Genetics and Health

Let’s Talk Genetics, Health, and the Supernatural

by Hsien Hsien Lei, PhD on April 28th, 2006

Dear Readers,

I love all your comments even when you disagree with me. In fact, I often learn something new, such as the meaning of the noun “bright,” which apparently I am not.

But let me lay it out for you. I believe in science with my whole heart. BUT I am not so arrogant to think that we will ever be able to explain everything with science. The universe is too big and too complex.

In particular, science is not adept at explaining that special something about humans which distinguishes us from animals. That bit of “supernatural” outside the realm of science.

True. Genes are physical entities which build physical beings who have physical output. So, theoretically, we should be able to study it all systematically. The trouble is that science has a set way of going about it that should be objective and in the third person while much of what goes on, particularly in our mind, can’t be studied in that way. How can you be so sure there isn’t anything outside of genes and environment in determining who we are?

Here’s a quote about consciousness from the Dalai Lama’s The Universe in a Single Atom : The Convergence of Science and Spirituality (esp. for reader Walter):

But what about the direct observation of consciousness itself? What are its characteristics and how does it function? Does all of life (plants as well as animals) share in it? Does our conscious life exist only when we are aware of being conscious, so that in dreamless sleep, for example, consciousness may be said to be dorman, or even annihilated? Is consciousness composed of serial moments of mental fluctuation, or is it continuous but continually changing? Is consciousness a matter of degree? Does consciousness always need an object - something to be conscious of? What is its relation to the unconscious - not only the unconscious electrochemical events of the brain that are correlated with mental processes but also more complex and perhaps problematic unconscious desires, memories, and expectations? Given the highly subjective nature of our experience of consciousness, is a scientific understanding–in the sense of an objective, third-person account–ever possible?

I’ll leave you with this thought (which is in essence supernatural…can you ever measure the precise nature of thoughts?) but I’ll be sure to share more of the Dalai Lama’s perspective on consciousness and genetics as I make my way through his book.

Sincerely,
Hsien

PS You might be interested in another fantasy post I wrote a while ago - We All Have DNA.

PPS I’m not a particularly spiritual person, but every time I read a book written by the Dalai Lama to get a broader perspective on life, I find myself getting fuzzy.

Technorati Tags: dalai lama, buddhism, consciousness, genetics, health, genes, supernatural, disease, dna

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POSTED IN: General Genetics and Health, Genetics Book Reviews, Genetics Quotes