Week 7 - Group Blog Post
The main argument that Robert Lanza makes in the beginning of the article titled “A New Theory of the Universe,” revolves around this idea of Biocentrism. Biocentrism is defined as a view of the world, which “revolves around the way a subjective experience, which we call consciousness,(Pg. 2) related to a physical process. In other words, Lanza argues that consciousness is what makes the world and not the other way around. Therefore, all of reality is determined by human perception or human properties of the mind. Lanza gives many examples of this however his most prominent examples include space and time. Lanza argues that space and time are simply manifestations of “observed rhythmic events in nature: the periodicities of the moon, the sun, the flooding of the Nile,” created to “use the rhythms of specific events to time other specific events.” (Pg. 6) Another major example is the Zeno paradox of The Arrow which claims that motion does not actually exist but is simply individual still shots of an arrow standing still.
Hence after we realize this, much of scientific discovery begins to fall, creating cracks in facts, and revolutionizes our understanding of the reality of the world. We begin to understand that the reality of the world involves more than just atoms and particles.
Now why is this important? Biocentrism challenges the traditional, scientific model of reality. It forces people to not see the world solely through science, experiment, and atoms. It allows room for mystery, for the unexplainable, and most importantly it allows room for the spirit realm. There is no hard evidential fact that proves that there is or is not a spirit realm according to science. Scientific fact is unsure of where the soul goes after death; all that is known is that there is a biological life and death of the body. However by understanding and accepting biocentrism there is less of a focus on scientific discovery and more on life and consciousness to explain reality. Such ideas come from Robert Lanza’s recent article in December of 2011 titled “Does The Soul Exist? Evidence Says ‘Yes.’”
“The idea of the soul is bound up with the idea of a future life and our belief in a continued existence after death. It's said to be the ultimate animating principle by which we think and feel, but isn't dependent on the body. Many infer its existence without scientific analysis or reflection. Indeed, the mysteries of birth and death, the play of consciousness during dreams (or after a few martinis), and even the commonest mental operations – such as imagination and memory – suggest the existence of a vital life force – an élan vital – that exists independent of the body.”
Time and space is a social phenomenon that has been deeply constructed through what humans have interpreted it to be. With what people are exposed to in their everyday lives, they have been taught what is of existence and not. Through human senses like seeing and hearing, sensory information have guided people to interpret the world as a certain way. It is explained by theorists that people take different pieces of information and often merge them into a coherent whole to make sense of reality (Lanza, 12). However, in viewing the world through biocentrism, the true reality is questioned. In this section, the author brings in different examples of subjective experiences related to the physical process of understanding things. This relates to the spirit realm because the spirit realm is some force that is beyond the physical world of which is unseen and greatly unheard of by most people. Also, it is a topic that is not closely studied or examined and lacks scientific research. In a publication focused on the subject, spirit realm, it is mentioned that many people argue about its inexistence due to “no eyewitness that has come from there to tell us about it” (The Watchtower). With little evidence and explanation in regards to what it is, many reject its existence. In understanding more about biocentrism and that perhaps there is much more to life as we see it as, it is interesting to note that there might actually be much more to what we perceive as reality.
The tarot card, “The Foreigner,” continues to build upon human perceptions of how we see each other based on real life circumstances/experiences. This card represents a battle of self-definition versus being defined by others. Many times, the Foreigner, especially Asians, are seen as the perpetual foreigner. This meaning that they will never assimilate into mainstream American culture no matter how hard they try to. This strain of being seen as a constant foreigner can impact an individual’s sense of self. “The Migrant” represents many people who choose to leave their homeland due to instability, whether that is financially or politically. Often times, the instability in the Migrant’s homeland is caused by foreign powers, such as the United States. The Migrant cannot bring much with them and leaving their home means they are about to experience a significant change in their life, entering into untravelled waters. He is labelled as “fearless” and has to trust in something greater than himself that the journey will be worth it.
“The Refugee” represents those who constantly perceive danger as an “ongoing condition or structure”. The Refugee has been failed by America when it comes to placing their faith in achieving the American Dream. This goal is made almost impossible to immigrants and refugees. Their constant desire for security and protection can even be detrimental to their well-being as seen in the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA), which aimed to take away their SSI and food stamp benefits. This caused a handful of Southeast Asian refugees to take their own lives because they perceived themselves as being burdensome on their own families. They were able to shift the American government’s perception of them from being subhuman to “vulnerable victims,” they were able to keep their benefits.
The Deportee shows what can happen when a person’s agency is limited. They become a “prisoner” who gets caught in unjust systems and structures of violence. They often times make choices under harsh pressure, which can then affect them later on in their life when the unjust systems continue to shift their perceptions on how to deal with immigrants and refugees. An example of this would be the MN8, Cambodian American men who have felonies and have already served their time, but are set for deportation because of America’s horrendous immigration laws that expanded the grounds for detainment and deportation.
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| Human perception is key. What do you see? |
Works Cited:
Lanza, Robert. “A New Theory of the Universe.” The American Scholar. 3, Mar. 2017.
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