Chapter 7 - How The New Science Champions Sacred Cosmology

Question 1

Five bodies of Brahman (consciousness)

Answer 1

Annamaya (physical)
Pranamaya (vital or emotional)
Manomaya (mental)
Vijnanamaya (theme)
Anandamaya (blissful)

Koshas, sheaths that hide the light of consciousness
Doctrine of the panchakoshas

Question 2

Vedanta

Answer 2

Not only is consciousness not product of the mind - it transcends both matter and mind - but the mind is also distinct from the brain

Question 3

Vijnanamaya kosha

Answer 3

Material world bound by laws that reside in the theme body

Question 4

Mind as computer

Answer 4

Computers are symbol processing machines in which symbols act in symbols. To create meaning, would need to create symbols for symbols, ad Infinitum. Computer lacks both meaning and a knower

Question 5

Symbolic logic

Answer 5

We can know symbolic logic behind every part of the world because we originated it

Question 6

Telepathy

Answer 6

Consciousness can simultaneously collapse possibilities in two disparate bodies with no signal contact or local interaction

No direct local interaction between physical and mental bodies, consciousness mediates interaction between them by collapsing correlated actualities, one in brain and one in mind

Question 7

David Bohm

Answer 7

Uncertainty principle operates with regard to thoughts. If we focus on content of thought, we lose direction thought is following. Focusing on direction of thought leads to loss of its content

Question 8

Creative process

Answer 8

Make discontinuous leaps of thought without going through continuous steps, just as in quantum leap

Question 9

Nonlocality

Answer 9

Best evidence of quantum nature of thought

Question 10

Casey Blood

Answer 10

Physical objects are just mathematical entities (same is true of mental objects).

Both physical and mental worlds remain as superpositions of quantum possibilities until consciousness gives them substantiality by collapsing an actual experience

Question 11

Self referential quantum measurement

Answer 11

1. Collapses physical object in external awareness, which includes space-time
2. Brain representation
3. mental object in internal awareness
   State of physical brain chosen in collapse becomes memory and forms syntactical symbol of representation, and correlated chosen state of mental body provides semantics. Together they form meaningful representation of stimulus. Once representation is made, subsequent response of brain to (learned) stimulus is computer-style operation.

Question 12

Imagination

Answer 12

Recognize and choose mental states represented in physical brain via correlated collapse

Question 13

Repeated perception

Answer 13

As representations of physical world are made in physical brain, there is change in correlated mental body through modification of probabilities of experienced mental possibilities. Possibilities do not change; only probabilities for collapsing them become biased in favor of prior collapse.

Question 14

Cognition is recognition

Answer 14

Although we all share same mind structurally (the mind is an indivisible whole), because we acquire individual patterns, we can be said to acquire a personal mind

Question 15

Perception of physical world

Answer 15

We have shared reality of physical objects in macrocosm

Question 16

Descartes

Answer 16

Mental substance is indivisible

Question 17

Mental world

Answer 17

whole, or infinite medium

There are waves of thought which are quantum possibility waves obeying probability calculus

We directly observe these quantum modes without intermediary of macro measurement-aid apparatus, but there is a price for direct experience. Observation of mental mode of movement (a thought) is subject to uncertainty principle; disturbs thought so much so that another observation would not be same experience of thought. Therefore, thoughts cannot ordinarily be shared by two different observers.

Question 18

Why mind can’t operate independently

Answer 18

Presence of brani needed for consciousness to collapse possibility wave because it calls for self-referential dynamic of tangled hierarchy, which requires nicro-macro distinction that only material brain can provide

Self referential because there’s a tangled hierarchy

Question 19

Why is quantum measurement in the brain self referential?

Answer 19

Micro quantum systems in the brain respond to external stimulus, such as photon; signal from quantum system amplified by other, macro systems in the brain (measurement-aid apparatus)

Both systems amplify one another

However, only consciousness can collapse actuality from superposition from a transcendent level

Question 20

Why can’t consciousness collapse possibility waves of mental body by itself?

Answer 20

In the mind there’s no differentiation between micro and macro, no question of any amplification. This a tangled-hierarchical, quantum-measurement situation is impossible

Question 21

States of consciousness

Answer 21

Waking
Dream
Deep sleep

Frequency of brain waves progressively decreases as amplitude becomes higher along continuum from wakefulness to dream to deep sleep.

Upanishads say consciousness exists in all three states but also transcends them

Question 22

Dream state

Answer 22

only internal awareness of thoughts and internal brain images
No shared external awareness
Reflections on meaning of internal life, containing experiences that progress with time, give rise to insights, and use what is learned during waking awareness as additional input

Question 23

Deep sleep

Answer 23

Unconscious in Freudian sense; there is consciousness but no awareness, internal or external

Question 24

Nirvikalpa samadhi

Answer 24

state of consciousness caused by meditation, a trance-like state where there is no subject-object split

Question 25

Vital body

Answer 25

an infinite medium, modes of movement called prana. In West modes of vital body are called vital energy Contents of vital body are living functions represented by various organs

Question 26

Prana

Answer 26

Like thought, movement displays quantum leaps of creativity and experienced internally. Movement, like thought, becomes conditioned, camoflaging quantum nature.

Question 27

chakras

Answer 27

points where we feel conditioned movements of prana

Question 28

Kundalini shakti

Answer 28

creative movement of prana, opens chakras, breaks up homeostasis of pranic conditioning and is source of creative breakthroughs that kundalini initiates

Question 29

Goedel's theorem

Answer 29

nonalgorithmic nature of discoveries in mathematics every mathematical system of algorithms used to ascertain mathematical truth, if sufficiently elaborate, is either incomplete or inconsistent; always contains proposition that system can't prove. When mathematicians discover new mathematical truths, they don't use algorithms or logic, instead the jump out of system - must bring already existing mathematical truth from world that transcends mental world, where proof and logical process operate. (Theme world)

Question 30

Mathematical Platonism

Answer 30

If mathematical scientific laws guide behavior of material objects, they must exist a priori to matter and transcend material world

Question 31

Theme body

Answer 31

laws pertaining to physical, vital, and mental bodies. Contains laws that govern matter, laws that govern morphogenetic fields, and contexts that govern thought quantum objects are not thoughts but contexts of thought

Question 32

Creative acts

Answer 32

situational - exploration of new meaning in already known contexts, at level of the mind fundamental - discovery of new meaning in new context, movements from possibility to actuality of mental and theme body

Question 33

Involution and evolution of consciousness

Answer 33

Descent (involution) of consciousness must occur before ascent (evolution) can take place in order for consciousness to know itself, it projects itself into levels that are grosser and grosser.

Question 34

First level

Answer 34

Theme body (intellect), context of all subsequent movements - e.g. laws of science. Consciousness limits itself by becoming lawful and thematic

Question 35

Second and Third level

Answer 35

mental and vital, which give content to themes played out

Question 36

Grossest level of manifestation

Answer 36

Physical, in which contents will be mapped.

Question 37

Ignorance

Answer 37

As consciousness descends, it forgets itself and becomes ignorant. Each level of descent delegates previous level to unconscious and corresponds to another level of increasing forgetfulness and freedom. At lowest level, material, all is unconscious.

Question 38

Involution

Answer 38

called so because higher levels remain potential in matter, ready to unfold

Question 39

Evolution

Answer 39

once involution is complete, evolution begins. Life can't emerge from matter alone, because higher level can never arise from lower one. Life already understood to exist in potential and emerge at level of complexity of matter where it's supported. Mind energes at level of complexity of life because it was already potential

Question 40

Separation of consciousness

Answer 40

Illusory, levels not dualistic. Consciousness forgets itself for the sake of play - pretends to forget.

Question 41

Manifestation

Answer 41

occurs via tangled hierarchy, causing illusion of separateness which causes temporary amnesia. At intellect and mental level of descent, their subtle quantum bodies present to consciousness possibility structures that contain thought contexts and thought itself. Consciousness and mental contextual possibilities unseparate whole. However, when self referentially collapsed, possibilities into actuality at lower level, creates apparent separation. At next level of descent (vital) consciousness creates potential for separation between life and environment. No actual collapse or separation of intellect, mental and vital bodies takes place until physical body arrives

Question 42

How does what is potential in matter become actual?

Answer 42

Within tangled hierarchies and quantum measurements, consciousness can supervene and self-referential collapse of quantum possibility waves of all four bodies (theme, mental, vital, and physical) occur. Consciousness remembers levels that came before matter.

Question 43

Creative process

Answer 43

Make discontinuous leaps of thought without going through continuous steps, just as in quantum leap

Question 44

Nonlocality

Answer 44

Best evidence of quantum nature of thought

Question 45

Casey Blood

Answer 45

Physical objects are just mathematical entities (same is true of mental objects). Both physical and mental worlds remain as superpositions of quantum possibilities until consciousness gives them substantiality by collapsing an actual experience

Question 46

Self referential quantum measurement

Answer 46

1. Collapses physical object in external awareness, which includes space-time 2. Brain representation 3. mental object in internal awareness State of physical brain chosen in collapse becomes memory and forms syntactical symbol of representation, and correlated chosen state of mental body provides semantics. Together they form meaningful representation of stimulus. Once representation is made, subsequent response of brain to (learned) stimulus is computer-style operation.

Question 47

Imagination

Answer 47

Recognize and choose mental states represented in physical brain via correlated collapse

Question 48

Repeated perception

Answer 48

As representations of physical world are made in physical brain, there is change in correlated mental body through modification of probabilities of experienced mental possibilities. Possibilities do not change; only probabilities for collapsing them become biased in favor of prior collapse.

Question 49

Cognition is recognition

Answer 49

Although we all share same mind structurally (the mind is an indivisible whole), because we acquire individual patterns, we can be said to acquire a personal mind

Question 50

Perception of physical world

Answer 50

We have shared reality of physical objects in macrocosm

Question 51

Descartes

Answer 51

Mental substance is indivisible

Question 52

Mental world

Answer 52

whole, or infinite medium There are waves of thought which are quantum possibility waves obeying probability calculus We directly observe these quantum modes without intermediary of macro measurement-aid apparatus, but there is a price for direct experience. Observation of mental mode of movement (a thought) is subject to uncertainty principle; disturbs thought so much so that another observation would not be same experience of thought. Therefore, thoughts cannot ordinarily be shared by two different observers.

Question 53

Why mind can't operate independently

Answer 53

Presence of brani needed for consciousness to collapse possibility wave because it calls for self-referential dynamic of tangled hierarchy, which requires nicro-macro distinction that only material brain can provide Self referential because there's a tangled hierarchy

Question 54

Why is quantum measurement in the brain self referential?

Answer 54

Micro quantum systems in the brain respond to external stimulus, such as photon; signal from quantum system amplified by other, macro systems in the brain (measurement-aid apparatus) Both systems amplify one another However, only consciousness can collapse actuality from superposition from a transcendent level

Question 55

Why can't consciousness collapse possibility waves of mental body by itself?

Answer 55

In the mind there's no differentiation between micro and macro, no question of any amplification. This a tangled-hierarchical, quantum-measurement situation is impossible

Question 56

States of consciousness

Answer 56

Waking Dream Deep sleep Frequency of brain waves progressively decreases as amplitude becomes higher along continuum from wakefulness to dream to deep sleep. Upanishads say consciousness exists in all three states but also transcends them

Question 57

Dream state

Answer 57

only internal awareness of thoughts and internal brain images No shared external awareness Reflections on meaning of internal life, containing experiences that progress with time, give rise to insights, and use what is learned during waking awareness as additional input

Question 58

Deep sleep

Answer 58

Unconscious in Freudian sense; there is consciousness but no awareness, internal or external

Question 59

Nirvikalpa samadhi

Answer 59

state of consciousness caused by meditation, a trance-like state where there is no subject-object split

Question 60

Vital body

Answer 60

an infinite medium, modes of movement called prana. In West modes of vital body are called vital energy Contents of vital body are living functions represented by various organs

Question 61

Prana

Answer 61

Like thought, movement displays quantum leaps of creativity and experienced internally. Movement, like thought, becomes conditioned, camoflaging quantum nature.

Question 62

chakras

Answer 62

points where we feel conditioned movements of prana

Question 63

Kundalini shakti

Answer 63

creative movement of prana, opens chakras, breaks up homeostasis of pranic conditioning and is source of creative breakthroughs that kundalini initiates

Question 64

Goedel's theorem

Answer 64

nonalgorithmic nature of discoveries in mathematics every mathematical system of algorithms used to ascertain mathematical truth, if sufficiently elaborate, is either incomplete or inconsistent; always contains proposition that system can't prove. When mathematicians discover new mathematical truths, they don't use algorithms or logic, instead the jump out of system - must bring already existing mathematical truth from world that transcends mental world, where proof and logical process operate. (Theme world)

Question 65

Mathematical Platonism

Answer 65

If mathematical scientific laws guide behavior of material objects, they must exist a priori to matter and transcend material world

Question 66

Theme body

Answer 66

laws pertaining to physical, vital, and mental bodies. Contains laws that govern matter, laws that govern morphogenetic fields, and contexts that govern thought quantum objects are not thoughts but contexts of thought

Question 67

Creative acts

Answer 67

situational - exploration of new meaning in already known contexts, at level of the mind fundamental - discovery of new meaning in new context, movements from possibility to actuality of mental and theme body

Question 68

Involution and evolution of consciousness

Answer 68

Descent (involution) of consciousness must occur before ascent (evolution) can take place in order for consciousness to know itself, it projects itself into levels that are grosser and grosser.

Question 69

First level

Answer 69

Theme body (intellect), context of all subsequent movements - e.g. laws of science. Consciousness limits itself by becoming lawful and thematic

Question 70

Second and Third level

Answer 70

mental and vital, which give content to themes played out

Question 71

Grossest level of manifestation

Answer 71

Physical, in which contents will be mapped.

Question 72

Ignorance

Answer 72

As consciousness descends, it forgets itself and becomes ignorant. Each level of descent delegates previous level to unconscious and corresponds to another level of increasing forgetfulness and freedom. At lowest level, material, all is unconscious.

Question 73

Involution

Answer 73

called so because higher levels remain potential in matter, ready to unfold

Question 74

Evolution

Answer 74

once involution is complete, evolution begins. Life can't emerge from matter alone, because higher level can never arise from lower one. Life already understood to exist in potential and emerge at level of complexity of matter where it's supported. Mind energes at level of complexity of life because it was already potential

Question 75

Separation of consciousness

Answer 75

Illusory, levels not dualistic. Consciousness forgets itself for the sake of play - pretends to forget.

Question 76

Manifestation

Answer 76

occurs via tangled hierarchy, causing illusion of separateness which causes temporary amnesia. At intellect and mental level of descent, their subtle quantum bodies present to consciousness possibility structures that contain thought contexts and thought itself. Consciousness and mental contextual possibilities unseparate whole. However, when self referentially collapsed, possibilities into actuality at lower level, creates apparent separation. At next level of descent (vital) consciousness creates potential for separation between life and environment. No actual collapse or separation of intellect, mental and vital bodies takes place until physical body arrives

Question 77

How does what is potential in matter become actual?

Answer 77

Within tangled hierarchies and quantum measurements, consciousness can supervene and self-referential collapse of quantum possibility waves of all four bodies (theme, mental, vital, and physical) occur. Consciousness remembers levels that came before matter.