Elusive Consciousness

Author(s): Narendra Bhandari, Surendrasingh Pokharana, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

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talked about the role of time in understanding consciousness and laws of nature on which the whole foundation of science is based. He also talked of dilation of time, starting from the theory of relativity, going back to the Hindu scriptures where measures of time goes from the smallest part of time to trillions of years. It may be noted that the recent work of Prof. Lee Smolin regarding a new concept of time which is different from the terminology used in science is quite relevant in this context.
Bhandari and Pokharna in their paper on concept of knowledge and logic have described the limitations of the modern science in describing the reality. They have discussed the Godel's Incompleteness Theorems which although was developed about 70 years ago still remain unchallenged and illustrated why scientific methodology cannot provide complete knowledge about the reality. In the same context other systems of logic are also discussed like Syadvada from Jainism and explained through the wave-particle duality using the so called seven fold way of looking at reality and its knowledge as we perceive. These options seem to be related with the issue of consciousness.
Pokharna starts with an ab initio approach to show the limitations of the methodology of the modern science in describing the biological and human systems which are open, dynamic systems, constantly interacting with the environment and are irreversible in nature. The human systems also having memory and are goal directed systems. Hence need for General Systems Theory is being sought. He then described the quantum mechanical approaches, involving theory of relativity and neurophysiological researches to understand the concept of consciousness. He covered the Penrose and Hameroff model using method of Objective Reduction and possibility of information being stored in spin foams at quantum gravity level. The possibility of extra sensory perception and life after life was also mentioned, the ideas extensively discussed in Jainism.
In his second paper, he developed an analogy between the quantum field theory and the karma theory of Jainism which shows how the concept of elementary excitation of solid state physics and an orderly ground state of the system are similar to the karmas and the pure soul described in Jainism. Phenomena of Shatavdhan demonstrating extra ordinary memory and possibility of estimating sizes of smallest particles of matter during higher stages of consciousness were mentioned. These rare examples should be more deeply studied to determine the conditions under which they realized.
Professor Paras Mul Aagarwal, another internationally famed quantum physicist