Bridging the divide: The gap between Eastern and Western sciences

As you all know western science’s thinking pattern looks like a logical ladder based on experimentation, observation, and conclusion. They say there's “us” and then there's an “external world”, simply that's what all of us know. But is that the truth or is that what we feel is the truth? Are there any other ways we can think about this?

We generally think the brain, mind, and thinking are a collection of biochemical reactions and quantum changes. That gives the idea that the physical world is more realistic than the emotional world or what we think. What we think is an output of the physical nature of the world. In contrast, Eastern sciences believe the mind is superior to the physical world. That is where all those Eastern meditation techniques and concepts about consciousness come from. They say when you expand your consciousness to the next level you can do supernatural work. Looks like a big old lie, huh? But I have experienced similar situations in my own life. As I was learning Western medicine in an Eastern country I saw the contrast. There are Indigenous doctors in Sri Lanka who cure second-degree heart block by just giving some medicinal plants to the patient for a few weeks. My jaw dropped when I first saw those things.

The problem is with the perspective we see these incidents. In Eastern culture, they believe the mind is superior to physical reality so supernatural for you is natural for them. It's generalized for them that physical things can be manipulated by the mind’s performances. I've seen a spiritual healer who showed a tumor inside a patient's abdomen pointing his finger. At the time he did he was possessed, as they say. But when the patient did a scan there was such a tumor in the report too. The results were true.

Although these Eastern sciences give outputs there is not much of a logical process, the same reason why their performances are difficult to assess by the Western methods. However, the results are priceless. For the reason they cannot be questioned logically, many fake gurus are emerging in those subjects making it a nasty business.

So there might be a question for you, “how do these people think?”

Remember, most of us live believing that a physical world and a separate ourselves exist. But they think all those are connected. Let me narrow that down. Think that there's a table in front of you. Eastern people also see the same thing, they address it as an object for communication. But they believe or know that table is our opinion. Think again, if we sit on the table it is used as a chair. If we break it into pieces, that will be pieces of wood and if we assemble again it will be a chair. We can address it in whatever way we want, but it's our opinion. Then they thought about themselves and found that self is also nonexistent. Self is what we think of as self. We think by our mind. So this debate runs in philosophy for thousands of years.

Now I'm going to blend an interesting emerging topic, Emotional intelligence. In the logical and physical world-related Western system, consideration of the mind is secondary to physical aspects. That is why the modern world has gradually lost its grip on emotional literacy and that is the reason experts say that will be a major asset in upcoming decades. In contrast, original Eastern cultures have preserved that emotional part in their society. Recently some aspects of their knowledge have been added to Western knowledge, but its core is not considered much. With the high accuracy and efficiency of the physical world in Western sciences, if we use Eastern sciences to consider our emotional aspects, that will be a perfect combination.

Their core is the mind. So it must be used with its core instead of merely using a few meditation techniques to relieve some physical ailments. I used medical context as an example because I'm more familiar with that. But the words are meant for the whole human civilization. How do you think about this. I’m very enthusiastic to see your comments.