Abstract

Problem. Parallelism is the growing controversial claim that there are significant similarities between the conceptual orientations of modern physicists and Eastern mystics. ;Are science and mysticism related in such a way that a unified mystical and scientific knowing process is actually possible? Is parallelism a major error in judgement, based upon obvious misinformation about the profoundly different natures of mysticism and science, or is there truth to the claim of parallelism? ;If parallelists are correct, and a unified mystical and scientific knowing process can be found to be possible, then the commonly held idea, which firmly maintains that mysticism is the antithesis of science, would pointedly be called into question, the justification for such a glaring misunderstanding would rigorously be sought, and human understanding would consequently be enhanced. ;Method. The problem of parallelism was investigated in the dissertation by using qualitative methodology, which included anomaly analysis, reconstruction of a general qualitative method, adaptation of the full scope of the problem to the general qualitative method, and the final utilization of the method to resolve the problem. ;Conclusion. Emergent parallelism research is a postmodern inquiry that proved to be far more valuable than the singular pursuit of resolving an isolated pseudo-problem in modern physics. The quest for the grasp and awareness of a unified mystical and scientific knowing process yielded a plurality of significant and interconnected research directions for the advancement of mysticism, modern physics, parallelism and anti-parallelism, holism, anti-scientism, postmodernism, East-West philosophy, philosophy of science and mathematics education, and educational theory and policy