Daoist Qi Science vs.

Western Science
Which is more real? Imagination is the power behind Science
Michael Winn
original source: http://www.healingtaousa.com/cgi-bin/articles.pl?rm=mode !articleid=" # $D% b&: http://salud.posindustrial.in'o

The following essay was presented at an international conference of 1000 Daoists gathered in the Peoples Great Hall in Tianamen S !are" #ei$ing" %o&ember '00() This essay doc!ments and spec!lates on the appropriation of Daoist igong and neidan into Western c!lt!re" where the controlling belief system is scientific materialism) Widespread faith in science ma*es it the defacto dominant religion of the West" with theoretical physicists as high priests of its cosmology) Scientific faith in nat!ral law parado+ically implies a religio!s tr!st in whate&er created those laws) Daoists belie&e i is the force go&erning nat!ral laws" and de&eloped energetic sciences to interact with them) In what ways do the two sciences" ,ast and West" o&erlap in theory and applied method? (Qi science( is a summar& term ) use 'or all *igong and neidan methods+ in contrast to ,material science( that dominates ph&sics+ chemistr&+ biolog&+ medicine and ps&cholog&+ etc. in the West. Qigong includes Daoist martial arts+ medical and spiritual *igong. -hese are mostl& ,waidan( or e.ternal alchem& practices+ i.e. the& regulate circulation o' post natal *i /ph&sical plane0 to improve health or increase longevit&. ,1eidan(+ inner alchem&+ covers an& method accelerating trans'ormation o' &in+ &ang+ and &uan *i in order to cr&stalli2e a person3s highest essence+ i.e. ma4e the spiritual substance o' a human being more real. -his potentiall& permits human will to 'unction be&ond death+ i.e. achieve immortalit&. -his inner alchemical process is multi-dimensional. )t happens within three Daoist heavens+ which ) simpli'& as post-natal or ph&sical 'orm /houtian0+ pre-natal or subtle 'orm /.iantian0+ and primordial or 'ormless chaos-unit& /hundun0. )n this essa& )3ve combined waidan and neidan together+ as both are based on the same &in-&ang and 'ive phase principles that govern Daoist *i science. )3ve spent thirt& &ears as observer-scholar and 4e& participant in the appropriation o' *i science b& the West. 5s past president o' the 1ational Qigong 5ssociation /6S50+ 'ounder o' Dao 5lchem& 7esearch )nstitute and 8ealing -ao 6niversit&+ ) saw a dialectical tension arising between Daoist ,change b& cultivating &our human *i( paradigm and the Western ,proo' o' result re*uires ph&sical measurement(. )t shows up most dramaticall& in con'licts Westerners 'ace in choosing a healing modalit&. Qi science measures a person3s whole *i 'ield+ then cultivates wellness b& harmoni2ing sic4 *i within it. Western medicine measures the sic4 bod& part+ then separates and attac4s it. De'ining success'ul outcomes depends on how each person measures their overall health. -he standards o' ,measurement( are 4e& to evaluating the two sciences.

Western Hunger for an Energetic Science

Man& Westerners are disillusioned with 9udeo-:hristian religions. -he& are also dissatis'ied with its replacement b& modern science+ though gladl& accept its material blessings. -heir appropriation o' *i science is partl& an attempt to 'ill a spiritual emptiness. -he& are attracted to the 'eeling o' embodiment and the reliabilit& o' results that Daoist methods o''er as an ,energetic science(. Western see4ers ma& pursue Daoist religion+ and 'ind di''icult& 'ull& accepting it. 7acial discrimination+ language barriers+ cultural irrelevance o' Daoist-;uddhist-:on'ucian d&namics+

disinterest in religious uni'orms+ statues or doing comple. rituals to invo4e :hinese deities+ and secretive nature o' Daoist esotericism are reasons wh& 'ew Westerners have <oined the ma<or temple sects o' :omplete $er'ection /Quan2hen0 or :elestial Master /=heng&i0 Daoism. -his e.clusion had the side e''ect o' stimulating the birth o' a Westerni2ed Daoist culture. )mportantl&+ this new culture centers around e.tracting Daoist *i sciences 'rom their religious conte.t+ so the& 'it more com'ortabl& into the ruling Western paradigm. -his e.traction and scienti'ic re'raming helps *i sciences gain acceptance. ) attended a meeting o' 'i'teen top 5merican teachers o' *i sciences in 9une >>#. -he& voted to collectivel& put up a website called ,5merican Dao(. -he intent was to improve the acceptance o' *i science b& the 5merican public+ not to disrespect their much loved :hinese teachers. Qi sciences are 'ocused within the bod&+ are eas& to ph&sicall& e.perience+ and allow a practitioner to ,sel'-measure( the e''ectiveness o' an& given method. -hat ma4es them eas& to appropriate. %aith in ,*i( ma& be religious at core. ;ut s&stematic *i cultivation in dail& li'e 'eels inherentl& more ,whole bod&-centered( and scienti'icall& e''ective 'or a Westerner than conventional religious pra&er to an abstract deit&/?od. 1ote that pra&er 'ocused on a speci'ic material outcome is graduall& being ,scienti2ed(+ i.e. studies suggest pra&er has in'luence at a distance. -his t&pe o' pra&er could be de'ined as a 4ind o' *igong. Western Daoist adepts are prone to using concepts o' *uantum ph&sics and computer metaphors rather than Daoist deities to e.plain to themselves what is happening as the& do *igong or neidan. -his marriage o' the two cultures+ however misguided Western scientists and :hinese Daoists ali4e ma& 'eel it is+ has continued ine.orabl& since publication @A &ears ago o' ,new age science( boo4s li4e The Tao of Physics /:apra+ "#BA0+ updated recentl& b& The -ield /Mc-aggart+ >> 0. -hese authors have little in-the-bod& Daoist *i s4ills. What3s important are their *uestions: is *i science a ,real( science? :an ) directl& contact and shape the *uantum 'ield? -he answer to the *uestion o' ,which science is more real+ *i science or western science?( will ultimatel& involve de'ining the di''erence between three t&pes o' human imagination: traditional religious imagination+ material scienti'ic imagination+ and Daoist alchemical imagination.

The New Western Science of Consciousness

-he appropriation o' Daoist *i science is occurring simultaneousl& with the emergence o' a new Science o' :onsciousness in the West. Science is steadil& encroaching on the terrain o' the mind that was once reserved 'or religion. :urrentl& 'ocused on a narrow 'ield called ,contemplative neuroscience(+ its headline studies involve stud&ing the brains o' -ibetan mon4s. M7) tests proved meditation can change ph&sical brain structure /Davidson+ >>C0. 5 'ar more compelling case 'or the veri'iable realit& o' subtle energ& is 'ound in 9ames Dschman3s seminal ,nergy .edicine/ The Scientific #asis / >> 0 and a se*uel boo4. 8e cites hundreds o' science studies detailing probable mechanisms o' subtle energ& 'low and healing in humans. 8e covers the ,bioph&sics o' internal coherence(+ li*uid cr&stal molecular arra&s that act as antennas+ resonance between heartbeat and pulsations in cell D15+ impact o' posture on emotions+ how ever& cell has an electro-magnetic 'ield that can be manipulated+ and evidence o' a ,dual( bod& communication s&stem in which subtle pulses o' in'ormation are sent be'ore the slower nervous s&stem initiates action. -he problem+ he sa&s+ is not a lac4 o' scienti'ic evidence to support subtle energ& theor&. )t3s that most doctors+ biologists+ ps&chologists+ and other ,applied( scientists still believe in an older nervous s&stem science that is A> &ears out o' date. Dschman is not de'ending Daoist *i theor&+ <ust showing that humans emit and can control e.tremel& subtle material 'orces even during a simple

bod& massage. Qi sciences are designed to s&stematicall& access the subtle energetic matri. underl&ing the more dense ph&sical biolog&. %or Western Daoists+ the -ibetan mon4 brain studies are e.tremel& rudimentar&+ and not big news. -he value o' ,contemplative neuroscience( in their e&es is mostl& to help Westerners open their minds to practical *i science. %or them+ proo' is in their practice. Empirical evidence 'or the e''icac& o' *i science in medicine is substantial. Fen Sancier+ Stan'ord 7esearch )nstitute senior scientist+ compiled @A>> studies o' *igong that demonstrate its abilit& to help heal most chronic illness /http://www.Qigong)nstitute.org0. 8is database has :hinese scientists li4e %eng Gida proving *i emission changes the D15 in living cells. )n another stud& seven ma<or biological changes were measured in high level :hinese *igong masters+ including a dramatic increase in emitted sound 're*uenc&+ rising 'rom H> mh2 up to C>>+>>> mh2. Daoists would sa& these are I*i e''ects(+ not the *i itsel'. Daoist teacher Manta4 :hia had his brainwaves tested during a simple )nner Smile meditation. -he scientist was ama2ed that unli4e =en+ -ibetan+ and :hristian mon4s previousl& tested+ all 'our levels o' :hia3s brainwaves /beta+ alpha+ theta+ and delta0 rose simultaneousl& and sta&ed elevated all da&. 7esults 'rom other sub<ects onl& changed one t&pe o' brain wave+ and dropped *uic4l& within minutes a'ter meditation ended. /Eggetsberger+ "##J0. -his suggests there are wide variables within the 'ield o' *i science &et to be studied. Despite *i science3s potential to lower health care costs and reduce an epidemic o' stress-caused disease+ its appropriation is largel& grass-roots+ due to resistance institutionall& ensconced in old science models. ;ut hospitals are beginning to embrace ,integrative medicine( and insurance companies are pa&ing 'or tai<i classes. Will Daoist claims o' a *i-based realit& eventuall& be ,proven( in the West b& instruments? 5lternativel&+ will Western science change its de'initions o' consciousness and allow a convergence o' the two sciences? Dr is there a spiritual divide between *i science and empirical science that will ultimatel& prove un-crossable?

Harmonic Resonance vs. Objective Causative Action

Qi science3s 'undamental operating principle is ,gan &ing(+ or harmonic resonance. ?an &ing could also be translated as ,cause and e''ect(+ i.e. whatever &ou resonate with will cause &ou to act in a particular wa&. ?an &ing could also be de'ined as ,4arma( /destin&0+ since the &in-&ang and 'ive phase *i patterns in each human bod& are li4e a comple. tuning 'or4 resonating with sun+ moon+ planets+ and stars. Kin-&ang pulsations in the *i 'ield arise 'rom a universal &uan *i+ Driginal ;reath. :ommunication within the *i 'ield between an&thing vibrating at the same 're*uenc& is instantaneous. Stri4e one tuning 'or4 and a distant second 'or4+ tuned to the same 're*uenc&+ vibrates. ?an &ing allows Daoist adepts to practice distant healing and communicate with planets or stars+ i' the& have the s4ill to attune to the right 're*uenc&. )t ma4es ,.uan .ue(+ or paranormal abilit&+ into a s4ill that can be s&stematicall& cultivated. ?an &ing is what allows the Dao principle o' human microcosm and 1ature3s macrocosm to precisel& mirror each other. )t e.plains wh& a human bod&3s circadian rh&thms are enmeshed with seasonal c&cles. ?an &ing is called ,correlative ph&sics( in the West. )t parallels the phenomenon in *uantum ph&sics o' two electrons at a distance simultaneousl& ,dancing( with each other. )t propelled the :)5 to hire ps&chics and develop the science o' ,remote viewing( to gather intelligence. -he older relativit& theor& o' ob<ective causative action posits interaction between

particles which cannot move 'aster than the speed o' light. )n correlative ph&sics+ the time 'actor is removed. -he uni'ied 'abric o' space communicates with itsel'+ simultaneousl&+ 'rom two di''erent points. Qi science shares this similarit& with *uantum theor&. )nner alchem& is the most e.perimental and multi-dimensional o' the *i sciences. 1eidan adepts e.plore the inner space o' their minds+ a mirror to *uantum ph&sicists e.ploring outer ph&sical space with instruments. 5lchemical probing into the ,dar4 un4nown( /.u0 that births a person through the mingmen /,gate o' destin&(0 located between the two 4idne&s parallels ph&sics attempt to crac4 the m&ster& o' ,dar4 energ&( that births the gala.ies. 5 Daoist3s vision o' harmoni2ing 1ature3s three heavens parallels the vision o' a *uantum ph&sicist bridging the gap between subatomic+ human+ and galactic worlds: L) am convincedMtime does not e.ist. Space and time will turn out to be use'ul appro.imations+ similar to a notion li4e Lthe sur'ace o' the waterL. )t loses meaning when we describe the d&namics o' individual atoms 'orming water and air: at ver& small scale+ there isnNt an& actual sur'ace down there. /M0 Space and time are li4e the sur'ace o' the water: convenient macroscopic appro.imations+ 'lims& but illusor& and insu''icient screens that our mind uses to organi2e realit&. -ime is an arti'act o' this appro.imation in which we disregard the large ma<orit& o' the degrees o' 'reedom o' realit&. -hus LtimeL is <ust the re'lection o' our ignorance. /...0M-here are no ob<ects+ onl& relations. 5 consistent wa& o' thin4ing about natureMre'ers onl& to interactions between s&stems and not to states or changes o' individual s&stems. ) am convinced this wa& o' thin4ing about nature will end up to be the use'ul and natural one in ph&sicsL. O:arlo 7ovelli+ $h&sicist. 0!ant!m Gra&ity / >>C0 5 Daoist would agree+ but sa& the natural &in-&ang and 'ive-phase laws o' *i alread& govern 7ovelli3s ,relations( and ,interactions between s&stems(. Western Science o' :onsciousness currentl& lac4s even a theoretical medium 'or consciousness. Qi science has e.plored and de'ined its medium as *i 'or millennia+ and in this sense is 'ar more advanced. -he *uestion lingers: is ,*i( a religious belie' or the veri'iable medium o' consciousness?

Two Sciences: Subjective vs. Objective

etho!o"og#

)n material science+ a theor& is true i' &ou repeat the same e.periment and get consistent results. So scientist 5 must consistenl& get the same result as Scientist ;. )n *i science+ truth is achieved b& each person using their bod&-mind as a laborator& and repeating each e.periment /*i method0 until the& get a consistent result. ;ut because each human is recogni2ed to have uni*ue energ& patterns+ it is e.pected that Dao adept 5 using the e.act same method as Dao adept ; ma& get consistentl& di''erent results+ i.e. uni*ue e.periences. ;oth sciences are s&stematic s&stems o' ac*uiring new 4nowledge and see4 consistenc&. ;ut there are two divergences between the sub<ective ,sel'-measuring( o' *i sciences and the ob<ective ,instrument-measured( methods o' science. Dne+ the onl& instrument currentl& able to measure and respond to changes in the *i 'ield is the human bod&-mind. -he 'astest super computers are primitive+ even stupid compared to average human intelligence and s4ill. -wo+ in *i science it is e.pected that two di''erent people practicing the same method will get di''erent results. Ever&one has the same 'undamental meridian s&stem+ but bod&-minds are polari2ed into uni*ue patterns+ creating di''erent responses to the ,e.periment( o' practicing *igong or neidan. -he sub<ectivit& inherent in *i sciences is disguised in empirical science b& the presence o' an ob<ective microscope+ telescope+ spectrometer or supercomputer. Material scientists pretend the

presence o' such instruments has removed their personal in'luence. ;ut it does not remove them 'rom designing both the e.periment and the instrument+ 'rom their ,so't( interpretation o' the hard data+ or 'rom their personal energ& 'ield a''ecting the hard data itsel'.. )t3s the classic ,observer is never separate 'rom the observed(. -his suggests Western science is entirel& the product o' a particular 4ind o' imagination. Ever& technolog& ever invented 'irst e.isted inside a human mind. When we ,invent( something+ we move it 'rom inner mind space to outer space+ and give it substance. Qi science wor4s the same wa&+ but in the opposite direction. )ts methods are designed to absorb the larger invisible *i 'ield and give it a more concrete inner realit& in our bod&-mind. -he point is that ,imagination creates realit&( in both sciences.

How Cu"ture Sha$es the Two Sciences

:ultural bias at 'undamental levels o' perception are well documented in studies o' 5sian and Western children. ?iven the same picture and as4ed what the& see+ 5sians saw the whole image+ and Western 4ids saw speci'ic ob<ects within the image. -his ,whole 'ield( awareness highlights an essential di''erence between Western material and :hinese *i science: 5ristotle 'ocused on ob<ects. 5 roc4 san4 in water because it had the propert& o' gravit&+ wood 'loated because it had the propert& o' 'loating. 8e did not mention the water. -he :hinese considered all actions related to the medium in which the& occurred+ so the& /studied water and0understood tides and magnetism long be'ore the West did. O1isbett / >>@0 Dther research suggests 5sians are right brain dominant+ and Westerners are le't brain dominant /-sunoda0+ due to language di''erence o' written conceptual-alphabetic s&mbols vs. pictographic writing /Shlain+ "##J0+ 5 'ascinating *uestion: did right-brained+ whole picture hard-wiring in :hinese brains lead to the development o' inward 'ocused *i sciences? 5nd le't-brained+ ob<ect'ocused hard-wiring in Western brains lead to e.ternall& oriented empirical science? Does a similar cultural 'iltering alter the e.periences that adult 5sian and Western *i scientists might have? M& e.perience teaching *i sciences around the world con'irms this. Di''erent racial groups are li4el& to have di''erent archet&pal images arise in meditation. 5nother relevant e.ample: a leading :hinese *igong researcher in the 6S gave a comparison o' studies in :hina on *i deviation+ or negative side e''ects o' *igong+ to an audience o' 5merican *igong adepts /:hen+ >>#0. ;ut he didn3t reali2e those studies would have ver& di''erent results i' done on Western *igong adepts. ) 4now 'rom decades o' teaching e.perience that *i deviation is *uite rare in the West. Wh& the disparit&? Qigong can suddenl& release 'eelings in :hinese that are commonl& suppressed in order to present a harmonious ,'ace( to 'amil& and societ&. )n the West it is e.pected that one e.press those individual 'eelings+ so 'or them *igong enhances the 'low o' 'eeling. %or a :hinese+ the 'eelings could be culturall& disruptive. M& conclusion: the ,emotional energ& 'ields( o' :hinese and Westerners are shaped di''erentl&. -his is an e.ample o' cultural interpretation distorting hard scienti'ic data O and where deeper 4nowledge o' *i science could correct it. )' a Science o' :onsciousness is to mature in the West+ the scientists themselves will need *i science s4ills in order to better interpret their hard data.

Har! %ata %istorte! b# Scientists& 'ac( of Energetic

a$)

%rom *i science perspective+ the design and interpretation o' man& scienti'ic e.periments in the West are distorted b& cultural bias or ignorance o' *i meridians or *i e''ects. -his is seen clearl& in the heav& emphasis scientists give to stud&ing the brain with M7)s+ etc. -housands o' e.periments

give a ver& detailed and interesting brain map+ and raised hope secrets o' the mind will soon be crac4ed. ;ut the brain is not the mind. -he ,overstud&( o' the brain /and correlated understud& o' the intelligence o' the whole bod&0 simpl& re'lects Western scientists intellectual belie's about the primac& o' their own head. Qi science treats the entire bod& as the heart-mind /.in0. -he brain and its sensor& openings is controlled b& 'ive vital organ intelligences+ with the heart as ruler. -hree dantian or ,energetic brains( gather *i 'rom the collective 'ield and 'eed it into a networ4 o' meridians to shape our human realit&. -he brain is <ust ph&sical hardware. -he heart3s electro-magnetic 'ield is thirt& times greater than that o' the brain+ and sends more signals to the brain than vice versa /8eart Math+ >> 0. Pital organ *i is the so'tware that shapes the sensor&+ 'eeling+ and thought data running through the brain. 5 shi't to whole-bod& scans would be much more use'ul to the Science o' :onsciousness. )n this view+ brain scans onl& present a narrow slice o' the bod&-mind picture. ;rain scan interpretations 'ail to account 'or energetic 'orces shaping the hard data. Empirical science ma& be highl& accurate+ but onl& limited hal'-truths can be in'erred 'rom it. Qi healers 4now this well. Qra&s can detect a tumor+ but onl& a s4illed *i adept can identi'& and shape shi't the *i pattern o' emotion and perception that ma& be supporting that tumor. )n this sense the two sciences+ East and West+ are complementar&+ and over time ma& converge to share their strengths. -hat will not occur until material scientists overcome their arrogance and <udgments about energetic sciences. 5 good e.ample is the >-volume Science and 1i&ili2ation in :hina+ whose volume A on ph&siological and spag&ric /laborator&0 alchem& does an admirable <ob o' describing them historicall& /1eedham+ "#J@0. ;ut 1eedham clearl& believes inner alchem& never ,wor4ed(+ that it3s a 'ailed proto-science with no ,realit&( other than in the adept3s *uaint or superstitious imagination. )t3s onl& virtue was in helping birth material science. ) am a modern adept who has veri'ied *igong and alchem&3s bene'its over three decades in promoting vastl& superior health+ healing power and spiritual awareness in m&sel' and thousands o' students. )n m& view+ 1eedham is close-minded and unscienti'ic in his stud& o' Daoist *i science. 8e represents the attitude o' an older generation o' scientists. Science o' :onsciousness is arising in the West now partl& because a new generation o' scientists practice 5sian meditation at home+ and want to integrate their e.perience into scienti'ic culture /6sat&ns4i+ >>#0. -he leading theorists o' the popular )ntegral Science o' :onsciousness+ with its :ombs-Wilber matri. o' consciousness mapped out into stages and states+ both admit to doing 5sian meditation and movement practices /Wilber+ >>>0 /:ombs+ >>#0. -here is a *uiet revolution amongst &oung Western scientists 'ed up with the rigid notions about *uantum ph&sics held b& institutional ;ig Science. -hese scientists are attempting to uni'& their own meditation-inspired m&sticism with *uantum ph&sics+ and are publishing their ideas direct to the public on the internet. $eer-reviewed science <ournals will not entertain such ,unscienti'ic( speculations about :onsciousness itsel' being the missing 'i'th element in the search 'or ph&sic3s 8ol& ?rail+ the ?rand 6ni'ied -heor&. Websites li4e http://www.spaceandmotion.com present a simple ,new uni'ied theor& o' ph&sics( based on spherical in and out standing waves moving through conscious space. -his creates the toroidal e''ects /see the site 'or animated illustrations0 using theories that precisel& match Daoist &in-&ang theor& per'ectl&. -he website includes a section on Daoist philosoph&. Will these ,marginali2ed scientists( eventuall& become the leaders o' 'uture spiritual science movements?

Western vs. %aoist *uest for +mmorta"it#

-he *uest 'or immortalit& has recentl& achieved scienti'ic respectabilit& in the West. )ts leading edge theorist is inventor 7a& Fur2weil+ who predicts nano-bots in<ected into the bloodstream will repair diseased organs. Eventuall& humans will become c&borgs+ with arti'icial limbs and organs. Dur brains will be merged into supercomputers that download holographic images 'rom vast databan4s to guide us and allow unlimited virtual se.. Fur2weil pops >> pills a da& to slow down his own aging process until the e.ponentiall& rising curve o' nanotechnolog& innovation de'eats death at the cellular level. 8e believes we3ll achieve ph&sical immortalit& in his li'etime /Fur2weil >>A0. -he mainstream anti-aging science 'ield has a less sci-'i and more modest ambitions o' e.tending li'e b& > &ears b& genetic engineering and stem cell treatments+ and periodicall& renewing ourselves until technolog& improves and we reach ">>> &ears. /de ?re&+ >>B0. )n the West immortalit& is a technocratic achievement o' science con*uering bodil& ine''icienc&. )n Daoism longevit& is sought as e.tra time needed to grow one3s ,de(+ innate virtue or spiritual power. 5 cultivator must align with heaven and earth+ show high virtue and serve humanit& be'ore immortalit& is achieved. -he Eight )mmortals o' popular :hinese culture are all paragons o' virtue+ and humbl& ta4e no credit 'or good wor4s. Some immortals are driven b& their own poor health to even deeper compassion. 5 Daoist might view engineered ph&sical immortalit& to be harm'ul to the balance o' 1ature. )t bloc4s the 'low o' *i and in'ormation e.change that human death o''ers heaven and earth. Without e*ual spiritual development+ long li'e might be hellish. Qi sciences have spiritual immortalit& as their ambition+ not ph&sical immortalit&. Even Dao immortals ph&sicall& die+ but their ,&ang( or substantial light bod& continues creating and e.pressing virtue in higher dimensions+ or post-death acts as a conduit between heaven and earth. Western ph&sical immortalit& see4ers separate scienti'ic process 'rom moral issues. -he& are o'ten driven b& a 'ear o' death. %or a *i adept+ it3s the opposite. )t3s a given that consciousness e.tends be&ond death. 5n&one o' high virtue bene'its humanit& and their ancestors+ even i' immortalit& is not achieved. )' one embodies personal harmon&+ b& gan &ing it radiates out to societ& and cosmos. :onversel& i' &ou teach someone the alchemical secrets o' 8eaven+ and the& use it to cause harm+ &ou are responsible. )t3s this moral concern that historicall& created a veil o' secrec& around neidan and slowed its spread. Western Daoist are li'ting this veil+ but will have a big <ob shi'ting the value s&stem in the West about immortalit&.

+s the *i ,ie"! the same as the *uantum ,ie"!)

-he short answer: the& overlap+ but are 'undamentall& di''erent. When ph&sicists tal4 about ,energ&(+ it is impersonal+ a random mechanical 'orce o' nature. When a Daoist spea4s o' ,*i(+ it is intelligent and purpose'ul. -he *i 'ield governs the personal and impersonal /ren and 'eiren0 in patterns that can be 4nown and navigated b& a s4illed Dao adept. -his spea4s to the 'undamental split between scienti'ic materialism+ which holds that human consciousness arose out o' the random appearance o' matter+ and religion+ which holds divine consciousness precedes and purpose'ull& shapes matter/bod&. -he Daoist view is pan-ps&chic: all matter is alive and conscious. -he bod& o' 1ature is the e.pression o' mind o' Dao. -rees+ humans+ mountains+ planets+ stars are living entities. 8umans are a microcosm o' the divine 'ield+ and have a special salvational and hence religious role in harmoni2ing their personal destin& with the *i 'ield o' 8eaven+ Earth and the %ive Directions. )n Daoist cosmogon&+ a primal egg or gourd crac4s open and unleashes the &in-&ang 'orces o'

creation. %loating inside the &ol4 o' this primal egg are &uan <ing /prime matter0+ &uan *i /primal movement o' breath0+ and &uan shen /original spirit or intelligence0. -his trinit& devolves into pre-natal and post-natal heavens be'ore returning to its original state o' chaos-unit& /?irardot+ "#J"0. 1ote that *i science3s idea o' eternal c&cling between ,chaos-unit&( and states o' ph&sical organi2ation preceded modern acience3s :haos -heor& b& several millennia. Quantum ph&sicists do not include an& human *ualities in their ;ig ;ang theor& or *uantum 'ield. :onsciousness is a random 'lu4e o' amino acids 'rom space landing in earth3s primal sea a 'ew billion &ears ago+ and achieved human status onl& in the last 'ive million &ears. -his is a 'undamental problem 'or the budding Science o' :onsciousness: where was human consciousness during the ;ig ;ang? 5gain+ without a permanent medium+ material science will alwa&s be ,outside( consciousness tr&ing to loo4 in. Qi Science loo4s 'rom the inside out. Some curious parallels arise in the archet&pal geometr& underl&ing the two sciences. -he Dao *i 'ield consists o' three 'orces: &in+ &ang+ and &uan+ essentiall& negative+ positive+ and neutral. -he& are governed b& an operating s&stem o' 'ive 'orces: 'ire+ water+ earth+ gold+ and wood+ organi2ed into eight deep cosmic *ualities s&mboli2ed b& ) :hing /&i<ing0 trigrams. Quantum theor& polari2es particles into a threesome o' electron+ proton+ and neutron. -he hol& grail o' ph&sics is a ?rand 6ni'ied %ield theor& that integrates the 'ive 'undamental 'orces o' 1ature: electro-magnetism+ gravit&+ wea4+ strong nuclear and a 'i'th uni'&ing 'orce as &et undiscovered. -he atomic table organi2es all elements into eight levels o' electrons. $h&sics latest attempt to uni'& ever&thing is super-string theor&+ which suspiciousl& resembles the Daoist theor& o' &uan *i vibrating ever&thing into e.istence in multiple dimensions/heavens. )t raises the *uestion: do these parallels arise because both sciences are the product o' human imagination+ which re'lects a single underl&ing truth? 5nother curious overlap is between *igong and the most 'undamental shape in ph&sics - the torus+ or donut+ or 'igure-J in'init& s&mbol on its side. )n ph&sics it describes man& things+ 'rom the design o' red blood cells to the shape o' plasma 'ields+ gala.ies+ and blac4 holes. Digital readers are strongl& urged to immediatel& visit graphical depictions o' the torus in 1ature on: http://www.smeddum.net/articles/matter.htm and http://www.spaceandmotion.com. -he 'irst site e.plains gravit& as the underl&ing 'orce o' consciousness that uni'ies all matter. -his theor& parallels the Daoist theor& o' ,&uan <ing( or primordial essence as the omnipresent original space or substance that subse*uentl& divides into &in-&ang and 'ive phase waves o' *i. 1assim 8aramein3s paper on ,Spacetime -orus -opolog&( /http://www.theresonancepro<ect.org/research.html0 shows how 'undamental the torus shape is to all spinning movement in the universe. Daoist have observed 'or millennia that *i moves in spirals and that this spin is &in-&ang and 'ive-phase polari2ed. -he torus is a ver& common shape articulated in *igong+ in which spiraling arms circulate *i in and out o' the bod&3s core trun4 /adept3s core channel = hole o' the donut0. 1eidan o'ten create a torusli4e 'low o' *i once the crown /bai hui0 and perineum /hui &in0 are energeticall& opened and *i 'lows in the chong mai /core channel0. -his ma& be another e.ample o' *i science re-creating a shape microcosmicall& within the human bod& what 1ature creates /and ph&sics studies0 macrocosmicall&.

or$hogenetic ,ie"!s as Ancestra" ,ie"!s

Morphogenetic 'ields are memor& data ban4s that shape the instinctual and genetic patterns o' di''erent species. -his is correlative ph&sics applied to biolog&. )t e.plains how one mon4e& transmits a learned behavior to the whole 'ield+ the 'amous ,">>th Mon4e& S&ndrome(. When enough mon4e&s ac*uire a new trait it is ,uploaded( to the morphogenetic 'ield+ which then becomes a ,genetic habit( o' mon4e&s born later. )t thus e.plains the group instincts o' animals. /Sheldra4e+ >>#0 5 similar 4ind o' species-'ield thin4ing is evident in the nd centur& Daoist alchemical treatise+ the :anton*i. )t notes similarities and di''erences between things control their behavior. 8umans can tap into this principle to manipulate &in-&ang 'orces in 1ature. -he adept uploads his Ki or creative intent into the collective 'ield b& alchemicall& concentrating and re'ining it at critical times in sunmoon c&cles. -he adept merges into and shapes the larger 'ield. :hinese belie's about ancestral in'luence could be seen as morphogenetic sub-'ields controlling 'amil& lineages. ,5ncestral <ing( is the e*uivalent o' Sheldra4e3s ,genetic habits(. 5ncestors are living presences within the blood that constantl& shape one3s biological+ ps&chological+ and spiritual li'e. Dne 'unction o' neidan is to harmoni2e relations with ancestors+ via ritual s4ill or adepts abilit& to communicate with a disturbed ancestor. Morphogenetic 'ields also o''er a new wa& to view lineage transmissions in neidan. When &ou do a practice+ &ou are resonating with the 'ield created b& all previous adepts. )t could also resolve *uestions about apparent past-li'e recallR such memories ma& not be personal+ but rather downloads 'rom the larger morphogenetic 'ield. Material science has no method 'or changing ancestral patterns other than ris4& manipulations such as genetic engineering. 1eidan applies gan &ing b& 'ocusing their intention to internall& shi't the ancestral 'ield. -his is di''icult to measure+ but this is the 'irst theor& in the new Science o' :onsciousness to posit a medium 'or consciousness itsel'.

+s %aoist *i ,ie"! +!ea"ist or

ateria"ist in Nature)

-his *uestion is as4ed b& philosophers o' science. -his de'ines the critical distinction between religion and scienti'ic materialism. 1otions o' ?od+ absolute states+ and prime creators/deities are idealist. ?ree4 $latonism draws a strict line between the )deal and the 7eal+ ma4ing it idealist. 5theists argue social needs+ not supernatural 'orces+ give rise to human spiritual values+ ma4ing them realist. 7eligious values arising 'rom the ideal cannot be described nor tested b& scienti'ic materialism. )t is the un-crossable divide. Ket neidan+ the repositor& o' Daoist *i sciences3 deepest spiritual ideas+ is 'undamentall& materialist. -he written character 'or *i is a grain o' rice with vapor rising 'rom it. -he rice suggests the material nature o' *i+ and the vapor its abilit& to transmute into subtle 'orm. )n Dao cosmolog&+ the realm o' chaos-unit&+ &uan <ing /Driginal Essence0 is described as immeasurabl& 'ine primal matter+ &et it3s the same substance 'rom which all ordinar& matter or post-natal <ing is derived. -o a Dao alchemist+ prime matter is accessible. Modern scientists manipulate ph&sical matter+ and out comes cars+ gadgets+ clothing+ the goods o' modern li'e. 5lchemical scientists manipulates subtle matter to dissolve old memor& patterns inside our mind+ and a new bod& and subtle perceptions materiali2e. ;oth material science and *i science are transmuting matter. ;ut the alchemist claims to transmute deeper levels o' matter+ and ultimatel& prime matter. -he continuous alchemical transmutation o' <ing+ *i+ and shen transcends the idealist-materialist

split. -his is mirrored in ma<or Daoist classics /Ki<ing and Daode<ing0+ which emphasi2e Dao as process o' eternal change+ a bellows that is alwa&s empt&ing and 'illing /5mes+ "##J+ >>@0. -here is no boundar& line between spirit and matter in Dao cosmolog&. 5lchem&3s primar& purpose is to ma4e conscious and substantial the presence o' spirit within matter and vice versa. -he issue is not ,phenomena are controlled b& divine 'orces( be&ond modern science+ but rather a practical problem: how can human develop the abilit& to measure and responsibl& shape those subtle 'orces?

A"chem#:

arriage of Scientific an! Re"igious +magination

Daoists view the *i 'ield as alive and responsive to human need. Qi sciences 'ocus intent and cause the *i 'ield to respond more *uic4l& and tangibl& to our needs. )s the same principle operative in material science? $h&sicists spent decades 'ocusing their imagination on 'inding subatomic particles+ and the& got their need satis'ied when the particles 'inall& appeared 'or a nano-second. $h&sicists later gave up on 'inding the ,ultimate particle( and are now 'ocused on the ine''abilit& o' dar4 matter. ;ut did inserting a SA billion dollar particle accelerator into the process simpl& ampli'& the imagination o' the scientists+ thereb& con<uring up the particles+ rather than prove their permanent e.istence? )s the imagination o' a *i scientist and Western scientist 'undamentall& di''erent? -he most interesting aspect o' *uantum ph&sicists are their d&namic imagination+ their continual cosmological reinvention o' the universe. ;oth sciences dream up new e.perimental processes and invent new wa&s to manipulate their version o' polarit& and the 'ive 'undamental 'orces o' nature. Gi4ewise+ the e.perimental nature o' Daoism produced thousands o' di''erent *igong 'orms+ man& schools o' neidan and variants on cosmolog&. 5t root+ both sciences are wa&s to methodicall& accelerate the power o' human imagination+ but 'ocused on di''erent outcomes. 5lchemical science is the marriage o' scienti'ic imagination with religious imagination+ and the new Science o' :onsciousness in the West is cautiousl& 'ollowing in its 'ootsteps.

Historica" -iew: A"chem# . Science/ Nei!an . Wai!an

5 global stud& o' m&th reveals metallurgical alchem& was humanit&3s 'irst science. 8istoricall& alchem& preceded the development o' organi2ed big religion and much later it paved the wa& 'or modern da& material science. 5ll modern technolog& can trace its roots bac4 to the metal wor4shops o' laborator& alchemists. 5lchem& was historicall& present in ever& ma<or societ& on ever& continent /Eliade+ "#H 0. )n :hina+ the conventional thin4ing is that waidan+ e.ternal alchem&+ laid the groundwor4 'or modern neidan in the ">th centur&+ as well as 'or numerous scienti'ic discoveries li4e gunpowder. ;ut there is e.tensive evidence that the 'unctional principles o' inner alchem& were practiced b& -aoists long be'ore laborator& alchemists 'ired up their cauldrons /7oth+ "##"+ "###0. 5lchem& consumed 'ar more o' )saac 1ewton3s time and writings than his $rincipia Mathematica. )t was his obsession with alchem& that led to his postulating the laws o' gravit&. 1ewton died still believing 1ature3s ph&sical laws were dependent on a higher spiritual 'orce. Sir 7obert ;o&le+ the 'ather o' modern chemistr&+ was li4ewise a li'e long laborator& alchemist. $s&cholog& was similarl& in'luenced. Farl 9ung spent the last 'i'teen &ears o' his li'e obsessivel& tr&ing to crac4 the codes o' obscure alchem& te.ts to discover the mechanism 'or how the mind trans'orms its light and shadow sides. Modern science has alread& mastered e.ternal alchem& b& 'orce rather than the traditional persuasion. )t can bombard lesser metals to cause them to lose enough electrons to become gold. ;ut this has little relation to internal alchem&+ the science o' communicating and cooperating with

the inherent intelligence within matter in order to ignite its creative spar4. -he Science o' :onsciousness has ta4en at least a hal' step in this direction. Goo4ing bac4 'rom the distant 'uture+ we ma& see that alchemical science merel& veered towards e.treme materialism /as a 'orm o' e.ternal alchem&0 'or a hundred &ears be'ore resuming its original alchemical pursuit o' reclaiming and re'ining the spirit hidden within matter+ and the matter hidden within spirit. 5lread& there is discussion within the 'ield o' *uantum ph&sics and relativit& as to whether this 4ind o' material science has evolved as 'ar as it can go+ bound b& its strict interpretations o' materialit& separated 'rom consciousness. -he viewpoint and aspirations o' Daoist inner alchem& embraces+ &et goes well be&ond the limits o' laborator& alchem& turning lead into gold+ or 9ungian ,ps&chic alchem&( turning negative emotions into positive ones. Qi science posits a direct relationship between the alchemical adept and 5GG the 'orces o' the cosmos+ achieved b& cultivating the medium o' *i within the bod& o' the adept. 9ust as historicall& this inspired the development o' both religion and science+ it seems li4el& to pla& an important role in the West3s evolving Science o' :onsciousness.

Conc"usion: +magining the ,uture of Science

-he 'unction o' science is not to veri'& 4nowledge o' some pre-e.isting realit&+ whether we call it 1ature or Divine. 7ather both *i and material sciences e.ist to ampli'& the human imagination in creating new realities. Scienti'ic methods cr&stalli2e the e.pression o' human 'ree will b& giving consciousness a more substantial 'orm. Material science+ although &oung+ has been wildl& success'ul and adopted globall& because its technological applications allow our imagination to produce whatever tangible material bene'it we dream o' having. We could sa& that the human religious imagination+ <udging b& the variet& and prevalence o' religions across the globe over thousands o' &ears+ has been e*uall& success'ul in producing communities around an ,intangible result or 'aith(. Qi science+ b& contrast+ has 4ept a much lower pro'ile+ but historicall& the alchemical imagination is the oldest o' the three t&pes o' imagination. )nternal alchem& in particular has developed and tested over man& millennia a bod&-centered technolog& that initiall& directs the imagination to the interior. )t is not enough to merel& 4now techni*uesR the adept must align and merge with elemental 'orces 'lowing within and without to be success'ul. Qi science ma4es more tangible the 'eeling o' our authentic inner sel'+ promotes healing+ and e.pands our consciousness to create new realities in multiple dimensions o' time and space. Qigong and neidan are designed to empower our spiritual virtue and un'old our highest destin&+ which is ultimatel& sel'-reali2ation o' the immortal nature o' consciousness itsel'. )magination could be de'ined as the e.pression o' ,sel'( as it reali2es it is born 'rom the larger 'ield o' eternal consciousness and has m&steriousl& been given 'ree will to create within that 'ield. -he religious and scienti'ic imagination are slowl& converging in a new Western Science o' :onsciousness+ aimed at 'inding s&stematic wa&s o' improving inner li'e. Qi science methods+ being much older+ are 'ar more advanced than Western science in their abilit& to empower human beings and holisticall& integrate bod&+ mind+ and spirit. We could rephrase this+ and sa& that the imagination o' Daoists is 'ar more mature than the imagination o' Western consciousness scientists. Dao science has alread& achieved its ?rand 6ni'ication -heor& o' 'ive 'undamental 'orces and a path 'or harmoni2ing the three heavens. )t has identi'ied the medium o' consciousness+ and has more s4ill in wor4ing at a distance+ in measuring subtle changes in humans+ and in integrating moralit& into its science.

Daoist Qi Science has been developing applications o' its &in-&ang and 'ive phase theor& in man& 'ields o' :hinese culture. -hese ,so't *i sciences(+ li4e the so't sciences in the West o' ps&cholog&+ sociolog&+ and economics+ are sub<ect to wide range o' speculation and interpretation. )n :hina the& include :hinese medicine /perhaps the most substantive0+ *i healing+ 'eng shui+ astrolog&+ cit& planning+ militar& strateg&+ nutrition/diet and calendrical 'orms o' prediction+ philosoph&+ cosmolog& and metaph&sics. Daoist *i science terminolog& alread& permeates :hinese culture+ so it is alread& deepl& embedded in their racial modes o' thin4ing and perceiving. )n this sense it is applied to ever&da& li'e b& billions o' people+ who+ 'or e.ample+ will spea4 o' ,hot *i *ualit& o' ginger( be'ore coo4ing and in'using it into their 'ood. :ontemplative neuroscience is essentiall& dependent on e.isting *i sciences+ i' we e.pand the term to include other 5sian spiritual methods. )t relies wholl& 'or its data upon meditators alread& s4illed in *i sciences o' di''erent 5sian traditions. )t is un4nown at this stage how or i' ob<ective measuring instruments o' material science will bene'it *i science or help its practitioners. ;ene'it to *i science is more li4el& to come 'rom the power o' western-st&le scienti'ic imagination that Western Daoists bring to bear as the& e.tract and integrate *i science into their new culture. -his could bring new applications o' *i science in ps&cholog&+ medicine+ sports+ longevit& science+ social planning and possibl& in'luence *uantum scientists in ma4ing new discoveries about the nature o' consciousness that are needed to 4eep *uantum theor& evolving. Western Daoists ma& ultimatel& inspire the uni'ication o' the Western religious and scienti'ic imagination into a d&namic new culture and a new alchemical science that has not &et been imagined. -his new science ma& evolve to become more ,real( than either traditional Daoist *i science or current Western material science. )t all depends to what e.tent it 'ires the alchemical imagination o' those who practice it.