by Mario Sales, FRC,SI,CRC
translated to english by Luis Felipe Camargos de Sousa
Faith in reason and the reason of faith.
Considerations on the historical divorce between rational thought and religion, and about the possibility of an epistemological shift from the view of very subtle energies.
The three pillars that sustain us
"We have stated that modern science was not born ready in the minds of some scholars. It is a product of the culture. Its place of birth and your address is not located in any sky of ideas. Nor are installed in a vacant world called "scientific truth " . By contrast, it is rooted in society itself, in a soil irrigated by numerous and varied determinations. In it, scientists are recognized as producers of ideas, theories and experiences. "[1]
Thus my former professor, Hilton Japiassú, begins chapter IV of his book "The modern scientific revolution" showing the relationship between science production and society.
Science, one of the three pillars that support society, is not a phenomenon outside or highlighted from the social process, but emerges from its bowels in such a way that would be difficult to establish the contours of one and another.
The science only exists because of the man necessities. In this way, is a legitimate expression of mankind.[2]
The other column of the human phenomenon, which makes up the triad of social life, is religiosity, the strong feeling, intense, that we are not straying beings or product of random action of natural forces, but parts of an idea, a phenomenon guided and mentored by a more complex intelligence than ours, which still cares for our needs, a certainty with no objective reasons, but so intense that matches in meaning to the results of any possible imagining controlled experiments.
So if these two things are integral parts of social life, if both sustain us in our daily lives, why don´t they walk side by side as halves of the same idea, the same overall design of the world?
Perhaps the answer lies in the third column: power.
Both religion and science have always been the trailer of the third side of the triangle with respect to the force, the sustainability of society as an entity.[3]
Wisdom, strength and beauty.
Religiosity ( not religion ) can be understood as symbolized wisdom ; beauty is in science and art , because art is the correct thought or corrected by the rules of good thinking ; and true science produces an aesthetic and balanced life , unlike the stereotype of the vulgar, who sees in the scientific process only coldness and asepsis.
It remains , however , the force , which is expressed in politics and militarism, the power constraint of arms or by the imposition of ideas often Manichean , but quick and easy assimilation, capable of dragging crowds , unable to take longer and considerations deep , or at least unwilling to such an effort. For more discomfort it may cause us, this aspect of social life cannot be denied, given the demand for large populations required by the convivial order.
Perhaps, after these considerations, we conclude that, in fact, the opposing forces are not science and religion, but knowledge and ignorance and that this confrontation is mediated by the thirst for power. A conclusion so obvious as insufficient for a more detailed design of causes, to the taste of a careful thinker.
In its defence say that although obvious, it is not false. This is the basic conflict that should guide the reasoning of any person who attempts to clarify the motives and the direction that this millennial tension has taken in the history of human society.
Religion vs. science: this pair, yes it is bogus, since it presupposes that men of knowledge have no room for religion in his interior or men of religion do not have space for science in their lives. Examples succeed against this view in the history of scientific thought: Father Mendel and his work in genetics; Kepler[4], the conservative Lutheran and his precious work in the design of the elliptical orbit of the planets, or priest Giordano Bruno and their texts largely in understanding the concept of infinity, so important and troublesome to the powerful ones that he died because of them.
Perhaps the apparent homogeneity of the two groups that give the false impression that we are truly facing two ideological monoliths: a scientific one and a religious one.
The Homogeneity of Groups is an Illusion
As we well know is not the way humans behave groups. They are organized in a first moment based on some similarities of understanding among its members , but once assembled , natural disagreements and confrontations that will be solved or not within its walls arise , and if not , give rise to subgroups on the one hand and the other, which in turn also subdivide .
It's as if ideological, religious or scientific, social groups suffer digestion, so that little by little are broken into simpler parts that are finally absorbed by humanity as a whole and not become a common cultural and informational asset.
Science has dealt best with this phenomenon. It produces a kind of material since birth is already bound to be modified, metabolized by the company, if so deemed necessary.
The Scientific Truth
Scientific knowledge results not from a great truth , but little work and discoveries of a series of investigations and results that gradually , over years , is assimilated by common sense and becomes part of our day to day .
Scientific truths in themselves have no stiffness or stability in this condition Truth. Are subjected to the scrutiny of the scientific community and must survive by itself to multiple analyzes and tests that will be applied to him. No scientist defends a scientific argument . Over time, it will defend itself, since it will show its sustainability remains solid on the checks that will suffer .
Scientific truth, therefore, is consensual[5] and temporary, not permanent, and the so-called laws of science are only while they remain satisfactory. Its applicability and stability guarantee is that you respect and trust of many scientists spread across the planet and nothing else.
The Religious Truth
The values of religion do not have this flexibility. They are imposed by institutions that are flying in holding the "Truth", a "truth" generally not backed by fact, but in speeches and fear.
Religion is not religiosity satisfactorily, but only channels, gives you a garment, an expression.
The common man has in himself feelings that are spontaneous regarding your relationship with the universe, but the inability to express them delegating to others, but he's skilled with words and thoughts , the authority of shaping those feelings into words.
Thus are organized religions. They are born of the speech of a prophet, but develop physically through a hierarchical structure and power.
A hierarchically organized time, consolidates, stiffens and loses the freshness of its beginnings. With that kills its connection with its founders and turns into a business like any other, providing those who seek a particular type of product, as defined and labeled, ready for consumption.
Religion and Religiosity
This does not mean that human religiosity itself is erroneous. As we have seen, religion is about power, not faith. And even within organized religions is possible to find legitimate expressions of religiosity.
Perhaps the fact that the responsiveness and expression of our spiritual perceptions and intuitions are as complex as that of reality and the universe in science, the question of knowledge drawn again stands as a watershed between the various types of human beings.
Generally, people need to have culture to express well both the views of the heart as the visions of the intellect.
Life as a common element in both fields
In the human’s point of view, the perception of God as a reality requires little. Express this perception is what makes this experience more farfetched.
And as the scientific field responsible for giving some objectivity to the subjective in us, psychology failed in developing a consensus symbolic picture for the entire human civilization. We are still immersed in the scientific hell: the absence of benchmarks stable enough to at least initiating this debate.
Chaos in this field is fortunately not complete. There are some constants. Feel things we cannot explain about our role in the world and the universe , most often , not provable nor easy to explain , only still very strong sensations to ignore sensations .
And ignoring them does not seem a good strategy, as we cannot let a phenomenon unexplained start just because we do not understand. And the sense of religiosity is one of those sensations.
One of the issues that may be of interest to both sides and represent the synthesis of this issue is the concept of life. The idea itself is one of those obvious notions difficult to define, but which encompasses fundamental issues.
In a set of texts originally published in Spanish, organized by Professor Mario Bunge[6], the concept of a living organism is described as follow: "The concept of being alive, or organism, presents itself in daily life, in pure and applied science and humanities, from biology to biotechnology and from the social sciences to philosophy. ( ... ) is so ubiquitous that it can be considered both scientific and philosophical."
Life with its features offer an excellent focal point for the question "who owns the body and mind of man?"
For years the Life Sciences witnessed , envious , the progress of physics to attract hearts and minds to their cause , transforming modern physical science in a new high priest , especially if your area for Astrophysics .
If the Life Sciences managed to manifest a change in the pattern of understanding of the universe would be the change and subjugation of a model that emphasizes numbers and other devices that values people and feelings , said in a passionate way, but understandable in the mouth of a doctor .
The Peaceful Coexistence of Sages with Scientific Concept of God
Most people, among them some renowned scientists, think that there is a higher intelligence that intervenes in the course of nature and in the course of our lives, though they disagree on what is a life and about the name of this intelligence.[7]
Some advocates of atheism argue that the belief in this concept stems from ignorance and lack of scientific culture, but this statement does not hold as many scientific thinkers use the concept of God (Einstein, for example, in his reflections on the nature and the Universe) . And we may do not agree with their belief, but call the makers of the theory of relativity and ignorant man without scientific culture is at least insane.
It really resembles the story of the half-full glass. We value what we want and what we can value.
If men of science, as Einstein, speak of God without shame, and men of religion also do science, these two universes are very near.
A new epistemological model as a way to accelerate the encounter between Science and Religion
Perhaps the emergence of a new epistemological model, the Life Sciences, a bit more advanced, extending beyond the boundaries of Newtonian mechanism that still governs us, like a sword of Damocles[8] over our necks intellectuals, was the coup de grace in this apparent division between these two fields, and the Science of Religion.
When I refer to this new model, I think of the philosophical and scientific implications of a new understanding of the phenomenon of life, its fundamentals, its nature.
As an example, the finding that supports the biological existence of a subtle energy very difficult to detect at the time, would be the basis of a large shift of physiological and therapeutic paradigm.
The proof of the existence of an energy that was in the air, in food, in sunshine and in the body would be a truly integrative scientific achievement.
Anyone who knows anything about acupuncture understands this line of reasoning.
The Ch'ie Energy and its epistemological chances
Perhaps the most perverse consequence of mechanical and hydraulic understanding of reality is its inherent fragmentation of the real. In the area of medicine that has good and bad consequences.
The understanding of man as a machine, called the "perfect machine" meant that he was automatically divided into parts, leaky or independent, but well defined as their actions. This made countless professionals divide the study of each of these parts and the medical specialties increasingly know more about less.
From the scientific point of view such a strategy has been extremely interesting. But from the point of view of practical clinic medicine, not so much.
Since there are many parts to be treated and vast knowledge of each party, no doctor can more alone in possession of all the details and nuances about any of these areas.
This generates a multitude of incorrect or incomplete procedures, which deprives the individual of having a service at least according to current scientific knowledge. The practice was not frustrated, but specializes in such a way that we can no longer speak in medicine, but in Medicines, in the plural, with areas such peculiar behaviour that sometimes cannot talk.
This exposed the medical field model extends to all areas, with less damage, but with the same compartmentalization. In physics, mathematics, sociology, history, biology and others, the subareas are growing faster and it is a problem to the interrelation between them. Interdisciplinary has become a Platonic, but adequate abstraction to the world of the Ideas of things.
But if there is a difficult dialogue between the various fields of science, is easy to understand the enormous challenge of a project for dialogue between science and what is most mystic in humans, religiosity.
It could facilitate a non-mechanical scientific model with flow, energy, dynamic and subtle; allowing new conclusions about the relationship of man with the universal forces.
The notion of different fields, one of religiousness and other science, is nevertheless a consequence of the mechanical -hydraulic epistemological model of the real, full of valves and isolated parts synchronic work, but without losing their individuality while parts .
We need a reality or an understanding of the real and the most important and mysterious scientific phenomenon. Life itself, rather than mechanical energy and although evidence is accumulating in the atomic world that reality has more unstable foundations of the world in macromolecular does assume, this evidence has not yet managed to generate a paradigm shift in the understanding of the macrocosm, either by scientists or by the common man .
A macroscopic evidence of flux and instability in biological reality could generate an extremely interesting and disturbing to understandings still too compartmentalised empirical precedent.
The 4th Circulatory System
The finding of 4 ° circulatory system in the human body (besides the CSF , lymph and blood ) composed of a less dense material than air and can cause significant changes in the quality of biological life, cause strong epistemological impact since the trailer would bring the discussion of integrative concept that characterizes this energy.
As many know, acupuncture is based on the existence of its technical channels where this very subtle energy flows. Are so subtle bit dense channels that are not visible to the naked eye. And since there is no technology to make them visible, its existence was discarded and assigned to regional myths and legends.
However, the effects of the needles are indisputable so that the World Health Organization, linked to UN determined that acupuncture was integrated with Western medical knowledge regularly and taught under graduate two years, any doctor who wished to practice it, losing its character as an alternative technique and turning into orthodox area of expertise .
The anamnesis of a lifetime
One of the things that most attracted the attention of those who come to acupuncture after orthodox medical training is the way that anamnesis[9] is made.
If the orthodox medical, when interviewing the patient in question, looking up the symptoms of a particular disease to reach a diagnosis, the acupuncturist for each disease over the life of the patient is just a symptom of a more comprehensive framework. Therefore, the set of diseases or pathological manifestations of the condition are separate diagnostic symptoms of the condition a great diagnosis, which describes how the energy of an individual who receives the name of Ch'i, flowed over its existence, influenced by your diet, thoughts and physical activity.
In this way the perspective changes in depth and breadth, earning an unsuspected dimension to the orthodox medical. And your life for the patient as a whole receives an amount that would be far from supposing, but intuitively knew existed.
And here comes the most significant part.
As channels or meridians[10] (14 main and thousands of other side) pretty much cover the entire body, the manifestations of disease obey these flows and their correspondences with the vital functions (breathing - lung; digestion - stomach; circulation - blood vessels, etc.)[11] having points across the surface of the skin, causing a headache can be treated through this one point the fingers; or back pain, through points ankles.
Another thing about this energy, as defined by its advocates, is that it not only permeates most every man and the universe that flows from the universe to the home through sunlight, food and breath, do not confuse this element with atmospheric oxygen.
What integrates these two components of equation (element to be treated and point to be considered and needled) are the flows of this invisible energy, and, so far, considered unrealistic by orthodox science.
And this scepticism of science is consistent and correct. There is little evidence of the existence of such channels and the flow of energy proclaimed by ancient documents; and it is simply impossible for a minimally responsible scientist working based on unproven beliefs.
If, however, we could make visible these channels and this flow, if we could develop an optical technology for this, two things immediately happen:
1°: a revision of the concept of health as a result of chemical and physical processes eminently hydraulic mechanics.
2°: abandonment of the understanding that the universe is properly divided into parts and the perception that he is the product of subtle energies that interrelate and interconnect to it.
Philosophical Implications of the View of Very Subtle Energies
There are scientific and religious implications in the view of very subtle energies. The presence of a subtle energy like that in finally show how extremely sensitive to energy changes within ourselves and around our beings, showing unquestionably the most is invisible as the Buddha said , and more , this invisible has more meaning for maintaining visible than we epistemology assumes.
Maybe I've lost my objectivity when making these speculations. Perhaps the human atheism is able to delay for many decades any of these consequences I foresaw in this essay.
I want to assume, however, that will be a blow to a materialist understanding of the world and will have repercussions in the social imaginary opening a door for dialogue between religion and science that would have been unthinkable before him.
The most curious thing is that although we have the latest technology[12] in research and identification of very subtle energy, few efforts have been made in this direction.
Lack of sponsorship or commercial interest, does not matter, but it is a wasteland waiting to be occupied by anyone interested. Require serious scientific efforts and can serve as a model for other research in this field, the field of very subtle energies.
The need for intervention of the Mystics Scientists
And that group of scientists might be interested in this area of care. That group was exactly midway between the two parties in dispute, which added up itself characteristics of sensitivity and religiosity without the organizational shell of religion, and at the same time, was in harmony with scientific values as the search for reliable experimental results able to be accepted by the international scientific community.
I cannot think of a better group to do this than scientists of AMORC.
They have ethical and technical grounds for this. In addition to this research area having a defined and achievable goal that will require time and effort, but it brought to fruition transform AMORC and Rosicrucian mystic in a model to be followed.
If we want a space for dialogue between science and religion this will be the space of very subtle energy, because with its visualization made possible, some also very subtle energies could perhaps be viewed, which would give support to some of the practice's millennia Rosicrucians have spread among its members.
This is the challenge I throw the fraters and Sorors who want to venture. We owe this work to our Order. A historically important indisputably, and recover the possibilities for scientific and spiritual advancement for all mankind.
It is possible. Just visualize and work. This is the Rosicrucian way of doing science, a worthy science of XXI century.
Appendix
Meridians (From Wikipedia)
Twelve standard meridians
“The twelve standard meridians, also called Principal Meridians, are divided into Yin and Yang groups. The Yin meridians of the arm are Lung, Heart, and Pericardium. The Yang meridians of the arm are Large Intestine, Small Intestine, and Triple Burner. The Yin Meridians of the leg are Spleen, Kidney, and Liver. The Yang meridians of the leg are Stomach, Bladder, and Gall Bladder.”
“The table below gives a more systematic list of the twelve standard meridians”:
Meridian name (Chinese)
|
Quality of Yin or Yang
|
Extremity
|
Organ
|
Time of Day
| |
Taiyin Lung Channel of Hand (手太阴肺经) or Hand's Major Yin Lung Meridian
|
Greater Yin (taiyin, 太阴)
|
Hand (手)
|
Metal (金)
|
寅 [yín]
3 a.m. to 5 a.m.
| |
Shaoyin Heart Channel of Hand (手少阴心经) or Hand's Minor Yin Heart Meridian
|
Lesser Yin (shaoyin, 少阴)
|
Hand (手)
|
Fire (火)
|
午 [wǔ]
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
| |
Jueyin Pericardium Channel of Hand (手厥阴心包经) or Hand's Absolute Yin Heart Protector Meridian
|
Faint Yin (jueyin - 厥阴)
|
Hand (手)
|
Fire (火)
|
戌 [xū]
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
| |
Shaoyang Sanjiao Channel of Hand (手少阳三焦经) or Hand's Minor Yang Triple Burner Meridian
|
Lesser Yang (shaoyang, 少阳)
|
Hand (手)
|
Fire (火)
|
亥 [hài]
9 p.m. to 11 p.m.
| |
Taiyang Small Intestine Channel of Hand (手太阳小肠经) or Hand's Major Yang Small Intestine Meridian
|
Greater Yang (taiyang, 太阳)
|
Hand (手)
|
Fire (火)
|
未 [wèi]
1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
| |
Yangming Large Intestine Channel of Hand (手阳明大肠经) or Hand's Yang Supreme Large Intestine Meridian
|
Yang Bright (yangming, 阳明)
|
Hand (手)
|
Metal (金)
|
卯 [mǎo]
5 a.m. to 7 a.m.
| |
Taiyin Spleen Channel of Foot (足太阴脾经) or Foot's Major Yin Spleen Meridian
|
Greater Yin (taiyin, 太阴)
|
Foot (足)
|
Earth (土)
|
巳 [sì]
9 a.m. to 11 a.m.
| |
Shaoyin Kidney Channel of Foot (足少阴肾经) or Foot's Minor Yin Kidney Meridian
|
Lesser Yin (shaoyin, 少阴)
|
Foot (足)
|
Water (水)
|
酉 [yǒu]
5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
| |
Jueyin Liver Channel of Foot (足厥阴肝经) or Foot's Absolute Yin Liver Meridian
|
Faint Yin (jueyin, 厥阴)
|
Foot (足)
|
Wood (木)
|
丑 [chǒu]
1 a.m. to 3 a.m.
| |
Shaoyang Gallbladder Channel of Foot (足少阳胆经) or Foot's Minor Yang Gallbladder Meridian
|
Lesser Yang (shaoyang, 少阳)
|
Foot (足)
|
Wood (木)
|
子 [zǐ]
11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
| |
Taiyang Bladder Channel of Foot (足太阳膀胱经) or Foot's Major Yang Urinary Bladder Meridian
|
Greater Yang (taiyang, 太阳)
|
Foot (足)
|
Water (水)
|
申 [shēn]
3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
| |
Yangming Stomach Channel of Foot (足阳明胃经) or Foot's Yang Supreme Stomach Meridian
|
Yang Bright (yangming, 阳明)
|
Foot (足)
|
Earth (土)
|
辰 [chén]
7 a.m. to 9 a.m.
|
[2] The desire to know the why and how is called curiosity, and do not exist in any living creature except humans. Thus, not only by his reason that man is distinguished from other animals, but also by this singular passion, says Hobbes, in Leviathan.
[3] To delve into the topic I suggest consulting the scanned edition of the magazine “nures”: http://www.pucsp.br/nures/revista3/3_edicao_editorial.pdf.
[4] Johannes Kepler (Weil der Stadt near Stuttgart, December 27, 1571 - Regensburg, November 15, 1630) was an astronomer. He formulates the three fundamental laws of celestial mechanics, known as Kepler's laws. He also dedicated himself to the study of optics. (Source Wikipedia)
[5] As proposed by the Frankfurt School, of which the most prominent representative is still alive: Jurgen Habermas.
[6] Bunge, Mario. (1980) “Epistemologia”. EDUSP.
[7] As to that, I indicate reading the posthumous book Varieties of Scientific Experience: “A personal view of the search for God”, Carl Sagan.
[8] Damocles was a flattering courtier at the court of Dionysius I – a tyrant of the fourth century A.C at Syracuse, Sicily. He said that, as a great man of power and authority, Dionysius was truly fortunate. Dionysius offered to switch places with him for a day, so he could also taste first hand that fortune. In the evening a banquet was held where Damocles enjoyed being served like a king. Only the end of the meal looked up and noticed a sharp sword suspended by a single strand of ponytail, suspended directly over his head. Immediately he last interest in great food and his servants and resigned from his post, saying he no longer wanted to be so fortunate.
The sword of Damocles is an allusion often used to refer to its tale, representing the uncertainty of those with great power ( due to the possibility this could be taken from them suddenly ) or, more generally , to any feeling of impending damnation (Wikipedia)
[9] Anamnesis (from greek “ana” and “mnesis” memory) is an interview conducted by a health professional with a patient who intends to be a starting point in diagnosing a disease. In other words, it seeks to recall an interview that all the facts relating to the illness and the sick person.
It has the right techniques to apply. By following the techniques you can make the most of the time available for the service, which produces accurate diagnosis and correct treatment. Today we know that history, when properly conducted, is responsible for 85% of the diagnosis in the medical clinic, releasing 10% for clinical (physical) examination and only 5% for laboratory or tests.
After the clinical history, the physical examination, which is seeking the signs and symptoms of the disease is done (Wikipedia).
[10] Meridian is one of the names by which "energy channels" are known, they are used in acupuncture and other therapeutic methods of traditional Chinese medicine.
These channels are abundantly cited in Chinese literature. As an example, the "NIS CHING," assigned to Huang Ti in about 500 BC.
[11] See the Appendix at the end of the test.
[12] Just refer the history of detection of so-called cosmic rays which are actually sub atomic particles, and their inherent technical difficulties. " By 1900 , Charles TR Wilson , Julius Elster and Hans Geitel , noted that conductivity of air contained in a gold leaf electroscope remained constant , despite being removed ions by electric field. Studying the matter, it was concluded that some unknown agent constantly produced new ions. At first it was thought that the ionization of air was caused by the influence of radioactive materials . Therefore, the ionization should decrease with increasing altitude.” (Wikipédia)
Between 1911-1913 , Victor F. Hess and Kolhörster, observed that , as a Geiger counter moved away from the surface of the earth and radioactive isotopes that occur naturally in it , count decreased radiation .
In the Eiffel Tower, for example, the count was below the surface. To investigate this phenomenon, he was leading the counters increasing altitudes by means of balloons loaded with radiation detectors. From one point he found that the count of radiation increased sharply and could not be out of the earth, should come from some point in space. Hess concluded after its investigation that the ionization observed was due to the action of an unknown radiation, highly penetrating, coming from outer space. Gave, so, name it as "cosmic rays" , as they are known today, and received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1936 for his discovery.
In Brazil , the study of cosmic rays began in 1934 with the production work of two major research centers, the National Institute of Technology in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo University ( USP ) . In Rio de Janeiro, the institute was coordinated by Bernard Gross, initially devoted to theoretical studies of cosmic rays. In São Paulo, the Department of Physics at USP was organized by two foreign scientists, the Italian- Russian Gleb Wataghin and Italian Giuseppe Occhialini, directing the experimental and theoretical research in the areas of nuclear physics and cosmic radiation.
After stoppage in World War II, research on cosmic rays were taken and several Brazilian physicists were working abroad. In 1946 César Lattes, Brazilian physicist, was invited by Giuseppe Occhialini to work at the University of Bristol in England, in the group of Cecil Powell. In 1947, Lattes, Powell and Occhialini from analyzes of cosmic rays, discovered a meson, the subparticle was called the pi meson, or " pion ". Soon after, Lattes discovered how to make the artificial production of these sub-particles in an accelerator. Lattes helped in the creation of new scientific institutions in Brazil, as the Brazilian Center for Physics Research (CBPF) and the National Research Council (CNPq).
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