| Title: | Psychic Phenomena |
| Notice: | Please read note 1.0-1.* before writing |
| Moderator: | JARETH::PAINTER |
| Created: | Wed Jan 22 1986 |
| Last Modified: | Tue May 27 1997 |
| Last Successful Update: | Fri Jun 06 1997 |
| Number of topics: | 2143 |
| Total number of notes: | 41773 |
I am reading a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer called "You'll See it When you
Believe It" - about how you create your reality through your thoughts.
In it, he BRUSHES on the theory of critical mass. This is what I got
from it and wonder if anyone can expound on the molecular theory of
critical mass, and also, how this relates to human behavior.
The 100th Monkey Theory: In Japan, biologists were studying a group of
monkeys. One monkey began washing his fruit in the water a certain
way. Some other monkeys mimicked this behavior. When the 100th monkey
began washing his fruit as the others, all the monkeys started doing it
this way. 100 monkeys is critical mass for this behavior.
The molecular theory I need help on: On one side of the world,
scientists were studying the action of certain molecules. When they
molecules reached critical mass (a given number acted alike), the rest
of the molecules aligned and acted this way.
Simultaneously, on the other side of the world, like molecules began
acting as those in the first case.
How can this be?
Thanks,
Paula
| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1247.1 | No pionters, but... | DNEAST::BERLINGER_MA | LIFE IN THE ASTRAL PLANE | Tue Apr 24 1990 13:02 | 10 |
Paula,
This subject has been discussed in great detail as the
result of another base note (I don't remember which one off hand).
From what I can remember the explination has to do with collective
(un-)consciousness.
Later,
Mark
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| 1247.2 | Causitive Formation. | CADSYS::COOPER | Topher Cooper | Tue Apr 24 1990 13:38 | 35 |
The story of the 100th Monkey has been exagerated way beyond the
facts. There is an interesting story behind it, but no evidence of
anything "occult".
The molecular theory you cite is a theory not an observed event or
events. Currently we do not have the compuational power to figure
out how moderately complicated chemical and molecular-physical
reactions will turn out from first principles. Approximations are
used. These approximations frequently "predict" several possible
outcomes, where, in fact, only one occurs. This is normally attributed
to weaknesses in the approximations producing spurious results. Also
it is noticable that "yields" from laboratory processes frequently
improve with time. This is normally attributed to improvement in
technique -- frequently subtle improvements that the technicians
themselves are unaware of learning.
Enter Rupert Sheldrake. He decided that these conventional
explanations were not correct -- essentially because it was more
interesting to assume so. He espoused the theory of "Causitive
Formation" or "Morphic Resonance", which says that the first time
something happens, it happens randomly. However, it imprints in
a universal morphic resonance field its "decision". Thereafter,
the same event is somewhat biased to occur the same way. As time
goes by, the strength of the imprint on the morphic field increases
until the outcome becomes virtually certain.
There's a lot of hand-waving and vagueness of definition about
Sheldrake's theory (e.g., what constitutes the "same" event?) but it
is firm enough to establish some predicitions for it to be tested on.
Several experiments have been carried out, and although not really
definitive, all came out in agreement with Sheldrake's prediction and
contrary to the predicted "most likely outcome" of conventional theory.
Topher
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| 1247.3 | An aside and thanks! | CGVAX2::PAINTER | And on Earth, peace... | Tue Apr 24 1990 18:33 | 6 |
Writing by Wayne Dyer can be found in 948.0.
Thanks for the book pointer!
Cindy
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| 1247.4 | monkey pointer | CIMNET::PIERSON | A friend of ERP's | Mon Apr 30 1990 19:43 | 4 |
The hundredth monkey is well scattered. One is around 455.1.
thanks
dwp
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| 1247.5 | a book | AYOV27::BCOOK | Zaman, makan, ikhwan | Tue Jun 19 1990 08:52 | 6 |
If you want to read more about Rupert Sheldrake, he has written
a book entitled (?) "A new science of life" which one authoritative
magazine (Nature?) reviewed as being "a book fit for burning" or
equivalent words!
brian
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