As religionists we function on deep feelings, discernment, inspiration; hardly acceptable to those scientists that worship the scientific method.
Richard Dawkins counselled religionists to read more than one book. Dawkins is probably right, after all he went to the trouble of reading our Bible. We would do well to read about modern scientific theory and other informative writings. It might help us avoid statements such as, “There were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark,” as Neil deGrasse Tyson reported was said by a pious ill-informed person. In the same April 14, 2020 presentation, Neil deGrasse Tyson gave some interesting statistical information about those in the United States who believe in God. He said 90% of Americans are religious enough to pray to a God. It goes down to 60% with those who have an advanced degree. Religious scientists of that group are 40%.
I was pleased that 40% of scientists are believers, especially considering their job is to systematically gather research and evidence to test theories about the unknown. They search for proof that can be seen or at least verified mathematically. Faith is not part of the process. Forty percent seems very good considering their propensity to try to falsify hypotheses. It however makes sense to me that true science and true religion are one. Perhaps we can find the truth by studying both science and religion.
Scripture suggests, “And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118)
Sir Roger Penrose, Professor of Mathematics in the University of Oxford, who has described himself as an atheist, says he doesn’t believe in any religious doctrines but says the nature of reality [truth] is more complex than his secular [non-religious] colleagues admit. He describes three great mysteries in the realms of mathematics, consciousness [awareness] and the physical world, that science has not yet explained. “Mystery number one is the fact that this world of physics is so extraordinarily precisely guided by mathematical equations. The precision is extraordinary … [the universe would not exist without these precise numbers, such as the gravity constant, speed of light etc.] Mystery number two is how conscious [mindful awareness] experience [knowledge and involvement] can arise when these circumstances seem to be right [evolution, progress]. It’s not just a matter of complicated computations; there’s something much more subtle [elusive, spiritual] going on … Mystery number three is our ability to use our conscious understanding [inspiration] to comprehend mathematics and these very extraordinary [astonishing, unusual] self-consistent [constant, dependable] but deep [profound, unfathomable] ideas, which are very far from our experiences [knowledge and involvement].” (Penrose quote taken from Christian News article, October 4, 2019.) [Everything in brackets is M. Kasey’s opinion.]
There are scientists, such as Dr. Brian Greene that are not religious but simply say, “We don’t know.” Others don’t believe in deity but are also not ready to say, “There is no God.” Some of them have suggested perhaps there could be something in everlasting consciousness existence.
Quantum mind or quantum consciousness posits that quantum-mechanical phenomena, such as entanglement and superposition, may play an important part in the brain’s function and could explain consciousness. (Wikipedia, Quantum mind)
Our minds are amazing. Our minds are aware that we exist and know we will eventually physically die. This awareness may be an immortal thing. We also know that very few things can travel faster than light, one of which is the Big Bang, and another is quantum entanglement. According to Einstein we cannot travel or think faster than the speed of light, at least as physical entities. But what if we do not understand all of the law. When we look back at the spark of the Big Bang, the laws of physics or physical understanding breaks down. Also the quantum entanglement seems to be in a different higher set of laws and speed limit.
We read in Doctrine and Covenants 29:34: “Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual, and not at any time have I given unto you a law which was temporal; neither any man, nor the children of men; neither Adam, your father whom I created.”
I feel this suggests the most elementary of everything is controlled by spiritual law, a law that is likely not bound by the speed of light but can become part of it. I would call this spiritual law’s speed the speed of thought; much faster than the physical universe speed limit. We have a brain that thinks slower, but may have a quantum mind with entangled thoughts that excel light in speed. Our mind or intelligence may be a function of a higher spiritual law.
In the scientific world, string theory is an elementary string that looks like an ordinary particle, with its mass, charge, and other properties determined by the vibrational state of the string. (Wikipedia, string theory)
In scripture we read, “Intelligence [vibrating string], or the light [energy] of truth [mass] was not created [was elementary] or made neither can be.” (Doctrine and Covenants 93:29) [Everything in brackets is M. Kasey’s opinion.]
This would suggest that everything has a form of intelligence. Freeman Dyson, Professor Emeritus in the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, argued that “minds, as manifested by the capacity to make choices, is to some extent inherent in every electron.” (Wikipedia, Quantum mind)
Perhaps these intelligences could operate on the quantum mind level at the speed of thought.
Agnostic, David Bohm, described as one of the most significant theoretical physicists of the 20th century, suggested that when we look at matter, we see nothing that helps us to understand consciousness. Bohm discussed the experience of listening to music. He believed that the feeling of movement and change that make up our experience of music derive from holding the immediate past and the present in the brain together. The musical notes from the past are transformations rather than memories. The notes that were implicated in the immediate past become explicate in the present. Bohm viewed this as consciousness emerging from the implicate order. (Wikipedia, Quantum mind)
This goes back to our scripture which might suggest spiritual law is the implicate order and physical law is the explicate order. According to Bohm the implicate [associate, sub] order is seen as a deeper and more fundamental order of reality. In contrast, the explicate [illuminate] order included the abstractions [concepts, ideas] that humans normally perceive. (Wikipedia, Implicate and explicate order) [Brackets are M. Kasey’s opinions.]
According to Finnish philosopher of the mind, Paavo Pylkkanen, “Bohm’s suggestion leads naturally to the assumption that the physical correlate of the logical thinking process is at the classically describable level of the brain, while the basic thinking process is at the quantum theoretically describable level.”
That may mean an intelligence/spirit at a theoretically describable level and a physical entity at the classically describable level is SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
M. Kasey
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M. Kasey 