Mind, as most people think about it, does not exist in conventional science. The expressions of consciousness, such as choice, will, emotions, and even logic are widely believed to be wholly due to the workings of the matter within the brain. This view is known, of course, as materialism. As astronomer Carl Sagan put it, “[The brain’s] workings — what we sometimes call mind — are a consequence of its anatomy and physiology, and nothing more.”[1] Nobelist Francis Crick in his 1995 book The Astonishing Hypothesis was equally explicit, saying, “’You,’ your joys and your sorrows, your memories and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules. As Lewis Carroll’s Alice might have phrased it: ‘You’re nothing but a pack of neurons.’” [2]
But it is becoming increasingly difficult to be a materialist these days. We now know that 90 percent of the matter in the universe is “dark” matter — invisible and of unknown composition and behavior. This poses problems for materialists. It’s as if I said to you, “I want to be your doctor, but I am unfamiliar with 90 percent of the organs in your body.” Lots of scientists want to be our materialists, but they don’t know anything about 90 percent of their subject matter. Why should we believe or trust any claim they make about the material origins of consciousness?
Since dark matter is said to comprise the vast majority of the matter in the universe, materialism is literally in the dark. I propose that we re-name the field “dark materialism.” And let’s call those who hold this view “dark materialists.” This would be an honest recognition of our appalling level of ignorance about the entire material world.
Materialism arose during periods in history when we thought we knew what matter actually is. That certainty no longer exists. By all rights, the recognition of dark matter should put on hold the materialistic views of mind, consciousness, and will, at least until matter is better understood.
This might make possible a resurgence of the idea that mind, consciousness, and will are fundamental in their own right, not just brain in disguise.
Larry Dossey, MD
Executive Editor
Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
References
[1] Sagan C.The Dragons of Eden. New York: Random House; 1977:7.
[2] Crick F. The Astonishing Hypothesis. New York, NY: Scribner; 1995: 3.
Posted on July 10, 2010 by Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing
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