William C. Gough
Robert L. Shacklett

Foundation for Mind-Being Research
442 Knoll Drive
Los Altos 94024
(415) 941-7462

Abstract

The power of light has fascinated, mystified, and captivated human imagination through the ages. Yet, "light" remains one of the greatest mysteries of science. By light we mean the entire electromagnetic spectrum, not just the very small portion described as visible light and accessible via the vision of our eyes. We will explore what science knows about this outer light (Zajonc, 1993). We will then discuss human perception of inner light. This inner light includes the inner vision of the human spirit that has been the subject of much religious and shamanistic experience.

Our goal in this paper will be to apply a scientifically based conceptual model to merge outer and inner light into a unifying conceptual framework. Details of the model appeared in a three part series of articles published in this journal and in Subtle Energies (Gough & Shacklett, 1993a,b).

Introduction

The fundamental nature of light remains one of the greatest mysteries of science. This fact alone strongly suggests that light is much more than a mere scientific or natural phenomenon. In this respect light is somewhat similar to life, in that we know a lot about the characteristics but little about the essence.

Throughout the history of man's curiosity about the natural world, light has been the subject of intense speculation, study and experimentation. But even before the rise of science, ancient writings record the many ways, both sacred and profane, that light embedded itself into the very fabric of human existence. Because of this, it is not surprising that, in addition to the expected use of light as a means for dispelling darkness and as an essential factor for the maintenance of life itself, the concept of light can project powerful mystical images -- ones that are instantly recognized and understood, while other words would only obscure or confuse the deeper meaning.

The Hebrew, Greek, and Hindu scriptures all abound with examples of pre-scientific thinking about how light and enlightenment represented the imparting of knowledge to a person, with darkness signifying the lack of knowledge. Sometimes this would go beyond the metaphorical to literal, as it did in the Damascus Road experience of the apostle Paul in which he and his companions saw a bright light, but he alone heard the voice. Thus, while Paul's companions simply had an extraordinary experience; Paul had became enlightened.

Was Paul's experience psychic or spiritual ? Or does it fall into both classifications? The question lies at the nexus of issues dealt with by this Journal and also shows how important the criteria are in defining our terms. For the purposes of this paper we propose at the outset that the experience of inner light may fall into both classifications with the final determination dependent upon the meaning that can be derived from the experience.

Science and Outer Light

The Scottish physicist James Clerk Maxwell proposed in the 1800's that light consisted of a vibrating electromagnetic field. He made this prediction because of the numerical agreement between the known velocity of light and the calculated velocity of electromagnetic oscillations. His insight that light is an electromagnetic wave was "the high-water mark of nineteenth century physics" (Herbert, 1988) because now the beautiful colors that we experience in seeing light that comes from objects and impinges upon our eyes was understood to be related to the forces existing in magnets and batteries.

When discussing the scientific aspects of "light," we will take the same approach as Dr. Richard P. Feynman, the American physics Nobelist, did in his book QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter. In Feynman's words:

"When I say 'light' -- , I don't mean simply the light we can see, from red to blue. It turns out that visible light is just a part of a long scale that's analogous to a musical scale in which there are notes higher than you can hear and other notes lower than you can hear. The scale of light can be described by numbers - called the frequency - and as the numbers get higher, the light goes from red to blue to violet to ultraviolet. We can't see ultraviolet light, but it can affect photographic plates. It's still light - only the number is different. (We shouldn't be so provincial: what we can detect directly with our own instrument, the eye, isn't the only thing in the world!) If we continue simply to change the number, we go out into X-rays, gamma rays, and so on. If we change the number in the other direction, we go from blue to red to infrared (heat) waves, then television waves, and radio waves. For me, all of that is 'light'" (Feynman, 1985, pp.13).
In fact, the full range of the electromagnetic spectrum in current physics theories extends from the frequencies associated with phenomena at the Planck length (10-33 cm.) to those corresponding to the size of the universe. This is the full scientific domain for "light."

But what is light? Light has remained one of the greatest mysteries of science. The photon of light should not be considered just another particle of matter. The photon has no mass and no charge. If one accepts relativity theory, it has "no time" since at the speed of light clocks effectively stop and time has no meaning. In fact, both time and space lose their meaning when one imagines traveling at the speed of light, which is what Einstein did when he started thinking about relativity theory. One could say that light has no motion, since in any given medium it has but one speed -- a speed that can never be made faster or slower.

Unlike matter in which a decrease in size means a decrease in energy, in light when one decreases its size (wavelength) its energy increases. We do not know where light exists, since we know of its existence only when it interacts with a barrier or boundary. A light beam in a vacuum is invisible; we see a light beam from a flashlight only because it is interacting with the particles in the air. Light can never really be at rest for its detection consists of its annihilation.

Despite this strangeness of light, almost all the scientific knowledge of our universe comes from the interaction of light with matter -- light is at the foundation of all science (Ball, 1994). Yet, neither of the great pillars of modern science, the theory of relativity or quantum theory, reveal anything about the fundamental nature of light. Light is unique.

Our Model and Light

We are suggesting that the science of individuality be replaced by a "science of connectiveness" -- a connectiveness that emanates from beyond space-time. What scientific evidence do we have to support the hypothesis that the concept of individuality is no longer an adequate basis as the foundation of modern science? If we cannot assign specific attributes to an object then the object loses its identity -- its individuality. A photon of light was the first object subjected to this test. Since the photon has no mass or charge, light could be quantified by four other attributes: polarization, wavelength, direction, and intensity. However, science is now facing a dilemma. For each of these four attributes, careful experiments in quantum optics have shown that "there is no truly unambiguous attribute of Light!" (Zajonc, 1993, p.314).

The photon interference experiments that gave these startling results have now been performed with what we traditionally call matter, i.e., electrons, other atomic particles, and even atoms. These "matter" experiments are showing that the quantum effects do not always diminish with increased numbers of particles. Thus, at a deep level the "individuality" disappears and a connectiveness or oneness appears. Hence, the whole basis of scientific thought that assumes our physical reality is built upon well defined individual attributes of matter now seems questionable.

In our model we assume that the entire physical world is unfolding at the speed of light out of realms beyond space-time. Everything in the physical represents various manifestations of light. Light produces our world of pattern and form. Modern physics has already found that under the right circumstances, light and matter can switch identities (Flam, 1994). In such a physical world, as David Bohm has stated, matter could be considered as "condensed or frozen light." (Weber, 1986, p.45 quoting Bohm) Hence, as our model would suggest, light becomes the manifestation of archetypes that take on physical form. This is not a new concept, having been proposed as long ago as the thirteenth century by Robert Grosseteste, the Archdeacon of Leicester, a churchman and scholar. Grosseteste wrote the book De Luce, or "On Light" in which he considered light the first form from which all else followed. To Grosseteste, light was the medium chosen by God for his creation, thus, all of material creation was condensed light. (Zajonc, 1993, pp. 52-56)

Top Down Creation Process

If our hypothesis is correct there would need to be a major paradigm shift in scientific thinking. The basic operating assumption, underlying current day science, is one of Cartesian reductionism -- an assumption that the behavior of the whole can be explained in terms of its components. Thus, the creation process becomes a bottom up process originating within the physical realm. This dominant belief guides the thinking of most physical scientists, neuro-scientists, molecular biologists, astronomers, medical doctors, and even mainline psychologists and parapsychologists. The evidence is accumulating that this assumption has failed in many situations.

A different assumption is that the creation process is a top down process emerging from a non-physical aspect of the whole. This is the dominant belief that guides religious leaders, shamen, spiritual healers, channelers, geomancers, astrologers and probably Jungian analysts and transpersonal psychologists. Our model assumes that science and medicine must shift to a top down perspective that incorporates, where appropriate, the information gained from Cartesian reductionism. A science of the parts was necessary for understanding the details of physical reality. However, a science of the whole will be necessary for humanity to wisely use this detailed understanding. Such a paradigm shift in our approach to science will provide the key for merging outer and inner light into a unifying conceptual framework.

Boundary Between the Physical and the Non-Physical

Where in modern science could there exist a boundary or dividing line between the attributes of the physical world (space-time, form, locality, and separation) and the non-physical world that, from our perspective, would be spaceless-timeless, without form, and characterized by non-locality and connectiveness? In our model this "phase transition" occurs at the Planck length a theoretically calculated number having the unimaginal smallness of 1.6 x 10-33 cm. The Planck length is one of three Planck limits (the other two are the Planck time and Planck mass) that are derived by combining the three most fundamental constants of Nature: the Planck Constant of action, the speed of light, and the gravitational constant. Each of these constants were carefully determined empirically over many years by many physical measurements. Their combination into the Planck length results in a number that is 18 orders of magnitude smaller than an elementary particle, and far beyond the reach of any probe of high energy physics.

Why do we believe that the Planck length delineates a boundary for a phase transition to a non-physical realm of archetypes? Physicists generally agree that the Planck length represents the "bottom" of physical space where the concept of location loses its meaning due to quantum uncertainty and fluctuation. Each of the constituents in the Planck length formula relates to important aspects of our model. We will discuss each in turn.

First, gravitation, so far, is not understood in terms of other physical phenomena. Science has no experiments with which to check a quantum theory of gravitation and also has no reasonable theory (Feynman, 1985, pp.4&115). The gravitational constant is a measure of the strength of the gravitational interaction. It is associated with cosmological issues such as the size of the universe. In our model we have assumed that the largest EM wavelength possible correlates with this dimension and, hence, relates to the gravitational constant.

Second, science does not attempt to explain the basis for the constant speed of light nor, as discussed above, does science understand the deeper mystery behind the nature of light. In our model the speed of light represents the rate at which the physical unfolds from the non-physical realms. Underlying this assumption is the fact that the four basic interactions of the physical world (electromagnetism, weak, strong, and gravitational forces) all propagate at the speed of light. We suggest that this fact derives from an underlying gauge symmetry inherent in a non-physical realm.

Third, Planck's constant is at the basis of quantum physics, the uncertainty principle, the structure of atoms, and the evolution of the universe. Its smallness creates the boundary between the classical world with its predictability and the quantum world of randomness. Predictability permits learning and memory while randomness affords us free will. A percent or so change in Planck's constant would extinguish our sun, life as we know it would not be possible, and there would be no contemplative awareness (Barrow, 1991). We are proposing that Planck's constant (along with the other two) defines another important boundary, at least as significant as that between classical and quantum. This is the hypothesized boundary between the physical and the non-physical realms.

We believe that an analogy can be drawn between the importance of Planck's constant to the classical-quantum transition and our hypothesized physical-nonphysical transition. The analogy is that going from classical to quantum involves a profound change in the consequences of the respective theories and philosophies that are grounded in each of the realms. In like manner, the transition from physical/quantum to non-physical will involve a corresponding profound change in our scientific worldview. As the quantum encompassed the classical, so the science of the non-physical will encompass both quantum and classical, and will incorporate mind into the theoretical constructs. For example, the whole information revolution was made possible by extending classical physics and bringing quantum physics into technology. We would expect similar major changes when physics is extended into the non-physical realms and is able to comprehend the power of the mind.

The Creation of Form

We now turn our attention to the question of how our model addresses the emergence of pattern or form. We have stated that light serves as the fundamental essence in this process of the creation of form. In the non-physical phase there exist orderings which have been called archetypes. These are, essentially, the formative agents which have the potential of affecting the physical creation process. This would be analogous to an extrusion process in which unformed plastic material is forced through a set of dies and emerges with a shape determined by the dies.

Let us look at how structure might be introduced into a structureless wave. Every light (EM) wave must have slight fluctuations in both amplitude and phase -- even from a laser. Because of their random character, physicists call these fluctuations "noise." Waves are often represented on paper by a rotating arrow -- where changes in amplitude alter the arrow's length and changes in phase alter the arrow's orientation. The area represented by the rotating arrow is called a noise or quantum vacuum blob.

However, because of the Heisenberg uncertainty principle, the amplitude and phase of a beam of light cannot be precisely determined simultaneously, even in principle. Yet quantum mechanics requires that the noise blob have a constant minimum area which is set by Planck's constant. The blob need not be a circle -- the "shape" can vary. Dr. H. Jeff Kimble of the Caltech quantum optics group has called this the "Platonic squeeze." If the amplitude fluctuations get very small, the phase fluctuations must get very large -- the squeezed state. Theory predicts that such a "shape" change would cause atoms to behave in fundamentally different ways. There exists much experimental evidence that vacuum blobs are real, plus there are research data that confirm they can be squeezed (Kimble, 1993).

Here is a potential process at the level of the quantum vacuum for introducing change into the physical world. A process by which form can emerge out of the formless. In our model light (EM waves) gives birth to space-time. To the ancient Egyptians light was God seeing. Light is a pure form -- a figure dancing. We and everything in the universe are doing that dance! As Dr. Arthur Zajonc states regarding the universality of light: "Endow space with divinity and light is godlike; discover its shape and light is geometrical; fill it with matter and light is substantial." (Zajonc, 1993 p.97)

The theory of electromagnetic waves (light), as developed by James Maxwell and elaborated by Gibbs and Heaviside in the last century, contains quantities called the electric and magnetic potentials. These quantities serve as a mathematical convenience in the classical theory and are not regarded as important as the "real" fields and forces of EM. The physical implications of the potentials were ignored by physics until a crucial experiment suggested by Aharonov and Bohm was performed and showed the magnetic vector potential to have physical consequences outside of the conventional, classical field effects (Bohn & Hiley, 1993). The philosophical implications of the magnetic vector potential being "outside of space-time" are discussed by J. R. Brown, in chapter 8, "What is the Vector Potential?", of his book, Smoke and Mirrors: How Science Reflects Reality, (Brown, 1994).

The possibility of relating light (EM waves) to the "godlike", non-physical phase, to the geometrical pattern, and to the science of matter is being explored on a number of fronts. For example, the mathematician Dr. Lou Kauffman in his book on Knots and Physics, suggests mathematical tools for relating shape to the magnetic vector potential of EM theory (Kauffman, 1991). He connects Lie algebra, gauge field theory, and the vector potential. The phase factor in the Aharonov-Bohm Effect is related to the Wilson loop in topology. Thus, he proposes a bridge between gauge theory and topology that results in a topological quantum field theory in which knowledge originating beyond space-time is enfolded in a quantum statistical framework. This could provide the mathematical basis by which form can emerge out of the formless and thereby introduce change into the physical world.

Location of Mind

In one of the reviews of the published description of our model, an objection was made by a friend who is a traditional scientists: "Your chief idea is that one has to go down through the Planck length to access mind. But our conscious thoughts have to do with macroscopic patterns of brain activity, apparently. Going down to the Planck length seems to be going in the wrong direction. One needs a comprehension of wholistic aspects, not Planck length phenomena, which pertains to huge energies, and tiny-tiny locations." (Stapp, 1995)

This above quote from a scientist is typical and understandable. Physicists are conditioned to think in terms of specialized instruments probing the small things in the physical world, requiring higher and higher energy as the objects approach the size of atoms and nuclei and even smaller. Furthermore, the quote also illustrates the persistence of the belief, common in the scientific community, that mind is merely the name we give to the operations of the brain.

The introduction of the Planck length in our model is mainly to stipulate that there is a transitional boundary to the "physicalness" of space-time. On the physical side of this boundary lie a world of form that includes "material things" like planets, rocks, atoms, etc. and the patterns of electromagnetic fields that permeate our physical universe. Everything that is without physical form, such as our thoughts, concepts, mathematical ideas, and mind emanates from the other side of the boundary. Apropos here is the opinion of the eminent brain surgeons Wilder Penfield "that there is no good evidence --- that the brain alone can carry out the work that the mind does." (Penfield, 1975). For interesting case studies that illustrate the marvels of the human mind and its almost limitless potential read books written by the clinical neurologist Dr. Oliver Sacks (Sacks, 1990, 1995).

As another illustration of the distinction we are trying to make, consider a resident of San Francisco making a trip to New York. Lots of energy and time would be required to move the physical body to the desired destination. But "in mind" we can make the same journey, in as much detail as desired, expending in the thought process only a tiny fraction of the energy needed for the actual physical trip. In much the same manner, a physicist "travels" between objects in the physical world, like atoms or quarks, to their representations in the world of mathematical ideas, crossing the Planck boundary each time without effort and returning with a symbolic representation of the physical world.

Our model proposes that the creation potential which includes archetypes exists beyond the Planck length and thus represent a "phase change" from the properties of space-time. We must go beyond the light into the darkness for the source of the wholistic and non-local aspects of mind. Mind is not "out there", it is embedded within. You don't need matter probes and high energies to get there. We observe only the effects of mind -- relationships that give meaning to the events or "projections" on the screen of space-time. For example, C.S. Sherrington "imagines mind as 'an enchanted loom,' weaving, in effect, patterns of meaning." (Sacks, 1990, p.148; referring to C.S. Sherrington, Man on His Nature, Cambridge, 1940, pp.328-9)

The Physical Body as a "Probe"

The physical body and its constituent elements can be thought of as a probe in an "infinite" sea of electromagnetic vibrations and matter or sonic vibrations. The components of the physical body thus serve as transmitting/receiving antenna. (Tiller, 1977) Incoming EM waves of a particular frequency will stimulate movement of the appropriately sized body component. Since the components of the physical body involve electrical charge, their movement results in the emission of electromagnetic (EM) waves. "Thus, the movement of electrons in atoms leads to emission in the ultraviolet, the movement of atoms in molecules creates emissions in the infrared, the movement of molecules in cell membranes leads to emission in the microwave range while the movement of cells in muscles and body organs generates emission in the radar and radio frequency ranges. The larger is the entity causing charge displacement, the lower is the frequency of the EM energy emission" (Tiller, 1995).

A suitable physical mechanism for the production of vibrations at frequencies lower than those typical of atomic processes needs to be described. The "inner light" experience is the end product of a chain of transduction processes that originates beyond space-time in the archetype level. The coupling that connects the physical aspects of the body to its non-physical counterparts involves the magnetic vector potential, a contention supported by experimental findings.

An indirect mechanism for EM emissions within the body comes from matter or sonic vibrations. Because components of the body such as certain molecules, tissues and bones have the capability of becoming electrically polarized when subjected to mechanical stresses, it follows that sonic energy entering the body could be responsible for the generation of electromagnetic waves within the physical body. The sonic resonances for a particular body component occur in frequency ranges 1 to 10 million times lower than those associated with EM resonances (Tiller, 1995).

Experimental Insights

We are proposing that there exists a process that originates from the archetypal level and beyond and manifests as physical changes at the sub-atomic level. These very high frequencies are then transduced and eventually appear as atomic and molecular changes within the physical body. We must state at the outset that this approach is not recognized in traditional science, covers a range of frequencies that is enormous, and cannot be fully explored by modern science. However, we would like to present a number of points that make this approach appear more reasonable.

1. We believe with Dr. Valerie Hunt that there are at least two electrical systems that provide pathways for the energies of the body (Hunt, 1995). One is the conventional central nervous system involving the movement of electrical charges which cause muscle contraction, nerve transmission, glandular secretion, and sensation. The other is an electromagnetic wave system, originating at the sub-atomic level, which manifests as vibrations at the level of atoms and molecules. Transmission of this EM energy takes place in the body in structures somewhat analogous to TV cable or fibber optics. We believe this system correlates with the ancient meridian/nadis network of energy flow and communication within the body. The circuits in this energy/communication system have a series of wave conversion locations at the body's boundaries. These are known as acupuncture points and chakra "flowers," a series of wheel-like vortices that extend slightly beyond the skin's surface. The chakra "flowers" connect to the major chakras which are situated in a vertical line ascending from the base of the spine to the head. In the Western scientific model these wave conversion locations can be viewed as EM antennas that can both radiate energy/information out and receive energy/information in and thus can provide a mechanism for coupling the body to its external environment (Tiller, 1977). Acupuncture has now been accepted in Western medicine, and tests and measurements have been made by projecting laser light on to acupuncture points and picking up the energy signal at the predicted acupuncture locations for the specific meridian network involved (Pankratov, 1989).

2. The transduction mechanism intrinsic to the process described above in (1) should result in the creation of chemical effects when appropriate radiant energy is injected into key acupuncture points. This has been demonstrated by an experiment performed by Norman Shealy, M.D., Ph.D., in which gigahertz energy was transmitted through appropriate channels of the human acupuncture system. The result was a significant increase in the DHEA (dihydroepiandrosterone) levels. DHEA is one of the most important neurochemicals in the body and is associated with the immune system (Shealy, 1995).

3. Our model predicts that the coupling between the human being and the non-physical realm involves the magnetic vector potential. This coupling is vital to the maintenance of the sense of wholeness and integrity of the parts as provided by the archetype level. In other words, the relationship between the parts is maintained via non-local linkages to the non-physical realms. An experiment in which the magnetic field around a human subject was eliminated by special shielding was carried out by Dr. Valerie Hunt. The energy field of subjects was recorded in a Mu Room in the Physics Department at U.C.L.A. The findings were amazing.

"If the electrical aspect of the room environment remained normal but the magnetism was decreased, gross incoordination occurred. The entire neurological integrating mechanism was thrown off. Subjects could not balance their bodies; they had difficulty touching finger to nose or performing simple coordinated movements. They lost kinesthetic awareness. Contrariwise, when the magnetic field was increased beyond the normal state, subjects could stand easily on one foot, even on tiptoes, or lean to previously impossible angles without falling. Motor coordination had somehow improved. " (Hunt, 1995, p. 31)
4. Our model assumes that energy/information can be efficiently introduced into the human body from non-physical realms via sub-atomic mechanisms. This would obviously violate the second law of thermodynamics which says that within a closed system, physical processes always degrade the available energy. However, life processes, because they don't conform to the closed system model, are regarded by some scientists as being immune from the constraints of this law. The most widely recognized evidence for high efficiency processes in living systems is bioluminescence -- the mysterious form of light without heat (cold light) illustrated by the familiar example of the firefly. Bioluminescence is always the product of metabolic processes whether in bacteria or in other kinds of plants or animals. (Johnson, 1976)

5. Another issue that should be addressed is how can high frequency energy be converted to a lower frequency form over a range of trillions of hertz. An example of how a low frequency mechanical vibration can be converted into a much higher frequency EM form is sonoluminescence. This is the process of converting sound into light. It was discovered over 60 years ago by German scientists. The mystery is how the energy of a sound wave, which is spread over a region of centimeter-size dimension, can be concentrated by a factor of a trillion so that light is emitted from a region of atomic dimensions. Tentative working models exist, but the mechanism for the light emission and many other aspects of the process remain unexplained (Amato, 1992; Putterman, 1995). If the waves of matter (sound) can become light, then it may not be too unreasonable to assume that a similar non-linear conversion process could exist for the waves of light to become matter waves.

6. Our model assumes that there exists an archetypal "blueprint" for an individual that relates to the terrain of our physical body in a feedback manner. If imbalances are introduced into this system via physical or mental processes, then changes can be initiated within the body at the subatomic level and manifest at the molecular or higher level. Suggestive evidence for the appearance of such changes at the molecular level is the mysterious and cryptic forms of microbes found in live human blood of those suffering from infections or chronic degenerative disease. A paper on rethinking pleomorphism by Dr. Beverly Rubik, who was at that time Director of the Center for Frontier Sciences at Temple University, addresses this issue. The question is whether degenerative diseases like cancer, AIDS, heart disease, etc. could originate from within the body (Rubik, 1995). Our model would suggest that they could manifest inside our bodies. This could occur whenever a serious imbalance exists between the physical and nonphysical patterns that is sufficient to disrupt the integrity of the parts provided by the archetypal level.

Perception and Inner Light

It is useful to define our terms again. By "light" science means the entire EM spectrum. The everyday meaning of the term refers to one's perception of the visible part of this spectrum -- this is what we mean by "outer light". "Inner light" refers to the perception of a light-like experience that may range from simple imagining of light to a profound enlightenment experience. The source of the "inner light" is non-physical, but we experience it through physical changes within our bodies.

Thus, an appreciation of the nature of human perception is key to understanding the distinction traditionally made between inner and outer light. When people speak of their experience of inner light what they mean is their perception of "inner light." Our perceptual "inner light" corresponds to those felt senses not associated with any "external" source outside the confines of our physical body. Hence, "inner light" can be contrasted with "outer light" which is commonly understood to refer to that electromagnetic radiation which affects the retina of the eye. We wish to emphasize that inner light does not originate in the physical but is experienced or perceived in the physical. The physical body is the end point of a process that starts beyond space-time at the mental or higher level, proceeds through the quantum vacuum to eventually involve the movement of charged particles.

Perception in our model is the merging of the outer and inner light within a specific human receiver. The perception for any given human receiver is unique for any combination of inner and outer light. The perception is dependent upon the genetic and experiential programming of that individual and can be modified as the programming is changed. Our model would also permit additional influences from the soul's blueprint level beyond space-time to emerge within the physical.

Our model would suggest that human beings consist of both a physical and a non-material body (or bodies), the latter would include the soul's archetypal blueprint. The better the physical and non-material bodies are matched, the more expansive the perception and the clearer the interpretation of its meaning. With a strong coupling of the physical and non-physical the full advantage can be obtained of the non-local aspects of interconnectiveness and freedom from space and time. In other words, one may become enlightened with full psychic capabilities. This coupling into the non-local aspects of reality results in certain perceptions that often include the "inner light".

In summary, our total perception of an event at any given moment depends upon not only the inner and outer light but upon the "state of the probe." See Figure 1. Factors that affect the human being as a "probe" immersed in a sea of vibrations include: 1. genetics (DNA); 2. current physical condition; 3. family programming; 4. cultural programming, and 5. individual adjustments, i.e., how one has tuned the human "transceiver" between the physical and non-physical realms. It is this latter item that primarily determines the quality of the inner light experience.

The Coupling Factor

Most individuals wish to achieve personal fulfillment and happiness. Our model suggests that this can best be accomplished by conscious attunement of one's physical body with the soul's blueprint. Maximum coupling results in optimum feedback and minimizes uncertainties. The generation of a body state of unconditional love at the feeling level creates the maximum coupling for inner light. This results in the body responding most efficiently to experiences of life -- the outer light experiences.

To a large extent we can control our outer environment and make proper choices which can enhance the beneficial aspects of our surroundings. But even more importantly, we are continually making choices about how to respond to outer influences and events. These attitudinal adjustments many times are a great deal more important to our well being than the physical aspects of our world, in that they determine the internal chemistry of the body.

Let us explore how this process might work. In our model, all changes that originate at the mental or more encompassing realms manifest first in the physical world as changes at the subatomic level, and then subsequently at the atomic and molecular levels. The processes involved in our model illustrate how the human probe can alter a nonefficient feedback loop between the physical world of space-time and the non-physical world beyond space-time and thereby enhance the quality of the inner light. This is accomplished by breaking the undesirable feedback loop via a shift to a heart focused feeling of love or appreciation.

Now let's look at the cells within our bodies. A key structure of every cell is its membrane which separates the inside from the outside. Membranes exist in a state known as liquid crystal. This state provides a good example of the dynamic "coherent regime" of the matter field, where particles lose their individual identity, cannot be separated, move together as if performing a choral ballet, and are kept in phase by an electromagnetic field which arises from the same ballet. In cell membranes the synthesis of the component molecules is mainly the job of DNA, but their coherence and dynamic assembly is part of the self-organizing power of life. (Sermonti, 1995, pp.33)

Our model suggests that non-local linkages to the archetypal realms beyond the physical world of form are what guide the coherence and dynamic assembly of the parts into a self-organizing system. Thus, the human mind with its ability to operate beyond the physical permits humans to alter the balance of the physical creation process. This is the reason that the management of our thoughts and emotions is so important.

We know that the DNA molecule can have different shapes. We speculate that the different shapes that DNA can take enable the DNA to act for the human physical system as the basic transceiver of information originating from beyond space-time. The mathematician Dr. Louis H. Kauffman has made a related speculation:

"It may be that the circularly closed loops of knotted and catenaned DNA are indeed Wilson loops -- receivers of information from the enveloping biological field. If this is so, then knot theory, quantum field theory and molecular biology are fundamentally one scientific subject. Information is never carried only in a discrete mode. Why not regard DNA as the basic transceiver of the morphogenetic field? Each knotted form is a receptor for different sorts of field information, and the knots are an alphabet in the language of the field. --- In this context I take a morphogenetic field to be a field composed of physical fields, but also fields of form and recursion." (Kauffman, 1991, pp.496)

Enhancing the Coupling Factor

The human system represents a system of biological oscillators that we have the ability to tune and bring into resonance via the control of our thoughts and emotions. These biological oscillators known as pacemaker cells are present in the heart, the brain, the respiratory system and the digestive system. The Institute of HeartMath, Boulder Creek, California has been at the forefront of scientific research exploring how positive thoughts and emotions can affect our physical/mental wellbeing (McCraty, et. al., 1993, 1995).

Two powerful training techniques for tuning our biological oscillators were developed by HeartMath. They are known as "Freeze-Frame" and "Cut-Thru" (Childre, 1994, 1996). Key elements of these technique are to shift one's focus of attention to the area of the heart and to consciously experience deep feelings of love, care, or appreciation. The objective is to interrupt a personally disruptive feedback process and interject a positive element into the feedback process. Experimental observations of the effect of maintaining a positive feedback process show that the body's biological oscillators can become entrained. That is, we can intentionally bring the body's systems into synchronization with each other because they act as coupled electrical oscillators. A high degree of entrainment can be produced between heart rate variability (HRV), respiration, and electroencephalograph (EEG) recordings for a subject (McCraty, et.al., 1995).

A further shift can be made from the entrainment mode to a state called internal coherence in which one's inner mental and emotional self dialog is reduced to a very large degree. This results in a state of amplified peace. "One has a sense of standing on the threshold of a new dimension of awareness in this state. There is a sense of inner equilibrium and an awareness that one has accessed a new domain of intuition" (Tiller, et.al., 1996). Initially this is a state that one enters for relatively short periods of time. Under training this can be done intentionally although others may experience this state "accidentally." This is the state that we believe is associated with a strong coupling between the physical and non-physical realms. The ability to shift to this phase lifts the constraints of space-time and creates the environment for the spiritual inner light and its associated "knowingness" -- often experience as an intuitive intelligence.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram that illustrates the process of expanding the coupling factor between the physical realm of space/time and the spaceless/timeless phase of the knowledge realm. As one's thoughts and emotions move from a typical (baseline) state to a state of anger the coupling is greatly reduced and the control of the body resides in the ego and old brain patterns. As one's thoughts and emotions move towards appreciation and love the entrainment state is achieved and the body becomes more in tune with one's higher self and a greater range of options. As one achieves the internal coherence state through unconditional love (agape), the soul and the ego become like one because the constraints in the feedback flow between the non-physical and physical have been removed. One has become truly connected to the non-local aspects of our reality.

Experimental data includes heart rate variability (HRV) data for the four states and present typical HRV patterns generated when a subject uses the HeartMath techniques to consciously shift to the entrainment and internal coherence states. One should recognize that in the internal coherence state the heart rate remains essentially constant and the power spectrum density under these conditions is close to zero. Such a near-zero HRV in untrained individuals, when it persists for a length of time, indicates a pathological condition that often proceeds death. However, in trained individuals it represents an indication of exceptional self-management -- a state that can be entered into and returned from (Tiller, et. al., 1996). This may be why persons who experience the amplified peace of the inner light sometimes liken it to a "death" of mental/physical constraints that creates a sense of heaven on earth.

Thus, we find that the human body, a probe in a sea of infinite vibrations, is like a musical instrument. It can be tuned -- and that tuning can be accomplished via mental and emotional control. When one compares the data from ECG recordings of the heart associated with four different feeling states, one finds that the internal coherence state is uniquely identified by its harmonic spectrum or overtones. When we achieve this expression of the inner light we are in tune with the music of the whole -- with God's orchestra. Outer and inner light then merge into the symphony of the whole.

Conclusions

Discoveries in physics and cosmology are suggesting that the "laws of nature" are set up in such a way that life was bound to emerge and develop. From the countless possible courses of its evolution the universe took the only one that enabled life to emerge. Could it be that the human species is not just an accidental anomaly? Are the scientific data suggesting that in some way we are mysteriously connected to the entire universe and its evolution? This concept has become known as the Anthropic Principle (Breuer, 1991) Modern science has found this idea awkward and has largely ignored its deeper implications. Our model, in which the creation process originates from beyond space-time (top down), speaks to these implications -- something which cannot be done by the traditional bottom up approach to science.

If the physical universe is not an accident but has purpose, then there may exist a corollary -- since every human being represents an element in the physical universe. Hence, an individual's life in the physical universe can be viewed not as an accident, but as also having a purpose. Physical and mental health may have at their core the discovery and actualization of this higher blueprint or "soul's purpose." To support this position we have briefly sketched the key elements of our model and our basis for their choice. The resulting restructuring of the traditional modern view of reality will provide the foundation for an understanding of how outer and inner light merge. With that merger comes the recognition of the importance of the feeling state of unconditional love as the most powerful process for bringing the two into balance.

The search for the inner light or inner fulfillment is not about accepting the teachings of any particular religious or shamanistic practice. We believe that the spiritual experience of the inner light is at the core of each teaching. The methodologies and rituals that followed became the structural foundations of the belief systems and, unfortunately, now often dominate our thinking. Although there can be many different belief systems, the most important aspect of a belief system appears to by whether it recognizes and accepts the presence and accessibility of the realm of "inner light" -- for here exists the timelessness and universal love associated with the spiritual consciousness and soul awareness that are available to all.

Acknowledgements

This article closely parallels the copyrighted paper of the same title published in the Proceedings of the Twelfth International Conference on the Study of Shamanism and Alternate Modes of Healing. It is being published in JRPR with the permission of the Independent Scholars of Asia, Inc. and the Conference Coordinator and Editor, Dr. Ruth-Inge Heinze.
The authors wish to thank Robert Bourdeaux (8510 Brink Rd., Gaithersburg, MD 20882) for his artistic contribution to the creation of the artwork used in Figures 2 in this paper.

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