A variation on the theme that Maharishi uses to "unite" physics and mysticism takes a bold step further. At the start, it forces the reader to accept their mystical belief and tells them -- the falsehood -- that science is in agreement with that belief. Then it brings up the limitation of science and in doing so, singles out the mystical belief as the only truth.

Deepak Chopra coauthored the book, You are the Universe, in which he uses this technique. He elevates the ancient Indian sages to the level of Einstein and forces his readers to believe the reality of those sages summarized in the dictum, "I am the universe." Then he continues:

If `I am the universe' is true, modern science must offer evidence to support it -- and it does. Even though mainstream science is about external measurements, data, and experiments, which build a model of the physical world rather than the inner world, there are a host of mysteries that measurement, data, and experiments cannot fathom. At the far frontier of time and space, science must adopt new methods in order to answer some very basic questions such as `What came before the big bang?' and `What is the universe made of?'

If one is to believe in the validity of the argument above, then they must also believe in the validity of the following:

If `Santa Claus exists' is true, modern science must offer evidence to support it -- and it does. Even though mainstream science is about external measurements, data, and experiments, which build a model of the physical world rather than the world of fantasies, there are a host of mysteries that measurement, data, and experiments cannot fathom. At the far frontier of time and space, science must adopt new methods in order to answer some very basic questions such as `How can Santa Claus climb down narrow chimneys?' and `How can he deliver hundreds of millions of toys in one night?'

Deepak Chopra was a medical doctor before he met Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who persuaded him to find a scientific explanation for Ayurveda, the ancient mythical/religious medicine of India. To fulfill the Maharishi's wish, Chopra wrote Quantum Healing first -- which launched him into world prominence -- and then ground out book after book (more than eighty of them so far). In none of his books and lectures -- he charges $100,000 to $125,000 per lecture -- does Chopra miss to mention physics and physicists to impress his audience and insinuate that his mysticism has a scientific basis. Chapter 8 of Quanta in Distress exposes Chopra's "scientific" ideas.

A Modern St. Augustine?

One of the factors that solidified Christianity after the fall of the Roman Empire was putting an intellectual mask on the teaching of the Bible. As Rome itself did not produce many thinkers, Greek philosophy dominated the intellectual circles of Europe after the decay of Rome. St. Augustine of Hippo had a prominent role in establishing a common ground between Bible and Plato’s philosophy, thus putting an intellectual face on Christianity and legitimizing it as a religion founded on reason and intellect.

Almost sixteen centuries later, New Age gurus are doing with Eastern theology and quantum physics what the intellectuals of Antiquity did with Christianity and Platonic philosophy. If St. Augustine of Hippo was a luminary of Plato-Christianity connection, Deepak Chopra is the giant of quantum-physics-Eastern-theology association.

Chopra’s impact on the collective thinking of the West today is comparable to the impact of St. Augustine of Hippo – whose Confessions is arguably the theoretical manifesto of the Dark Ages – on the collective mind of Europe sixteen centuries ago. And because the force behind Chopra’s influence is not Inquisition-like torture but the preponderance of scientific ignorance around the world, his effect is manifold: The will of the scientifically challenged masses gives a democratic power to nonsense that far outweighs the autocratic power of the Church in the Dark Ages.

The similarity between Chopra and St. Augustine is striking when it comes to their attitude toward science. In 400, St. Augustine said,

There is another form of temptation even more fraught with danger. This is the disease of curiosity . . . It is this which drives us on to try to discover the secrets of nature, those secrets which are beyond our understanding, which can avail us nothing and which men should not wish to learn.

Chopra’s attack on science has been increasingly manifest in recent years. His “red herring” remark on the gravitational waves is not an isolated incident. As if parroting St. Augustine’s quote above, in 2013, Chopra said (see here, minute marks 1:17:12 to 1:17:28),

The teachings of St. Augustine of Hippo helped solidify the authority of Bible as an alternative to science, portrayed as “the disease of curiosity.” Then we fell into the abyss of the Dark Ages.

Chopra is teaching us that our evolution was only for our survival, and “not for uncovering truth.” And because science is the ultimate tool for uncovering truth, we should abandon science, and instead – although he doesn’t say it explicitly – we should rely on the Vedic sages of ancient India and sing the mantra, “I am the universe.”

Where will this advice take us? No, where has this advice taken us already?

Human nervous system is not necessarily the most developed organ in evolution to give us a clue to the mysteries of life. Evolution was there for the survival of the species not for uncovering truth.