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The Scientific Bridge to God

The Unit Relationship among Thought, Energy and Mass

by Robert A. Ashworth

"God is our consciousness untainted by desire and there is only One consciousness of which we are a part. If you are aware, know that God is there."

An earlier version of this article was published in the Rosicrucian Digest, January 1986

A discussion on this article has been opened in Debate and Discourse. Please feel free to add your thoughts to the discussion via the contact page.

Over ninety percent of the scientific community does not believe in God. The reason for this is that they have not found a bridge to link science to its Creator. Thought is the scientific bridge - the beginning state of existence that is the root cause and support of energy and mass! The unit relationship of thought to energy is postulated to be TI = E, where T is thought and I is thought intensity. Science is a search for Truth, and God is Truth; science in its purest form, like religion, is a path to God!

1.0 INTRODUCTION

A survey taken in 1998 showed that only 7% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences (1) believed in God. The rest did not believe, doubted God's existence, or held the positions of agnostics. In contrast to these modern day skeptics many great scientists, including Newton and Einstein had very deep convictions concerning the existence of God. Einstein once said, "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind!" (2) Deep-thinking religious leaders hold the same view. Bishop Gomez said, "Science cannot eschew religion without giving us a world godless and meaningless and bent for destruction. Religion cannot desert or ignore science and be in total advocacy of the God who is the totality of all life." (3)

Although more scientists in the past believed in God, the recent emphasis on materialism has had its affect on the scientific community. The thrust of science today is to believe only in that, which can be calculated, measured, or experienced with the five senses. If these criteria are not met, it is not real. It is completely illogical that a scientist, a person who observes and analyzes the nature of things, could say that he or she does not believe in a Creator. It is obvious that the universe and everything in it was created. Think about it! What logic could lead one to conclude that non-intelligence was capable of creating intelligence? Science itself does not back up the theory of evolution. In mathematics, if a probability of occurrence is less than 1x10-50, it is impossible for the event to ever occur. The probability of a one-cell organism forming by accident (4) is orders of magnitude less likely; it is calculated to be 1x10 -78,000. Further, Huxley (5) determined that the probability for a horse to accidentally appear is 1x10-3,000,000. With analyses like these by many well-known mathematicians, one wonders how a scientist could ever embrace evolution, and yet strangely they do.

Zukav may have provided an answer to this troubling view concerning scientists' disbelief, "When most people say scientist, they mean technician. A technician is a highly trained person whose job is to apply known techniques and principles. He deals with the known. A scientist is a person who seeks to know the true nature of physical reality. He deals with the unknown." (6) Lebowitz put forth a similar view, "Most researchers (technicians) will plot data and exclude the out-lying data points as anomalies. Nobel Prize winners (scientists) explain the anomalies." (7) Using Zukav's definition and the analysis provided by Lebowitz, one sees that those who do not believe in a Creator are most likely technicians who apply science, not true scientists. Further, they must be selectively choosing their science in the face of mathematicians showing evolution is beyond not likely; it is utterly impossible.

2.0 THREE STATES OF RELATIVE EXISTENCE

The technicians' myopic view of the universe is the result of using the two states of existence that they recognize - Energy and Mass. These outward states are easy to recognize and are proved to exist through use of the five senses and man's instrumentation. However, when one attempts to explain the universe based on energy and mass alone, it is like a person trying to give a comprehensive review of a book when he or she has skipped the beginning chapter. Beyond the five senses and the technological measurements of man, stands the silent and hidden beginning chapter - the state of existence that brought forth the Creation! It is not something mysterious or new; it is that nearer than near companion we call - Thought! Thought created the universe and is the subtle substrate upon which energy and mass rest. Further, this inward state is the sole means used by man to prove that energy and mass even exist. The significance of thought has not been universally recognized for man has not simplified his mind enough to analyze thought objectively like he has energy and mass.

3.0 SIGNIFICANCE OF THOUGHT

Some real scientists have recognized, either indirectly or directly, the significance of thought. Heisenberg once said, "Natural science does not simply describe and explain nature; it is part of the interplay between nature and ourselves." (8) Anthropologist Armand Labbe stated, "Ultimately our physics . . . is going to demonstrate that essentially there is no such thing as matter. All there is, is mind and motion." (9) Sir James Jeans zeroed in on it when he said, "The stream of knowledge (energy and mass) is heading toward a non-mechanical reality; the universe begins to look more like a great thought than a great machine." (10)

Although these scientists have some insight into the significance of thought, for a complete understanding of this subtle inward state we must turn to the Godmen around whom the world's major religions have sprung. Common man has not recognized the significance of thought because his own thoughts are so weak. When examining the thought of common man, the link of thought to energy and mass is not apparent. Should a relationship seem to appear, it is not repeatable and is quickly dismissed as coincidence. In contrast to common man, the Godman's thought is very powerful. One can see this through recorded miraculous feats. It is recorded that Rama of the Treta Yuga (Third Age) raised the slain warriors of two armies back from the dead, Isaiah moved the sun backwards, Krishna held a mountain on his finger, and Jesus walked on water.

Krishna explained why the Godmen have so much power, "I am the birthless, the deathless, Lord of all that breathes. I seem to be born; it is only seeming, only my Maya (God's illusion). I am still master of my Prakriti (creative power), the power that makes me." (11) The power of the Godman's thought is within natural scientific laws, but man is oblivious to the subtle laws of nature. Jesus chided man for this ignorance when he said, "... if ye have the faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, remove hence to yonder place and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you." (12)

Krishna told his friend Arjuna over twenty five hundred years ago, "Forth from my Thought came the Seven Sages, the Ancient Four, and at last the Manus; thus, I gave birth to the begetters of all of earth's children!" (13) Supporting Krishna's statement, Edgar Cayce, the Mystic of Virginia Beach, in one of his psychic readings stated, "Man's entrance into the world in the physical sense initially was in the nature of thought forms that then became hardened and set." (14) This is not as farfetched as one initially thinks. We all have been given insight into this power of thought; what are dreams but thought-based worlds? Further, they are so real, we confuse the dream with physical reality. If we have a bad dream when we wakeup we say, "Boy, am I glad that was only a dream!"

In physical reality, there is very good reason why man is denied access to the awesome power of thought. His thoughts are so impure; if he could tune into such power the result would be universal havoc. Contrasted to common man, in the hands of a true Godman, the subtle laws of nature yield no threat for the Godman's Will and the Will of the Creator are one. That is why the Creation is so beautiful. Only the humble and selfless, who have the best interest of all in their pure as gold hearts, are given access to God's power of thought. One could argue that the miraculous feats performed down through the ages by those revered as Godmen are myth and not fact. However, consider that such recorded deeds were performed by ones whose reputations have withstood the test of time. Their words are always found to be in complete harmony with their actions and their consistent theme is, "Truth is the only force that sets man free!" Further, society as a whole must recognize their greatness and the truth that they propound or these Godmen would not have made such dramatic positive impacts on the world. In addition, their status in society did not matter one iota, whether recluse, carpenter or prince the impact of their presence and the realization of the truth of their teachings was the same.

4.0 SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY

Real scientists realize the truth of the Godmen's teachings. Oppenheimer said, "The general notions about human understanding . . . which are illustrated by discoveries in atomic physics are not in the nature of things wholly unfamiliar, wholly unheard of, or new. Even in our own culture they have a history, and in Buddhist and Hindu thought a more considerable and central place. What we shall find is an exemplification, an encouragement and a refinement of old wisdom." (15) Neils Bohr stated, "For a parallel to the lesson of atomic theory . . . (we must turn) to those kinds of epistemological problems with which already thinkers like the Buddha and Lao Tzu have been confronted, when trying to harmonize our position as spectators and actors in the great drama of existence." (16) Fritjof Capra wrote, "The argument . . . could therefore be phrased more generally by saying that modern physics leads us to a view of the world which is very similar to the views held by mystics of all ages and traditions." (17)

The author’s own scientific investigation into the founders of the world’s religions, proved to him that they are/were men of Truth. When the teachings of Rama, Isaiah, Krishna, Jesus, Buddha, Shankara, Nanak, Lao Tzu, Ramakrishna, the Sufis, etc. were compared, it was found that they all extolled the same universal Truths. Differences only appear because of man's strong ego. The knowledge of the unity among faiths that is set forth here is not something new, it has been known for millenniums. In the ancient Aryan scriptures (Rig-Veda) the statement is made, "Truth is one but different sages call it by different names." In support of the unity among the religions of the world, Krishna said, "When goodness grows weak, when evil increases, I make myself a body; in every age I come back to deliver the holy, to destroy the sin of the sinner, to establish righteousness." (18) Ramakrishna, a recognized 19th Century Incarnation of God, shed more light on the subject of religion; "I see people who talk about religion constantly quarreling with one another. . . They haven't the wisdom to understand that He who is called Krishna is also called Siva and the Primal Sakti, and that He again is called Jesus and Allah. There is only one Rama and he has a thousand names." (19) The differences in the Incarnations of God are only in the physical form they assume; their message is always the same.

5.0 QUALITIES OF THE STATES OF EXISTENCE

When one analyzes the teachings of the Mystics, it is clear that thought is the beginning state of our relative existence (the Creation). Thought is the subtle state; energy is in the middle and mass is the gross state. These three states of being provide the pillars that uphold the Creation. However, each state of existence is part of the whole and our relative existence is in essence one. For example, the molecule H2O is still H2O whether it is in the form of steam, water, or ice. Likewise, the relative existence is one, whether it is in the form of thought, energy, or mass. For visualization of this oneness, energy could be considered as condensed thought, and mass as frozen energy. As the one relative existence is described within three states, each state in turn has three major qualities. The three major qualities of mass are solid, liquid, and vapor; of energy, potential, kinetic, and radiant; and of thought, reason, emotion, and intuition.

Solid, potential energy, and reason are the gross qualities. They are the least powerful - bound and unmoving. Liquid, kinetic energy and emotion are the moderate qualities. They are powerful - loosely bound and moving. Vapor, radiant energy, and intuition are the subtle qualities. They are the most powerful - unbound and rapidly moving. As shown in Table 1, the qualities of each state parallel one another and may be placed into three categories, gross, moderate or subtle.

Within the states of existence the more subtle the form, the faster it moves and the more powerful it is. Table 2 shows a subtlety-speed-power matrix for the states of existence and their qualities. Relative to this matrix, molecules in a vapor move fast, but their speed is a small fraction of the speed of photons. The speed of photons in turn cannot compare with the infinite speed of the shyama, the Hindu mother of the universe. In her honor the name used for thought particles. Intuitive thought is the most subtle, and yet most powerful force in the universe!

The qualities of mass and energy have been written about extensively in physics and other scientific textbooks; however, very little has been written about the qualities of thought. From everyday experiences, some insight may be gained into the power of the three qualities of thought.

First, let us examine a scientist who has a research project. To complete the project, he has to develop a goal-oriented program. Next the research has to be completed, the data analyzed, and the results presented logically to provide the scientific proof. The scientist methodically completes his work, using deductive reasoning at every step of the way.

Consider a second scientist, who used the techniques of the first scientist, but also applied intense emotion to the research project. Even the necessities of eating and sleeping were often put aside. All of the scientist's energy and focus were applied to the work. This emotional fervor enhanced the scientist's accomplishments and the work was completed faster and more completely than it would have been otherwise.

Finally, consider a third scientist who applied both reason and emotion to prove a difficult scientific concept. Although the scientist persisted with intense dedication over a period of many years to complete the work, he was unsuccessful. He finally gave up, believing that it was an impossible task. One evening while on vacation, walking along the beach and staring blankly out over the ocean, out of nowhere that long sought answer instantly came to mind. No reason or emotion was being applied to the past research problem. His mind was blank when the answer mysteriously arrived. The answer came via intuition - direct knowledge without any mechanism of rational thought or inference!

From this and other examples that each of us has had, the relative powers of reason, emotion and intuition are recognizable. Reason, cold and calculating, is the least powerful form of thought. Emotion is more powerful because it is a combination of reason and intuition. Intuition is by far the most powerful; it is the perceptively clear thought of the Creator Him-Herself.

When the author came to realize the lowly position of reason, the major thought form taught by academia, it was quite a shock! Repeatedly it is taught to submit emotion to the test of reason, when it should be the other way around. By relegating emotion to the lowest status of thought, the door is slammed shut on the fount of all wisdom - Intuition! Is it no wonder that the technicians of science do not believe in God? They have been instructed to use the least powerful form of thought available. Their knowledge of nature and the universe has been limited due in large part to the academic paradigms imposed upon them.

6.0 RELATIONSHIP OF THOUGHT TO ENERGY

Under the premise that thought is the beginning state of existence, is it possible to define the unit relationship among thought, energy and mass? Since thought is the subtle state of existence and energy is next, if one can establish a relationship between these two, the tie among all three states becomes complete. Krishna proclaimed that the Creation came forth from His thought. Further, Patanjala (20), an Indian Saint, taught that concentration increases the power of one’s thought. Based on these insights, the author postulated that the two parameters required for the thought to energy correlation had to be 1) the thought itself and 2) thought intensity.

In all of the major religions, God is referred to time and time again as Light. Therefore, the units for the intensity of thought were taken to be the same as that for the intensity of light. Having set the units for thought intensity, dimensional analysis was used to find the best fit for the units of thought. Various relationships were postulated between thought and energy, and the units for thought were developed and analyzed. Using this iterative analytical technique, the relationship finally became obvious. It is very simple, and is theorized to be as follows:

The units for thought are very logical - a two dimensional image maintained over time. Further, the longer the same thought is held, the more powerful it becomes (20). Thought takes on three dimensions when it comes from more than one point. An analogy to this is sight. With one-eyed vision, there is no depth perception, but with two-eyed vision comes the triangulation effect to provide depth. Consider the completeness of the projected thought when the same synchronized thought of the whole creation is coming from everywhere and from every direction; the only difference being vantage-point perspective and field of view.

Lahiri Mahasaya, reviver of the ancient Kriya Yoga science, told one of his disciples, "Thought is a force, even as electricity or gravitation." (21) Physicists have had some insight into this; Bohm stated, "There is a similarity between thought and matter. All matter, including ourselves is determined by information. Information is what determines time and space." (22) The author's analysis indicates that thought must contain the smallest particles of mass that exist. As such, they would have no gravity and therefore infinite speed. (23)

7.0 PURE CONSCIOUSNESS

If we accept that thought is the beginning state of existence, then one must ask, "Where does this thought come from?" The Thought that created, sustains, and some day will destroy this Universe, comes from God. God is the Absolute Existence, the existence that never changes. It is the root cause and support of the ever-changing relative existence (the Creation). What is God? God is the One Pure Consciousness-Awareness that is completely selfless and untainted by desire. Noted physicist Roger Jones, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, said, "I reject the myth of reality as external to the human mind, and I acknowledge consciousness as the source of the cosmos." (24) He is in agreement with the Godmen. Krishna said, "That which is the principle of consciousness in all beings and the source of life in all, it sustains the universe." (25) Rama said, "There is not even an iota of space that is not occupied by Him (Pure Consciousness)." (26)

The great quantum theorist, Richard Feynman, could not understand a certain scientific phenomenon. He said, "It always bothers me that, according to the laws as we understand them today, it takes a computing machine an infinite number of logical operations to figure out what goes on in no matter how tiny a region of space, and no matter how tiny a region of time. Why should it take an infinite amount of logic to figure out what one tiny piece of time/space is going to do?" (27) The answer to his question is that the Consciousness that controls that tiny space/time is infinite. Although scientists do not recognize it, the computer is providing us with scientific verification of that infinite Consciousness.

While walking on the beach alone, thinking about God, the thought came to me that the consciousness is everywhere and that it does not reside in us individually but instead all of creation resides in it. It is sort of like the air we breath. We don't take our own supply of air with us wherever we go, it is already there and we breath it in as we walk along. Each of us are wired, so to speak, to receive the portion of the Consciousness that was allocated to us. Evidence to support this is provided when we dream. Here it is seen that our consciousness is not locked into our physical body. We could be walking in a forest in the dream state - our consciousness had nothing to do with our physical body at that time! Ramakrishna always referred to the Ocean of Satchitananda (Existence - Knowledge - Bliss). Just recently I realized the ocean he was talking about is the infinite consciousness. We are all like fish swimming in that Ocean of Consciousness. It took me 34 years to realize that, after I first read it. How simple it is. Why does man always overlook the obvious?

The One Consciousness as it shines through and sustains the Creation, projects the illusion of a multiplicity of consciousness. To illustrate how this works, consider consciousness as white light shining through two pieces of colored glass, one red and the other blue. Although there is one source of white light only, as it passes through the colored panes of glass, each containing its own set of inherent impurities, the light exiting one pane is seen to be red and the other blue. If the consciousness in the projected color red looks outward only, it sees itself as different from the blue light. When this individuality is assumed the illusion, of more than one consciousness, appears. Why did God create this illusion? Darshan Singh, the mystic Urdu poet who never slept, provides us the answer, "Everyone knows that God created the universe because He was lonely." (28)

The One Consciousness, to create even more variety, shines through creation in varying degrees of brightness or completeness. Consider the following. Discerning consciousness in a rock is very difficult. In a plant, one may start to recognize it. In an insect or animal, it becomes easier to recognize and in man, it becomes obvious. Moving from the lower to higher life forms, layers of darkness or ignorance are removed, allowing the consciousness within to shine with increasing brightness. In a way, Darwin was on to something when he came up with the concept of evolution. The mistake that he made was, it is not the evolution of physical bodies that occur, it is the evolution (the unfolding or awakening) of the spiritual beings that inhabit those bodies. Buddha said, "If one were to pile the ashes and bones of himself burnt in everlasting transmigration (reincarnations), the pile would be mountain high." (29)

As the consciousness of an evolving soul shines through the higher life forms, it becomes ever more aware of itself. Finally, when the consciousness of man as Mystic looks inward through the technique of meditation, swimming upstream, like a salmon returning to the source of its birth, that entity becomes completely aware of Itself. He/She then reaches the summum bonum of life, the realization of being one with all of the Creation. The mystical statement made by Jesus becomes a living reality, "Inasmuch as ye have done it to unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me!" (30) Providing insight into what occurs when man becomes Godman, Rama said, in describing this mystical experience, "Through all eyes I see, through all ears I hear . . . !" (31)

Jesus gave the following instruction to His disciples, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect!" (32) He told them that to let them know of their potential. The Godmen teach that we are all part of this One Pure Consciousness and it is within our inherent capability to realize it. Although we each have the capability, to become perfect is very difficult, and few succeed, for one must eliminate those ingrained impurities embodied in the form of anger, lust and greed, etc..

8.0 CONCLUSION

With the knowledge that thought is the beginning state of Creation, the scientific community has an outlet from its energy and mass (dog chasing its tail) analysis of the universe. A universe(s) created and sustained by God's thought provides the scientific basis for understanding infinity (it is and is not), time (an illusion held together by memory and imagination), and psychic phenomena (the One Consciousness is all-pervading). The quest of pure science is Truth and God is Truth. The truth is that science and religion are not at odds with each other at all; both are paths to God. The reason that the tie between science and God had not been universally recognized was that there was no scientific bridge to link the two. It is clear from the teachings of the Godmen that thought is the bridge to God that science has overlooked.

Acknowledgments

Based on my analyses, all of the religions of the world that stress selflessness, compassion and unconditional love are true. Depending on mental outlook, one may also use the scientific search for Truth to find God, the approach used by Shankara, Oppenheimer, and Bohr. A major lesson that I have learned in this life is that everything we want to know about life and the universe is very simple and staring us in the face. The trick is to simplify your mind so that you can recognize the obvious. This essay is dedicated to the Godmen who have blessed this earth with their presence from time to time. Without their boundless compassion, I would not have been given these insights. Although nothing like them, I recognize their greatness and the truth of their teachings. They are my heroes; selfless, kind and compassionate beyond all worldly comprehension!

REFERENCES

[1] E. Larson and L. Witham, Leading Scientists Still Reject God, Nature, 1998: 394, 131.

[2] Science, Philosophy and Religion: a Symposium, (Relationship to Democratic Way of Life, Inc., 1941) Chapter 13.

[3] Through Love to Light, edited by A. L. Gomez-Jefferson, Christian Education Department, (AME Episcopal

Church, 1997) p. 63.

[4] J. Rifkin, Algeny, (Penguin Books, 1984).

[5] G. G. Simpson, The Meaning of Evolution, Revised Edition. (Yale University Press 1967) p. 154.

[6] Gary Zukav, The Dancing Wu Li Masters, (Bantam Books, 1980) p. 9.

[7] Telephone conversation with Howard Lebowitz, 1997.

[8] W. Heisenburg, Physics and Philosophy, (George Allen, 1958) p. 107.

[9] Armand Labbe, Consciousness versus Awareness, 1991 Annual Conference of the Society for the Anthropology

of Consciousness, March 21, 1991.

[10] Sir James Jeans, in his Rede Lecture at Cambridge, reported in The Times, London, 5, November 1930.

[11] Bhagavad Gita, Swami Prabhavanda and Christopher Isherwood translation (Barnes and Noble Inc. 1995),

Chapter IV, Renunciation through Knowledge, p. 24.

[12] Holy Bible, Matthew 17:20, King James Version.

[13] Bhagavad Gita, Swami Prabhavanda and Christopher Isherwood translation (Barnes and Noble Inc. 1995),

Chapter X, Divine Glory, p. 66.

[14] Edgar Cayce, The Edgar Cayce Readings, Association for Research and Enlightenment, Reading 364-3.

[15] J. R. Oppenheimer, Science and the Common Understanding, (Oxford University Press, 1954) pp 8-9.

[16] Neils Bohr, Atomic Physics and Human Knowledge, (edited by John Wiley and Sons, 1958) p. 20.

[17] Fritjof Capra, The Tao of Physics, (Shambala Publications 1976) p. 5.

[18] Bhagavad Gita, Swami Prabhavanda and Christopher Isherwood translation (Barnes and Noble Inc. 1995)

Chapter IV, Renunciation through Knowledge, p. 24.

[19] Mahendra Nath Gupta, The Gospel of Ramakrishna, abridged edition (Ramakrishna-Vivekananda Center of New

York 1996), p. 300.

[20] How to Know God: The Yoga Aphorisms of Patanjala, translated by Swami Prabhavanda and Christopher

Isherwood (Vedanta Press) p. 62.

[21] Paramahmsa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi, (Self Realization Fellowship, 1987) p. 313.

[22] D. Bohm, Lecture to professional physicists, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, April 1977.

[23] R. A. Ashworth, Confirmation of Helical Travel of Light Through Microwave Waveguide Analyses, Physics

Essays 11, 3, (1998).

[24] Roger S. Jones, Physics as Metaphor, (University of Minnesota Press, 1982) preface p. ix.

[25] Bhagavad Gita, Swami Prabhavanda and Christopher Isherwood translation (Barnes and Noble Inc. 1995)

Chapter VII, Knowledge and Experience, p. 47.

[26] Swami Rama, Drishtiyoga - An Easy Method for Controlling the Mind (The OM Rama Sangam 1969) p. 56.

[27] Richard P. Feynman, The Character of Physical Law, (The M.I.T. Press, 1967) p. 57.

[28] Statement by Darshan Singh to my wife Sharon and I during a St. Petersburg, Florida visit in early 1980's.

[29] The Teaching of Buddha, (Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai, Tokyo, 1982) pp. 172-174.

[30] Holy Bible, Matthew 25:40, King James Version.

[31] Swami Rama, Discussion about God, early 1970's, Light of Yoga Society, Cleveland, Ohio.

[32] Holy Bible, Matthew 5:48, King James Version.