We Matter

In the empirical world we live in, chaos is exponential. Earthquakes destroy buildings, volcanoes erupt, civilizations end, and eventually so do species. Such things cause me to ask, "Why are we here?", "Do other realities exist?", and, "Do I really matter?" In "The Varieties of Religious Experience", William James proposes that by leading a religious life, one will find that, "...union or harmonious relation with (a) higher universe is our true end", "...the visible world is part of a more spiritual universe from which it draws its chief significance", and, "prayer or inner communion with the spirit thereof... is a process wherein work is really done..." (James, 528).

James states that living religiously provides somewhat of a mental safety net. It offers a feeling of assurance. A person then feels more confident and secure with them self, which results in a harmonious personality towards others. It gives one "a new zest" or enthusiasm for life (James, 529).

And any religion will do. What is important when choosing a religious life is finding a religion that best suits your individual, spiritual needs. Each person is different. Everyone believing in the same religion will disable some to reach their personal, spiritual goals. As James puts it, "Each, from his peculiar angle of observation, takes in a certain sphere of fact and trouble, which each must deal with in a unique manner" (James, 530). If we were all to have the same religious belief, "...the total human consciousness of the divine would suffer" (James, 530).

Simply using the word "divine" implies a belief in alternate realities. Though James admits to not completely understanding the divine, he believes that such a thing exists. "The whole drift of my education goes to persuade me that the world of our present consciousness is only one out of many worlds of consciousness that exist, and that those other worlds must contain experiences which have a meaning or our life also" (James, 563). Science, on the other hand, steers clear of the word "divine."

According to James, this is the problem with science. It is limited. Science is restricted to empirical facts of the known world. The bias of scientists is that they must remain objective with their observations. Through their interpretations, scientist think that religion is a primitive survival mechanism. However, faith in the divine requires more than observation and a will to survive.

By remaining neutral, scientist are unable to answer any of the questions above. They merely observe. And so far, according to science, we are all just observers, working to manipulate the world around us in a manner that we are able to live in. But the real work, according to James, is done internally through prayer. Prayer, as stated by James, produces "psychological or material" effects (James, 528).

In 2004, Dr. Masaru Emoto published "The Message From Water." In it he explains how water reacts to non-physical stimuli. He took a sample of the Fujiwara Dam, which is considered to be one of the filthiest bodies of water on Earth. After taking a picture of its molecular structure, which looked like a green swamp contained in an asymmetrical boundary, he asked his Buddhist friend to bless the sample. After hours of meditation, his friend was done with his blessing, and Dr. Emoto then took another picture of the sample. The molecule had turned from a dirty, swamp green, asymmetrical shape to a clear, mulit-symmetrical shape, much like an idealized snowflake.

Science has proven that a single electron can be in more than one state, and that applying stimuli to one state will effect the other or others, no matter the distance between them. It has proved that electrons are constantly disappearing and reappearing. Science has also proven that by simply observing electron waves, they become linear. Yet in order to remain objective, scientists must not come to any philosophical or religious conclusions. What science has not taken into account are themselves, the observers. Studying the natural world must include studying us. William James' notion of religions offers answers to my questions of, "Why are we here?", "Do other realities exist?", and, "Do I really matter?", which science isn't permitted to ask. The answers, implied by James, are to connect with a higher being, other realities do exist, and yes, we matter.



Emoto, Masaru. "The Message from Water." (2004).
James, William. "The Varieties of Religious Experience." (1901-1902).