Why is Physics so Important to the Spiritual and the Supernatural?
You may have noticed how often I mention physics on this website and in Behind the Cosmic Veil when discussing spiritual and supernatural subjects that are not normally associated with it. Since the time of Galileo, there has been a tradition of separation between physics and the spiritual. Sometimes they seem mortal enemies by their very nature like dogs and cats. There has been on occasion some crossover by imaginative individuals, but these have usually been marginal forays, returning quickly to the safety of their own respective disciplines. For the most part, both eyes the other across the ramparts with suspicion, each seemingly bent on the other’s ultimate demise.
But I believe the only way to find solutions to certain enigmas plaguing each of these disciplines is to bring them under the same umbrella. The idea that spiritual, paranormal and supernatural occurrences and experiences have nothing to do with physics (and vice-versa) is in my opinion an antiquated and sometimes misguided prejudice. Let’s look at physics first. The usual interpretation of physics is the study of what is physical. Since spiritual and supernatural matters are not commonly considered to be in the realm of the physical, they have been traditionally excluded. But this interpretation is merely one of convenience to avoid that with which it is poorly equipped to deal. In truth, the fundamental meaning of physics is the study of all things physical. This may seem like a minor distinction, but there is a significant difference between the two. The first allows for the cherry-picking of any particular aspect of the physical universe as a subject for study while allowing the exclusion of anything else. The latter holds physicists’ feet to the fire of honesty and truth, requiring them to embrace the entire realm of the physical into their reckoning.
What does this have to do with the supernatural? One of the fundamental goals in physics is to someday arrive at a final theory-of-everything or TOE, which would explain the nature of all particles and their interactions, as well as all physical processes with a singe cosmological model. Albert Einstein, of whom I am a deep admirer, maintained that for such a theory to be valid, every observation must have a corresponding description in the theory. So in order for any TOE to be complete, it must provide a basis for all observable phenomena. Remember that everything that is observable is tangible; everything that is tangible is physical; everything that is physical falls under the mantle of physics. Now there are certain aspects to the supernatural that are in fact physically observable. Miraculous healings are one example from a Christian perspective, while from the paranormal we have things like apparitions. What makes these events supernatural is not the physically observable events themselves, but that they have no ascertainable natural cause, hence they are super-natural. But the physical, observable aspects are indeed subject to physics, and should be approached that way. We will never be able to determine supernatural causes until we fully understand the natural causes, so that we can know precisely where one ends and the other begins.
Historically, physics had ignored what it cannot readily reproduce in a laboratory. Many go so far as to say that what cannot be demonstratively reproduced in a lab does not really exist. To me, this attitude lies somewhere between stubborn dogma and self-delusion. Lab experiments do not determine or establish the nature of reality—they only measure it. It’s like saying that the basic nature of a six-inch steel rod is determined by the ruler placed next to it! If it doesn’t show on their measuring instruments under controlled lab conditions, they feel no need to acknowledge its existence. According to this viewpoint, if the measuring instruments don’t record it, then the observation is flawed, rather than acknowledging that it’s the instrumentation that’s deficient. This also justifies the dismissing of any phenomena that are found to be particularly troublesome, inconvenient or even embarrassing. It’s a formidable sales pitch, but it’s not entirely honest.
Here’s a good example. Many people, both physicists and laypersons alike, would not think of emotions as having anything to do with physics. The inability of instruments to directly measure and thus prove emotions means they’re merely psychological and therefore not physical, and therefore not relevant to physics. Right? Well, not exactly. At this moment, throughout the world, there are a number of research facilities that are mapping the centers in the brain (using physics and its principles) responsible for the effect of emotion because they can better understand its cause. Why? Because these scientists already accept as proven the observable physical reality of emotion as well as the human experiential evidence, and so they are trying to determine its exact physical cause and how it functions. Need physical evidence? When an angry dog attacks you, you'll know that particular emotion is an accepted, observable part of objective physical reality—your bleeding leg is the physical evidence you require. So even though it at first appears not to be relevant, a closer examination reveals that emotions really are physically observable effects, and therefore are part of physics. The fact that we do not have instruments by which we can directly measure them doesn’t mean that observable reality is defective in some way—it’s our instrumentation, methods and understanding that are. Physicists will never arrive at their coveted final theory as long as they continue to disregard such “unscientific” data. If our physical models cannot accommodate all that we observe in the physical universe, the solution is not to throw out all the data that doesn’t fit, but the far more difficult yet honest task of revising the flawed model.
On the other side are those believers in faith and the supernatural who resist any involvement of physics. For some this is quite understandable, since physics is not a subject to everyone’s taste, nor is it necessary for the practice of faith. But for others, the reasons are not so straightforward. There are those who see genuine scientific inquiry as a threat to their belief system. But if a belief system is sound, then honest and open-minded physics can do little to harm it. Others see a scientific approach as stripping away the mystique of it all, thereby taking away the satisfying thrill of mystery and sensationalism. Still others embrace the supernatural as a means to escape the pragmatism of scientific reason, and so see physics as a form of invasion of privacy. Then there are those who seek the supernatural as a way to rebel against the establishment, taking an almost cultish, counter-cultural stance. In addition are those who see a possible scientific proof as an end to their adventurous journey into the unknown. I recently spoke with a woman who was a member of two different paranormal investigative organizations who found this to be a troubling characteristic shared by too many group members. She explained to me that they don’t want serious scientific inquiry because if the actual processes behind the paranormal were ever discovered—however natural or supernatural the final solution may be—then all the excitement and fun of the search would be over. It’s like some Bigfoot researchers who secretly don’t want anyone to ever recover a body and prove its existence once and for all. The purpose of their quest would end, along with their status as an expert on that mystery.
But for those of us who truly want to find the answers, physics is a fundamental and necessary part of that search. Christians should especially embrace physics, as did many Christian giants of the field like Newton, Kepler, Maxwell and Bohm. The Bible teaches us of a God who fashioned the universe with fixed laws according to the divine Order of His Word. If that is the case, then one must believe that physics will eventually uncover enough of that order so that there will be an eventual convergence of the two disciplines. He gave us a mind to ponder the mysteries of His creation. To avoid using it to that end is, in my opinion, negligent and perhaps even disrespectful. In any event, the supernatural as it relates to and affects the real world will never be fully understood without the assistance of physics, and physicists will never achieve their ultimate goal by continuing to ignore and dismiss supernatural observations.
I close with a quote from Einstein, who maintained that if there were physical laws, there must also be a law-giver: “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” Of course, he had it right. Again.
You may have noticed how often I mention physics on this website and in Behind the Cosmic Veil when discussing spiritual and supernatural subjects that are not normally associated with it. Since the time of Galileo, there has been a tradition of separation between physics and the spiritual. Sometimes they seem mortal enemies by their very nature like dogs and cats. There has been on occasion some crossover by imaginative individuals, but these have usually been marginal forays, returning quickly to the safety of their own respective disciplines. For the most part, both eyes the other across the ramparts with suspicion, each seemingly bent on the other’s ultimate demise.
But I believe the only way to find solutions to certain enigmas plaguing each of these disciplines is to bring them under the same umbrella. The idea that spiritual, paranormal and supernatural occurrences and experiences have nothing to do with physics (and vice-versa) is in my opinion an antiquated and sometimes misguided prejudice. Let’s look at physics first. The usual interpretation of physics is the study of what is physical. Since spiritual and supernatural matters are not commonly considered to be in the realm of the physical, they have been traditionally excluded. But this interpretation is merely one of convenience to avoid that with which it is poorly equipped to deal. In truth, the fundamental meaning of physics is the study of all things physical. This may seem like a minor distinction, but there is a significant difference between the two. The first allows for the cherry-picking of any particular aspect of the physical universe as a subject for study while allowing the exclusion of anything else. The latter holds physicists’ feet to the fire of honesty and truth, requiring them to embrace the entire realm of the physical into their reckoning.
What does this have to do with the supernatural? One of the fundamental goals in physics is to someday arrive at a final theory-of-everything or TOE, which would explain the nature of all particles and their interactions, as well as all physical processes with a singe cosmological model. Albert Einstein, of whom I am a deep admirer, maintained that for such a theory to be valid, every observation must have a corresponding description in the theory. So in order for any TOE to be complete, it must provide a basis for all observable phenomena. Remember that everything that is observable is tangible; everything that is tangible is physical; everything that is physical falls under the mantle of physics. Now there are certain aspects to the supernatural that are in fact physically observable. Miraculous healings are one example from a Christian perspective, while from the paranormal we have things like apparitions. What makes these events supernatural is not the physically observable events themselves, but that they have no ascertainable natural cause, hence they are super-natural. But the physical, observable aspects are indeed subject to physics, and should be approached that way. We will never be able to determine supernatural causes until we fully understand the natural causes, so that we can know precisely where one ends and the other begins.
Historically, physics had ignored what it cannot readily reproduce in a laboratory. Many go so far as to say that what cannot be demonstratively reproduced in a lab does not really exist. To me, this attitude lies somewhere between stubborn dogma and self-delusion. Lab experiments do not determine or establish the nature of reality—they only measure it. It’s like saying that the basic nature of a six-inch steel rod is determined by the ruler placed next to it! If it doesn’t show on their measuring instruments under controlled lab conditions, they feel no need to acknowledge its existence. According to this viewpoint, if the measuring instruments don’t record it, then the observation is flawed, rather than acknowledging that it’s the instrumentation that’s deficient. This also justifies the dismissing of any phenomena that are found to be particularly troublesome, inconvenient or even embarrassing. It’s a formidable sales pitch, but it’s not entirely honest.
Here’s a good example. Many people, both physicists and laypersons alike, would not think of emotions as having anything to do with physics. The inability of instruments to directly measure and thus prove emotions means they’re merely psychological and therefore not physical, and therefore not relevant to physics. Right? Well, not exactly. At this moment, throughout the world, there are a number of research facilities that are mapping the centers in the brain (using physics and its principles) responsible for the effect of emotion because they can better understand its cause. Why? Because these scientists already accept as proven the observable physical reality of emotion as well as the human experiential evidence, and so they are trying to determine its exact physical cause and how it functions. Need physical evidence? When an angry dog attacks you, you'll know that particular emotion is an accepted, observable part of objective physical reality—your bleeding leg is the physical evidence you require. So even though it at first appears not to be relevant, a closer examination reveals that emotions really are physically observable effects, and therefore are part of physics. The fact that we do not have instruments by which we can directly measure them doesn’t mean that observable reality is defective in some way—it’s our instrumentation, methods and understanding that are. Physicists will never arrive at their coveted final theory as long as they continue to disregard such “unscientific” data. If our physical models cannot accommodate all that we observe in the physical universe, the solution is not to throw out all the data that doesn’t fit, but the far more difficult yet honest task of revising the flawed model.
On the other side are those believers in faith and the supernatural who resist any involvement of physics. For some this is quite understandable, since physics is not a subject to everyone’s taste, nor is it necessary for the practice of faith. But for others, the reasons are not so straightforward. There are those who see genuine scientific inquiry as a threat to their belief system. But if a belief system is sound, then honest and open-minded physics can do little to harm it. Others see a scientific approach as stripping away the mystique of it all, thereby taking away the satisfying thrill of mystery and sensationalism. Still others embrace the supernatural as a means to escape the pragmatism of scientific reason, and so see physics as a form of invasion of privacy. Then there are those who seek the supernatural as a way to rebel against the establishment, taking an almost cultish, counter-cultural stance. In addition are those who see a possible scientific proof as an end to their adventurous journey into the unknown. I recently spoke with a woman who was a member of two different paranormal investigative organizations who found this to be a troubling characteristic shared by too many group members. She explained to me that they don’t want serious scientific inquiry because if the actual processes behind the paranormal were ever discovered—however natural or supernatural the final solution may be—then all the excitement and fun of the search would be over. It’s like some Bigfoot researchers who secretly don’t want anyone to ever recover a body and prove its existence once and for all. The purpose of their quest would end, along with their status as an expert on that mystery.
But for those of us who truly want to find the answers, physics is a fundamental and necessary part of that search. Christians should especially embrace physics, as did many Christian giants of the field like Newton, Kepler, Maxwell and Bohm. The Bible teaches us of a God who fashioned the universe with fixed laws according to the divine Order of His Word. If that is the case, then one must believe that physics will eventually uncover enough of that order so that there will be an eventual convergence of the two disciplines. He gave us a mind to ponder the mysteries of His creation. To avoid using it to that end is, in my opinion, negligent and perhaps even disrespectful. In any event, the supernatural as it relates to and affects the real world will never be fully understood without the assistance of physics, and physicists will never achieve their ultimate goal by continuing to ignore and dismiss supernatural observations.
I close with a quote from Einstein, who maintained that if there were physical laws, there must also be a law-giver: “Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” Of course, he had it right. Again.