The Peak Experience: The Subjective Science of Consciousness

Robert Davis Ph.D.

Introduction

Mainstream science has yet to address the very real and profound experiences reported by millions of well-balanced people, nor adequately answered the question of just what is consciousness? From the descriptions of mystical events in religious texts to the extraordinary visions of “heaven”, healing miracles, and prophetic messages reported by people around the globe, our concepts of human consciousness, human potential, and the true nature of reality are being challenged by those who believe they have come face to face with another realm of existence. And, this realization often facilitates a fierce passion. It often results in a dramatic personal and philosophical change in one’s beliefs and viewpoints on matters of life, love, death, and spirituality; the experience has the potential to reshape one’s core beliefs in often positive ways, including newfound peace, empathy for others, altruism, and unconditional love.  

The validity of this reported mystical-like experience or so-called, Peak Experience (PE), prevails as a source of controversy and debate – is it a normal innate tendency, an illusion created by the mind/an external agent, or something yet to be discovered? One clue, to its’ possible nature, is that it is typically generated by different PE trigger events; This includes: the near- death-experience (NDE), and out-of-body experience (OBE); hallucinogenic experiences from psychoactive drugs; meditation; interactions with unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) and associated non-human intelligences (NHI); psychic phenomena; and even conditions of extreme emotional stress, among others. 

The PE is a ‘transpersonal’ event; a deep level of consciousness, subjectivity, or spirit; one capable of awareness which includes extrasensory perceptions (ESP), as well as those apparently separated from it such as out-of-body experiences and psychokinetic phenomena (PK). Perhaps, the “mystical” nature of the PE, as described in religious texts, folklore, and in the hearts and minds of those who experience it, evolves from an extreme incident of reality; a medium of some type to an unseen realm. And, with fierce contention, they believe it transcends the separation of mind and body, or of self and reality: a spiritually transformative experience. 

The Peak Experience

Overview

The PE is indeed a “Big One” and how can it not be? After all, it is generally considered more real than “real-life” – characterized by perceptions of oneness with the universe, ineffable emotions, alterations of time and/or space, insight and wisdom, visionary encounters, and communication with a Supreme Being, the deceased, and/or NHI; described as “angels”, “apparitions”, and/or the popularized, alien “greys”, among others.¹ It may also include the feeling of one’s consciousness separating from the body, telepathic communication, increase in intuitive and psychic capabilities, and the sense that reality is a manifestation of “one cosmic” creative energy. And, from these varied, and highly individualized experiences, the individual is often “lit” from that moment forward. And, think about it; who wouldn’t have a burning passion to find answers to emerging questions on life, reality, and everything in between? It seems to occur naturally as a symptom of one’s heightened level of awareness – perhaps, an aspect of “consciousness” itself. The PE itself varies in nature as individuals differ in personality. But why does the PE shift their perspectives out of their ego into something new and unlimited? The question is whether this “new beginning” is true reality and something we must all strive to attain as part of spiritual evolution; perhaps, to become more humane in all respects?

Peak Experience Triggers 

The PE covers a huge landscape. It includes virtually all reported forms of anomalous interactions with alternate realities, deceased loved ones, and non-human intelligences of varying kinds.They may all be one of the same, but providing meaning to such interactions is difficult, especially since during a PE, one frequently reports to: 1) possess knowledge of existence in another dimension without a body, 2) perceive time as if the past, present and future exist simultaneously and instantaneously (nonlocality); 3) be linked with the memories and consciousness of oneself and others, including deceased relatives; and, 4) be embraced by something much greater than themselves, or anything they previously could have imagined: they emerge with a greater appreciation for life, less fear of death, and a “reorientation of their priorities to less material and more spiritual pursuits.”² 

Phenomena such as NDE and OBE have become more prevalent as advanced biomedical technology has allowed us to bring people back from the brink of death. The incidence of an NDE, for example, falls in the ten to fifteen percent range with an estimated 200,000 people per year in the United States and millions worldwide having reported an NDE.³ Moreover, an after-death communication is also common and has been estimated to occur in about one-third of the population. One form is the death-bed vision (DBV), represented by cases in which a terminally ill individual reports the bedside appearance of a dead relative, friend, or a being of light to guide one through the dying process. In a cross-cultural survey of medical professionals in the United States and India, for instance, a stratified random sample of 1,708 physicians and nurses in both countries reported that 81 percent of 714 DBV experiencers were by those with a terminal illness that occurred, not only to individuals who were aware they were dying, but also to individuals who were not aware or had not been told that they were going to die.⁴

Attempting to explain such incomprehensible experiences that are undeniably inconsistent with medical and scientific principles present a unique and insurmountable challenge to say the least. Take, for example, a remarkable NDE account featured in news worldwide, of internationally recognized brain neurosurgeon, Dr. Eben Alexander. Although he did not believe in the afterlife or a non-physical spirit and considered such stories as hallucinations and products of imagination, during a week-long coma due to a severe case of bacterial meningitis, he had an NDE that facilitated a profound impact on his life, and belief in the afterlife. This experience motivated him to write the books and give lectures where he confirmed that our life on Earth is just a “test” that helps our “souls evolve and grow” and, to succeed in doing so, one must live life with “love and compassion”.⁵ 

Another trigger appears in the form of psychoactive drugs, like DMT and psilocybin. In a recent published survey study by researchers at John Hopkins Medical Center, for example, eighty percent of the 2,500 users of subjects administered with a psychoactive drug, said their “fundamental perception of reality” had changed. And, remarkably, over half of the subjects noted that while they had been atheists before, they now believed in a Supreme Being! I know, I can’t explain that result either. And, the same curiosity is stirred by the findings that of the total participants, over eighty percent reported encounters with beings who appeared very real, conscious, intelligent and benevolent, and over seventy-five percent reported believing that the entity continued to exist after the encounter. In light of these results, one obvious question is whether humans are biologically predisposed for such experiences with psychedelics; that is, are we hardwired with this template or architype that may only be realized subjectively with certain types of PE triggers?¹¹ 

Perhaps, it is possible that the ontological shock or profound realization of one’s PE, previously thought impossible or never imagined, somehow serves as a sort-of carrier wave to facilitate one’s new journey; a rabbit hole of questions, adjustments, and attitudes about life and the type of enduring positive life changes in concepts, moods and behavior they inspire – a spiritual transformative experience and process. 

Altered State of Consciousness: Views of Western and Eastern Science 

For the most part, Western science generally considers the surreal perceptual content of a PE to be nothing more than a manifestation of a psychological or neurobiological abnormality – a brain-based glitch which culminates in a misrepresentation of the actual relationships between one’s consciousness and reality, as in sleep transition disorders, psychosis and/or a depersonalization reaction to stress. But this “abnormal” classification may not be accurate since scientists, psychologists, philosophers, and theologians usually have different interpretations on altered state of consciousness. The Western scientific community, for example, does not support the conclusion by those who contend to have interacted with another reality. This notion is inconsistent with their cultural background and scientific mindset which views matter as the ultimate form of reality, and believes consciousness is a characteristic of it. The Eastern perspective, is the exact opposite, with the ultimate reality being consciousness and the physical universe a byproduct of it. In other words, science considers what is perceived with the senses to be the highest form of reality, whereas, the Eastern view considers that higher faculties of mind must be developed in order to interact with reality in a more direct way. But a paradox exists with the scientific perspective since discoveries in physics tell us that matter is profoundly different from what our senses tell us.

Thus, under our current scientific paradigm, so-called spiritual or mystical experiences, are generally considered evidence of abnormal brain events in regions that regulate emotion, and self-representation. After all, it has been well documented that on occasion and for different reasons, our brain fails to distinguish between a visual or auditory stimulus occurring externally, and one generated by our mind – one that may be responsible for all mystical visions among cultures throughout history. In fact, hallucinations have been well documented when communication between the brain’s frontal lobe and sensory cortex is compromised.  However, although our brain fails at times to distinguish between a visual or auditory stimulus occurring externally and one generated by our mind, it should not be considered “abnormal” in all cases. After all, scientists, psychologists, philosophers, and theologians often interpret altered states of consciousness differently, and the psychological community has not even developed agreed upon criteria for what constitutes a transcendent, mystical/spiritual experience or PE, let alone recognizing it as part of a “normal” psychological state in a well-balanced individual. As it should! In fact, the PE is actually Something that should really be supported rather than suppressed since it can be conducive to healing and transformation if properly managed.

One important clinical criterion that distinguishes a true PE from a psychotic disturbance is the impact of the experience on one’s overall well-being. The PE, for example, generally facilitates positive emotions and behavioral transformations in the form of feelings of joy, serenity, wholeness, and love, which can lead to improvements in psychological health and awareness of the spiritual dimension in life – an expanded consciousness and an awareness of themselves being more than just physical matter. In stark contrast, however, psychotic disorders typically generate just the opposite – confusion, anxiety, and depression frequently appear which increasingly isolate the person from society. Consequently, the PE may be viewed as healthy growth toward higher states of spiritual awareness – a type of spiritual awakening that does not present as symptoms of a severe psychological disorder. Despite the apparent absence of a chronic and severe psychological disorder (psychosis, dissociation) in the vast majority of PErs, however, an abnormal short-lived and fleeting brain-based hallucination in the form of a perceived alternate realm cannot be completely ruled out, in all cases. After all, realistic illusory perceptions are not uncommon when delicate brain processes are compromised by different externally and internally induced events. But, while medication may be helpful in some severe cases of a spiritual emergency, it can also hinder an individual’s ability to process their experience as a personally meaningful, transformational journey. Conventional treatments may also promote a disease model of psychosis, and a pathological interpretation of some types of spiritual experiences. And, that is very wrong and must change!

Such “woo-woo” sounding notions are often symptomatic of the biased, myopic, and ego-facilitated stigma of Western society, culture and science, in general. And, as a result, our external world does not appropriately support and counsel those who are experiencing a spiritually transformative experience (STE) or Spiritual Emergency; a common outcome of a PE trigger. There are millions of many frustrated individuals who have had a STE, trying to figure out: “What happened? What does it mean? Who do I talk to about it? And, unfortunately, there is limited and appropriate support by the general medical and psychological community to better meet the specific and unique needs of this large and growing sub-sector of the global population. Perhaps, one of the few encouraging developments in the world today is the renaissance of interest in the spiritual quest. 

The Neuroscience of Spirituality 

Overview 

Today’s mathematical principles may have fallen behind the times, especially since we have no uniform and agreed upon definition of the concept of consciousness. The problem is that mainstream science considers the world a collection of subatomic particles governed by the nuclear, gravitational, and electromagnetic forces of Einstein’s Unified Field Theory. But if that is all there is to physical reality, then no easy or rational way remains to explain the PE, and the associated issue of how consciousness emerges from the physical brain. In fact, the PE may actually provide significant evidence to help resolve the burning question humankind yearns to know – that is, are you nothing more than a three-pound mass of protein and fat consisting of 100 billion neurons between your ears? Moreover, science has consistently misunderstood, misrepresented, and largely ignored the spiritual dimension, the supernatural or paranormal, and the PE. They consider it suspect and in opposition with scientific principles, especially since spirituality has been so closely tied to unproven religious teachings. This seems unwise, but at some level, it is understandable. After all, a scientist is committed to physical laws, not faith, bias, and speculation that cannot be proven with scientific logic and empirical evidence. Perhaps, that is why consciousness or a type of “resonant bond”, which may be a yet to be discovered fundamental law of the universe; and, that is interrelated with the brain, remains outside the realm of what science can explain.

William James, considered the father of psychology, may have been right when he made a bold proposal about the brain’s filtering processes over one hundred years ago. He believed that the brain filters our access to a vast consciousness which extends beyond the limits of our sensory capabilities. And interestingly, a study in 2020 by researchers at John Hopkins, found that psilocybin can cause mystical experiences that result in lasting positive personality changes. According to one of the researchers, “It would be wrong to oversell the relationship between the psychedelic state and psychosis, because equally in the acute psychedelic state, there can be an amazing clarity. People can have genuine insights.”⁶ We are just now realizing what James had considered long ago. Fast forward to today, and now researchers in the neurosciences, psychology, physics, and philosophy are trying to better understand the concepts of one’s spirituality and “sensation of the mystical” and how it may interact with the physical laws of nature, the brain, and consciousness, of which the PE may hold the key. But while national surveys show that approximately 30 to 50 percent of Americans claim to have had a PE in the form of a “mystical or transcendent experience,” few empirical studies have investigated the nature and validity of the person’s reported interactions with an alternate reality and/or non-human entities.⁷ 

The God Spot

It seems we are now beginning to understand how the brain gives rise to feelings of self-transcendence, and spiritual and religious thinking. Neuroscientists, for instance, who have been searching for the “God spot” or “spirituality” center in the brain where religious thoughts and feelings arise, think there may exist multiple areas of the brain responsible for spiritual experiences. The activation of a large network of the parietal system (which integrates sensory information) in the brain, for example, is thought to play a crucial role in both self-transcendence and altered states of consciousness elicited by life-threatening situations, psychiatric and neurological disorders, and existential crises.

For those anatomically-inclined, the left inferior region of the parietal lobe (IPL) which processes sensation, spatial orientation, and language, may be the physiological “God spot” responsible for spirituality. In one recent study using advanced imaging and noninvasive brain stimulation techniques, for example, when subjects were presented with auditory phrases such as “God’s will guides my acts” and “God protects one’s life,” areas of the brain involved in deciphering other people’s emotions and intentions lit up with enhanced activity.⁸ Another study, which correlated brain-lesion mapping techniques with spiritual and religious beliefs results in patients both before and after the removal of tumors from their parietal lobe, reported that those who had tumors removed from the IPL showed a greater tendency towards religious and spiritual beliefs and experiences. And when researchers scanned the brain activity of over twenty-five subjects during transcendent meditative states, all subjects showed similar activity patterns in the parietal cortex – a result that suggests the IPL may “contribute importantly to perceptual processing and other representations during spiritual experiences.”⁹ In other words, when activity of the IPL is reduced, people are no longer able to differentiate between their inner self and external reality, a state that can be achieved by highly experienced meditators. One’s sense of “self-transcendence,” which represents a higher state of awareness or consciousness, therefore, likely contributes to certain perceptual attributes of a PE.  Such evidence may have important implications for explaining the “feeling of oneness” and enhanced sense of unity with the universe and one’s surroundings (self-transcendence) often reported by PErs. 

Meditation

In recent years, research on meditation practices indicates that you may be able to change your brain. One beneficial outcome of such practice over many years is development of a thicker and more active frontal lobe and thalamus than non-practitioners. Meditation has also been shown to promote neuroplasticity, which enables the brain networks to change their connections and activity in response to new information, sensory stimulation, development, or damage.  It also allows a mode of consciousness wherein insight can occur. In the meditative and transcendental state, for instance, awareness is enhanced, and brain regions show greater activity among specific locations in the brain that are networked together. In one experiment, for example, decreased neurological activity of language and orientation centers of the brain were observed in experienced Tibetian meditators.¹⁰ This finding is especially interesting because when the brain’s orientation center reduces sensory input, your self-perspective relative to the external world is diminished – a result similar to that reported in those with reduced activity of the IPL – an inability to differentiate between inner self and external reality. Experienced meditators, therefore, may actually be inducing “self-transcendence”. 

One cannot dismiss the possibility that the brain may actually impede an expanded awareness of reality. After all, the brain evolved on Earth; and, as a result, can only be expected to perceive other similar 3D-based physical matter. And, that matter is compatible with each sensory system of the body; each uniquely designed to resonate perfectly with the incoming complex pattern of energy (acoustic, light, tactile, etc.) to detect, analyze, interpret, and eventually feel with emotion, an aspect of intention which conveys meaning and purpose. This energy is converted at different levels of the central nervous system into an energy form the brain can only understand; and, that is, neurophysiological. But, despite the remarkable complexity of our central nervous system, let alone life itself, we know that physical energy exists beyond the sensory capabilities of our body to perceive. For example, you can’t hear below 20 Hz and above 20,000 Hz, but energy still exists beyond each frequency limit. We consider it “non-physical” because we can’t feel it in a true 3-D sense. The question is whether or not this same reasoning pertains to those who report having very “real” experiences, interacting with alternate realms of existence and NHI; that is, are such commonly reported encounters real – one visible and experienced by our senses, and one that is not – an unseen realm, where energy exists beyond the sensory limits of our physical systems?

Consciousness, the Brain and Psi

Overview 

Consciousness, or the subjective experience of an inner self, could be forever beyond the reach of neuroscience to explain. Even a detailed knowledge of the brain’s workings and the neural correlates of consciousness may fail to explain how or why human beings have self-aware minds. Regardless of the terminology or criteria used to define it, however, the effects of consciousness are indeed subtle, but very real. And, we see convincing evidence of its’ existence at every level of our physical world. This includes: 1) the microscopic (sub-atomic), 2) human/human and human/physical system information transference (extrasensory perception and psychokinesis); 3) mental intuition/intention (healing with intent, contact experiences with UAP); 4) the macroscopic (global consciousness); and 5) the cosmological levels of our known “reality”.  

Consciousness exists everywhere. And, many physicists actually believe you are connected with the universe through nonlocal intuitive perception. Throughout history people have reported psychic experiences (psi), and in more recent times, thousands of well-controlled scientific experiments have supported the validity of psi.¹² But despite compelling documentation, the general scientific community remains highly critical of well-controlled experiments that conclusively and consistently demonstrate the validity of extrasensory perception (ESP) and psychokinesis (PK). And, this is more than just theory; in other words, despite the inability for Newtonian principles to explain it, ESP and PK have been experimentally proven in experiments on mind/matter and human/machine anomalies – physical systems can be moved, changed, or influenced without being physically touched by anything else.¹³ 

When “consciousness” is discussed among scholars in different fields of study; like, metaphysics, philosophy, theology, medicine and/or science, we hear the same overarching issue repeatedly described and analyzed using different terms unique to their respective field of study, such as: mental intuition or intention; self-awareness; and free-will, level of alertness, and/or an aspect of higher order cognitive functioning, among many others. In fact, for over more than 150 years, psychologists, brain researchers and physicists have been concerned with “consciousness,” and despite this quest, we have not gotten any closer to the core of this issue. Some scientists, however, think we already understand what “consciousness” is, where it comes from, or that it is a mere illusion, or virtual reality of some sort. No one truly knows. The so-called “gut feeling” about it seems to be that “consciousness” is the subjective act of experiencing, which cannot be described in an “objective” third person way. In fact, a solution to the problem of consciousness will likely not be made using current scientific principles or the natural sciences alone. How can it be? After all, we are using our consciousness trying to explain “consciousness” which poses an inherent conflict right there. 

Human Entanglement: Are Minds Linked?

There exists undeniable evidence that consciousness plays a practical role in the behavior of simple or complex physical devices and processes.¹⁴ Communication between minds is normal not paranormal, natural not supernatural, and is common between people, especially people who know each other well. You may, in other words, be able to exchange information without the use of sensory systems and intentionally effect change in other people and physical systems at a distance. That is, perceptual abilities extend beyond the space and time constraints of sensory organs – non-locality. And, if you doubt this, I suggest you review the hundreds of peer reviewed scientific publications of rigorously controlled experiments that convincingly support the concept of ESP. Collectively, this evidence indicates you are connected through space and time at the level of consciousness with others. In fact, this conclusion is supported by strong experimental evidence showing that, “quantum entanglement; a phenomenon in the world of quantum physics, can be objectively measured.

If you may recall some college physics, quantum entanglement is seen when bound or entangled sub-atomic particles (electrons, photons) remain connected, even when divided and far apart, so that the actions performed on one affects the other. And, if we take this to the next logical level, many scientists consider that since humans are also composed of sub-atomic particles, this same process works biologically (in a sense); that is, our own sub-atomic particles become “entangled” with that of another person – an intense emotion shared between people, like love, for instance, may be viewed as a form of such an entangled or resonant bond; one possibly facilitated through quantum processes of some type(s), like quantum entanglement. 

As “fringe” science as this may sound, such complex theoretical perspectives are now being supported by studies using advanced imaging techniques (fMRI and EEG) which show strong EEG correlations between the brains of spatially separated people. In two pairs of twins tested, for example, eye closure in one twin produced not only an immediate alpha rhythm in his own brain, but also in the brain of the other twin. In other words, an objective measure of a subjective sense of connection is reflected in brain activity! This startling finding was reinforced by ten replicated studies by independent research groups around the world, and of these studies, eight reported positive findings which were published in respected peer reviewed journals.²¹ Justification for this concept was reinforced in an EEG based study of social interaction at a distance in paired participants who were not connected by any traditional channels of communication. When one of the pair received a one second stimulation from a light signal, a weak but robust statistically significant response was also detected in the Alpha range EEG activity of the other member of the pair.²² In another experiment on nonlocal intuition, an interpersonal EEG coupling between healer and subject pairs by which the healer produced a “connection between the healer and the subject.”²³ Similarly, psychologist Dean Radin, asked subjects to imagine that they could perceive and alter a low-intensity laser beam in a distant interferometer, and astonishingly, they were able to do so – their intuition alone modified the photons’ quantum wave functions and the pattern of light produced by this device. 

Collectively, these studies provide more than sufficient evidence to suggest that the human mind may have undiscovered properties and capabilities which include the anomalous process of information transfer via nonlocality. This includes meta-analyses of ESP results using statistical approaches from more than 200 studies conducted by different researchers with more than 6,000 participants, and replicated numerous times by independent investigators.^16-20 It has been validated through replicated well controlled experimental studies with staggering probabilities against chance of having produced the results. In fact, a statistics professor published a paper showing that ESP experiments actually produced much stronger results than studies showing a daily dose of aspirin helps prevent a heart attack.¹⁷ And, “conventional explanations for these results” were considered “implausible”, by Dean Radin, the Chief Scientist at the Institute of Noetic Science, who stated that; “humans are connected with the rest of reality in non-local ways – intuitive knowledge arises from perceptions that are not mediated through the ordinary senses.”¹⁸ 

Perhaps, there is something tangible about consciousness and mental intention that only concepts in quantum physics can explicitly address. And, maybe physicist Pascual Jordan, explains this notion in his statement that: “Observations not only disturb what has to be measured, they produce it… We compel a quantum particle to assume a definite position…  we ourselves produce the results of measurements.”⁵⁰ If that is so, objective reality is not as “true” as materialist scientists think it is. For now, however, science cannot determine the best way to interpret quantum experiments, which demonstrate that consciousness and quantum mechanics are somehow linked. Another example may be seen in autistic savants who possess certain extraordinary cognitive abilities, naturally exceeding the abilities of those who may have practiced similar skills for a lifetime.²⁵ Despite their severe disabilities, many demonstrate remarkable memory and calculation, as well as musical and artistic talents, and some savants may also have an enhanced capacity for telepathic abilities. Neuropsychiatrist Diane Powell, for example, who conducted an experiment with a severely autistic child named Haley, demonstrated her ability to correctly calculate cube roots of over five-digit numbers without knowing how to perform simple mathematical functions like addition or multiplication, and with no conscious derivation of the answers. In one experiment, Powell conducted two controlled sessions with two therapists who presented randomized numbers, sentences, fake words, and visual images out of view of the girl. She was then asked to “read the therapist’s mind.” The therapists were asked to write their own verbal descriptions of the images for comparison to the girl’s answers. Haley was asked to give all the numbers in the equations and to duplicate the answers generated by the author with a calculator. Results from the first session with one therapist were amazing. She scored 100 percent accuracy on three out of twenty image descriptions containing up to nine letters each, 60 to 100 percent accuracy on all three of the five-letter nonsense words, and 100 percent accuracy on two random numbers: one eight digits and the other nine. In light of these extraordinary results, Powell concluded that: “The data are highly suggestive of an alternative, latent and/or default communication mechanism that can be accessed by people born with severely impaired language abilities.”²⁶ It seems us humans are indeed connected with the rest of reality in non-local ways, on both a personal and global scale – as in the Global Consciousness Project.

The Global Consciousness Project

Thanks for sending the links to the website and to the chapter from your book. In scanning the chapter I found the section on the Global Consciousness Project. What you write is unfortunately inaccurate. The GCP was created by yours truly, not by Bob Jahn and Brenda Dunne. I was still working at the PEAR lab when I developed the methodology and recruited the people and gathered the resources to make the GCP happen (starting in 1997 and culminating in the inception of data collection in August 1998). Bob and Brenda were not actively involved. The GCP was always independent of PEAR, and had its logistical home at Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), meaning they maintained an account where I could direct funds from donors to support the project — I did not want to manage a 501c3 non-profit. The project actually had a dozen of so friends and colleagues as the core group who helped define the protocols and build the software for data acquisition and archiving, as well as the analytic strategies, which though grounded in canonical statistics, had to be developed to address the unique data structure (a matrix of second-by-second trials recorded at some 70 locations around the world.) They were an international group, and were not at PEAR, except for me.

I’ll be happy to talk about this with you.

A dramatic series of experiments which prove the existence of an “unseen force” that can affect physical systems on a global scale, represent the work by Brenda Dunne and Robert Jahn as part of the Global Consciousness Project (GCP) created by Roger Nelson. The possibility that human intention alone can affect physical systems was actually demonstrated after two decades of rigorous experimentation at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research Lab. And, their well-controlled experimental results were dramatic, and hard to ignore. 

The question initially posed by the researchers, was whether or not “global consciousness” may be created when people worldwide feel a sense of coherence or resonance among each other? And, if so, is this force strong enough to effect physical systems, like a random noise generator (RNG)? In this unique study, the output of a worldwide network of one hundred computer REGs, which continuously emitted ones and zeros in a random pattern, was analyzed by a supercomputer at PEAR to identify any statistically significant deviation from randomness influenced by major world events. Remarkably, such deviations were reported when major events elicited the attention of millions of people to a single point in time. This result occurred simultaneously with the terrorist attacks on September 11, the tsunami that devastated Southeast Asia, and the election of President Obama, among others. The odds against chance of this consistent result were less than 1 to 1 billion.²⁷ 

Over the history of the PEAR program, some 150 volunteer operators have performed a wide range of human/machine experiments designed to assess the influence of human intention on the output behavior of a variety of random physical devices – electrical, mechanical, fluid dynamical, optical, or acoustical in character, that create data in formats that are empirically predictable. Collectively, after about fifty million experimental trials; from this large body of results, anomalous correlations of the machine output distribution means with pre-stated operator intentions are clearly evident. In fact, a meta-analysis of about 600 REG studies by over seventy different researchers generated overall results with odds against chance beyond one trillion to one.²⁸ These results, combined with thousands of experiments with hundreds of subjects over the past two decades at PEAR, convincingly demonstrate that one’s intention alone can influence REGs to produce a significant change in the direction of their will. In fact, the extraordinary results from the GCP, led physicist R. Jahn to conclude that changes in REGs were caused by a field of consciousness strong enough to affect artificial intelligence” and proves “we are all one”.²⁹ 

Discussion

Collectively, their exists sufficient quantitative (objective – physical) and qualitative (subjective – nonphysical) evidence to strongly indicate that focused intention can promote information transfer and reception (ESP) and alter physical systems and matter (psychokinesis). The problem is it that we haven’t yet mastered the rules sufficiently enough to demonstrate that intention can indeed influence reality. Thus, larger effect sizes must await a clearer description of the rules by which conscious intention interacts with matter, energy, and information to unfold and actualize the structure of physical reality. In fact, highly respected and well recognized scientists are now emphasizing the importance of what is still commonly overlooked in the mainstream scientific community – and, that is; physical matter is not the only reality!

Interactive Aerial Phenomena 

Overview

Many who interact frequently with aerial phenomena (IAP) or UFO/UAP, often report a feeling of wonder and a more expansive awareness; it seems to be one of many trigger-like experiences that “pops the “cork”. You’re essentially “lit” from that moment forward; having a visceral need to pursue with fierce determination, an answer to a profound and inexplicable interaction with something seemingly intelligent, purposeful, and mysterious. A new journey begins; one where you are an important part of an endeavor involving all humanity, with the right to be constantly informed when true anomalies are encountered.

Interactive Aerial Phenomena and Consciousness

Perhaps, the connection between an aspect of consciousness and UAP, may be found in the similarities among modern accounts of interactions with non-humans and the associated alien abduction phenomenon with ancient narratives described in various contexts throughout history. In centuries past, the “little men” of the “underworld” may very well be the NHIs often associated with the strange light phenomena of today. Whatever they are, and whatever its’ called this decade, those who interact with it consider it both a physical and non-physical manifestation of some type, with attributes as being both psychic and symbolic – a type of Interactive Aerial Phenomena (IAP), that triggers psychic effects, either purposely or as an outcome of its manifestations. According to J. Vallee, it somehow incorporates “heightened awareness of synchronicities, paranormal sounds and lights and occasionally absurd coincidences, that cannot be understood apart from their non-physical reality; it is a control system which acts on humans and uses humans.”^{30, 31} Perhaps, we are the “new kids on the block” and have been interacting with a co-existing intelligence, ever since we could express some thoughts on cave walls with stone knives. Perhaps, humans are the phenomena; not UFO/UAP. 

Whatever the intelligence that is interacting and manipulating humanity, it/they appear(s) to be responsible for the diverse range of classified and non-classified UFO/UAP related mass-sighting events, and individual testimony of reported: “abductions” and/or “contacts” of the physical and non-physical kind, space-time alterations, memory disturbances, and psychic and/or paranormal experiences, among others. And, for these reasons, there is a growing realization of the non-physical or consciousness-based component of the phenomena that is deserving of greater research focus and attention. This concern was reinforced by a comprehensive survey-based study by the Dr. Edgar Mitchell Foundation for Research into Extraterrestrial and Extraordinary Encounters (FREE), the first comprehensive investigation on individuals (N = 3,256) who have reported various forms of contact experience (CE) with a non-human intelligent being (NHI) associated with or without an UAP. This study, published in a leading referred scientific journal of the Society for Scientific Exploration, utilized two comprehensive quantitative surveys totaling 554 questions administered to subjects with reported non-hypnotic memory recall of their CE; and, this included a diverse range of physical, psychological, perceptual, and paranormal aspects of reported non-hypnotic–based recall of both physical and/or non-physical interactions with NHI. 

The FREE study results revealed complex reported CEs that involve both physical and non-physical events, such as, psychological outcomes, non-ordinary states of consciousness, medical healings, memory disturbances, and paranormal experiences, among others. The authors concluded that, “contact and interaction in the form of sensing, visualizing, and/or communicating with NHI occurs frequently but only occasionally in connection with a UAP sighting.”³² And surprisingly, the results indicated that the vast majority of those who reported to have interacted with a NHI, claimed that their contact experience was: “largely non-physical and can occur via telepathy, during an OBE, being floated into a “matrix-like” reality, as well as through physical interaction on board a craft.”³³ The attribute of consciousness, for instance, was represented in the FREE study, in the following follows: 1) Sixty-seven percent reported that their “consciousness separated from their body” at the time of their contact experience, 2) Seventy percent believed to have felt a “sense of expanded consciousness” in the presence of NHIs.³⁵ Alterations in perception, emotion, and viewpoints were also a common outcome of the UAP-NHI interaction, and 3) Certain  aspects of one’s interaction with UAP, which are reported being so-called, “non-physical” in nature; in the form of telepathic communication with NHIs associated with the phenomenon, alteration in aspects of consciousness, and/or holographic-like perceptions. Many reports have frequently been described in varying ways, some of which include the following actual statements from “experiencers”: a) “All communication has been telepathic and sound electromagnetic-like energy transmissions. Contact with these energies elicits an impression of thought or feeling, which I then give meaning in my own words/language;” b) I felt as if this ability to pour myself back and forth between dimensions was natural and even ordinary;” c) “Thought transferred to emotional feelings; telepathic with holographic images on occasion for stimulation;” and, d) communication with me primarily is via telepathy, seemingly to relay their thoughts in English with no discernible accent. They have also communicated with me first with what I would call intention/ideas without words.”

Moreover, historical evidence that consciousness is fundamental to many UAP interactions may be seen by how people use their personal experiences and knowledge of world events to make sense of it.  How do you explain, for example, how descriptions of UAP and their inhabitants have changed as aviation technology evolved over time?  They have assumed different forms from hairy dwarves to giant insects, to today’s small “greys” with oversized heads and eyes. During human history, for instance, the UAP always changed shape: they were elves, gnomes and fairies in the middle-ages, they were airships in the nineteenth century, strange objects called “foo fighters” in WW II, flying saucers in the sixties and seventies, flying triangles in the eighties and nineties, “flotillas” in the beginning of the new millennium, and now we have “tic-tac”. Sightings of drone-like objects drew concern from military and intelligence officials about possible security threats, especially since UAP have been documented around nuclear installations.  Eventually, the little grey alien became the modern myth of the time with the Betty and Barney Hill alleged abduction in 1966. The image of the little greys resonated with human consciousness and became solidified as the standard alien icon. Once certain details become a standard part of the mythology, they are often then retrofitted into older stories. The famous Roswell Incident, for example, existed for almost thirty years, from 1947 until the 1970s, without any mention of alien bodies. It was only after the little “greys” emerged that testimony arose of witnesses seeing similar aliens in Roswell in 1947. Consciousness, therefore, appears to be an often-ignored critical piece of the phenomena. Even eminent astronomer Carl Sagan theorized that such stories of contact are common throughout history and share remarkable similarities with the abduction experience.  The phenomenon seems to present us with the meaning we use to explain it, and that may be consistent with the technology of the times, for purposes that remain unclear. 

Interactive Aerial Phenomena and Plasma

One puzzling hypothesis worthy of future research consideration concerns the possible connection between some aerial phenomena and plasma.Although no scientific evidence exists that Earth is being visited by an advanced civilization from another galaxy or dimension, we should consider the possibility that plasma, a needed precondition for life itself, may actually serve as a foundation for, at least, some UAP. Despite the poor Vegas odds, let me explain this long shot. 

First, consider that plasma, or the “the fourth state of matter,” along with solid, liquid and gas, is a charged ionized gas with strong electrostatic interactions. Now, also consider that since plasma actually comprises almost one-hundred percent of the visible universe, and contributes much to known light phenomena, perhaps a characteristic of plasma may be associated with common unexplained aerial events? After all, we, know barely anything about it, but do know they are stealthy and evasive when we try to control them using the power of our physical science or military equipment. And, the few who have studied light phenomena, eventually conclude they are interacting with a form of intelligence. 

The debate on the existence of plasma-based life forms has been going on for more than 20 years ever since some models showed that plasma can mimic the functions of a primitive cell.  Astrophysicist, Harley Rutledge, for example, who studied light phenomena in Missouri, from 1973 to 1980, stated: “A relationship, a cognizance, between us and the UFO intelligence evolved. A game was played. In my opinion, this additional consideration is more important than the measurements or establishing that the phenomena exist.”³⁵Rutledge called them “Pseudo stars” because of the way they can form balls of light that divide, join, multiply, and follow a spiral motion, or toeven cruise as if floating over an area and to drop a smaller lit object down to the surface, or they may hover in place, sometimes for a long period of time, and then suddenly move off or blink out.Theoretically, the phenomenon of ionized and excited atmospheric molecules around a UAP also ties together a number of related mysteries about the phenomenon, such as: 1) general nighttime appearance of the UAP, 2) many colors, 3) self-illuminating character, 4) fuzzy appearance, and 5) indiscernible outline with the appearance of a physical object/craft behind the light. 

This evidence, which is similar to witness descriptions of the appearance and behavior of UAP, reinforces the notion that many people who interact with it, may have experienced a plasma related-phenomena. Extensive research on plasma by Dr. V.N. Tsytovich, a scientist at the General Physics Institute, Russian Academy of Science, who studied the behavior of complex mixtures of inorganic materials in plasma, for instance, concluded that plasma exhibited:1)Gradual growth; 2) Splitting into two or more separate parts; 3) Dissolution to invisibility; 4) Disparate bright lights merging into larger formations (often reported as small craft joining the mother ship and forming a row of portholes); 5) Disappearance, accompanied by a smell; 6) Rotation, nonlinear motion; 7) Weak thermal radiation; and 8) Beamed light emissions.⁶⁹ The beamed light emissions, reported by witnesses of UAPs, were explained by the Russian scientists as “discharge, or leakage paths” that allow the plasma to “float off” and to change direction, seemingly at will. Interestingly, similar findings to those reported by Tsytovich were made by astrophysicist Dr. Massimo Teodorani and his associates who researched anomalous plasma formations in the valley of Hessdalen, Norway, where for more than two decades people reported pulsing lights that change shape. The researchers concluded:1) Most of the luminous phenomena are thermal plasma, 2) The light balls are constituted of many small components that are vibrating around a common center, 3) The light balls are able to eject smaller light balls, 4) The light balls change shape all the time, are able to divide themselves into several parts, and have the ability to penetrate solid objects, and 5) They emit a wide range of electromagnetic waves. 

Evidence to support a “plasma” based theory for UAP was provided in a report from Project Condign (1997-2000), a secret UAP study of over 10,000 sightings occurring over a 30-year span (1967-1997), undertaken by the British Government’s Defense Intelligence Staff between 1997 and 2000. The study concluded that UAPs are “highly charged atmospheric plasmas” which can cause neurological effects on humans who encountered them. For example,1) seventy-five percent of people felt odd or dizzy or reported tingling sensations; 2) sixty-five percent saw vivid images and/or said they experienced pleasant vibrations, and 3) forty percent said they experienced fear or terror.⁷⁰ 

One often ignored issue is not only how UAP mitigates inertia and gravity, but that those who study and frequently interact with it, believe they have “some type of agenda and are intelligently controlled”.^{36, 37}Teodorani, for example, who spent decades studying the Hessdalen Lights, together with his personal experiences, came to the same conclusion as Rutledge; that, there is simply no consistent physical explanation for the Lights. That is, he also believed there is an intelligence behind the light phenomena “that wants to communicate” using “synchronicity, symbols, hypnagogic images and geometric shapes in the sky”.³⁹ This conclusion sounds similar to Vallee and Hynek, who came to believe that this interactive phenomenon seems to exert a “control over us”, and at the same time, “speaks directly with our spiritual side, and sometimes loves to induce to us both marvel and terror”.³⁸ So, what do we do with this type of anecdotal information; a conclusion reached by scientists after years of study – one that is the same as the many millions who have, and will continue to experience IAP? The IAP may even have a type of consciousness with intelligence that is likely so far removed from any conceivable notion humans are capable of generating, that further speculation, is simply fuel for the passion within, to seek the truth and nothing more. And, that just might be good enough for now.    

Previous experiments carried out in Hessdalen and other places of the world where the same kind of phenomenon is recurrent showed that aiming a Laser beam and/or a powerful flashlight at such luminous plasma triggers almost always elicited a reaction from them. The IAP starts to pulsate or to change its pulsation rate every time in which the beam is directed towards them. So, one must suspect that the Laser and/or flashlight beam is able to make the wave function of plasma particles collapse, so that a consciousness moment is suddenly produced. Perhaps, plasma balls become “conscious” only when they are stimulated by an external trigger. A laser and flashlight, however, might not be the only working external triggers. Such triggers might come out spontaneously also from the natural electromagnetic field, magnetic anomalies or other geophysical and/or artificial causes, as well as mental intention via group meditative practice, as in CE-5. In fact, there must be a few researchers who have or are attempting to verify how an electromagnetic trigger (optical, microwave and VLF/ELF range) can be optimized by modifying pulsation variables like amplitude, rate and frequency of the emitted beam. If not, someone should! And, once accomplished, the next step would be to apply and measure any associated response (visual, kinematic, etc.) to different combinations of laser pulse type (trigger) and pattern (variable), to measure any time-locked, meaningful reaction from the IAP.  If, by remote chance, a reliable and uniformly accepted form of communication is established using observable variables, like, changes of pulsation rate, color, dimension, and/or movement, with the triggering laser beam, then I will watch the movie Arrival a few more times for more ideas 😉. In fact, meet-ups across the country of so-called, Human Initiated Contact Experiences (HICE) or Human initiated contact with nonhuman Beings, also referred to as Close Encounters of the Fifth Kind (CE-5), has been gaining in popularity as part of growing meet-ups across the country; and, one I’ve been attending and enjoying very much has been the CE-5, sponsored and conducted by Norman Michael “Mike” Murburg, Jr., JD. at his Darby Ranch, in Dade City, Florida – a perfect karmic setting for his stimulating monthly interactions. 

It sounds like an oxymoron of sorts but if plasma is an inorganic life, capable of minimal consciousness and intelligence, we should likely expect behavior that appears highly strange, symbolic, and possibly even synchronistic. I am reminded, for instance, of the Air Force jet pilot, who was to join with another military jet flying ahead and above. The pilot found a plane ahead and above, all right – a commercial jet airliner. Funny thing, he couldn’t catch up with it. Surely, our nation’s best fighter jets can fly faster than a commercial airliner? Could plasma be responsible for this and other bizarre attributes that often characterize IAP? Perhaps, this is what people of all walks of life, from all corners of the world, and throughout recorded history have and will continue to experience – a mostly unseen and mysterious low-level plasma intelligence whose behavior simulates physical matter of a stealthy nature. And, as admittedly strange as it may sound folks, this IAP seems to purposefully interact with humans in both physical (objective) and non-physical(subject) ways. Ok, lock me up, but, if we interpret this far-out concept literally, the way millions who interact with it do, there should be an urgency about the possible co-existence of an intelligence that violates our physical and mental privacy and free-will at their choosing! Or, is it just me who is pissed off?

The belief that plasma is a “primitive life-form,” may be supported by physicist David Bohm, who reported that once electrons were in plasma, they stopped behaving like individuals and started behaving as if they were a part of a larger and interconnected whole. He had the impression that plasma was “alive” and had some “traits of living things.”  That is, when they are very far away from each other, they are able to “feel” instantaneously what happens to one of them, react accordingly and instantaneously, and behave as “one”, as if they are not separated from eachother.⁴⁸ This gives to plasma – at least qualitatively – a structure of coherence that is similar to that in quantum objects; even similar, in some respects, to the concept of quantum entanglement. 

Now, consider that when particles act in resonance, having a connecting bond and behaving as a cooperative entity; it can be described by only one wave function. In other words, quantum processes within plasma may be the same as the quantum processes within the microtubules of the brain. In the “OrchOr” Penrose-Hameroff theory, for instance, the researchers concluded that microtubules of brain cells (involved in nucleic and cell division, and organization of intracellular brain structure), act like one entity described by the same wave function, and when “the wave function spontaneously collapses, a moment of consciousness is generated; a moment each of us experience about a million times each day.⁴⁹ 

Perhaps it is a bold leap to suggest a life form made of plasma exists, and may have some level of consciousness, like the brain. But, as you may consider this incredible notion, remember that many widely accepted scientific discoveries were initially incomprehensible in theory and dismissed since they defied logic when proposed, just like this. Just another wild plasma-based hypothesis to stir the soup for the late-night airwaves? 

Discussion

Critical to understanding what governs and regulates IAP/UAP are the complex aspects of their physical (kinematic, phenomenological) and non-physical or subjective (telepathic communication, paranormal activity, transpersonal experience, etc.) characteristics. It is, therefore, critical for future research to integrate different approaches unique to several fields of study (e.g., psychology, physics, sociology, and biology, etc.), to develop and test hypotheses on the role that altered perceptions, consciousness, and changes in viewpoints and values play in those who interact with the phenomena.³⁴ After all, a major limitation to UAP research is our almost exclusive focus using principles and practices that yield only quantifiable, objective information for collection, analyses, and subsequent interpretation. 

Unless actual physical material from a UAP has already been analyzed, as rumors suggest; perhaps, the most important outcome of all prior UFO/UAP physical-based research may be the realization that Newtonian physics alone can’t explain it! It does tell us about its’ kinematic behavior and how the UAP “tic-tac” can exceed 100,000 mph. And, that is very useful information since it very likely excludes alternative explanations like a drone or advanced aircraft. But, since physical information is the only thing Newtonian physics is designed to address, we are limited with the tools available to apply trying to understand a phenomenon which violates every physical rule in the book. Consequently, it may take a century or two until the next paradigm shift incorporates newly found principles that can be applied in both a quantitative (physical) and qualitative (subjective) way to better understand what governs and regulates such interactive and intelligent aerial phenomena. 

The Peak Experience, Consciousness and the Quantum Hologram Theory

Overview 

There are a few “outside the box” scholars who buck conventional science with the belief that consciousness is a form of energy not bound by established concepts of space and time. Nobel Prize winner, Werner Heisenberg, for example, considered all matter an “indivisible and unseen realm from which objects spring into existence when observed by an intelligent observer.”⁵⁰ Similarly, physicist David Bohm, concluded that all reality is “inseparably interconnected” and that, “It makes no sense to separate physical effects from spiritual effects.”⁵¹ And noted astronaut and scientist Edgar Mitchell, who founded the Institute for Noetic Sciences, thoroughly captured this paradox by stating: “There are no unnatural or supernatural phenomena, only very large gaps in our knowledge of what is natural.”⁵² 

Consider this – reality is like a rainbow. That is, each organism has evolved to be able to detect the electromagnetic energy that will be most useful for its survival, and each has its own window on reality. We know that humans, for instance, can perceive the part of the color spectrum between infrared and ultraviolet, but bees can’t see red at all; a type of “holistic, interconnected matrix” (the zero-point-field or the quantum vacuum),⁶² which Bohm referred to as the “implicate order of being.”⁶³ In fact, one of Bohm’s most significant ideas is that physical reality of our everyday lives is an illusion – a holographically organized primary level of reality that creates your physical world.⁶⁴ And this may explain why reality becomes nonlocal at the subatomic level, as evidenced by many replicated studies in quantum physics that include, the “observer effect”, the double-slit experiment, superposition, and entanglement, to name a few. 

Theories within QM may provide the essential underlying principle to explain the PE and related phenomena, especially since what is considered science fiction today may well be science fact tomorrow. Possibly the best scientific explanation of most, if not all, varying types of unexplained events is called the Quantum Hologram Theory (QHT). The QHT, addresses how at the quantum level, everything such as atoms, cells, plants, animals, and people are connected within a network of information. And according to many physicists, the PE may be explained by the QHT which allows for the apparent “shift” in consciousness from one dimension of the hologram to another. In fact, many physicists apply the QHT to explain the nature by which the consciousness of the deceased may communicate with the living non-locally. Evidence, for instance, suggests that the experiencer often returns from an apparent unseen realm with a firm understanding of the holographic interconnectedness of all things, typically described as a dimension beyond where one has access to an infinitely interconnected informational realm. And if we assume this to be true, as many experiencers firmly claim it to be, then an aspect of consciousness may exist independent of the brain.  Consequently, the question emerges as to whether the brain inhibits cognitive function rather than facilitating it by normal embodiment?  

Many more scientists are now realizing that anecdotal reports of OBE/NDE may actually provide indirect evidence that consciousness is interrelated with but distinctly different than the brain. The following accounts three individuals, for instance, who reported to have explored their surroundings during their OBE/NDE, suggest how one’s consciousness may not be adversely affected by their compromised near-death brain state:⁵³ 1). “My displacements were subject to my will with instantaneous effect. Instant zooming of my vision, without any displacement on my part. When I was on the outside in the park at tree level, I remember experiencing this zoom effect very clearly since I could see inside a tree without having moved,” 2) “I see everywhere at once, except when I target an object towards which I am “hurled” at great speed, as if I was zooming onto it. It is like a rapid zoom to be there where I am looking. It is very pleasant and fun,” 3) “My consciousness, like a beam of light, can move around very fast, nearly instantly.” Consider too that in a holographic universe, the past, present, and future all exist simultaneously; a phenomenon documented in the NDE. This concept may be supported by the following testimonies by individual NDErs:1) “Feeling that time no longer existed,” 2) “Time did not exist. Now it’s a real knowledge for me, time does not exist,” 4) “On the other side, time does not exist. One truly realizes it. Time is a completely mental concept. A thousand years may be instantaneous,” and 5) “Time is no longer linear. Your own life is in 3D and the fourth dimension is fully integrated.”⁵⁴

This is going to sound metaphysical, but if these personal accounts are a characteristic of true reality, then our so-called reality is an illusion. It should be because an illusion that is seen cannot really exist. And if valid, then what is true reality, a quantum hologram? Many quantum physicists, for instance, consider that everything and everyone in all universes may be a hologram – each minute part of the universe is both connected to the whole and contains the whole; changing a fragment of it changes the whole. Our body, therefore, may be composed not only of cells and atoms, but also of interrelating energy fields similar to a hologram. Consequently, what we regard as “reality” may not consist of distinct things and boundaries but may actually be a quantum hologram. And if this is indeed “true reality,” then the alternate dimension described by PErs may be explained by a holographic universe model. The critical “takeaway” is that the QHT may actually explain the unusual perceptual characteristics described by those who have had a PE. Certain features of the PE, for example, appear to be have quantum-like holographic properties that correspond with some of the basic principles from quantum theory. This includes: 1) Nonlocality, coherence, and instantaneous information exchange in a timeless and placeless dimension; and 2) Experiments which demonstrate that “telepathy” is not affected by distance (outside space), and “precognition” which provides information of future events (outside time).⁵⁵  

The Subjective Science 

Overview 

Have you ever wondered how Isaac Newton could measure the profound subjective experiences for all to enjoy in the arts and sciences, like his infamous apple from above? It escapes quantification like love and empathy; the subjective information available for one to enhance their quality of life. The addition of subjective information within the framework of science is indeed a major critical challenge to pursue; one that is imperative in order to ensure that the subjective attribute of reality integrates/complements the objective part, and to capture the true essence of what is real to the “body, mind and soul.” 

We have said that what we consider as consciousness can be strictly related to the idea that we have a “spirit” or life force. Perhaps, that is similar to Bohm’s concepts about implicate and explicate orders; that is, when both the subjective or consciousness/spirit, and objective or neural correlate/brain, are integrated in a way that one cannot exist without the other. In other words, the subjective evidence, when combined with objective scientific experimental results, provides undisputable evidence that consciousness is related to matter and energy. In fact, this evidence shows exactly how the implicate, and the explicate orders of Bohm are intimately connected together: a physical universe governed by locality and causality covertly driven by a mental universe united to itself through quantum entanglement – a non-local link – which serves as a possible carrier wave for ESP, healing with intention, telesometric EEG, the observer effect, and CE-5, etc.

Mental Intention and Resonance 

The scientific theories and experimental results mentioned prior, strongly indicate that evidence in the form of a subjective-based unseen force, called mental intention, is possibly the missing link in our concept of “true reality”. Intention, in other words, could represent the clear distinction between the “objective” or “outer world” and the “subjective” or “inner world” of intelligence and information. The brain, for example, is an objective biological information-processor and transmitter of impersonal 3-D information; a reducible binary bio-quantum system. In contrast, our inner subjective world comprises meaning, value, intention, and spirituality, that defies measurement using Newtonian principles. 

This conceptual distinction may be represented by the act of reading. In other words, the objective information in what you read is quantified by digitized symbols, and illustrations, but the subjective information received depends on your interest in the subject matter, intellectual background, and emotional, and personal beliefs. Likewise, if we measure the objective information displayed by a beautiful waterfall in terms of optical frequencies and amplitudes, we exclude the essence of its’ subjective splendor. And, in some cases, the objective and subjective attributes are intrinsically intertwined as in music – where an objective quantitative selection of notes of given pitch and time are represented on a well-defined grid. But the subjective is felt as impressionistic; an emotional reaction that depends heavily on one’s personal taste, cultural background, and musical experience and knowledge.⁶⁵

Despite the slow evolution of our cultural and medical paradigms, however, the primary issue is this: how can one who “knows” like the back of their hand to have experienced an inexplicable noetic-like PE trigger, and not have a profound emotional reaction? A visceral life-altering experience can certainly alter someone’s philosophical and personal perspectives and viewpoints on life from that moment forward; the best analogy may be that described by the feeling experienced by “a mother gazing into the eyes of her first newborn for the first time, magnified a million of times.” Correct, Newtonian physics is lost with that one. It’s not designed to measure nor explain it; but despite the absence of objective data to measure and analyze, the life transforming impact makes it very real indeed. And, it is this subjective attribute, that may be the missing link to what constitutes true reality. Consequently, this subjective “inner” reality will eventually be incorporated as a science in the exploration and further development of mental intention, and its’ application in the general social and physical sciences. 

The experimental results mentioned in this chapter strongly suggest that one’s intention, when organized in self-resonance with a simple physical system or process, can significantly affect that system’s behavior.^56-60 In fact, the same human intention in resonance with another human consciousness, can also condition their mutual reality to a significant extent. Such well-established and successful experimental models among the physical and non-physical scientific disciplines must now be integrated within a complementary science that respects and utilizes subjective qualities as much as objective, aesthetic sensitivities as much as analytical logic, and mystical insights as much as material evidence.⁶¹ Consciousness must refine science. It is the subjective attributes of life, which should finally be integrated as a complementary perspective into an overarching science, wherein consciousness is a co-partner with the physical universe in the establishment of true reality. 

One dramatic modality of interaction in all objective science is that of resonance; the joined sympathetic oscillations of participating components of mechanical, electromagnetic, thermodynamic, quantum, or biological systems that can produce extraordinary physical effects and responses. The subjective component of resonance serves as a type carrier wave or facilitator of deeply personal feelings and bonds, such as love, trust, and affection. This stuff can’t be quantified or proven under Newtonian principles but in the new science of the subjective, resonance will integrate the subjective and objectives aspects of what will eventually be defined and uniformly agreed upon as the essence of true reality for our species. This realization will become an inherent overriding principle within a new paradigm which will integrate our fragmented understanding of a reality that only future generations will come to realize; the inseparable components our scientific and spiritual worlds. Both a science of the subjective, integrated with precise objective science, must complement each other – this is the way reality works. We even exist in our sub-atomic world within the Complementarity Principle. First proposed by Niels Bohr to ameliorate the wave/particle dilemma in quantum mechanics – he realized that neither the wave nor the particle was the “correct” representation of atomic-scale physical matter.⁶⁶ Both were needed, as he correctly recognized, that complementarity was not solely a physical property, but a much more fundamental aspect of human consciousness. 

Discussion

Consciousness has the capacity not only to absorb and process objective information, but to create it, in rigorously measurable quantities. Numerous well-controlled scientific based experiments, have consistently noted measurable changes of the objective information content of a physical or biological system by an attending consciousness.⁶⁷  Evidence, for example, has been frequently demonstrated on such topics as subtle and healing energies, ESP, UAP, and psychokinetic phenomena, among others.^43-47 And, one common underlying attribute that serves as the foundation and/or facilitator of such phenomena is – “subjectivity” or consciousness. Curiously, and likely not by coincidence, we also see this aspect of “subjectivity” at the level of our sub-atomic world – it exists in the wave/particle duality, the indistinguishability principle, and also the Copenhagen interpretation. Consciousness, in other words, influences all physical matter – whether, it exists at the sub-atomic, microscopic, or macroscopic level of our physical world. And, as you consider these notions, remember that discoveries that lead to evolution, are born from a balanced integration of healthy skepticism, a well-grounded open mind and imagination and, the Subjective Science.⁶⁸

The New Paradigm Shift

Overview 

Major paradigm shifts or theories of reality such as the Darwinian theory of evolution, the Copernican revolution in astronomy, and the relativity and quantum theories in physics, have greatly benefitted humanity, but now a new paradigm shift is needed. It’s needed because acknowledged anomalies cannot be adequately explained within our current scientific paradigm; and, as a result, they are either rejected entirely, debunked, or ignored, often without a comprehensive and objective assessment of the research evidence. And, collectively, this evidence clearly indicates that “something” significant is occurring in varying ways which cannot be adequately explained. And, this concern should be given much more research attention by mainstream science. After all, history is filled with unrealistic ideas which eventually became fact, especially since there exists a staggering amount of yet to be discovered scientific laws and principles and their related technologies to benefit humanity. It took only 66 years from the time Wilbur and Orville flew at Kitty Hawk to when Neil and Buzz walked on the moon, so what will the next 66 years reveal? Using the same foresight and wisdom, integrated using both traditional and newly discovered scientific principles, we will eventually understand the anomalies of today.  

The challenges of quantitative measurement and theoretical conceptualization within a Science of the Subjective are obviously formidable, but its potential intellectual and cultural benefits could be immense, not least of all, in improving science itself. Perhaps, we are at the cusp of integrating the physical with the subjective, which is exactly what Einstein believed, when he said that, “all religions, arts and sciences are branches of the same tree.” Unlike the concept behind his infamous equation E = mc² to help describe, evaluate, and apply the rules of our physical world; we forgot that his most important contribution to humanity, at least conceptually, was the importance of your inner world – the subjective nature of reality. Regrettably, however, it doesn’t exist in any meaningful way in today’s existing purely physical-based scientific paradigm, but it certainly should, especially since mainstream science continues to be impeded by long established powerful taboos that inhibit unbiased thinking. 

It may be too nebulous to grasp in this “agreed upon” physical world of ours, but, your inner world of the subjective (consciousness) feels, at a visceral level, to be the “missing link” too long excluded from our theoretical and conceptual level what all thinkers of the past contemplated when they shared personal insights about “true reality”. And, no one has the true answer, if there even is one. We are just contemplating truth seekers, with the cork out of the bottle like, Richard Dreyfuss at Devil’s Tower in the movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind. A classic indeed.

Perhaps, the foundation to this subjective science may be found in the few concepts below:

(1). Consciousness, or the subjective dimensions of life, should be integrated as a co-partner with the physical universe, into an overarching science. It is a different science, in the traditional sense, since it escapes our physical 3-D based concepts of space and time. And this is the paradox, because it appears to have the capacity not only to absorb and process objective information, but to create it in measurable quantities. In other words, and metaphysically speaking, the essence of materialism that matter is the only reality is wrong – all self-organizing material systems have a mental and physical aspect. “Woo-woo” – maybe – maybe not?

(2). Numerous experimental studies have been replicated by independent researchers showing that focused intention can facilitate the transference and reception of information and affect physical systems despite time and space; or, non-locality. Consequently, many aspects of so-called “paranormal” activity associated with extrasensory perception (telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition) and psychokinesis are proven valid. Perhaps, non-locality is a normal feature of human performance that should be cultivated and reinforced throughout life?  

(3). The perspectives of noted physicist David Bohm, on the physical universe and on how reality is governed by locality and causality; one that is possibly driven by an overarching information field, cannot be dismissed, especially since the collective evidence presented prior, suggests you may actually be linked to this field – non-locally – through quantum entanglement. Consequently, consciousness should stand as full partner with the physical cosmos in the establishment of what is true reality.

(4). While humanity attempts to seek and discover the “objective” or external truths of the physical world; like, the smallest building blocks that make up clouds, cats, or cups of coffee – perhaps one of the most important aspect or attributes of “true reality” is one’s intention or belief; the “subjective” or internal feeling of what one considers as the absolute truth, especially if it is highly transformative to one’s viewpoints, behaviors, and emotions; like a PE trigger. 

Final Comments

In our still infant evolutionary cycle, we are merely scratching the surface wearing bear skins, using stone knives, and repeatedly grumping to make sense of it all. But in time, a few yet to born futuristic thinkers with non-existent egos and brilliant minds will apply newly developed principles and creatively applied methods to realize the answers to many modern-day mysteries. Collectively, the theories and associated experimental evidence presented in this chapter, combined with those in my recent book: Unseen Forces: The Integration of Science, Reality and You; suggest the need to apply a multidisciplinary research methodology to better understand the nature of consciousness and reality itself. After all, it seems to be just a matter of time when an existing energy, which dwells beyond our known laws of nature, will be discovered to confirm that “consciousness” co-exists with the other known physical forces that comprise Einstein’s Unified Field Theory. That is, what may be considered by scientific mainstream standards today as “anomalous”, will be explained by those who successfully integrate existing concepts and associated experimental and anecdotal evidence with the subjective nature of the peak experience, and other yet to be realized scientific discoveries. In turn, the resulting concepts and principles of discovery will evolve into the next paradigm shift – The Science of the Subjective.  

The PE, which may be critical for understanding a unique aspect of human perception and altered states of consciousness, appears to correspond with some of the basic principles from quantum theory, such as nonlocality, coherence or interconnectedness, knowledge of existence in another dimension without a body, the perception of time as if the past, present and future exist simultaneously and instantaneously, and the instantaneous information exchange in a timeless and placeless dimension.  Such implications have enormous potential to better understand the essence of consciousness, and how one’s conscious intention is capable of affecting physical systems via altering random event generators (Global Consciousness Project), collapsing the quantum wave function at the sub-atomic level (“observer effect”), and by modifying other people’s brain activity via EEG events. That is, one’s “cooperative intent” can actually have a “subtle but real consequence,” especially since one’s intention alone, is capable of sending and receiving information on “invisible pathways”. 

Regrettably, mainstream science fails to consider the potential benefits of one experiencing a transcendent reality of consciousness, and by default, science largely ignores it since they can’t explain it. Consequently, people may debunk such concepts prematurely without researching the existing evidence. Similar to the many elusive answers about the universe, brain, and consciousness, we can’t expect science to confirm the many reports by those who fiercely believe to have interacted, in some way, with an alternate reality and/or non-humans. We can’t expect existing scientific principles to explain it since they are simply inadequate to do so. Consequently, the challenge for science is to understand why mystical experiences often provide subjective evidence of an alternate realm of existence beyond our everyday physical 3-D existence. Or is the answer an altered state of consciousness induced by a psychological (psychosis and dissociation disorder) and/or neurobiological abnormality – a misrepresentation of the actual relationships between one’s consciousness and reality as in dreaming, psychotic episodes, psychedelic drug experiences, and brain disorders, among others? For this reason, it is difficult to provide scientific justification to those who believe their PE was absolutely “real.” And, thus, the critical overarching question is this: Does a PE actually cause one to “see a different world” or instead, to “see this world differently” in a non-spatial/non-temporal context?  

Consciousness, or the subjective dimensions of life, must be integrated into an overarching science, wherein consciousness and the physical universe are counterparts in the establishment of true reality. Science, consciousness, and spirituality should be integrated into intuition; a new science that incorporates current scientific principles with the subjective experience. The recognition of consciousness as one aspect of so-called true reality opens the door to integrating subjective parameters, that comprise the conscious and unconscious. And if this paradigm shift succeeds, a new purview of study will acknowledge consciousness as a proactive agency in the establishment of reality; one that cannot be explained by the biochemical process within and among the 100 billion neurons of the brain. Rather, we need a model that can encompass the objective and subjective experiences of the physical world to establish a realistic definition and model of consciousness itself.

People who have had powerful transformative experiences and have succeeded in applying them to everyday life show very distinct and positive changes in their personal and philosophical values. Perhaps this development holds potential for all of us, since it represents a movement away from destructive personality characteristics and the attainment of values that promote individual and collective survival.

Biography

Robert Davis Ph.D.

Robert Davis is an internationally recognized scientist in his field and served as a college professor, researcher, and administrator at the State University of New York for over 30 years. Dr. Davis graduated with a B.A. and M.A. from the City University of New York and with a Ph.D. in Hearing Science from The Ohio State University. During his professional career, he has published over 60 articles in scholarly journals and lectured at national and international conferences on his research in the neuroscientific effects of toxic stimuli on the brain and sensory auditory system. Since his retirement in 2014, Bob has written three books entitled: 1) The UFO Phenomenon: Should I Believe? 2) Life after Death: An Analysis of the Evidence, and 3) Unseen Forces: The Integration of Science, Reality and You. He has also published articles in the Journal of Consciousness Studies, the Journal of Scientific Exploration, and Edge Science; lectured on these topics at national and international conferences; and has been interviewed on numerous podcasts, radio shows, and documentaries. Bob is also currently in co-production with Emmy Award winning filmmaker, Dave Beaty of Dreamtime Entertainment Inc. of a documentary based on this chapter and latest book, Unseen Forces… 

Bob’s website is: bobdavisspeaks.com