Sambodhi 2013 Vol 36

Author(s): Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

Sureshwar Mehar
SAMBODHI
weaker with age; but the Consciousness or Mind may grow in its power to love or hate. Thus the two are different entities whereas the body is cellular and molecular, i.e. physical and is subject to law of chemistry and physics and physiology. The Mind, Consciousness or Soul is psychic, spiritual or metaphysical."
Many eminent scientists and physicists such as Max Planck, Eugene, Wigner, Fritjof Capra and Erwin Schroedinger have thrown much light on this Consciousness in different angles.
(i) Max Planck has said : “Consciousness, I regard as fundamental. I regard
Matter as derivative of Consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing postulates consciousness."13
The Sentence “Matter is derivative of Consciousness", can be interpreted that both matter and consciousness are non-different, i.e. both are two sides of the same coin. But B. K. Jagdish declares that the existence of all the things is known only because of the existence of consciousness is a fundamental reality.14
(ii) Nobel physicist Wigner says : “There are two kinds of reality or existence
- the existence of my consciousness and the reality of existence of everything else. This later is not absolute, but only relative. Excepting immediate sensations, the content of my consciousness, everything else is a construct."15
Through the Principle of Indeterminacy, Heisenberg finally stated that while observing quantum particles, uncertainty or indeterminacy would always remain and it cannot be eliminated. Einstein, who didn't believe in this uncertainty principle, said that there must be a 'hidden variable' somewhere which is responsible for this uncertainty. In 1961, Wigner gave his statement that it is the Consciousness of the observing scientists which is itself the hidden variable.16 He asserted that it is impossible to give an accurate and certain description of quantum processes "without explicit reference to consciousness.” XVII
B. K. Jagdish's comment on this above statement : If Wigner meant that the consciousness of the observer is a material energy which affects the observed particles, he would be wrong; because consciousness is not a