The essence of Lynne McTaggart

I have the greatest job in the world. I get to meet wonderful people, sharing their knowledge and wisdom, for the betterment of humanity. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Lynne McTaggart, award-winning author of five books, including The Intention Experiment and The Field: The Quest for the Secret Force of the Universe. Lynne and I conducted a couple of radio shows together and I not only want to thank her, but share what I see as her essence, in the hopes that others will be inspired by not only her work, but her passion and approach. Lynne is in my opinion, a wonderful example of a 21st century scientist. Allow me to explain my theory about Lynne.

Science is derived from the Latin word scientia, meaning having or concerning knowledge. A scientist is a person who makes the search for knowledge their career. Their searches for truth and knowledge embrace the pure essence of a method we call the scientific method by creating a hypothesis, developing postulates, and if - then statements. These noble doers begin their quest, seeking independent sources to triangulate information and facts, looking for replication and repeatability. But the greatest scientists are in my opinion those that are seekers of truth for the sake of truth, not those who seek fame or fortune, or to maintain their grants. They also apply Occam’s razor, the principle that essentially states that when trying to explain phenomena, the simplest explanation with the fewest assumptions is usually the most likely. These pure seekers of truth also ignore all previously held axioms in seeking to explain a new theory.

Two aspects of theories are useful to illustrate. First, all theories are wrong, but all theories are useful. They provide a context for debate, discussion and research. Additionally, we do not like radical theories but it is useful to point out exactly what history and experts on theories tell us. Thomas Kuhn, famous for his book The Structure of Scientific Revolution, notes that all great theories and discoveries are ridiculed at first.  He argues that, contrary to popular belief, science is not a steady linear developmental process, but a series of peaceful times followed by violent revolutions that shatter traditional beliefs. Great people come up with great theories by disregarding all previously “known” facts and illusions. Albert Einstein is a classic example. He spent thirty years of his life studying what is now called a unified field theory. In the process he was criticized for wasting the best years of his life. The pattern is the same today: forward-thinking theorists get slain by people claiming to be scientists, educators or good leaders. They pretend to hold green light sabers, wanting us to believe that they act on the part of the collective good, but they really act in their own best interests, trying to maintain the status quo. If they accept that a radical theory is real, their livelihoods and institutions are threatened. Of course, we now know that Einstein was fifty years ahead of his time, as the unified field theories are today’s hottest research initiatives.

Lynne McTaggart is practicing the best of the scientific method and boldly daring to go where few dare dream, in crafting a new theory. But her work is not just any theory; it is a radical non-linear development, apparently unbridled by traditional institutions that are often inhibiting progress in our modern day. With her work on the field of energy and the intention experiments, she seeks to answer the questions that others ignored for too long. She also applies the essence of the scientific method and Occam's razor. Lynne may not call herself a scientist, but I do. In fact, I think she is not just a scientist, but also a great scientist.