Shamanic Physics

The Observer Effect

According to the first hypotheses of the relationship between modern physics and shamanic practices, Fred Alan Wolf concluded that all shamans perceive the universe as being made from vibrations. Within physics, vibrations are repetitive patterns that can be observed in the simplest physical systems. That being said, from the movement of sound through the air to the invisible vibrations of light waves speeding through the universe are all evidence of vibrational motion. Consequently, Wolf discovered that there were even more subtle vibrations, which were contained in the probability waves of subatomic and atomic matter. These waves possess a vibrational pattern, yet they also play a key role in determining how probable physical events are to take place. Whenever in time or wherever in space an event manifests are governed by the strength and amplitude of these waves. Quantum waves are invisible. They are constructs of human thought necessary for the modern world to enable an understanding of atomic and subatomic matter. For any event to manifest, these waves coming from the future and the present or from the past and the present must interfere with each other in the present. The Anglo-Saxon Shamans themselves viewed the universe as a web consisting of vibrating strings. However, when contemplating the observer effect, which in essence describes that the act of observation alters the phenomena of being observed, one should be aware that the quantum system itself would not be able to operate in the same manner, if it was to be observed as a whole. It is known that quantum waves exist through space and even beyond time. In addition, they are possess the capacity affect matter. Yet, most individuals neglect that there would have to be an intelligence behind the observed for it to alter its behaviour. In the Bohr interpretation of quantum physics, these waves would vanish the instant any observation of matter occurred. In fact, the observation was imagined as the sudden collapse of the wave producing a particle of matter. According to Paulis exclusion principle, electrons have the ability to exclude each other from entering each others territory. Atomic energy structures are possible only due to electric exclusion. According to Pauli, photons, particles of light, possess the ability to include each other. They are able to enter each others territory and in fact have a strong tendency to do so, thus the phenomena is termed photon inclusion, which resulted in the development of laser technology that would not be able to operate outside of this fact. Henceforth, during an altered state of consciousness, the observer of a quantum system disturbs the system by the mere act of observing it.

Difference Between Resonance and Vibration

According to the teachings of the Quabala, the universe was constructed from vibrational sound patterns of three Hebrew letters, which are “aleph”, “mem” and “sheen” in an interplay of spirit, matter and consciousness. That which is known as consciousness is consistent of waves of information that move from spirit into matter and then back into spirit. This flow of waves took place outside of time. In the sense that the whole action of that movement was instantaneous. According to quantum physics, any conscious experience also results from a double movement of a wave action. This wave action also occurs beyond space and time. It is a wave of possibilities, that is known as quantum wave function. It moves from the present to the relevant time and then returns to the present moment. As shamans chant sacred songs and chants in order to invoke spirits of all kinds, the connection between sacred chants and the language used by, for instance, Qabalists. Often, a resonant transfer of vibrational energy from one individual to another is symbolized during rituals and practices. In countless traditions, healing is also viewed as a transfer of vibrational energy within the body. When the body falls ill, parts of it are out of harmony with the rest of it. All organs and cells vibrate. Hence, the practice of radionics has become more widespread within Western Medicine. It is often believed that when an organ is no longer receiving vibrational energy from the rest of the body, it is vibrating at another or the wrong frequency, thus it is out of harmony with that which nurtures it. Therefore, healing could simply consist of reinvoking those sacred sounds within the body, which is very similar to the practice of Atharveda within Hinduism. For instance, in the shamanic tradition, the chanting of the world “wolf” would invoke the presence of the wolf itself. Thus if one sang the name of a wolf in a sacred manner, a wolf would appear. Shamans do not simply view things interacting with things producing a cause and effect relationship, yet they view it as a web of interconnectedness, which is very close to the kind of interconnectedness that can be observed in old fashioned and present day quantum models. In physics, this is referred to as non-locality, which describes actions taking place in one location can instantly affect actions in an entirely different location. The process of energy resonating within the hunter that may attract animals of prey, such as a wolf, deer or even edible type of bear. In conclusion, resonance vibrations would differ from individual to individual. One may even hypothesize that it could be unique to the individual. However, vibrational modes of the body can be altered by stress and illness. Thus, when the resonance of the body is adjusted to attain a homeostatic state, the body would attune to the sound and harmonize.

Purpose of Shamanic Ritual/Initiation

Shamans will utilize any device to alter a patients belief in regards to reality. Whilst doing so, the shaman can also choose that which is physically meaningful and see all events as being universally interconnected. There are two important events in the consciousness strand of the web between a shaman and the individual that is in need of shamanic healing energies. Both events are observed in a testing ceremony. The first event is when the shaman convinces himself or herself that he or she possess a genuine shamanic power. Shamans are ordinary human beings themselves, therefore they must test themselves every single time they conduct a healing ceremony. The second event occurs when the individual that is expecting to be healed in convinced that the shaman has the power to do so. In conclusion, there are two event points, as it may, of consciousness that are required in order for the shaman to be true. Both individuals, client and shaman, require the belief that this special kind of power is being held by the shaman. Therefore, in the world of the shaman and his patient, a particular initial event, which acts in the manner of convincing both parties, and a particular final event, which convinced the patient that the shaman is in possession of healing powers, must be meaningful for both partners in this dance of healing. All of Wolfs hypotheses point toward the observer effect. The patient is required to be prepared. According to quantum rules, the rules that govern the behaviour of matter, an observer must prepare the state of the system that he or she hopes to observe. It is merely logical that the patient, the individual necessitating the healing, would be required to prepare his or her own mind and body in a manner significant to the ritual. According to the Jungian model of psychology, there are four separate psychological functions. Thought and feeling represent two complimentary functions, as do intuition and sensations. Wolf conceived a model of the Jungian functions based on quantum physics. Accordingly, a thought is complimentary to a feeling in the same manner that the position and the momentum of a particle causes the position of it to become indeterminant and vice versa. In a similar manner, it is not possible to simultaneously hold a thought and feeling about something. One causes the other to become indeterminant. Jung noted that during personality development that one function can often mature at the expense of another. Henceforth, during rituals such as firewalking or swallowing lighted butter lamps, shamans will literally perform almost any action in order to convince the client to change their belief structure. Although shamanic practitioners are very sincere, they can use gullibility or psychedelic beverages, such as ayahuasca, and any form of trick to alter their clients own consciousness in order for them to accept the existence of a power, an archetype from the imaginal realm, which is more profound that the clients own mind.

Shamanism & Geomancy

Geomancy is a traditional way of divination based on intuitive contact with the subtle energies of the Earth. It belongs to a large family of divinatory methods founded on that which modern mathematicians refer to as binary or base 2 numbers. The most well known of this family is most likely the I Ching, also referred to as the book of changes. The principle underlying these methods are universal, as certain random or quasi random events can be made to produce one of two definite results. To the geomancer, the entire world was a pattern of meanings that could be caught by the perceptive eye and interpreted by the attentive mind. Certain locations upon planet earth have been even assigned essences and personalities. Along my travels, however, I have encountered one which is still significantly potent. Due to the recent electromagnetic changes of the earth, perhaps even more so. It is the Isle of Thanet. Otherwise known as the isle of death, the hiding place of the white witches and the dumping ground of great Britain for centuries. Yet, it’s essence is clearly felt. Winston Churchill remarked upon the eerie nature of the former island. It should be noted that these places of power have different types of energy associated with ancient sites. These are not only ley lines, there is also another form of spiritual geography. It is possible to measure additional geophysical properties in these other sites. For instance, prehistoric stone structures in Cornwall showed radiation anomalies, which could either be reminiscent of an ancient nuclear war that has been evidenced around other prehistoric structures on the globe.
There are two forces acting within us. The quantum force of the electron exclusion tends to keep things separated. The quantum force of photon inclusion tends to bring things together. Between these two forces of exclusion, which enables atoms to form all of the molecular to communicate with each other and vibrate synthetically, human life exists. It could therefore be argued that as all is composed of energy, it is probable that locations, certain time frames and even individuals possess unique energies, which in turn define, yet also reveal, the nature of the before mentioned object or subject in question. Conclusively, shamanic physics is the entire nature of geomancy. Humankind has been sensitive to the subtle energies of locations for centuries, it is only in the last hundred years that mankind has slowly faded out that very ability through the lack of utilizing it. In modern times, steel frame buildings uilt on an economic bias have come to replace the ancient geomantic bias. Perhaps this loss of ability has occurred due to the desire to coomunicate with one another over vast distances and hold energy as well as power at ones fingertips. The electromagnetic spectrum has extended into mankinds sensorium, as it may. It provides information, heat, and illuminates dark spaces. The lack of usage of geomancy has caused the ability to utilize it to degenerate, as the imaginal realm vanishes into fantasy.

Five Senses

The first five senses of humanity are normal ones. Then one has to consider the imaginal senses. The sense of self-healing, the sense of self-destruction, the sense of penetration, to be able to penetrate other levels, other worlds and other dimensions, the sense of perception, to be able to see and comprehend that which one perceives in those other worlds. And the sense of revelation, to be able to use that which one has perceived as it has been revealed. These are the ten senses that the Chumash work by. There appears to be principles of life based on the mind that have been lost throughout history. These are principles of healing that appear to be universal in essence. It should be noted that mechanical action occurs when life becomes unconscious. As if it becomes dead in its thinking by becoming mechanical in operation. Yet, the mind creates mechanical action by creating least action paths, as Wolf describes it. These paths became the unconscious mind. The body-mind which attends the survival of the individual. The consciousness, the spirit itself, is a very significant part of healing, which in modern medicine is often neglected. Within Buddhism, similarly to shamanism, all illness arises from three root poisons. Attachment, Aversion and Ignorance. The metaphorical gesture of removing the illness, by sucking on the head for instance and then spitting it out, for instance, utilize visualization and healing that has travelled to the corners of Western civilisations by mere efficiency without being directly or indirectly related to shamanism. The imaginal realm has a rather important, yet more often than not overlooked, role within modern society. Out of these five imaginal senses, certain ones are generally trained better. For instance, black shamans are often advised to take caution, when it comes down to cursing individuals, as their ability to heal diminishes and eventually vanishes. The sense of self-destruction, which is often known as self-sabotaging, can be overcome through the sense of self-healing and a sense of revelation. This is rather reminiscent of Jungs and Freuds wish for death and wish for life, which could easily be interpreted as that imaginal sense as well as desire for healing as well as destruction. Perhaps the desire for death represents the yearning to return to a state of complete or true enlightenment. The desire to return to a non-physical state of being. For instance, through the sense of self-healing, the shaman can also attain the knowledge of how to heal and help others, the shaman could for instance produce a healing vibration in the patients body. When the patient tunes into the vibration, they are healed. Wolf suggested that this act of tuning would most likely be related to the vibrational frequency of a quantum wave of probability. The frequencies of these waves are related to the energies of the particles, which tend to manifest where the wave interference patterns are thickest. The lowest frequency waves would therefore have very long wave-lengths.

Time-Travel & Dimensional Travel

Shamanic practitioners have been able to reach a state of consciousness, which is reminiscent to sleep. Scientists have identified the brain wave pattern to be theta. Through this trance state, they remain awake. They have shifted their perception, whilst recognizing that their consciousness is not confined to their bodies. They see consciousness in everything. By choosing to observe themselves as spirits traveling over telephone wires or floating in thunderclouds, they are tuning to the consciousness in these objects. This is more or less an extended self-observation and that is precisely that which one must practice in order to regain ones lost senses and travel more effectively. Everything in nature undergoes self-observation. It is a process wherein each observer defines that which is outside of his or her self. The key here is learning to extend that which one calls the self beyond the normal boundaries. Self-observation occurs even in atoms. The atom exists in stable energy patterns known as states. In order to maintain a state of energy, the atom must recognize itself, observe itself to be in a state. If one considers that an observation is an interaction involving a transition between two states, the observer state and the observed state. When an object is being observed in the outside world, according to quantum physics, the state of the object suddenly takes on a discrete value. It appears in the world. And simultaneously, one becomes aware of it. If one considers that objects are not truly solid, the atoms of the object would more than likely alter their behaviour. One may consider the analogy of Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe at the Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Nevertheless, the atom continually checks its energy state by constantly involving itself in its environment, even if the environment is simply empty space. Actually the electrons in the atom and constantly dancing, as it may, with the photons of light that they emit. Therefore, they are continually emitting and absorbing, or even observing themselves. “Consciousness requires minimum stimulation time of 0.5 seconds {neuronal adequacy}, no matter what the intensity.” [Eccles, 1965] Additionally, it is also known that mankind functions largely on an unconscious basis, one may not be entirely aware of the interactions and travels that occur. According to variant aspects of shamanism all agree upon one single reality. Within this one single reality without past, future or the passage of time, it is likely that only the present moment would exist. Time, therefore, is not merely illusory, it is also simultaneous. Yet, the words of Fred Alan Wolf seem more fitting in this context “The ability to transcend the death of the body-mind by the intent of the shaman alone to convince the underpart to form an ally, to become an accomplice, in it’s own death.” The ego technically becomes an accomplice in its own removal during the process of self-actualization or enlightenment.
Hypothesis: Increased energy signatures due to a form of energy transfer around certain periods of chronological time, as civilisations were more prone to observing the past and the future, which would technically linger within the neural cell memory or even genetic sub-code, as a kind of latent psychic ability, as it may.

Quantum Physics of Death

“There is more suffering the farther you go. The deeper you seek, the more you suffer, yet the greater is your gain, your insight and your vision.” Death, in essence, is a doorway. It represents a transition of consciousness within the quantum system. When the body is convinced that it is dying, the mode of reality perception shifts. It must, for the usual mode of perception, the one that have all acquired in life, is no longer carrying out its prime function, keeping the body alive. In Wolfs model of reality, the sensory apparatus perceives more than one is actually aware of. That which is perceived as being non-threatening is simply ignored. It is there, however. Within society. There are countless true dangers. Humanity lives in a highly artificial situation. We have dangerous means of moving ourselves at high speeds from one location to another. In an airplane, even though we may manage to fall asleep, we are constantly aware of the probability of danger. The same is true for a car, which is moving at high speed along the highway, or even in a house with electrical appliances surrounding the individual on a daily basis. The danger, however, is mollified rather severely. Each moment that passes without a negative event occurring soothes the individual into a false sense of security, although the danger is rather apparent. Once the individual has separated oneself from their natural environment, it takes approximately a week until the consciousness has adjusted to the situation and develops senses to aid the survival of the new circumstance. Nevertheless, within the Tibetan Book of the Dead, there are instructions on how to provide for the spirit after it has departed the body and is in a disorientated state. When an individual dies, they have to be incredibly evolved and powerfully oriented in order to move outside the body and overcome the sudden state of disorientation. The practice in shamanism is rather similar, as it utilizes a rubber hammer and tap the deceased on the head three times, then they begin to talk to him.
If one considers the holographic universe paradigm, one will notice that a hologram contains multiple images. By changing the light source that illuminates the hologram, different images will appear. The hologram has encoded in it a series of possible images. That which is seen is dependent upon how it is seen. However, similar to a hologram, one must know that to look for when experiencing a spirit. Senses that have been developed beyond the physical. In Einsteinian relativity the observers in relative motion would measure time and space intervals differently. If one were to consider whether the observer was moving superluminally, which is faster than the speed of light. According to relativity, the observer could not have a mass. In other terms, he could not be made of matter, as modern science could understand it. If the imaginal time passed perpendicular to time, therefore the individual could technically be reborn at the time of death.

Group Consciousness

A wise man once stated “We judge as we possess ego. Without ego, you cannot judge.” The absence of judgement itself is perceived as being a state of love. As discussed in the book, truth and love are synonymous, in essence. Conclusively, a reality, which is based upon the principle of interconnectedness would be similarly based upon the conception of unconsciously linking the psyche of a species. In contrast to a hive mind, the connection would be unconscious and would surface in circumstances of survival, extreme emotion or superior revelation. In consequence, I recently stumbled upon an article, which illustrated a neurocognitive epistemological perspective of shamanism and its effects upon the human mind. The biological foundation for a shamanic epistemology is indicated by the cross-cultural distribution of a shamanic cosmology derived from knowledge obtained during altered consciousness. These special forms of consciousness involve integrative brain conditions that access ancient ways of knowing, expressive systems which have evolutionary roots in the communicative and social processes involved in animal displays or rituals. These were augmented over the course of hominid evolution into expressive and mimetic activities that provided a basis for significant epistemological expansions of consciousness exemplified in shamanic out-of-body (OBE) experiences. These manifestations of consciousness involved new modes of self and processes of knowing, reflecting selection for expanded symbolic brain processes that enhanced psychological, cognitive integration and extra-personal cognition. Shamanic alterations of consciousness also contributed to experiences of personal spirit essences and encounters with extrapersonal spirit presences that reflected activation of innate brain operators involving self-structures and psyche. The evolution of the hominid capacity for knowing involved new understandings of nature (animism), mind (spirits), self (power animals) and others (gods) that were elicited by shamanic practices and expressed though a shamanistic ideology. These phenomena reflect activation of innate aspects of consciousness, illustrating features of shamanism as a neuroepistemology. Shamanism has conceptualized special forms of knowing embodied within the shamanic consciousness. The article related this phenomena to collective dimensions of consciousness that serve as a conscience of the universal mind. Winkelmann stated in another one of his academic papers on shamanism that “The ancient biological bases of shamanic rituals and their adaptive functions are illustrated by understandings of the nature of animal ritual, as provided in such works as The Spectrum of Ritual (d’Aquili et al., 1979) and Supernatural as Natural: A Biocultural Theory of Religion (Winkelman and Baker, 2008). An evolutionary biological approach to ritual illustrates that shamanic rituals have ancient roots and were built out of prior adaptations revealed in the homologous behaviors humans share with other species.
As shamanism is in favour of the existence of consciousness within all objects, I came across an old experiment that I thought rather relevant in regards to group consciousness that I recently rediscovered. In 1973, a collection of these ideas and out-of-the-box experiments involving plants was published in the book The Secret Life of Plants by Peter Tompkinsand Christopher Bird. The book covers a wide range of topics related to plant life touching on the subjects of soil treatments, plant auras, force fields, plant communication, electromagnetism and extrasensory perception (ESP). In the chapter dedicated to Plants and ESP, the authors focus on the findings of the polygraph scientist Cleve Backster‘ (b.1924). In 1966, Backster was anInterrogation Specialist collaborating with the CIA in lie detection when out of curiosity he decided to attach the electrodes of one of his lie detectors to the leaf of his Dracaena. Backster intended to verify if the leaf would be affected by water poured on to its roots, and if yes, how soon. As the plant was sucking the water up its stem, the galvanometer didn’t indicate any changes. Instead of trending upwards like Backster expected, the pen on the graph was actually trending downwards. But it was what happened in the following minutes that changed Backster’s life and worldview. Being a veteran examiner on polygraphs, Backster knew that the most effective way to make the galvanometer jump was by making the person taking the test feel threatened. He decided to do the same with the plant, starting by dunking a leaf of the Dracaena in a hot cup of coffee, but with no results on the graph. Backster started to think about what would be the worst threat to the life of a plant – the imagery of fire came up in his mind, and at that precise moment the graph made a sudden upward sweep. Backster had made no movements toward the plant or toward the polygraph. Could the plant have been reading his mind? Or were they simply more aware than he was?
One group of parapsychological studies, the ganzfeld studies, have received more recent publicity, in terms of published articles examining the overall effect of the database, than has any other area of psi research. This attention is the result of detailed meta-analyses of the ganzfeld studies by a leading ganzfeld researcher, Honorton, and a critic of this work, Hyman. “Experimental Evidence Suggestive of Anomalous Consciousness Interactions” was published by the Department of Psychology in Edinburgh by Deborah L. Delanoy. The ganzfeld debate, often referred to as the “Honorton/Hyman debate”, will be summarised below, but first a brief description of a ganzfeld study will be presented. The ganzfeld technique consists of presenting a relaxed percipient with homogenous, unpatterned visual and auditory stimuli, which assists in increasing the mental imagery experienced by the percipient. While receiving this stimulus, the percipients verbalise all their experiences, their goal being to gain impressions which will relate to a sensorially isolated and remote target picture or short video clip. The “target” is being watched frequently by another person (a “sender” or “agent”) who is attempting mentally to convey impressions of the target to the percipient or “receiver”. These studies utilise a “free-response” methodology, in which the contents of the target material are unknown to the receiver (i.e., the percipient is “free” to respond with whatever impressions they generate, as he or she has no information regarding the specific contents of the possible target). The most common method of analysis used in ganzfeld studies is for the percipient or an independent judge(s) to compare the obtained impressions to four different target pictures/video clips, one of which is a duplicate of the actual target, looking for similarities. Using blind procedures, the judge has a one in four chance of correctly identifying the actual target (i.e., mean chance expectancy = 25 per cent “hit” rate). Study outcome is based upon whether similarities between the percipient’s impressions and the actual target enabled the target to be correctly identified significantly more often than chance would allow. For further information regarding this experimental technique, procedural details and methods of analysis, see Honorton, and Honorton et al. A meta-analysis of twenty-eight ganzfeld studies was performed by Honorton (1985), in response to a flaw analysis of the ganzfeld database conducted by Hyman (1985). Hyman found a highly significant overall effect in the database, but concluded that this effect was negated as he found a significant relationship between the study outcomes and procedural and statistical flaws contained in the studies. However, Hyman’s flaw categorisations were severely criticised by Honorton, and a psychometrician, Saunders, found faults in Hyman’s statistical analyses. Honorton’s meta-analysis found there were no significant relationships between study outcomes and quality. The overall composite (Stouffer) z score for the 28 ganzfeld studies included in the Honorton meta-analysis was highly significant (z = 6.6, p < 10-9, two-tailed). The effect sizes were homogeneous, overall and across experimenters. The discrepancy between the Honorton and Hyman analyses of the ganzfeld studies prompted a further meta-analysis by Rosenthal, an independent specialist in meta-analysis. Like Honorton, Rosenthal found an overall composite z score of 6.60 for the twenty-eight ganzfeld studies. His file drawer estimate agreed with that of Honorton, requiring 423 unreported, null studies to negate the significance of the database. Here it is worth noting that another critic, Blackmore conducted a survey to discover the number of unreported ganzfeld studies in 1980, prior to the Honorton/Hyman debate. Her survey found 32 unreported studies, of which 12 were never completed, and one could not be analysed. Of the remaining 19 studies, 14 were judged by Blackmore to have adequate methodology, with 5 of these (36 percent) reporting significant results. She concluded that “the bias introduced by selective reporting of ESP ganzfeld studies is not a major contributor to the overall proportion of significant results”. Rosenthal, after considering the possible influence of various flaws upon study outcome, concluded that the overall hit rate of the studies could be estimated to be 33 percent, whereas chance expectancy was 25 percent. In 1986 Honorton and Hyman published a “Joint Communiqué” in which they agreed that there was an overall effect in the database, but continued to disagree as to what extent this effect may have been influenced by methodological flaws. In their communiqué they outlined the necessary methodological precautions that should be taken to avoid the possibility of future studies giving rise to the same level of debate that had surrounded the previous ones. They concluded that more studies needed to be conducted, using the controls they had documented, before any final verdict about the database could be reached. Honorton and his research team proceeded to design a new ganzfeld system which met the criteria he and Hyman had specified in their communiqué. This system, and studies using it, are referred to as “autoganzfeld studies”, as much of the procedure is under automated computer control in order to avoid the problems found in some of the earlier studies. Before Honorton’s lab closed in 1989, 11 experimental series, representing 355 sessions, conducted by eight experimenters, had been collected using the autoganzfeld. Honorton et al. published a summary of the autoganzfeld studies and compared them with his earlier meta-analysis. The autoganzfeld sessions yielded overall significant results (z = 3.89, p = 0.00005), with an obtained hit rate of 34.4 percent (with 25 percent being chance expectancy). The effect sizes by series and by experimenter were both homogeneous. Comparing the autoganzfeld outcomes to those of the 28 studies of the earlier meta-analysis revealed very similar outcomes, with the autoganzfeld showing slightly better ESP scoring than that obtained in the earlier studies (autoganzfeld results by series: effect size or es = .29, earlier 28 meta-analysis studies by experiment: es = .28). Hyman, in 1991 [20] commenting upon a presentation of these results by the statistician, Utts, concluded that “Honorton’s experiments have produced intriguing results. If, as Utts suggests, independent laboratories can produce similar results with the same relationships and with the same attention to rigorous methodology, then parapsychology may indeed have finally captured its elusive quarry.”. Replications are currently being undertaken at various
labs; the only replication using a full autoganzfeld environment which has been reported to date was conducted at the University of Edinburgh [21], where the obtained significant, overall hit rate was 33 percent (z = 1.67, p < 0.05). This outcome is consistent with Honorton’s autoganzfeld scoring rate of 34.4 percent, and replicates Rosenthal’s hit rate estimate based on the earlier ganzfeld studies. The procedure for the Edinburgh study incorporated additional safeguards against subject and experimenter fraud. In conclusion, the findings from these meta-analyses suggest that consistent trends and patterns are to be found in the database. The consistency of outcomes found in the ganzfeld research, the robust PK effects, the modifying variables revealed by the precognition database, the variety of target systems displaying DMILS effects and the correlations found with personality traits are all indicative of lawful relationships. Given these relationships it is difficult to dismiss the findings as “merely an unexplained departure from a theoretical chance baseline”. Whether these effects will prove to represent some combination of currently unrecognised statistical problems, undetected methodological artifacts, or, as seems increasingly uncharacteristic of consciousness. Now, if one were to consider the ganzfeld effect in relation to group consciousness one may be able to imagine that the units that humanity have come to form would connect on a deeper level. For instance, race consciousness. Without any racial bias, african americans would naturally feel more drawn to and understood by their own kind. Yet, once one has gotten passed race, one could view the connection to ones gender as a form of consciousness, as it is consistent of a unique identity. Would it not be possible that individuals that believe or are drawn to the same archetype would be drawn to individuals with similar beliefs due to the law of attraction? Or even to its exact opposite, dependent upon the individual. Nonetheless, once one has moved beyond those groups, one arrives at the collective of the species, which would be innately responsible for the survival of the species, however what if life in this universe would be threatened and almost all alien and humanoid races were to be driven to near extinction, would the collective consciousness of all remaining beings not be focused towards survival in order for the dream to persist, as it may? But then, if all beings were to pass on around the same time, leaving not one being alive, would the dream truly persist for another billion years until new, intelligent life is created? Or would the focus shift towards sub-atomic or atomic life? If one considers the concept of group consciousness, which is probable from a quantum physics and shamanic perspective, the concept of solipsism would be increasingly evident at the core of every being, forming the collective unconscious out of group consciousnesses. There is only one negative aspect that I can observe, as I have listed out quite a few positive aspects, such as the increased capacity survival and the creation of reality through perception, illustrated by the ganzfeld effect that leads us closer to the true nature of reality. Nevertheless, the one negative aspect is the unconscious knowledge that separation within physical reality is illusory, which can create a void that cannot be filled.

Reference:
– Fred Alan Wolf PhD
– NCBI
– Science Daily

7 Paths of Self-Realization

The Way of Beauty

 “Without this elusive, undefinable beauty, there is no art.”

Beauty is visible to those who have looked at life in all its forms, including the most horrifying or the most inane. Contact with beauty, with the whole of the transpersonal domain, is authentic only when it is preceded by contact with the shadow, the pain, the ugliness, and the banality in the inner and outer worlds. If this was not the case, each transpersonal experience, each piece of art would be nothing more than a means of escape from the phenomenal world. These are the moments of grace, moments of inspiration. Whether in sleep or in wakefulness, after the spur of inspiration has passed, perspiration follows. The finished product calls for skilful application, as it may. Another basic phenomenon involve in the process of inspiration is unconscious elaboration. Countless creative individuals have discovered that if they leave their work alone for a time, they return to find it modified and enriched, as though another part of their mind had been working on it, while they were occupied with other matter entirely. Entrusting the material to the unconscious has always been a highly effective and energy-saving method. However, in order for creativity to bloom, one condition appears to be essential in most cases, the pursuit of perfection. Inspiration is rarely sparked without hard work and a tireless search for perfection. Where others cease their efforts, another will experience relentlessness in his dissatisfaction and care for detail, allowing for the true creative work to begin. However, the quest for perfection serves in art, ethics and science to stimulate ones latent faculties, to guide and inspire the individual. An ideal elevates us and enlarges our perspective, allowing for the expansion and growth of consciousness. Without the beauty within the world, there would be no colours, no art, no imagination, no music, no poetry and no literature. Only nothingness. The phenomenal plane would appear much darker than it is presently, figuratively speaking. Elusive ideas can trigger inspiration within the vast corridors of the unconscious. Most artists place a great significance on their inspiration with the realization that any mental process regarded with interest grows and develops, whereas if it is ignored or treated with suspicion, it shrivels and dies.

 The Way of Action

The way of action does not begin with action, but with mind. One has to think of action in a new manner. For instance, this could be illustrated by the craftsman that carves magnificent pedestals, yet he would shrug off all thought of either praise or criticism, of ability or clumsiness and merely go off in the forest. There, his vision was purified, he was able to gaze at the shape of trees and select a form suitable for a pedestal, if he found one. If not, he would simply return home. Unfortunately, this state of grace has become a rare occurrence amongst humanity. Often we act with a purpose in mind, striving to satisfy a desire or eliminate a certain fear. To perform an action out of selflessness, duty or service, however, becomes the aim within the way of Action. Although it may often be a natural disposition to forget or care for others and the need to identify with them. Thus, service is one of the most effective ways of overcoming frustration and loneliness in order to bring one closer to the true self. It not merely the satisfaction from having been useful, but such actions also produce warmth and inner happiness. Within service, all available resources are directed toward the well-being of another, and it is then that the gloomy wall of separation gradually falls away. Care, for anyone, becomes a reminder of protection, security, happiness and unity, which if lacked during childhood can lead to immense repercussions later in adult life. Those who undertake to serve, however, come into contact with unfulfilment and pain. This experience more often than not changes the individual beyond the point of return. Their boundaries extend to include another human being or numerous. By directing ones attention to the world of another, servers forget themselves and their concerns. In this manner, without seeking it, they discover their own realization. True service is not merely concerned with temporary relief for those individuals, it is rather based upon the ability of the server to empathize with the individual that they are caring for. To comprehend their circumstances and allow them to discover inner strength and confidence to believe that they can stand upon their own two feet. One will eventually discover the infinite value within each and every being upon the planet, allowing for a greater capacity of compassion and empathy. It becomes a spiritual manifestation within the self achieved through the service to others, accomplished by individuals such as Gandhi and Mother Theresa. Yet, each transformation occurs gradually within time and hard work.

 The Way of Illumination

The first stage along this path is to simply clear oneself of all burdens, clutter, clouds and weights on the consciousness. This can be achieved through meditation, yet it is also possible through the means of mindfulness. The way of Illumination at times emphasizes the relationship with the physical world. As the treatment of the body affects the body, causing either heaviness or lightness. In addition, emotions can adversely affect the consciousness. For instance, such burdens can hinder the consciousness from expanding and opening, thus the individual must learn to free themselves from the tyranny of emotion and practice non-attachment. In order for the consciousness to become more agile and attentive emotions are at times chosen as a subject for meditation. Then same can be stated about desires. If one has become obsessed by them, the consciousness will continually be drawn toward something other than itself. However, it is neither right nor feasible to eliminate all desires. Yet, by taking a stand that is too profound, one can repress desires and involuntarily end up intensifying them. It is essential that life should not be reduced to a continual and exclusive pursuit of self-gratification. To learn how to be content with little. To discover inner simplicity, as it may. Ideas may also become an obstacle to the expansion of consciousness. It may be their content, thus the practitioner beings to look into ones assumptions. Conversely, a too profound reliance upon any conviction can prevent one from looking further ahead. During illumination, one ventures into states of consciousness that are above and beyond even the greatest notion, consequently one arrives at the point to re-examine ones relationship with the mental world. It is a path to become conscious of all without filters or preferences. This also allows for the practitioner to focus upon a single object to the exclusion of everything else, taking consciousness to a level of maximum intensity. Through introspection,  the individual can learn to retrace their consciousness to its source and let it emerge back into itself. In this manner, the practitioner becomes conscious of the self as empty of all content, unconfined by space and time. In order to be accurate and truthful, awareness must be receptive. Instead of producing formulas and applying them to the world, the individual receives the world into themselves. To be alert, open and vacant, in essence. According to Huxley, the state of grace at any level can only be achieved by cultivating alert passivity to the point of complete humility and selflessness. When the practitioner has freed themselves from stereotypes and abstractions they come to live in a richer and more intriguing world.

The Way of Dance and Ritual

Throughout the ages and in all civilisations, dance has been used an aid to higher knowledge and to mystical union with the divine as well as the cosmos. Within countless dancers biographies, there is ample amount of evidence of the transpersonal qualities of dance. Those who dance are able to step outside the confines of personal existence, transcend linear time and dive into ecstatic, mind-altering experiences. In essence, it unravels the mental and emotional patterns that have crystallized over the years in an individuals makeup, the individual comes to free themselves through performing the activity. This release occurs when dance follows a repetitive rhythm and every movement is foreknown. The mind is no longer weighed down with the responsibility of deciding which movements to make and which not to. It simply surrenders to the rhythm. However, within sacred dance the ritual aspect is more explicit. One is dancing in order to honour the divinity, to raise oneself to its level, becoming one with it. It is the moment in which ritual and dance truly become united to achieve a greater cause. Nonetheless, one can easily find rituals within daily life, sequences of predetermined actions that are distributed through the day. They serve to mark the passage of time, enabling one to take a mental break. It provides a resurfacing rhythm to ones life. Yet, they are also external means for generating a subjective universe. The gestures and movements of ritual, however are rather different from those of normal life. Sacred gestures, for instance, are not responses to actual circumstances, as they are not aimed at achieving a specific result. They represent a timeless dimension, untouched by chance. Furthermore, the deliberate action with which they are carried out suggests a incredibly sensible and attuned reality. All these factors generate a situation in which consciousness is naturally led to transpersonal levels. In addition, gestures and actions are predetermined, therefore they are empty and release one from the need to decide. Every ritual is a discipline to follow without any scope for individual originality. Its predetermined gestures can produce an inflow of transpersonal strength and open a door to an unknown, extraordinary world rather similar to dance.

The Way of Science

Science is a rigorous discipline, it teaches individuals to preserve even in the absence of enthusiasm, to avoid self-deception and to gain control of their thoughts and attention. It trains the individual to persist until they grasp a principle rather than stopping at partial solutions. It educates the individual to notice that events are linked, to identify structures and rhythms that are not immediately apparent and to leave behind a familiar approach or world in order to explore another, more objective one. The scientific method may only be a few centuries old, yet intellectual honesty, the ability to eliminate firmly entrenched mental patterns to see things are they truly are, is timeless. The belief that everything is possible, even realities that are uncanny or in opposition to the opinion of the mass. Furthermore, drawing an analogy consists in seeing similarity in two distinct entities or processes. For instance, to recognize an individual from a photograph means to recognize the resemblance between a living being and black and white marks on a piece of paper, which is an instant recognition of analogy. Yet, there are also new analogies, which enable individuals to construct concepts and invent devices,. One requires to make an imaginative leap from one reality to another to achieve the unthinkable. Science is often thought of an organized, rational tasks performed by means of systematic research aseptic laboratories. Instead a scientist often “feel” their way, as it may, relying at times on chance or on a series of favourable circumstances. Insight can often happen no other way, for the instrument and the processes used by the scientists are an embodiment of the old theories, the very ones that must be overcome in order to achieve progress. They obstruct discover, as they make no provision for it. Within the less structured universe of daily life and chance, in contrast, new ideas have full play to emerge in a less direct or even seemingly accidental fashion. Chance discover and invention are the very essence of the creative mind, fertile in its ability to recognize a microcosm of meaning and beauty in any event. However, the goal of science is not for those that wish to give in easily, nor is it for those who are content with little, or those who perceive they have already discovered a solution. Open-mindedness, curiosity, concentration and discipline become of essence to use all of ones resources in order to reach the goal.

 The Way of Devotion

“In the Way of Devotion, love is directed vertically towards the Supreme Being.”

Devotion offers profound riches, however it also demands absolute poverty. When all vital energies are concentrated on one point, all else loses its appeal. In order to proceed on the path of devotion, one requires to learn emotional detachment. Detachment, however, does not necessarily include disregard for other or the justification of violence, rather it stands for the freedom to regard nothing but the highest as absolutely essential. This state can produce a sense of lightness and joy unavailable to those that are weighed down by a thousand desires with the corresponding burden of worries or fear. The practitioner entirely surrenders themselves to love and service in numerous practices of devotion. In consequence, in the way of illumination, love encompasses all creatures, whereas in the way of devotion, love is directed vertically toward the supreme being. In the way of illumination, love is a mental attitude and it appears objectively within the hearts of the individual as well as in the nature of reality. Conversely, in the way of devotion, love is passionate and full of fervor. Detachment is commonly more pronounced. In the way of illumination, love is more often than not a consequence of freedom rather than a means of attaining it. In addition, rationality, although it must in the end be transcended, is at times accepted and even applied as an instrument for the expansion of consciousness. The way of devotion, on the other hand, is based upon non-rational self surrender. Yet, the higher one climbs along either of the two paths, they resemble one another. In conclusion, none of the ways toward the self are more direct and more explicit in their direction than to love the spirit, to desire it, to think of it at all moments and to eventually give oneself over to it in ones entirety. Love expressed to the source of all good produces warmth, conviction, enthusiasm and certainty. It becomes a perpetuation virtuous cycle. The intensity of this path is not merely a result, yet also a prerequisite. An essential condition of this way is that the object of devotion be numinous. Usually this is not the case, as there are countless idols to which an individual can be devoted such as money, pleasure, success and so forth. Devotion tunes into the object and enters its world. Therefore one requires to take caution, regarding what objects or individual one decides to focus ones energies upon.

The Way of Will

 The Way of the Will is called “the most direct”, “the most literal”, “the hardest”

The survival instinct is the oldest and most deeply engrained aspect of human nature, the boundary beyond which humanity often disintegrates. Existence inside this boundary is a pleasurable experience, yet if the individual were to approach the borders, they are often swiftly overcome by anxiety, terror and bewilderment. However, there are those that draw pleasure from such experiences, of going beyond. They discover that by challenging their attachment to survival, they are transformed and regenerated. These individuals tread the path of will. All those that follow this path are quite diverse, yet there are shared characteristics, such as the triumph over fear, the staring death in the eye and the pushing oneself beyond a given threshold. However, in order to overcome their deeply rooted inclinations, all of them apply the function that is defined by the act of will. The way of will may be the most direct transpersonal path, yet it is not always a safe one and it demands a profound amount of the individual. As its most decisive phase, the way of will proceeds without hesitation, ignoring the complexities of the subjective world. Those who travel along this path are often gifted with imagination, sensitivity and intelligence, yet when a crucial moment approaches, they set aside all superfluous ideas, images and feelings and act incisively and resolutely. Each transpersonal path is paved with issues and difficulties, yet the way of will is in fact the loneliest. Support is often available in other other paths in the form of general guidelines or encouragement as well as the experiences of others. However, the way of will offers no aid and no precedents. One is always the first to carve a track through the jungle, to break a record or to fight the establishment. In fact those who travel this path become a law unto themselves. Nonetheless, the way of will is also the most literal. On other paths, one is confronted with death in a metaphorical sense, yet on the way of will, ones life is actually at risk, perhaps coming even facing death itself. In very path towards the self, the individual consciousness moves beyond its previous sphere of experience and extends into vaster worlds. There are many different methods by which this expansion can be actualized. The networks of automatic responses that imprison one can be analysed, traced back to its origin or transcended. Whereas in the way of the will, it is shattered. With nothing more than will and courage, one overcomes limits and breaks new ground.

What is the “Self” and how does it relate to and unify the spectrum of experiences?

In referring to the transpersonal self, individuals have accumulated data on peak experiences, yet the self remains elusive and paradoxical. It can be illustrated by a thousand theories without being elaborated in its entirety by any. And yet, the self is present at all times. In conclusion, transpersonal phenomena possess an intrinsic existence of their own. They do not belong to a similar level of consciousness as other phenomena of the mind. All transpersonal abilities and experiences form part of a single family and stem from the same source, which is commonly described as the self in order to indicate the most authentic identity of each human being. In other terms, within the biological, psychological and spiritual make-up of a human being, there exists a higher transpersonal centre from which these experiences and abilities arise and originate. Above all, this centre is ones truest being. While ones ordinary sense of identity in founded upon boundaries and attachment, the self possesses a sense of identity based upon the pure awareness of being and unity with all that is. Its very essence is a consciousness free of all contents, beyond time and cultural conditioning. From it radiate higher qualities such as love, peace, joy, courage and strength. It is the source of creative inspiration and higher intelligence. It has a serene, broad perception, originating in a cosmic viewpoint. It is the ultimate life principle, possibly the deathless nucleus of each human being. The self, however is almost always invincible. At rare times, it causes particularly intense experiences, whereas for certain individuals it may become the centre around which the personality is organised. Nonetheless, it remains unconscious for the vast majority of mankind. Although it is fairly possible to achieve awareness of the self, such as expressing it in ones daily life or by recognizing it within others. Certain attitudes and techniques make this undertaking a possible attainment for a vast number of individuals. One cannot arrive at the full realisation of the self by accident, by mistake or unexpectedly, but only through a systematic approach that mobilizes all of ones attention and every resource at ones disposal. However, the self may also represent the next stage within human evolution. From this viewpoint, evolution is a process of self-organisation and self-renewal occurring at a biological, psychological, sociocultural and spiritual level.