Boys and girls, it's story time!

In 'Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future', quantum biologist Bruce Lipton shows 'a Way to Get There From Here'.*

This is a story about quantum biology and how we got here from there. It is quoted from 'The Way of The Explorer' by Edgar Mitchell, D.Sc.**
'
Long ago in a land far away a philosopher named "Plato conceived of the real world as the world of ideas and perfect form, and the world of our senses as only a shadowy projection of this perfection. Platonic thought was carried forward by the Gnostics to the alchemists of medieval times. It acknowledged the ability of the mind to create all physical events and was the origin of the Idealist philosophy.

"Aristotle, Plato's student, contrarily proposed that only information derived from the normal senses enters the mind. This idea was picked up and refined to allow supernatural intervention by Thomas Aquinas, which became the prevailing philosophy of the Roman catholic Church for centuries. As the dominant force in the West, the Thomistic structure of logic provided the rationale for flat-Earth and geocentric beliefs of the period. Ecclesiastic power provided justification for persecution of opponents; thus, learning was controlled by Western theology for centuries.

"After undergoing subtle changes and refinements, Thomism reached full fruition as a result of the dualistic philosophy of Rene Descartes early in the 17th century. Spirit and matter, Descartes concluded, were of two independent, noninteracting realms. Interaction between the two was limited to the transitory indwelling of the "soul" in humans and an occasional "miracle" of supernatural origin. Being a renowned philosopher and mathematician within the Church, his conclusion of dualism legitimized research into physical phenomena without ecclesiastic oversight. But soothsayers and witches could still be persecuted, as their abilities were demonic, and neither human nor divine.

"So it was in this spirit of tolerance that science and religion began to progress down separate paths. Today the policy of noninterference and peaceful coexistence is still at the core of our Western thinking, in spite of differing fundamental assumptions and mainstream scientific discoveries of recent centuries that point to the need for integration. It is apparent that characteristics attributed only to the spirit world are likely inherent in matter itself - ephemeral, interconnected, ubiquitous, and creative. And it is equally important to point out that many known characteristics of matter are the same as those that would be needed in a spirit world - existing, sensing, thinking, reasoning.

"Although Plato and Aristotle stand at the head of a divided road separating internal and external sensing, it was Aquinas, and then Descartes, who perpetuated and accentuated the division into two separate realms of mind and matter. But mind and matter are not separate realms, but rather two inseparable aspects of a single evolving reality. They are, essentially, dyadic.

"For the past three centuries Newton has served as the bedrock of Western scientific thought. His intellectual foundation rests upon the Cartesian [from Descartes] duality, which has allowed a materialist philosophy to arise, and with it epiphenomenalism, the doctrine that consciousness is a byproduct of the laws of physics and biology. All theologies, on the other hand, presume that consciousness - god consciousness, at least - is the preeminent fundamental "stuff" from which the universe is structured. In the most radical of theological views, matter is but an illusion. Thus the peaceful coexistence between classical science and theology has had its roots for 300 years in a seemingly fundamental conflict about the nature of consciousness. But science has finally probed deeply enough into the structure of matter to discover only two things: empty space and energy. And even the empty space is now believed to possess energy ...

"The evolutionary process that created everything we know provided us with six sensors to receive information from the external world. One of the sensors is an internal "feeling", which is still ill-defined scientifically. The feeling sense in humans is clearly associated with intuitive processes, subconscious memories, non-local perception of information, and of course, internal evaluation of the state of physical well-being. But beyond this meager description there has been little detailed analysis in scientific literature. Even modern medicine, after asking where it hurts, promptly loses interest in this sense. Fortunately, in the last few years, biology and medicine are now seriously investigating below the surface level of chemical functioning of the body to uncover the underlying electromagnetic and quantum processes."

(to be continued shortly)

Notes:

*Spontaneous Evolution: Our Positive Future (and a Way to Get There From Here) Bruce Lipton, Ph.D.
[www.amazon.com]

** The Way of the Explorer. Edgar Mitchell, D.Sc.
[www.amazon.com]

About Edgar Mitchell: [en.wikipedia.org]

See also Epigenetics: [www.afibbers.org]

Continuing the story with quotes from 'The Way of the Explorer' and the Apollo 14 Moon mission.* Returning to Earth following two days exploring the lunar surface, astronaut Edgar Mitchell experienced a life-changing alteration in consciousness:

"There is a sense of being swaddled in the cosmos, surrounded by the beautiful silent glitter of the Milky Way and all the galaxies beyond. As we departed our lunar target and sailed home through the vast emptiness, we rotated in what is called the barbecue mode, slowly turning in order to sustain the same thermal effects on all sides of the craft. Earth imperceptibly grew larger with the passage of time. In the quiet hours just before our designated night, I would pull out the clipboard and perform the [telepathy] experiment with my friends in Florida.** Then I would drift into a gauzy sleep. There was an impalpable sense of satisfaction, safety, and well-being, a sense I hadn't experienced in several days.

"A wonderful quietness drifted into the cabin, the satisfying glow of a ****well done. The lion's share of my own work was complete, and all I had to do was monitor the spacecraft systems, which were functioning perfectly. Now there was time to quietly contemplate the journey. I could lie back in weightlessness and watch the slow progress of the heavens through the module window. My mind ebbed into that quiet state I had longed for on our trek to the rim of Cone Crater.

"Perhaps it was the disorienting, or reorienting, effect of a rotating environment while the heavens and Earth tumbled alternately in and out of view in the small capsule window. Perhaps it was the air of safety and sanctuary after a two-day foray into an unforgiving environment. But I don't think so. The sensation was altogether foreign. Somehow I felt tuned in to something much larger than myself, something much larger than the planet in the window. Something incomprehensibly big. Even today, the perceptions still baffle me. This new feeling was elusive, its full meaning somehow obscured, but its silent authority shook me to the very core. Here was something potent, something that could alter the course of a life.

"Billions of years ago, the molecules of my body, of Stu's and Al's bodies, of this spacecraft, of the world I had come from and was now returning to, were manufactured in the furnace of an ancient generation of stars like those surrounding us. This suddenly meant something different. It was now poignant, and personal, not just intellectual theorizing. And what I felt was an extraordinary personal connectedness with it. I experienced what has been described as an ecstasy of unity. I not only saw the connectedness, I felt it and experienced it sentiently. I was overwhelmed with the sensation of physically and mentally extending out into the cosmos. The restraints and boundaries of flesh and bone fell away. I realized that this was a biological response of my brain attempting to reorganize and give meaning to information about the wonderful and awesome processes I was privileged to view from this vantage point. Though I am now more capable of articulating what I felt then, words somehow still fall short. I am convinced that it always has been and always will be a largely ineffable experience. What was clear, however, is that traditional answers to the questions "Who are we?" and "How did we get here?" as derived both by science and religious cosmologies, are incomplete, archaic, and flawed. There is more to the process than we have yet dreamed."

(to be continued - the final segment)

Notes:

*Alan Shepard, Commander. Stuart Roosa, Command Module Pilot. Edgar Mitchell, Lunar Module Pilot.

**Physicians Edward Boyle and Edward Maxey, collectively "the three Eds". The data were analyzed by Drs. J. B. Rhine and Karlis Osis at Duke University, demonstrating with high statistical probability that transmission of thought through space is not diminished with distance.

About Dr. J. B. Rhine: [en.wikipedia.org]
About Dr. Karlis Osis: [www.aspr.com]
About Dr. Edgar Mitchell: [en.wikipedia.org]

See also Epigenetics: [www.afibbers.org]

The story continues with these quotes from The Way of the Explorer:

"Once I had returned from the moon and experienced that strange insight, I understood that this phase of my life was drawing to a natural close. Perhaps, similar to the American public in 1971, I had enough as well… Somehow my attention was drawn down and in, deep into that vast realm of infinitely small spaces. The private experience of expansiveness I had felt during our return from the moon in particular drifted into focus. There had to be some significance to it, something more than could be explained as mere elevated emotion, heightened awareness, or mountaintop experience, though I frequently used the latter term to describe it myself. The experience was too intense, too complete in its alteration of my sensibilities. It was somehow defining, but I was simply left puzzled in its aftermath. Something extraordinary had happened, and I didn’t know what it was. As Congressional funding for the Apollo program ran dry and the lunar missions drew to a close in the early 1970s, I turned my attention to the larger related question about the basic nature of this “consciousness” we humans enjoy. The most neglected fields of consciousness studies lay in the realms of the mysterious states of mind that allow for epiphany and the psychic event. I read, groping in a way, for a satisfactory explanation. I knew there was something worthy of serious investigation if the issue was approached in a manner different from the traditional. The reason for my brash certainty was simply founded: if the phenomenon of psychokinesis, as reported in the world’s religious and mystical literature, had any validity at all, then the scientific doctrine of epiphenomenalism was a flawed concept.

Epiphenomenalism is the understanding that consciousness is merely a byproduct of physiological process, that it is secondary - consciousness having no power to influence physiological processes, because it is the result of the evolution of our corporeal bodies. Epiphenomenalism is also mainstream scientific dogma. My experience on the way home from the moon seemed to suggest otherwise.

The term epiphany, in the connotation of an intuitive insight, is certainly descriptive of what I experienced, as is the Greek word metanoia, which implies a change in thinking, even a new direction. But neither word individually, nor together, adequately described the event itself. They seemed to surround the meaning without actually touching it. In the vague chaos of everyday life, ideas come to you in the middle of the night, in the shower, in dreams. Sometimes they are pulled together, and made whole. They are life’s little everyday epiphanies. Sometimes they can shape and alter a life forever.

During the weeks and months that followed the moonshot, I read literature on the nature of religious experiences, as well as the very limited scientific offering outside of religious and scientific writing that dealt with the nature of human consciousness. I also met with renowned psychics and highly intuitive men and women to discuss what it was they experienced during moments similar to what I experienced. After a few weeks into this work I knew I was on to something, though I still didn’t know precisely what. At times I felt as though I was on the precipice of resolving a grand mystery. A classic book of case studies of spontaneous expansive experiences written in 1901 by Dr, R. M. Bucke , entitled Cosmic Consciousnes*, set the tone for my own inquiries. Epiphany, I became certain, is a latent event in every individual. Where mystics have believed the more startling insights to be a supernatural phenomenon, I was reasonably sure it was entirely natural, even normal, perhaps an emergent characteristic of ongoing evolution. And that’s what occurred, I believe, while on that fateful journey from the moon. I became quite sure of this. Yet I couldn’t honestly describe it as a “religious” experience.

I began infinitely hopeful that the methods of science would eventually provide the answers, and with only two fundamental assumptions. The first was that we were dealing with events likely explainable by natural processes, and second, that all human experience is valid, or real to the percipient. Only the interpretation or meaning given to the experience is subject to question. If supernatural or paranormal events were actually involved, that would emerge in due course. The vehicle for this project would be a nonprofit foundation that would allow me to function as an independent scholar, Academia wouldn’t be very receptive to these interests, but I knew these were issues naturally requiring a multidisciplinary approach. Thus, the Institute of Noetic Sciences** was conceived,

We’ve evolved from a primitive species with limited knowledge with which to fashion tools, to a civilization capable of building machines capable of splitting the atom. Yet our civilization is still in its chronological infancy; in geologic time, just a few years out of the trees. As a species we seem yet juvenile, lacking in vision, unprepared for our own evolution, even blind as to the direction we’re evolving. In this respect we lack any thoughtful, consensus judgment to guide our conscious volition, because we are still uncertain as to whether we actually possess volition at all, if one accepts the accounts of Western philosophy, theology, and science.

Late in 1972 I began taking such thoughts more seriously when a strange series of events occurred in rapid succession. Oddly enough, all of this happened just as I was preparing to leave NASA and about to open the doors to the institute. These were not events that I would consider mere serendipity, but rather events governed by the mysterious cadence of synchronicity.

In the fall of that year I traveled to Little Rock, Arkansas, to speak to a group at a convention – one of my first engagements of the sort. It promised to be a special occasion, as my mother was going to drive from her residence in Oklahoma to meet me. At the time she was having severe difficulty with her eyesight as a result of glaucoma, and without her glasses was legally blind. Through the years her glasses gradually grew thicker, as she considered corrective surgery too risky. And now she really could not see without them.

During the conference I met several remarkable men and women, one of whom was a man named Norbu Chen. Norbu was an American who had studied the earliest form of Tibetan Buddhism, a form that was liberally infused with ancient Tibetan Shamanistic practice. He was a small man of quick movements, graying beyond his years, inscrutable, and always in the midst of controversy. He also purported to be a healer. One evening after an entire day of speech-making, I introduced Norbu to my mother, who was at the time in her early 60s. My interest was twofold. I wanted to find out whether Norbu Chen was real or just talk, and to help my mother if that was possible, though I was skeptical. Making no promises, he merely suggested that we try, and see what would happen. I was intensely curious, and my mother was at least a good sport about the whole thing. She agreed that something good might come of it.

The following day Norbu and I met my mother in the seclusion of my suite where he asked her to sit in a chair, remove her thick glasses, and relax. I watched from across the room as this strange Asian-trained man did what he claimed to have done for so many years. Then I witnessed my mother settle deeply into a relaxed state. After placing himself in a meditative trance (he claimed) through singing his strange mantra, his hands floated over my mother’s head, pausing over the eyes, There seemed to be an unspoken acceptance on her part, a silent trust in this man she had never met until this weekend.

After a few minutes of this, Norbu gently announced that he was finished and suggested she go to bed, sleep well, and treat herself kindly, as though she had been through major surgery. His prescription for nourishment was grape juice and broth. As I sat there in the chair observing, there was the hope that I’d just witnessed the extraordinary. I wanted something to have happened, but at the same time I tried to be the detached, clinical observer,.and not let my expectations soar. In any case, I didn’t have to wait long for the results. At 6 o’clock the following morning my mother came rushing to my room, exclaiming, "Son, I can see, I can see!"

Without pausing to let me come to my senses, she proceeded to demonstrate her claim by reading from her thumb-worn bible with glasses in hand. Then once again she said more quietly. "Praise the Lord, I can see!" Dropping her glasses to the floor, she ground the thick lenses into shards under the heal of her shoe. Needless to say, I was impressed.

I am not, by this account, nor with any other anecdotal story, attempting to convince the doubtful. That can only happen when the open-minded skeptic sets out for himself or herself to view (or better, to experience) such peculiar phenomena (at least peculiar to the Western mind), and conducts a careful investigation, unbiased by traditional interpretations. This wasn’t science, but as far as I was concerned, it indicated where I personally needed to probe more thoroughly. All I can sat is that it absolutely did happen in just this way.

Afterward I experienced the deep-down astonishment that arises from witnessing the extraordinary. This was an event I couldn't explain, but I couldn't deny it either. I knew my mother's reaction was authentic, and she hadn't been duped about her own sight. She proceeded to drive home alone, several hundred miles, without her glasses."

Notes:

**Dr. Mitchell’s Institute of Noetic Sciences is headquartered at Petaluma, Californie. Their website is [noetic.org].

*The important 1901 book Cosmic Consciousness by Richard M. Bucke, MD has now been re-published. Many pages and reviews may be read at:
[www.amazon.com]

About Dr. Bucke: [en.wikipedia.org]

Thank you Erling for exposing us to this very important and compelling introduction. Edgar Mitchell's is certainly brilliant. How fortunate we are to have exposure to his experiences and his work with IONS. Great stuff.
This is 'where it's at'!!! I hope everyone reads this and is motivated to delve deeper.

Jackie

Jackie,

As always, thanks for your good comments. Yes, we surely are fortunate to have access to his work as intended with the fully developed Institute of Noetic Sciences. The historic journey from Plato to IONS and quantum biology (as recounted above) is amazing to consider. This definitely is 'where it's at'- it is all 'cutting edge'. Had it not been for Western civilizations thousand year Dark Ages we would have been here long ago. But man's 'dominater ethic' remains in full force, the reason for the many rants about the BigPharma/Mainstream Medicine/FDA complex.

It was fine to again visit the IONS site just now and wander around a bit, like a kid in a candy store - thought this was nice to highlight:

[noetic.org]

It's delightful to see threads being drawn together: last year we did related topics on Drs. Bruce Lipton, Larry Dossey, and much else*, and now at IONS there is this about the work of Dr. Barbara Dossey:

"On Nightingale, Nursing, and Creating a Healthy World"
with Barbara Dossey, PhD, RN, AHN-BC, FAAN

"Dr. Dossey is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the holistic nursing movement. A major focus of her work currently is holistic nursing, compassionate care for the dying, and virtual education."

Do believe I'll have to sign up for IONS membership -- exceedingly valuable information -- great cause -- 10$ a month is too tempting to not take full advantage of what developed from astronaut Dr. Mitchell's life altering
samadhi** on his "fateful" return from the moon in '71...

Erling.
------------------------------
*See:

<[www.afibbers.org];

<[www.afibbers.org];

[www.afibbers.org]

**[en.wikipedia.org] "It has been described as a non-dualistic state of consciousness in which the consciousness of the experiencing subject becomes one with the experienced object, and in which the mind becomes still, one-pointed or concentrated[2] though the person remains conscious."

My problem is I don't have enough time to sit, focus and delve into all this so that I fully grasp the depth and meaning. Since it's so very important and very, very current, I'm planning for that to be part of my leisure reading out under the shade of a huge, old oak tree every afternoon when I take my break for some earthing/grounding time. Should be the perfect combination. Now all I need is for the weather to cooperate.

Jackie

Erling, thank you for this wonderful "story". You have provided me with my summer reading material and I can't wait.

Laura

Hi Laura!

Dr. Mitchell's story is a good one. Hopefully it will serve as a bridge to more stories on the nature and power of consciousness, now that cell biologist Dr. Lipton and others have us well exposed to quantum biophysics through their many books and videos.

My interest in Edgar Mitchell's work came about following employment as a rocket motor engineer from where I had watched the development of space flight with great interest. It was sometime after Apollo 14 that his 1974 book caught my attention: Psychic Exploration - A Challenge for Science*. This is a collection of individual writings by nearly 30 highly qualified researchers on consciousness ranging from healing to where we're going as a species. This encouraged exploring the wisdom and teachings of great sages and seers throughout our history.

Wishing you the very best, Laura!

Erling

* "This book is dedicated to the potential in humanity which can bring a new age of understanding, cooperation, and peace."

Thank you Erling--you are a sweetheart. I have shared the information on this topic with several friends and we will be reading and discussing this together. What fun!!! My aging brain can use some stimulation.

Peace and best wishes to you,
Laura

Hi Laura!

Thank you for your kind words! It's good to know that you enjoy Dr. Mitchell's story, as I certainly do. That is of course his reason for telling it. Because it's about too-often forgotten truths, it's important that they're now being explored in the light of scientific principals.

Continuing the story from when Mitchell's mother had her eyesight restored by a healer named Norbu Chen, and then drove home several hundred miles without her glasses:

"A few days after returning home I learned another lesson I wouldn't soon forget. After going about her routine for several days with nearly perfect vision, unassisted by contacts or eyeglasses, my mother called one day to ask whether or not Norbu was a Christian. His name was clearly derived from an Asian culture, which she suspected didn't likely coincide with her beloved faith. Though I didn't want to tell her, she was adamant. She absolutely wanted to know the faith of the man who'd allowed her to see again. Reluctantly, and perhaps ominously, I told her Norbu was in fact not a Christian, and the moment I did, the deep pain of regret was clear in her voice.

Her new sight was not the work of the Lord, she insisted, but that of the darker forces of this world. She was absolutely certain that Norbu, being of another faith, must be an instrument of evil. No matter what I said to her, no matter how I explained my own secular understanding of such phenomena, she would not be convinced. Her vastly improved eyesight was the work of Satan. Hours later, the healing slipped away and thick new glasses where required.

I was both distressed and intrigued by this incident -- distressed that such an incredible healing would be dismissed, and by my mother's agony over making such a decision. But the intrigue, the fact that the sequence of events could occur at all, left an overriding impression. How could I have been so ignorant of something so important? It set me on the search for other persons similar to Norbu, and gave me clear indication that I needed to learn something more about the role and power of belief in our lives. Whatever the clinical implications, it was clear to me that one's internal life, the subjective life, had fundamental importance. This was something science didn't address; I had paid little attention myself. But at the same time I recognized a need for caution. Though I subsequently encountered many healers with similar capabilities, I also encountered many frauds. I've learned through many years of experience that health and well-being are a product of total lifestyle.

Looking back on these times, I see how naive I was. For several years I would continue to underestimate the power of belief in our lives because of the pervasiveness of my classical scientific training. It still puzzled me that belief could affect anything at all. But I suppose naivete was also in large measure the impetus behind my founding an institution [IONS] where research I thought important could be carried out. I believed that if other scientist witnessed such legitimate phenomena in controlled environments, they would see that it was at least worthy of further study and become excited by the prospects. But there were invisible veils that such unbridled idealism couldn't see. As it turned out, disbelief was one of them. It was my opinion then and it is my opinion today that disbelief prevents one from seeing what one wishes not to. My belief in the rationality of science blinded me to the equally rational consequences of disbelief."

(to be continued)

Because his stories to come might seem a bit too 'far-out' for some to accept, it might be helpful to fully establish Mitchell's credibility:

Quoting from "About the Author":

"Scientist, test pilot, naval officer, astronaut, entrepreneur, author, and lecturer, Dr. Mitchell's extraordinary and varied career personifies humankind's eternal thrust to widen its horizons as well as explore its inner soul. His academic background includes a bachelor of science in industrial management from Carnegie Mellon Institute in 1952, a bachelor of science in aeronautics and astronautics from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School in 1961, and a doctor of science degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1961. In addition, he has received four honorary doctorates, one from each of the following: New Mexico State University, the University of Akron, Carnegie Mellon University, and Embry-Riddle University."

The Way of the Explorer is dedicated "To my persistent and dedicated colleagues of many nations and diverse disciplines who seek to unravel the myths, paradoxes, mysteries, and dogma of the past in order to reveal a path in the modern age toward a sustainable world order."

Wayne Dyer, author of 'The Power of Intention', wrote: "Edgar Mitchell has produced a miraculous book. He writes as both a scientist and a spiritual seeker. In sharing from his heart, Dr. Mitchell has provided us with a blueprint for revolutionizing our lives and our planet."

For interesting background - and fun (?) - these Jan. 1971 videos show the launch of Apollo 14 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HobB01qFi4), and the lunar module Antares (piloted by Mitchell) launching from the moon and re-joining the command module Kitty Hawk for the long flight coasting back to Earth (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcpMdvu2MWw) It was sometime during those two days that Mitchell experienced the sudden 'epiphany' he later described as an 'ecstasy of unity'.