| The Nature of Reality | | | | and intellectual conceptualisation, but it becomes a |
| The nature of 'reality' is not only stranger than you | | | | real detriment to understanding the true nature of |
| imagine, it's stranger than you can imagine! | | | | reality if 'dualism' is part of the belief system. |
| There is a saying that "truth is stranger than fiction" | | | | So where are we to go to find satisfactory answers |
| and this certainly applies to the nature of reality, | | | | that will not burden us with yet another set of |
| because in the light of increasing evidence, what we | | | | dogma? |
| have accepted to be the 'truth' about our everyday | | | | To answer this we need to ask 'what is the true |
| reality is much more like the 'fiction' of our everyday | | | | nature of reality'. |
| reality. | | | | The quest to find answers for our modern times has |
| Some of the most searching questions that we may | | | | been taken up by the 'new science' of quantum |
| ask ourselves in the course of our lives are: | | | | physics. Discoveries of the last 100 years have taken |
| Who am I? | | | | physicists investigating the quantum world to new |
| What is my purpose in life? | | | | understandings that are truly astounding. |
| What is the meaning of life? | | | | What is most interesting is that quantum physics |
| What happens when I die? | | | | seems to have brought science closer to what the |
| Our most basic understanding of 'reality' is that we | | | | ancient wisdom philosophies have alluded to for |
| are born, we live, and we die. But for many of us | | | | thousands of years but do not explain in words and |
| this is not enough; we instinctively 'feel' that there is | | | | concepts that are of practical use in everyday life. |
| more to life than just producing the next generation | | | | The 'physical' world that we have taken for granted |
| of humanity and trying to do our best in our allotted | | | | to be solid and separate from us can be shown to |
| 'three score years and ten'. | | | | be a trick of the senses, which in themselves are |
| Our intellect cries out for rational answers and to | | | | aspects of consciousness. The apparent 'materiality' |
| satisfy this aspect we look to classical science. | | | | of the world is no more and no less 'real' than a |
| Scientists generally work in terms of a mechanical | | | | dream-image. |
| universe of solid and separate bits and pieces fitting | | | | Physicist John Wheeler, a one-time colleague of |
| together to make up the equivalent of a giant | | | | Einstein, has stated "useful as it is under everyday |
| machine. However, many people feel there is another | | | | circumstances to say that the world exists 'out there' |
| side to their nature, which some call 'spiritual', and it is | | | | independent of us, that view can no longer be |
| to satisfy this aspect of themselves that they look | | | | upheld". More recently, physicist Professor Fred Alan |
| to the various world religions. | | | | Wolf has stated that "there is no 'out there' out |
| Science and religion have been at loggerheads for | | | | there". |
| hundreds of years in their attempts to prove their | | | | This could all sound like the old idea of 'mind over |
| worldview as the correct one. Despite each gaining | | | | matter', but it is vastly more than that. The |
| the upper hand from time to time, they both divide | | | | implications start to become a little clearer when we |
| reality into two, the 'physical' and the 'spiritual'. In | | | | consider the words of physicist Professor Amit |
| truth, neither of them has provided a satisfactory | | | | Goswami who states that "Energy, Consciousness |
| explanation of the human experience, nor have they | | | | and Matter are the same thing". |
| been able to unite to form a single, all-encompassing | | | | The consequences of that one seemingly simple |
| worldview. | | | | statement are so far-reaching that it requires us to |
| The mechanical view of the universe held by classical | | | | reassess everything we thought we knew about |
| science fails to include and explain non-mechanical | | | | ourselves and our world. |
| phenomena such as telepathy, remote viewing or out | | | | It has led physicist Hal Puthoff to reassess Albert |
| of body experiences, to name just a few. These | | | | Einstein's famous equation, E=mc2. Puthoff states |
| phenomena are far too well tested and documented | | | | that we should think of Einstein's equation as a recipe |
| to be dismissed, so they must be incorporated into | | | | for how much energy is required to give the |
| whatever scientists propose as a plausible worldview. | | | | appearance of matter, that is, the appearance of |
| Similarly, religions have failed to explain how, in a | | | | something 'solid'. This begs the question "is there |
| universe presided over by a loving and peaceful, | | | | actually such a thing as a 'solid' object"? |
| almighty 'God', immense human suffering can be seen | | | | This may sound like a crazy proposition as you sit on |
| or experienced. This suffering can be on an individual | | | | your 'solid' chair reading this article, but just think |
| basis through hideous diseases such as cancer or | | | | about it for a minute. Think about what happens |
| AIDS, or the staggering loss of life in such disasters | | | | when we are in the state of consciousness we call |
| as a tsunami, earthquake or volcanic eruption. We | | | | 'dreaming'. |
| inevitably have to ask the fundamental question, is | | | | In dreams we can experience all the everyday |
| 'God' unable or unwilling to prevent this suffering? | | | | activities of our waking state, such as walking, |
| Whichever way this question is answered has to | | | | talking, meeting people, driving a car. We can see |
| create serious doubts about the religious worldview | | | | mountains, rivers, fields, houses. The dream floor we |
| and what 'God' is supposed to be. | | | | walk on seems to be 'solid'. |
| It is therefore obvious that there is something | | | | All the objects and people we encounter in our |
| drastically wrong with the prevailing scientific and | | | | dream state appear separate from us, external to |
| religious worldviews; with the common understanding | | | | us, and 'solid'. |
| of the so-called 'physical' and 'spiritual' worlds and the | | | | While we are deeply enmeshed in our dream, it is our |
| general explanations provided by either science or | | | | total reality and we are aware of no other. It is only |
| religion. | | | | when we 'wake up' that we realise that all the |
| This leads to the staggering conclusion that we have | | | | objects and people that seemed 'solid', separate from |
| a flawed approach to understanding our world and its | | | | us and external to us, were not. They were all |
| problems. Inevitably this impairs our ability to | | | | creations of consciousness produced by us. |
| subsequently solve these problems, whether they | | | | We need to remind ourselves of Professor |
| are on a personal or world scale. | | | | Goswami's statement, that "consciousness, energy |
| If our approach is flawed, then what is the correct | | | | and matter are all the same thing". |
| approach? | | | | The astounding conclusion to be drawn from this is |
| In their search for answers to this question, | | | | that, as we create and control 'dream' objects, which |
| increasing numbers of people have turned to | | | | are energy, we must in some way create and |
| 'alternative religions' and belief systems. Within the | | | | control everyday so-called solid objects, which are |
| vast array of these belief systems there are some | | | | also energy. |
| that provide genuine insights into the nature of | | | | Are you starting to feel the implications of this |
| reality, but there are many that are misleading. | | | | proposal? |
| A large number of 'new age' belief systems have | | | | If you are, then you will realise that there must be a |
| borrowed from the eastern philosophies. They | | | | process with which we create and control all of our |
| generally talk about the 'wholeness' of reality or that | | | | everyday experiences. |
| everything is 'one', but then continue to philosophise | | | | Knowing the process will provide the radically new |
| about the nature of reality in the 'dualistic' terms of | | | | approach needed to solve our personal and world |
| 'spiritual' and 'physical'. This is, of course, necessary to | | | | problems. |
| some extent because of the limitations of language | | | | |