The quantum physicist Amit Goswami says that the materialists who dominate science have it backwards. They preach what he calls “upward causation” — the idea that the basis of everything is subatomic particles, which give us atoms, which give us molecules, which give us organisms, which give us brains, which give us mind and consciousness.
In fact, according to Goswami, the Universe works on the exact opposite principle, which he refers to as “downward causation.” He says that “consciousness is the ground of all being” and it is from the consciousness of God that everything comes. Instead of starting with particles and working up to consciousness, it starts with consciousness and works down to minute particles.
“The quantum physicist Amit Goswami says that the materialists who dominate science have it backwards. They preach what he calls “upward causation” — the idea that the basis of everything is subatomic particles, which give us atoms, which give us molecules, which give us organisms, which give us brains, which give us mind and consciousness.”
He’d have to a) show that his upward and downward are not the same thing and b) show how his downward is more useful or viable than upward, or even more basic, has any utility at all.
“materialists who dominate science have it backwards. They preach what he calls “upward causation””
“works on the exact opposite principle, which he refers to as “downward causation.” He says that “consciousness is the ground of all being” and it is from the consciousness of God that everything comes.”
A simple example of this is
E=mc^2
Upward causation, using the material m to determine energy.
But downward causation would have material m coming from the energy,
conscious. We have..
m=E/c^2
Before we had bodies, we were souls. When we die our souls return from whence we came. We are souls. We are self aware. Our bodies are simply the costume we wear while we are in this life.
CC