Book review by Bernd Zeiger
(October 23, 2024)
The crisis in physics is also the crisis of modern society
“The ONE” by H. Päs is symptomatic of the conceptual change that has started in phyicis and increasingly reaches the information media at the beginning of the 21st century.
The conceptual development in question began around 1900 and marked the climax of a development that began in Europe in the 16th century and has since spread worldwide. This global cultural impulse is closely linked to the classical physics founded by I. Newton: time, space, particles, mass, energy, momentum, gravity and electromagnetism, entropy and temperature are the most important basic concepts and characteristic of the associated exercise of power over nature and the exploitation of its resources by technology, industry, economy and society.
A. Einstein's vision of a unified field of all natural laws, which inspired physicists for a century, led to completely new concepts in the 20th century that are now increasingly penetrating general consciousness. Through its cultural-historical approach, H. Päs's book provides insights into the conceptual development of quantum mechanics that began in 1900 and received significant impetus in the second half of the 20th century, primarily from J.A. Wheeler, his students and colleagues.
A. Einstein's vision of a unified field of all natural laws, which inspired physicists for a century, led to completely new concepts in the 20th century that are now increasingly penetrating general consciousness. Through its cultural-historical approach, H. Päs's book provides insights into the conceptual development of quantum mechanics that began in 1900 and received significant impetus in the second half of the 20th century, primarily from J.A. Wheeler, his students and colleagues.
Inspired by unifying considerations from ancient cultures, H. Päs adds the timeless ideal of monism to the concepts that emerged in this process, such as the participatory universe, the many-worlds picture, and decoherence. However, H. Päs missed a development, also associated with a student of Wheeler, anf that concerns terms such as macroscopic quantum states, vacuum structures, and supersymmetry, which provide a conceptual basis to undersstand the consciousness-expanding experiences and effect of meditation.
Although H. Päs presents the U-diagram developed by J.A. Wheeler in the 1970s to illustrate the self-reference of the participatory universe, at the start of each chapter of his book at no point he mentions the importance of self-reference in overcoming the crisis of physics. This is despite the fact that since the 1970s, through scientific research into the meditation technique handed down in ancient Vedic culture, the transcendental, self-referential consciousness characterized by I. Kant as the condition for the possibility of knowledge and experience has been accessible to everyone worldwide and has been proven to help resolve personal and social crises.
The challenge of modern physics is often described as the problem of unifying quantum mechanics and gravity. The gap between quantum mechanics and classical physics, which is increasingly being experienced as a crisis at the beginning of the 21st century, is reflected in the conflicts between democratic nations driven by individual self-interest and authoritarian, violent nations. H. Päs's book can be seen as an attempt to balance this conflict by means of an unifying factor, "The One". However, this attempt has little practical to offer, because H. Päs's book does not address the phenomenon of self-reference, which is characteristic of consciousness, nor transcendental consciousness, although both concepts are of central importance in the cultural-historical context he has chosen. What H. Päs has not yet taken is the step of realizing the mental concept of the unity of monism as the living, ever-present unity of consciousness.
This assessment of Päs's quantum monism may be surprising, because he is rightly one of the physicists who transcend the narrow boundaries of their discipline and include philosophical insights and cultural-historical perspectives. This is acknowledged in the positive reviews of his book "The One" by science journalists and readers.
Päs sees the crisis in physics and proposes a combination of monism and quantum mechanics as a solution.
1. Monism as a solution: Päs sees many problems in physics as being rooted in the separation of subject and object. He advocates a monism that sees all phenomena as an expression of a single reality.
2. Quantum mechanics as a holistic viewpoint: Päs sees quantum mechanics as evidence of a non-existent separation between observer and system, which sees everything as aspects of a whole.
Päs hopes that quantum monism will overcome obstacles in physics, such as the separation of quantum mechanics and the theory of relativity. He calls for a reorientation of scientific thinking that abandons the reductionist approach in favor of a holistic view in which consciousness and reality form a unity.
A major criticism of Päs's approach, however, is that monism, as an academic "ism," only describes reality without offering a solution to the crisis. Päs remains on the conceptual level and thus contradicts Einstein's principle that problems cannot be solved at the level of their origin. An additional factor must be brought into play. This additional factor was clearly described by I. Kant as "transcendental," i.e. it is not somewhere beyond or separate from reality, but is reality itself. By overemphasizing concepts only, Päs misses the goal of a real solution.
Quantum monism thus appears as a well-meaning but one-sided conceptual position at the beginning of a still open real solution path.
The reason why H. Päs does not take into account the practical importance of self-reference in problem solving could be that new theoretical and practical findings often take time to be understood and applied. A delay effect that is based on the way in which information is disseminated.
The following factors can accelerate or catalyze the assimilation process of new life-relevant information:
1. A broad-based education on the importance of self-reference and transcendental consciousness in various fields - from science to society - could accelerate the process of understanding. If these concepts were systematically addressed in schools, universities and the media, they could penetrate general perception more quickly.
2. Modern means of communication, especially social media, can significantly accelerate the spread of information. Platforms that reach people around the world in real time could be used to make complex scientific and philosophical findings accessible. Popular science books, podcasts or videos could help to convey concepts such as self-reference and consciousness in a practical way.
3. If researchers from different disciplines such as physics, neuroscience, psychology and philosophy work together, the results could be brought to society more quickly. This would advance not only the theoretical but also the practical applicability of concepts such as self-reference.
4. Self-reference and transcendental awareness are deeply rooted in many spiritual traditions, such as Vedic culture. If these concepts are increasingly integrated into modern, Western contexts - for example through meditation techniques or collective rituals - awareness of their importance could grow more quickly.
5. The learning process often accelerates when concrete, successful use cases are available. If more people overcome personal and societal crises through self-reference or transcendental awareness practices, this could serve as motivation to take these approaches more seriously and apply them.
It can be assumed that the weakening of these factors promoting development is based on a disruption of the self-regulatory mechanism within science.
Internally science is controlled by several mechanisms and actors that work together to ensure that scientific research remains credible, sound and transparent. Here are some of the most important instances and procedures: Peer review, Scientific community, Academic and research institutions, Professional societies and scientific organizations, Open science and transparency, Funding organizations, and Science journalism and public scrutiny:
Overall, scrutiny of scientificity is based on a complex system of mutual review and accountability that must be continuously reviewed and developed. Consciousness development through meditation is an important tool in ensuring that the universal foundations of progress - stability, flexibility, integration, purification and growth - are constantly operating in a coherent manner.
The ancient yoga system of Vedic culture names 5 factors as to how the self-referral, transcendental consciousness of the individual contributes to coherence in the environment: simplicity, non-violence, sustainability, wholeness and respect. Although H.Päs does not explicitly address the factors, connections can be made to the topics he deals with and thus contributs to some degree to a conceptual trend reversal, provided that these topic are taken up and reinforced by the media:
1. Unity as a central guiding idea
Päs' central concern in the book is the idea of unity, both in physics and in the universe itself. This idea can be understood as a fundamental philosophical basis for a media turnaround. Such a way of thinking promotes simplicity by reducing complexity to basic principles. It also emphasizes the connection between different aspects of being and reality, which could lead to the media offering more holistic and interconnected perspectives on topics.
Example: The idea of "unity" could relativize the separation between nature and humans or between different cultures in media reports and produce more reports that emphasize the interdependence of the world and the common interests of all living things.
The following factors can accelerate or catalyze the assimilation process of new life-relevant information:
1. A broad-based education on the importance of self-reference and transcendental consciousness in various fields - from science to society - could accelerate the process of understanding. If these concepts were systematically addressed in schools, universities and the media, they could penetrate general perception more quickly.
2. Modern means of communication, especially social media, can significantly accelerate the spread of information. Platforms that reach people around the world in real time could be used to make complex scientific and philosophical findings accessible. Popular science books, podcasts or videos could help to convey concepts such as self-reference and consciousness in a practical way.
3. If researchers from different disciplines such as physics, neuroscience, psychology and philosophy work together, the results could be brought to society more quickly. This would advance not only the theoretical but also the practical applicability of concepts such as self-reference.
4. Self-reference and transcendental awareness are deeply rooted in many spiritual traditions, such as Vedic culture. If these concepts are increasingly integrated into modern, Western contexts - for example through meditation techniques or collective rituals - awareness of their importance could grow more quickly.
5. The learning process often accelerates when concrete, successful use cases are available. If more people overcome personal and societal crises through self-reference or transcendental awareness practices, this could serve as motivation to take these approaches more seriously and apply them.
It can be assumed that the weakening of these factors promoting development is based on a disruption of the self-regulatory mechanism within science.
Internally science is controlled by several mechanisms and actors that work together to ensure that scientific research remains credible, sound and transparent. Here are some of the most important instances and procedures: Peer review, Scientific community, Academic and research institutions, Professional societies and scientific organizations, Open science and transparency, Funding organizations, and Science journalism and public scrutiny:
Overall, scrutiny of scientificity is based on a complex system of mutual review and accountability that must be continuously reviewed and developed. Consciousness development through meditation is an important tool in ensuring that the universal foundations of progress - stability, flexibility, integration, purification and growth - are constantly operating in a coherent manner.
The ancient yoga system of Vedic culture names 5 factors as to how the self-referral, transcendental consciousness of the individual contributes to coherence in the environment: simplicity, non-violence, sustainability, wholeness and respect. Although H.Päs does not explicitly address the factors, connections can be made to the topics he deals with and thus contributs to some degree to a conceptual trend reversal, provided that these topic are taken up and reinforced by the media:
1. Unity as a central guiding idea
Päs' central concern in the book is the idea of unity, both in physics and in the universe itself. This idea can be understood as a fundamental philosophical basis for a media turnaround. Such a way of thinking promotes simplicity by reducing complexity to basic principles. It also emphasizes the connection between different aspects of being and reality, which could lead to the media offering more holistic and interconnected perspectives on topics.
Example: The idea of "unity" could relativize the separation between nature and humans or between different cultures in media reports and produce more reports that emphasize the interdependence of the world and the common interests of all living things.
2. The role of observers in science
"The One" is also about the participatory universe, in which the observer plays an active role in reality. This idea can be interpreted as the basis for an increasing emphasis on responsibility and participation, which could be transferred to the media landscape.
Non-violence and respect: When people understand that their actions and consciousness help shape reality, this could lead to greater respect for other life forms and cultures. Media could take up this idea by focusing more on the impact of human actions on the environment, society and the planet.
Example: Reporting could include more discussions about the ethical and social implications of decisions, whether in the field of climate policy or international cooperation.
3. The end of dualism
Päs emphasizes that physics is moving toward an end to the classic dualism between subject and object, between mind and matter. This holistic approach could be a sign that a trend towards less polarized and divisive reporting could also emerge in the media. Instead of emphasizing contrasts and conflicts, media could start to look for the connections between different phenomena and the common denominator.
Simplicity and wholeness: Instead of breaking the world down into opposites such as “good” and “evil”, the media landscape could try to simplify complex relationships without losing their depth and create more connecting narratives.
4. Sustainability as a physical principle
Although Päs' focus is on quantum physics, the idea of conservation of energy and information could be used as a metaphor for sustainability. In the media world, this could encourage coverage of environmentally friendly technologies and sustainable societal models, as these are based on principles that are also fundamental in physics.
Example: Sustainability could be presented as a natural principle in the media, underlining the need for ecological awareness and environmentally friendly actions.
5. Openness to new concepts
Päs' book is characterized by a willingness to question old paradigms and allow new perspectives on reality. This attitude could also be transferable to the media landscape by becoming more open to alternative ways of thinking that are not just based on consumption, conflict or competition, but on cooperation, peace and respect for life.
For example, media could increasingly focus on nonviolence, cooperation and global justice as central themes, rather than promoting stories that focus on confrontation and polarization.
Päs' book is characterized by a willingness to question old paradigms and allow new perspectives on reality. This attitude could also be transferable to the media landscape by becoming more open to alternative ways of thinking that are not just based on consumption, conflict or competition, but on cooperation, peace and respect for life.
For example, media could increasingly focus on nonviolence, cooperation and global justice as central themes, rather than promoting stories that focus on confrontation and polarization.
Although Päs does not speak directly about media, there are many ideas in "The One" that indirectly indicate that a turnaround in the way information is conveyed in the media is possible. Concepts such as unity, participation in the whole and questioning dualism could create the basis for a media reorientation based on simplicity, sustainability, non-violence and respect.
The corresponding effective and proven methods of ancient cultures are still handed down, and the findings of physics give them a modern conceptual framework.
From an academic point of view, meditation is given the status of a phenomenological method that confirms through direct perception what is described by the formal methods of modern science.
The book "The One" thus can help to overcome the gap that prevents the integration of meditation as a scientific method into the academic world and the educational system
The book "The One" thus can help to overcome the gap that prevents the integration of meditation as a scientific method into the academic world and the educational system