From quantum science to spiritual insight: exploring the evolution of inner and global development (Copy)
In this blog Alexander explores how the latest insights from quantum science and spirituality can fuel the evolution of our inner and global prosperity.
After managing a leadership program for executives he realizes that all the leadership initiatives that are out there, the movement on inner development goals, and all the books on moral ambitions are merely incremental stepping stones for the internal development we must undertake as humans to truly create a better world. He believes that the lesson for Homo sapiens, a species with a highly developed but still insufficient consciousness, is clear. If we wish to thrive, or even survive, on this planet, the consciousness of the majority of humanity must change.
Written by Alexander Arkadjevitsj Medik
In 2022, I worked at Partos, the Dutch association for development cooperation. I spearheaded an innovation program that catalyzed change across more than 100 development organizations. With great enthusiasm, I launched a 'leadership track' for the executives of these organizations. There was a two-fold necessity: achieving the sustainable development goals necessitates a proactive approach to our own inner development. Moreover, while extensive discussions on change occurred at political, organizational, systemic, and relational levels within the sector, there was a notable lack of emphasis on the crucial transformations needed at the individual level. The leadership track was successful, with many executives engaging in a variety of activities.
Living in a camper while traveling through Europe has given me ample time for reflection. As I observe the surge in leadership initiatives and the growing momentum behind inner development goals and moral ambitions, I recognize their importance. However, these efforts often reflect predominantly Western individualistic principles, which seem limited in scope and depth for the broader transformations I believe are necessary. This realization has propelled my curiosity to explore further into recent advancements in quantum physics and spirituality. These fields offer novel insights that are crucial for the profound internal development we must undertake as humans to truly create a better world.
During moments of rest, which I have in abundance, I read with great interest the work of systems scientist Ervin Laszlo. In 1968, European scientists established the Club of Rome to express their concerns about the future of our world. Initially, Laszlo joined but soon became frustrated by the lack of concrete change. He found the Club too elitist, lacking political and economic power, and sought a viable counterbalance with like-minded individuals. In 1996, he founded the Club of Budapest with the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Tutu, Jane Goodall, Paolo Coelho, and others. Their Manifesto for Global Consciousness outlines their objectives and routes to a global shift toward a more just, sustainable, and peaceful world, a shift that fundamentally requires a change in our consciousness.
Ervin Laszlo remarks in an interview, "Old beliefs include: we are all separate individuals; the value of everything, including people, can be expressed in money; nature is inexhaustible; the path to peace is through war." Or, as the Dalai Lama paraphrased: "People are made to be loved. Things are made to be used. The world is in chaos because we love things and use people."
New paradigms include: we humans form a whole and are mutually dependent on each other; the creation of new things for the sake of novelty leads to waste and overconsumption, and in some cases, only serves to complicate life, making it more stressful and unhealthy; the pursuit of non-material values such as peace, sustainability, connectedness, and well-being is part of a responsible planetary way of life. Thinking in terms of unity and abandoning our old patterns of thought lay the foundation for a different mode of action.
I once believed in the materialistic scientific (traditional) paradigm that mind and consciousness are creations of the brain. But through personal experiences and scientific evidence over the past decade, I have come to believe in a universal consciousness. Recent research in quantum science indicates that our brains are capable of such a global or quantum consciousness. Our brain not only receives information through our senses but also directly from the world around us, with which we are all connected – the universal consciousness. Sages, prophets, shamans, and certain scientists have long acknowledged the existence of a 'cosmic internet', known as the Akashic or A-field, which serves as the source of our intuition and inner knowledge.
From Ervin Laszlo's writings, I learn that Thomas Edison, the inventor of the lightbulb and much more, stated in 1911: "People say I have created things. I never created anything. I get impressions from the universe itself and work them out, but I am merely the writable plate of a recording device, or a receiver. Thoughts are indeed impressions that we catch from outside ourselves." Albert Einstein also recognized the significance of an 'inspiration' or something 'that comes to mind.' A fameus quote of Einstein is "No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it". For the rational skeptics, quantum science now provides scientific proof of that cosmic information field to which we all have access.
I am now beginning to realize even more that the major world problems have not arisen outside ourselves, as humans. Rather, they are the product of our ego, fear, cruelty, and greed; emotions that reside in every human heart, including my own. It is our insatiable hunger for wealth, power, and dominance – the exponential desire to always have more – that has dulled our consciousness and made us blind to reality.
When we look for solutions outside ourselves, we maintain the problems of our current generation. When something goes wrong in the world, we all look outside ourselves for someone to blame. There must always be a guilty party, an enemy, a scapegoat. We say things like: this religion, that culture, this country, that leader, this organization, that movement is the problem. Simultaneously, we seek a savior, someone or something to deliver the world from evil. We desire an external force – a leader, science, religion, or a new system – to resolve our issues.
No problem can be solved from the same level of consciousness that created it - Albert Einstein
We are almost willing to believe in any force except one – the force of our own profound consciousness. Ervin Laszlo, alongside many scientists, indigenous and spiritual leaders, views quantum consciousness as the next stage in the evolution of the human mind. Quantum consciousness brings us the realization that whatever we do to nature and to other people, we do to ourselves, a notion that major religions and world philosophies have long expressed in the 'Golden Rule.'
A more ‘popular’ explanation that is found on the web is that of Seva. We must shift our focus from ego to eco, and ultimately to seva. The ancient Sanskrit word ‘Seva’ (सेवा) is commonly translated as ‘service’—reflecting a commitment to being in service to a larger whole and giving more than one takes. Seva is a role that can only be performed with a relationship of love and humility to all entities in the environment’.
"Okay, but how?" I find myself wondering. "How can I connect with the 'universal consciousness'?" Laszlo suggests that it's crucial to pay attention to the messages from our own spiritual experiences, which we all possess. He advises learning from Eastern philosophies—such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism—that have taught humanity for thousands of years how to forge a connection with the 'universal consciousness.' Additionally, we should listen to ancient wisdom cultures and indigenous guidance, which underscore the importance of three critical questions when making meaningful decisions: How does it serve the individual? How does it serve the community? And how does it serve life?
In these turbulent and divided times, that sense of connection seems unimaginably distant. On a grand scale, it appears almost utopian. Yet, on a smaller scale, we observe that most people are good, capable of significant commitment to one another, and willing to help each other.And I.
While I navigate the bumpy roads of Croatia I come to realize that all the leadership initiatives that are out there, the movement on inner development goals, and all the books on moral ambitions are merely incremental stepping stones. Important, but incremental. The lesson for Homo sapiens, a species with a highly developed but still insufficient consciousness, is clear. If we wish to thrive, or even survive, on this planet, the consciousness of the dominant portion of humanity must change. That is a prerequisite for our species' continued existence here on Earth.
