NON-DUALITY
Manifestation & Manifested World -
1: Spiritual Framework
In the spiritual framework of thought, we will postulate an Ultimate Reality. Because this exists independently of anything else, we may call it “Pure Being.” The question we will then ask is: how does Pure Being (Pure State of Nonduality/Self/Consciousness) manifest the world?
2: Manifestation of the World: And to the above question quantum physics offers an exceedingly simple answer: Pure Being manifests the world by entering into reflexive spatial relations. “Reflexive” means that the relations are self-relations: Pure Being enters into relations with itself. “Spatial” means that the relations have the character of relative positions — positions that things occupy in relation to each other.
And this turns out to be true in a very general way. In the so-called quantum world, most measurable quantities — including the positions of particles, atoms, and molecules — only exist, or only have values, if they are actually measured.****
3: Manifest World vs Manifestation
The manifestation of the world is a transition from a condition of complete indefiniteness and indistinguishability to a world of distinguishable objects with definite properties (collapse of wavefunction)
The question then is: how can we describe what is indefinite or indistinguishable? And the answer, as we just found, is that what is indefinite or indistinguishable can only be described by assigning probabilities to the definite and distinguishable events by which the outcomes of measurements are indicated. In other words, what is instrumental in the manifestation of the world can only be described in terms of what happens in the manifested world (Observations and experiments by Conscious observers).
4: Two Kinds of Causality
a) Time bound causality: Not only does quantum physics call for the distinction between the manifested world and its manifestation, it also prompts us to distinguish between two kinds of causality. One is the traditional kind, which links objects and events across time and space and allows us to make sense of what goes on in time and space. It is part of the world drama, but it does not take part in setting the stage for it.
b) Nonlocal (spaceless and timeless) causality: The other is the causality of the process of manifestation — the process by which Pure Being enters into reflexive spatial relations and subjects them to the laws of physics. Because this process is responsible for the creation of time and space, it obviously isn’t a process that takes place in time. As prisoners of time we keep looking for the origin of the universe at the beginning of time, but this is an error of perspective, and quantum physics tells us so.
To say it again: what is instrumental in the manifestation of the world can only be described in terms of what happens in the manifested world (Observations and experiments by Conscious observers).
1: Spiritual Framework
In the spiritual framework of thought, we will postulate an Ultimate Reality. Because this exists independently of anything else, we may call it “Pure Being.” The question we will then ask is: how does Pure Being (Pure State of Nonduality/Self/Consciousness) manifest the world?
2: Manifestation of the World: And to the above question quantum physics offers an exceedingly simple answer: Pure Being manifests the world by entering into reflexive spatial relations. “Reflexive” means that the relations are self-relations: Pure Being enters into relations with itself. “Spatial” means that the relations have the character of relative positions — positions that things occupy in relation to each other.
And this turns out to be true in a very general way. In the so-called quantum world, most measurable quantities — including the positions of particles, atoms, and molecules — only exist, or only have values, if they are actually measured.****
3: Manifest World vs Manifestation
The manifestation of the world is a transition from a condition of complete indefiniteness and indistinguishability to a world of distinguishable objects with definite properties (collapse of wavefunction)
The question then is: how can we describe what is indefinite or indistinguishable? And the answer, as we just found, is that what is indefinite or indistinguishable can only be described by assigning probabilities to the definite and distinguishable events by which the outcomes of measurements are indicated. In other words, what is instrumental in the manifestation of the world can only be described in terms of what happens in the manifested world (Observations and experiments by Conscious observers).
4: Two Kinds of Causality
a) Time bound causality: Not only does quantum physics call for the distinction between the manifested world and its manifestation, it also prompts us to distinguish between two kinds of causality. One is the traditional kind, which links objects and events across time and space and allows us to make sense of what goes on in time and space. It is part of the world drama, but it does not take part in setting the stage for it.
b) Nonlocal (spaceless and timeless) causality: The other is the causality of the process of manifestation — the process by which Pure Being enters into reflexive spatial relations and subjects them to the laws of physics. Because this process is responsible for the creation of time and space, it obviously isn’t a process that takes place in time. As prisoners of time we keep looking for the origin of the universe at the beginning of time, but this is an error of perspective, and quantum physics tells us so.
To say it again: what is instrumental in the manifestation of the world can only be described in terms of what happens in the manifested world (Observations and experiments by Conscious observers).
Quantum Metaphysics –
Science does not take place in a conceptual vacuum. It operates within a metaphysical framework that formulates the questions it seeks to answer, and that interprets the answers it obtains through experiment and observation.
This framework of formulating questions and interpreting results is not testable by the methods of empirical science.
Science operates within a metaphysical framework that formulates questions and interprets the answers.
This metaphysical framework is NOT testable by the methods of science.
One may adopt a materialistic framework of thought, ask questions that arise in this framework, and then try to make sense of the answers one obtains. One may instead adopt a spiritual framework of thought, ask questions that arise in this framework, and try to make sense of Nature’s answers to these questions.
Therefore there is no such thing as “the scientific world view.” Nobody can claim that his or her world view is the only world view that is consistent with the empirical data.
Where quantum mechanics is concerned, the most that can be said is that it makes more sense when placed in the right framework which is a spiritual or TOP down framework.
The following quotes (along with many others), point out the inadequacies of the metaphysical framework modern science uses.
"I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics" - Richard Feynman (1967)
"Quantum theory makes absolutely no sense" - Roger Penrose (1986)
"It is often stated that of all the theories proposed in this century, the silliest is quantum theory - Michio Kaku (1995)
Besides making better sense of quantum mechanics, a spiritual or top down approach is a better fit for making sense of consciousness, it is a framework that can deal with the reality of quality and value, AND it gives us MUCH deeper insights and perspective into the nature of evolution.
materialistic framework of thought (questions), we will ask: what are the ultimate building blocks? how do they interact? and how do they combine to form the objects of everyday experience?
spiritual framework of thought (questions), we will postulate an Ultimate Reality. Because this exists independently of anything else, we may call it “Pure Being.” The question we will then ask is: how does Pure Being manifest the world? And to this question quantum physics offers an exceedingly simple answer: Pure Being manifests the world by entering into reflexive spatial relations. “Reflexive” means that the relations are self-relations: Pure Being enters into relations with itself. “Spatial” means that the relations have the character of relative positions — positions that things occupy in relation to each other.
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It turns out Quantum Physics (currently our best model to explain the physical universe), can be interpreted from TWO overarching perspectives or world views. The random atheistic materialistic worldview which is a bottom up model in the sense that fundamental particles randomly become and evolve more and more complex up to the point of intelligence life. Life is created from the bottom up by a long and ridiculously unlikely fortuitous chance events starting from the Big Bang. No need for a Creator, no need for a guiding intelligence. It all happens randomly within the parameters of the laws of quantum physics and Darwinian evolution. Quantum physics does work within this model but to me (and many others), it is very unsatisfactory and borderline ludicrous.
The other framework that you can view Quantum physics is a spiritual framework. There is ONE universal substance guided by a divine intelligence (that transcends and includes the substance), divides itself into manifestation (involution) and than EVOLVES itself back to oneness as the many spiritual traditions have told us (especially Eastern). Here the universe does not happen by chance but is guided by an Infinite and supreme intelligence. This a top down approach in that spirit descends into and becomes matter (and yet remains). More on this in a bit.
Here are some points to consider why Quantum theory makes more sense within a Spiritual Framework:
Science does not take place in a conceptual vacuum. It operates within a metaphysical framework that formulates the questions it seeks to answer, and that interprets the answers it obtains through experiment and observation.
This framework of formulating questions and interpreting results is not testable by the methods of empirical science.
Science operates within a metaphysical framework that formulates questions and interprets the answers.
This metaphysical framework is NOT testable by the methods of science.
One may adopt a materialistic framework of thought, ask questions that arise in this framework, and then try to make sense of the answers one obtains. One may instead adopt a spiritual framework of thought, ask questions that arise in this framework, and try to make sense of Nature’s answers to these questions.
Therefore there is no such thing as “the scientific world view.” Nobody can claim that his or her world view is the only world view that is consistent with the empirical data.
Where quantum mechanics is concerned, the most that can be said is that it makes more sense when placed in the right framework which is a spiritual or TOP down framework.
The following quotes (along with many others), point out the inadequacies of the metaphysical framework modern science uses.
"I think it is safe to say that no one understands quantum mechanics" - Richard Feynman (1967)
"Quantum theory makes absolutely no sense" - Roger Penrose (1986)
"It is often stated that of all the theories proposed in this century, the silliest is quantum theory - Michio Kaku (1995)
Besides making better sense of quantum mechanics, a spiritual or top down approach is a better fit for making sense of consciousness, it is a framework that can deal with the reality of quality and value, AND it gives us MUCH deeper insights and perspective into the nature of evolution.
materialistic framework of thought (questions), we will ask: what are the ultimate building blocks? how do they interact? and how do they combine to form the objects of everyday experience?
spiritual framework of thought (questions), we will postulate an Ultimate Reality. Because this exists independently of anything else, we may call it “Pure Being.” The question we will then ask is: how does Pure Being manifest the world? And to this question quantum physics offers an exceedingly simple answer: Pure Being manifests the world by entering into reflexive spatial relations. “Reflexive” means that the relations are self-relations: Pure Being enters into relations with itself. “Spatial” means that the relations have the character of relative positions — positions that things occupy in relation to each other.
--------
It turns out Quantum Physics (currently our best model to explain the physical universe), can be interpreted from TWO overarching perspectives or world views. The random atheistic materialistic worldview which is a bottom up model in the sense that fundamental particles randomly become and evolve more and more complex up to the point of intelligence life. Life is created from the bottom up by a long and ridiculously unlikely fortuitous chance events starting from the Big Bang. No need for a Creator, no need for a guiding intelligence. It all happens randomly within the parameters of the laws of quantum physics and Darwinian evolution. Quantum physics does work within this model but to me (and many others), it is very unsatisfactory and borderline ludicrous.
The other framework that you can view Quantum physics is a spiritual framework. There is ONE universal substance guided by a divine intelligence (that transcends and includes the substance), divides itself into manifestation (involution) and than EVOLVES itself back to oneness as the many spiritual traditions have told us (especially Eastern). Here the universe does not happen by chance but is guided by an Infinite and supreme intelligence. This a top down approach in that spirit descends into and becomes matter (and yet remains). More on this in a bit.
Here are some points to consider why Quantum theory makes more sense within a Spiritual Framework: