Borysenko: I think they are real. They clearly correspond to levels that people, such as the eastern yogis, have noticed in meditation. They have noticed that when they learn to control their energies fields to certain degrees, they develop different abilities, such as the yogic ability to leave the body, or to bi-locate and be present at two different places at once. Elmer Green has studied yogis who can stop their heart, or control blood flow to certain aspects of the body. These yogis are true mind-body researchers in terms of understanding those different aspects of their subtle energy field.
Modern medicine cannot begin to explore that yet because there are no widely accepted measuring instruments that measure subtle energy fields. There have been many attempts to do that, but as of yet the technology simply doesn't exist. From the point of view of medical science, all we can say is, "there is something to acupuncture which has to do with a system of subtle energy which runs through some tributary-like system that those in the east call meridians. When this energy is effected by acupuncture needles, then certain things happen that we can measure. But we can only say that something is going without saying what. Perhaps in the next decade or two we'll be able to find out more than that, but right now we simply don't have the ability.
DiCarlo: I am very struck by your boldness in articulating a world-view that conflicts with that of many people in our society. You touch upon seemingly taboo subjects--the soul, reincarnation, the human energy system, spirit guides and angels. What has been the reaction from those in the mainstream?
Borysenko: It's a fascinating thing for me to think about. On the one hand, perhaps I don't meet the mainstream that much. I have the sense that the physicians and psychologists who come to my workshops and speaking engagements are the ones who are more curious. So I don't know if I can truthfully answer that question other than to say that what we think of as the mainstream is certainly interested in much of these same topics these days. If you look at the best-seller list, you see books which delve into these subjects at the top of the list for a long time. There is certainly a tremendous interest in angels. What a resurgence. There was a cover story on angels in both Time and Newsweek recently. Even though what I am talking about may not be "mainstream" in terms of traditional psychology or traditional medicine, I think that it strikes a chord that most human beings wish to become more aware of.
DiCarlo: How would you react to those skeptical about the multi-dimensional aspects of reality that you describe?
Borysenko: I have very little response to the skeptics. Someone once told me this story that stuck in my mind when I was a medical scientist, and that was, that a battery of scientists can get together and tell you about all the scientific proof for the fact that bananas are bitter. But all you have to do is taste one once to realize that there is this whole other aspect to bananas. I think it's the same with skeptics. They are not reached by intellectual arguments, but by being touched in some way by the sacred.
That can happen to people in a number of ways. The way that it often happens to people is when their usual, "the way that things are" reality is cracked by coming across a period of crisis or suffering and then having to delve very deeply into the questions, "why me?" "who am I?" and "what's a life well lived?" That is the time when people often re-think these things. To put it in simple terms, "there aren't any atheists in foxholes."
Excerpted from the book Towards A New World View: Conversations At The Leading Edge with Russell E. DiCarlo. The 377-page book features new and inspiring interviews with 27 paradigm pioneers in the fields of medicine, psychology, economics, business, religion, science, education and human potential. Featuring: Willis Harman, Matthew Fox, Joan Boysenko, George Leonard, Gary Zukav, Robert Monroe, Hazel Henderson, Fred Alan Wolf, Peter Senge, Jacquelyn Small, Elmer Green, Larry Dossey, Carolyn Myss, Stan Grof, Rich Tarnas, Marilyn Ferguson, Marsha Sinetar, Dr. Raymond Moody, Stephen Covey and Peter Russell.
Russell E. DiCarlo is a medical writer, author, lecturer and workshop leader who's focus is on personal transformation, consciousness research and the fields of energy and anti-aging medicine. His forthcoming book is entitled "The Definitive Guide To Anti-Aging Medicine" (1998, Future Medicine Publishing). DiCarlo resides in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Copyright 1996. Epic Publishing. All Rights Reserved.