The Tip of the Iceberg

Until fairly recently, science has always had a materialistic orientation.  Materialism considers the observable, 3-dimensional, space-time universe to be all there is to reality, and it's all happening by chance.  However, quantum physics indicates that the materialistic paradigm is not all-encompassing.  The universe as observed by our senses and our instruments is evidently the tip of the iceberg.  But despite the downright weirdness of quantum physics (and life in general), many scientists remain materialists at heart. 

For example, the December 2013 issue of Scientific American has a full-page ad from the Freedom from Religion Foundation, which lists a number of famous scientists (Charles Darwin, Carl Sagan, etc.) who have "rejected the supernatural."  This is easy to do if you're blind to the rest of the iceberg.

I have always been intrigued by the "DNA question."  DNA is a remarkable molecule -- if uncoiled, it would be 3 feet long -- but despite its apparent complexity, the individual components are very simple -- 4 amino acids arranged in different combinations of base pairs (the human genome contains 3 billion base pairs). 

Consider a DNA molecule on one hand and a living organism on the other.  I have always doubted that a DNA molecule could possibly carry enough information to code for a living organism.  The organism is simply too complex.

Also, what mechanism is there to get from a bunch of amino acid base pairs to a living organism?  I have always had my doubts that a strictly physical mechanism could lead to the amazing complexity of a living organism -- not only the physical body, but the behavior which is inherent to each species.

The biologist Rupert Sheldrake has coined the term morphogenetic field to propose a non-physical component to biological activity.  Needless to say, he is considered fringe by materialistic biologists.

Observing synchronistic phenomena is a good way to infer the existence of a deeper layer of reality.  Roy Eugene Davis, a spiritual teacher whose straightforward writing style I have always appreciated, lists seven "sequential processes of cosmic manifestation,"  starting with "transcendent, absolute reality," and ending with the physical universe.  To me this seems much more accurate than assuming that the 3-d universe is all there is.

Next post:  The Science of Synchronicity.