I think the following would be of interest to all:
<1>
Over the years many scientists, once they've realized I'm a safe person
to talk to, have told me about unusual and transcendent experiences they've
had. Usually I'm the first and only person they've ever spoken to about
their experiences, for fear of ridicule from their colleagues and adverse,
prejudicial effects on their career. Such fears have, unfortunately, too
much of a basis in fact. It's not that there are a lot of scientists with
nasty intentions deliberately trying to suppress their colleagues, it's
just the social conditioning of our times. I want to change that, and I
ask for your help in doing so.
<2>
Scientists today often occupy a social role like that of 'high priests',
telling laypeople and each other what is and isn't 'real', and consequently
what is and isn't valuable and sane. Unfortunately, the dominant materialistic
and reductionistic psychosocial climate of contemporary science (what sociologists
long ago named scientism, an attitude different from the essential process
of science), rejects and suppresses a priori both having and sharing transcendent,
transpersonal and altered states (or 'spiritual' and 'psychic', to use common
words, in spite of their too vague connotations) experiences.
<3>
From my perspective as a psychologist, though, this prejudicial suppression
and rejection psychologically harms and distorts both scientists' and laypersons'
transcendent (and other) potentials, and also inhibits the development of
a genuine scientific understanding of the full spectrum of consciousness.
Denial of any aspects of our nature, whatever their ultimate ontological
status, is never psychologically or socially healthy.
<4>
The Archives of Scientists' Transcendent Experiences (TASTE), that I have
just opened, is intended to help change this restricted and pathological
climate through the operation of a World Wide Web site in a journal form
which will allow scientists from all fields - from anthropology through
botany through mathematics through physics through psychology through zoology,
to name just a few - to share their personal transcendent experiences in
a safe, anonymous, but quality controlled space that almost all scientists
and the general public have ready access to.
<5>
Specifically TASTE will:
- allow individual psychological growth in the contributing scientists by
providing a safe means of expression of vital experiences;
- lead toward a more receptive climate to the full range of our humanity
in the scientific professions which, in turn, would benefit our world culture
at large;
- provide research data on transcendent experiences in a highly articulate
and conscientious population, scientists;
- facilitate the development of a full spectrum science of consciousness
by providing both data and support for the study of transcendent experiences.
- help bridge the unfortunate gaps between science and the rest of culture
by illustrating the humanity of scientists.
<6>
Please take a look at the TASTE site, whose URL is http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/tart/taste
(if the Psychology server is off line you can use www.issc-taste.org). If
you find it valuable, please pass this information on to friends and colleagues.
I have no budget for advertising and must depend on word of mouth to get
this information around.
If you have a web site of your own it would be suitable to link from to
TASTE, thank you! Feel free to copy one of the TASTE experiences as an example
on your web site if you like.
Thank you!
---------------------------------
Charles T. Tart, Ph.D., Editor
Professor Emeritus, Psychology, University of California at Davis
Professor, Core Faculty, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology, Palo Alto,
CA
e-mail <charlestart@worldnet.att.net>
(TASTE) http://psychology.ucdavis.edu/tart/taste/
Web Archives: www.paradigm-sys.com/cttart/
The Archives of Scientists' Transcendent Experiences,
www.issc-taste.org