Spanish version
A few words about Entering
Rabbit Holes
. . .
The questions that have drawn you into this adventure are as deep as
questions get.
Philosophers, scientists, and mystics have been
asking these questions for thousands of years, and after all this
time, what is known is still dwarfed by the vastness of what is not
known. What we have gained from all our studies is the capacity to
ask more precise questions and a greater appreciation for the depth
of the mystery.
We offer this study guide with the intent not to
satisfy your curiosity about existence but to enrich your capacity
to explore and participate in those mysteries with an open mind and
spacious heart.
At the core of this film are provocative questions about the way we
participate, consciously or not, in an unfolding, dynamic reality.
What the Bleep Do We Know!? proposes that there is no solid, static
universe “out there,” waiting to be comprehended by our probing
minds, but that reality is so mutable, it is affected by our very
perception of it. At the same time, it does not argue that reality
is entirely relative or simply constructed out of thin air. No
matter what your theory of reality, real Mack trucks can and do run
over real people. There are consistent dynamics at play in the
universe, some things that are “truer” than other things.
This is why when it comes to navigating rabbit holes, it is
important to know the difference among what can be known through
sensory empiricism (the contribution of science), what is known
intuitively, what comes to us as mystical vision, and what remains
unknowable. This is not to favor one form of knowing over another
but to discern when we have crossed the line of science into
imagination, instinct, or intuition.
Many claims made and research cited in
What the Bleep!? are considered marginal by the mainstream
scientific community.
In many instances this means the claims have
not been demonstrated to everyone’s satisfaction or they challenge
prevailing scientific theories. Still we may decide to believe them
because they feel right to us. In this guide we hope to shed some
light on when these claims are more useful as subjective opinions and
metaphors that spark the imagination rather than as facts on which
to base solid theories.
The journey to explore the nature of things
is served equally by the rigors of science and the protean powers of
the imagination, and as much by mystical vision as by embodied
wisdom.
It is our intention that this exploration down the rabbit
hole will lead you into your own deepest ways of knowing and that it
will invite your imagination into a larger realm of possibilities
that you can explore for yourself. In that realm a channeled warrior
speaks in concert with physicists, mind and matter wake up in each
other’s arms, and a 10-year-old basketball sage shoots hoops into
the future.
Welcome to the rabbit hole!
“As the bonfires of knowledge grow brighter, the more the darkness
is revealed to our startled eyes.”
—Terrence McKenna Institute of Noetic Sciences Captured Light Industries
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its
own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of
eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality. It is enough if one tries merely
to comprehend a little of this mystery every day. Never lose a holy curiosity.”
—Albert
Einstein
***
Last week the Science Media Centre asked a group of scientists for
their comments on the film, which you can read below. There were an
interesting range of views.
Raj Persaud, Gresham Professor for Public Understanding of
Psychiatry and Consultant Psychiatrist at the Maudsley Hospital,
said:
“I thought that the film made a lot
of statements about quantum physics, but also on neurobiology,
the brain and the mind. Most of these statements are gross
distortions of recent scientific findings. For example, there
was a claim that the latest brain scanning research suggests the
brain could not distinguish between reality, memory or
imagination and this is simply not true.
“There is also a scene at the end where the heroine of the film
throws away her medication as a solution to medical problems.
This seems a dangerous suggestion by the filmmakers given that
the only alternatives they offered appeared to be the idea if
you want something badly enough you can make it happen.”
Dr Simon Singh, Science Author,
Journalist and Broadcaster, said:
"It is the third highest grossing
documentary ever and it claims to be about quantum physics, but
in fact it makes gross distortions that would make any
self-respecting scientist squirm. For example, the film states
that experiments imply that
labeling a bottle of water with
words like 'love' or 'hate' can change its molecular structure.
Indeed, the film suggests that quantum physics can explain why
this is the case. Apparently quantum physics can also be
exploited to bring about world peace through meditation. Having
spent the last fifteen years making documentaries and writing
about science, I care hugely about the accurate and honest
portrayal of science."
Dr Paul Stephenson, Department of
Physics, University of Surrey, said:
The film is quite a lot of fun, but
it is a mix of believable and unbelievable science and it would
be easy for someone to pick up the wrong ideas. One of the
central ideas of the film is that consciousness can control
matter, but if this were true then we could all make our lottery
numbers come up.
“Quantum physics is the weirdest part of physics, if not the
whole of science. In fact there is enough weirdness in quantum
physics to make a whole film. However, it is a minor victory
that quantum science has been portrayed in a film at all.”
Dr Tim Evans, Theoretical
Physics, Imperial College, said:
“I think this film is dangerous
because it exploits people’s genuine desire to understand the
big questions – like why we are here – then gives the answers
the veneer of science. My worry is that my friends – who are all
very intelligent people but not scientifically trained – will
not know where the good science ends and the speculation begins
– that’s the insidious side.”
Dr Jim Al-Khalili, Department of
Physics, University of Surrey, said:
“Some of the science is good but
some is new-age clap trap. But I welcome it and I don’t think
that getting the science wrong on quantum physics has the same
kind of societal implications that films on climate change or GM
may have. In fact, I think any film which opens up debates about
quantum physics and encourages people to ask more questions is
good news.”
Reverend Professor Tony Bell,
Department of Plasma Physics, Imperial College, said:
“I’m not worried about it
discrediting science but was worried about it undermining
religion – it smacked of the Creationist debate. It takes a
credible nugget and turns it into something incredible.”
The Film
from
YouTube Website
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