The following two short films were screened at the Labia movie theatre as part of the ongoing Exploring Consciousness Film Festival, on the last Sunday of every month, when they screen “thought-provoking films featuring humanity’s spiritual search, from ancient wisdom traditions to the latest interfaith-scientific investigations”.
Science of Miracles
The first movie was Greg Bradden’s The Science of Miracles: The Way We Feel Becomes the Living Prayer (60 mins). The promotional material announced the following:
“In the first years of the 21st century, scientists confirmed the existence of a field of energy that connects us with everything in our world. Given names that range from the Quantum Hologram and The Field, to The Divine Matrix, and the Mind of God, research has shown that through the conduit of this energy, the feelings, beliefs, and prayers within us, change the world around us.
Interestingly, our most ancient and cherished spiritual traditions have offered the same wisdom for over 5,000 years!
In The Science of Miracles, you will discover paradigm-shattering revelations that demonstrate why:
* We are not limited by the laws of physics, as we know them today!
* We are not limited by the laws of biology, as we know them today!
* Our DNA is a code that we can change and “upgrade” by choice!The implications of these discoveries are vast, powerful, and to some, even a little frightening. They show us, beyond reasonable doubt, that we have the power to reverse disease, re-define aging, create peace between nations, and even change reality itself through the focused power of heart-based emotion, and belief. It is these seemingly miraculous abilities that create the life-affirming joy in our lives that becomes the reality of our world. They are all based in the same principle!
For more than 20 years Senior Computer Systems Designer, author, and visionary scientist Gregg Braden has searched high mountain villages, remote monasteries, ancient temples, and forgotten texts to uncover precisely such timeless secrets. Between 1998 and 2005 his journeys into the highlands of central revealed the forgotten form of prayer that was “lost” during the biblical edits of the early Christian Church. In this rare, illustrated interview, he documents this mode of prayer and the science that describes how it links us to the quantum force that connects all things.
Illustrated with easy-to understand science, rare images and real-life stories.”
Enthusiastic, breathless gasp!
Don’t you just love how science is conflated with fantasy? “For more than 20 years Senior Computer Systems Designer, author, and visionary scientist Gregg Braden has searched high mountain villages, remote monasteries, ancient temples, and forgotten texts to uncover precisely such timeless secrets…”? Wow! And “easy-to-understand science”!
The good thing about being married to an electrical engineer is that my mate actually understands science. Real science, not pseudo-science. He also knows more maths, physics and chemistry than I can scramble together from my years at school. Not that he knows everything in this vast field, but he has enough understanding and insight to know when something sounds plausible and within the boundaries of scientific or technological possibility, and when the proverbial wool is being pulled over our eyes and the gold coins are about to be syphoned out of our wallets (metaphorically speaking, of course).
The downside is that I can no longer wax quite so lyrical about the efficacy of energy healing, distance reiki, astrology, palmistry, numerology, crystals, body stress release, and a whole host of exciting ‘new age’ therapies and practices. But I guess that’s a good thing too… It certainly saves time and money not to be quite so gullible anymore.
And yet, I suppose it is an easy cop-out to be cynical when one is bombarded with such feel-good enthusiasm and hope for a better world.
I mean, who among us has not yearned to change the world into a nicer, safer, more magical and harmonious place? Who hasn’t (secretly at first, but perhaps more openly now that it has become fashionable or even kewl!) read at least one of those self-help, self-empowerment, self-improvement books? They’re everywhere, after all! And when they are being plugged so relentlessly by the media, it’s hard to resist buying into the promise they offer.
And Bradden really is promising us something glorious: paradigm-shattering revelations! The power to reverse disease, re-define aging, create peace between nations, and even change reality itself! Thank goodness, there is an emphasis on “the focused power of heart-based emotion, and belief”, which I would think should be essential if man intends to be God.
But can you imagine what would happen to our planet and to all sentient lifeforms living on it, if this vast power were to be abused? I suppose the conspiracy theorists among us are muttering bitterly that this is already happening, but I am not depressed enough to go there today.
Anyhow, check out the links below for some insightful criticism of Braden’s work.
- What happened to Gregg Braden? – A critique of The God Code
- A rough guide to New Age Teachers
- Zero Point to this book – A review of Gregg Braden’s Zero Point
Messages from Water
The second movie screened today was “Messages from Water“, which is based on research by Masaru Emoto, a Japanese author who came up with this rather amazing idea: if you direct words, thoughts or music at water droplets before freezing them, the crystals that form during freezing and subsequent thawing “will be beautiful or ugly depending upon whether the words or thoughts were positive or negative.”
I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a really awesome idea!
Bear in mind that the human body is about 70% water, and so, more or less, is the planet, and the implications are pretty big. If we can influence (in a positive, loving way, of course) the water molecules, we might be able to save the planet and life on earth! 🙂 (I guess one question is whether we would want to… sigh…)
As in the case of Braden, there is enthusiastic endorsement by the New Age community (as in this online newsletter) and a fair bit of skepticism from the scientific community about Mr Emoto’s experimental procedures and the reproducibility of his findings. A researcher at a university in Vermont scrutinised Emoto’s method, asking whether Masaru Emoto is for real. Stephen Lower published a criticism of Emoto’s work, and in fact all water related ‘quackery’, as he calls it in The junk science of structure-altered waters. The founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation “has publicly offered Emoto one million dollars if his results can be reproduced in a double-blind study. Randi has also stated that he does not expect to ever have to pay the million dollars.”
I don’t know…
Don’t you rather want to believe that your happy, cheerful, loving and compassionate thoughts can actually have a positive influence not only on our own bodies and emotions, but also in the world outside our minds? Or does that mean that we are gullible, naive people who have foolish faith in fantasies?
Do get back to me on that.
Grains of Sand 