The Controversy Over Imagining the Tenth Dimension

Suppose that twenty years ago you had come up with a new framework for imagining how reality is constructed, which appeared to be so simple that you knew others must have already thought of it, and it was just a matter of time before you came across those people. What if you felt that the more you read about leading edge theories of physics and consciousness, the more you saw ways of applying your own framework to what you were reading, but still you could find no one else talking about your unique approach? That was the position I found myself in 2005 when I began writing “Imagining the Tenth Dimension”.

When I commissioned the talented folks at OH!Media to create the eleven minute animation explaining the basic concepts from chapter one of my book, I knew that what I was presenting was going to resonate strongly for some, and be considered the work of a crackpot by others, and I was comfortable with that. Sure enough, as soon as the internet discovered the website and the animation, the controversy began: this guy has it all wrong, this guy doesn’t understand basic physics, this guy is a charlatan. Anyone who spent more than a minute on the tenth dimension website and forum knew I was always careful to point out that I was portraying a new idea which was not the position of mainstream science, but by having the gall to even present my new and fanciful way of imagining the dimensions I have always been an easy target for criticism: so be it.

In my book I talk about how, for each of us, consciousness is constructed from an interlocking system of memes and drives which change over time, with different parts of the system rising and falling in dominance, and new parts being acquired while others are discarded. Each of us has a personal “grid” that represents our unique point of view, and there is no question that my way of imagining the ten dimensions falls well outside of some people’s grid, while it aligns very well with others. The strongly divided “I love it/I hate it” response that the animation and the book have triggered is a wonderful demonstration of the nature of consciousness and beliefs, and what connects us all together or pushes some of us apart. In one part of chapter eight, “Dark Matter and Other Mysteries”, I talk about some of the more “out there” concepts such as Rupert Sheldrake’s “morphic resonance” and the movie “What the Bleep Do We Know”:

Many experts would, of course, dismiss examples such as these as “crackpot theories”, or perhaps they would assign them the slightly less derogatory label of “fringe science”.
Terms like “fringe science” will usually make mainstream scientists turn on their blinders. Anything that can be categorized under this label, they would say, is obviously not worthy of any serious research or consideration. Brian Josephson is a famous example of a respected scientist who has been forced to forsake his established position within the mainstream world of physics because of his desire to see more rigorous scientific methods applied to certain kinds of “fringe science”.
Brian is a Nobel Laureate whose “Josephson Junctions” began as a theory which sprang from his profound understanding of superconductivity and quantum tunnelling. These Josephson Junctions have become one of the most powerful tools currently being used for research into the subtle magnetic fields of the brain, of earthquake prediction, and of the gravity waves predicted by modern cosmologists’ theories of the beginning of the universe. His innovative discoveries certainly qualify him as one of the great minds of the twentieth century.
However, somewhat unexpectedly, Mr. Josephson is now a famous advocate for research into the physics behind paranormal phenomena. Here’s what he says on his website: “One of my guiding principles … has been the scientist's motto 'Take nobody's word for it' (nullius in verba), a corollary of which is that if scientists as a whole denounce an idea this should not necessarily be taken as proof that the said idea is absurd: rather, one should examine carefully the alleged grounds for such opinions and judge how well these stand up to detailed scrutiny”. Mr. Josephson also documents on his website some of the efforts he feels the established scientific community has made to ridicule and discredit any research which falls outside the commonly accepted norms, which would certainly include Mr. Josephson’s research into the physics of the paranormal.

Now, Brian Josephson is a genius. I, on the other hand, am just some guy who came up with an interesting new way of imagining ten dimensions, something that most people would have said was impossible prior to working through the exercise. But in the past week or so, a few negative reviews of my book have appeared at Amazon.com from people who portray me as a crackpot pretending to be a physicist. So, I’m probably going to get even more flak for doing this, but I have now posted my own review of my book there:

A note from the author (Rob Bryanton)

This book is called "Imagining" the Tenth Dimension, its subtitle is "a new way of thinking" about time and space, and the book description includes the phrase "not about mainstream physics". If anyone sees all this and somehow concludes that this book is about an established and proven theory of reality currently supported by mainstream physics, then they would be mistaken. The book's website, www.tenthdimension.com includes a "Preamble" link which clearly states the intent of the book, and the author's blog also includes a brief biography of his award-winning work as a composer and sound designer. The introductory blog includes important background information about the nature and intent of this project as well.

Most people who buy this book do so because they saw the eleven minute animation which presents the ideas from chapter one of the book. Please, if you are considering buying this book and have not seen that animation, go take a look first at http://one.revver.com/watch/99898 . If you watch this animation and disagree with the conclusions drawn, then you will most certainly disagree with the rest of the book as well. On the other hand, if you find the ideas presented in the animation to have a certain resonance with your own way of imagining reality, then this book might be of interest to you, as it travels through a wide-ranging discussion of science, philosophy, metaphysics, and spirituality.

For the people who have posted positive reviews of my book at amazon.com and amazon.ca, thanks so much for your support. You are the people I was hoping to share these ideas with, and I’m very glad that you got some enjoyment and inspiration from what I have created.

Enjoy the journey,

Rob