Science and Spirituality
“Everyone who is seriously involved in the pursuit of science becomes convinced that a spirit is manifest in the laws of the universe-a spirit vastly superior to that of man, and one in the face of which we with our modest powers must feel humble. ”
I would like to think we are rapidly moving past the days when we can consider science and spirituality to be mutually exclusive. It seems that science has been and still is catching up to spiritualism. But has it, or did we just spend years forgetting that science and spirituality began together, one in the same. My father was born in the forties and absolutely firmly believed that psychology was a complete crock and unnecessary at best, not to say that everyone of that generation felt the same but he certainly was not alone in his thinking either. At least since Galileo there was even the idea that science was actively trying to disprove religion and faith, and maybe some scientists were. That narrative ignores scientists throughout history that do not see a bold line between scientific thought and practice and spiritual living. Let’s keep in mind, the word science is a fairly new word, prior to being called science it was known as natural and experimental philosophy. History has shown blurred lines between the two as often as bold ones.
It is hard to deny that it can merely be a question of willful perspective. Carl Sagan once said that since the Big Bang theory could explain the creation of the universe “there was nothing left for a creator to do.” Some scientist, instead saw a design and intent to the universe that could not be explained by science alone. Meditation is an ancient practice, thousands of years old, studies show an increased ability to regulate one’s emotions, effortless doing, and undistracted awareness, but studies in the 70’s were not taken seriously. Later studies show meditation can be seen on an EEG (electroencephalogram measure electrical activity in the brain.) Plants have been shown to absorb energy from other plants lending credence to the possibility of science proving that people can do the same. Quantum physics’ string theory presents strong evidence that the universe is composed of vibrating strings. Michio Kaku, a renowned theoretical physicist, elaborates saying that subatomic particles are like notes on a tiny vibrating string and physics is the harmonies you make with that string. Chemistry is the melody of the vibrating strings and the universe is the symphony. He goes on to say that God is the corresponding music resonating throughout the universe.
The universe is a single atom: the convergence of science and spirituality.
-Dalai Lama
More recently science has found what researchers believe to be the brain’s spiritual network. Over the years there have been a few theories as to where it might be if it existed, the temporal and the parietal lobe did not seem to hold the answers though. They do think they have found it in the PAG, the periaqueductal gray. Coincidentally, or maybe not, this same area is associated with fear, conditioning, pain modulation, altruistic behavior, and unconditional love. This part of the brain has also remained essentially unchanged throughout our evolution, implying that spirituality is fundamental to how our mind works.
Spirituality certainly has a contribution to make to science, for its perspective founded in ethics and principles if nothing else. I believe that science is beginning to catch up to knowledge obtained by people over millennia using their intuition and connection to all aspects of nature. Neurotheology is a new field in science that explores how spiritual practice effects the nervous system, particularly the brain. This field tackles notions like free will and consciousness and also looks at how spirituality can benefit us physically. This field transcends religion showing that practices like meditation and prayer, even if secular in practice, still benefit the practitioner. Spirituality is essentially about interconnectedness, to ourselves, to each other, to nature, to the universe, and/or to a higher power.
Science and spirituality both reflect humans' collective need to answer the question, “Why? “ where once science answered “What?” and “How?”, while “Why?” was reserved for religion. Now science and spirituality may not be one and the same anymore but at least they can travel side by side.
What aspects of spirituality would you like to see science prove?
-
De Cruz, Helen, "Religion and Science", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Winter 2021 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.), URL = <https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2021/entries/religion-science/>.
Begley, S. (1998, 07 20). Science Finds God. Newsweek. Retrieved from Newsweek: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/newsweek/science_of_god/scienceofgod.htm
Delehanty, H. (2017, 12 13). The Science of Meditation. Mindful.
Forrester, M. (2016, 08). Science Finally Confirms That People. Preventing Disease.
Orlando, A. (2021, 09 16). Michio Kaku Shares About His Lifelong Quest for a 'Theory of Everything'. Discover Magazine.
Escalante, A. (2021, 08 21). Scientists Think They Just Found The Brain’s Spirituality Network. Forbes.
Brooke, J. (1998). Science and Religion: Lessons from History? Science, 282(5396).