On 26 March 2021, Professor Dr Raymond Ooi FASc conducted an online talk that provided an insight to creation, nature and life from the perspectives of quantum science. Through his online talk, Dr Raymond hoped that viewers will be able to open and elevate their mindset and for them to be able to see nature of things from a new perspective. He also hoped that his talk would make viewers understand the way of nature and universal values as well as to cultivate their mind and soul to manifest a brighter future.
Prefacing his session, Dr Raymond explained that humans have created dogmas and rigid norms that limit them in various ways, which he believes are the cause of conflicts. By understanding the fundamental truth and the way of creation, Dr Raymond believes that life will become more meaningful, uplifting human consciousness to greater heights.
Threats of Advanced Science and Technology
Under the first subtopic, Dr Raymond highlighted several ecological disasters that are the result of excessive manipulation of natural resources, such as air pollution, toxic waste production, ocean pollution and deforestation. These disasters not only impact humans but also other living things on earth.
Next, Dr Raymond posed a question to viewers: have we really progressed with the advent of science and technology? He noted that currently, there is more education for all, but less common sense; significant progress has been made in medicine, but humans have poorer health; our income is growing but we have less peace of mind.
Dr Raymond stated that science is a product of human intelligence, but it is only one part if the mental faculty/mind. He believes that humans can achieve more than this sole aspect of the mind offers, and that is what sets up apart from robots and artificial intelligence. A lot of tangible achievements nowadays are materialistic in nature: science has been instrumental in this push towards materialism. Science have created a need for products that pursues the extremes – everything seeks to be bigger, faster, higher or sweeter.
While pursuing the best to improve quality of life is not inherently evil, the unwise use or misuse of S&T with no regards to the holistic nature of the environment and the intrinsic aspect of human lives are bound to create new global problems & threatening living conditions.
With the advancements in robotic engineering, biomolecular technology and artificial intelligence, it is possible to come up with a new artificial lifeform. However, it will still be different from human beings in the sense that they have no soul.
Another instance of how S&T poses a threat to humankind is the usage of CRISPR/Cas9 to edit DNA in plants, animals and humans. Despite our claims of “understanding” this technology, there are still long-term implications that we cannot foresee happening. Therefore, Dr Raymond proposed for an independent body to delve into the long-term effects, subtle impacts of CRISPR/Cas9 that scientists may have overlooked as well as the technology’s impact on the gene pool.
A Unique Universe for Life
Dr Raymond believes that the universe was created from the combination of odd chances; as for why the universe exists, that is a big question that still begs an answer. The universe may have suitable environment for life to exist and thrive, but for intelligent life to spring up thanks to a leap in consciousness is exceptionally rare.
Then, Dr Raymond presented the fine-structure constant, a fundamental physical constant that quantifies the strength of the electromagnetic interaction between elementary charged particles. He states that this if constant is changed just a bit, all the forces will be out of range, out of function, causing the universe to fall apart. Based on this observation, Dr Raymond states that the existence of the universe and everything within is so fine-tuned that if any of the Dr Raymond also presented two articles from Forbes and BigThink that suggests that based on scientific evidence, the universe should not have existed.
Dr Raymond implores to the audience to strive to preserve the cosmic jewel that is planet Earth, as this planet we inhabit is a rare habitable paradise where no words can fully describe the beauty, wonder, connectedness, and wholesomeness of nature.
Position of Human Beings in Living Ecosystem
As sentient beings, humans must realise that all our actions affect everything in the future. Humans breathe the same air and share the same atmosphere with other living things. What humans do will also affect the survival of other living things. Ultimately, humans are chemically connected to the past; we are surviving here because of the everything that have been here before us.
According to the DJ Moby, “we are all made of stars” and Dr Raymond’s presentation echoes this statement. Dr Raymond explained that we are indeed the product of stardust. The atoms in this cosmos are all connected. Hence, we are all connected to the stars. Dr Raymond stated that cosmic events affect our body so subtly that we do not realise it. But this does not mean that astrology is real; Dr Raymond is referring to space radiations, black holes, supernovae, asteroids, meteorites, and the orientation of stars as the affecters of life on Earth.
Dr Raymond presented a quantum phenomenon known as the quantum entanglement. In quantum physics, entangled particles remain connected so that actions performed on one affect the other, even when separated by great distances. If even particles separated by great distances can affect each other, of course humans and other living things are interconnected as well. We would not have our constant supply of oxygen now if it wasn’t for the various processes that produce the important element for respiration by plants, for example.
In this segment, Dr Raymond reminds audiences that humans are not above all living things; he prefers to think of it as a symbiotic interdependence of life, with each their own values and roles no matter how small. The universe is not human-centric. We would not be able to survive if any other living things perish, but if we perish, other living things can still survive. Dr Raymond gave the humble ant as an example. Ants benefit the ecosystem by dispersing seeds, pollinating plants, and improving soil quality. Ants also possess potential of being a source of chemical and medical inspiration, giving rise to many inventions and applications.
Divine Pattern of Creation: Fractals & Golden Ratio
Have you noticed the harmonious patterns that is found in nature? The almost-perfect symmetry of a starfish’s five points or a butterfly’s wing patterns; the uniformity of hexagons within a beehive’s honeycomb; the beautiful growth pattern of a flower’s petals. This may come as a surprise to everyone, but nature is governed by mathematical patterns. A common mathematical sequence that exists in nature is the Fibonacci sequence, a sequence such that each number is the sum of the two preceding ones, starting from 0 and 1. From this sequence, the Golden Ratio can be derived.
Biologically, the Golden Ratio can be found in places such as the growth pattern of flower petals, the flowering of vegetables such as artichokes, and the seeds in a sunflower pod. The ratio can also be observed in the shapes of galaxies and even on the human anatomy. The latter was observed and noted by Leonardo Da Vinci through his popular creation called the Vitruvian Man. Another mathematical phenomenon that can be observed in nature is the sacred geometry, which leads to harmonious and symmetrical natural occurrences in nature.
The prevalence of circles and cyclic things/events in the world is another example of the divine pattern of creation. The Earth rotates on its axis; the moon orbits the earth; the Earth and other planets orbit around the sun; the Sun and stars revolve around the Milky Way galaxy. Going down to the atomic level, we can observe that electrons have spins, and it goes around a nucleus. Dr Raymond mentioned Newton’s Third Law of Motion: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This can also be applied to a human interaction standpoint, dubbed the Boomerang Effect: give out that which you want returned; love life, and life will love you back; lift another, and you will be lifted in the process.
Universal Way of Nature: Yin and Yang
Dr Raymond continued his journey on this topic by delving into yin and yang, the universal way of nature. There exists a counterpart to everything: matter/antimatter; electron/positron;male/female; dark/bright;good/bad and the list goes on.
Achieving yin and yang in everything means achieving balance, symmetry, and moderation. It is nature’s way for nature to avoid extremes and excessiveness. However, anomalies still exist at extremes as well. This approach can also be used to achieve balance and harmony in one’s life. Firstly, one must be able to come to terms with the fact that everything has its own intrinsic nature, including ourselves. Therefore, being our authentic self is better than trying to duplicate someone else. Next, Dr Raymond presented some universal values that follows the way of nature:
- Humility balances ego
- Frugality balances extravagance
- Simplicity balances complexity
- Generosity balances self-sufficiency
- Courage balances fear/reservation
- Sincerity is to follow one’s nature
- Wisdom from experience balances naïve curiosity
- Justice restores equality/order/harmony
- To respect and tolerate is to yield to others’ intrinsic nature/way
- Efficiency, calmness, and patience optimises force and energy use.
Building Blocks from Concepts of Quantum Physics
Dr Raymond went on to explain the ever-changing future, using quantum probability as an example. At the atomic level, events happen probabilistically. Even though the situation may seem fixed at times, there is still a percentage of our future in our hands. Therefore, take advantage of this and change the future with a good decision.
According to the Quantum Theory of Measurement, there is no objective reality. Dr Raymond explained further on this by saying that reality depends on how we probe or “interrogate” nature i.e., how we see things or the perspective from which we see things. Dr Raymond used a very popular image to illustrate how difference of perspective can affect our perception of reality: several blind people were asked to describe an elephant by allowing them to touch different part of an elephant and everyone comes up with a different answer. They aren’t wrong, but it is just one part of the reality that they have perceived based on their sensory experience.
Intelligent Design and Architecture of Life
Dr Raymond proceeded to elaborate on Water Memory, which has its basis on the belief that water’s ability to store electromagnetic information and transfer coherent information to living organisms. This is reflected in the formation of aesthetically pleasing water crystals upon freezing. He stated that healthy thoughts and actions would result in good vibrations to the body, which would also bring benefits to the human body.
Presenting examples such as a living cell, the division of cells and the presence of microtubule in DNA replication, Dr Raymond stated that the most sophisticated machines and chemical factories are inside us, operating by means of Quantum effects. These intricate and complex yet discrete mechanisms cannot exist merely by chance; an intelligent creator and designer must be behind it. Dr Raymond asked the audience where this intelligence behind creation they think is embedded.
Unique Traits in Humans
Beyond science, Dr Raymond explained that there are unique capabilities that humans possess, such as wisdom, virtue, intellect, higher degrees of free will, compassion and love. These intangible and non-materialistic capabilities are not possessed by robots or artificial intelligence, which enables the soul to be cultivated to a higher state.
What is the soul, you may ask? It is an integral element within all sentient beings that distinguishes them from artificially engineered intelligent robots. Dr Raymond explained that very few people devote science to answering the fundamental questions pertaining to existence, life, and the intangible aspects such as spirituality and consciousness.
Then, Dr Raymond proceeded to elaborate on the ethereal aspects of human beings: the unique human potential. To really recognise our true self, we must realise that it is composed of soul and this fact should not be neglected. The soul is immortal, and according to your personal beliefs, may reincarnate from life to life. Either way, the soul is a consciousness that illuminates our lives and the living earth.
Dr Raymond guided us to see that beauty in nature is often expressed through its flowers, colours, and biodiversity. Other sentient beings are also able to express love and compassion, not only in humans.
Spirituality & Education: The Saviour
In our fervent pursuit of education and every increasing knowledge, we are slowly realising that spirituality is slowly slipping away. Spirituality is crucial to balance out materialism. Dr Raymond recommended cultivating your sensitivity and perception to stay calm and sharpen our awareness. He mentioned introspecting, reflecting, and contemplating to relax the mind and body to a ground state, achieving peace and subtlety. Cultivating mindfulness is shown to regulate and synchronise biophysical vibrations, improving mental and physical health.
Wrapping up his presentation, Dr Raymond elaborated on what needs to be done to patch up the education system. He proposed to increase awareness of the impact of S&T as well as the global issues and challenges associated with it and increase mindfulness while harnessing S&T. understanding the way of nature and adopting balance and moderation was also suggested. Dr Raymond also recommended knowing and loving oneself to discover the soul within. Through meditation practices, awareness, mindfulness, and spirituality can be cultivated. And the most important thing is to be contented and appreciative with what we have.