vol 7: Notes
2005
Sunday 6 March
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... to restore theology to the mainstream of science
Notes
[Notebook: DB 57 Language]
[Sunday 6 March 2005 - Saturday 12 March 2005]
[page 93]
Sunday 6 March 2005
The class of spaces defined by the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics is isomorphic to a subset of the spiritual world, as conceived since time immemorial. This thought (in less qualified form) motivated me to climb out of the pit in which I was working on the tail shaft of my car and (as I tediously undid them) meditating on the design of the connection between the gearbox and the tail shaft. Engineering depends
[page 94]
on the stability of the world. This stability arises from constraints that can be expressed mathematically in the platonic, spiritual world, the world of disembodies forms and interactions. Can angels communicate with one another?
We line up the properties of quantum mechanics (no-cloning, superposition, non-locality etc) with the properties of spirit.
The world as we know it is ultimately kinematic, since we do not know the fundamental dynamic principle. Why does it do this: maybe the Cantor force toward complexification [which arises from some force toward consistency, ie consistency is an attractor, inconsistency a repeller]
Spiritually, a network exists all a once, but in terms of observation, [the only nodes which] exist for any particular node are those with which it is communicating. But what is communicating? Because communication needs discrete symbols, there are inevitably times of non-communication between communication, as the blackout period in kinematographic projection while the film moves to the next frame. From the kinematic illusion, we can construct hypotheses about how it all works - the world as form and will.
Technology exists in the countable world, inspired by scientific harvests from the spiritual world.
A computer is a kinematic object. Its clock hides the transition as the contents of
[page 95]
binary digital memory are changed from 1 to 0, or 0 to one, or merely refreshed in their current state,. So we cannot see the inner motivations of people, just observe the history of their actions and construct hypotheses about their actions. Even when someone tries to communication their state of mind, we are still reduced to forming hypotheses about the meaning of spoken, written and body language, even though, as the bandwidth of communication is increased, stronger constraints can be placed on the meaning to be communicated [as the television image constrains the visual imagination left free by radio]
The new incarnation of [the] Lonergan's metaphysics and quantum theory [paper]:
Is the mathematical formalism of quantum mechanics isomorphic to that world called since ancient times spiritual?
Chapter 1 A brief history
The history of human thought has thrown up a lot of dichotomies like matter/spirit, world/god, visible reality/invisible reality, now/dreamtime, heaven/hell and so on.
These dichotomies are elements of hypotheses about the nature of the world in which we live, attempts to explain the mysteries of life, since understanding yields power (fitness) to survive.
The fundamental dichotomy [between being and non-being], mooted by Parmenides
[page 96]
then [developed] through Plato, Aristotle, Jesus,. the Churches ad the modern sciences to us - Galileo, Newton Hamilton, Cantor, Hilbert etc to QM,
Quantum mechanics is as complex as theology and has a fearful reputation. We reveal this reputation as a paper tiger by sticking to Heisenberg's idea: we have no preconceptions about how the world works, we merely want to explain the observations.
Chapter 2 Quantum mechanics
Here we recall the principle laid down by Heisenberg
... it seems more reasonable to try to establish a theoretical quantum mechanics analogous to classical mechanics, but in which only relations between observable quantities occur.
Substitute theology for mechanics and we have immediately democratized prophecy: we all have eyes to see gods and innards to feel it. [soul?]
Heavenly pleasures - visits from people I love = glimpses of the human aspect of divinity.
Freedom is tradable. I mind your children while you do something and vice versa.
ie freedom is valuable = entropy.
Our two fundamental values are energy and entropy. Energy = ability to move; entropy = space to move.
[page 97]
As in quantum field theory, we see an ever growing transfinite pyramid of states and transformations lying behind every observable point in the universe. it is this system, which we will name nous (Greek for mind) which gives meaning (dynamics) to the particle kinematics which we observe. This is how we model spiritual control of the material world.
Happy delusion or happy truth? Insofar as my speculations are private, there is little impact on the world and if it makes me feel good, so be it. Once it enters the public arena, however (through actions by me and others inspired by these thoughts) questions of product liability arise. traditionally, church organisations have been exempt from any responsibility for their product, except in extreme cases where they are judged to be a cult brainwashing innocent victims. How do we draw the line between legitimate religion and such a cult? It is not easy, given some of the lunatic things taught by established religions like Christianity.
I feel now that the Roman Catholic Church stole my soul and willed it with their own seed, psychical rape we may call it, analogous to physical rape. Many church as state and other education systems have a similar violent and arrogant edge - the conviction that they know what is right and by that same conviction assume the right to force that conviction on others by stealth, reward or threat.
As in many thefts (like the theft of Australia) justice
[page 98]
may take a long time to deal with the thieves, if ever. Thus we learn from Job. Job But it is worth pursuing nevertheless, so that such crimes of power will be stifled and perhaps eventually eliminated.
Every crime requires the power to harm another.
The physical realities of life mean that we cannot afford to work in a completely abstract and hypothetical way, as methodological purists might like. Nevertheless, once one has leisure (ie free time/free energy) one can pursue studies in such a way. This is traditionally called pure science, pure mathematics, etc, as distinguished from the applied. Where we may say pure applies to the soul and applied applies to the body, there has been an historical tendency to value soul more highly than body. This is only possible because soul is postulated to exist independently of body. Since in reality they are inseparably intertwined (and so really just one thing) their values must be equal. In time division multiplexing terms, one might do best by distributing one's energy equally between pure and applied pursuits. My life seems to have evolved to roughly this position, perhaps first formalized by the monastic life of work and prayer. Unfortunately the prevailing overvaluation of soul meant that the monastic system completely avoided a large subset of real work, the establishment and maintenance
[page 99]
of relationships, particularly all the relationships surrounding getting and spending, reproduction and collective decision making. The monasteries avoided all this by the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, and this more deeply entrenched the distortion in value between soul and body.
It all comes back to the idea that we are so special that wee, of all creatures in the universe, alone possess a purely spiritual incorruptible soul. We have been seen as angels trapped in bodies, longing to release but this is not so. Unlike the monks who refused to face birth, our position is that we must face birth and death, so liberating ourselves by discovering that we share birth and death with every other entity except perhaps the whole.
Should I make an effort to write, or let it just flow? Depends on whether it is pure or applied writing. Up till now I have supported pure writing by building with occasional minor items of income (long past) from writing. The time has come to phase out the building and ramp up the applied writing. Hence The Theology Company. Insofar as The Theology Company can generate a surplus by applied writing, it can devote resources to pure writing. Although, I call it pure, the hope is that like pure science and mathematics, it will turn out after all to be valuable in applied problems. Applied theology is religion, the management of the human planet.
[page 100]
Politicians often expect their slaves (officials) to do the impossible in order to show that their impossible promises are feasible.
...
Monday 7 March 2005
Tuesday 8 March 2005
Wednesday 9 March 2005
Natural religion: 3(?) submissions, birth, death, mystery.
The dark night of the soul: realizing that everything you have been taught and relied upon is in need of revision (Physics 1900-1925). John of the Cross
Thursday 10 March 2005
Now 4 submission: birth, death, mystery and process. Magic, miracles, fairy tales etc are accounts of results obtained without process, something that may not be possible. To travel from a to b, one must submit to the events of the journey.
Friday 11 March 2005
Saturday 12 March 2005
Books
| Job, The Book of Job in The Jerusalem Bible, Darton Longman and Todd 1966 Introduction: 'The Book of Job is the literary masterpiece of the [Biblical] Wisdom movement. ... The author of the Book of Job ... is without doubt an Israelite, brought up on the works of the prophets and the teachings of the sages. ... The writer puts the case of the good man who suffers. This is a paradox for the conservative view then prevalent that a man's actions are rewarded or punished here on earth.' (726, 727) Amazon back |
| John of the Cross, and E Alison Peers (Translator, editor, Intorduction), The Dark Night of the Soul: A Masterpiece in the Literature of Mysticism, Image 1959 'A sixteenth-century mystic who wrote of man's relationship with God, St. John of the Cross was also a Carmelite monk who helped reform the Order and aided St. Teresa of Avila in establishing new convents for women. In this book--his spiritual masterpiece and a classic of Christian literature and mysticism--he addresses several subjects, among them pride, avarice, envy, and other human imperfections. He also provides an extended explanation of Divine love; and describes methods of conversion through prayer, submission, and purification. "...the most faithful [translation] that has appeared in any European language: it is, indeed, much more than a translation for [Peers] added his own valuable historical and [critically interpretive] notes."--London Times. Amazon back |
Click on an "Amazon" link in the booklist at the foot of the page to buy the book, see more details or search for similar items
Related sites:
Concordat Watch
Revealing Vatican attempts to propagate its religion by international treaty
