The Western world loves to compartmentalize, creating boxes of separation so that the complexities of life are easier to comprehend and simpler to cope with. Such separation orientation worked well under the old scientific models, wherein, at the macro level (a scale large enough to encompass galaxies), Isaac Newton’s classical mechanics defined time and space as absolute and at the subatomic quantum level, matter (in the form of particles) and energy (as waves) were understood to be the tiny, distinct building blocks of physical reality.
Integrating Your 4 Freedoms Separation or Unity – What is the Nature of Reality?
The Western world loves to compartmentalize, creating boxes of separation so that the complexities of life are easier to comprehend and simpler to cope with. We separate work from family life, spiritual practice from sexuality, social policy from corporate profit, and art from infrastructure. We manifest these divisions not only in society at large but also within ourselves, separating our minds from our hearts and our bodies from our souls. Although there are many who have helped instill this pattern of separation, one of the most influential was the seventeenth-century French mathematician and philosopher René Descartes. Descartes divided everything into two mutually exclusive but interacting categories, “res cognitans” (the subjective realm of consciousness and thought) and “res extensa” (the objective realm of the material world). His distinction was very useful, clearing the way for science to progress rapidly, free of interference from the dogma of religious doctrine. However, since the time of Descartes, scientists considering consciousness have primarily explored it from the perspective of “Where does consciousness come from?” This question assumes that consciousness is dependent on or derived from something else, usually material reality. In addition, because science endeavors to be objective, focusing on the observable and measurable and avoiding the subjective, the study of consciousness (pure subjectivity) is often dismissed as outside the realm of natural science altogether, thereby perpetuating separation of mind and body. Such separation orientation worked well under the old scientific models, wherein, at the macro level (a scale large enough to encompass galaxies), Isaac Newton’s classical mechanics defined time and space as absolute and at the subatomic quantum level, matter (in the form of particles) and energy (as waves) were understood to be the tiny, distinct building blocks of physical reality. With the birth of quantum theory, and most recently string theory, this dualistic approach to reality no longer neatly fits. Modern physics is entering a phase that many of today’s best scientists describe as weird. Consider these examples:
Excerpted from our new book Sensual Love Secrets for Couples: The Four Freedoms of Body, Mind, Heart and Soul, by Al Link and Pala Copeland, Llewellyn, 2007
4 Freedoms Integration Exercise - Under the Sky
Know that you are part of this wondrous vastness. The universe or cosmos contains everything that exists. The universe is believed to "vibrate" out of "strings." According to Dan Falk, "Each string is as small compared to an atom as an atom is compared to the solar system."4 Freedoms Integration Exercise - What's Good?
Generally your consciousness works to create more of what you pay attention to. Be careful what you pay attention to because you are going to get more of it.4 Freedoms Integration Exercise - Seeing in the Dark
This exercise forces you to rely on senses other than sight. You might be amazed at how much you rely on sight for so many things. You might also be amazed at how many things you can do for yourself without being able to see.