusted and modified to fit with newer experimental data. Higgs field was but a prediction! Gravity, strong & weak nuclear forces and magnetic force are concepts formulated to explain the physical phenomenon as observed by us. Science can similarly adopt consciousness as a distinct physical phenomenon or entity which explains the observable differences between living and the non-living.
Thereafter science must formally extract and compile theoretical physics concepts from meditative traditions. These concepts can then be tested for fit with the experimental data available with science. It might be a humbling experience for scientist.
Lastly, science must study the phenomenon of consciousness while applying strict scientific standards. This study will have to be initially based on body-consciousness interface which are studied in medical sciences, neurology, cellular biology and genetics. There are more than enough starting points. The energy chakras and channels overlap with neurological and endocrinal systems. Experiments can be devised to study the route of entry and exit of consciousness at time of birth and death described in great detail in meditative theory. Wiring and re-wiring of brain synapses has been explained long back in meditative science as part of formation of karmic habits. Recent postulation in medicine that human memories are stored in cells in all parts of body was known to sages for ages. Medical science recognises the role of thoughts, positive thinking, will power etc in healing. Depression is known to measurably reduce immunity. Yoga directly operates on this body-consciousness interface. Recent research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA on bodily sensation maps generated by different emotions is clear evidence about body consciousness-interface.
THE OTHER DEAD END
These disciplines of medical sciences, cellular biology, neurology and genetics are currently hurtling towards a dead end like their cousin theoretical physics. Genetics is busy identifying sections of genes which contain codes for various bodily processes and diseases. Cellular biology and neurology are identifying chemicals or proteins which trigger cellular level processes. Scientists at Max Planck Institute of Molecular Physiology have found that cells, while migrating in body or neurons, while establishing connections take direction cues from other cells or neurons with which they interact in order to avoid accidental turn which can lead to disease or development disorder. Another group of scientists recently identified a gene linked to a protein as a probable answer to the question why a clump of cells suddenly ‘start’ to reorganize into complex organism in all life forms. Harvard Medical School recently made a revolutionary discovery that any cell can be rewound to a pre-embryonic state by exposure to acid or other physical pressures. Scientists will decipher more genetic codes and discover more chemical triggers but ultimately the basic question will have to be confronted sooner or later. Why these molecules and cell organelles behave intelligently as if they are aware?
ORIGIN OF LIFE QUANDARY
Dr. Stanley Miller and Dr. Harold Urey in 1953 conducted what later became known as Miller-Urey Experiments where they evaluated the possibility of organic compounds important for the origin of life to have been formed abiologically on early Earth. In conjunction with Darwin’s theory this thinking has amounted to commitment from which science cannot easily extricate itself. May be incorporation of consciousness into the framework of scientific world view can enable science to ultimately find a better solution to the vexatious question of origin of life. Interestingly consciousness is itself a sort of illusion as per the meditative traditions.
It is therefore time for science to take a leap of faith and acknowledge consciousness as a physical phenomenon and start studying it scientifically. Religion will resist and protest but in time, everything will fall into place, hopefully!
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Vinit Wankhede
vinitdw@gmail.com
