Around 300 BCE, Aristotle developed an elaborate model of
the universe that enabled the calculation of the movement of various heavenly
bodies. It was not precisely accurate
but was close enough to garner complete acceptance for 2, 000 years. Unfortunately, his fundamental precept that
the earth was the center of the universe and was orbited by the sun, moon and
stars was completely wrong. With intense
opposition the Copernican model of a heliocentric universe enabled us to
progressively move towards a more accurate understanding of the cosmos.
Recognizing the importance of an openness to paradigm shifts
has become the cornerstone of scientific discovery. Perhaps a similar attitude about
understanding God might be helpful. Is
it possible that our preconceived ideas are restricting our ability to
experience and harmonize with whatever cosmic entity may exist?
There was a time when considering the nature of
consciousness was merely the interest of philosophers. In recent decades, however, the scientific
community has increasingly taken up the task of researching this perplexing
phenomenon. The prevailing view is that
consciousness is a perceptual construct that is restricted to the organic
brain. Others speculate that our
individual awareness may, in fact, be an expression of a universal field of
consciousness extending throughout the universe.
If we accept this latter view as a valid possibility, the
implications present us with a flood of questions. How could awareness exist without a physical
source to generate it? Is it possible
that Dark Matter is some form of neural network? Is Dark Energy a related field of primal
consciousness or information? If String
Theory accurately represents a multidimensional universe, could one or more of
those dimensions comprise a field of consciousness? As finite as we are, are we even capable of
accurately perceiving or comprehending something so vast?
The Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS)is an example of contemporary
efforts to apply the scientific method to comprehending the ethereal aspects of
our human experience. In his book,
Entangled Minds, the IONS’ head scientist, Dean Radin, chronicles numerous
experiments that seek to establish the validity of psi phenomena. The areas of study included telepathy,
distance viewing, precognition, psychokinesis and similar aspects of
parapsychology. After careful
statistical analysis, it is evident that consciousness extends far beyond our
physical brains, can be perceived by others at great distances and influence physical matter.
Various studies have demonstrated that this entangled
consciousness does not occur among humans alone. The extensive research conducted by Rupert
Sheldrake and others has revealed that our pets are capable of perceiving our
intentions before we take any physical action.
If you have ever felt that your furry friends are reading your mind, it
is not your imagination. It is merely one more way that they instinctually perceive
their environment.
Increasingly research is supporting the theory that an
incredibly subtle field of consciousness envelopes our planet. Like the rest of our senses, our ability to
perceive this global connectivity varies from one individual to another. Traditionally, those with the highest degree
of awareness have been associated with spirituality and mysticism. However, it now appears that this phenomenon
is not a transcendent mystical occurrence, but a natural aspect of physical
matter.
Theories regarding this concept began to emerge during the
early part of the 20th century.
The noted psychologist, Karl Jung, referred to this as the “Collective
Unconscious”. In 1922, Pierre Teilhard
de Chardin, in conjunction with Édouard Le Roy and Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky,
coined the term ‘noosphere’ which suggests a global mind. Until recently, these and related theories
relied primarily on social observations and conjecture. However, tremendous advances in technological
sophistication are enabling theorists to develop experiments that demonstrate
the plausibility of these concepts.
The Princeton Global Consciousness Project (GCP, accessible
at http://noosphere.princeton.edu/)is just one example of current research
efforts that are providing tangible evidence to support the existence of a
noosphere. Several decades ago, the Princeton
Engineering Anomalies Research Laboratory discovered that large groups with a
common focus can apparently influence the output of random number generators
(RNGs). Normally RNGs produce completely random data;
however, researchers found that operating them at concerts and other group
events resulted in data that exhibited a tendency towards numeric
patterns.
It is theorized that the collective consciousness of groups
somehow establishes an organizational resonance that affects the RNGs. The GCP is tasked with examining this
phenomenon more extensively. At present,
a network of more than 70 RNGs worldwide are continuously transmitting data to
the GCP headquarters in Princeton.
There, the information is analyzed to identify non-random patterns and
any potential association with world events.
One of the highest correlations occurred during the attack
on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. More recent statistically significant occasions
have included President Obama’s farewell address, President Trump’s
inauguration and the Women’s March on Washington D.c. on January 21, 2017. The GCP makes no attempts to explain exactly
what is taking place or why the RNGs are affected. Nevertheless, this seems to indicate that
there is indeed a worldwide convergence of human thought especially when the
feelings of millions of people are synchronized during great events.
Currently, these findings are not widely accepted within the
scientific community. Of course, this is
not at all surprising. There is an
extremely long list of innovative and well established scientific discoveries
that initially met strong opposition and ridicule. The fact that anyone is attempting to apply
the scientific method to such an ethereal area of study is commendable.
Personally, I find the concept extremely intriguing. If we take time to pay attention, we will become
aware of our ability to assess the social environment of every group
encounter. Instinctually we recognize
the joy, anger, frustration, confusion and other dynamics at work in the
gathering. Is this merely a culmination
of our visual and auditory senses, or are we intuitively aware of the
collective consciousness being generated in each new situation?
If we acknowledge the very real possibility that the
noosphere is an actual aspect of our physical existence, we find ourselves with
many more questions than answers. Does this collective mind serve as a source of
intuition, insights, inspirations and spontaneous knowledge that is available
to each of us? Is it some form of
supernatural being of which we are part?
Or, is this a natural occurrence in which we contribute to the field of
consciousness like individual cells in a gigantic brain? If it is the latter, then our thoughts,
feelings, attitudes and the way we interact with others are all far more
important than we currently realize.
This phenomenon may extend far beyond our planet. What if it is in fact an aspect of the entire
cosmos? What if sentient beings
throughout the universe are contributing to a growing field of cognition? What if, as many currently believe, the
universe is becoming self-aware?
It may be that an intuitive sense of our universal
interconnection has produced our concept of God. The noosphere or cosmic consciousness would
certainly be compatible with the majority of eastern philosophy. However, it appears that the misconception of
our western culture is a belief that that vastness is a separate and distinct
entity. What if we in some way actually contribute to that totality? Then, the extraordinary awe that awaits us is
the realization that in truth we are an integral aspect of the enormity of the
universe.
