Researches Relevant to Theosophy
Space Sciences
Date : Sept. , 2023
Source : Science Alert
As closed as 150 light-years away, in the constellation of Taurus, a team of astronomers has found that there could be two or three stellar mass black holes hiding therein.
Read the Science Alert Article
Read the original article in the Royal Astronomical Society
Cosmology
Date : Sept. , 2023
Source : Science Alert
The behavior of trans-Neptunian objects indicates (according to current physical laws, i.e. Gravitation/General Relativity) the presence of a hidden world. This celestial object would be no greater than 3 times the mass of the Earth and no farther than 500 astronomical units ( 7,5 x 1010 km) from the Sun.
Read the Science Alert Article
Read the original article in the Astronomical Journal
Earth Science
Date : Sept. , 2023
Source : Science Alert
A new study published this year (2023) shows that plants do “scream” when stressed. They emit popping or clicking noises in ultrasonic frequencies outside the range of human hearing, and the intensity is proportional to the level of stress. We already knew plants could “hear” (Nature’s article, 2019).
The experimentation could record a range of ultrasonic noise in a range of 3 meters. It is not yet known what process can produce these sounds, and it is not also known if other plants can hear and respond to the “call”.
Read the Science Alert Article
Read the original article in the Cell Review
Parapsychology, Psychology
Date : Apr., 2021
Source : PSI Encyclopedia
Studies about children claiming past-life memories was conducted in Sri Lanka, India, Lebanon and the USA, by Erlendur Haraldsson, Antonia Mills, and Jim B. Tucker / F. Don Nidiffer, between 1995 and 2014. The researches included psychological tests to the children, their mothers and teachers who knew them well. Many subjects experience positive benefits from their memories.
Read more : PSI Encyclopedia
Space Sciences
Date : Jul., 2021
Source : ScienceAlert
The Cassini-Huygens probe, circling Enceladus, one of Saturn’s moons, made an unexpected discovery by spotting big amount of methane in the plumes belching from the interior of Enceladus. Because no known process can be pumping out the amount of methane observed spewing, scientists concluded that either it is an unknown geochemical process or . . . it could be biological in origin.
Read more : ScienceAlert
Religion
Date : May, 2021
Source : SAGE Journals
Sufi’s ontology, epistemology, cosmology and practice are pregnant with the idea of Light and its nature. A paper reviewed one of the lesser known work of one Sufi thinker (Shams al-Dîn al-Daylamî – 12th century), The Mirror of Souls, describing the nature of the soul as a subtle body.
In Sufism, the human soul and body are understood as a microcosm that reflected the organization of the macrocosm. In the depiction of Shams al-Dîn al-Daylamî, the faculties of the soul are presented under the shape of concentric circles, referring to each faculty as a world.
Read more : SAGE Journals
Psychology, Medicine
Date : Apr., 2021
Source : Frontiers in Psychology
A new therapy was developed to address Chronic Headache Pain. The Mindful-Based-Dance Movement Therapy (MBDMT) involves multiple mechanisms like mindfullness skills, body awareness, relaxation/releasing, Distancing and staying with discomfort, meaning making, self-regulation, acceptance and integration, creativity.
The study concluded that MBDMT is feasible and promising for chronic pain patients.
Read more : Frontiers in Psychology
Psychology, Medicine
Date : Apr., 2021
Source : ScienceDirect
COVID-19 Pandemic is affecting the psychological health of the people. A worldwide survey was conducted over 243 studies, to assess the benefit of the practice of yoga (Hatha yoga, mindfullness meditation, sahaj yoga, and others) on the mental health parameters. It indicates moderate to positive effects of yoga on mental health, and provides recommendations. In India the Ministry of Public Health publishes guidelines to boost immunity during COVID-19 pandemic, recommending practicing daily Yoga for 30 minutes.
Read more : ScienceDirect
Religion, Philosophy
Date : Apr., 2021
Source : MDPI – Religions
One of the champion of the dialogue between Science and Traditions was John Charlton Polkinghorne (1930-2021). He was at the crossroad of both, devoting his life to mathematics and quantum physics (Cambridge), and at the same time studying theology (Anglican Theological College). He was able to reconcile the creation of the universe by God, and the evolutionary and autonomous world that we witness.
This article is a resume of his thesis, combining “natural theology” and ‘theology of nature” with science. Its conclusion states that :
“a world created by a loving and faithful God will be characterized by both openness of chance and a regularity of necessity. The openness of chance in this universe is expressed through quantum in-determinism, chaos theory, and the role of the mind in human activity. The necessity, in turn, can be indicated, for example, in the regularity of natural laws.”
Read more : MDPI-Religions
Biology
Date : Apr., 2021
Source : PHYS.org
Networking and intercommunication is not for humans only. Plants can be wired and collaborate together, thanks to a web-like infrastructure generated by fungi. A new publication describes this world of connection and interdependence between different species. It looks like a collective intelligence, using the best resources available to drive their growth and reproduction, and their survival in case of imminent danger.
The Secret Doctrine (Vol. II, p. 590 – 1888 Edition) , talking about the “old Esoteric doctrine” teaches that :
“When the first ‘Seven’ appeared on earth, they threw the seed of everything that grows on the land into the soil. First came three, and four were added to these as soon as stone was transformed in plant. Then came the second ‘Seven’; who, guiding the Jîvas of the plants, produced the middle (intermediate) natures between plant and moving living animal.”
Watch : https://youtu.be/yWOqeyPIVRo
Read more : https://phys.org/news/2021-04-complex-world-resources-environments.html
Biology
Date : Mar., 2021
Source : QUANTA Magazine
An experiment in biology is opening up new territories for the understanding of living cells. Embryonic cells separated from their organism (African clawed frogs) seem to self-organize their structure and behavior, like strange living robots.
Why is this interesting? First, it shows that the DNA does not define the form, because the cluster of cells, bearing the same DNA than the original embryo, started to develop very differently. This takes us to the second point: the cells removed from the original embryo were presumably separated from the etheric double of the embryo, which is the one that guides distribution and organization of the different cells, and now had no model to follow. However, the cells showed some intelligence of their own as they developed in a very basic structure able to move around.
Read more: QUANTA Magazine
Earth Sciences, Geology
Date : Mar., 2021
Source : PHYS.ORG
A team of researchers found that plate tectonics operated differently before two billion years ago and they identified a 600 million years “super-continent cycle” started some two billion years ago. These super-continents existed before the Pangea, the first super-continent discovered by scientists early last century.
Read more: PHYS.ORG, GeoScienceWorld
Space Sciences, Biology
Date : Mar., 2021
Source : PHYS.ORG
Scientists are still trying to understand what LIFE is and how it started on Earth.
NASA is currently developing active programs to search for life on the Solar System planets and on exo-planets.
Life is defined by the NASA as :
« A SELF-SUSTAINING CHEMICAL SYSTEM CAPABLE OF DARWINIAN EVOLUTION »
The way scientists are looking at the beginning of life on Earth :
« FOUR BILLION YEARS AGO, SOMETHING HAPPENED… AND LIFE STARTED… A PROCESS OF RANDOM VARIATION IN THE STRUCTURE OF INHERITED BIOMOLECULES, ON WHICH WAS SUPERIMPOSED NATURAL SELECTION TO ACHIEVE FITNESS.
Mme Blavatsky said (Secret Doctrine, vol. I, p. 539 – 1888 edition) :
« The Principle of Life on the manifested (or our) plane is but the effect and the result of the intelligent action of the « Host » – collectively, Principle – the manifesting LIFE and LIGHT. It is itself subordinate to, and emanates from the ever-invisible, eternal and Absolute ONE LIFE in a descending and a re-ascending scale of hierarchic degrees – a true septenary ladder…”and religion.
Watch: YouTube
Read more: PHYS.ORG
History, Religion
Date : Jan.. 2021
Source : MSPI – Religions
A ceaseless conflict between science and religion seems to have always been there in public consciousness. It may have given birth to scientism – only the science can generate knowledge or rational belief. A study, analyzing specific myths related to the history of Christianity and Science, reached the conclusion that the real conflict is not between Science and Christianity, but rather between scientism and religion.
Read more: MDPI – Religions
Psychology, Philosophy
Date : Feb. 2021
Source : YouTube
A Dialogue between Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon on the Panpsychism paradigm.