Sokaren - 2003 No 06

Magazine Overview

Title: Sökaren
Issue: Nr 6, årgång 40
Date: November 2003
Publisher: Sökaren
Country: Sweden
Price: 50:- inkl moms
Cover Headline: MANSANSİKTE PÅ DEN HELIGA SVEPNINGEN. EN BILD AV JESUS? (MAN'S FACE ON THE HOLY SHROUD. AN IMAGE OF JESUS?)

This issue of Sökaren, a Swedish magazine for life questions, delves into a variety of thought-provoking topics, including new scientific paradigms, the nature of consciousness, the future of humanity, and the enduring mystery of the Turin Shroud. The cover prominently features an image of the Shroud of Turin, posing a direct question about its authenticity as an image of Jesus.

Klokpristagaren Erland Lagerroth: A New Way of Thinking and a New Worldview

The lead article, written by Gunnar Martin Aronsson, introduces Erland Lagerroth, the recipient of Sökaren's "Klokpris 2003" (Wisdom Prize). Lagerroth, a literary scholar, has shifted his focus to exploring new ideas in science and worldview. The article details his intellectual journey, starting from his childhood fascination with Selma Lagerlöf and his early interest in technology and aviation. His academic path led him through geography, literature, and eventually to a doctoral dissertation on Selma Lagerlöf's "Gösta Berlings saga," where he developed a holistic approach to analyzing literary works, emphasizing the interconnectedness of landscape, narrative, and human experience.

Lagerroth's research evolved to encompass a broader critique of traditional scientific methods, particularly in the humanities. He found that existing literary analysis tools were limiting and did not fully capture the reader's interaction with a text. This led him to develop a concept of interpretation as a continuous process of feedback and refinement. His work on the novel "Romanen i din hand" (The Novel in Your Hand) in 1976 was a significant output of these ideas.

A pivotal moment in his intellectual development was his encounter with the ideas of Ilya Prigogine, a Nobel laureate in chemistry, who championed the concept of self-organizing systems and a paradigm shift away from a purely mechanistic and deterministic view of the universe towards one that embraces complexity, dynamism, and non-predictability. Lagerroth identifies Francis Bacon, Galileo, Descartes, and Newton as proponents of the old paradigm, which he argues has led to the marginalization of the human subject in scientific inquiry.

He criticizes the reductionist approach of analytical science, asserting that it misses the holistic and process-oriented nature of reality. Lagerroth's work aims to reintroduce the human and the organic into scientific methodology. He believes that embracing a new paradigm, one that views the world as dynamic and organic rather than mechanistic and dead, offers hope for humanity's future and a potential escape from impending catastrophe.

After a period of disappointment in not securing an academic position in Lund, Lagerroth accepted a guest professorship in the USA. He later returned to Lund as an associate professor and eventually a lecturer in literature. Since his retirement in 1991, he has dedicated himself to disseminating new thinking through articles and books, introducing international researchers like Erich Jantsch, Ilya Prigogine, Henryk Skolimowski, Ken Wilber, and Amit Goswami to the Swedish public. His recent books, "Världen och vetandet sjunger på nytt" (The World and Knowledge Sing Anew, 1994), "Nya tankar, nya världar" (New Thoughts, New Worlds, 1999), and "Sökandet är vårt största äventyr" (The Search is Our Greatest Adventure, 2003), all address this paradigm shift.

Lagerroth's "Klokpris" citation highlights his contribution to informing the public about new scientific and worldview ideas, recognizing him as a free thinker who challenges established norms.

Mystical Light Beyond Time and Space

Peter Russell's article explores the profound mystery of consciousness. Russell, who initially pursued mathematics and quantum physics at Cambridge, found that these disciplines, while explaining the material universe, could not answer the fundamental question of how consciousness arises from matter. This led him to experimental psychology and a deeper investigation into the inner world of consciousness.

He argues that consciousness is not an emergent property of matter but a fundamental aspect of the cosmos, as basic as time, space, and matter itself. This perspective necessitates a radical shift in our understanding of reality. Russell posits that the "hard problem of consciousness" – why complex information processing in the brain should give rise to subjective experience – indicates a flaw in the current scientific worldview. He suggests that consciousness is like the light from a projector, enabling the display of images (thoughts, feelings, perceptions) but remaining distinct from them.

Russell draws parallels between the physical world and consciousness, particularly through the concept of light. He notes that light, in physics, is fundamental, massless, and timeless, transcending space and matter. Similarly, the "light of consciousness" is the basis of all experience, universal, and unchanging. This leads to the profound realization that "I am the light," and that all conscious beings are interconnected.

He touches upon the mystical traditions that speak of an "inner light" or "divine light," suggesting a potential unity between the physical and spiritual realms. Russell also discusses the concept of "maya" from Vedanta philosophy, which describes the illusion of mistaking our subjective experience for direct reality. He emphasizes that while our perception is a construction of the mind, it is nonetheless real to us.

The article also touches upon the limitations of scientific explanation when it comes to the fundamental nature of reality, suggesting that our models of matter, derived from our experience, may not accurately reflect the underlying physical reality.

The Turin Shroud: A Miracle for Belief?

Lennart Kjellson's article examines the Turin Shroud, presenting evidence that suggests the image on the cloth could be that of Jesus. The article discusses the controversial carbon-14 dating results from 1988, which placed the shroud's origin in the 12th-13th century, but notes that these results have been questioned due to potential contamination and the effects of the 1532 fire.

Kjellson explores the possibility that Jesus may have survived the crucifixion, citing arguments from Swedish doctors Hugo Toll and Gunnar Nyström. He suggests that a divine intervention might have kept Jesus alive, allowing him to be placed in the tomb. The article also references ancient Indian accounts of Jesus visiting India after his crucifixion.

Ultimately, Kjellson concludes that while the exact circumstances of Jesus' survival remain a mystery, the core of Christian faith lies in the belief of his resurrection, not necessarily in the precise details of how it occurred. The article also touches upon the idea that Jesus could be seen as a model for humanity, embodying principles of love and compassion.

The Future of Humanity

This section features insights from futurists Elisabet Sahtouris, Barbara Marx Hubbard, and Jeremy Rifkin, discussing the profound changes humanity faces in the coming decades.

Jeremy Rifkin predicts the end of mass wage labor due to technological advancements, leading to a society with a smaller elite working with advanced technology and a large population potentially displaced from traditional employment. He highlights three major crises: global warming, third-world debt, and the geopolitical instability surrounding oil resources. Rifkin suggests hydrogen as a potential clean energy source that could mitigate these crises.

Elisabet Sahtouris, an evolutionary biologist, views globalization as a unifying force, leading humanity towards a global family and a superorganism. She advocates for a shift from competition to cooperation, emphasizing the need to understand living systems and move away from a mechanistic view of nature. She criticizes the capitalist system for creating wealth disparity and calls for a new scientific worldview based on living systems.

Barbara Marx Hubbard describes the current era as the most dangerous in human history, with humanity possessing the power to create or destroy. She warns of the risk of misusing new knowledge, leading to chaos and collapse. Hubbard stresses the need for a deeper understanding of living systems and evolution to navigate these challenges. She suggests that the current crises, while severe, could be a natural part of evolution, prompting humanity to adapt and evolve or face extinction. She advocates for collective awakening and cooperation to find solutions.

The Wisdom Pages

This section presents a collection of quotes from various thinkers on topics such as wisdom, life, and spirituality. Notable quotes include:

• Albert Schweitzer on the need to fight against the mistreatment of animals.
• Dalai Lama on happiness as the meaning of life.
• Marcus Aurelius on living each day as if it were the last.
• Sir James Jeans on the spirit as the creator and ruler of matter.
• Christian Morgenstern on the beauty of all things seen with loving eyes.

Intelligent Design vs. Naturalism

Kjell Ulander, a high school teacher in Karlstad, presents the hypothesis of intelligent design as an explanation for the universe. He references Michael Behe, a proponent of intelligent design, who argues that the complexity of nature, particularly in biological systems, points towards intentional design rather than random evolutionary processes. Ulander criticizes the current scientific establishment for its ideological commitment to naturalistic explanations, which he believes limits scientific inquiry and prevents the consideration of alternative hypotheses.

He challenges the Darwinian explanation for evolution, questioning the scientific basis for concepts like random mutations, which are not directly observable. Ulander argues that if non-observable events are disallowed as scientific hypotheses, then Darwin's theory itself would be invalidated. He highlights the concept of "irreducible complexity" in biological systems, as described by Behe, suggesting that these systems cannot be explained by gradual evolutionary steps. Ulander posits that information, as found in DNA, cannot arise from purely material processes and must have a mental origin, thus supporting the idea of an intelligent designer.

Ulander distinguishes between scientific conclusions about intelligent design and religious or philosophical beliefs, asserting that the former can be a valid scientific hypothesis. He cites the work of scientists who have questioned the sufficiency of Darwinism to explain complex biological phenomena.

A Non-Mechanistic Biology

Erland Lagerroth discusses Rupert Sheldrake's hypothesis of "morphic resonance" and "formative causation" in biology. Lagerroth, who initially found biology uninteresting, was drawn to the field by the discovery of DNA and the rise of mechanistic biology. However, he argues that life is more than a mechanism and that a non-mechanistic approach is needed.

Sheldrake's hypothesis suggests that forms in nature are influenced by "morphic fields" that extend through time and space. These fields, akin to electromagnetic and gravitational fields, are not physical but carry information. Lagerroth explains that these fields are shaped by the habits and forms of past organisms, influencing subsequent generations through "morphic resonance." This concept offers an alternative explanation for phenomena like instinct and inherited traits, challenging the purely genetic basis of inheritance proposed by neo-Darwinism.

Lagerroth highlights that Sheldrake's hypothesis is testable and falsifiable, citing experiments with rats learning to navigate mazes as evidence. He also discusses how this idea can explain the development of habits and instincts, and even the nature of memory, suggesting that memory is not stored in the brain but accessed through morphic resonance from the past.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a critical examination of established scientific and philosophical paradigms. It champions alternative viewpoints, particularly those that challenge materialistic and reductionist explanations of reality. The emphasis is on exploring new ideas, consciousness, the interconnectedness of life, and the potential for a paradigm shift in human understanding. The editorial stance appears to be open to exploring spiritual, mystical, and unconventional scientific perspectives, seeking to bridge the gap between science and spirituality, and to foster a more holistic worldview. The recurring theme is the search for deeper meaning and understanding beyond conventional scientific frameworks.

This issue of "Sökaren" (6/2003) features a prominent article by Lennart Kjellson titled "Varför jag tror att Turinsvepningen är äkta" (Why I believe the Turin Shroud is real). The magazine focuses on topics related to alternative health, spirituality, and unexplained phenomena.

Article: Why I believe the Turin Shroud is real

Lennart Kjellson presents his case for the authenticity of the Turin Shroud, a linen cloth bearing the image of a crucified man, believed by many to be Jesus Christ.

Arguments for Authenticity:

Kjellson bases his argument on several key points:

• Blood Analysis: The blood stains on the shroud are described as coagulated and haemolysed, containing DNA, albumin, and high levels of bilirubin and porphyrins, but notably, no hemoglobin. This composition, along with the presence of both arterial and venous blood, is presented as evidence against a simple forgery. The linen fibers are also found to be surrounded by a biological polymer caused by bacteria.
• Imaging Properties: The image on the shroud is described as primarily a negative, with blood appearing positive and black on the original but white on the photographic negative. This characteristic, along with its three-dimensional information, lack of contours, and direct proportionality to body distance, suggests it was not created by direct contact or by any known artistic method.
• Pollen Analysis: The presence of pollen from plants like Gundelia tournefortii (a thorny plant), Zygophyllum dumosum, and Cistus creticus, which are native to the Jerusalem and Sinai regions, points to a geographical origin consistent with the biblical narrative. The abundance of Gundelia tournefortii pollen suggests it may have been used to form a crown of flowers.
• Historical Context: Kjellson addresses two historical questions: why Jesus and his disciples celebrated Passover a day before the Jewish Passover, and why Jesus was condemned to death. He suggests that Jesus and his followers may have been Essenes, who used a solar calendar and celebrated Passover earlier. The condemnation to death is linked to the possibility that Jesus was a leader of the Zealots, a militant Jewish group seeking to free Judea from Roman occupation.
• Unique Characteristics: The shroud is identified as a linen cloth measuring 113 x 442 cm, woven in a herringbone pattern of high quality, comparable to damask. It is argued that this is more likely a tablecloth than a burial shroud, possibly due to the haste of burial preparations.
• Scientific Scrutiny: The article mentions that around 60 prominent scientists have dedicated 20 years of their free time to studying the shroud, implying significant scientific interest and investigation.
• Rejection of Medieval Forgery: Kjellson argues that a medieval forger in the 14th century would not have possessed the knowledge of photographic negatives or the specific chemical and physical properties observed on the shroud. He also questions the practicality of creating such an image through painting or other known medieval techniques.

Addressing Skepticism and Alternative Explanations:

The article touches upon the scientific analysis of the shroud's image, noting that it exhibits characteristics of a radiological radiation, with hands appearing abnormally long in a photographic representation but normal when viewed as an X-ray. The presence of teeth in the image, particularly below the mustache, is also highlighted as something an artist would not typically depict.

The article also discusses the possibility of the image being formed by a combination of radiation and chemical reactions, noting that the linen fibers are scorched and have reduced water content. The concept of 'Destot's luka' (Destot's gap) is mentioned in relation to the thumb's position, suggesting it was folded inward, a detail that would be difficult for an artist to replicate accurately.

Related Articles and Sections:

The issue also includes articles and sections on:

• Are Waerland: A biography and discussion of the health pioneer Are Waerland's philosophy on holistic health, diet, and lifestyle.
• Krönika (Chronicle): A personal reflection by Birgitta Stålhammar on religious upbringing and spiritual seeking.
• Bokfloden (Book Reviews): Reviews of several books, including works on ufology, spirituality, health, and philosophy.
• Läsarforum (Reader Forum): Letters from readers, including a critical response from Dan Larhammar regarding pseudoscientific claims about healing and homeopathy.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine "Sökaren" appears to have an editorial stance that is open to exploring alternative explanations for phenomena, including those related to spirituality, unexplained events, and holistic health. It encourages critical thinking while also presenting evidence and arguments for less conventional viewpoints, as exemplified by the detailed defense of the Turin Shroud's authenticity. The publication seems to value scientific investigation but also acknowledges the limitations of current scientific paradigms in explaining all aspects of reality.

Title: Sökaren
Issue: 6/2003
Date: June 2003
Country: Sweden
Language: Swedish

Content

This page from Sökaren magazine, issue 6/2003, features a prominent image of the Shroud of Turin, specifically focusing on the imprint of a face. The caption, in Swedish, reads: "ANSIKTET PÅ TURINSVEPNINGEN SÅ SOM DET SYNS PÅ DUKEN," which translates to "The Face on the Shroud of Turin as Seen on the Cloth."

The image is stated to be a reproduction, identical to one found on page 1 of the publication. Permission for its use was granted by the Holy Shroud Guild, based in Esopus, New York, USA.

The page number is indicated as '40' at the bottom left, preceding the magazine title and issue information.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

While this single page provides limited insight into the magazine's overall themes, the focus on the Shroud of Turin suggests an interest in historical artifacts, religious mysteries, and potentially forensic or scientific investigations related to such items. The inclusion of the Holy Shroud Guild as a source indicates a connection to organizations dedicated to the study of this relic.