Crossing to Safety:
Science and the Sacred
Presented by
Victor Mansfield
Friday, October 4, 2002, 8:00 pm
As a theoretical astrophysicist, I live in a world of abstract ideas, mathematical argument, and objective data from repeatable experiences – head knowledge. As a lover of Jungian psychology and mysticism, I live in a world of particular experiences and feelings rather than abstract ideas – heart knowledge. Meaningful stories, not mathematical analysis, move my inner world. Unlike scientific experiments, such stories are unique descriptions of unrepeatable events, the bane of science. ~ Victor Mansfield.
This presentation will weave together personal story with objective analysis to explore the relationship between the head and the heart, between the scientific knowledge of the radiation from outer space and the radiation from the inner space of our own soul. By understanding the relationship between the head and the heart, we can avoid the extremes of saying, “they are all one” or “they have nothing to do with each other.” Appreciating their relationship yields more than intellectual satisfaction.The cross-fertilization celebrates what is most valuable in Jung’s thought and brings transforming meaning into our lives.