What is Vedanta :
Philosophically, Vedanta deals with explanation of Consciousness. As a science, it derives scientific laws about Consciousness based on the experiences and knowledge of the Seers who have intuitively realized the highest Truth during their meditation and altered state of consciousness – samadhi. As a religion, Vedanta is the practice based on the combination of the philosophy and science for realizing our real nature as Divine Consciousness.
The philosophy of Vedanta in general, and Advaita Vedanta in particular, maintains that there is only one Reality – Absolute Consciousness (also called as Brahman, Atman, God, or Self). Out of ignorance we perceive this One Reality as multifarious. This cosmic ignorance is called Maya or Avidya. With spiritual practice one is able to transcend the limitations of body and mind so as to become one with the Reality; to know or experience the Truth. This is the aim of human birth. Scores of great souls have realized Self in this manner; and of course, it is also our birth right. To realize this goal certain spiritual practices are undertaken known as Yoga, viz. Raja-Yoga, Jnana-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga, and Karma-Yoga.
Vedanta as a Science
One encounters certain physical and mental changes in saints and mystics, which are not ordinarily found in others. These changes cannot be explained on the present day knowledge of physics, physiology, neurology, or biology. If, however, we label them as unscientific or non-scientific, we fail to honour the definition of science as a “study of body of facts”. These facts are experienced by a few persons, observed from time to time by many others and recorded as religious or scriptural books. In an attempt to verify the authenticity and nature of these facts, they are studied, and the explanation is sought from prevailing (existing) pool of knowledge for their categorization. Thus a working hypothesis is developed which, with added proofs over a period of time and with refinement of intellect, is accepted as scientific theory. During this whole process the facts do not change, but what changes is their scientific explanation.
Accepted theoretical conclusions are called Laws: ‘Laws of Motion’, ‘Gravitational Laws’, and so on and so forth. Science of Reason and Rationality, as it is called, wants following criteria to be fulfilled for any theory to be labeled as scientific:
1)Good observation,
2) the public nature of observation,
3) the necessity to theorize logically, and,
4) testing of the theory by observable consequences.
Applying these criteria to the study of altered state of consciousness in the lives of Yogis, Saints, and Mystics, one can say that the changes in their lives constitute a “body of facts” and need to be interpreted and theorized according to these rules of science. Scientists have changed their concepts regarding convictions they thought to be perfect