The Universe in a Single Atom

How Science and Spirituality Can Serve Our World by His Holiness the Dalai Lama

First published in 2005 this fascinating account of Buddhism (or more generally Spirituality) meets science has particular relevance in 2009 as we commemorate Darwin's 200th birthday and are reminded of the vigorous scientific vs. Spiritual debate prompted by the theory of evolution.

As anyone who's ever taken the trouble to truly contemplate the basic tenets of the world's major faiths will testify, at root all religions describe the same basic truths. However, over the centuries, science has often appeared to be in conflict with scripture. (more…)

Entangled Minds

Dean Radin's Entangled Minds provides a comprehensive review of the current evidence supporting the existence of various forms of psychic functioning, or psi. Finding there to be overwhelming evidence that something mysterious is going on it proceeds to examine a range of theories that might offer some explanation. Drawing close parallels between psi and the universe described by quantum physics, Radin proposes the latter may hold the key to understanding the former. Entangled Minds concludes by predicting the universal acceptance of psi in the not too distant future, and speculating how this may impact humanity. (more…)

What the Bleep Do We Know!?

Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality

What the Bleep Do We Know? is a movie and book exploring the nature of reality and showing that the apparent schism between science and religion might be disappearing.

Often humans are comfortable in the realm of the known. We avoid asking questions that might disturb that comfort, or confront us with answers we'd rather not hear. What the Bleep suggests that asking questions is good because it challenges and expands our worldview. It discusses a range of life's most fundamental questions in an accessible and entertaining way. (more…)

Reincarnation, Regression and Science

Is science starting to take the concept of reincarnation seriously? Today's Daily Mail ran a story The Last Time I Died was in Jerusalem in 1276 by Danny Penman which suggests this may be the case. The article describes how Penman underwent hypnotic regression and found himself transported back to a previous Christian Crusade against Islam. Besieged within a church he "experienced" being burned alive as the church was set on fire.

Whist under hypnosis he says he felt "aware of my current life but the world of Jerusalem in 1276 was equally real. Initially skeptical, Penman said "it sounded utterly preposterous", but he was left with unable to believe the 'memories' described were pure fabrication. (more…)

Alternative Therapies

The BBC in collaboration with the Open University is currently airing a mini documentary series on Alternative Therapies. Kathy Sykes, professor of Public Engagement in Science and Engineering investigates the evidence for and against various established alternative therapies. In the programs screened so far Sykes has covered hypnotherapy and reflexology. In that remaining she will look at meditation.

As a scientist Sykes, unsurprisingly, begins from a skeptical point of view. But on both topics both covered she has concluded with the admission that there may be something in it after all. (more…)

Science, Decision Making and Precognition

The BBC recently broadcast an edition of its popular science documentary Horizon entitled How to make better decisions. The show featured a number of approaches to decision-making.

It was suggested (confirming what most of us instinctively know) that emotions play a large part in the way we make choices. A mathematician employed a mathematical model supposedly to take the emotion out of decisions. The model was applied to a group of men's chances of getting a date, and the purchase of a pair of shoes. The problem is that the model doesn't entirely remove emotion from the process, as it requires us to place subjective ratings to question such as the attractiveness of ourselves and others. (more…)

Remote Viewing and White Coats

Today's English Daily Mail carried the story "Could there be proof to the theory that we're ALL psychic?" by Danny Penman.

Penman describes remote viewing research being carried out at the UK's Northampton University by Dr Chris Roe using the Ganzfeld technique. Ganzfeld uses mild sensory deprivation (participants have their vision and hearing blocked) to invoke a light meditative state in which they supposedly become more sensitive to psychic impressions. Roe reports promising results and is about to embark on a series of more rigorous tests, including those in which participants will attempt to see across time as well as space. See University of Northampton’s Centre for the Study of Anomalous Psychological Processes.

Penman's article further describes how psychic abilities have long been studied by the military with a view to establishing whether such abilities can be taught to "ordinary" people.

Support for the existence of such abilities comes from no less than eminent a source as Cambridge Nobel Laureate physicist Brian Josephson, quoted as saying "The experiments have been designed to rule out luck and chance. I consider the evidence for remote viewing to be pretty clear-cut."

Another academic, Professor Jessica Utts of the University of California says, "Using the standards applied to any other area of science, you have to conclude that certain psychic phenomena, such as remote viewing, have been well established."

So alongside the mountains of anecdotal evidence, science is now beginning to accept the reality of psychic functioning. This capacity appears to be stronger in some people than others, like some have a natural flair for sport, math, art... But it's also likely that we all have some psychic potential; some means of tapping into this greater, unseen, world of which the physical forms but a fraction. Shouldn't then part of our life purpose be trying to develop this ability, for if we could, wouldn't its potential for our personal development be enormous?

And why does much of conventional science continue to reject the overwhelming evidence that now exists for the reality of such abilities? Perhaps it is because these abilities operate within a reality infinitely greater than the physical realm understood extremely well by the white coats? And perhaps any acknowledgement of a greater reality over which their knowledge would pale into insignificance would threaten their own sense of purpose and self worth?

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Proof of Life After Death?

Throughout history man has pondered whether individual consciousness survives the death of the physical body, amassing along the way countless pieces of evidence suggesting that it does. Though much of this evidence is anecdotal, modern science is also lending the power of its tools and methodology to the investigation of the eternal question.

The Forever Family Foundation is bringing together the finest scientific researchers on this topic for a two-day conference entitled "Investigations of Consciousness and The Unseen World - Proof of an Afterlife?” The conference will run over January 19-20, 2008 at the Cowell Theater, Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, California.

Speakers include:

• Parapsychologist Dean Radin, PhD, Senior scientist with the Institute of Noetic Sciences and world authority on psi phenomena and consciousness.
• Psychologist Gary E. Schwartz, PhD, Director of the VERITAS Research Program at the University of Arizona, dedicated to discovering the truth about the consciousness and the continuity of life. Professor Schwartz is a leading researcher into mediumship.
• Quantum physicist Fred Alan Wolf, PhD on quantum physics and consciousness - does this hold the key to how Spirit interacts with incarnate beings?
• Medical doctor Bruce Greyson, MD on his decades of research on NDEs.

For more information and to book tickets ($225) visit the conference Web site at http://www.foreverfamilyfoundation.org/SanFrancisco.htm

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The Meaning of Coincidence

Coincidence is where two or more unrelated things seem to occur in close enough proximity to suggest some relationship between them. Eg you dream of a school friend you haven't heard from for years only to get a reunion invitation from that same person next day.

Between getting the idea for this post and actually writing it a friend told me of two instances when people she hadn't seen for ages came into her mind. The first she ran into on the street next day, and the second happened to be on the TV when she walked into the next room! And, on the day I posted this, I happened to be flicking through the TV channels and started watching an old series (of about 80 episodes). Bizarrely the episode being shown was the same that I happened upon over 4 years ago also by channel-flicking. I don't follow this series and don't recall having watched it inbetween times. Coincidence, or what? (more…)

Evidence for the paranormal

The evidence for the paranormal falls into three categories:
* spontaneous experience
* laboratory experiment results
* rational logic

Let's examine each in turn.

Spontaneous experience

Countless people claim to have experienced unexplainable phenomena throughout history. Even today there is no shortage of those with tales of the supernatural to tell. As an experiment simple raise the topic with any group of friends, family or co-workers and it's highly likely at least one will have experienced something remarkable. (more…)