WESTERN SCIENCE HAS OFTEN EXHIBITED the tendency to ignore any idea, event or phenomenon that cannot be explained by its own logical categories or paradigm. It has already categorically concluded with a sense of finality what constitutes reality.

For example, anything that can be seen, touched, smelled, tasted and heard, anything that can be measured or quantified and can be demonstrated scientifically or logically is real. Anything outside of this is not real and may only be a product of one’s imagination.

For centuries, this definition of what constitutes reality has been accepted as an absolute and irrevocable truth. Everything must be scientifically and rationally explained, otherwise, it is not worth bothering about.

Because of this dogmatic and limited view, science has completely ignored a large part of human experience and a whole range of observable phenomena which fail to meet its self-imposed standards.

No one seems to have noticed how tautologous or circular (and therefore illogical), this whole thinking is. Reduced to its essence, the whole argument of the scientific community boils down to this: Anything, to be considered real, must fall within the principles established by science. Outside of these scientific principles, nothing is real. Why? Because science says so. If this is not a completely tautologous or circular argument, I don’t know what is.

Among the phenomena eliminated by this definition are: Intuition, and certain psychic powers such as visions and prophecy.

Anomalous events

Is there such a thing as intuition? No doubt intuition exists, as well as seeing the future, or seeing the unseen, or moving a physical object with only one’s mental powers. Because they are rare, unpredictable and not often repeatable at will, these are classified as mere figments of one’s imagination or at best coincidences, or merely anomalous events.

But as early as the 1800s, some pioneering scientists began noticing the existence of certain mental abilities and events that could not easily be dismissed as mere coincidences or lucky breaks. There were extraordinary individuals who were able to read minds of others under controlled experiments, or those who can see events before they happened, or those who can move objects with their minds alone.

Most of establishment scientists ignored the voluminous proofs as mere fabrications or a result of faulty experimental methods. The orthodox scientists simply cannot accept such phenomena existed. Otherwise, it would render the very foundation of science under question or jeopardy. Worse, they can even be proven to be wrong, or at least inadequate, in explaining the true nature of the physical universe.

Those who openly differed from or opposed the generally accepted laws of science were either laughed at, ridiculed, or even ostracized from the scientific community. A number of them were even hounded and persecuted by the establishment, like what happened to the visionary Joan of Arc in the Middle Ages, and the astronomer Galileo in the 16th century.

If I’m not mistaken, it was the philosopher and mathematician Alfred North Whitehead who said that: “A really new idea appears ridiculous when it is first introduced.” Note the following examples: When the Wright brothers said that man can create a machine that can fly, the idea was considered ridiculous. So was Alexander Graham Bell’s idea that the human voice could be transmitted over long distances through wire, or Henry Ford’s idea of making a horseless carriage, later called an automobile or car.

Another astute thinker observed that a new idea undergoes three stages of development: First it is denied, second, it is opposed vehemently, and third, it is accepted as self-evident truth.

The same thing has happened and is happening in the case of intuition, extra-sensory perception and even paranormal phenomena (which, by the way, is a misnomer and an unfortunate choice of word). Something is paranormal which does not constitute what is accepted as “normal” by science. Actually, there is no such thing as paranormal phenomenon, except what we have chosen to define as such. There is no such thing as miracles in the sense of contrary or opposed to nature. Miracles should be defined as occurrences that seem to defy the laws of nature as we know them. Nothing can go against nature. Everything that happens on earth is normal, natural and logically explainable, including paranormal phenomena.

Note: The next Inner Mind Development seminar will be held June 12-13, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Soulmates, Karma & Reincarnation seminar on June 19, 1-7 p.m., at Rm. 308 Prince Plaza I Cond., Legazpi St., Greenbelt, Makati. Call 810-7245; telefax 815-9890; e-mail jaimetlicauco@yahoo.com.