In Spectrum and Principalities I wanted to feature a concept that served as a subtle backdrop in River Spirits and Ocala Spring, namely spiritism. ‘RS’ had two angels appearing in the beginning, midway point, and the end. ‘OC’ had the two eagles, representing the victims of a senseless double homicide.
While researching Spectrum‘s premise–J.J.’s neurological architecture–I had to learn as much as I could about the human brain and central nervous system, the human visual spectrum, and the body’s chemical and electromagnetic processes. That was expected going in. But I quickly realized that, in order to have J.J. see auras around people and independent energy fields, which could be spirits, I also had to study physics and paranormal accounts–an odd couple, for sure. I had no expectation of becoming a theoretical physicist who could discover the Grand Unification Theory for Classic and Quantum physics. That will happen in my fourth novel, Proof of God. Nor did I intend to try to drive around LA and score some LSD. But I had to read several books on The Mind-Body Question, a few more on near-death accounts, out-of-body experiences, visions, premonitions, religious or other epiphanies, hallucinations, and all paranormal topics. In philosophy, it was necessary to revisit past interests in Free Will vs. Predestination and Proofs of God. In physics, I knew I had to dig deeper into one of my OCD pet subjects–Bell’s Theorem. Specifically, if I wanted to hang my premise on a scientific hat rack, I had to pursue nonlocality, wherever it might lead me.
I enjoyed the chase! I did not become an expert in anything. But I learned a whole bunch of cool stuff! One of the things I learned is that most neurologists, neuron-anatomists, and, most scientists, academicians, and intellectuals believe that everything that happens can be explained in terms of natural electromagnetic and chemical processes. Never, they say, has anyone demonstrated observable or certifiable proof of any paranormal experience. All of those passionate accounts of near death experiences, or ghostly visitations, visual premonitions, telepathic communications–all of that psychic nonsense!–are nothing more than hallucinations created by and within the human brain. There is no independent reality attributable to those events. Nada.
I became convinced that their arguments (against) were unquestionably valid.
Worse, “science” says that if there were something (substance or medium, atomic or force) in the human brain–or anywhere else in the body–which might survive death, then they would be able to know it, see it (in the Large Hadron Collider), or, at least come up with possible new Standard Model of physics. They can’t. It ain’t there. So, where does that leave us, we people who talk about spirits and souls and resurrection?
There are two categories for laws of physics: classic physics (classical mechanics) and atomic physics (quantum mechanics). Angels and demons and ghosts and bright lights at the end of a tunnel are nowhere to be found, neither in observation nor in theory. Darn the luck! And theories (and beliefs) never turn into scientific laws just because folks want them to. It has to be experimentally observable, or, mathematically calculable.
Everything in the Universe is discussed in terms of fields, waves, forces, particles, dark matter, black holes and worm holes, locality and nonlocality, Closed End or Open End. Not much time, these days, is spent on trying to figure out where God is hiding, if he exists. A shame.
But I’m telling you, that nonlocality thing is big trouble for the scientists. They had discussed the idea before Einstein. And Einstein, himself, said something like (I’m paraphrasing here), “Oh, hell no. That ain’t happening, dude.” But it did happen. John Bell proved it in 1965. Now, first of all, nonlocality essentially turned classical Newtonian physics on its head. Even the quantum people didn’t know what to do with it at first. Most of them tried to ignore the threat. Now they spend a lot of time trying to see if nonlocality can be used to transmit signals, data, something useful. Meh.
What is nonlocality? It is, as Einstein called it, spooky actions at a distance. It is an entanglement of particles, which once developed, continues to exist when separated, regardless of distance or time. It proves superluminal speeds, although the concept of “speed” doesn’t even really apply at that point. If a particle turns green in Miami, then its entangled particle-mate, floating somewhere a thousand light years away, turns green also–instantaneously. Try and explain that by laws of cause and effect.
In my learned opinion, or rather, in my humble and naive opinion, this nonlocality thing is a glimpse of how God works–in a completely Closed End, super-deterministic, predestined, and precisely created Universe. But that’s a whole ‘nother story, a horse of a different color.
My point is, these scientist and physics types are incredibly smart people. Try reading a book about theoretical physics. Sheesh! But there are some things they don’t know, yet–like: What links the Quantum Arrow of Time to the thermodynamic arrow? That will have to wait until Book #5.
Maybe the Universe, the 4-D Space-Time Continuum, the Arrow(s) of Time, and all creatures contained within, represent an incredible science project designed by God. When the End comes, as planned, He will have no problem reassembling the parts and pieces. elements, and DNA again. It’s all in His mind. Only this time, He can gather everyone together and say, ‘Do you now see Me? Do you now get what I was trying to tell you?’ Plus, this time He incorporates some new, really cool everlasting materials into his creatures. No shelf life and no more unavoidable design flaws. *They were unavoidable because the ‘creature’ is/was necessarily imperfect. But Jesus provided the mechanism for reconciliation–the only way the Perfect could exist forever with the imperfect. He can invite anyone whom He chooses.
*True Free Will begins at that point in time–although, Time sort of loses its powers.
But I have digressed. Do angels and demons exist? I think so. I saw one (angel), a long time ago. I have met a few demonic spirits. In every case, their presence was my fault. Entanglements come in many forms–and spirits. Some are local. Some are, I hope, non-local. They’re the one’s which will last forever, regardless of Time and Space.
*(recommended for you) “How Great Thou Art” duet by Carrie Underwood & Vince Gill
Conservative_Writer 