Some scientific questions for mystics

1. It is often said in Indian mysticism that the universe is created out of sound. Physicists believe that the universe is created out of vibrations. Accordingly to mystics, what is the difference between sound and vibration? In physics, propagation of sound requires a material medium to exist whereas vibration is a lot more subtle. 

2. Several mystics have claimed that Indians knew about the value of speed of light long before its discovery by modern scientists. Though this could be true, modern physics goes much further and says that nothing in this universe can travel faster than the speed of light in vacuum. In fact, all theories of modern physics are based on this key assumption. What does mysticism have to say about this? In the physical dimensions, can something travel faster than light? 

3. String theory predicts that our space has many more dimensions than the 3 that we normally perceive. How are non-physical dimensions, that mysticism often refers to, different from these additional physical ones? Are non-physical dimensions also governed by objective laws? 

4. The process of consecration is said to be about a certain kind of energisation of mundane objects. But the physical energy of the mundane object does not seem to increase in the process as it neither starts traveling faster nor does it get hotter. This means that, according to mysticism, non-physical energy can be bound to physical dimensions without any net transfer of energy. But is it also possible for energy to be transferred from non-physical to physical dimensions? If yes, this would violate the physical principle of conservation of energy. 

5. Is there any physical basis for the origin of the primordial sound AUM (or, OM) or does it originate in the non-physical dimensions? Does the sound AUM have any physical properties that make it so special and unique? In other words, if we record the sound AUM uttered by a perfect being, will we get an audio signal with some unique statistical properties?

Summaries of Discussion Group Meetings : 2016-17

Free-will and Destiny

1. Is it necessary that at a fundamental level reality is either about 'free will' or 'destiny'? Can't both be equally valid concepts? May be we have free-will to take individual decisions but there is perhaps a cosmic intelligence that guides us towards certain outcomes taking the role of destiny.

Does suffering cease after self-realisation?

In a very interesting TED dialogue on Nationalism vs. Globalism, the historian Yuval Noah Harari said, "I think we don't need to find our role in the universe. The really important thing is to liberate ourselves from suffering. What characterises sentient beings in contrast to robots, to stones, to whatever, is that sentient beings suffer, can suffer, and what they should focus on is not finding their place in some mysterious cosmic drama. They should focus on understanding what suffering is, what causes it and how to be liberated from it." That is a very powerful thought and, in some sense, has been the central theme of almost all spiritual teachings across the world. Many of these spiritual teachings, specially those that originated in India, offer great philosophical insights into this fundamental question and also show the path that eventually leads to end of suffering. The most iconic story in this regard is perhaps that of Buddha who was so moved by the suffering of other people that he gave up all his royal pleasures to search for an answer and eventually propounded an eightfold path to liberate people from their suffering. The final step in this process is an experience of samadhi or self-realisation after which the individual is claimed to be finally free from all suffering. Whether it is humanly possible to reach such a state of meditation is a deep question in itself, but even if a person is able to achieve that state, does it really lead to an end of all suffering?