String theory and religious or spiritual experience?

Question

If one had an understanding of string theory, might it have an effect on an understanding of one's religious or spiritual experience?

Would it be supportive? antagonistic? neutral?

Would it illuminate? clarify? or complicate?

There have always been scientists who are believers (in one religious faith or another). I wonder how they would respond to this issue.

To eri: "I have no idea why you thought it would."

I didn't.

With all those college degrees, I should think you would be able to read a question and answer it or not. If you have had no religious or spiritual experience, obviously, the question does not apply to you. If you have had and rejected them, then your answer is "no affect." It's as simple as that.

I know there are some scientists who are or have been believers. I do wonder how they might answer. Frankly, I respect non-believers, but I don't have much curiosity about their thinking on this particular question.

Answer 1

Since String Theory is largely a mathematical foray into philosophy, I imagine that it could effect spiritual experience.

Whether it was supportive or antagonistic would depend upon one's interpretation of the "data." Many of the mathematical findings and their accompanying explanations are unprovable in the concrete universe. Whether one looked at these theories and saw the hand of God or an argument against the existence of the Divine would depend on the individual.

As with any study of theory or philosophy, a study of String Theory would no doubt complicate. I think education gives us more sophisticated, and therefore more complicated, world views.

Answer 2

While quite a few string theorists don't believe in the supernatural, it's not hard to imagine that after one has grasped the dimensional complexities of string theory, with brane worlds and particles passing in and out of "our" universe, one could see that maybe string theory does help understand how there could be "unseen worlds" inhabited by spirits, angels, and God. I think string theory would do very little to "debunk" such religious notions, but I also think that its capacity to complicate theological understanding is enormous.

Answer 3

I have several physics degrees and a basic knowledge of string theory. It has not affected my lack of religious views. I have no idea why you thought it would.