There’s this quote often misattributed to Werner Heisenberg that goes something like this: “Whenever you drink from the glass of the natural sciences, you’ll always find god waving at you from the bottom of cup.”
Science is limited. It’s a good tool but it’s only one tool. And every science eventually comes to a point where it has to assume a super natural a priori and at that point it stops being science. Btw, since you brought up Shakespeare and I, once again, implore you to listen to The Hidden Life is Best podcast (and feel free to send me that article on Emilia what’s-her-face) because it’s the best rabbit hole. And just to loop it back to your post, that podcast (and the Shakespeare Project) have a lot to do with Frances Bacon who is basically the godfather of modern science. They wanted to hide all the gnostic secrets so alchemy became a thing for wizards and “science” was only what you could prove with experimentation. He also coined the phrase “Knowledge is power.” - like, yeah, we know buddy, and you can jacks have been using that to control the rest of us plebs ever since.
I love that quote! I might use it for Part 3, so thanks for that.
Yes, absolutely. Science is limited by its own reliance on limitations, ironically enough.
Okay, okay, I'll listen to The Hidden Life is Best! Just the other day I had some time in the car and was looking for something to listen to and for the life of me couldn't remember what you had recommended...🙄
Fascinating info on alchemy! It's such an exciting time to be alive!! xox
It seems that my comment disappeared into the ether. At the exact moment I had pressed send, we lost power again! When it came back on, my "lovely" LOL comment was nowhere to be seen. But OMG! I had tried to save it and just now hit CTRL V for the heck of it, and Voila! Here it is.!
Wow! Mary! This is sooooo good! It's exciting! I'm sitting on the edge of my seat!
And I have to admit, I share Barbara's feelings about science. I've just always run for the hills whenever scientific "anything" comes up, UNTIL "Covid" came along. Then I had such bad vibes about all that crap. I smelled a rat big time. I couldn't help myself, I started reading anything that challenged the mainstream view. Plus, I was terrified for our sons. But I was actually comprehending a lot of what I was reading too! I couldn't believe it. I had all these years just thought that I couldn't "do" science, never imagining that it was possibly just this materialistic kind of science that didn't sit right with me. Who knew?
And so, now what? We have to wait 2 weeks for the conclusion to this series! You know I hate when you do that! But it's for a good reason, so go for it, and good luck. xoxo
Great comment, Ronnie. I'm not the first person to recognize that science -- like law and organized religion -- invents its own inscrutable language to intimidate the masses and dissuade them from undertaking the effort to understand it. I REALLY felt that way when I was in the master's program for Theatre and Performance Studies. All the jargon, all the needlessly complicated sentences -- blech! It's such a barricade to entrance! So glad you jumped over it! xox
The Materialism/Idealism chasm actually points to basic differences in the composition of our psyches.
There is a little-spoken difference that we don't recognize in how people are built.
There are three different orientations that humans are born as - Common, Soft and Intermediate.
Commons make up 70% of the population, with Softs and Intermediates splitting the remaining 30%.
One of the defining traits of the Common orientation is their almost exclusive dependence on objective imagery to inform their world-view. Believing or even recognizing things that are subjective in nature is simply not natural to how they are wired.
We see this reflected in how vast swaths of people are influenced and directed by obviously propagandist ideologies through the media, regardless of how ridiculous or ludicrous those directives might be. This is why it is relatively easy, and successful to manipulate a Common's world-view, particularly when the information is coming from an Authority figure.
Softs and Intermediates have a much greater connection to things of a subjective nature. Intermediates are nearly solely subjective, while softs are constantly swirling between their objective and subjective. This "nature" makes it considerably easier for these orientations to consider things that cannot be seen or proven.
The Shift in Consciousness is having its own effect on these orientations, particularly the Commons, in this regard. As people are becoming more self-aware, more and more people are recognizing truths that are not necessarily self-evident, but through real experience, such as the Telepathy Tapes, are somewhat indisputable.
As these "truths" become more mainstream, and more self-aware people are elevating to positions of "authority", meaning acceptance of the non-mainstream views, it then becomes acceptable for Commons to also accept these views, since they are not being disputed by other "authorities."
Quantum "Science" is a perfect example of that. Commons may not have any understanding of Quantum theory, but since there are now quantum processors used in computers, that is enough of a pass for most Commons to at least acknowledge it as real.
And the bottom line is that we are quickly approaching a tipping point at which Commons, who typically follow the crowd, will fall in line with new discoveries as they become more mainstream.
We will see this, not only in scientific endeavors, but also in social and political movements.
That's a fascinating analysis, Philip, and I'm so curious: where did that nomenclature come from? The "Common, Soft, and Intermediate" designations? And what differentiates an Intermediate from a Soft? In Part III, I'll be looking more at left- and right-brain differences, and it seems like there could be some similarities...
Thanks for your persistence in leaving a comment; I'm always grateful for your insights!
I remember that scene in The Miracle Worker so well. And I love the story about the warts. Amazing. That is the world I live in now. Even as a child, something about science turned me off. I'm not one to devour facts about something...I much prefer the mystery. I guess we can have both. At any rate, the past few years have proven just how entrenched the world is in "factual" science. And how common sense seemed to have vanished. Another great essay, Mary. XOXO
Holy Wow... that is an incredibly powerful movie clip. You hold the record for more posts that bring tears to my eyes than any other Substack writer!
I want to start with that quote: “If we approach any surprising event with the belief that some things simply cannot be explained by science, we will never make progress in understanding our world.”
Such people are really always talking about MATERIALISTIC science, but they don't say that, they only say 'science', because for them there is not, and cannot be any other kind. Well, there's a surprise - if you build your science on the assumption that nothing exists except the material, you start to research the nature of reality and you never find anything except the material. Who'd have thought??!!
Conversely, if we change the statement to 'some things simply can't be explained by MATERIAL science, then we are no longer doomed to 'never make progress'. Of course there are a small number of good scientists - let's say real scientists, like Sheldrake who you mention, who do not start out with such arbitrarily limiting beliefs. And more fortunately still, their number is growing.
Time and again, those who are so certain of their 'science' tell the likes of Keller's parents, or those of autistic children today that 'nothing can be done', and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, when it is simply a belief structure, more or less arbitrary. Until very recently, the 'scientific establishment' (whoever that is) was adamant that type 2 diabetes is irreversible, and the holistic types, nutritionists, homeopaths etc who said otherwise were quacks. And then when it can no longer be denied that type 2 diabetes is very reversible, and not even that difficult to achieve, they grudgingly say things like, 'oh well, you were right, but for the wrong reason', and then go on with their materialist denial of the next thing.
They cannot hold back the river much longer - I guess that's why they get ever more strident.
Great post!
BTW - didn't know that Dickens visited and observed American society!
Thanks for the comment, Michael! Interjecting that one simple word "materialist" within that statement is so simple, yet creates an entire universe of difference!! Perfect.
Your assessment of materialist denialism within the realm of health and healing is SPOT ON. I can't tell you how many people I know who cured themselves of something (cancer, even) yet found that their doctor had zero interest in hearing how they did it, ascribing their cure to either a coincidental spontaneous remission, or a misdiagnosis of their condition in the first place. 🙄
Yup, the river cannot be stopped!
I didn't know about Dickens's visit either, until I looked more deeply into the Helen Keller story. He had some interesting things to say about us Yankees, and he said it as only he could. I liked his dedication: "I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THOSE FRIENDS OF MINE IN AMERICA WHO, GIVING ME A WELCOME I MUST EVER GRATEFULLY AND PROUDLY REMEMBER, LEFT MY JUDGEMENT FREE; AND WHO, LOVING THEIR COUNTRY, CAN BEAR THE TRUTH, WHEN IT IS TOLD GOOD HUMOUREDLY, AND IN A KIND SPIRIT." I'd like to believe that Americans can still bear the truth when delivered that way...🤔
Love this and the whole larger subject you're bringing up, Mary.
Thanks for including Sheldrake too. When I read his - I think Presence of the Past - (might have that wrong) many years ago now, I was so grateful for a scientist explaining things I knew were true but typically denied. Of course back then I didn't comprehend the many ways scientists who attempted to work outside the control-box constructed (journals and grants and jobs) were suppressed and not given a platform. So I was confused by the lack of voices supporting his work.
We now know mostly how this control system operates and that those they dismiss and deny is a tell for where we should be looking!
Great exploration - still haven't gotten to TTT's but will. Of course I also need to make time for The Hidden Life is Best stuff too!
Good problems.
Thank you, lovely you for doing what you do. XOX
PS -Just did a post on some unexplained anecdotes given your prompting. The world is so much bigger and more mysterious than we know!
I have so much respect for Sheldrake. (A funny aside... yesterday, a notice popped up from FaceBook -- which I don't ever go on unless I need to buy or sell something -- that Rupert Sheldrake was attempting to "friend" me. I was so excited... until I realized it's just someone who is using his name to sucker people like me into following her...🙄😂.)
Thank you for reading and commenting, Kathleen. And I really loved your post, "Wyrd." Perfect title! So happy to be one of the wyrd ones with you... xox
There’s this quote often misattributed to Werner Heisenberg that goes something like this: “Whenever you drink from the glass of the natural sciences, you’ll always find god waving at you from the bottom of cup.”
Science is limited. It’s a good tool but it’s only one tool. And every science eventually comes to a point where it has to assume a super natural a priori and at that point it stops being science. Btw, since you brought up Shakespeare and I, once again, implore you to listen to The Hidden Life is Best podcast (and feel free to send me that article on Emilia what’s-her-face) because it’s the best rabbit hole. And just to loop it back to your post, that podcast (and the Shakespeare Project) have a lot to do with Frances Bacon who is basically the godfather of modern science. They wanted to hide all the gnostic secrets so alchemy became a thing for wizards and “science” was only what you could prove with experimentation. He also coined the phrase “Knowledge is power.” - like, yeah, we know buddy, and you can jacks have been using that to control the rest of us plebs ever since.
I love that quote! I might use it for Part 3, so thanks for that.
Yes, absolutely. Science is limited by its own reliance on limitations, ironically enough.
Okay, okay, I'll listen to The Hidden Life is Best! Just the other day I had some time in the car and was looking for something to listen to and for the life of me couldn't remember what you had recommended...🙄
Fascinating info on alchemy! It's such an exciting time to be alive!! xox
Whoever said it, Heisenberg or other, it's a really great quote!
Hi Mary,
It seems that my comment disappeared into the ether. At the exact moment I had pressed send, we lost power again! When it came back on, my "lovely" LOL comment was nowhere to be seen. But OMG! I had tried to save it and just now hit CTRL V for the heck of it, and Voila! Here it is.!
Wow! Mary! This is sooooo good! It's exciting! I'm sitting on the edge of my seat!
And I have to admit, I share Barbara's feelings about science. I've just always run for the hills whenever scientific "anything" comes up, UNTIL "Covid" came along. Then I had such bad vibes about all that crap. I smelled a rat big time. I couldn't help myself, I started reading anything that challenged the mainstream view. Plus, I was terrified for our sons. But I was actually comprehending a lot of what I was reading too! I couldn't believe it. I had all these years just thought that I couldn't "do" science, never imagining that it was possibly just this materialistic kind of science that didn't sit right with me. Who knew?
And so, now what? We have to wait 2 weeks for the conclusion to this series! You know I hate when you do that! But it's for a good reason, so go for it, and good luck. xoxo
Great comment, Ronnie. I'm not the first person to recognize that science -- like law and organized religion -- invents its own inscrutable language to intimidate the masses and dissuade them from undertaking the effort to understand it. I REALLY felt that way when I was in the master's program for Theatre and Performance Studies. All the jargon, all the needlessly complicated sentences -- blech! It's such a barricade to entrance! So glad you jumped over it! xox
You crack me up, Ronnie! I'll suck it up with you while we wait for the next installment. :-)
The Materialism/Idealism chasm actually points to basic differences in the composition of our psyches.
There is a little-spoken difference that we don't recognize in how people are built.
There are three different orientations that humans are born as - Common, Soft and Intermediate.
Commons make up 70% of the population, with Softs and Intermediates splitting the remaining 30%.
One of the defining traits of the Common orientation is their almost exclusive dependence on objective imagery to inform their world-view. Believing or even recognizing things that are subjective in nature is simply not natural to how they are wired.
We see this reflected in how vast swaths of people are influenced and directed by obviously propagandist ideologies through the media, regardless of how ridiculous or ludicrous those directives might be. This is why it is relatively easy, and successful to manipulate a Common's world-view, particularly when the information is coming from an Authority figure.
Softs and Intermediates have a much greater connection to things of a subjective nature. Intermediates are nearly solely subjective, while softs are constantly swirling between their objective and subjective. This "nature" makes it considerably easier for these orientations to consider things that cannot be seen or proven.
The Shift in Consciousness is having its own effect on these orientations, particularly the Commons, in this regard. As people are becoming more self-aware, more and more people are recognizing truths that are not necessarily self-evident, but through real experience, such as the Telepathy Tapes, are somewhat indisputable.
As these "truths" become more mainstream, and more self-aware people are elevating to positions of "authority", meaning acceptance of the non-mainstream views, it then becomes acceptable for Commons to also accept these views, since they are not being disputed by other "authorities."
Quantum "Science" is a perfect example of that. Commons may not have any understanding of Quantum theory, but since there are now quantum processors used in computers, that is enough of a pass for most Commons to at least acknowledge it as real.
And the bottom line is that we are quickly approaching a tipping point at which Commons, who typically follow the crowd, will fall in line with new discoveries as they become more mainstream.
We will see this, not only in scientific endeavors, but also in social and political movements.
This is a direct result of the Shift.
That's a fascinating analysis, Philip, and I'm so curious: where did that nomenclature come from? The "Common, Soft, and Intermediate" designations? And what differentiates an Intermediate from a Soft? In Part III, I'll be looking more at left- and right-brain differences, and it seems like there could be some similarities...
Thanks for your persistence in leaving a comment; I'm always grateful for your insights!
Mary, here is a detailed discussion of "orientation" for reference.
This site is invaluable to me.
https://eliasweb.org/Session/381
Thank you, Philip! Looking forward to checking it out 🙏🏻
Thank you, Philip, for your input. You add a lot to the discussion.
I remember that scene in The Miracle Worker so well. And I love the story about the warts. Amazing. That is the world I live in now. Even as a child, something about science turned me off. I'm not one to devour facts about something...I much prefer the mystery. I guess we can have both. At any rate, the past few years have proven just how entrenched the world is in "factual" science. And how common sense seemed to have vanished. Another great essay, Mary. XOXO
Thank you, Barbara, for the kind comment. I do think we can have both, as long as we hold both lightly...
And yes, where did common sense go? Better yet, how? Was it a gradual leave-taking, or did she leave in a huff? Asking for a friend...😂 xox!
Haha! And yes...we can have both! Just because science makes me crabby doesn't mean that it should apply to everyone. :) XOXO
lol!
Not surprisingly, I fully relate!!
XOXOXO Of course you do!
Holy Wow... that is an incredibly powerful movie clip. You hold the record for more posts that bring tears to my eyes than any other Substack writer!
I want to start with that quote: “If we approach any surprising event with the belief that some things simply cannot be explained by science, we will never make progress in understanding our world.”
Such people are really always talking about MATERIALISTIC science, but they don't say that, they only say 'science', because for them there is not, and cannot be any other kind. Well, there's a surprise - if you build your science on the assumption that nothing exists except the material, you start to research the nature of reality and you never find anything except the material. Who'd have thought??!!
Conversely, if we change the statement to 'some things simply can't be explained by MATERIAL science, then we are no longer doomed to 'never make progress'. Of course there are a small number of good scientists - let's say real scientists, like Sheldrake who you mention, who do not start out with such arbitrarily limiting beliefs. And more fortunately still, their number is growing.
Time and again, those who are so certain of their 'science' tell the likes of Keller's parents, or those of autistic children today that 'nothing can be done', and it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy, when it is simply a belief structure, more or less arbitrary. Until very recently, the 'scientific establishment' (whoever that is) was adamant that type 2 diabetes is irreversible, and the holistic types, nutritionists, homeopaths etc who said otherwise were quacks. And then when it can no longer be denied that type 2 diabetes is very reversible, and not even that difficult to achieve, they grudgingly say things like, 'oh well, you were right, but for the wrong reason', and then go on with their materialist denial of the next thing.
They cannot hold back the river much longer - I guess that's why they get ever more strident.
Great post!
BTW - didn't know that Dickens visited and observed American society!
Thanks for the comment, Michael! Interjecting that one simple word "materialist" within that statement is so simple, yet creates an entire universe of difference!! Perfect.
Your assessment of materialist denialism within the realm of health and healing is SPOT ON. I can't tell you how many people I know who cured themselves of something (cancer, even) yet found that their doctor had zero interest in hearing how they did it, ascribing their cure to either a coincidental spontaneous remission, or a misdiagnosis of their condition in the first place. 🙄
Yup, the river cannot be stopped!
I didn't know about Dickens's visit either, until I looked more deeply into the Helen Keller story. He had some interesting things to say about us Yankees, and he said it as only he could. I liked his dedication: "I DEDICATE THIS BOOK TO THOSE FRIENDS OF MINE IN AMERICA WHO, GIVING ME A WELCOME I MUST EVER GRATEFULLY AND PROUDLY REMEMBER, LEFT MY JUDGEMENT FREE; AND WHO, LOVING THEIR COUNTRY, CAN BEAR THE TRUTH, WHEN IT IS TOLD GOOD HUMOUREDLY, AND IN A KIND SPIRIT." I'd like to believe that Americans can still bear the truth when delivered that way...🤔
Thanks, Michael, for your interesting comments.
Glad you found my comment interesting Ronnie, and thanks for letting me know you did!
My Pleasure.
Love this and the whole larger subject you're bringing up, Mary.
Thanks for including Sheldrake too. When I read his - I think Presence of the Past - (might have that wrong) many years ago now, I was so grateful for a scientist explaining things I knew were true but typically denied. Of course back then I didn't comprehend the many ways scientists who attempted to work outside the control-box constructed (journals and grants and jobs) were suppressed and not given a platform. So I was confused by the lack of voices supporting his work.
We now know mostly how this control system operates and that those they dismiss and deny is a tell for where we should be looking!
Great exploration - still haven't gotten to TTT's but will. Of course I also need to make time for The Hidden Life is Best stuff too!
Good problems.
Thank you, lovely you for doing what you do. XOX
PS -Just did a post on some unexplained anecdotes given your prompting. The world is so much bigger and more mysterious than we know!
Look forward to the next installment!
I have so much respect for Sheldrake. (A funny aside... yesterday, a notice popped up from FaceBook -- which I don't ever go on unless I need to buy or sell something -- that Rupert Sheldrake was attempting to "friend" me. I was so excited... until I realized it's just someone who is using his name to sucker people like me into following her...🙄😂.)
Thank you for reading and commenting, Kathleen. And I really loved your post, "Wyrd." Perfect title! So happy to be one of the wyrd ones with you... xox
Oh funny/not funny. I'm always - still - surprised there are people out there who contrive to deceive like that. How could it ever be a good idea?
So much I don't get.
But yes!- happy to be in the wyrd with you. xox