Hal
At 11:18 AM 1/22/97 EST, you wrote:
>IS LIFE FORCE REAL AND WORTHY OF SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATION?
>The concept "Life Force" was recently discussed on this list, in reference
>to the effects of irradiating food on the "Life Force" in/of the food.
>After the initial use of the term, one person questioned the scientific
>validity of using such a term, if Life Force could not be quantified and
>thus proven to be "real".
>
>I use several assumptions concerning the nature and perception of reality:
>
>1] Reality is solely and completely a subjective experience for each
>individual-whatever the 'outsideness' of our experiences may be, we only
>perceive those experiences internally,'inside' our minds and bodies.
>
>2]Common or consensus reality is an agreement amongst and between ourselves
>as to what is real and what is unreal.
>
>3]The essential nature of the phenomena which underly our perceptions of
>reality is itself unknowable -we know only our perceptions.
>
>4]The whole edifice of science, reason and logic is based on our ability to
>construct conceptual frameworks and then to live comfortably in those
>edifices, even though the whole structure is suspended in the void.
>
>5]The three primary divisions of human reality are spirit, mind and
>energy/matter. Mind co-ordinates the diverse realms of spirit and
>energy/matter. By definition, neither mind nor spirit can be quantified,
>which in no way makes them any less 'real' than matter. Spiritual levels of
>reality are the source of the values that are used by mind to create moral
>and ethical systems.
>
>6]Pattern is non-material, and the patterns that configure our perceivable
>reality do not necessarily exist in that reality. Life Force is such a
>pattern: a meta-reality that configures other aspects of reality.
>
>While our morals and ethics are insubstantial, non-material and unknowable
>in a strictly scientific sense, try to imagine how human society could
>survive without them. These ephemeral aspects of our nature actually form
>the foundation on which our civilization is built.
>
>So it is with the concept of "Life Force": we perceive the difference
>between that which is living and that which is dead. Without the
>mysterious, unkowable phenomenon which we call "LIfe Force", we would not be
>having this discussion and this planet would be a frozen rock whirling in
>space. Yet we cannot measure, weigh, touch, smell, taste, hear or see this
>aspect of reality. But how can we deny that life exists?
>
>Perhaps in the near future it will be possible to measure the energetic
>activity of living organisms using a mechanical device. Will that make the
>life force any more real than it already is, or tell us where that life
>force orginates, what its essential nature is and what is the meaning of life?
>
>The material aspect of this message is a pattern of dots created by
>electrons on a glass tube. The meaning of my message is not in the dots,
>the electrons or the glass. Yet you are able to understand me, and even
>reply to my thoughts. Think about it: what is most significant to you in
>this scenario-the dots, the electrons, the glass or the meaning of the
>message?
>
>
>