By Archana Raghuram | Temples Books and Science YouTube Channel

In this super enlightening video, Archana Raghuram discusses the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger for proving that the universe is not real. Raghuram highlights the convergence of quantum physics and Vedanta, an ancient Indian philosophy, in describing reality as an illusion (Maya) and identifying the conscious observer (Sakshi) as central to the existence of the world. A summary of this video and the full transcript are below.

The Nobel Prize announcement appeared in Scientific American late last year:
The Universe Is Not Locally Real, and the Physics Nobel Prize Winners Proved It

The question is: What exactly does “not locally real” mean? Archana Raghuram answers that question in this video and provides even more details in this one:
What does REAL mean in physics | The Universe as per Quantum Physics & Vedanta | Nobel Prize | (Q&A)

Video Summary

In the first half of this remarkable video, Archana Raghuram discusses the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physics awarded to Alain Aspect, John Clauser, and Anton Zeilinger for proving that the universe is not real. Raghuram highlights the convergence of quantum physics and Vedanta, an ancient Indian philosophy, in describing reality as an illusion (Maya) and identifying the conscious observer (Sakshi) as central to the existence of the world.

RELATED POST: Understanding the Illusory Nature of Reality and the Reason for Suffering: Yogananda’s Insights and Personal Experience

Raghuram takes you through a step-by-step journey into the world of physics which has reached a convergence point with the conclusions of Vedanta – one of the most ancient philosophies of the world. She begins with Einstein’s theory of relativity, which demolished the idea of an objective reality by demonstrating that time and space are relative and depend on the observer’s perspective. This was the first significant challenge to the objective view of reality.

Next, Raghuram discusses the emergence of quantum physics, particularly the double-slit experiment, which showed that particles only exist when observed. This placed the observer at the center of reality. However, Einstein disagreed with quantum physics, specifically with the idea of entangled particles, which he described as “spooky action at a distance.” He believed that this aspect of quantum theory indicated that it was incomplete or wrong.

The search for entangled particles eventually led to their discovery, with experiments showing that they can communicate instantly across vast distances and even through time. Despite these discoveries, scientists could not automatically conclude that quantum physics was accurate. Two explanations were considered: either the bizarre behavior of entangled particles was real (proving quantum physics correct) or there was a hidden property of matter that could provide a logical explanation for their behavior.

The deadlock between these two explanations was resolved by the 2022 Nobel Prize-winning physicists who devised an experiment that confirmed the predictions of quantum physics. They demonstrated that particles billions of light years apart can instantly know each other’s state, proving the universe is not real and settling the argument in favor of quantum physics. This groundbreaking discovery aligns with Vedanta’s ancient teachings about the nature of reality.

In the second half of this video, Raghuram explores the convergence between quantum physics and Vedanta, focusing on the concept of Brahman, the consciousness principle that creates the universe, and its relationship to the observer. This convergence is supported by the Mahavakyas, the great sayings of Vedanta, which emphasize the unity of individual consciousness and the ultimate reality.

Raghuram begins by explaining that particles do not have a real existence until they are observed, and it is the act of observation that brings them into existence. According to Vedanta, the world exists because the observer sees it, and the universe is an illusion (Maya) created by the deluding power of consciousness. This idea may initially seem like a giant leap, but Raghuram presents a thought experiment to elucidate this point.

Raghuram uses the analogy of a dream to explain the relationship between Brahman and the universe, emphasizing that Brahman is only an observer or witness, not an active participant in the process. This concept is called Sakshi Chaitanyam in Vedanta, which means witness consciousness or observing consciousness.

In the experiment, the dreamer’s consciousness creates every object and person within a vivid dream. The people in the dream have their own experiences, but all of these experiences are ultimately the dreamer’s. The dreamer’s consciousness is undivided and experienced through each person in the dream. The dreamer and the people in the dream are essentially one and the same, despite the illusion of separation created by the deluding power of Maya.

The Mahavakyas, like “Tat Tvam Asi” (That Thou Art) and “Aham Brahmasmi” (I am Brahman), emphasize the oneness of individual consciousness and ultimate reality. This unity is illustrated in the thought experiment, where the dreamer’s consciousness is experienced through each person in the dream, highlighting the non-duality between the dreamer and the dream characters.

The paradox of quantum physics lies in the counterintuitive and seemingly contradictory nature of the behavior of particles at the quantum level, especially in relation to the role of the observer in bringing particles into existence.

The Mahavakyas help to explain the paradox of quantum physics by suggesting that the observer’s consciousness is not separate from the reality being observed. In this context, the seemingly paradoxical behavior of particles in quantum physics can be understood as a manifestation of the underlying unity of all things. When the observer and the observed are essentially one, the act of observation can be seen as an interaction between different aspects of the same non-dual reality.

In this way, the Mahavakyas provide a philosophical framework that can help reconcile the paradox of quantum physics by highlighting the non-dual nature of reality and the inseparability of the observer and the observed. This perspective suggests that the seemingly strange and counterintuitive phenomena observed in quantum physics are, in fact, reflections of the deeper unity and interconnectedness of all things.

In summary, the video highlights the convergence between quantum physics and Vedanta, particularly in relation to the concept of Brahman and the role of the observer. The Mahavakyas reinforce this convergence by emphasizing the unity of individual consciousness and ultimate reality, which is exemplified in the thought experiment and supported by the principles of quantum physics.

Raghuram recommends watching her playlists titled “Science and God” for a more detailed explanation of these concepts. You should also watch her playlist titled “Quantum Physics and Vedanta.”

TRANSCRIPT + NOTES

Hello and Namaste. I am doing this video with a sense of awe and excitement, and I hope you will share this feeling with me at the end of this video. The 2022 Nobel Prize for physics has been awarded to physicists who have proven that the universe is not real. Yes, you heard me right. The universe is not real. What is amazing is that this is just what Vedanta has been proclaiming for millennia: reality is an illusion – Maya. This Nobel prize-winning proof for quantum physics proves two fundamental principles of Advaita Siddhanta:

1) Maya – The world is not real.

2) Sakshi – It is a conscious observer or a witness that brings the world into existence.

These are not just superficial likenesses. Quantum physics and Vedanta overlap at a deeply fundamental level.

***** NOTE: Advaita Siddhanta is a school of philosophy within Hinduism that originated in India. It is also known as Advaita Vedanta, which means “non-dualistic end of the Vedas”. The term “Vedanta” refers to the philosophical part of the Vedas, which are considered the sacred scriptures of Hinduism. Advaita Siddhanta was founded by the Indian philosopher and theologian Adi Shankaracharya in the 8th century. According to this philosophy, there is only one ultimate reality, which is Brahman, and all other phenomena, including the individual self (jiva) and the world (jagat), are ultimately unreal or illusory (maya). The core principle of Advaita Siddhanta is the non-dualistic nature of reality, which asserts that there is no real distinction between the individual self and Brahman. The individual self is said to be an illusion caused by ignorance (avidya) and can be overcome through spiritual practice and realization of one’s true nature as Brahman. Advaita Siddhanta has had a significant influence on the development of Hindu philosophy and spirituality, as well as on the broader religious and cultural traditions of India. It has also attracted the attention of scholars and practitioners of other spiritual traditions around the world.

*****

In this video. I plan to do two things.

First I’ll take you through a step-by-step journey through physics, which has reached a point where it has converged with the conclusions of the most ancient philosophy of the world.

Second, I want to show you how the bizarre and paradoxical aspects of quantum physics can be easily explained by applying the principles of Advaita Vedanta. I hope you will stay with me till the end. This is a proud moment for all of us. Hundreds of years of scientific research has led back to the wisdom of our rishis.

This journey begins with Einstein. Before him, It was thought that the universe was an absolute reality. There was time and space which was all pervading and they had objective and independent existence. There can be no difference of opinion on how much time has elapsed and how far two things are in space anywhere in the universe. Einstein’s relativity demolished this notion.

It proved that time depends on the vantage point of an observer if you are moving close to the speed of light, time itself slows down for you. People traveling at different speeds will experience different times. Same is true for space too: different people traveling at different speeds will measure two points in space differently. Space itself shrinks and expands depending on the point of view of the observer. Relativity erased the distinction between what is and what appears. The observer was no longer a passive, non-consequential entity. He became central to the form and shape of the universe.

This was the first big blow to the objective view of reality. Einstein’s theory, however, did not claim that a conscious observer was essential to this process.

The next big blow was the emergence of quantum physics. There is a famous experiment called the double slit experiment in quantum physics, which proved that particles don’t exist at all until they are observed. It is the act of observation that brings particles into existence. Before someone makes the observation, a particle can only be thought of as a set of probabilities. A particle does not have any real existence until it is observed. This was the conclusion of the founders of quantum physics like Heisenberg and Neil Boer.

Quantum physics pushed the observer to the very center of reality. Ironically, it was Einstein who vehemently disagreed with the findings of quantum physics. He’s supposed to have famously remarked; “Do you really believe the Moon is not there when you’re not looking at it?”

There are many things about quantum physics that makes no logical sense. Einstein pointed out those things to prove that quantum physics is wrong. At the center of his argument was a set of really bizarre particles called entangled particles. Quantum theory predicted the existence of a special set of particles called entangle particles. You can think of entangled particles as twins who are mirror images of each other. They are inextricably linked and replicate each other’s every move. If one particle changes its behavior, the other will know this instantly and change its behavior, too.

Einstein described quantum entanglement as “spooky action at a distance.” He said that this prediction of quantum theory proves that there is something incomplete or wrong with it. It was predicting that particles have telepathy and communicate with each other. How can any scientist in their right mind accept such a conclusion? Einstein said that such particles could not possibly exist.

If particles that are billions of light years apart can know each other’s state instantly, it means that information is traveling faster than the speed of light. Einstein, Schrodinger and several other prominent scientists of that time published papers describing this paradox of quantum physics, which they claimed proved that there was something wrong with quantum physics.

After this paper was published, a search began in the scientific community for entangled particles. And, to everyone’s amazement, they were discovered. An experiment was carried out which proved that quantum entanglement is real. Two entangled particles can communicate with each other instantly.

Not only can they communicate through large distances in space, it also turns out that they can communicate across time. That is, they appear to be sending information to the past and future. Watch my video on the double slit experiment and entangled particles if you want to understand this better. I have provided a link in the description and at the end of this video.

The existence of these particles have been proven multiple times and are used in real life applications. In fact, entangled particles are key to the functioning of quantum computers. However, there remains some doubts about why these particles exist and behave the way they do. Just because entangled particles were discovered, the scientists could not automatically conclude that quantum physics was accurate. It is possible that we were missing out some hidden property of matter that is causing the entangled particles to behave the way they do.

Let me explain this with an analogy. You are watching a magician perform a series of incredible tricks. There are two possible explanations for this. He’s a real magician like Harry Potter and can perform magic using his wand. The second explanation is that he’s tricking you. you are not able to see what he’s doing so it looks like magic to you. In reality, it is not magic at all. If this trick is explained to you, it’ll make perfect sense. In this analogy, Harry Potter is equivalent to the quantum physics version of reality. If such bizarre and unexplainable behavior really exists, it proves that quantum physics is accurate. The universe is not real.

Now there is a second scenario: what if the magician is not Harry Potter. What if he is only a skilled trickster, making us believe that magic is happening when there is a perfectly logical explanation for the trick. This is the second explanation for entangled particles. It’s not that these particles are bizarre and their behavior beyond any explanation. It is just that we don’t understand them fully. If we understood their properties, we would be able to provide a perfectly logical explanation for their behavior without involving quantum physics.

For a long time, physics was deadlocked between these two explanations for entangled particles, which brings us to the physicists who won the 2022 Nobel Prize for physics this year: Alain Aspect, John Clauser and Anton Zeilinger. Until these physicists came along, there was no way to conclusively determine which of these two is the right explanation. Is it real magic or is it just a trick? These physicists devised an ingenious experiment which proved that quantum physics is absolutely right. Particles which are billions of light years apart, do in fact, know each other’s state instantly.

There is something spooky happening which defies explanation, thus settling the argument in the favor of quantum physics. They basically proved that the universe is not real. How mind-blowing is that?

WHAT IS REAL?

Now we have moved to a point in physics where nothing we previously knew makes sense. How can the universe not be real? Moreover, how is it possible that observers bring the universe into existence?

Physicists are toying with the idea that the very purpose of the universe was to create conscious observers. It is possible that until observers appeared, the universe did not have any shape or form. All these sound less like physics and more in the territory of metaphysics. Is it possible to make sense of these bizarre findings? I want to put forth to you that it makes perfect sense when you look through the lens of Vedanta. Like quantum physics, Vedanta says that the world is not real – it is only an illusion.

So what is real, then? What is causing the solution? The only thing that is real is consciousness. Consciousness is not a product or an emergent property of life, as science claims. Consciousness is the fundamental principle from which the whole universe emerged. Universe is created by consciousness. It exists in consciousness and resolves into consciousness. 

***** NOTE: Nobel Prize winning physicists also believe that consciousness is fundamental:

“I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness… Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” ~ Max Planck, who is known as “the father of quantum physics.” His discovery of energy quanta won him the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918.

“It was not possible to formulate the laws of quantum mechanics in a fully consistent way without reference to the consciousness of the observer. The very study of the external world led to the conclusion that the content of consciousness is the ultimate reality.” – Eugene Wigner, 1963 Nobel Prize Winner in Physics

*****

This consciousness principle, which creates the universe and pervades every aspect of the universe, is called Brahman. In Vedanta, there is a famous and oft-repeated example given to explain this concept. The universe is equated to a dream and Brahman to a dreamer. The relationship between you and your dream perfectly represents the relationship between Brahman and the universe.

***** NOTE: Brahman is a concept in Hinduism that refers to the ultimate, divine reality that underlies the universe. It is often described as an all-encompassing, infinite and eternal entity that transcends time, space, and individual identity. According to Hindu philosophy, Brahman is the source of everything in the universe and is the ultimate goal of human existence. It is believed that every living being is essentially a manifestation of Brahman and that realizing one’s identity with Brahman is the ultimate goal of spiritual practice. Brahman is also associated with the concept of Atman, which refers to the individual self or soul. In Hinduism, it is believed that the ultimate realization of the identity between the individual Atman and Brahman leads to liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara) and the attainment of ultimate spiritual enlightenment (moksha).

*****

Let us examine this relationship further. First, the entire dream is born in you, exists in you, and disappears in you. You create, sustain and destroy your dream. Brahman, the consciousness principle, operates in a similar manner.

Second, nothing that happens in your dream has any impact on you. What do I mean by this? You can win a lottery in your dream and you wouldn’t be richer by a penny. You can murder someone in your dream and you will not be punished for it. You are untouched by your dream, although it exists in you. This is true for Brahman, the consciousness principle.

The third and perhaps the most difficult relationship to understand is this: what is the real relationship between you and your dream world? I said before that nothing that happens in your dream is real for you. What is the one thing that happens in your dream which is true even when you wake up? Take a second to think about it. The only true relationship between you and your dream is this: you are the witness of your dream.

You observe your dream. This was true while you are dreaming and is true after you wake up. Why is this so important? Nothing can happen and nothing can exist in the dream world without you witnessing it. Think about it for a second. Can anything exist in your dream without you seeing it? In fact, the question itself is wrong.

The objects in your dream get their existence because you witness them. The very act of you seeing it brings things into existence in your dream, isn’t it? Again take a moment to think about it? Nothing can exist in your dream that you don’t see. It is your seeing that brings things into existence.

Brahman and the universe have similar relationship. Everything is born in Brahman, exists in Brahman, and resolves in Brahman. But Brahman is not an active participant in the process. It is only the witness of the universe. That is why Brahman is referred to in Vedanta as Sakshi Chaitanyam, the witness consciousness or the observing consciousness.

***** NOTE: Sakshi Chaitanyam, often referred to as Sakshi, is a fundamental concept in the Vedanta philosophy, particularly in the Advaita Vedanta school. The term “Sakshi” means “witness” or “observer,” and “Chaitanyam” refers to “consciousness” or “pure awareness.” Sakshi Chaitanyam can be understood as the witness consciousness or the pure awareness that observes everything without being affected or influenced by the experiences or objects being observed. According to Advaita Vedanta, the ultimate reality, or Brahman, is the only true existence, and everything else is an illusion (Maya). The self (Atman) is considered to be identical to this ultimate reality. However, the illusion of the world and the individual’s identification with the body, mind, and intellect create a sense of duality, making it challenging to recognize the true nature of the self. Sakshi Chaitanyam represents the unchanging, eternal, and pure consciousness that exists within every individual, separate from the body, mind, and intellect. It is the conscious observer that witnesses all experiences, thoughts, and emotions without being entangled or affected by them. The concept of Sakshi Chaitanyam emphasizes that this witnessing consciousness is the true nature of the self (Atman) and that realizing and identifying with this pure awareness leads to spiritual liberation (Moksha). In the context of this video, Sakshi Chaitanyam is closely related to the role of the observer in quantum physics. The video suggests that the observer’s consciousness plays a central role in bringing the world into existence, reflecting the fundamental principles of Advaita Vedanta.

*****

Now we have reached the second big convergence between quantum physics and Vedanta. Brahman. the consciousness principle that creates the universe, is only an observer, a witness, a Sakshi. Particles do not have any real existence until they are observed. It is the act of observation that brings particles into existence. Take a minute to absorb this.

Now you may say to me: “Wait a second. This is a giant leap. The all-pervading consciousness bringing the universe into existence cannot be equated to a puny little observer in a tiny little corner of the universe, bringing things into existence.”

The answer to this conundrum takes us to the very heart of Vedanta, the zenith of its teachings. Just like Einstein, let us do a small thought experiment. Let’s say you are having a vivid dream. It is your consciousness that has created every object in your dream. There are not only inanimate objects in your dream, there are also people in your dream. What about them? They don’t just exist, they are conscious beings. Where do they get their consciousness from?

Let’s say there are 10 people in your dream. Each person in your dream is having a different experience. Where do they get their sentience from? How is it possible for them to experience the dream world? Are they experiencing anything that you are not experiencing? If a person in your dream is watching the sunrise, it is your consciousness which has created the sunrise and you are seeing it through his eyes. He’s experiencing the sunrise because you are experiencing it. The experience of every person in your dream is your experience.  Take a minute to absorb this

Now ask yourself: how is this happening? Have you divided your consciousness into 10 different parts and distributed it to the 10 people in your dream? No!  You are one undivided consciousness experiencing your dream world through every person in your dream.

Now let us shift our point of view to the people in your dream. Each person experiences the world as if it is outside of him. They experience themselves as distinct individuals separate from everyone else. One person cannot see what the other person is seeing. Each of them is under the impression that they’re living in a tiny little corner of this world and they have limited power over it. This is just an illusion, an illusion, caused by the deluding power of your dream. This deluding power is called Maya in Vedanta – the power that deludes us into believing that this unreal world is in fact real.

There is only your consciousness shining through all the people in your dream. While you are dreaming, even you don’t know this. You are experiencing all the ups and downs of the world as though it is outside of you. You, the dreamer, is every person in your dream and every person in your dream is you. You have not divided yourself to become these multiple people in your dream. You remain undivided observing your dream, and this power of observation is reflected in every person in your dream.

Let me repeat: there is only one observer, one consciousness, which appears in every conscious being. Every observer in the dream world is you the dreamer. This is the final teaching of Vedanta – the culmination of all its knowledge. There is only one consciousness principle and it is you. The whole world is happening in you, you are Brahman, you create, sustain and destroy the universe. You are the sakshi, the witness of the entire world. The world exists because you see it. The world exists because you see it.

Can you see how this neatly explains the paradox of quantum physics? How is it possible for a puny observer in the laboratory to bring things into existence? It is possible because there is nothing puny about an observer. He is that all-pervading consciousness that brought the whole universe into existence.

See how well Advaita Vedanta perfectly explains these fundamental laws of quantum physics. Quantum physics says the universe is unreal. Vedanta says the universe is just an Illusion: it is Maya. Quantum physics says the observer brings things into existence. Vedanta agrees: the all-pervading witness consciousness, the Sakshi Chaitanya, creates the universe. It is the same consciousness that shines through every living being. It is impossible to ignore the uncanny similarities between quantum physics and vedanta.

If you want a more elaborate explanation for all the things I’ve spoken about in this video, watch my series, titled “Science and God“. In this series, I have called out all the things and signs which point towards an intention and intelligence behind the universe. In the 5th 6th and the seventh video of the series, I have explained quantum physics and vedanta in detail once again.

Thank you for watching. Please subscribe and press the Bell icon for reminders. Please share it with people who might be interested and who may have more insights on this subject.

Until next time. Namaste

Watch more great videos on Archana Raghuram’s Temples Books and Science YouTube Channel

Source: Gregg Braden Official

Gregg Braden joins John L. Petersen of the Arlington Institute for a discussion about the nonsensical demonization of carbon dioxide on the global stage.

Source: AE911Truth

On September 11, 2001, at 5:20 PM, the 47-story World Trade Center Building 7 collapsed into its footprint, falling more than 100 feet at the rate of gravity for 2.5 seconds of its seven-second destruction.

The Architects & Engineers for 9/11 Truth are pleased to partner with the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) in releasing the final report of a four-year computer modeling study of WTC 7’s collapse conducted by researchers in the university’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

We invite you to read the report and to watch Dr. Leroy Hulsey’s presentation at the UAF campus, where he first announced his team’s findings:

Read more great articles at AE911.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGYX7TV_kmQ

Source: Gregg Braden Official

Gregg Braden describes what it means to be posthuman, and answers the question: is it possible that we are living in a simulated reality?

See ALSO:
Glitches in the Matrix – Multiple Short Videos Showing We May Be Living in a Simulation; Plus How YOU Can THRIVE

A sketch of the timeline of the holographic Universe. Time runs from left to right. The far left denotes the holographic phase and the image is blurry because space and time are not yet well defined. At the end of this phase (denoted by the black fluctuating ellipse), the Universe enters a geometric phase, which can now be described by Einstein’s equations. The cosmic microwave background was emitted about 375,000 years later. Patterns imprinted in it carry information about the very early Universe and seed the development of structures of stars and galaxies in the late time Universe (far right). Credit: Paul McFadden

Source: Phys.org

A UK, Canadian and Italian study has provided what researchers believe is the first observational evidence that our universe could be a vast and complex hologram.

Theoretical physicists and astrophysicists, investigating irregularities in the cosmic microwave background (the ‘afterglow’ of the Big Bang), have found there is substantial evidence supporting a holographic explanation of the universe—in fact, as much as there is for the traditional explanation of these irregularities using the theory of cosmic inflation.

The researchers, from the University of Southampton (UK), University of Waterloo (Canada), Perimeter Institute (Canada), INFN, Lecce (Italy) and the University of Salento (Italy), have published findings in the journal Physical Review Letters.

A holographic universe, an idea first suggested in the 1990s, is one where all the information that makes up our 3-D ‘reality’ (plus time) is contained in a 2-D surface on its boundaries.

Professor Kostas Skenderis of Mathematical Sciences at the University of Southampton explains: “Imagine that everything you see, feel and hear in three dimensions (and your perception of time) in fact emanates from a flat two-dimensional field. The idea is similar to that of ordinary holograms where a three-dimensional image is encoded in a two-dimensional surface, such as in the hologram on a credit card. However, this time, the entire universe is encoded.”

Although not an example with holographic properties, it could be thought of as rather like watching a 3-D film in a cinema. We see the pictures as having height, width and crucially, depth—when in fact it all originates from a flat 2-D screen. The difference, in our 3-D universe, is that we can touch objects and the ‘projection’ is ‘real’ from our perspective.

In recent decades, advances in telescopes and sensing equipment have allowed scientists to detect a vast amount of data hidden in the ‘white noise’ or microwaves (partly responsible for the random black and white dots you see on an un-tuned TV) leftover from the moment the universe was created. Using this information, the team was able to make complex comparisons between networks of features in the data and quantum field theory. They found that some of the simplest quantum field theories could explain nearly all cosmological observations of the early universe.

Professor Skenderis comments: “Holography is a huge leap forward in the way we think about the structure and creation of the universe. Einstein’s theory of general relativity explains almost everything large scale in the universe very well but starts to unravel when examining its origins and mechanisms at a quantum level. Scientists have been working for decades to combine Einstein’s theory of gravity and quantum theory. Some believe the concept of a holographic universe has the potential to reconcile the two. I hope our research takes us another step towards this.”

The scientists now hope their study will open the door to further our understanding of the early universe and explain how space and time emerged.

By Jill Suttie | Greater Good Magazine

We are spending more time indoors and online. But recent studies suggest that nature can help our brains and bodies to stay healthy.

I’ve been an avid hiker my whole life. From the time I first strapped on a backpack and headed into the Sierra Nevada Mountains, I was hooked on the experience, loving the way being in nature cleared my mind and helped me to feel more grounded and peaceful.

But, even though I’ve always believed that hiking in nature had many psychological benefits, I’ve never had much science to back me up…until now, that is. Scientists are beginning to find evidence that being in nature has a profound impact on our brains and our behavior, helping us to reduce anxiety, brooding and stress, and increase our attention capacity, creativity, and our ability to connect with other people.

Related Article: The Frequency of Life: Getting Back to Nature For Good Health

“People have been discussing their profound experiences in nature for the last several 100 years—from Thoreau to John Muir to many other writers,” says researcher David Strayer, of the University of Utah. “Now we are seeing changes in the brain and changes in the body that suggest we are physically and mentally more healthy when we are interacting with nature.”

While he and other scientists may believe nature benefits our well-being, we live in a society where people spend more and more time indoors and online—especially children. Findings on how nature improves our brains bring added legitimacy to the call for preserving natural spaces—both urban and wild—and for spending more time in nature in order to lead healthier, happier, and more creative lives.

Here are some of the ways that science is showing how being in nature affects our brains and bodies.

1. Being in nature decreases stress

It’s clear that hiking—and any physical activity—can reduce stress and anxiety. But, there’s something about being in nature that may augment those impacts.

In one recent experiment conducted in Japan, participants were assigned to walk either in a forest or in an urban center (taking walks of equal length and difficulty) while having their heart rate variability, heart rate, and blood pressure measured. The participants also filled out questionnaires about their moods, stress levels, and other psychological measures.

Results showed that those who walked in forests had significantly lower heart rates and higher heart rate variability (indicating more relaxation and less stress), and reported better moods and less anxiety, than those who walked in urban settings. The researchers concluded that there’s something about being in nature that had a beneficial effect on stress reduction, above and beyond what exercise alone might have produced.

In another study, researchers in Finland found that urban dwellers who strolled for as little as 20 minutes through an urban park or woodland reported significantly more stress relief than those who strolled in a city center.

The reasons for this effect are unclear, but scientists believe that we evolved to be more relaxed in natural spaces. In a now-classic laboratory experiment by Roger Ulrich of Texas A&M University and colleagues, participants who first viewed a stress-inducing movie, and were then exposed to color/sound videotapes depicting natural scenes, showed much quicker, more complete recovery from stress than those who’d been exposed to videos of urban settings.

These studies and others provide evidence that being in natural spaces— or even just looking out of a window onto a natural scene—somehow soothes us and relieves stress.

2. Nature makes you happier and less brooding

I’ve always found that hiking in nature makes me feel happier, and of course, decreased stress may be a big part of the reason why. But, Gregory Bratman, of Stanford University, has found evidence that nature may impact our mood in other ways, too.

In one 2015 study, he and his colleagues randomly assigned 60 participants to a 50-minute walk in either a natural setting (oak woodlands) or an urban setting (along a four-lane road). Before and after the walk, the participants were assessed on their emotional state and on cognitive measures, such as how well they could perform tasks requiring short-term memory. Results showed that those who walked in nature experienced less anxiety, rumination (focused attention on negative aspects of oneself), and negative affect, as well as more positive emotions, in comparison to the urban walkers. They also improved their performance on memory tasks.

In another study, he and his colleagues extended these findings by zeroing in on how walking in nature affects rumination—which has been associated with the onset of depression and anxiety—while also using fMRI technology to look at brain activity. Participants who took a 90-minute walk in either a natural setting or an urban setting had their brains scanned before and after their walks and were surveyed on self-reported rumination levels (as well as other psychological markers). The researchers controlled for many potential factors that might influence rumination or brain activity—for example, physical exertion levels as measured by heart rates and pulmonary functions.

Even so, participants who walked in a natural setting versus an urban setting reported decreased rumination after the walk, and they showed increased activity in the subgenual prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain whose deactivation is affiliated with depression and anxiety—a finding that suggests nature may have important impacts on mood.

Bratman believes results like these need to reach city planners and others whose policies impact our natural spaces. “Ecosystem services are being incorporated into decision making at all levels of public policy, land use planning, and urban design, and it’s very important to be sure to incorporate empirical findings from psychology into these decisions,” he says.

3. Nature relieves attention fatigue and increases creativity.

Today, we live with ubiquitous technology designed to constantly pull for our attention. But many scientists believe our brains were not made for this kind of information bombardment, and that it can lead to mental fatigue, overwhelm, and burnout, requiring “attention restoration” to get back to a normal, healthy state.

Strayer is one of those researchers. He believes that being in nature restores depleted attention circuits, which can then help us be more open to creativity and problem-solving.

“When you use your cell phone to talk, text, shoot photos, or whatever else you can do with your cell phone, you’re tapping the prefrontal cortex and causing reductions in cognitive resources,” he says.

In a 2012 study, he and his colleagues showed that hikers on a four-day backpacking trip could solve significantly more puzzles requiring creativity when compared to a control group of people waiting to take the same hike—in fact, 47 percent more. Although other factors may account for his results—for example, the exercise or the camaraderie of being out together—prior studies have suggested that nature itself may play an important role. One in Psychological Science found that the impact of nature on attention restoration is what accounted for improved scores on cognitive tests for the study participants.

This phenomenon may be due to differences in brain activation when viewing natural scenes versus more built-up scenes—even for those who normally live in an urban environment. In a recent study conducted by Peter Aspinall at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, and colleagues, participants who had their brains monitored continuously using mobile electroencephalogram (EEG) while they walked through an urban green space had brain EEG readings indicating lower frustration, engagement, and arousal, and higher meditation levels while in the green area, and higher engagement levels when moving out of the green area. This lower engagement and arousal may be what allows for attention restoration, encouraging a more open, meditative mindset.

It’s this kind of brain activity—sometimes referred to as “the brain default network”—that is tied to creative thinking, says Strayer. He is currently repeating his earlier 2012 study with a new group of hikers and recording their EEG activity and salivary cortisol levels before, during, and after a three-day hike. Early analyses of EEG readings support the theory that hiking in nature seems to rest people’s attention networks and to engage their default networks.

Strayer and colleagues are also specifically looking at the effects of technology by monitoring people’s EEG readings while they walk in an arboretum, either while talking on their cell phone or not. So far, they’ve found that participants with cell phones appear to have EEG readings consistent with attention overload, and can recall only half as many details of the arboretum they just passed through, compared to those who were not on a cell phone.

Though Strayer’s findings are preliminary, they are consistent with other people’s findings on the importance of nature to attention restoration and creativity.

“If you’ve been using your brain to multitask—as most of us do most of the day—and then you set that aside and go on a walk, without all of the gadgets, you’ve let the prefrontal cortex recover,” says Strayer. “And that’s when we see these bursts in creativity, problem-solving, and feelings of well-being.”

4. Nature may help you to be kind and generous

Whenever I go to places like Yosemite or the Big Sur Coast of California, I seem to return to my home life ready to be more kind and generous to those around me—just ask my husband and kids! Now some new studies may shed light on why that is.

In a series of experiments published in 2014, Juyoung Lee, GGSC director Dacher Keltner, and other researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, studied the potential impact of nature on the willingness to be generous, trusting, and helpful toward others, while considering what factors might influence that relationship.

As part of their study, the researchers exposed participants to more or less subjectively beautiful nature scenes (whose beauty levels were rated independently) and then observed how participants behaved playing two economics games—the Dictator Game and the Trust Game—that measure generosity and trust, respectively. After being exposed to the more beautiful nature scenes, participants acted more generously and more trusting in the games than those who saw less beautiful scenes, and the effects appeared to be due to corresponding increases in positive emotion.

In another part of the study, the researchers asked people to fill out a survey about their emotions while sitting at a table where more or less beautiful plants were placed. Afterward, the participants were told that the experiment was over and they could leave, but that if they wanted to they could volunteer to make paper cranes for a relief effort program in Japan. The number of cranes they made (or didn’t make) was used as a measure of their “prosociality” or willingness to help.

Related Article: Creating Connection: Finding Balance Between Nature and Man.

Results showed that the presence of more beautiful plants significantly increased the number of cranes made by participants and that this increase was, again, mediated by positive emotion elicited by natural beauty. The researchers concluded that experiencing the beauty of nature increases positive emotion—perhaps by inspiring awe, a feeling akin to wonder, with the sense of being part of something bigger than oneself—which then leads to prosocial behaviors.

Support for this theory comes from an experiment conducted by Paul Piff of the University of California, Irvine, and colleagues, in which participants staring up a grove of very tall trees for as little as one minute experienced measurable increases in awe, and demonstrated more helpful behavior and approached moral dilemmas more ethically, than participants who spent the same amount of time looking up at a high building.

5. Nature makes you “feel more alive”

With all of these benefits to being out in nature, it’s probably no surprise that something about nature makes us feel more alive and vital. Being outdoors gives us energy, makes us happier, helps us to relieve the everyday stresses of our overscheduled lives, opens the door to creativity, and helps us to be kind to others.

No one knows if there is an ideal amount of nature exposure, though Strayer says that longtime backpackers suggest a minimum of three days to really unplug from our everyday lives. Nor can anyone say for sure how nature compares to other forms of stress relief or attention restoration, such as sleep or meditation. Both Strayer and Bratman say we need a lot more careful research to tease out these effects before we come to any definitive conclusions.

Still, the research does suggest there’s something about nature that keeps us psychologically healthy, and that’s good to know…especially since nature is a resource that’s free and that many of us can access by just walking outside our door. Results like these should encourage us as a society to consider more carefully how we preserve our wilderness spaces and our urban parks.

And while the research may not be conclusive, Strayer is optimistic that science will eventually catch up to what people like me have intuited all along—that there’s something about nature that renews us, allowing us to feel better, to think better, and to deepen our understanding of ourselves and others.

“You can’t have centuries of people writing about this and not have something going on,” says Strayer. “If you are constantly on a device or in front of a screen, you’re missing out on something that’s pretty spectacular: the real world.”

Image sources: Peter Morgan, Auyuittuq National Park

Source: Gregg Braden Official

In this video, Gregg Braden addresses reincarnation and simulated reality. Recently, supercomputer algorithms calculation showed that we are most likely living in a simulated reality rather than a virtual reality. If this is the case, then we need to ask ourselves – where exactly are we? Who created this simulation? And most importantly, why are we here?

Related article: Simulation Theory and “A Glitch in the Matrix” | Cynthia Sue Larson

Video Source: Gregg Braden Official 

In this Q&A episode, Gregg Braden addresses two questions regarding the difference between fractals and holograms, and what they mean in our lives…

On Jan. 15, 2022, the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano in Tonga erupted, sending a tsunami racing across the Pacific Ocean in all directions.

As word of the eruption spread, government agencies on surrounding islands and in places as far away as New Zealand, Japan, and even the U.S. West Coast issued tsunami warnings. Only about 12 hours after the initial eruption, tsunami waves a few feet tall hit California shorelines – more than 5,000 miles away from the eruption.

I’m a physical oceanographer who studies waves and turbulent mixing in the ocean. Tsunamis are one of my favorite topics to teach my students because the physics of how they move through oceans is so simple and elegant.

Waves that are a few feet tall hitting a beach in California might not sound like the destructive waves the term calls to mind, nor what you see in footage of tragic tsunamis from the past. But tsunamis are not normal waves, no matter the size. So how are tsunamis different from other ocean waves? What generates them? How do they travel so fast? And why are they so destructive?

Deep displacement

Most waves are generated by wind as it blows over the ocean’s surface, transferring energy to and displacing the water. This process creates the waves you see at the beach every day.

Tsunamis are created by an entirely different mechanism. When an underwater earthquake, volcanic eruption or landslide displaces a large amount of water, that energy has to go somewhere – so it generates a series of waves. Unlike wind-driven waves where the energy is confined to the upper layer of the ocean, the energy in a series of tsunami waves extends throughout the entire depth of the ocean. Additionally, a lot more water is displaced than in a wind-driven wave.

Imagine the difference in the waves that are created if you were to blow on the surface of a swimming pool compared to the waves that are created when someone jumps in with a big cannonball dive. The cannonball dive displaces a lot more water than blowing on the surface, so it creates a much bigger set of waves.

Earthquakes can easily move huge amounts of water and cause dangerous tsunamis. Same with large undersea landslides. In the case of the Tonga tsunami, the massive explosion of the volcano displaced the water. Some scientists are speculating that the eruption also caused an undersea landslide that contributed to a large amount of displaced water. Future research will help confirm whether this is true or not.

Tsunami waves travel fast

No matter the cause of a tsunami, after the water, is displaced, waves propagate outward in all directions – similarly to when a stone is thrown into a serene pond.

Because the energy in tsunami waves reaches all the way to the bottom of the ocean, the depth of the seafloor is the primary factor that determines how fast they move. Calculating the speed of a tsunami is actually quite simple. You just multiply the depth of the ocean – 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) on average – by gravity and take the square root. Doing this, you get an average speed of about 440 miles per hour (700 kilometers per hour). This is much faster than the speed of typical waves, which can range from about 10 to 30 mph (15 to 50 kph).

This equation is what oceanographers use to estimate when a tsunami will reach faraway shores. The tsunami on Jan. 15 hit Santa Cruz, California, 12 hours and 12 minutes after the initial eruption in Tonga. Santa Cruz is 5,280 miles (8,528 kilometers) from Tonga, which means that the tsunami traveled at 433 mph (697 kph) – nearly identical to the speed estimate calculated using the ocean’s average depth.

Destruction on land

Tsunamis are rare compared to ubiquitous wind-driven waves, but they are often much more destructive. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami killed 225,000 people. More than 20,000 lost their lives in the 2011 Japan tsunami.

What makes tsunamis so much more destructive than normal waves?

In the open ocean, tsunami waves can be small and may even be undetectable by a boat at the surface. But as the tsunami approaches land, the ocean gets progressively shallower and all the wave energy that extended thousands of feet to the bottom of the deep ocean gets compressed. The displaced water needs to go somewhere. The only place to go is up, so the waves get taller and taller as they approach the shore.

When tsunamis get to shore, they often do not crest and break like a typical ocean wave. Instead, they are more like a large wall of water that can inundate land near the coast. It is as if sea level were to suddenly rise by a few feet or more. This can cause flooding and very strong currents that can easily sweep people, cars and buildings away.

Luckily, tsunamis are rare and not nearly as much of a surprise as they once were. There is now an extensive array of bottom pressure sensors, called DART buoys, that can sense a tsunami wave and allow government agencies to send warnings prior to the arrival of the tsunami.

If you live near a coast – especially on the Pacific Ocean where the vast majority of tsunamis occur – be sure to know your tsunami escape route for getting to higher ground, and listen to tsunami warnings if you receive one.

The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcano severed the main communication cable that connects the people of Tonga to the rest of the world. While the science of tsunamis can be fascinating, these are serious natural disasters. Only a few deaths have been reported so far from Tonga, but many people are missing and the true extent of the damage from the tsunami is still unknown.

By Sally Warner, Assistant Professor of Climate Science, Brandeis University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Source: Mercola.com 

By Ruhr-Universitaet-Bochum | Medical Xpress

By Dr. Joseph Mercola | mercola.com 

Life in the cold can be difficult for animals. As the body chills, organs including the brain and muscles slow down.

The body temperature of animals such as reptiles and amphibians mostly depends on the temperature of their environment – but mammals can increase their metabolism, using more energy to warm their body. This allows them to live in colder areas and stay active when temperatures drop at night or during the winter months.

Although scientists know mammals can increase their metabolism in the cold, it has not been clear which organs or tissues are using this extra energy to generate more heat. Staying warm is especially challenging for small, aquatic mammals like sea otters, so we wanted to know how they have adapted to survive the cold.

We assembled a research team with expertise in both human and marine mammal metabolism, including Heidi Pearson of the University of Alaska Southeast and Mike Murray of the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Understanding energy use in animals adapted to life in the cold may also provide clues for manipulating human metabolism.

Sea otter metabolism

It is especially difficult for water-living mammals to stay warm because water conducts heat away from the body much faster than air. Most marine mammals have large bodies and a thick layer of fat or blubber for insulation.

Sea otters are the smallest of marine mammals and do not have this thick layer of blubber. Instead, they are insulated by the densest fur of any mammal, with as many as a million hairs per square inch. This fur, however, is high maintenance, requiring regular grooming. About 10% of sea otters’ daily activity involves maintaining the insulating layer of air trapped in their fur.

Dense fur is not enough, by itself, to keep sea otters warm. To generate enough body heat, their metabolic rate at rest is about three times higher than that of most mammals of similar size. This high metabolic rate has a cost, though.

To obtain enough energy to fuel the high demand, sea otters must eat more than 20% of their body mass in food each day. In comparison, humans eat around 2% of their body mass – about 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms) of food per day for a 155-pound (70 kg) person.

Where does the heat come from?

When animals eat, the energy in their food cannot be used directly by cells to do work. Instead, the food is broken down into simple nutrients, such as fats and sugars. These nutrients are then transported in the blood and absorbed by cells.

Within the cell are compartments called mitochondria where nutrients are converted into ATP – a high-energy molecule that acts as the energy currency of the cell.

The process of converting nutrients into ATP is similar to how a dam turns stored water into electricity. As water flows out from the dam, it makes electricity by spinning blades connected to a generator – similar to wind turning the blades on a windmill. If the dam is leaky, some water – or stored energy – is lost and cannot be used to make electricity.

Similarly, leaky mitochondria are less efficient at making ATP from nutrients. Although the leaked energy in the mitochondria cannot be used to do work, it generates heat to warm the sea otter’s body.

All tissues in the body use energy and make heat, but some tissues are larger and more active than others. Muscle makes up 30% of the body mass of most mammals. When active, muscles consume a lot of energy and produce a lot of heat. You have undoubtedly experienced this, whether getting hot during exercise or shivering when cold.

To find out if muscle metabolism helps keep sea otters warm, we studied small muscle samples from sea otters ranging in size and age from newborn pups to adults. We placed the muscle samples in small chambers designed to monitor oxygen consumption – a measure of how much energy is used. By adding different solutions that stimulated or inhibited various metabolic processes, we determined how much energy the mitochondria could use to make ATP – and how much energy could go into a heat-producing leak.

We discovered the mitochondria in sea otter muscles could be very leaky, allowing otters to turn up the heat in their muscles without physical activity or shivering. It turns out that sea otter muscle is good at being inefficient. The energy “lost” as heat while turning nutrients into movement allows them to survive the cold.

Remarkably, we found newborn pups have the same metabolic ability as adults, even though their muscles have not yet matured for swimming and diving.

Broader implications

Our research clearly demonstrates that muscle is important for more than just movement. Because muscle makes up such a large portion of body mass, even a small increase in muscle metabolism can dramatically increase how much energy an animal uses.

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This has important implications for human health. If scientists discover ways to safely and reversibly increase skeletal muscle metabolism at rest, doctors could possibly use this as a tool to reduce climbing rates of obesity by increasing the number of calories a patient can burn. Conversely, reducing skeletal muscle metabolism could conserve energy in patients suffering from cancer or other wasting diseases and could reduce food and resources needed to support astronauts on long-duration spaceflight.

By Traver Wright, Research Assistant Professor of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University; Melinda Sheffield-Moore, Professor of Health and Kinesiology, Texas A&M University, and Randall Davis, Regents Professor, Department of Marine Biology, Texas A&M University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

By Lund University | Science Daily

Our DNA is very similar to that of the chimpanzee, which in evolutionary terms is our closest living relative. Stem cell researchers at Lund University in Sweden have now found a previously overlooked part of our DNA, so-called non-coded DNA, that appears to contribute to a difference which, despite all our similarities, may explain why our brains work differently. The study is published in the journal Cell Stem Cell.

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