What is the hidden truth behind life? Is it a mystery or just a chemical process? How universe takes care, so perfectly, its fragile creations? Science and spirituality of life can be explained in the light of quantum mechanics. Life is more than pleasure and pain. It is a dance of separateness and unity. Modern scientists have put a great deal of painstaking effort to unwrap the mystery life. However, still it is not possible to replicate the formation of even simple organisms, or anything that can really replicate itself. Here, I discuss the science and mystery of life from different perspectives starting from Charles Darwin, Max Planck and others. I discuss life in the light quantum physics and spiritual wisdom.
First Exploration to the Mystery of Life
On December 27, 1831, a 22 year old final year student of Cambridge, named Charles Darwin set sail on a journey on board HMS. Beagle. Darwin’s this voyage seems to be the beginning to the exploration of biology, the scientific study of living organisms and how they have evolved. What Darwin learned on his five-year voyage led directly to his development of the theory of evolution by natural selection, a theory that has become the core of the modern science of biology. The exotic plants and animals he encountered challenged his thinking and led him to consider scientific evidence in new ways.
It was not a sudden discovery, it was the result of his intense study of geology, animals, plants and peoples of the lands visited. He took two decades to complete his findings and in 1859, he published his famous book “On the Origin of Species”. He came up with the idea of “survival of the fittest” and he wrote “It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change.”
Modern Science in Search of Life:
From the days of Darwin, modern science has made astonishing progress in understanding the intricate machinery of life. Perhaps surprisingly, where science fails and remains silent in explaining what life is. A gene thought previously to be present in all life on earth has been found to be missing in life near volcanoes. The history of life on earth goes back to about 3.7 billion years. Scientists tried to recreate an event that happened billions of years ago.
Every promising idea for the origin of life has ultimately come up against a major problem. Scientists believe that about four billion years ago there was a pond on the Earth. It sat there for years until the mix of chemicals was just right. Then, perhaps within minutes, the first cell came into existence.
Some scientists believe that metabolism, in other words – the ability to break down carbon dioxide in the presence of a catalyst into small organic molecules – was how the first life developed. Other scientists believe that the first living organisms were genes. Many scientists believe RNA was responsible for all the functions of life. Others think alternatives to RNA, they believe that life can be cooked up in labs, like the TNA and PNA. Perhaps the correct theory has not yet been proposed. Even the simplest bacteria contain an array of molecules, organized into many complex structures, understating that complexity is still beyond our reach.
Quantum Physics and What is life?
Erwin Schrödinger’s 1944 book What is Life? discussed applications of quantum mechanics in biology. He claimed that some of life must be ruled by quantum rather than classical rules. He predicted, life navigates a narrow stream between the classical and quantum worlds.
Max Planck the originator of quantum theory said, “I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.”
He said “All matter arises and persists only due to a force that causes the atomic particles to vibrate, holding them together in the tiniest of solar systems, the atom. Yet in the whole of the universe there is no force that is either intelligent or eternal, and we must therefore assume that behind this force there is a conscious, intelligent Mind or Spirit. This is the very origin of all matter.”
Evidence is growing for the involvement of quantum mechanics in a wide range of biological processes, including photosynthesis, bird migration, the sense of smell, and possibly even the origin of life.
Life and Modern Spirituality:
In the light of our spirit, life is not a discrete phenomenon it is a part of an intelligent cosmic field. There are an infinite number of universes, everyone of them is governed by their own sets of laws and physics. Life is an uniform field of cosmic consciousness pervades all these universes. Life is not a journey but a celebration – just a quantum fluctuation. Life is a temporary change in the amount of energy and consciousness in a moving quantum space.
Life and the field of consciousness:
Beyond the corridor of our space-time there are multiple universes. Life is an uniform field of cosmic consciousness. Field of life is expressing itself in million ways through space-time quantum entanglements. Consciousness is an intrinsic quality of everything but it manifests itself in certain conditions — like object has mass, but only large objects have noticeable gravity. For simplicity, we can say, life is just concentration of the field consciousness under certain condition.
Self-awareness and consciousness:
Self-awareness is another important aspect in the evolution of life. Self-awareness gives greater organizing power – a greater power for growth and to overcome challenges of life. There are some special states of awareness in Sanskrit this is called “Prajna” a boundless unlimited dynamic space. It is the sate of awareness about the infinite Self.
There are countless causes and conditions that gave rise to life. Thousands of interconnecting events had to occur to bring together a life on the earth. Nothing can exist independently. Everything has temporal relationships with others. The essence of being alive is the ability to encompass change. Evolution is the very essence of life and that evolution comes through awareness and cooperation. Awareness, cooperation and collaboration gives the ability to encompass change.
Final thoughts:
I discuss briefly the science and spirituality of life. I reviewed life from two angles. There is a deep connection between these two approaches. Quantum physics is the best way to explain the mystery of life. In the light of spiritual wisdom we all are interconnected through the unified field of consciousness.
Life is a manifestation of the unified field of consciousness. Colors, beauty, pleasure and pain are its songs of creation. In our life there is one side which is finite and another side which is infinite. I want you to think about both the sides and use your consciousness for awareness, cooperation and collaboration for a greater cause. Design the best life and stand in their true values.
Source: Excerpt from the talk given by Dr. Amit Ray, at Science City, Kolkata.