Physics, Consciousness, and the Biofield

Course overview

Science is based on the assumption that there is an external reality independent of life and the mind. While this appears reasonable and self-evident, it is nevertheless not necessarily the case and the hidden assumptions have to be brought forward. A variety of philosophical systems from both the East and the West, expounded in the writings or teachings of many great philosophers, it suffices to mention a few of them here, Pythagoras, Heraclitus, Socrates, Plato, Abhinavagupta and Shankara, held that Consciousness is fundamental. Peculiarly, modern physics, relativity and particularly quantum mechanics, in many ways agree, for example placing the observer in a central position. The role of conscious mind and decisions that are being made are challenges that the founders of quantum mechanics, particularly in the Copenhagen Interpretation, were well aware of. As such, the philosophical underpinnings of science, the way science is conducted, the two pillars of science namely ontology and epistemology, are fundamental and need to be brought out. Science questions everything including itself! Finally, the role of mathematics clearly plays a fundamental role in understanding the universe. The question arises, is mathematics eternal and the same for all states of consciousness and all realms of existence?