Traditionally The belief has been established that science and spirituality are two exclusive realities.. This is because scientific advances, on more than one occasion, have overturned some religious dogmas. An example of this is the theory of evolution, which explained the origin of human life from biology and not as a result of the intervention of a higher being.
The debate over whether science and spirituality can find common ground continues to rage. While some think that they are contradictory dimensions, Others claim that they are just different ways of understanding reality..
scientific rationalism
The division between spirit and matter, which was later translated as the separation between science and spirituality, occurred with the dualism proposed by René Descartes. According to his approach, consciousness is something completely spiritual, while the body is material and it is totally separated from the mind.
This model raised a question: How is the spiritual world linked to the material world? Over the centuries, many philosophers have attempted to answer that question. Among them, Malebranche, Leibniz and Spinoza. Several indicated that it was God who mediated that link.
In the 19th century, positivism and scientism were introduced. This approach reaffirmed and consolidated the division between spirit and matter. Over time, science focused on the brain and its functions. Thus, spiritual explanations were displaced, and with this, the link between consciousness and the material was explained as a neuronal epiphenomenon.
The neuroscience paradigm
The current neuroscientific model it does not make room for spirituality as an integral component of human reality. Research has shown that brain abnormalities or accidents can affect aspects related to spiritual practices, such as perception and emotions, among others.
Neuroscientists maintain that consciousness cannot exist without the brain. Therefore, spirituality is only a personal, social and cultural construction, with no basis in the physical. In this way, the brain is the exclusive center of human functions and no metaphysical reality alters this.
From the above it follows that faith and reason are separate spheres. Faith, according to this approach, can be a personal or religious belief without scientific basis. Meanwhile, reason is limited to the realm of what is demonstrable and verifiable.
Contradictors point out that, although science can explain brain functions, it cannot. cannot resolve deep philosophical questions about existence, the meaning of life, or transcendence human. Likewise, science does not even have a unified concept of what consciousness is.
The quantum physics revolution
Quantum physics has opened new perspectives in this debate. Among others, the theoretical physicist Amit Goswami proposes that quantum physics and spirituality can not only coexistbut together they offer a more complete understanding of reality.
From a spiritual point of view, consciousness and intentions are believed to have the power to influence the world. Quantum physics does not reject that idea. It states that reality manifests itself as an interconnected network where each particle is intertwined with the rest of the cosmos. The quantum properties of particles seem to prove this to be the case.
String theory, for its part, points out that reality is woven by a web of interconnected vibrations and energies. According to Amit Goswami, consciousness is not a consequence of the brain, but the essence underlying the universe. Reality is not strictly mechanical or predictable, but depends on observation and, therefore, consciousness.
In short, quantum physics not only is it offering a new perspective to understand the subjectbut it is also changing the idea that science and spirituality are exclusive realities.
Contemporary perspectives
In the modern world, many are seeking to reconcile science and spirituality. Quantum physics, for example, has led some to raise questions about the nature of reality that seem to be aligned with spiritual concepts. The idea that everything is interconnected resonates both in science and in many spiritual traditions.
The role of consciousness
As we have seen in previous paragraphs, one of the meeting points between science and spirituality is the study of consciousness. Neuroscience has made great strides in understanding the brain and perception, but there are still many mysteries surrounding the nature of consciousness. Some spiritual currents suggest that consciousness goes beyond the physical, raising questions that science has not yet resolved.
The search for balance
In a world where technology and scientific knowledge advance by leaps and bounds, It is essential to find a balance between the scientific and the spiritual. Spirituality can offer a sense of purpose and connection in an often chaotic and materialistic world, while science can provide tools to address social and environmental problems.
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Science and spirituality
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