In our culture, The Scientific Method has become, over many centuries, 
almost the only “approved” method we are allowed and encouraged to practice. (It’s right up there with the “most dangerous method,” which is enlightenment through the accumulation of material riches.) The Scientific Method is the method we are taught in school. In a nutshell:
- Ask a question
- Do background research
- Form a hypothesis
- Test the hypothesis with an experiment
- Test to see if the experiment worked
- Analyze the results
- Ask another question
The scientific method has reigned (almost) supreme since Roger Bacon and the “advent of reason” in the Middle Ages. And yet, Rene Descartes, who is credited with the modern formulation of the scientific method, said he was given the “formula” in a specific dream on November 10, 1619. So, curiously, Descartes credits the dream method to help him uncover the scientific method!
At its heart, the Scientific Method is the method of inquiry, of asking the right questions. The best scientists are those who can ask the best questions. The extraordinary scientists are those who question not only the answers that society assumes to be true, but they also question the questions themselves. (“Is this the best question we can be asking?”)
We in the New Buddhist Methodist Church remain deeply curious about the latest findings on the frontiers of science. We love, and often discuss in our weekly meetings the discoveries at the smallest levels, such as the Higgs Boson “God Particle” which they found via experiments at the Hadron Collider, and the largest discoveries, such as Hubble’s front row seat when galaxies collide.
And of course, everything in between.
We go so far as to suggest that inquiry and experimentation are the heart of the New Buddhist Methodist community. Nevertheless, we also recognize the limitations of the scientific method and feel no qualms about trying to develop the artistic method of living the prosperous life. We encourage our community and our readers to question everything on this site and to experiment in their own lives with any of the material here presented.
We would of course love to hear your questions and about your experiments. Contact us here:
