Nuggets from Occult Invasion—Science and Mind

If everything in the universe works according to scientifically defined physical laws, then there are no otherworldly, mysterious, inexplicable powers, and those who believe in them have been badly deluded. On the other hand, if there is a nonphysical dimension, then who knows what astonishing “entities” and “powers” might be out there? And if the mind exists in a nonphysical dimension independent of the brain, then could it not make use of the powers in that dimension and contact entities who reside there?

Obviously it could be dangerous to venture into this realm. Could that be why the Bible forbids occult involvement of any kind? One thing is certain: Whatever understanding or protection one would hope for from the laws of the physical sciences would be left behind on such an adventure.

It is clearly wrong to demand a physical explanation for spiritual experiences—and if one was not forthcoming, to then deny the reality of a spiritual dimension to life. That would be like denying the reality of the sense of smell because odors can’t be felt or insisting that because honesty and justice have no taste they don’t exist. Yet such foolish judgments by science were accepted uncritically until well into this century, when many top scientists finally began to speak out against such nonsense. Referring to the existence of a spiritual dimension, Sir Arthur Eddington wrote:

“The scheme of [the new] physics is now formulated in such a way as to make it almost self-evident that it is a partial aspect of something wider.”

That this something wider” could no nonphysical is, as Eddington believed, suggested by the very qualities of the universe as we know it. The discovery of ghostly particles such as the neutrino makes the existence of discarnate spirits or other nonphysical intelligences much more plausible in a scientific context. With virtually no physical properties—no mass, no electrical charge, no magnetic field—the neutrino behaves very much like a “ghost.” Neither gravitation nor electromagnetic force have any effect upon the neutrino. A neutrino zooming in from intergalactic space at nearly the speed of light would almost instantaneously pass through the entire earth without hitting anything. This fact makes the suggestion that “ghosts” can pass through walls seem less fantastic.