Unity Center
 2041 Old Fanning Bridge Road, Mills River NC  28759
(828) 891-8700, 684-3798
Email: unity(at)unitync.net

Art, Science, and Creation

A few years ago, I took an Astronomy/Cosmology class in a Master’s program at UNC-A. In learning about quantum physics, I realized that the scientific search for the Higgs or “God particle” at CERN and Fermilab supported my inner belief (held since I was a child) that God was energy, and energy was everything in the universe. We were one with everything; God was in everyone and everything.

On an atomic level, particles and quarks represent a mini-universe of creation. On a molecular level, all matter on earth is a product of the stars. Deepak Chopra, in The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life, succinctly states on page 31: 

“All energy comes from one source and returns to it. When I look at a rose, a tiny flicker of infinity is rising from the source to experience itself.”

That theme of inner-connectedness has been a constant in my writings. The basic belief, “You create your own reality” and “thoughts are things” echo throughout the years of my writings, with a growing understanding that these beliefs are not judgmental; they are opportunities. We do not bring situations upon ourselves; we draw experiences for our higher purpose’s knowledge and growth.

Writing is an art of expression, a pathway to the self. It is a portal to our inner workings that helps us to clarify our thoughts into a semblance of reason. I use writing as my approach to the understanding and connection with the divine, whereas the potter uses clay, the musician notes, and the carpenter wood, to experience the glory of being.

Art and science are both tools that we use to shed light and understanding upon our world and our relation to it, and to convey such to others in our society. Both require thought, exploration, and technical skill. Both are vehicles to examine nature and discover the hidden beauty and laws that are inherent in it. Both require creative imagination to envision something not previously imagined: a new way of looking and seeing what others have not, or a new way of expression that allows the contemplation and understanding of others who view our work.

Since the Renaissance, art and science have been co-joined as society’s way to understand the universe, God, nature, man, and put them into perspective. Through science, we have foundation based on empirical fact that led to scientific method and discovery. It has given us understanding of our physical world, our mental workings, our cosmos, and our relationship to this world. Art has evolved from pagan representation of deities to personal experience of the divine. Art gives us joy and sorrow. Together art and science allow a world picture that helps us understand our society and our universe. They provide us with laws and beauty and a sense of safety in knowing that we are part of a whole, not alone. Combined, art and science empower us: they give us our humanity.

Art relies on science (light, linear perspective, re-creating nature in specificity) to build upon. The most outstanding distinction between art and science is that art selects qualitative material to express the artist’s viewpoint or understanding of culture. Science studies quantitative sense perception to unlock laws that lead to understanding of our physical or mental world.

Art appeals to the aesthetic, emotional and intellectual processes; whereas science disavows the emotional impact for emphasis on the intellectual.

Art, once created, has permanence as a representation of that place, time and culture. Science, on the other hand, advances with knowledge and technology.

Science makes order out of chaos; Art often uses chaos to stimulate or understand emotion. Scientific thought is approached through logic. Artistic expression is approached through the senses—“feeling it” so to speak.

Science offers explanation of reality. Art offers experience of the soul.

A kernel of scientific knowledge can open new ways for the artist to think about the world. In The Book of Secrets Deepak says:

“But what goes on inside the chrysalis remains deeply mysterious. The caterpillar’s organs and tissues dissolve into an amorphous, souplike state, only to reconstitute into the structure of a butterfly’s body that bears no resemblance to a caterpillar at all….Two hormones, one called juvenile hormone, the other ecdysone, regulate the process, which looks to the naked eye like a caterpillar dissolving into soup. These two hormones make sure that the cells moving from larva to butterfly know where they are going and how they are to change. Some cells are told to die: others digest themselves, while still others turn into eyes, antennae, and wings. This implies a fragile (and miraculous) rhythm that must remain in precise balance between creation and destruction. That rhythm, it turns out, depends on day length, which in turn depends on the earth’s rotation around the sun. Therefore, a cosmic rhythm has been intimately connected to the birth of butterflies for millions of years.” p. 23

Upon reading this, I realized that this miracle that allows cells to melt in complete chaos and reform as a butterfly is akin to our ability to heal ourselves or, perhaps, to slide unknowingly into illness. Deepak mentions this on page 26:

“In a healthy body, every cell recognizes itself in every other cell. When this perception goes awry and certain cells become 'the other,' the body goes on an attack against itself. This state is known as an auto-immune disorder, of which rheumatoid arthritis and lupus are devastating examples.”

In the spring, after many months of failing energy and feeling poorly, Ed was diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. Ed’s father was undergoing chemotherapy for lymphoma at 89, but remained positive and cheerful. Ed decided from the onset of his diagnosis to follow that path and expect to be healed.

Nightly, as we lay in bed, I pictured my energy surrounding him, lighting each chakra within his body and filling it with health. Friends offered prayers, a prayer shawl, and lots of love and support.

Chemotherapy was begun, but caused problems that required hospitalization, blood transfusions, and then cessation of the treatment. We were given a two month “wait-and-see” period.

In the interim, one of the students in Ed’s caseload (he is a Workforce Investment Act Case Manager) mentioned reading that the Mayo Clinic was doing a study on green tea extract as a treatment for CLL patients. After reading about the study online, Ed got an okay from his oncologist and ordered green tea extract (or EGCG in Polyphenon E) from Puritan’s Pride. He began with too high a dosage and experienced some nausea, so he cut back to a lower dose, increasing it gradually to the highest recommended level. His recent blood work has shown remarkable renewal of the blood cells.

His oncologist was frankly amazed. He printed the Internet article we told him about that was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology (volume 27, number 23, Aug 10, 2009) and was very excited to read their findings. The majority of the test patients had a reduction in the size of their lymph nodes and 20% had lower leukemia cell counts. He told us that in treating leukemia, we are on the crux of understanding how genetics can cause blips within our cells, and within the next few years we will learn how to treat each individual mutation. It is quite possible, he continued, that the mutant white cells which have been forming in Ed’s blood are not malignant, just some auto-immune quirk.

Ed will continue with the extract and have his blood monitored every 2 months. His color is good, his energy is high, and his outlook is outstanding. He is back to swinging a hammer and building for fun. He is appreciative of the huge outpouring of prayers and love from everyone we know. He is more focused on happiness and appreciation of every moment.

For us, it has been a time of realization of how precious life is, and how it must not be taken for granted.

P.S. The article in the oncology journal said they believe it may have positive aspects for breast, prostate, etc. from in vitro results, so is worthwhile for anyone who has cancer to know about! 

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