Searching for Spiritual Sanity in a Dysfunctional World

A scientist’s view of a world gone mad!

Robert Anderson BSc(Hons) PhD

4 February 1942 to 5 December 2008

 First published in In Touch August/September 2003

 

Religious knowledge, like any other knowledge, can be examined and subjected to almost the same rigorous scientific analysis we bring to our understanding of all other disciplines in our world. When this is done, it becomes possible to see sense within a world which seems at first sight to be out of control and in deep crisis.

In a few weeks time, a woman will be buried up to her neck and then stoned to death. The reason - having an illegitimate child. She will be allowed to finish breast feeding before the sentence is carried out.

In a continent not too far removed from this woman, a retired New Zealand heart surgeon' is putting together broken hearts with the barest minimum of surgical supplies and in appallingly scant surroundings, healing a people who have been subjected to the brutality of another nation intent on driving them from the lands they have occupied and farmed for centuries. An aggressor who has, ironically, known what it is to be on the end of “the final solution to the Jewish problem.” And yet so few people really stop to wonder why. As a scientist and a Quaker, I find it an enormous and enduring challenge to understand.

The answer, at least for most, would seem to lie in religion. The word religion comes from the Latin, religion to bind back,' and bind it certainly does. For centuries, religion has held human

minds in a prison of creeds and dogmas, unable to expand. Like a bird unable to fly, it has prevented the mind from expanding, from growing, and from searching for truth and light in a world trapped in the paradigm of duality. A belief in hell-fire and damnation is still the fundamentalists' solution to such savagery in today's world of brutality and crime; or the well-known adage used by the insurance world, it was an “Act of God.” The depth of thinking is both shallow and superficial. What real curiosity and discomfort that exists is for the time being satisfied. Only those brave enough to question, to search deeply for answers, are rewarded. As the scriptural saying puts it, “knock and it shall be opened to you.” This does not mean a light tap. The request for real knowledge must come from a deep yearning within and be an unquenchable thirst for answers.

For most enlightened searchers, the Christian Scriptures have succumbed to scientific inquiry and have, in the main, collapsed under such scrutiny. Science deals with facts. It is a fact that the Universe is at least fifteen billion years old and our earth at least 4.5 billion years old. The Genesis story is entertaining, but the earth has been here for over six thousand years so obviously something is amiss here. The Big Bang Theory now has robust scientific evidence supporting it. Furthermore, fossil records show us that life began on this planet in a very primitive state and, through a process where the fittest survived, continued to slowly evolve to the point where life exists as we know it today. There is a statistical argument that, although it could be possible for molecules of amino acids to randomly combine to form DNA and simple life forms, the chance of it happening is utterly remote. It would likely take a trillion universes the same number of years just to have a 50/50 chance of a single DNA molecule forming. This argument is known as “the improbability against the spontaneous evolution of life” hypothesis.

It is due to the Christian Bible that men for centuries believed that the sun revolved around the earth and that Earth was flat, and that devils were the cause of disease. Such a belief system limited astronomical investigations, and crippled scientific research into both hygiene and medicine. Because of the scriptural statement in Exodus 22:18, “Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”, tens of thousands of women were tortured and put to death. By misinterpreting the Koran, a woman can be stoned to death and treated merely as a slave to her husband. Because St Paul declared, “Slaves be obedient to your masters,” millions of Christians, including the clergy, sanctimoniously justified slavery as the will of God. Even so, there is a worldwide revival of fundamentalism, possibly fuelled by the increasing brutality, cruelty and hopelessness felt by so many. But is this the real answer? The more people become disempowered, the more helpless they feel. This is particularly illustrated by issues such as youth suicide in our own country; three a week. At a recent meeting of medical practitioners, I listened in a state of disbelief to a harrowing story of how three youths had spent the day carefully planning to murder a driver and steal a car. Having completed their plans, they set off to carry out this savage deed. The first motorist that picked them up shared his food with them and so had to be spared. The second passed round his marijuana joint so thus could not be a victim. The last motorist was an Asian gentleman who managed to stagger away from his car with multiple stab wounds and call the police. When subsequently arrested the only query made by the perpetrators was, “Will we get our Milo to drink?” After all, said one, “we know our rights.”

It would seem that we live in a world gone mad. Should we, ostrich like, bury our heads and simply go about our business? I think not. The answer to this madness, to these extremes, is to search deep within ourselves. One's first question must be, “Is there really a God, Divine Mother, Allah, Krishna or spiritual force of creation behind all this?” As a scientist, I have spent a good deal of my time wondering about this and applying my training to such questions. Let us, therefore, apply scientific reasoning to our first question. Is there some supreme first cause, or must we accept the “blind watchmaker” of Richard Dawkins²atheistic approach? This postulates that, essentially, the whole of creation is an act of coincidence rather than design. This thesis has, I feel quite rightly, been demolished.³The Creationists loved to use the argument that the probability of life evolving is so unlikely, statistically speaking, as to be impossible. But since quantum reality shows that there are actually an infinite number of universes in parallel, the statistical improbability does not really matter. In an infinite number of universes, a universe where life evolved would be a statistical certainty. Even so, I do not believe that mere chance is the solution. After all, what is chance? Just a word? From a scientific point of view, we need only apply our axiom that “there is no effect without cause” to answer this basic question. Look for what is not the cause of man and reason should furnish us with the answer. All that is good, all that is beautiful, seems to be in harmony with this fact. There arc those who would rightly submit that “nature is red in tooth and claw” and therefore not all good. However, to elucidate this further we need to look more deeply into the laws of nature. These laws, contrary to what many churches would have us believe, are inexorable and immutable. They are certainly not subject to the whim of humans.

For instance, look again at the case of the Christian Bible. In June 325, the Council of Nicea opened and progressed over two months. Pope Constantine, in constant attendance, insisted the bishops modify the existing creed to fit their purposes. This creed, with some changes made at a later fourth century council, is still given today in many churches. The Nicene Creed, as it came to be called, ensured that reincarnation was forever vanquished from the Christian Scriptures. The scholar, Arius, and two other bishops, refused to sign the creed and Constantine banished them from the Empire. The other bishops present reportedly went on to celebrate their unity in a great feast at the Imperial Palace. These significant alterations altered the scriptures in a way that would change forever the Christian understanding of the spiritual laws of our world. Even though almost all the major world religions know of, and believe in, some form of reincarnation, the Christian church ruled it an anathema. But do we have any scientific validation for a belief in reincarnation? I think we do. Over several decades, professor lan Stevenson and others have researched and probed into this question. For those lucky enough to have read Stevenson's works,⁴there seems little doubt that reincarnation does occur. It is easier to verify in those countries sympathetic to the belief than in our own, where children's memories are merely ignored or snuffed out from fear, ignorance or simple indifference. Even so, reliable cases have been documented in the West. An excellent understanding can be gathered by reading the work of psychics such as Edgar Cayce and others with a proven track record. The research of Dr Gina Cerminara is well worth studying in this context.⁵Why should one human being be born healthy, talented and live a richly creative life while another be born to drudgery and disease? In my travels around India, this dramatic comparison is demonstrated daily in every street.

To accept the concept of reincarnation requires tremendous courage. A person must be willing to face the inevitable with a calm assurance that this is the lesson that best befits their growth, be it spiritual or physical, for this life time. Contrary to popular belief, I do not accept that a Mozart child is simply a genetic freak or accident. Or that it was the Will of God that Helen Keller was born with all her disabilities. Like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, she came for a very special purpose. Reincarnation should come as no surprise. Nature herself demonstrates this cyclic tendency constantly. Almost everything in the natural world - including the universe itself - is cyclic. Stars and galaxies are born and die constantly in the cycle of heavenly progression.

So what are we to make of this world in which we spend such a short time sojourn?

In the ancient Buddhist text, the Lankavatara Sutra, several interesting comparisons are given. This world, says the text, is as illusory as a mirage in the desert. It is no more substantial than a dream or the reflection of trees in water. But wait - does this not fly in the face of all that science tells us? Not by any means. After several decades of earnest searching, like others before me, I discovered with excitement that the ancient eastern religions - generally regarded by the West as pagan, false, or having no value by Christians - had a full and explicit knowledge of the laws of the universe of which we are all an integral part. What was even more satisfying was that in recent years these laws have been scientifically confirmed. I also found to my astonishment that many scientists who have been essential in pushing forward the barriers of modem scientific thought spent much time in the east. Shroedinger and Heisenberg, for instance, stayed in the Ashram of SriArabindo. No doubt their work on quantum theory would have amused Arabindo since the Vedic literature espoused this concept thousands of years before they even thought of it.

Having discovered that eastern religions have long taught what nuclear and atomic physics has only recently demonstrated - that matter is a process and that our senses give us a very distorted picture of the world in which we live – I feel these religions deserve serious investigation. There have always been two paths. One is the path of absolute awareness achieved through meditation. This is the path that the Buddha took. The other is the path of faith, achieved through prayer; essentially the path of devotion. We may look at this in another way. One path experiences God as pure awareness, called Nirvana in the Buddhist tradition or Samadhi in the Hindu. The other path, that of Mother Teresa, experiences God as having a human-like personality such as Allah, Krishna or the Father. All are equally valid. We also know, from those who have attained that state, that all are eligible to reach it given the will power to do so.

Combine this philosophy with that of the ideas of such scientists as David Bohm and a completely new and exciting model emerges. We live in a moving or dynamic holographic universe. At this most basic level of reality, there is no separateness. Everything is connected to everything else. Thus we have come full circle. This new model of reality should fire the imagination of what is possible and give new visions of our place in the cosmos. It is a wake-up call to wonder, and to realize that all is not lost. Such a theory explains the many aspects of paranormal abilities of the mind such as clairvoyance, psycho kinetics and a whole host of other hitherto unknown abilities. Brain surgeons such as Wilder Penfield and Pribram even extended Bohm's work in attempting to explain human consciousness. Our minds create the illusion of reality “out there” through the same kind of processes as those used in dreaming. But Pribram's assertions, that our brains construct objects, pales beside another of Bohm's conclusions: that we even construct space and time. Like Pribram, Dr Fred Wolf believes that our abilities are in our dreams, and suggests that there may not be much difference between the world at large and the world inside our heads. It all seems to point to the most extraordinary fact that we see and perceive our world as a series of holographic images. As Francis Thompson so beautifully put it:

“All things by immortal power

Near and far, hiddenly

To each other linked are

Thou canst not stir a flower

Without troubling a star.”

It would seem that this is no longer some esoteric Eastern poetic statement, but an unpretentious scientific fact.

So what conclusion can we draw? I have learned that I am part of one big, living cosmos. If we believe we can hurt another person or another living thing without hurting ourselves, we are sadly mistaken. I look at a forest, a flower or a bird and now recognise “that is part of me.” We are connected with all things and, if we send love along those connections, then - and only then – will we be happy and able to cope with a world gone mad.

 

Robert Anderson BSc(Hons) PhD

Robert Anderson was a Quaker, teacher and writer. He was a Trustee of Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility (www.psgr.org.nz), a member of Amnesty International, a Theosophist, and a campaigner for peace and disarmament. He believed everyone has the right to equality and respect, freedom of speech and religion He lectured on many subjects to meet the public's right to be independently informed on issues of science, the environment and social justice. He was passionate about making this world a better place for the generations to come. He authored eleven books and regularly wrote for a number of periodicals.

Enquiries about books written by Robert Anderson should be addressed to naturesstar@xtra.co.nz

 

References

1. "In the heart of Gaza” NZ heart surgeon, Alan Kerr, battles for the health of children: the Listener, May 2003.

2. "Biology is the study of complicated things that give the appearance of having been designed for a purpose,” wrote Professor Richard Dawkins, author of The Blind Watchmaker.

3. http://www.rae.org/mutationprogram.htm.

4. Stevenson I, “20 Cases suggestive of reincarnation and many other since.”

5. Cerminara G, “Insights for the Age of Aquarius,” published by Quest, 1973.

6. The two scientists mainly responsible for the Quantum Theory and Uncertainly Principle.

7. Dr F A Wolf 1987 Annual meeting, Washington DC.