Monday Nov 04, 2024
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Monday Nov 04, 2024
Saturday, 23 November 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Q: ‘Spirituality Demystified – Understanding Spirituality in Rational Terms’, is your second book. Your first book was ‘Spirituality and Sustainable Development’. Could you give a background on your early academic career, the study disciplines you chose and why and how it shaped you as a person?
A: I was trained as a development geographer. Within development geography, my teaching, research and consultancies were centred on a multitude of development issues such as poverty, inequality, unsustainability and adverse impact of development on women, indigenous people and indigenous knowledge. As did others in my field, I believed external changes brought about by development could solve poverty, inequality, unsustainability and unhappiness. My view of development was confined to materialism.
However, I was not satisfied with various materialistic explanations given in the literature on development. I was wondering how it’s possible that development fails in spite of so much investments in so-called developing countries. My inner voice was telling me there should be some other reasons beyond the materialistic boundary of our subject. Towards the end of my career I began to realise external changes cannot solve these problems without inner changes such as reduction of our self-centeredness, fear and greed.
I came to see the root causes of the failure of conventional development to alleviate poverty, inequality, unsustainability and unhappiness lie within us, and it is our spiritual underdevelopment being manifested as self-centeredness, fear and greed. In order to share the newly gained insight with other academics and development professionals I wrote my first book: Spirituality and Sustainable Development.
Q: Your book Spirituality Demystified won the first prize of the Ashton Wylie Charitable Trust (AWCT) Unpublished Manuscripts in 2015. It is a book that has drawn on science and physics to explain the spiritual which has hitherto largely been confined to ‘religion’. How did this idea first form in your mind to do this book and how long did it take for you to complete it?
A: In the concluding chapter of my first book, as one of the policy recommendations, I highlighted the significance of integrating spirituality into formal education. But later I realised that teaching spirituality in classrooms is a challenging task due to a number of reasons. Most people in our society consider religion and spirituality to be synonymous. Therefore, if we are to teach spirituality in classrooms where there are students belonging to different religions, it is necessary to clearly distinguish spirituality from religion.
Secondly, the new generation of students tend to question everything, think rationally and seek scientific evidence. They question concepts such as God, soul, love, reincarnation and karma. So, if we are to teach spirituality in classrooms, we should be able to present it in rational and scientific terms similar to other academic subjects.
To meet this requirement, I wrote the second book. In writing this book, I spent a substantial amount of time in familiarising myself with the basics of quantum physics, psychology and neuroscience, and in collecting information on the relevant issues from a range of books and journals written by scientists on various spirituality-related issues. What I did when writing this book was similar to solving a jigsaw puzzle; drawing scientific evidence from various sources and putting them in the right places in order to make a complete picture – a picture of spirituality in scientific terms.
Q: Since conventional religion dominates the world, and clergymen of all brands wield much mental power over followers, can there be a practical non-conflicting nexus of sorts between quantum physics and ‘religion’ to prevent religion used for discrimination, hate, and killing?
A: All religions want their followers to practice love. The Golden Rule – treat others as you want others to treat you – is accepted in all religions. Altruism, generosity, compassion, forgiveness and tolerance are taught in all religions. All these teachings can be explained rationally in terms of quantum physics. The Universal Consciousness/Spirit/Higher Self, while remaining as an indivisible and inseparable single entity in the quantum realm, manifests itself as many entities, e.g. rocks, plants, animals and human beings, in the material realm.
However, each entity is designed to be driven by the oneness of the Spirit and behave, not as independent self-centred separate entities, but as integral parts of the whole. Neuroscientists have discovered that oneness is hardwired in our brain and we are designed to be driven by oneness and behave selflessly according to the Golden Rule. If this scientifically proven truth is understood, there is no way to use one’s religion to hurt another.
Q: The 2nd chapter of your book is titled ‘What are we designed to Be’? Within this chapter you talk of selfishness that seem to dominate us in ordinary life but state that this is ‘temporary’. Today’s modern education system could be cited as one of the pillars of breeding selfishness as it is driven by competitiveness and often envy and social recognition are the main dividends. What steps can truly bring about a systemised paradigm shift?
A: The root cause lies in the education system itself. It makes children ‘machine thinkers’. The machine is programmed to compete with others and win, seek higher position, more wealth and power. Integrating spirituality is, probably, the best way to change this misguided ‘machine thinking’. However, spirituality should be taught, not as another conventional classroom based subject, but as a practical subject akin to swimming, music and physical training – teaching theory in classroom followed by practical sessions. Because our purpose is to re-program their brain in such a way that their thoughts and behaviour are driven by the hardwired oneness.
Theory can be taught in scientific terms in the classroom and then they should be given an opportunity to practice spiritual exercises such as contemplative inquiry, meditation, selfless service, spirituality-based psychotherapy, sports and music, etc. Evaluation should be done, not by conventional written examinations, but by assessing their spiritual growth or inner change. As they grow spiritually, they will begin to experience the joy of co-operation, giving, sharing and forgiving.
Q: In chapter 3 of your book you introduce the concept of ‘Neuroplasticity’ quoting many experts in the subject and explain it as the capacity of the brain to form new neural circuits and to dissolve existing ones. Could you elaborate more on this for our readers to understand better?
A: We experience the external world through our senses. In response to each and every experience, some neurons in certain regions of the brain become active or ‘fire’ together. The neurons that fire together wire together to form neural circuits. Some such circuits are dissolved and disappear within a few seconds of the experience. If a certain experience is repeated frequently, its neural connections become stronger and the neural circuits stay longer. Others are dissolved and we forget them. This is the process we call memory.
As our beliefs, ideas, values and perceptions change, so do the patterns of the neural networks—some old neural circuits disappear and new ones appear. This is neuroplasticity, the capacity of the brain to form new neural circuits and to dissolve existing ones. It is the brain’s ability to selectively transform itself in response to certain experiences. In this regard, the brain acts like the film of a camera, which records images it is exposed to.
When the brain is exposed to the world through the sense organs – seeing through the eyes, hearing through the ears, smelling through the nose, tasting through the tongue and feeling through the skin – it captures information and images from the external world and records them. The recorded information forms perceptions.
Q: You make an interesting revelation quoting cell biologists and drawing on the experiences of organ transplant patients, revealing that characteristics of the deceased donor were absorbed by the organ transplant patients through the organs that they received, proving that the consciousness of the organs still remain though the original owner of that organ was diseased. This leads to a rather radical belief that the brain does not singly produce consciousness but that consciousness is part of the whole human eco-system as it is in the universal cosmic system. Could we discuss this point further?
A: I must confess that I am not a scientist in its conventional meaning. I only use scientific evidence in support of what I say. Many leading scientists say that the brain does not, and cannot ‘produce’ consciousness. Then, the question is why we become unconscious when the brain is damaged and become conscious again once it is healed? They use the analogy of a TV to explain this phenomenon. According to them, the brain acts like a TV set which receives signals from outside, transforms them into pictures and shows them on its screen. When the TV set is damaged, the picture on its screen disappears. But this does not mean the TV set ‘produces’ the picture.
According to this view, death is not the end of our life. Though we die, our consciousness remains in the timeless, spaceless dimension of universal consciousness. In this sense, we are immortal. This view is supported by studies on near-death experience. Studies of near-death experience, undertaken by van Lommel (2010), Moody (1975) and Williams, R. Kevin (2002), reported what the patients experienced during their state of near-death; they separated themselves from the body and remained floating freely in space before they re-entered the body.
Furthermore, Eben Alexander, an American neurosurgeon, who has experienced a near-death experience says: “My experience provides extremely strong evidence that consciousness is not dependent on the cortex (brain). It was proof for me personally, and it has convinced many others. The cortex (brain) mediates consciousness while we are on Earth, it does not produce it.” I find such evidence more convincing than pure scientific evidence.
Q: You draw a distinct difference between the hardwired and soft-wired components of our brains. Using evidence, you point out that we are hardwired for unconditional and selfless love and soft wired through social conditioning to do the reverse which you call ‘not hate but individuality’. As an academic do you have any recommendations on how society could allow more room for the ‘hardwired’ brain to function especially from childhood inculcation and lessen the scope of soft-wiring of selfishness into the human mind?’
A: Let me answer this question first as a parent/adult and then I will answer from an academic point of view. As parents, we can do two things that are like two sides of the same coin. One is to preserve the purity the children’s mind, their original selfless nature by not exposing them to selfish behaviours dominant in the society and the other is to encourage them to act unselfishly for the well-being of others without expecting anything in return. This is a real challenge. Not easy. Because we live in a society – at school, within the family, and the society in-between, our children see selfish behaviours. So, it is not easy to keep the children away from such behaviours.
However, there are certain things that we could do as parents. For instance, when our children are exposed to a selfish behaviour, we can explain to them lovingly, the possible consequences of such behaviours with the help of evidence derived from day-to-day life in order to convince them of the value of unselfish behaviour. Again, as parents or adults, we should be a role model to them, and avoid selfish behaviours and act unselfishly so that they can understand the value of unselfishness, how unselfishness brings inner peace and happiness to all. We should encourage them to share things, for instance, their toys and the things they get to eat, etc. and when at school to share their things with other children and to cooperate, not to compete.
This looks difficult, but not impossible. Let me share with you some of my own observations here in New Zealand where I currently live. Whenever we travel to Sri Lanka, we usually ask our nearest neighbour, a white European family, to keep an eye on our property and every time they do it happily. They are nice people. They not only keep an eye on our house, but also make an extra effort to water our garden and the flower pots to make sure all plants survive until we return. Later we came to know that they get their kids to water our plants. Their explanation is that their kids should learn to help others unselfishly.
After living here for nearly one and a half decades, now I know this view is not uncommon in New Zealand. Most parents here teach their children the value of unselfish behaviour. They do not encourage competition, but co-operation and sharing. So, not surprisingly, unselfish behaviour is common in this society.
If I answer the question as an academic, I should recommend promoting early childhood education and using it to preserve the original purity of the children’s mind, and training them to behave unselfishly. Early childhood education plays a prominent role in the education system of New Zealand. Universities offer degree and diploma programs on this subject. Early childhood teachers are trained to inculcate unselfish behaviours in children and discourage selfishness. When they reach primary and secondary schools, there is hardly any competition. University entrance is not competitive at all. So, there is only very little room for selfishness to be soft-wired in their brain.
Q: You make a very significant distinction in the book between ‘happiness’ and ‘pleasure’ linking happiness with the association of the inner self – therefore described as ‘natural happiness’ and pleasure as the neurochemical happiness. You also go in-depth into the addiction to pleasure that is one of the biggest problems of modern society, causing corruption in governments and poverty of the masses. How can we get this type of knowledge to the general public in understandable, experiential terms through disciplines such as psychology and let it be inculcated at the political level?
A: As long as we are in the habit of seeking pleasure and avoiding pleasure, we continue to suffer. When we suffer, we blame someone for our suffering and seek further pleasure to overcome the pain. As long as we are in this state of mentality, we are unable to comprehend what ‘natural happiness’ means. Because, we do not know what it is until we experience it ourselves. So, we continue to seek pleasure. Eventually, our suffering continues.
Those who preach in religious institutions, talk about suffering and cessation of suffering, but they often fail to present it with the help of scientific evidence in a way that ‘modern’ people can understand. Of course, psychologists can do it. But, unlike western societies, consulting psychologists or what we call counselling is not a common practice in Sri Lanka. However, there is a large segment of population who listen to conventional preaching or ‘Bana’. Therefore, probably, giving knowledge and training of psychotherapy to those who preach could help.
Corruption generally means illegal, bad, or dishonest behaviour and such behaviours are evident in all levels of our society, from daily-paid casual labourers and moderately paid employees in both State and private sectors, to well-paid professionals and civil servants. The only difference is the scale of the corruption which increases as their income increases. In a way, our whole society is more or less corrupted. Politicians come from the same society. So, not surprisingly, they are also corrupted.
I live in the world’s least corrupted country – New Zealand, and therefore I feel the difference whenever I visit Sri Lanka. Whatever the country is, the root cause of corruption is the greed for material wealth and power and selfishness of individuals or in other words, spiritual underdevelopment. Everybody, including most corrupted politicians are pure in their inner reality. All are beautiful human beings within. Corrupted behaviours arise from their soft-wired brain. So, the ultimate solution is re-wiring the brain by spiritual means. However, short-term and medium-term solutions are necessary to prevent corrupted behaviours.
