Hello my friends, and welcome back to Collectively Quantum! As you know, this blog is meant to bridge the gap between science and spirituality, and in order to truly do that, we need to explore both fields. So today we are going to be talking about the second half of the bridge- science. Believe me, I’ve seen both sides of the spectrum- as a nursing student and Reiki master, I have dog in each race, if you will.
Usually, the field of science believes that all spirituality is fake, and the spiritual community views science as a limitation. But what I’ve found is when you truly dive into each field, there are many more similarities than there are differences. Unfortunately, we as humans have a tendency to do things backwards. (More on that later). Right now, I want to deep dive into where science comes from, and why solely depending on it takes the magic out of life. Are you ready? Let’s dive in!
Where Does Science Come From?
Science dates back to the time of the great philosophers- Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle. In order to understand why science is the way it is, we have to be able to understand the mindset of the time. In Aristotle’s time, the secrets of the Universe were viewed as mysteries to be uncovered and puzzles to be solved. There was a general awareness and agreement that the Universe was magical, far beyond our complete comprehension.
After attempting to use philosophy to create a cohesive understanding of the Universe and all its workings, the great philosophers hit a block. They discovered that philosophy, or trying to discover what they do know by discussing what they don’t, was not answering their questions. So there came a point where philosophy was no longer an adequate tool with which to explore the Universe.
Simply pondering the nature of the Universe, in all its wonder, no longer satisfied the ultimate question: Why? In order to answer this question once and for all, Aristotle did something revolutionary.
He created science.
Aristotle effectively said, ‘We need one man to study the rocks, another to study the stars, another to analyze the weather, one to decipher the ways of the animals, and so on and so forth.’ His premise seems logical: The essence of the Universe must be the sum of all its parts. Based on this premise, science, and all the disciplines that fall into that realm, was created.
From Aristotle’s revolutionary idea, psychology, astrology, physics, biology, geology, meteorology, etc. all took form. In fact, they became the basis of what we now know as the ‘modern sciences’, the studies that seemingly form the foundation for our existence.
Over time, each area of the Universe to be studied became so complex that it needed to be further divided into subspecialties. On and on the divisions of science grew as we tried to study our way to the answers of the Universe.
That was several thousand years ago.
Since then, science has shifted from a way to understand the mysteries of the Universe to a way to define the Universe itself. That may not sound like a huge shift, but let me explain.
What originally began as a way for our human minds to make more sense of a seemingly incomprehensible Universe has now shifted to believing that its findings are the Universe. We now believe in the validity of a premise, or the reality of a phenomenon, based on the scientific evidence we currently have.
We used to say, ‘Wow, what an amazing phenomenon or experience. I wonder how that works- let’s see if we can find a way to understand this.’ Now we say, ‘Here is what the science says- let’s use it to determine whether or not this phenomenon is actually exciting or true.’
We have stopped using science as a way to comprehend what we couldn’t previously understand, and we now use it as a way to ignore everything we don’t understand.
Now, I’m not saying science is ‘bad’.
This entire blog, and in fact spirituality itself, was born from an innate desire to understand the workings of the Universe. In that way, spirituality and science have much in common. However, science is no longer used the way it was intended. Instead of serving the Universe, it now strives to dominate the Universe.
For example, look at Reiki.
Look at energy work in general. If I had a nickel for every time someone told me Reiki did not work because it hasn’t been ‘proven,’ I could probably pay off my college tuition. (Okay, maybe not that much, but you get the point).
There are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of energy workers in the world. Each practitioner, each Reiki master, could share with you amazing stories of the healings they have experienced, and the phenomena they have witnessed.
In fact, I decided to do an experiment, to quell the last of the skeptical minds. I am notorious for my ability to find four leaf clovers, and typically once I find them I press them and keep them in a picture frame. However, this time around I decided to place them in a tiny vase and channel Reiki to them every day.
For reference, once you pick a four-leaf clover, it typically shrivels and dies within thirty minutes of being picked. If you place it in water, it may last for about a day or two. I’ve heard that Reiki helps plants to grow, but never experimented with it myself. So, I took my four-leaf clovers, filled a tiny vase with water, set them on my desk, and channeled Reiki to them for an hour every day.
That was nine days ago.
Not only have they not died, one of them has actually grown, and another went from being completely shriveled up to opening all its leaves for the world to see. If you don’t believe me, check out my highlight feed on Instagram called, ‘Alignment’ to watch the progress of these clovers from day to day.
So there it is- tangible evidence for a fascinating and incomprehensible phenomenon. Reiki, the ability to channel healing energy from one being to another, does not make sense to many human minds. In fact, it doesn’t even make sense to science (but we will come back to that). These four-leaf clovers that the scientific world deems ‘dead’ the moment they are separated from their roots, have not only remained living for more than a week, they have thrived.
And yet science does not recognize Reiki or energy work as a reality.
We do not currently have instruments, or widely accepted methods, to measure the actual flow of Reiki. We have no way to ‘prove’ its existence, and so because of this we say it cannot possibly be. If you are nodding your head right now, truly believing that every word I say is insane, stay with me for a moment more.
When Benjamin Franklin, now considered one of the world’s most brilliant scientists, first ‘discovered’ electricity, he was thought to be insane. We now know he wasn’t insane- he had just tapped into a form of energy that no one was aware of.
Electricity was always there, we just weren’t aware of it and did not have the ability to tap into it.
Now, the whole world runs on electricity. We are powered by an energy that was once thought to be untouchable, incomprehensible, and unrealistic. Many people even believed electricity was evil when it first entered their homes.
So what’s my point?
My point is that science does not know everything. How can it, when the field itself was created by beings who themselves had to first be created? What started as a way to explore the Universe more clearly has now become the perceived creator of our reality.
If we cannot measure it, it does not exist. If we cannot feel it, it isn’t there, and if we cannot see it, it isn’t real.
To me, that feels arrogant. Who are we to assume that this world in which we find ourselves, that this entire Universe in which we live, can be defined and explained by our unendingly limited minds?
Science began as a way to answer the question, ‘Why?’ When we discovered that that question was unanswerable, and to this day remains unanswerable, we turned inside out. We created a field that has turned into a dictatorship. This science that once celebrated the wonders of the world now limits them, ignores them, and ridicules them.
Why is this a big deal?
It’s a big deal because science has the ability to leave us in awe of this Universe. It has the opportunity to expand our consciousness, create a new awareness, and enhance our very basic understand even of the question, ‘Why?’
But instead of magnifying and clarifying the wonders of Creation, science now depletes the magic of the world. In casting aside phenomena that are not yet ‘proven,’ we strip the Universe of its very nature as an ever-expanding enigma.
Science, the way it is practiced now, quite simply strips life of its mystery, its wonder, and its magic.
When we try to take the essence of All That Is and bring it down to the level of the human mind, we lose the essence and are left with a mere thread. Science echoes the truth of the Universe; it explains the most basic and rudimentary principles of life. Science has done amazing things.
And yet it leaves behind the true essence of the very thing it strives to explore.
I am not advocating for science to be abolished. Far from it. What I hope you see from this post is that science and spirituality are not separate entities or disjoint fields. Each was created for the same reason as the other- to understand the Universe. Yet one is now a dictator and the other is ridiculed.
Can you imagine what would happen if we combined the intellectual power of every scientific discipline with the wisdom and mystery of all that spirituality encompasses?
Can you imagine a world in which science and spirituality, together, formed the basis for our understanding?
What if these two seemingly disparate disciplines came together to create a new perspective of life? One in which the wonder and the reason not only coexisted, but cultivated one another? Can you imagine a world in which the science and the spirit met as one?
I can.
I see a world in which the mystical experiences of the spiritual feed the playful exploration of a new scientific experiment. One in which the latest scientific finding fuels us with the desire to seek out the next wonder of the world.
I see a time when we both praise the Universe and study it, acknowledge its incomprehensibility and at once strive to comprehend it. Can you feel the power behind those words? The implications of a world in which science and spirituality come together to create a whole new awareness?
A world in which two disciplines, each created to understand the mysteries of life, come together and accomplish their ultimate goal by supporting one another?
I want to live in that world.
So now you see the basis for my blog and the intention for my podcast. I want to create the world that is both spiritual and scientific. Realistic and wonderful. And if you are here, reading this post, I believe you do too.
So, as always, let’s walk this journey together. Because together, we can bridge the gap.
As always, thank you for reading, beautiful human.
Love and light,
Izzy
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