Science or not Science, that's the dilemma

[PacoLeone]

Hello to everyone, I'm new to the forum but I watched Leo's videos and they changed deeply the way I think about myself and the world around.  

Anyway I want to ask some advises about the connection of pragmatic aspect of life and spirituality, since I don't have any friends who meditate and they can't fully understand me.  

My story is the following, right now I'm finishing my master in Physics and I'm having some trouble in planning or imagining my life after the master will be over in few months.  
This is particularly due to an experience that happen two weeks ago, in which I experienced that had while I was meditating that had positive effect in my daily life.
After that experience I feel to have less control over myself and more spontaneous in the social domain, it's the first time that I speak without thinking too much if what I'm saying it's ok or not and it feels good. I'm enjoying for the first time soft talks, I know it seems silly but it's a world to me.  
Moreover, since that experience meditation has become more enjoyable.  

Anyway, the point are two: 
- for the first time I realized that I want just to be peaceful and I don't need to be the best researcher in the world to be like that, so my 'obsession' with career is reduced but I'm sure it's not disappeared.  

-Before starting meditating I was fully convinced that science was the most important subject that can be studied and the most useful to the man kind. 
Right now, I realized that this is not true and I have to pursue science only if I like it. 
I don't think knowing something through the mean of the science is still meaningful to me, i.e. calculating a function, creating a model that predict a certain behaviour. 
Even if I move to neuroscience I think that I change the subject of study but I always study this stuff through mathematics that I don't think I like anymore. 
I don't know if I want to spend most of my time this way.  

I want to know your opinion to have different prospective, my questions are:
- After a spiritual experience, someone has ever thought to change his career? 
- How do you balance the sense that everything is meaningless beside perception from meditation and the more pragmatic aspect of life?
- How do you include the wisdom got from your spiritual practice in your work?  I don't feel that I want to separate those two aspect of life. 

Thank you very much if you get up to this point

[Carl-Richard]

There is a recontexualization from "what do I want or need?" to "what does the world want or need?" These two are not necessarily incompatible, but your perception of both also evolves over time. However way you choose look at it, when it comes to creating and providing, you probably want to balance your personal strengths and your higher vision.

Maybe this conversation could give some insight into the dyadic split that is going on in your mind:

 

Notice how Allan Wallace has studied both physics and Buddhism, and that his vision is to create a rigorous scientific study of consciousness using introspection as a methodology (Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies). He is playing on his strengths: marrying his technical side and his higher self, which means he isn't dismissing ordinary physics or scientific methodology, but is simply looking to expand (modern science is not very friendly to introspection). If my say is worth anything, this kind of thinking is what drives my study of psychology. I want that synthesis of science and mysticism. In my view, "science" and "not science" is not as much of a dilemma as a challenge.

[Thought Art]

Merge 

[AdroseAkise]

6 hours ago, PacoLeone said:

-Before starting meditating I was fully convinced that science was the most important subject that can be studied and the most useful to the man kind. 
Right now, I realized that this is not true and I have to pursue science only if I like it. 

I though the EXACT SAME THING. I recall being incredibly jealous of science for their intellect, and kind of forcing myself to be a scientist, now I realize that it's not the most important thing I'm not obligated to persue it. This doesn't make me any less intelligent. 

[Terell Kirby]

8 hours ago, PacoLeone said:

- After a spiritual experience, someone has ever thought to change his career? 

Somewhat, I started to realize that my career (although lucrative .. six figures) really didn't have any grounding that connected to my passions and emotions. Luckily, I have made clear my life purpose, and will spend the next decade or two actualizing it.

8 hours ago, PacoLeone said:

- How do you balance the sense that everything is meaningless beside perception from meditation and the more pragmatic aspect of life?

It's challenging, you'll go through swings of nihilism, followed by intense creativity and fun pursuing the pragmatic elements of life. Patience, introspection and contemplation are key.

8 hours ago, PacoLeone said:

How do you include the wisdom got from your spiritual practice in your work?  I don't feel that I want to separate those two aspect of life.

Align your top values with your work .. but that first requires you to find out what your top life values are.

[PacoLeone]

@AdroseAkise I totally understand you, I chose it probably because it looked to me the more meaningful subject in the world, like there is an "objective" ladder of importance and science was at its top.  

For the first time in my work,  I'm taking into account of how I feel and what I'd like to do and feels liberating. 

[PacoLeone]

17 hours ago, Carl-Richard said:

There is a recontexualization from "what do I want or need?" to "what does the world want or need?" These two are not necessarily incompatible, but your perception of both also evolves over time. However way you choose look at it, when it comes to creating and providing, you probably want to balance your personal strengths and your higher vision.

Maybe this conversation could give some insight into the dyadic split that is going on in your mind:

 

Notice how Allan Wallace has studied both physics and Buddhism, and that his vision is to create a rigorous scientific study of consciousness using introspection as a methodology (Santa Barbara Institute for Consciousness Studies). He is playing on his strengths: marrying his technical side and his higher self, which means he isn't dismissing ordinary physics or scientific methodology, but is simply looking to expand (modern science is not very friendly to introspection). If my say is worth anything, this kind of thinking is what drives my study of psychology. I want that synthesis of science and mysticism. In my view, "science" and "not science" is not as much of a dilemma as a challenge.

Thanks for your great answer. 

Yes, you centered the point I would like to match my needs/skills and the impact that can have in the world, put these two channels in comunication.  

The video was very helpful, I'm going to check information on the Santa Barbara Institute.  

Anyway you are totally right I was deceiving my self, it's challange.

Infact, it probabily scares me to work in a field that it's not still widely socially accepted and where it's not clear what is the best approach to explore conscioussness, p.e. can objective approach be helpful in this field?

 I'm saying that for example It would be more easy to work in researching complex fluid, where there are a lot of Phd or research funds for its industrial application.   

Going in that direction require me to be conscious of a lot of difficulties that will come along the way. 

[Carl-Richard]

4 hours ago, PacoLeone said:

Thanks for your great answer. 

Yes, you centered the point I would like to match my needs/skills and the impact that can have in the world, put these two channels in comunication.  

The video was very helpful, I'm going to check information on the Santa Barbara Institute.  

Anyway you are totally right I was deceiving my self, it's challange.

Infact, it probabily scares me to work in a field that it's not still widely socially accepted and where it's not clear what is the best approach to explore conscioussness, p.e. can objective approach be helpful in this field?

 I'm saying that for example It would be more easy to work in researching complex fluid, where there are a lot of Phd or research funds for its industrial application.   

Going in that direction require me to be conscious of a lot of difficulties that will come along the way. 

Whatever you choose, there is nothing wrong about trying something out and changing your mind. A lot of the pressures you feel around choosing a career, like the idea of having to pick your lane when you're 17-18 and literally close your mind, is merely cultural conditioning. That isn't an excuse to give up all goal-oriented behavior, but rather to discover what your true goal is.