Sages & Scientists: Breaking All the Rules

As I drove to The La Costa Resort and Spa, for the 1^st Annual Sages and Scientists 2010 Symposium, I couldn’t help but think about what I was going to experience; three days with Deepak Chopra and a panel of the world’s most brilliant minds.

Day 1

After I dropped off my car at the valet, I curiously walked into the Gardenia Room where the registration for the event took place. I signed in and gathered my identification badge and made my way into the Poinsettia Ballroom. The room could easily fit 1,000 people.

The round tables were arranged banquet style with table coverings. The stage was towards the south side of the room while the sound and technical equipment were at the north side.

The anticipation of the evening was building and the splendid saxophonist playing jazz ballads kindled the right mood for the night. The room slowly began to fill and the lights were dim.

“Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats we are about to begin,” a voice said over the loudspeakers.  A sound rivaling thunder exploded into the room;  The Rancho Bernardo High School Band marched to the stage playing a Big Band classic that skyrocketed the energy in the room. The music was so intense and powerful that I wanted to jump out of my seat and dance my heart out. Everyone was bopping their heads and tapping their toes. When the music subsided, Deepak Chopra took the stage and set the tone for the remainder of the symposium.

Despite all the fame and attention Deepak has received over the years, his stage presence was calm and demure. He exuded sincerity in his speech and was reminiscent of a humble college professor in the midst of lecture. Deepak reminded everyone that they were about to witness expert testimony on the current paradigm shift of reality, from classical to the modern system of thought; from matter to consciousness. Each panelist took his or her turn to prove those points.

One of the panelists was Dr. Hans-Peter Duerr, one of the world’s leading nuclear physicists and philosophers. He has published over 100 papers on elementary particle physics, quantum field theory and gravitation. Dr. Duerr is a founding member of Scientists’ Initiative for Peace and has received numerous awards for his scientific and peace related work. In his own words Dr. Duerr said that he wanted to be part of a profession that the result of his productivity would award him a simple black and white answer of wrong or right, which is why he chose to be a scientist.

After 60 years of being a nuclear physicist and studying atoms, electrons and matter, ironically, he came to the conclusion that matter does not exist. Currently, classic science (past 300 years) has a non-dual material world view that states that matter is the only real thing. However, after further scientific studies, it has been revealed that matter does not exist on its own as a thing, but rather is a process and there is an “in between” in that process that Dr. Duerr calls “happs.”

Dr. Fred Alan Wolf was another panelist that spoke about matter and consciousness that night. Dr. Wolf received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from UCLA. Most people know him from the movies; The Secret, What The #$*! Do We Know and Down The Rabbit Hole. Dr. Wolf has a highly extroverted personality and when he is on stage he is animated to say the least and amusingly theatrical. Nevertheless, he is a man of science and his theories have challenged scientists at universities throughout the world.

Dr. Duerr described an inherent problem in the calculation of classic physics that is due in part by Uncertainty of Measurement (every measurement is subject to some uncertainty) as well as The Observer Effect (the effect of the observation during an experiment alters the outcome of the experiment.)

Dr. Wolf also challenges classic or old science. He says that the sciences that are still taught in schools and found in textbooks are far outdated. Like the evolution of life, science must also evolve; if it does not, it will remain static.

Unfortunately science at large has remained static; it is necessary to be open to the evolution of information. Dr. Wolf also says that what we think we know is actually hard to grab and measure — our mind finds a way to make sense of the information. We create probabilities of “somethings” then these so called probabilities predict things. Things need to be objectively verified for accuracy, however, people’s underlying need to control things creates subjectivity in the outcome of the experiments themselves.  Ultimately we cannot quantify things because they elude our grasp.

Dr. Duerr explains that before you observe a particle (which is the fundamental building block of the universe), it exists only as a possibility, not a particle in the physical sense. He discusses that there is an underlying problem with “old physics” in that it focuses on “what exists?” and calculates that; rather than “how does it behave?” The problem with the question “what exists?” is that it is not logical and doesn’t have an answer.

An example to this, is to ask the question, “what is the color of a circle?” A person may reply red or blue. But those answers are incorrect. It is only red or blue because the pen that the person used to draw the circle was that color. So if you no longer use the pen where is the circle? A person answers, “there is no circle” (based on the fact that you do not draw it.) This is also incorrect because though the circle does not exist on the paper, it still exists inside of the person, in their memory. “What is the color of a circle?” therefore does not make sense, the question itself is unreasonable. You cannot ask the question because there are no words in our language that can explain the answer.  To ask, what exists outside the self is a wrong question. The correct question is “what happens.” Instead of talking about particles, the focus should be on the happenings or “happs.”

Dr. Duerr brought up the statement, “thought is a wave in space in time,” and says the statement is incorrect and it does not exist in space and time. He said that if you have two electrons, it exists in a six dimensional space, if u have three electrons it exists in a nine dimensional space and so on.

Thought exists in infinite dimensions and is something unimaginable. Time plays a different role in that each moment is created anew, with the memory of the past, but not in a unique way. Humans, he said, are creative; all of nature is creative. It is infinitely open regarding the future.

If we meditate we get to a point of emptiness, what Deepak Chopra often refers to as “the gap.” You start to see other fields and become transcendent in this state. He continues to say that in our language, we create space and time because the only substance in our mental software is yes and no. All music, mathematics, text etc. is a sequence of yes and no. The answers are hidden in the form-structure or the sequence (between the yes and no).

Dr. Duerr reiterated that old physics continually focuses on the wrong questions: “what is?” but should instead ask “what is happening?” The happening occurs in our consciousness. He explains that our consciousness is similar to computer software; being that the software occurs first and is not the same as what is printed. The people that analyze our brain and its workings are merely looking at the print out. However, that which is printed out, we cannot find the origin because it exists in the software and is in a way encrypted to our comprehension.

In old physics there are only separate objects; consciousness splits into the observer and the observed.  But now a new metal like energy has been discovered that connects two seemingly separate objects. Therefore proving that there is no uniqueness or separation and proves that we are all connected. Creator and creation are identical, the creation is the creator; there is no big bang as in classical science. Dr. Duerr says that the “bang” occurs all the time; this banging creates the next level of the universe and the cosmos.  Dr. Duerr says that it is important that as people we must use a language to remind each other of what we really are and that is connection, cooperation, one and the same.

Dr. Wolf similarly says that we are all made of light. Light, relating to light is awareness or consciousness. He says that our goal as people should be to get to an infant or childlike state when you didn’t know who or what you are. In this idea, a person is therefore able to recreate or create anew. And in this recreation lies infinite possibilities. This recreation is the “bang” that Dr. Duerr talked about. As a people, as a society we can create a world of peace by putting it into our consciousness.

The most amazing thing about this was that men and women of science understood a simple message that the sages throughout history have always been trying to convey. Not only did these scientists understand the message, they saw the value in the message and have made it in part their responsibility to share with world, the importance of interconnectedness and intention of thought and right action.

The speakers at the symposium discussed science in detail; however through their profession and studies, they learned that living life with intention and truly being in the moment is what we are meant to do on this plane of existence. Space, time, matter and whether it exists or not is almost irrelevant. The bottom line is that the brain we have is not equipped with the language to solve the puzzles of life’s mysteries. They also realized that our individual concioussness is actually collective and we all operate as one giant massive force, we simply need to realize this.

The underlying message of the symposium was to encourage each other to use our unified consciousness to create peace in a world that is filled with turmoil. They said the time was now. That it is up to the new generation to push forward the movement, with their consciousness. Once we realize this, we can unleash the power and change the world from its current course of destruction to that of world peace, balance and harmony.

Arzo Yusef is our self empowerment and improvement contributing writer who had the opportunity to attend The Sages & Scientists Symposium and interview Deepak Chopra. Check back for extended coverage of the event and interview with Deepak Chopra and Mahendra Kumar Trivedi on sdentertainer.com