Science & Mysticism: The Benefits of Both
It is ‘the highest eminence…that it is possible to achieve in the world of thought.’
Metaphysics, or the attempt to conceive the world as a whole by means of thought, has been developed, from the first, by the union and conflict of two very different human impulses, the one urging men towards mysticism, the other urging them towards science. - Bertrand Russell, Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays
I was out in the world, walking the streets, not really doing anything, too restless to stay home and too braindead to work. Just walking. When a thought somehow punctured through the fog that clouded my mind after a day of mind-numbing drudgery. It was a voice unlike my own and it spoke a singular sentence. The words that it spoke were not a linear continuation of my thoughts, but rather they came in at an angle as though being told to me, not from me. An interrupting voice speaking from somewhere within.
It spoke a simple line. It said, ‘your existence has been greatly exaggerated.’
In some deep and difficult to articulate way, I knew what it meant. It was something like, you are taking yourself way too seriously, life is just a ride, it’s supposed to be experienced, to be enjoyed. Instantly I understood, and in this understanding, I experienced a mixture of peace and laughter. The unnecessary distress, which had plagued me only moments ago, dissolved. It was a moment of insight, mystical in nature.
When talking about mysticism in his essay Mysticism and Logic first published in 1910, Bertrand Russell states:
The mystic insight begins with the sense of a mystery unveiled, of a hidden wisdom now suddenly become certain beyond the possibility of a doubt. The sense of certainty and revelation comes earlier than any definite belief. The definite beliefs at which mystics arrive are the result of reflection upon the inarticulate experience gained in the moment of insight.
The moment of insight. This is at the heart of the mystical experience. Everyone has moments of insight, whether profound or parochial, ideas come to us, often at strange times, and often in strange ways that make it difficult to say exactly where they came from - the subconscious mind hard at work, or gifts from the gods.
It is an experience of deep connection with the world and in some way deeply human, though there is a danger of overreliance on mystical thought that should likely be tempered with a scientific and rational understanding.
Reason is a harmonising, controlling force rather than a creative one. Even in the most purely logical realm, it is insight that first arrives at what is new.
- Bertrand Russell, Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays
Being open to moments of insight is an attitude that can be cultivated. A mystical mindset can help. There is a brilliant TED Talk by Elizabeth Gilbert where she discusses the notion of the muse, divine inspiration that will sometimes visit us, and if we are in a position to convey its message, guitar in hand, notebook at the ready, or laptop open, then hallelujah.
The muse is a mystical idea. One that cannot be quantified by science, however the experience of being visited by the muse, the setting and mindset that allows inspiration to strike and the artistic expression that is fulfilled from that visitation can all benefit from reflection. Mysticism provides the insight, reason and understanding to help build that initial spark into a piece of art.
Bertrand Russell, again in his brilliant essay Mysticism and Logic, said, ‘the greatest men who have been philosophers have felt the need both of science and of mysticism: the attempt to harmonise the two was what made their life, and what always must, for all its arduous uncertainty, make philosophy, to some minds, a greater thing than either science or religion.’
Mysticism can sound pretty whacky. Especially in a time where the benefits of a more scientific approach are so undeniable. There are miracles all around us, from supercomputers in our pockets, to planes in the skies, and skyscrapers imperiously looking down upon us, but we don’t feel that any of these miracles came from mysticism, they all came from science.
Science is our god now, a god that seems to negate its own existence, though the line is far more blurred than that.
When we combine Science and Mysticism we get, as Bertrand Russell claimed, ‘the highest eminence…that it is possible to achieve in the world of thought.’ And all of the miracles that we ascribe to science, our phones, air travel, and skyscrapers all entered the world as a thought, an idea, and a gift from the platonic world of ideas that is perhaps more real than Reality.
The Balance of Science and Mysticism
When Bertrand Russell spoke of Scientific Mysticism, the Welsh polymath knew what he was talking about, being prolific in the fields of metaphysics, logic and the philosophy of mathematics, the philosophy of language, ethics and epistemology, he valued the mystic and he dedicated his life to science and philosophy.
If one is mystically inclined, there is an appealing danger to run wild into fantastical notions of magic and mystical possibility, to not only entertain unprovable ideas but begin to believe in them. In science, there is very little certainty and a scientific attitude will help prevent someone from slipping too far into delusional thought, though a strict scientific outlook can feel robotic, reducing everything down and explaining everything away. There are some things we cannot explain, things we will never understand, and the mystery makes life better.
I yet believe that, by sufficient restraint, there is an element of wisdom to be learned from the mystical way of feeling, which does not seem to be attainable in any other manner. If this is the truth, mysticism is to be commended as an attitude towards life, not as a creed about the world.
- Bertrand Russell, Mysticism and Logic and Other Essays
P.S. Further reading: the full essay Mysticism and Logic, by Bertrand Russell can easily be found as a PDF online, it is a beautifully written and brilliant essay.