Although many processes in nature seem to follow increasingly random patterns, from Hassidic teachings we learn that every event in nature is part of Hashgacha (Divine providence). Every event in the universe is custom designed by the Creator to bring about a web of infinitely unfolding directed events. This unfolding of events is often subject to the participatory contribution of human consciousness as a training ground for our conscious evolution.
Computerized random number generators are electronic devices designed to simulate true randomness. Are they subject to the intervention of human consciousness?
The Global Coherence Initiative website by Annette Deyhle, PhD and Rollin McCraty, PhD, describes research on this subject conducted by Roger Nelson and his team at Princeton University for the Global Consciousness Project. Nelson utilized an international network of random number generators to investigate the effect of consciousness. Their findings suggest that human consciousness and emotion create or interact with a global field, which affects the randomness of these devices.
The most noteworthy change towards statistically significant non-randomness in the random number generators occurred during the terror attacks on the U.S. World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. Even more striking was the finding that the random number generators were significantly affected about three hours before the first attack, suggesting a global collective intuition concerning the impending event.
Before (!), during and after any significant events of human outpouring of consciousness, intention or prayer, random number generators around the world, predictably generate a statistically significant pattern which deviates from true randomness and continues to do so for a while later.
Similarly, measurements of Earth’s magnetic field performed by magnetometers on two National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) space weather satellites, deviated significantly from the norm during the same time period, starting several minutes before the tragic 911 event.
The Global Coherence Initiative is planning to deploy a Global Coherence Monitoring System (GCMS): a global network of 12 sensitive magnetic field detectors to monitor fluctuations in the earth’s geomagnetic fields and resonances in the ionosphere. The first sensor is already sending live data to the GCI website from Boulder Creek, California. Researchers at GCI postulate that earth’s resonant frequencies will reflect the effects of collective human emotion. These frequencies are intriguingly in the same range as human heart rhythms and brain waves.
If human consciousness is as significant as to effect the very magnetic field of earth, how much more infinitely significant is the mind of G-d! Yet, the mind of G-d reigns in concealment. Tzimzum (contraction), according to Kabbalah, signifies contraction of G-d’s apparent-ness in our seemingly random and increasingly disordered world. Our sages explain that G-d is hidden in order to allow for human free will. I enjoy comparing this to the healthy parental instinct of allowing room for one’s child to develop individuality.
This freedom however, should ideally not bring the child to underestimate his relationship with the parent. The natural consequence of underestimating G-d’s involvement in our lives is an illusion of further concealment of divine providence, which eventually provokes the seeking out of G-d from the woes of happenstance.לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ וַהֲלַכְתֶּם עִמִּי בְּקֶרִי וְהָלַכְתִּי עִמָּכֶם בַּחֲמַת קֶרִי … “If you will go with me in happenstance and I will go with you in the heatedness (commonly translated as wrath) of happenstance” (Leviticus 26: 27, 28).
I am intrigued by the Torah’s choice of the word in Hebrew in this verse, חמה, which indicates a state of heatedness. This heatedness, to my humble mind, may be a Torah hint to the thermodynamic process of entropy in the universe. Entropy is the tendency of physical matter to degrade from a state of order to a state of greater disorder, randomness and uncertainty while dispersing energy in the form of heat.
Could the Torah be telling us the following: Should we forget G-d’s providence, misinterpreting events as happenstance, then will we be subject to Entropy, the natural degradation of the material universe?
O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water. (Jeremiah 17:13)
Interestingly, the only systems in our physical world which tend toward greater orderliness rather than increasing degradation over time are living systems!
Life is essentially a process which is the antithesis of entropy since living systems increase order; Living systems naturally build complexity and diversity rather than tearing them down. We can see this very clearly embryonic development and in the biodiversity of healthy ecosystems.
Nobel-laureate physicist Erwin Schrödinger, in his 1944 book “What is Life?” states that life feeds on negative entropy, or negentropy as it is sometimes called.
Life is sustained by a force which is the opposite of entropy; Life is sustained by a building up force.
Dr. William Tiller, professor emeritus from Stanford University, hypothesized the existence of negative space time.
Richard Gerber, M.D. in the 4th chapter of his book Vibrational Medicine affectionately calls Dr. Tiller’s hypothesis, the Tiller- Einstein Model. According to this model, as a particle passes the threshold of the speed of light, which is considered to be physically impossible, it enters a realm which is divergent from our world in many ways, including the existence of negative entropy, that is, that instead of order breaking down it is a world where thermodynamically ORDER IS BEING RESTORED.
The existence of a negative space time world is derived from applying numbers greater than the speed of light to the Einstein–Lorentz Transformation to produce results which are the square root of -1.
Most mathematicians call such numbers imaginary numbers as they are generally considered impossible in our world. Certain pioneering mathematicians, however, such as Charles Muses, consider the square root of -1 to fall under the category of hyper-numbers. These hyper-numbers are necessary, according to Muses, to mathematically describe higher dimensional phenomena and to solve equations of electromagnetic and quantum theory.
This would mathematically suggest that as Dr. Tiller hypothesized, a thermodynamically opposite world does conceivably exist, where reordering is the standard direction of events.
It appears that living systems share something in common with this higher dimensional realm of reality where reconstruction and reordering take place automatically.
Our sages describe precisely such a realm: Eretz Hachaim, The World of Life, also called Olam Haba, the world that is forever ‘coming’. This is the world into which the righteous enter after death. Our sages teach that this is a realm in which the righteous live an ever greater aliveness which is akin to the original state of existence of Adam and Chava (Eve) before they ignored G-d and brought upon themselves and the rest of humanity the curse of death. Living beings may be open systems, constantly receiving an influx of energy from this world of increasing order enabling the continued flourishing of life on Earth.
The influx of life force may be the very foundation of our continued existence and furthermore, this influx appears to be at least partially dependent upon human consciousness.
Studies indicate that human health and wellbeing are significantly enhanced by a meaningful outlook on life. As we increasingly choose meaningfulness, our lives appear to unfold more often in ways which are recognizably significant.. When Dr. Viktor Frankl spoke of saying yes to life, he could be taken literally.
The Torah commands:
“I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants” (Deuteronomy 30:19)
הַעִידֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיֹּום֮ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ֒ נתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֙וֶת֙ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ׃ (דברים30:19
The hand of hashgacha (divine providence), in fact, responds to our free choice conception of reality and directs the very thermodynamics of events accordingly!
We are faced moment by moment with either succumbing to physical breakdown, churban (destruction), or consciously choosing life and rebuilding of the Sanctuary for the Divine in this world. This task is the ultimate function of prayer and is to be a work of the heart according to our sages. We are called to bring our hearts, minds and spirits into alignment with the will of the Divine in loving kindness and gladness of the heart.
Annette Deyhle, PhD and Rollin McCraty, PhD, of The Global Coherence Initiative.org describe heart coherence as “an optimal state for creating a better world.” “Heart coherence”, they explain,” is reflected by a smooth, sine wave like heart-rhythm pattern, is a distinct mode of synchronized psychophysiological functioning associated with sustained positive emotion. It is a state of energetic alignment and cooperation between heart, mind, body and spirit.”
As we choose to send life supporting thoughts and emotions to ourselves and to one another, we are increasing an essential thriving towards the ultimate redemption, when the darkness of night will be illumined as day and illness, suffering and death, to which we are all still subject, will be defeated forever. Our world, according to our sages, is the reason for all creation. It will, through our conscious choice, become the world of life and a dira batachtonim, a proper dwelling place for the Divine in the lower realms.
This sheds a whole new light on the notion of the resurrection of the dead, which seems to be happening conceptually on a continuum throughout history however increasingly, rectifying and bringing the meaningfulness of our world alive as we intend it!
In the Talmud, (כתובות ה) Bar Kapara taught- The work of the righteous is greater than even the creation of heaven and earth.
”דרש בר קפרא: גדולים מעשה צדיקים יותר ממעשה שמים וארץ (כתובות ה)
!
ועמך כולם צדיקים, כולם ירשו ארץ
Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. (Isaiah 60:21)
In our generation, we are all called upon to do the work of the righteous, the work of the heart, and spread love and blessing to all and throughout the universe.
