Centered Scientists' Place in the Paradigm Shift - CiteSeerX

Journal of Black Studies44(4) 395 –405

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Reaffirming African-Centered Scientists’ Place in the Paradigm Shift: Stolen Legacy II

Lennell R. Dade1

AbstractUsing research findings from spiritual healing to remote viewing and the limitations of the Newtonian model that characterize science, new age scientists are working to shift the current paradigm. However, a closer inspection reveals that they are working toward a shift that is not only reminiscent of what Africa has already given to the world but also of what contemporary African-centered scientists have been working toward recreating/creating. New age scientists acknowledge neither ancient Africa nor current-day African-centered scientists. This omission has left the story incomplete and for erroneous conclusions to be drawn. As in the past and documented by James in his book Stolen Legacy, a theft of science is once again occurring. African-centered scientists must move to familiarize themselves with such efforts so that they might take their rightful place in the paradigm shift and help steer it in the proper direction.

Keywordsparadigm shift, sacred science, stolen legacy, metaphysics

It is said that “everything old is new again” and how true this is. There is a body of new age scientists hailing from various professional fields who are

1Lincoln University, PA, USA

Corresponding Author:Lennell R. Dade, Department of Psychology, Lincoln University, 1570 Baltimore Pike, PA 19352, USA.Email: [email protected]

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396 Journal of Black Studies 44(4)

collectively challenging the current scientific paradigm. Anchoring them-selves in the scholarly works of quantum mechanics and quantum physics and bringing even religious scholars from various persuasions, they are in a combined interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary endeavor attempting to bring about a paradigm shift. All together, these scientists are not only speaking to the findings as are related to research on spiritual healing, remote viewing, Extrasensory Perception(ESP), and the like but also to the limita-tions of the Newtonian model that currently characterize science (Arntz, Chasse, & Vicente, 2005).

Specifically, these scientists speak to the early challenges to religious doc-trine made by Copernicus, Galileo, and others. These challenges were not only seen as an affront to religious leaders and the church but also to God himself. Church officials deemed those who engaged in such challenges as blasphemers deserving of punishment and it was during the European church’s inquisition that many of these early European scientists were silenced (e.g., killed or jailed; Arntz et al., 2005).

Arntz et al. (2005) suggested that Descartes is seen as providing what might be considered the prefect solution to what some have characterized as a “power struggle” between the church and early European scientists. Descartes promoted a division with religion maintaining “stewardship” in relation to the metaphysical sphere and science the material world; thus, allowing religion and science to each have their own territory and dogma. Later building upon his predecessors’ work, Newton added to the newly burgeoning paradigm, mathematical precision, and it is this “scientific mathematical model” that has reigned over what is scientific versus that which is pseudoscientific and/or religious, up and until today (Arntz et al., 2005). Using this scientific mathe-matical paradigm, scientists have over the last 300 hundred years created vol-umes of theory and research (i.e., dogma), degreed scores of “initiates” who despite Descartes’s attempted separation are still engaged in battle with the church, and, also, now engaged in a major internal fight.

Contemporary Struggle

Scientists Versus Religious Leaders

There were still many issues over which the two camps disagreed and deci-sions about who would reign as supreme in venues where they both dwelled (e.g., schools). In the context of the United States of America, for example, the split and ultimate partitioning of the church (i.e., the spiritual realm) from the material world has probably reached its highest level through leg-islation. The separation of church and state has resulted in the church, the



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spirit, being fundamentally removed from everything and, in turn, the legal system, which by the way is also beholden to the scientific paradigm, being appointed as the arbitrator between the material world and religion. And, thus, with the arm of the law, the tides have turned. Religious leaders (i.e., God) and their doctrine have been subdued and scientists and their research now reign supreme.

Scientists Versus Scientists

The internal fight, as it is scientist against scientist, is much more conten-tious. The microscope under which it places the scientific mathematical para-digm brings a level of scrutiny to the paradigm and science, in general, that religious challengers have not been able to achieve. It is as if the paradigm, the field of science, is imploding. New age scientists are challenging not only what has been presented as scientific fact but also the paradigm upon which these so-called facts are anchored.

For the new age scientists, the beginning of the fundamental problem that plagues the current paradigm is the Cartesian split that allowed Newton to bring in his mechanical approach to reality. Newton attempted to set in motion a process by which “every-thing” material could be measured; thus, making “every-thing” predictable and controllable. The post-Newtonians went far beyond the separation of the material from spiritual. These later scientists kill God altogether, inside and outside of science (Arntz et al., 2005).

This new scientific mathematical paradigm directly and along with its newly added connotations (i.e., atheism) caused a fundamental shift to occur in how scientists as well as laymen viewed themselves and the material real-ity (e.g., world, universe, and everything in it; Arntz et al., 2005). The para-digm became the “new religion,” the new “God,” and has simultaneously aided in and legitimized the exploitation, destruction, and attempted domina-tion of the earth, the universe, and “every-thing” in it (peoples and material included) by those who would be the gatekeepers of science and their adherents.

Metaphysical Research

New age scientists have also put forth starling research findings that not only challenge long-standing scientific facts but also the underlying paradigm itself. Quantum physicists suggest that certain fundamental particles can exist as either an energy wave or particulate matter creating what is called a dual existence (Braden, 2007). Quantum physicists further suggest that the observer’s expectation influences the “behavior” of these particles (Braden,




2007). And of course, as Braden (2007) stated, the interest is not in these minute particles but in the fact that everything in the universe is made of particles and, thus, the implications. It is also worth noting that Braden is one of the theorists who conceptualized “existence” as a divine matrix of which humans are both a part of and creators of simultaneously.

Emoto (2003) suggested that water “experiences” wave fluctuations he calls “hado.” Hado affects the water quality and shape that water crystals form when frozen. Through experimentation, Emoto showed how positive or negative hado can be transmitted to water effecting its crystallization. When positive words (e.g., thank you) were taped to a bottle, the crystallization formed was hexagonal in shape and pleasing to the eye. However, when neg-ative words (e.g., you fool) were attached, the crystallization formed was distorted and not at all pleasing to the eye. Given that all things have hado, researchers then connect such findings to the thoughts of people and the effect on the individual and the universe in general (Emoto, 2003).

Hagelin, a physicist, led a research team in the summer of 1993 investigat-ing the impact of group mediation on the number of violent crimes commit-ted in Washington, D.C. (Hagelin et al., 1999). Over 4,000 transcendental mediators from around the world came to the capital area to participate in group Transcendental Mediation. Results indicated that during the 8-week period in which the study took place, violent crimes decreased by 23% and then following the experiment, violent crime levels returned to their normal statistical rates (Hagelin et al., 1999).

Similarly, McTaggart (2007) reviewed and conducted experimentation on the phenomena of group consciousness. She cited findings from researchers using random-event generator (REG) machines that were run during various events with participants who were together engaged in focused attention. Findings suggested “multiple minds holding the same intensely felt thought created some kind of deviation from the norm on the equipment” (McTaggart, 2007, p. 179). She reported that these devices have been left running in various locations throughout the world (e.g., FieldREG) and that data are available in relation to 9/11. McTaggart reported that the data not only showed “unprecedented” evidence of group consciousness felt at the time that the twin towers were hit but then also prior to and after. This was in addition to the machines themselves show-ing the largest correlation. Researchers concluded that such data are sug-gestive of a collective global response during the event and, also an anticipatory one (termed a psychokinetic effect), a few hours before and then several days thereafter. McTaggart stated that the researchers involved are highly respected and independent physicists and have reported their findings in prestigious journals.



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Then there is a practitioner by the name of Bartlett who published a book in 2007 in which he described and provided testimonials to the use of touch along with focused intention to heal patients physically, mentally, and spiritu-ally. Bartlett’s method involves reaching back in time to healthy states and bringing those states forward into the present moment achieving amazing transformations. He has led seminars teaching people his method and how to heal themselves.

Finally, Braden (2007) revealed that during the end of the Cold War, the United States and Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) spent great sums of money on studies related to remote viewing. The goal was to see whether psychic methods could be used to “surf” the “matrix” and see into distant lands and especially “enemy” targets. Empaths were trained by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to describe in great detail what they had viewed after focusing their minds on “classified locations.” Dubbed the “scan by coordinate” program (i.e., SCANATE), it is this research that laid the foundation for similar research that was later conducted on remote viewing at Stanford Research Institute.

Science and New Age Scientists’ Persistence

As the current scientific paradigm has failed to explain “new age” research findings and is not capable of forwarding such studies, the paradigm has proven to be quite limited and limiting. In addition, the paradigm has proven to be part and parcel of the problems that are faced by humans all over the globe, the problems as are related to the planet that humans inhabit, earth, as well as the entire universe.

Despite the critique and unquestionably strong challenges to the scientific paradigm, scientists are nevertheless resistant to change. And just as in the past when religious leaders utilized their power to silence scientists, scientists are utilizing their power to silence new age scientists among their ranks (Arntz et al., 2005). Ironically, it is scientists who are engaging in unscientific behaviors and surprisingly behaviors that are contrary to the implicit rules that they have forged and accepted to assist in the forwarding of scientific theory and research. In other words, scientists are working against their own interests of furthering science.

Richards (1979a) in an article titled, “The Ideology of European Dominance” provided an interesting explanation as to why she believed scientists would tenuously hold onto a paradigm that retards its own growth and possibly engage in the “slaughtering” of their fellow scientists (i.e., new age scientists). Richards suggested that the current paradigm was used to forward European Imperialism and is still used to help maintain world domination by today’s Western powers.




It is this scientific mathematic paradigm that under the guise of science has forwarded Western European cultural superiority as the only and best way to view reality and one’s self (Akbar, 1985; Bulhan, 1985).

Toward resolving the limitations as well as the problems that the scientific mathematical paradigm has caused, new age scientists have begun to move in a familiar and most logical direction. Although not specifically stated, it appears that new age scientists are moving in a direction to make whole the split and to remove the research methodological restrictions placed by the Newtonian model (Arntz et al., 2005).

However, if one looks closely, it appears that these new age scientists are calling for what Africa has already given to the world, a sacred scientific para-digmatic perspective. Many of the criticisms of these new age scientists are uncannily similar to the challenges that have been presented by African-centered scientists, particularly psychologists, over the past several decades. In addition, this movement is similar to the wellsprings from which African-centered psychological scholars anchor themselves to build the so-called Afrocentric paradigm. And so, again, just as George James (1954/1992) noted nearly 60 years ago in relation to the thrift of African intellectual property by Europeans, Western Europeans are in the process of “stealing” the intellectual property of African people to help create the current paradigm shift.

Stolen Legacy: Part II

Undoubtedly, Africa is the origin of life. It is the beginning of all that is known of humankind and, as such, it is the first place to look for guidance on any subject. This is especially true of the subject matter at hand, sacred sci-ence. Jackson published an essay in 1939 titled, Ethiopia and the Origin of Civilization where he credits the Ethiopians as giving to the world religion, language, government, science, and most everything else that is associated, even today, with advanced civilization. Quoting Samuel Laing, Jackson (1939) declared,

. . . of certainly not less than 8,000 and more probably 9,000 or 10,000 years, from the present time; and in each case we find ourselves at this remote date, in the presence, not of rude beginnings, but of a civilization already ancient and far advanced. (p. 32)

As evidence of their travels is abundant, Jackson suggested that the Ethiopians civilized the world. Traces of Ethiopian civilization can be found in the religions, languages, and many other aspects of a multitude of societies throughout the world.



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Kemet, the daughter of Ethiopia, has been written about extensively. Schwaller de Lubicz, author of Sacred Science (1961) and The Temple in Man (1977), illustrated in these works both the deep spiritual understanding of the Kemetians and their ability to manifest this understanding on a mate-rial level. In Scared Science, Schwaller de Lubicz discussed the truly spiritual nature of everything that was Kemetian. It is in this book that he documented the inextricable nature of the sacred and the secular. He also documented according to the Kemetians the necessary presence of spirit for continued growth and development in every aspect of society/civilization. The Temple in Man represents the pinnacle material expression of this sacred science. It is the ultimate illustration of the manifestation of sacred science. In the con-text of hundred and something odd pages, Schwaller de Lubicz was able to explain in an intricate detail the material manifestation in man and in archi-tecture and their spiritual interconnection all at once. It is a monumental accomplishment both for the Kemetians representing the highest understand-ing of spirit dwelling in the material world and also for Schwaller de Lubicz to interpret. Kemet as taught by its mother embodied the sacred scientific paradigm completely and on every level.

Sacred Science Across the Continent

Similar philosophical systems are common throughout the continent of Africa. Just across the way, specifically in West Africa, Mbiti has written several books speaking to African cosmology and ethos (e.g., Mbiti, 1989). Mbiti’s work has been the underlying influence in the development of a phil-osophical backdrop that is used to anchor African-centered psychology. In a chapter titled “African Philosophy: Foundations for Black Psychology,” Nobles (1991) shared the two components of African ethos as adapted, in part, from Mbiti: oneness with nature and survival of the group.

Oneness with nature expresses the belief that all which exists share a con-nection. This includes human beings, animals, plants, and all that exists in the physical world and the spiritual world. A connection is shared because all that exists emanate from the same source—the same Divine source. This means that the core, the essence, of everything in existence is divine. It is this Divine source that provides the “energy” within all that allows for their physical manifestation and/or spiritual existence. Thus, not only is all that is in physi-cal or spiritual existence connected but also everything is then connected to the Divine source creating a oneness.

An understanding of the oneness of nature leads to an understanding of the survival of the group. For if everything in existence emanates from the same source and is connected to this source, creating interconnectedness, then




everything is also interdependent. Furthermore, if an interconnectedness and interdependence is shared between everything, then so too is survival. This means that all things in the universe, in existence (e.g., material and spiri-tual), have in common their survival. Besides these two major tenets, there are many other aspects of the universal order that have been discussed, and there is much more that is still open to philosophical consideration. Nevertheless, the point being made is that there is an order to the universe—one universal order—one divine order. Again, there is a sacred scientific paradigm that underlies all of existence.

Kemet has also been used as part of the underpinnings for the African-centered model (i.e., the sacred scientific paradigm). In a chapter titled “The Kemetic Origins of Psychology,” Akbar (1994) traced the origins and the meaning of the word psychology to ancient Kemet. The word psychology is said to be Greek in its origin. “Psyche” is said to mean soul, making the mean-ing of psychology really the study of the soul. But as a result of the Cartesian split and the Newtonian model, the soul falls under the domain of religion and according to accepted scientific methods, cannot be measured; thus, defying prediction and control. This means if psychology is to be a science, it cannot study the soul, the metaphysical realm. To comply, psychology became the study of mind, behavior, and affect; thus, making it a scientific field.

Despite this redefinition, Akbar (1994) reported that for the Greeks, “psyche” was associated with one of their Goddesses. He further suggested that the Greeks came to know “psyche” through two Kemetic words su and khe, meaning “she-soul” and that these two Kemetic words when com-bined are connected to the Kemetic word sakhu which means, “the under-standing, the illuminator, the eye and the soul of the being, that which inspires” (p. 2).

Akbar along with many other African-centered psychologists have been part of the vanguard in returning the “psyche” to psychology and in expand-ing the research methodology that psychologists use to create a natural or humanistic psychology. Akbar (1985) has been quoted as saying that there is a need to bring together the materialism of the West with the spirituality of the East. In others words, based on ancient Kemet, Akbar is calling for a return to a sacred scientific paradigm.

Similarly, Nobles has devoted his professional career toward this same goal. His most recent book titled Seeking the Sakhu: Foundational Writings for an African Psychology (2006) contains selected pieces of his life’s work underscoring the place that spirituality has in psychology, in science. These African-centered psychologists have also been in the vanguard of engaging in interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary efforts toward shifting the para-digm and returning the sacred aspect of science. For example, Clark, McGhee,



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Nobles, and Weems (aka, Akbar; 1975) published the now seminal piece titled, “Voodoo or IQ: An Introduction to African Psychology.” It is in the context of this piece that they not only covered major topics across the field of psychology (e.g., intelligence, personality, and the self) but also incorpo-rated biology (e.g., melanin and the central nervous system) looking at vari-ous forms of ESP (e.g., psychokinesis and precognition). These authors as well as other African-centered psychologists have also welcomed the input from scientists in other fields (e.g., anthropologists and historians) and from those of various “clothes” (e.g., Islam, Ifa, and Christianity) in their endeavor to rebirth this sacred scientific paradigm.

However, these factors seem to receive only scant, if any, mention by these so-called new age scientists. The new age scientists typically start their discourse in the middle of the story that is in the context of Europe with the fight between scientists and religion leaders. Some do include a cursory men-tion and or short review of Egypt alone (and even the use of the more current name as opposed to Kemet bespeaks the problem) but quickly find their way to European soil to anchor most of the discussion in that context. They leave the beginning of the story untold resulting in erroneous conclusions.

In addition, never is there mention of Afrocentricity, Africentricity, Africanness, Africanity, Blackness, or the like. African-centered scientists have been written out of the paradigm shift that not only have they steadily moved to create but also their resurrection and reinterpretation of ancient sacred science are ignored.

It behooves African-centered/humanistic psychologists to familiarize themselves with the movements of the new age scientists. For as Richards (1979b) suggested, before African people have a chance to fully explore, syn-thesize, and appreciate their creations, they are retooled, remodeled, and sold, to even Africans themselves. And while the physical, mental, and spiritual well-being of people of African ancestry (i.e., the world) require this shift, it must be anchored, conceptualized, and materialized properly.

Future Movement of African-Centered Scientists

African-centered scientists have worked tirelessly to create theories and mea-sures that are relevant to African people. At times, their work has also been squarely directed at challenging the current scientific paradigm and at other times, their work has done so indirectly. However, the problem is that there has not been an appreciation for the fullness or completeness of the paradigm that was being regenerated and, also, in some ways probably extended. In addition, some of the theorizing has resulted in a splitting, a separation of the universal order from itself (dichotomization of the universal order). This has




led to the promotion of two competing universal orders when, of course, there can be only one “uni-versal” order.

The major task that lies ahead for the African-centered scientists is to clearly establish the paradigmatic tenet that there is only one order to the universe and as Akbar (1981) would say either one is living in order or disor-der as demonstrated through their cosmology and worldview. Not only has Baldwin (1986) suggested that Black versus African cease but it is clear that the Afrocentricity versus Eurocentricity should also cease. On the level of universal/divine law, there can be only one truth, and it is the so-called Afrocentric paradigm. What has been philosophized about, as Afrocentric, is in fact universal in keeping with the peoples of the universe and with univer-sal order. It should also be added that there is only one gene pool from which all of humanity sprung and the landmass that is currently called Africa is the birthplace of this wellspring. And recognition of these factors would ulti-mately allow for the beginning of the story to be told and then for its proper unfolding to occur and most importantly for African-centered scientists to fulfill their destiny as Akbar (1985) suggested, authors of a paradigm shift.

Acknowledgment

Thanks are given to Dr. Abeba Fekade who through years of conversation has helped the author develop her thinking and theorizing on many of the issues contained in this article. Acknowledgment must also be given to Dr. Niyana Rasayon who copresented with the author on this topic and suggested the subtitle, “Stolen Legacy II.”

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publica-tion of this article.

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Author Biography

Lennell R. Dade, PhD, is an associate professor in the psychology department at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania who’s research interests include African cosmol-ogy and philosophy along with the masculine and feminine energies and spirituality. The author considers herself among the psychologists who are working to return the psyche to psychology.



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