Research reported in The Field (2008) was directed toward studying connections between quantum physics and human consciousness. The scientists sought explanations for theories and phenomena that have long permeated myth, religion, medicine and philosophy.
As we know from the experiences of Copernicus, Galileo, and countless others, science has always fought new ideas which challenge established theories until the research is sufficiently replicated and validated by independent observers. So it should be, and so it was for the studies discussed in this book.
In every field of human endeavor, progress begins with a tiny seed of intuition that grows into the bud of an idea, flowers into research and new discoveries, and culminates in nourishing fruits enjoyed by all. Each phase is essential to the process; each explorer contributes to our evolving knowledge. With this understanding, we remain open to possibilities suggested by author Lynne Mactaggart about who we really are and how we can make a difference.
- “If we could understand the inherent potential available to us we might learn how to systematically tap into it, which would vastly improve every area of our lives, from communication and self-knowledge, to our interaction with our material world. Science would no longer reduce us to our lowest common denominator. It would help us take a final evolutionary step in our own history by at last understanding ourselves in all of our potential.” McTaggart, p. 225-6
- “If we could finally work out the science of medicine that treats human energy levels and the exact nature of the ‘energy’ that was being treated, the possibilities for improved health [are] unimaginable.” p. 226
- “The coming scientific revolution heralded the end of dualism in every sense. Far from destroying God, science for the first time was proving His [sic] existence—by demonstrating that a higher, collective consciousness was out there. There no longer need to be two truths, the truth of science and the truth of religion. There could be one unified vision of the world” (p. 226) which could reduce hostilities instigated by polarized thinking.
- “This…could give us back a sense of optimism, something that has been stripped out of our sense of ourselves with the arid vision of twentieth-century philosophy, largely derived from the views espoused by science.” p. 226
- “We [are] not isolated beings living our desperate lives on a lonely planet in an indifferent universe. We never were alone. We were always part of a larger whole. We were and always had been at the center of things. Things did not fall apart. The center did hold and it was we who were doing the holding.” p. 226 Perhaps if a critical mass feels this hope, it can spread to people who are deeply disillusioned and disappointed by outdated ideas of who they are, thus reducing meaninglessness and certain forms of depression.
- “[A] living system of greater coherence could exchange information and create or restore coherence in a disordered, random or chaotic system. The natural set of the living world appeared to be order—a drive toward greater coherence…. By the act of observation and intention, we have the ability to extend a kind of super-radiance to the world.” pp. 138-9 Perhaps those who acquire greater coherence through meditation are on the right track when they send loving kindness into the world! Who knows? Maybe their efforts are behind our new interest in eliminating practices responsible for our increasingly chaotic ecological systems.
- A finding that children are open to far more information in The Field than the average adult is especially heartening. p. 138 Some years ago I rejoiced when I learned that our grandchildren’s school would incorporate a few minutes of yoga and “loving kindness” meditation and mindfulness into their morning meetings. I believe this is a critical contribution to collective consciousness!
Thoughts offered by readers:
Brian: “An accessing of universal unconscious material by an increasing number of humans brings forward new dialogues, understandings, new positive choices become available, routes away from the history of conflict. Hopefully also a synthesis of religious thought and a route for the previously agnostic to access a real connection to the”spiritual” nature of existence.”
Susan: “There is no question in my mind as to the power of critical mass having a profound influence on the world, hopefully for the benefit of all. And if we can…see, really see, the unity that is inherent in our lives, of all things big and small, our service in doing the hard inner work is thus meaningful. I’m taking away from your post the need to pray for peace around the world in the hope that my tiny vibration adds to the whole.”
Sally: Having read as much as I could understand about quantum physics for years, one of the most exciting developments is that it is destroying the divisive either/or controversy between science and religion and leads to a deeper understanding of the both/and reality of spirit-energy of all life.
Many of the new ideas discussed in The Field confirm insights and intuitions I’ve acquired over years of study, personal experience, practice, inner exploration and positive change. I no longer need to “believe” because I trust an “inner guru” or “Force” which I, like Carl Jung, call the Self. Perhaps it is simply my portion of The Field. Whatever it may be, the dreams, insights, intuitions and synchronicities it sends my way have improved every area of my life and brought a mystical awareness of the basic unity and connectedness of all life.
So, like Susan, I no longer doubt that my tiny hopeful and determined vibration has the power to make a positive difference in this world. May we all grow in coherence.
Image Credits: Google Images
Jean Raffa’s The Bridge to Wholeness and Dream Theatres of the Soul are at Amazon. E-book versions are also at Kobo, Barnes And Noble and Smashwords. Healing the Sacred Divide can be found at Amazon and Larson Publications.com. Watch for her new book, The Soul’s Twins, forthcoming from Schiffer Red Feather Mind Body Spirit on Nov. 17, 2020. For more information, subscribe to her newsletter at www.jeanbenedictraffa.com.
6 Responses
Thank you Jeanie! Here in autumn time, as the world struggles in the middle (hopefully it’s the middle and we’re not still at the very beginning!) of the destructive coronavirus pandemic, never has there been a more powerful time to further integrate our personal and collective shadows … in order to access the “field” within ourselves and others … and in doing so, connect more with local and global communities. For me, this time feels ripe, urgent almost!
For when we tune into that “secret force” that deep inner peace and fellowship that can be found within, as Susan sagaciously writes, then it follows that our tiny vibration does indeed join the cosmic whole or “world choir” as I like to poetically imagine it … and if this “cosmic whole” were indeed music or singing prayers, how beautiful our collective songs from Mother Earth would be, and are I guess when we tune into our Self. Love and light, Deborah.
Thank you, Deborah. I love your poetic vision of this middle time — a seasonal transition from summer to winter, a space between the beginning and end of the pandemic, a connection between local and global communities — a vision that positions each of us in the midst of the eternal rhythms of the ‘world choir.’
Synchronistically, I awoke this morning thinking of the corpus callosum, the brain’s bridge between the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere, both enclosed in the same brain, in the same head, in the same family of humanity in the same universe.
Also synchronistically, I’ve just this morning received word from Blurb Books that your new book of poetry, The Shepherd’s Daughter, is on its way to me from across the ocean. I eagerly await more poetic visions of our interconnectedness.
Love and light, Jeanie
I’m beginning to suspect that learning to balance out the tension of the opposites is a large part of my purpose! As when I’m writing there’s often a conversation going on between my right and left brain … along the lines of “oh there you go again over-thinking it” followed by “well this is the right way to do it” Arrrgh!
Great news re Blurb Books. Oh, I really hope you enjoy it! xx
Jung once wrote something about how the ‘problem of opposites’ is the greatest challenge of our time. Wish I could find the exact quote. It certainly has been a major challenge for me, and the ‘central’ issue of my life. As you will see when you read The Soul’s Twins.
Can’t wait for your book. Oh, I’ll enjoy it. You can count on that. xo
Thank you Jeanie, a lovely post. I especially like point 4 from MacTaggart’s book that states “This…could give us back a sense of optimism, something that has been stripped out of our sense of ourselves with the arid vision of twentieth-century philosophy, largely derived from the views espoused by science.” We’ve been pretty bound by dualistic thinking for far too long. But it’s time now that the pendulum swings to the centre, the Self, the unlimited. I’m reminded of Jung’s saying: ‘The decisive question for man is: Is he related to something infinite or not? That is the telling question of his life. Only if we know that the thing which truly matters is the infinite can we avoid fixing our interests upon futilities, and upon all kinds of goals which are not of real importance’. The great sages have always pointed to man’s or humanity’s inherent desire for wholeness. And science and religion can and do in many instances co-exist, in a way that is complementary to each other. Each may have own ‘force field’ that emanates from the One force field. May the Force be with you 🙂
Thanks Susan. Yes, beneath the daily frustrations and worries I carry about the fate of my family, humanity, and our world, I do feel connected to something infinite; and it does, indeed make me optimistic. Knowing that I’m walking through my days on that eternal ground is like walking a tightrope with the knowledge there’s a safety net beneath and around me. A force for love that gives meaning and purpose to my actions, motivation to accomplish my purposes as best as I can, and the trust that I am being led on a path that is right for me. I don’t want to fall, but I know that if I do, to quote one of our favorite anchorites, “All shall be well and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.” 🙂 May the Force be with you.