Dialectics and Metaphors: How Chaos Theory and String Theory Can Subvert Cultural Binary Oppositions

A good friend once told me that when we polish everything we leave nothing to hold on to. At the time, the significance of this statement eluded me. I found it unrelatable until I started to explore Chaos Theory and surprising questions started to emerge: If we are always teetering on the brink of order and disorder what does the act of polishing do? Are we just trying to forge a safe haven from uncertainty? Does polishing create cultural binaries? By attempting to reduce the world into binaries and essentialisms a culture ultimately creates very distinct power relations between these divisions. Certain scientific discoveries and theories have served to deconstruct these divisions by challenging former reductionist scientific theories that facilitated social taxonomy. String Theory and Chaos Theory can be used as paradigms for breaking the cultural binaries and power relations that adhere to constructed social norms. Current heteronormativity can be challenged by adopting a new perspective on the notion of chaos and embracing uncertainty as a way of examining one's surroundings.

Binary oppositions are an intricate part of the development of myth and cultural norms. Meaning is created by the juxtaposition of two binaries and is internalized by those living within the culture. However, conflicts arise with the use of binaries; the act of polarizing sexual and social roles and identities creates power conflicts. One is often associated with good/normative/acceptable and thus assimilated into the realm of cultural acceptability. The opposite is relegated to the position of the other and pushed to the fringes of heteronormative society. These coded notions of identity the world around us degrades and alienates those who cannot perfectly adhere to an ideal (Haraway 177-78). The other exists between boundaries; it can take the form of a monster, "defining the limits of community," reveals Donna Haraway, the product of a blurring of binaries (180).

Chaos Theory elevates the other to the position of the ordinary. It attempts to, according to John Briggs and F. David Peat in their Turbulent Mirror, "shift attention from the quantitative features of dynamical systems to their qualitative properties" (Briggs 14). It is a reductionist's nightmare; a theory which studies systems that are extremely sensitive to initial conditions. These systems can be described through nonlinear equations and one cannot use the solution to one of these equations to predict others (24). Chaos and turbulence is inherent in these systems, arising because of an interconnectivity between components (52). These findings have dashed scientists desires to create oppositional binaries and predict a system's movement. This new view of chaos has provided a dialectic in traditional scientific thought.

Cultural perspectives on the relationships between order and chaos have shifted through the millennia. Early cultures believed gods existed in the spaces between order and chaos. However, these beliefs were discarded with the onset of the scientific revolution (Briggs 20-21). Platonic puritanical morality submerged the notion of balance between these forces and focused attempts to diminish any form of disorder within sight (21-22).

This classical reductionist view of science was shattered the development of nonlinear equations and the feedback loops. Nonlinearity eliminated reductionism and predictability, producing turbulence and Platonically imperfect pictures of nature (Briggs 24-26). Our world is extremely susceptible to chaotic fluctuations cause by non-linearity. Biological systems use it to thrive and change. In this sense, the "part is the whole" states Briggs and Peat. When a system is so dependent each its components they cannot be discarded through analysis. They hold equal importance to the whole because, through iteration, a tiny change in one will produce a magnified reaction in the system (75).

Chaos Theory recognizes that chaos is not the polar opposite of order; it exists as order in an almost imperceptible and subtle form (Briggs 44). If a society were to internalize and recode this chaos/order binary it could potentially deconstruct existing power relationships. What if there were no predictable and definable social role of a woman? What if the divisions between the sexes were in a state of flux?

Another popular scientific theory can incite some of these same questions and raise additional. Like Chaos Theory, String Theory took a beloved model of the universe and turned it on its head. It took the normativity out of the creation story. It deflated the idealized view of a heavenly-sprouted Big Bang. String Theory replaced it with multiple dimensions, multiple universes, and cosmic strings (Cowen 2-5).

One of the reasons String Theory can be effective at inciting change in social consciousness is its massive popularity with the general public. Its success can be greatly attributed to its inherent queerness. The theory's weirdness is more easily visualized than that of Chaos Theory's, spawning countless quirky television shows exploiting its mass appeal. Its queer attractiveness plays upon a culture's desire to explore the other, the deviants of our world existing on the fringes of public consciousness.

Unlike the Big Bang Theory, String Theory attempts to explain what provoked the creation of our universe by postulating that our universe exists on a membrane. In short, the collision of two of these membranes incited the Big Bang (Cowen 5-6). In order to visualize this phenomena one will have to draw from atypical sources of influence. One would need to grasp that our universe is in flux and one of an infinite number (3).

Unfortunately, String Theory is riddled with criticisms about its falsifiability. "Instead of a theory we only have wishful thinking," states Andrei Linde (Cowen 7). The controversies, however, do not diminish its potential for inspiring the deconstruction of binaries.

How can one assimilate these theories into action? How can science provide a metaphor for embracing uncertainty? Donna Haraway offers her answer in her book, Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. She uses the image of the cyborg because can be used to recode the self and social classifications. Its task is to break binaries. Haraway defines a cyborg as a "cybernetic organism, a hybrid of machine and organism, a creature of social reality as well as a creature of fiction" (Haraway 149). It is not only a monster of our militaristic and capitalistic society, but a metaphor used to redefine boundaries and deconstruct dualisms.

Like Chaos Theory, the cyborg betrays its roots in science and acts as a dialectic for the essentialist culture in which it was created. The cyborg does not fit into on definitive category; it confronts the binaries of scientific and societal doctrine that have been embedded in culture. These binaries have been used in the "domination of all constituted as others" (Haraway 177). Haraway calls for affinity over identity. She believes that unity and kinship should be sought while maintaining differences (179-81). In this way, Haraway's cyborg can be used to visualize ways in which scientific theories can produce cultural changes.

By adopting a new definition of chaos and embracing paratactical relations - those which embrace affinity whilst maintaining difference - cultural binary oppositions can be subjected to the same flux as nonlinear systems. Chaos Theory and String theory facilitate the deconstruction of dominant ideologies through the assimilation of queerness. This queerness is often coupled with the experience of being the other. Briggs and Peat state that, "all life is a form of cooperation, an expression of feedback arising out of the flux of chaos" (Briggs 156). These ideas of flux and feedback loops between organisms challenge dominant hegemony and promote comfort in the blurring of boundaries. By embracing dissonance, sexual politics, social inequalities, and cultural essentialisms start to fracture and fall into disarray. Leaving our world unpolished and rough allows for difference, a new ideal for beauty.







Works Cited

Briggs, John, and F. David Peat. Turbulent Mirror: An Illustrated Guide to Chaos Theory and the Sciences of Wholeness. New York: Harper Perennial, 1989.

Cowen, Ron. "When Branes Collide: Stringing Together a New Theory For the Origin of the Universe." Science News. 22 Sep. 2001: 184-86. 25 Sep. 2009 .

Haraway, Donna J. "A Cyborg Manifesto: Science, Technology, and Socialist-Feminism in the Late Twentieth Century," in Simians, Cyborgs and Women: The Reinvention of Nature. New York: Routledge, 1990.


2009

Becoming Mindful in a Busy World

In today’s busy consumer culture the average American is bombarded with materialistic advertisements and pressures at a constant. We learn in school that money and worldliness is necessary for being successful, but we are not taught how to make money and our education is limited to what our communities will allow us to be exposed to. I did not learn about the bombing of Dresden until 12th grade English class. We are often used in this money-making mechanism we call a government and spit out because we have not learned to think for ourselves. We are taught to strive for materialism and often we have little choice but to enter into that world, but we never hop off the bandwagon and take our lives into our own hands. We rely on the government to tell us what to do and what is right, and even when we rebel we often don’t take control over how we chose to live and believe.

Living mindfully and peacefully in a society that bears little resemblance to those concepts (and often contradicts them) is very difficult in and of itself. In addition, we often have to work with the society and the materialism to give ourselves food and a roof over our heads. Even our places of worship have tapped in to this market culture, using its marketing techniques to enhance membership. To be mindfully present at the moment and to reprogram ourselves to feel the things we were taught to avoid is, to say the least, a challenging task that takes a lifetime of dedication. The benefits to overcoming the stress and the emotional suffering that many of us struggle with in a modern world are endless. To take everyday situations that normally are labeled hectic and unpleasant and make them into something warmly meditative is invaluable. In Peace is Every Step, Thich Nhat Hanh offers new insight into how to be mindful in everyday life and turning the negative aspects of experience into peaceful ones (Hanh xiv).

Buddhism teaches that desire leads to suffering. One must let go of desire in order to attain peace and being present in the moment. If one hopes or yearns for something and does not attain it, it will cause emotional suffering. However, if you do not attach emotion to your goals and understand what went wrong and why if they are not attained, then no suffering will ensue. Like Hanh, Ram Dass practices mindfulness and awareness. After his greatest challenge, being “stroked,” Ram Dass collected himself and began to see his condition as a gift. The pain of the suffering began to diminish and was saturated with a sense of peace and mindfulness (Ram Dass).

Hanh teaches, in his book, that it is not possible to suffer or be in a state of desire when one is mindfully present in the moment. This is because desire denotes that one is thinking of the future and the past. “I want to get that new dress. I wish I didn’t fail that exam. I wish it wasn’t raining. What if I get in an accident?” All these are examples of desire which can eventually (or even instantaneously) lead to suffering. Traditionally, religion is used to alleviate some of the stress and suffering attached to desire. It can ease (existential) stress “by granting us a sense of control over an uncertain and terrifying world” (Newberg 131). Religiosity is beneficial and healthy, it reduces stress and physical ailments and improves our relationships with others (129-130). Reducing desire and being present at the moment can conceivably also carry these benefits.

Hanh’s story of the river who chased nothing but the clouds is an example of the incompatibility of desire and mindfulness. The river spent her days wishing (desiring) to possess a cloud of her own, but the clouds were always changing and her efforts were met with failure and frustration. Her life became filled with anger and suffering. One day a wind blew all the clouds away and all that way left was the empty blue sky. She felt life was no longer worth living. ‘“If there are no clouds, why should I be alive?”’ Later for the first time the river was able to become introspective and look at herself (instead of chasing after the clouds). “She realized that what she had been looking for was already in herself. She found that the clouds were nothing but water…And she found out that she herself is also water” (Hanh 130-131). This story is a metaphor for someone in today’s consumer culture, always chasing after something ‘better’ that is believed to be outside of oneself. When, in reality, our own happiness and success come from within, not from attaining money and fame. The river was incapable of being in the present when she was chasing after the clouds because she could not see anything but her goal, she was unobservant and unaware. When she realized that the clouds and the river are interconnected she was existing in the moment and she did not wish to posses the clouds.

Most people have trouble attaining mindfulness of the present and still act as a part of modern western society. Virtually everything we are taught in school, work, and from the media is to hope and strive for your goals. We live faced paced lives that are so goal oriented we cannot ‘stop and smell the flowers.’ Meditation and ‘aimlessness’ is seen as secondary and to be practiced when our goals are achieved. However, one finds that after being in the moment and practicing meditation, that “the opposite may be more helpful” (Hanh 38).

I have personally found it difficult to do this. Especially, because I’m juggling so many different responsibilities at the moment: college, jobs, relocation opportunities, pursuing career prospects. Everything can feel so overwhelming and frustrating, but that is because I don’t set aside enough time to just sit and feel. I’m so full of hope and worry that I prevent myself from living mindfully. Hanh elucidates on the notion that hope is an obstacle to attaining peace at the moment. “Since we cling to our hope in the future, we do not focus our energies and capabilities on the present moment” (Hanh 41). Often I feel obsessed with figuring out how I’m going to come up with 100 grand for the next four years of college, or how I’m going to come up with the money to buy groceries this week. But when I come home from work or school and start to paint, I realize how futile it all is and that if I don’t live in the moment, I’ll end up as a worried old 60 year-old who hasn’t lived a day in her life. To me living is being mindful, and whenever I’m able to calm myself down I remember that and try and savor each moment. My happiest moments are my least “productive”.

Hanh really emphasized on some things I strive for. I’ve always hated washing dishes until it became part of my job. I realized instead of making this another chore that why not make it into a type of break from my busy life? I notice each individual texture on the dishes and how the water moves and feels on my hands. I found that my experience with doing the dishes is much like Hanh’s. He describes that he takes his time washing each dish, and turns it into almost a type of meditation (Hanh 26). The process is so redundant and relaxing that it almost instantly pulls me into the moment. The reason that I do not find washing the dishes unpleasant is because I don’t think about not doing them when I am washing them.

Hanh helps us tap into the moment and become aware of ourselves and our
surroundings. By becoming mindful of the world, you inevitably notice how you can make things better for you and others. By becoming peaceful you bring peace to others which has a domino effect. Being mindful is also a way we can help recognize and prevent the damage done to our environment. While it is very difficult, it is possible to work and play in American culture without being sucked into the desire and stress that is associated with our materialism.




Works Cited


Hanh, Thich Nhat. Peace is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life. New
York: Bantam Books, 1991.

Newberg, Andrew, Eugene D’aquili, and Vince Rause. Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001.

Ram Dass: Fierce Grace. Dir. Mickey Lemle. Ram Das. Dist. Zeitgeist Films, 2001.



2007

Ecospirirtuality

“Planet earth is a communion of subjects not a collection of objects,” asserts Thomas Berry (The Great Story). This type of thinking, that the earth is here for human consumption and manipulation, has led to the environmental tragedies that have plagued the earth for over a century.

The industrial revolution was a huge step for mankind in their ability to survive and thrive, but it has opened up a Pandora’s box of problems fueled by human desire and selfishness. The burning of fossil fuels and the substantial release of CO2 and hazardous wastes into the environment has posed problems for a long time, but the developed nations turned a blind eye. Soon, however, that will not be possible. Global warming has shown to be one of, it not the biggest, threat that humanity has ever faced. Many of our resources will run out, like fish markets and fresh water (Bassett 15-18). The evidence of the danger of mass extinction (possibly over 50% of the species on earth), food and water shortages, plague-like natural disasters, and profound sea-level rise should motivate everyone to change, but progress towards helping lessen global warming is slow (Hansen 1-3). Nations and politicians have reacted with often little concern, unlike the tremendous response by the American government towards the threat of terrorism (which could easily be classified as a minute problem compared to the environmental one. Immediate and big changes will need to be made in the ways we consume energy and the sources we get it from. Unfortunately, business owners and politicians feel so threatened by such a change that they try to skew the facts to the point where the average U.S. citizen does not know who to believe. Even though there is a consensus among scientists of the validity of this phenomenon, the media portrays it as an ongoing debate, thus prolonging the time before we start to take real initiative (An Inconvenient Truth).

Vehicles and factories (power plants) are the largest contributors of CO2 emissions. So in controlling and reducing these emissions the world can gain a foothold to prevent the environmental catastrophe. Unfortunately, many auto makers oppose efficiency standards because they benefit from the oil companies profits. Businesses and politicians and nations profit extensively off of these methods which pose a danger to our future, but do not want to change their business plans (Hansen 7). “It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it,” states Al Gore (quoting Upton Sinclair). It is not the businessman’s job to worry about the environment, his only objective is to gain revenue (An Inconvenient Truth).

What can we do to gain motivation to take initiative? Religion may be one of the most powerful incentives for change. Thomas Berry appears to understand this fact and sheds light on the religious relationship between humans and nature.

St. Thomas says, “Why are there so many different things?”
And he says, “Because the Divine could not image itself
forth in any one being.” It created a great diversity of things
so that the perfection lacking to one would supplied by the
others, and the whole universe together would participate in
and manifest the Divine more than any single being
whatsoever…nothing is itself without everything else.

(The Great Story)

If people adhered to this notion, that humans are no more divine than the rest of the planet, they would have a profoundly healthier attitude and relationship with the environment (The Great Story). If all people cherished the environment as much as they treasure their family, global warming would almost certainly not be the threat it is today.

Another important question is why do we see a growing trend for the increased involvement of religious organizations with environmental causes? Religion will inevitably become more and more concerned with global warming and other issues. This is because nature is fundamentally tied with religion. The first belief systems worshiped nature and most faiths believe that nature is a creation of a god(s). For instance, the environment is emphasized as sacred in Judaism. Even though God created the world for man, he emphasized that it was man’s responsibility to care for it:

When God created Adam, he showed him all the trees of
the Garden of Eden and said to him: “See my works…All I
have created, I created for you. Take care not to corrupt and
destroy my universe, for if you destroy it, no one will come
after you to put it right.”

(Bassett 47)

It is inevitable that religion will become more ecologically aware and involved because it is already a part of the belief system itself. When faced with an environmental dilemma religions often take initiative and remember that they need to protect the land that was given to them to look after. The feel a sense of moral responsibility. If they did not follow through with this they would be left with a sense of guilt and betrayal of their creator’s wishes (Bassett 42-46). In addition, transcendent states (Absolute Unitary Being) evoke the sense of union and oneness with the universe (this includes nature) and can aid in a sense of altruism towards others and their ‘sacred’ environment. Concern for others is an important part of religious sentiment and of the survival of the human race. (Albright 716-718).

Not all people, however are swayed by these religious ideas. Al Gore integrated
spirituality with his environmental cause, but the people he was trying to convince of this phenomenon did not have the same values. They did not connect the environment to God to the extent to which would cause them to really worry. “I had such faith in our democratic system…I actually thought and believed that the story would be compelling enough to cause a real change…I thought they would be startled too and they weren’t.” This experience was a disheartening revelation for Gore. He realized that people will do whatever it takes to maintain what they have at the moment without regard for the future (An Inconvenient Truth).

Why do these people disregard the facts and try to pass global warming off as a hoax? Desire is often a stronger force than spirituality and morality. It is the reason why the businesses and nations decide not to participate in energy conserving activities. Fear of financial loss and the appeal of the material can act as a stubborn roadblock inhibiting change. Religion can help direct desire into more constructive and accommodating areas and help to ease the ‘need’ for material gain. By doing this and providing a sense of altruism and responsibility religion can act as a catalyst for motivating people to do something about global warming.


Works Cited


Albright, Carol Rausch. “Zygon’s 1996 Expedition into Neuroscience and Religion.” Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 31.4 (1996): 711-727.

An Inconvenient Truth. Dir. Davis Guggenheim. Perfs. Al Gore. DVD. Paramount, 2006.
Bassett, Libby, ed. Earth & Faith: A Book of Reflection for Action. New York: United Nations Environment Programme, 2000.

Hansen, Jim. “The Threat to the Planet.” The New York Review of Books. 53.12 (2006).
The Great Story. Dir. Neal Rogin. Perfs. Thomas Berry. Videocassette. Bullfrog Films, 2002.


2007

Mysticism and the Existential Condition

In the book, Why God Won’t Go Away, there is an intriguing passage (paragraph 3, sentence 3) which reflects the frailty and wonder of human perception:

If you were to dismiss spiritual experience as “mere”
neurological activities, you would also have to distrust all
your brain’s perceptions of the material world. On the
Other hand, if we do trust our perceptions of the physical
world, we have no reason to declare that spiritual
experience is a fiction that is “only” in the mind

. (Newberg 146-147)

The quote is neither confusing nor surprising because that I already hold to be true. It reveals how even our perception of reality is in many ways an illusion and that we cannot prove that these mystical experiences are “‘only’ in the mind.” This is important to me because it puts the human experience into perspective. It also reminds me that we are only human and that our personal understanding of the outside world is subjective and individual. Everyone’s perception of reality is different and each person’s spiritual experience is unique.

If both experience s are similar then does that mean they are both “all in our minds” or are we really perceiving something that exists? How will we validate one or the other?

Another passage (paragraph 2) from the book sheds light on the nature of religion and its relationship to the culture it exists within:

History suggests that religious intolerance is primarily a
cultural phenomenon, based in ignorance, fear, xenophobic prejudice, and ethnocentric chauvinism. We
believe, however, that intolerance is rooted in something
deeper than mere narrow-mindedness; we believe it is
based in the same transcendent experiences that foster
belief in the absolute supremacy of personalized,
partisan gods.

(Newberg 163)

This quote insinuates that intolerance is a product of ignorance and (some but not all) transcendent states that fall short of “absolute unity” ( Newberg 163). It seems sensible because there is an obvious disparity between the religious and cultural beliefs of people in different countries (who follow the same belief system). It does surprise me, though, that this lack of correspondence can be so vast.

According to this passage, intolerance apparently stems from transcendence that has not reached “absolute unity” and when the subjective experience still skews the practitioner. A “discovery” of truth through these means could produce a dogma that teaches prejudice and intolerance (Newberg 163-164).

I am not quite sure I agree with this quote wholeheartedly. If religious intolerance comes from incomplete unity felt during transcendent states then why do many intolerant values arise from a misinterpretation of religious values that do not teach hate? What about the intolerant religions that were not developed through transcendent “insight?” It seems there must be more factors contributing to the fundamentals of religious intolerance.

It is hard for me to really relate to religious writings and sutras. I tend to find spirituality in more abstract and unlikely areas. In an interview with Discover magazine, scientist (and also the widow of Carl Sagan) Ann Druyan explains her view on superstitious beliefs and spirituality:

There’s nothing wrong with having a sense of wonder
about the things you don’t understand., but I think it’s
wrong to commit to a belief in the absence of evidence,
especially when what you believe is transparently a
palliative for your fear. The search itself should be never
ending. That’s why the conclusive religions do not satisfy
me spiritually, the way science does.

(Svitil 22)

This quote represents a “touchstone of reality” for me. It describes why, at such a young age, I left the comfort of organized religion in search of my existential questions. “Just because” left me with too many questions to just accept the conclusive answers of a religion. Where did the universe come from? What happens after I die? Is this reality all that exists? Is the soul a distinct entity? Many of these questions remain unanswered for me, but I continue to discover more and more about the mysterious universe which surrounds me. Ann Druyan’s statement is a very out of the box, non-elegant answer to oaring out the core principles of spirituality. She realizes that science his her religion and it fit’s the definition (at least her personal definition); it has ritual and exploration and creed (Svitil).

Like Druyan, the journey for me is what gives me satisfaction. The ongoing discovery of the answers to my questions offers me hope and faith in my beliefs that ease the existential condition. My beliefs about the afterlife and the origin of the universe are eased by the scientific ideas and principles that I have adopted.

The sutra about the monkey and the hunter felt the most powerful and meaningful for me. This passage also elicited a sense of nostalgia of my childhood. I only had to read the story a few times to derive a lot of meaning from it. The first thing I picked up was the notion of blinding and overwhelming greed and desire. The monkey tried to find the quickest route to getting what he desired, but his absorption in his desire caused him to be shortsighted. The hunter, however, knew how monkey’s thought and thus did not expend any energy in the process of catching the monkey. He could have eaten the cherry, but he brought together elements to gain something more, instead of acting on impulse. There is also a deeper level to this story. As I tossed it sound in my head I began to realize its relevance to what we talked about in class and to Buddhism. The monkey represents the “normal” person, who experiments and finds quick ways to fulfill one’s desires. However, this desire imprisons us in a way. If we let go of desire we will become free, just like how if the monkey let go of the cherry, it too, would become free (and still be alive). The hunter knows what the monkey will do because it has been the monkey at one point; the hunter represents “higher consciousness.” He is not imprisoned by his desires because he overcame them, otherwise he would have eaten the cherry himself in the first place. The story’s moral is how we become imprisoned and slaves to our desires and the things we thought made us free in the first place. It is an analogy for letting go of desire.

Mysticism is a very important component to religion. It is characterized by a feeling of oneness, a strong belief that the experience is real, a notion that the “truth” has been revealed to them, and intense (often conflicting) emotions (packet). This experience can be a stepping stone to creating or following a certain religion. The feeling of a spiritual oneness with a higher being can be life changing and emotionally overwhelming (Newberg 101).

Mystical experience is also shared by many of the prophets and messengers of a religion (Newberg 102). For example, Moses’ transcendent experience brought forth the 10 commandments, which act as a foundation for which the Christian religion was built upon.

Another example is the experiences of the Buddha and the subsequent development of Buddhism. His revelations and experiences led to the 4 noble truths and the eightfold path (packet).

The passive approach to mysticism focuses on trying to clear all thoughts and emotions from the mind. In doing this one is using the right attention association area, which inhibits the flow of neural input (Newberg 117). As time goes on the practitioner sinks deeper and deeper into a meditative calm. Now the orientation area (both right and left) receives virtually no neural input and creates the sense of infinite space and no sense of self in that space (Newberg 118-119). In other words the mediator begins to feel an absolute sense of union with the universe.

The active approach is similar to the passive approach to meditation, but has many distinct differences. The most important difference is that the active approach is not to clear the mind of all thoughts but to focus intently on a single object or thought. The attention association area facilitates (unlike the passive approach) neural flow which leads to and increased focus on the object or thought. This then often progresses to a mild excitation rather than a deep relaxation. The left orientation area, like passive meditation, has restricted neural flow. However, (in the active approach) the right orientation area is not blocked. The individual is not experiencing the ultimate transcendent state. Instead there remains a sense of oneness with the object or thought in mind (Newberg 120-122).




Works Cited


Newberg, Andrew, Eugene D’aquili, and Vince Rause. Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001.

Svitil, Kathy A. “Mistress of the Cosmos Sets Her Sail.” Discover Nov. 2003: 21-22.



2007

How Wiccans Deal With Death

Because we do not know when we will die, we get to think
of life as an inexhaustible well. Yet everything happens a certain
number of times, and a very small number, really. How many more
times will you remember a certain afternoon of your childhood, some
afternoon that is so deeply a part of your being that you can't even conceive of your life without it? Perhaps four or five times more. Perhaps not even that. How many times will you watch the full moon rise? Perhaps twenty. And yet it all seems limitless.

(Bowles)

In his book, The Sheltering Sky, Paul Bowles describes this feeling of timelessness in everyday activities. The ignorance associated with how long we have to live and our presumed lives after death can lead us in many directions. Fear and suffering is often associated with death, however, Paul describes the feeling of immortality we perceive when we do not know when we will die (Bowles). “All religions off us a way to think about death, usually in the context of some form of immortality,” states Ursula Goodenough (149). Religion also aids in facilitating this feeling of eternality. One specific (and relatively new) religion that does this is Wicca.

“Given the complexities of human relationship,” notes Ursula Goodenough, “an enormous attraction of the monotheistic religions…is that they offer an opportunity for intimate relationship with a deity” (135-136). Wicca has been traditionally seen as primitive and a polar opposite of a monotheistic faith. In reality, Wicca is an often misunderstood neopagan religion which gives one the opportunity to feel connected to nature and a deity simultaneously. It emphasizes on a strong attachment and reverence for nature. “The wonders and majesty of Nature have been deep resources for religious reflection throughout human history” (Goodenough 85). Like the Native Americans, Wiccans have rituals and maintain an intimate relationship with nature, because it is believed that by respecting nature, you respect the gods. In addition, there is a myriad of different gods and goddesses (many traditions choose to focus on only a few), but many are simply duotheistic (worshipping the Lord and Lady). Some (like myself) believe the gods are archetypal “subconscious projections of our own human attributes and experiences” (Galenorn 76). The specific beliefs of an individual vary extensively; there are dozens of Wiccan traditions. In addition, individual covens or practitioners are encouraged to find a path that feels ‘right’ to them. Thus beliefs about death and the afterlife can vary. Virtually all Wiccan traditions emphasize that death is a transformation and should not be feared. “If you fear change and death,” states Amber K, “your mind will throw up obstacle after obstacle as you attempt magical work” (K, True Magick 117).

“Renewal has been a theme throughout the ages,” (Goodenough 129). Unlike many monotheistic religions, death for Wiccans is viewed more as a transformation from one life to another (reincarnation) than as an untimely fate that could result in eternal agony or serenity. Although, exact beliefs can differ extensively most believe that life is not a test but an opportunity to live it to its fullest (K, True Magick 117-118). Most practitioners also believe in Summerland, a serene and heavenly-like temporary, resting place that one resides between reincarnations. It is a place where one can reunite with loved ones and reflect on our past life. It is the ‘resting’ state between one’s ‘waking’ periods (122).

No matter how comfortable one may feel with the idea of death, the passing of a loved one is always difficult. When a coven member dies, the other members and the persons family puts together their last rites. Unfortunately the responsibility of the persons last rites goes to the next of kin, who often has them buried in a Christian service. When a Wiccan funeral service is approved and performed, it consists of an (often elaborate) ritual. Unlike many other funeral services, a Wiccan’s last rite is very personalized and the whole ceremony and ritual is often manifested from scratch. The fundamental structure of the traditional ritual (casting a circle, calling the quarters, stating the purpose, giving gifts, etc) is kept, but the details of the ritual can vary extensively (K, Covencraft 478-480).

Goodenough articulates that, “In Asian traditions the religious person seeks in meditation…a receptivity in order to experience an at-one-ness, a spiritual communion with the universe” (101). In Wiccan traditions, mystical experience is often felt through meditations during rituals or while drawing down the moon or sun (in which the god or goddess is manifested physically in the body of the priest/priestess through possession) (Galenorn 251-252). Rituals are critical to the development of an individual and a coven. Growth and prosperity are some of the most common types of rituals. In addition, without myth the rituals would have little foundation to stand on. The rituals depend on the types of gods and goddesses one is evoking, what one wants to gain or lose, and the time of year. All the different colors of candles, the various herbs, plants, and animals, and the four elements are inseparable from their associated myths (which created their meanings)(K, True Magick 140-150). For instance, a spell for cleansing a house may involve salt, a white candle, and a mixture of specific herbs or oils (such as garlic, clove, and sage) (Galenorn 194). The symbolic meanings of every action and item used during a ritual has an associated myth.

“Organisms usually attribute a meaning to something they’re aware of” (Goodenough 105). This unique feature has given us the ability to use symbolism and myth Ritual is in direct correlation with this predisposition; one makes a myth to ease the existential condition and then creates a ritual in direct relation to the myth. “We need to believe in things,” Goodenough states, “to structure and orient our lives in ways that make sense and offer hope, to identify values and ideals, and to transcend and interconnect” (166). To ease the pain from the loss of a loved one, Wiccans believe that the deceased is at peace (possibly in Summerland for the time being) and will be reunited with them when they die. This belief is much like Christian or Islamic ideas of the afterlife, except Wiccans do not believe in eternal damnation. Thus they do not fear repercussion during the afterlife, they believe they will pay for their crimes through reincarnation or karma during their present life (K, True Magick 127-128).

Like a Christian congregation, the coven provides support for the family of the deceased, offering them advice and a shoulder to lean on. Additionally, if grieving becomes excessive or unbearable a spell may be done to help ease the pain. Acting on accord, ritual work, and getting support from others can effectively make the loss of a love one bearable and an opportunity to grow (178).





Works Cited


Bowles, Paul. The Sheltering Sky. New York: HarperCollins, 1949.

Galenorn, Yasmine. Embracing the Moon: A Witch’s Guide to Ritual Spellcraft and Shadow Work. Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications, 2001.

Goodenough, Ursula. The Sacred Depths of Nature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

K, Amber. Covencraft: Witchcraft for Three or More. Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications, 1998.

K, Amber. True Magick: A Beginner’s Guide. Minnesota: Llewellyn Publications, 1999.




2007

Religion, Culture, and Evolution

Religion has been around since the beginnings of civilization. The earliest signs of ritual behavior come from apparent funeral ceremonies and simple rituals (ritually arranged cave bear bones) that may date back 80,000 years (Morton). This would mean that religion is so engrained into our culture that it is literally a part of our genetic makeup. From the old earth religions of our ancestors to the modern interpretations of the Bible, religion have pervaded virtually every aspect of human culture.

Robert Glassman states that culture alone does “not have the necessary reach or strength to unify groups.” By acting on the individual, religion unifies the whole (Albright 719). A religious organization functions much the same as a societal hierarchy, but there is one fundamental difference: the feeling of spirituality or self-transcendence. Religion is personal; each individual feels a special connection to their god(s) which increases their support for others who share the same beliefs. Our religions act as a group-level adaptation which by promoting responsibility and altruism amongst non-kin helps to promote societal growth and solidity (718-719).“By the…sacrificing of self to what is beyond it we make our lives meaningful because that meaning is a function in a larger system” states John Teske. Our personal dedication to our religions, like a feedback system, aids in maintaining society and the whole which, in turn, help maintain the livelihood and survival of the individual (716). If our cultures are so intertwined with religion then it is very probable that religion itself is the proverbial DNA of culture.

Our personal spiritual experiences are strikingly similar to one another. This is because each of us are hardwired for spiritual thinking. We are programmed to see the world in extremes and opposites: God is the ultimate good while Satan is evil and heaven and hell. We are able to see a whole out a many different parts and place an emotional value on virtually everything we experience (Newberg 48-52). The rush of endorphins that is felt in the meditative states of Buddhist monks and the prayers of Catholic priests is a vital factor in all religious experience and one which helps unify people by doing so. Religious ritual aids in their release, while myth gives one a standard to live by (Dunbar 31.)

In addition, the implementation of a strict set of laws facilitates a specific religious group to function as an adaptive unit which as demonstrated in high school gym classes across the globe, is more proficient than doing something alone. By sticking together and creating a hierarchy, the group can survive and spread its ideas (memes) to surrounding peoples. Religion also eliminates the problematic “free-rider” (someone who leeches off a society without giving anything back). The mechanism to counteract this problem is religion. An individual is overcome with overwhelming guilt if they (are religious) and “free-ride” off of their peers. Spirituality provides motivation and a drive towards altruism and responsibility. In addition, endorphins provide “immediate motivation to engage in the activity that bonds the group” (Dunbar 32).

Every religion no matter how obscure seeks to alleviate the pains of reality. Like most religions, Islam utilizes a combination of specific myth and ritual to achieve this goal. Ritual stimulates the release of endorphins to produce mystical states, while myth (which is what all religions are essentially founded upon) “identifies a crucial existential concern” and finds “a resolution that alleviates anxiety and allows us to live more happily in the world” (Newberg 62). The core values offer answers about death, how one should behave, and how should on react to the world in certain situations. These teachings even unify different groups of people from every continent in the world. For in stance in the video “Inside Mecca” three very different individuals from various countries (and heritages) each go on a Hajj. Despite their dissimilarities and no matter what their (economic or social) situation each individual finds a common ground in Islamic faith. They are unified by following a set of specific guidelines about how to behave, believe, and find relief and strength from the enactment of these rituals (Inside Mecca).

To some, these set beliefs of Islam (or any religion) may threaten the preexisting culture of a society. Religion creates cultural memes and provides a framework for culture to build off of (Dunbar 30-31). However, if a culture is already established, a religion (if followed by enough individuals in the society) may start to alter the values and cultural memes of that civilization.

I have personally been exposed and felt how religion creates cultures and acts as a glue that helps to synchronize its followers and in turn allocates a society to act as one unit. This is demonstrated especially when mourning a loved one. My uncle died in January of cancer. It was very unexpected and was a huge blow to the stability of my family. However, we are coping very well because most of my family has a strong religious faith and has lots of support from his church. My uncle went to church every Sunday and actively participated in many of their activities; he had over two hundred friends from his congregation that came to the wake to show their love an support. I was actually surprised just how much support he had. His life was very much intertwined with his fellowship and faith; the way he and the rest of my family lived was influenced by (sometimes not so apparent) religious values. He believed in charity, giving more often than taking, and actively trying to find good things about his life; by doing this he made his family’s and peer’s lives more enjoyable just by being around someone so selfless.

The most prominent example of how religion shaped my family’s values and traditions is how they coped when he died. The support was tremendous, over 500 people came to pay their respects. My uncle’s church provided every accommodation possible. However, the real comfort came from my families beliefs about life and the afterlife; they believed that since he was a good person he ascended into heaven and is still attached and looking down on his family. Their acceptance of the situation comes from the belief that this was his time and that there is a reason for everything. By attaching this belief about death to a religion and not simply a cultural meme makes all the difference. It personalizes everything and appeases the existential ache.




Works Cited


Albright, Carol Rausch. “Zygon’s 1996 Expedition into Neuroscience and Religion.” Zygon: Journal of Religion and Science 31.4 (1996): 711-727.

Dunbar, Robin. “Beyond Belief.” New Scientist 28 Jan. 2006: 28-33.

Inside Mecca. Dir. Anisa Mehdi. DVD. National Geographic Television, 2003.

Morton, Glenn R. “The Ancient Record of Religion Among Archaic Hominids.” DMD Publishing Co. 2004 .

Newberg, Andrew, Eugene D’aquili, and Vince Rause. Why God Won’t Go Away: Brain Science and the Biology of Belief. New York: Ballantine Books, 2001.




2007

Personal Salvation

“Every religion has an account of the origins of life…” reveals Ursula Goodenough, “The Kagaba Indians describe a female supreme deity…Certain Hindu teachings speak of the Brahmanda…The Yaruro of Venezuela tell of the water serpent Puana who created the world” (Goodenough 17). The idea of a creator is so ingrained into the human race that every creation story ever told is essentially the same. In his book, Belief in God in an Age of Science, John Polkinghorne states that, “there is a mind and a purpose behind… the universe and…(it) is worthy of worship and the ground of hope.” Essentially, what can be extracted from is statement is that hope cannot occur without a ‘veiled presence,’ and thus to have hope the impending future must be somehow obscured. Our ignorance of the future and the universe fuels our tendencies to create a creator and put trust in his/hers motives. The specific concepts Polkinghorne draws upon (mind, purpose, universe, worship, etc) all draw upon this same idea: that the first four must be present to trigger the last two. A mind is used to personify the universe; a purpose is given to explain the laws of nature; and the concept of a veiled presence is given to the mind to explain the subtle yet apparent nature of a creator that is thus worthy of worship. Hope is possibly the most important and last element that comes into the equation. It is the feeling that one gets from believing in this creator (Polkinghorne 1).

A belief in God, a faithful investment in and an enactment of a religious faith tradition are almost inseparable. The hope of personal salvation comes from correctly and thoroughly devoting oneself to and worshiping God. Salvation is what most people hope to achieve through investing themselves in a religion. Therefore, (in most religious denominations) deliverance can only be attained if one has dedicated their life to believing in God, devoting themselves to, and actually performing specific traditional, religious, acts in reverence to that God. Each one is linked to each other, and in most religious faiths the concept of personal salvation or reincarnation cannot be achieved without them.

The actual meanings of personal salvation and reincarnations are even harder to understand and recognize than the methods people use to try and attain them. For many Christians, repentance and having faith and trust in God is critical if one wants to achieve salvation and ascend into heaven. However, the concepts can mean very different things; to many atheists, salvation is taken very differently and often metaphorically. They may seek it in this life rather than the next, and may believe that it can be attained by seeking to spread and achieve happiness. Salvation to them means inner peace. To me I have been taught that the words salvation and reincarnation signify a release from this life to the next, to be free from all ‘bodily’ feelings and pain. It’s a ‘reward’ for a lifetime of faith and good deeds. After talking to many people about what salvation and reincarnation mean to them I have concluded that essentially rebirth and eternality are the two concepts that can explain them the most. A need to rest yet persist long after death exists in all of us. The fear of death forces us to believe in an afterlife.

If I discovered that there was a God who created the universe I would be instantly bombarded with questions about how and why he/she exists and is there a purpose. I think I would have more questions about the nature of my existence and the origins of the universe than I do now. What created God? Why did he/she create the universe? What does God look like? Is there an afterlife, and if so, are there certain “requirements” to go on to this ‘next world’? Ironically, I would probably feel even more uncomfortable than I do as an atheist/agnostic. I would probably have feelings of fear: does this God want something from me? If so what? Even if I knew God existed, I would not know if it was like the Christian God or Allah or something akin to a Greek God. This uncertainty would probably lead me back into religion, but probably not an organized one. I would pull concepts from many different faith traditions, becoming eclectic and focusing on a personal relationship with him/her. Even if God existed, I don’t believe he/she would be like anything that we have imagined before and would not be controlled by the same emotions humans have. This would make it much easier for me to accept God in my life because I could love the mystery and the incomprehensibility of God. But I can safely say, unlike may atheists I know, that I could be comfortable with the notion of being created by a God even if it creates in me even more unanswered questions.

To me the notion that life evolved via evolution is a very comfortable and beautiful one. Therefore, if I came to know this as utmost fact, virtually nothing would change for me. In her book, The Sacred Depths of Nature, Goodenough goes into depth about the ‘miracle’ of conception and growth and takes comfort in the fact that she knows these things. “To the extent that I know myself, I am known. My yearning to be Known is relegated to the corridors of arrogance, and I sing my own song, with deep gratitude for my existence” (Goodenough 60). I find my own comfort in understanding the universe. Being brutally scientific has its drawbacks at times, but one can easily make science fit into spirituality. Like Goodenough, I feel connected to all creatures and all of the universe. I realize that everything is connected and that I will never be alone. I experience the same feeling that many other people feel when they believe they were connected to each other through God (73).

If I realized that there was no personal salvation, reincarnation, or afterlife my worldview would not change whatsoever. At an early age I have had trouble accepting the existence of a heaven-like place and the separation of one’s body from their soul. I ended up taking the science route and believing that dead really is dead even though (at first) it has been hard to accept this. Of course I want to believe that there exists an afterlife, but I don’t think I could ever make myself. I seek the truth no matter how much it hurts and I receive closure and satisfaction knowing it. I ‘know’ that when I die there is no afterlife, but this makes me cherish my life even more. I am comfortable with the fact that life is often a game of chance and my luck could run out at any moment, but I have faith that I will survive till tomorrow and that when I die will feel I have made something of myself.

If I had come to believe that God created the universe but left it on automatic pilot I would probably have almost as many questions as if he/she was actively involved in everyday life. I’d want to know why God does not get involved and if he/she is actually unable to intervene rather than choose not to. Saying that a God created life but everything else is chance is even more puzzling to me in a sense, but to most people it would probably be easier to understand (especially scientists). I would probably not be religious because if God paid not attention, I would not be speaking to anyone but myself and I would probably go about my day much like I do now. The only difference would be I would want to know why and how this is possible, and unfortunately I wouldn’t get any real answers.

Religion and the concepts associated with it (personal salvation and/or reincarnation) directly influence the way one views the world and therefore reacts to it. Believing in a God saves us from the harsh realities of life: you will die, so will everyone you know and love, there is nothing after death, and you are alone. “The whole concern of religion is with the manner of our acceptance of the universe,” states William James. Instead of realizing that hardship and fortune are products of chance (and often our own actions), God is added into the equation to lessen the blow. “It must be God‘s will” (Goodenough 47). Religion is like a metaphorical security blanket; it eases the cold chill of reality while giving us the sense of security and attracting other people to huddle in close with you (in the blanket).

In addition, religion makes us feel special. “If evolution is true,” states Jerry Coyne, “then we are no different from other animals, not the special objects of God’s creation but a contingent product of natural selection, and so we lack real purpose and our morality is just the law of the jungle.” If we feel as if we were put here for a purpose, people are more inclined to make the best of it and fulfill some sort of preconceived destiny (Coyne 25). Without religion, our ancient relatives who did not have the same cognitive capacity and consciousness as our ancestors may have had an evolutionary advantage, meaning homosapiens would possibly either be much less conscious of our existence or even extinct.




Works Cited


Coyne, Jerry. “The Case Against Intelligent Design: The Faith that Dare Not Speak Its Name.” The New Republic 2005.

Goodenough, Ursula. The Sacred Depths of Nature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Polkinghorne, John. Belief in God in an Age of Science. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1998.



2007