Colonialism and Patriarchy in Science

A society’s knowledge and understanding of science have a deep influence on its welfare, prosperity and progress. In ancient India, science has been viewed as the knowledge of something distinct. It spoke of raising the consciousness residing in the human body to the knowledge sheath or layer through continuous practice. This layer includes intellect associated with the organs of perception so that the distinct knowledge of the universe is attained. Life with such consciousness is not only filled with harmony but also becomes the reason for societal welfare, prosperity and progress. In ancient India, the yogis followed scientific practices, where the entire universe played the role of a laboratory and experiments were conducted on their consciousness. It is undoubtedly true that such a phase of science does not exist anymore. In that era, science is perceived in connection to philosophy not only in India but in other countries as well. During that time, there was no distinction between science, nature and philosophy. Science was known as Natural Philosophy. The first mathematical formulation of science by Newton in its modern sense is still termed the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.

In the present era, science is considered to be the subject that presents the classified knowledge of the physical world. Most of its principles are formulated through experiments that are based on objects. This is associated with scientific techniques and holds the aim of gaining control over nature. Francis Bacon has presented this attitude of scientists through a metaphor- Nature is treated like a woman and scientists torture and exploit her. This attitude of science rapes nature instead of unveiling secrets. Schumacher has termed this science as manipulating science, which is different from the science containing a moral consciousness.

Actually, due to the impact of the European perception, the conception of establishing harmony between modern science and philosophy has vanished. This perception occupies the subject, manner and methodology of experiments. This impact can be termed scientific colonization. It must be noticed that there exist various perspectives to visualize the physical world in the societal sphere but it seems like European perception has entirely engulfed the field of science. This perception destroys the morality of the scientists too. Catching hold of helpless animals and subjecting them to poisonous medicines and pouring chemicals into their eyes while experimenting is exploiting the animals. If the moral consciousness of these scientists permits this act and if grants are sanctioned for proving something through such kind of experiments, then it can rightly be called the destruction of morality. Several other methods can be identified to understand the nature of any object or element; the methods which are not based on the exploitation of living creatures. However, it seems as if the light of morality has faded from the lanes of science which would consider such exploitation a sin. Scientists like Fritjof Capra have underlined the question of moral depletion in science. If the exploitation of animals is openly accepted to perform experiments, the concept of exploitation in society is naturally getting approved. The thoughts, concepts and notions hold the capacity of spreading through society with the speed of light. To understand the secret hidden in the speed of light, one must understand the concept of ‘Ether’. Even though the concept of ’Ether’ has been left far behind in physics, but the concept of quantum that has taken its place imposes a tough challenge to the science-based on exploitation. Through Quantum Science, several such facts came to the surface about which neither the scientists influenced by scientific colonialism can say anything and nor can they provide valid reasons for negating it. The truth which Quantum Science presents to us can neither be inspected in the laboratories built by humans and nor can it be verified and fitted into sources. It is also impossible to deny the existence of such elements in nature. It would not be wrong to call this the triumph of nature. It is a rather difficult state to be in for the scientists who place only experimentally verified subjects in the category of scientific truth. This era in the field of science started around the year 1920. With the concept of ’Ether’, an attempt to understand this era can be made.

The question of ’Ether’ is related to light. This question has brought scientists to the doorstep of the latest modern physics. In the 19th century, Michael Faraday and Clerk Maxwell developed the theory of electromagnetism, due to which it was later discovered that light transforms quickly into an electromagnetic field. This field can get diffused in space in the form of waves. These fields are not mechanical. Maxwell’s equation first time brought forward such fact, which challenged Newton’s law of mechanics. With this discovery, Maxwell fell into a fix. The question was raised that if there are electromagnetic waves in light then how can they flow in a vacuum? Would it not require a medium like air to flow? This question led to the discovery of ’Ether’. Scientists suggested that even though there might not be air, there must be an invisible medium in space. They termed this ’Ether’. The waves of light pass through it. Even though the characteristics of ’Ether’ were not found by then, but at the beginning of the 20th century, scientists could not deny this fact, because the mechanical picture of waves only being capable to flow through a medium was instilled in their mind. Based on this picture, they were assured that some medium must be existing which helps the waves to propagate. This was a limitation of their notions. They came to terms with this limitation when Einstein discovered that light did not need a medium to propagate. This is because it manifests itself in both wave-form and particle-form. These particles are capable of flowing even in a vacuum. He called these light particles Quanta. This became the reason behind the naming of the Quantum theory. These particles of light are presently known as photons. As soon as this truth came to the surface, the need for the concept of ’Ether’ ceased to exist. This is how science stepped into a new era. However, we cannot find awareness about the new era of science in society. This is because even today most scientists are stubbornly stuck to the belief that only those facts must be accepted in the field of science, which can be proved by experiments. Topping that, there is the influence of European scientific colonialism which tries to keep science stuck to objects and experiments instead of connecting science with philosophy, and tries to exercise control over nature. Grants are also provided for such research. Here capital is controlling the soul of science and the energy of scientists is being destroyed by getting caught in methodological research instead of being inspired by child-like curiosity to find new paths by observing nature.

In this era of scientific crisis, scientists like Fritjof Capra are standing against the scientific attitude of exploiting nature. They believe that it is important to free science from the notion of patriarchy. They wish to see such an emergence of science where scientists complement nature to understand natural affairs and walk on the path of attaining knowledge such that they connect themselves to the laws of nature and bring science to prosperity. It is not easy to fight the patriarchal values that remain stuck in the field of science and scientific colonialism. These values treat nature as a woman and exploit her.

The human body is such an apparatus that has an electromagnetic field. The presence of photons in this field is natural. The life force or the soul of a human being is the electricity that flows in the human body. The body retains its warmth due to it. This is why as soon as the soul leaves the body it starts turning cold. From this respect, we can see that a soul is a form of energy. It is such an energy, whose definition is not found in the science books of the school level. How can it be found, anyway? After all, it cannot be placed on a table and have experiments conducted on it in laboratories. That which cannot be proved through an experiment is not accepted by materialistic scientists. They may turn away from the question of the soul but they certainly lack an explanation about the fact that thoughts may be able to pass in the form of words into someone’s brain through their ears but how do they continuously intensify and bring about a cultural change? It is important to know the relation between the electromagnetic field of the body and thoughts. It is also important to research on willpower from this respect. In the present times, despite gaining higher education, students are becoming victims of depression. This is a disease of the ‘self’ or the soul. Being a victim of this disease despite gaining higher education is proof of the fact that the present education is unable to fulfill the demands of the soul. The lack of morality, corruption, fear, terror are all symptoms of a weak soul. India is a country where, the yogis have prospered themselves with the knowledge of the science of the sun, moon and wind. These yogis had the capability of transforming an object using willpower by separating the destructive and the constructive rays of the sun. This was no magic. This was simply the result of the ability that is developed by the knowledge of solar science and the waves and particles that are produced by the ‘self’ or the soul. This concept of the transformation of an object is discussed by Vishuddhananda Paramhansa in a book titled Suryavigyaan was written by Gopinath Kaviraj. In Kashi, there exists a science temple built by Vishuddhananda Paramhansa himself in the Vishuddha Kanan Ashram. However, the solar lens that changes objects using sun rays is not present there as Vishuddhananda was not granted permission by Gyaanganj to place it there.

Gyaanganj in Tibet is one such place that is surrounded by electromagnetic energy. This is why it cannot be traced even by satellites. Here, there are distinguished laboratories for sciences such as solar science, lunar science and the science of wind. However, this is a spot for the training of yogis. It is impossible to step into this kingdom without higher-level consciousness because the consciousness stuck in the third dimension cannot locate the entrance to this place. However, the existence of this place cannot be denied. This place has been witnessed and described in the books by some people such as in the autobiography of Olcott called Old Diary Leaves, Koilashe Mohatirtho by Vimal Dey and Suryavigyaan and Gyaanganj by Gopinath Kaviraj. The life of Vishuddhananda Paramhansa itself proves the existence of this place. Society and time are witnesses of the phenomenal powers of this person. It must be understood properly that these yogis were scientists. They prospered themselves by learning about the powers of the universe and the various dimensions of the power of the soul. In that time science was no more called ‘Natural Philosophy’. Scientific Colonialism and European mentality cast such a spell on science that it detached itself from nature and universe and got stuck to objects, and along with getting categorized it also reached from micro to nano while being divided into so many segments. Now, the state is such that there is a technological development but due to the lack of the energy of the soul, human beings are victims of diseases like depression, fear, terror, stress and corruption. In the sphere of religion, there is a cluster of fake yogis and thugs who earn money through preaching superstitions. The concept of the soul has been maligned by horror films too. Due to the uprooting of the concept of soul in the field of science, the entire world is hankering in a lack of peace. However, nobody is willing to understand that the place for peace also lies in the soul. How can peace be established without understanding the concept of the soul in a scientific manner? The soul is the seat for peace. When the deformity of the soul reaches a horrifying state then its symptoms are visible in the form of problems in the materialistic world. War, violence and corruption are the visible forms of it. The scientific truth of the soul found in Vedic Literature got hidden under the stories of Gods and Goddesses in the Puran. Time flipped in such a way that these stories about the Gods remained but their connection to science was broken. Superstitions and unreasonable traditions spread their roots into society. Seeing such a mentality, the British rulers declared Indians as being backward and established themselves as being the ones who would bring welfare to the country. But they served their interests. Indians did not have the consciousness to realize the value of their heritage and the priceless treasure of science slipped away. In the present times, there is a domination of materialistic science. No experiments are performed on the energy of the soul and therefore no knowledge about it can be traced in society. The concept of the soul is getting covered under a layer of dust for millenniums. This is why people who speak about the concept of the soul are stamped as being superstitious or unreasonable or theists. Nobody accepts that this has a connection with science and neither do they understand that consciousness is the power of the soul and it is a form of energy. According to the concept of Panchkosh (five sheaths or layers present in the human body) in the Indian Philosophy, taking the consciousness from the Annamaya Kosh (physical body nourished by food), Praanmaya Kosh (sheath containing the force which vitalizes and holds the body and mind together), Manomaya Kosh (mind sheath), Vigyaanmaya Kosh (knowledge sheath which includes intellect associated with the organs of perception) and then to the Anandamaya Kosh (causal sheath) is the most important aim of life. Those who proceed in life keeping this aim in mind find it very easy to establish themselves in any field. The attempts to gain success at any cost by sidelining the question of the soul from man’s thought-process are engulfing the dream of establishing peace in society. Today, after years, scientists who are working on Quantum theory can see the correspondence between Indian Philosophy and Quantum Science. In the light of this truth, it is the responsibility of the intellectuals to forget the differences between the east and the west and be active in establishing that science in the society, which holds the power to bring peace to the world and make the world a better place to live in.

Author: Dr. Rakhi Roy Halder
Translator: Harshita Srivastava ( Translated from original text written in Hindi)