These ideas are not at odds with each other. One is looking to display truth through logic, and one is trying to express truth from a felt sense. One invites scepticism and the other — faith. They work symbiotically, but are difficult to hold at the same time.
To devote oneself to science is to commit to pursuing answers through curiosity. It is to adapt ones way of thinking to something highly sceptical, while remaining open to new ideas. It is to understand that there are no immaculate conditions and that true work takes a lifetime. Spirituality is developing the resources to communicate ideas shared in the collective conscious yet not always visible in the material world.
A failure of modern science is a failure of a scientist’s willingness to unlearn, compounded with the insecurity of ones ideas not being perfect. A failure of religion is for the experiencer not developing a language in which to communicate ideas to others, thus ‘keeping’ the truth for themselves.
Nothing is permanent, and our ideas of the conception and development of the universe, physics and nature have changed drastically century by century. If a scientist spent 10 years trying to prove his theorem, as they become more attached to their work, there is a tendency to take a more blinkered approach, to focus less on the loose threads and more on how to protect this idea, for the prospect of unravelling 10 years of work could decimate one’s ego.
Beyond this, there is an epidemic of cronyism and laziness within the peer review process leading to bolstering of weak scientific research for near term gratification, rather than leaving the door open for others to venture deeper down the rabbit hole.
This is tantamount to the street preacher screaming his lungs out about the end being nigh, yet unable to share his insight, as he appears to be completely bonkers.
We often fail to think about how parts of our research or methodology or way of thinking influences others to benefit mankind. We get lost in our egoic pursuits to the detriment of why we became involved with science. Good ideas will continue to be explored beyond your time here. Physics remains theoretical and medicine has its limitations. In a world run by facts and figures, it is difficult to propose alternative remedies, which have not been studied and peer reviewed as intently as modern medicine, largely because the funding supporting research is in the interest of pharma, rather than improving the lives of people. This can make purveyors of alternative healing remedies appear as kooky as the street preacher.
Religion plays exactly the same role in that it provides a framework for a belief system, moral code and way of life, rather than enabling people to think and act freely just as many of the biblical characters which religion elevates. Medical science is largely restricted to what is fed through by researchers limited by their own desire for greatness or the limitations imposed by their employers. It is too concerned with the practice rather than the experience of life.
Alchemy was something that perhaps bridged a gap between the two in that intentionality and power of the practitioner yielded different results from the same recipes. This is somewhat reflected in the success rate of some pharmaceuticals which are not efficacious for all who take them, or the unanswered superficial prayers of someone who attended a 2 hour workshop on the law of attraction.
Medicine comes in many challenging forms, as does facing the truth of our desires. At a certain point in our journey, we may not be able to tell them apart.
Whether we explore our curiosity through science or spirituality, they are both ultimately a pursuit of truth even when it challenges our world view. Intuition can guide us, scepticism can protect us.
This is not to say that these science and spirituality are separate. After all, science is about finding the language to express (prove) an idea that came out of thin air.
