The Phenomenon of Consciousness and Its Role in Human Actions: A Mathematical Framework

ISJS

Series of 3 seminars on

Integrating Modern Science and Spirituality for Social Wellness:
A Challenge of 21st Century

Seminar "A"

Consciousness and Knowledge: Scientific and Spiritual Perspectives

Delhi

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Session III: 16.30-17.00

Abstract:

The Phenomenon of Consciousness and Its Role in Human Actions: A Mathematical Framework

While the quantification of Vedic Science in mathematical terms was long over due, the hard boundaries and conflicts prevailing among different schools of thought perhaps were the main hurdles in such developments. These schools of thought though appear to be different at first sight but did have their common origin and the same source of knowledge. It is only that at later times they became different for different cultural, geographical and political boundaries. In modern times, particularly after the scientific advancements, when these boundaries have become highly porous beyond one’s expectations, one can think of giving a better foundation to these ideas of Vedic Science in terms of mathematical reasoning, at least at the grass-root level that is common to all schools. Of course, with such a descriptive cover and reasoning, the Vedic Science will definitely find a place in the scientific mind of modern society. This will also be a step in the direction of its globalisation. Moreover, in comparison to the existing empirical methodologies followed in psychology, such developments will definitely provide better alternatives to study and predict the human behaviour and experiences in absolute terms via the dynamics of philosophical entities like mind, intellect and ego.

With this spirit, a modest attempt is made in this paper to “mathematize” the ideas of Indian philosophy about the Self, particularly when the later is amenable to description through a ‘patomic’ (philosophical atom-type) model of the human Being [1,2]. This model, basically accounts for the relative roles of various essences of life like worldly objects (WO), biological body (B), sense organs responsible for knowledge and action (SE), mind (M), intellect (I), ego (E) and soul(SO) in human actions. In fact, an attempt is made here to quantify and analyse the fundamental processes and the associated interactions involved [3] in human behaviour and experiences and defined in a domain beyond space and time. For this purpose, several ingredients from Vedic Science are freely and generously used. The pañci-karan rule, known for pañca mahabhutas in Vedic Science, is now generalized to the case of other essences of life. The evolution of the so called ‘mindset function’, M (m, i, e, q, t; s), as a function of several (subjective) variables including the meditation parameter, m, is investigated in two distinct (discrete and continuous) ways. Depending upon the development of the faculties of understanding of an individual, several stages of stability in this evolution process are discussed. It is noticed that these formulations are capable of providing explanations of several eternal facts prevalent in Vedanta philosophy.

1. Radhey Shyam Kaushal, ‘Human Being: From the point of view of a philosophical atom-type model’, Journ. Sci. & Ind. Res. (New Delhi) 49 (1990) 571-82.
   
2. Radhey Shyam Kaushal, “The Philosophy of the Vedanta: A Modern Scientific Perspective”, Sri Garibdas Oriental Series No. 179 (Sri Satguru Publication, Indian Book Centre, Delhi, 1994); Also see, ‘Patomic Model of Human Being in the Contextof Modern Science’, Ph. D. Thesis (unpublished), University of Delhi, 1998.
   
3. Radhey Shyam Kaushal, “The Science of Philosophy: Theory of Fundamental Processes in Human Behaviour and Experiences”, to be published by D.K. Print World, New Delhi, 2010 (in Press).