Richard Michael Pasichnyk

 

Richard Michael Pasichnyk spent more than two decades researching the natural and physical sciences, and prehistory and history to bring to fruition a new, interdisciplinary paradigm. This eventually led him to be the founder of The Living Cosmos Society. The society then made him president and bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate of interdisciplinary sciences and history.

While attending universities he always had an aching suspicion that there was something missing in various theoretical frameworks in a number of the sciences. There were just too many anomalies, mysteries and discarded facts that didn't fit, or even contradicted, the reigning paradigm. In many cases these facts indicated that some other explanation had to be available, as they challenged the accepted theories. As a result, two simple questions were on his mind in his two-decade journey of discovery: "Do the facts tell a different story than what we are being told?" And, "Just how important is life on Earth and throughout the Cosmos?" Unlike many, he was looking at the whole picture without a predetermined theoretical perspective. A sort of scientific Sherlock Holmes, he deduced the story from the generally accepted facts, the overlooked or discarded facts, and the so-called anomalies and mysteries.

The literature and history of the sciences illustrate forcefully that perspectives, even as scientists, are unavoidably constrained by the disciplines studied. Richard agrees with Immanuel Kant, that the human mind - through life experience - is organized in ways that restrict our full perceptions. In addition, training in a specific discipline (as well as the inclinations that led each of us to select a particular discipline) imposes an additional mind-set, which we then take to be self-evident. As Sir Francis Bacon discussed long ago, when we are trained to view something in a particular way, our mind-set merely recovers what has been learned when examining the empirical evidence. As a result of this mind-set, theories and paradigms have stagnated. Richard made a point not to let this happen by being as interdisciplinary as is humanly possible, and take a fresh look at the empirical evidence with an impartial perspective.

One of the major problems in science (and history) has been to conduct research that supports the reigning paradigm, and virtually nothing is done to contrast that paradigm with a wholly new criterion. Another major problem is that the theoretical status quo has often failed to encompass all of the facts, and in fact, the evidence has often contradicted the reigning paradigm quite a number of times. In order to relinquish these shortcomings, Richard found it necessary and desirable to do independent, interdisciplinary research.

The reasons for doing so are diverse, he says. Specialization and the maintenance of the theoretical status quo are too often stumbling blocks to formulating new paradigms when they are needed. A thoroughly interdisciplinary approach in the pursuit of new theoretical perspectives is the only avenue open to garnering a genuine understanding of reality. It is an essential aspect of finding causal relationships and correlations that would have been overlooked by specialization. This is why scientists and philosophers of science have gone as far as to state that the best new ideas can only come from independent research outside of an institution's "conventional wisdom" - the very route Richard took.

All things considered, Richard is exceptionally qualified to write on the natural and physical sciences, because of his truly in-depth, interdisciplinary knowledge of these subjects. Emphatically, he states that it is necessary to dig deep into the intellectual and factual foundations of knowledge in order to gain access to the hidden, precious treasures of genuine reality. His writings glimmer with the jewels of fresh insights into the truth. The motivation that drives him on is to give the world something of genuine value that will better the world for all people and all life. Visit Richard online at www.livingcosmos.com

 

"A jewel of the human intellect! Stephen Hawking move over there's a new theoretical genius. This book, both volumes, is so all encompassing in its scope it leaves one breathless. To take so many different sciences and weave them into a new fabric of reality is astonishing. There are answers to so many questions in science today that have left scientists baffled. It covers the earth sciences, astronomy, deep ecology, physics, environmental issues, evolution, extinction, tektites, unusual meteorites, life's ability to transcend entropy, and so much more."

"Awesome and enlightening! I have read both volumes of The Vital Vastness. They both were powerful and inspiring. And both were written creatively and with authority. Just about every topic imaginable was covered. I feel enlightened. Five stars!" Robert Johnson, Chandler, Arizona - from Amazon.com

 

 

Pageonelit.com: Where did you grow up, and was reading and writing a part of your life?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: I grew up mostly in New York, first in the Bronx until about age 9, and then in Queens from then on until about age 23. Then I moved to New Jersey, because it was actually closer to work in Manhattan. Then it was off to Los Angeles when 26, which was much too much city for me (and too much "me-ism"), and finally ended up in Tempe, Arizona. There was also a point, somewhere about age 3 or 4, that my family lived in Connecticut for about a year. In High School I won the school essay contest for an analogy between a forest so dense with growth that it threatened life and limb just trying to walk in it, and closed mindedness. A sort of "can't see the forest for the trees" type of perspective. I also had a number of essays read in class by the teacher, who thought they were very creative story telling.

 

Pageonelit.com: Who were your earliest influences and why?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: Mostly elementary and secondary teachers were influential in my youth. There were a few who saw my potential when I, myself didn't. And there were a few science teachers that just made the subject very intriguing. Of course, there were also my parents. Moreover, I loved Sherlock Holmes movies with Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, as they were an excellent education in deductive reasoning. It is this same sort of deductive reasoning that is making "CSI" such a hit on TV today.

 

Pageonelit.com: Is there any motive for writing this work, and is there any objective involved?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: Yes. I am looking to instill a worldwide change in people's sense of value. Life should be held as sacred. We should make it a primary point in every decision in society. Also, I guarantee that once anyone has read this book, they will begin to see things that they have never seen before. Their eyes will be more open to things society has inadvertantly left out of our perception due to the ways in which we are raised and taught in society. The biggest problems have been not teaching love, especially that love is nurturing and active, not just a feeling, and making non-living things interesting through social expectations, advertising, TV, movies, and so forth has made us disregard life indirectly. To put it simply, it is what we think we know that prevents us from learning. This book is meant to unveil the shroud, and put into perspective the importance of life, which flourishes with nurturing (love).

 

Pageonelit.com: There are a limitless number of interesting points you make in Vol. 1 - One in particular is the comparison of blood and seawater - Please explain in detail.

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: Blood and seawater are very similar. Both are liquids with dissolved minerals, making them excellent for electrical activity and chemical reactions. Cell functions are mostly electrochemical in nature. The same major positively charged particles are sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium are found in both blood and seawater. Dissolved gases in both are oxygen and carbon dioxide. Blood minus the red and white blood cells is known as blood plasma. And blood plasma has a specific gravity of 1.026 compared to seawater's 1.03, minus the ocean life. This demonstrates that both have a similar capacity for holding solids suspended in solution. An animal's body and the biosphere's largest single constituent is water. Water absorbs excess heat without much temperature change, and therefore, helps to maintain an ideal temperature (high specific heat). Average pH, which designates acidity, is not all that different, either. The average pH of blood is 7.4 (7.35-7.45), and that of seawater is 7.6 (7.0-8.2). Both are ideal for the maintenance of life, and anyone who doubts this need only observe any single-celled creature in the sea whose blood supply is literally the ocean.

Pageonelit.com: In Vol. 2 you focus on The Living Cosmos - Do you think there is another planet like Earth with life forms?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: Yes, I do think that there is another planet with life, regardless of whether or not it is like Earth. It all depends on what is meant by "like Earth," if it is meant that it has water, and organisms in symbiotic relationships - maybe even intelligent beings capable of at least understanding some of it - then yes there is another Earth-like planet, and probably many of them. The seeds of life are everywhere, and the laws for its existence are built into the Universe. A recent, new statistical analysis based on how quickly life became established on Earth suggests that life will start on at least a third of Earth-like planets within a billion years of them developing suitable conditions. Moreover, recent discoveries that planets are common around Sun-like stars means there's probably no shortage of prospective homes, either.

 

Pageonelit.com: Has there been any new research news that supports the discussions in The Vital Vastness?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: Yes, a myriad of news items, but let me just mention a few.

The dinosaur extinctions have been in the news as usual, but there has been some very bad news for those who advocate an asteroid impact. As typical, these facts are not discussed much and the impact theory is continually touted as the reason for the mass extinctions. For one, impacts are known to cause rings of material that are ejected into orbit, causing long-term climate change, but there was no long-term climate change expected of an impact at the time of the extinctions. In spite of the present theory that an object impacted the Yucatan Peninsula, which would have had mostly effects on the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere shows just as much devastation. Making things all the more impossible for both hemispheres to be just as devastated is that a multi-ringed crater has been found in the North Sea that dates to the time of dinosaur extinction. A clay layer marking the dinosaur extinctions was deposited in only 10,000 years. Just above this layer there is the proliferation of new ocean species. Again, the impact scenario does not fit these observations. This is in addition to all of the other facts presented in the book that calls for a better explanation.

The Field-dynamical Model of the Earth and other planets has been vindicated by recent observations, but the authorities don’t want to pay attention to the new discoveries very much. Harvard scientists, using extensive data on earthquakes that pass through the Earth’s center, have proven that there is another structure in the Earth’s center. These same scientists showed that earthquake waves travel at different speeds east-west than north-south. Both of these finding verify the model presented in the book.

NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory took pictures of Jupiter’s North Pole and found what has been called a mysterious hot spot – a pulsating center of X-rays. This is actually the polar field of the Field-dynamical Model of Jupiter, which is a particle accelerator that is time-varying. Hence, X-rays, the signature of acceleration processes, and 'pulsating', the time-varying effects, are seen, but since this model is unknown to them, they are described as mysterious.

These are but a few of the many news items that support some of the discussions in the book. To see more news items visit The Living Cosmos website’s “In The News” at www.livingcosmos.com/inthenews.htm.

 

Pageonelit.com: What is your perspective and thoughts on the future of the world?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: To get my full perspectives and thoughts on this you would have to read another book. In Defense of Nature - The History Nobody Told You About is my next book, due out in at the very beginning of 2003 (a possible pre-release in November or December 2002). In fact, originally this book was to be part of The Vital Vastness, but the writing got to be so extensive that it had to be broken up into the two-volume set, and this other book. Notwithstanding, basically it is not a very good future, unless we begin to work much more with life on Earth, and fast. Given our present mind-set of not being very much concerned with life (in the overt sense of our actions) it looks bleak. As George Santayana so truthfully stated, "Those who do not learn from history are condemned to repeat it." And to say that we have learned from history is most certainly an illusion. There is so much that we have not learned about human history that it would totally astound you. One of the most important points that is made in The Vital Vastness is that life stabilizes the physical world, and that both the Earth and the Universe as a whole are living entities, and living things always have built-in mechanisms for self preservation. In other words, we will be seeing more and more destabilization in the geophysical, social and economic realms; and to most of us this is already evident. This has happened before with catastrophic consequences, as there have been a number of periods in world history where civilizations around the globe have come to an end in a relatively short time. The authors during these times understood what was taking place, and they saw Nature - life - reclaiming its threshold at the expense of civilization. The events were necessary to bring back stabilization. Henry David Thoreau stated it wisely, "In wilderness is the preservation of the world." So, if we make a great effort to reestablish life systems and wilderness, we can prevent the destabiliztion from being catastrophic.

Pageonelit.com: Your new book was published at the beginning of the year, could you tell us a little more about it?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: In this book, "In Defense of Nature: The History Nobody Told You About", you will discover a history of humanity unlike anything you have ever heard of. Have you ever wondered what happened to all of the civilizations that have gone before us? Well, the events in history are continually repeated by different cultures throughout time with the same finale, affecting the entire globe in a relatively short time. From the ancient writings of all of the historians, religious scriptures and mythology, we also find the same understanding. And their writings, and the archeological and geological evidence, unveil the true nature of the forces behind the events. Yet, we are not taught about these things in schools, universities or the media. The various types of natural disasters, terrorism and war always end up producing the same result. In fact, humans and Nature are so much a part of each other that we literally take turns in accomplishing the same objective, as part of an overall process involving a living Earth.

Our ancestors were not ignorant people, but were, in many cases, very capable and intelligent. They were also celestial observers and knew astronomy so well that they have even taught us things we did not know today. They also built structures that were used as astronomical observatories. Much of this was done in an attempt to fully understand what was taking place, for there were dramatic celestial events as well.

Natural disasters have been undergoing a steady climb, as things become more and more unstable – a process that has happened many times before. These and other observations indicate that we are about to undergo a major global transformation. Notwithstanding, we can stop many natural disasters, terrorism and war by understanding what took place. "In Defense of Nature – The History Nobody Told You About" unveils a story of the human interaction with our living Earth and living Cosmos. To say that you will be truly surprised by what has been hidden from our historical perspectives is surely an understatement. With this book you will know what coming Earth changes are about to occur and why, and unveil the reasons for war and terrorism. It is a look at world history that will leave you astonished at what has not been told and why the world is the way it is today.

 

Pageonelit.com: Being an experienced published author - What advice can you offer for those writers who are working on their first book?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: Read. Read often and read a lot. It gets you more in tune with the structure of language, and solidifies you ideas. Also, when you write something, put it aside, and then, go back to it when you've gotten a fresh perspective - having a fresh perspective will undoubtedly lead you to times when you think "oh, that's what it needed," after thinking for a while "it needs something, but what?" - and this may need to be done a number of times. Then find someone who will read it, and allow them to have a criticism on it. You may want to have an experienced editor, or an English or Journalism graduate look it over and give you constructive advice. Don't have them just correct it, find out why the correction is needed, this is one of the best ways to more fully understand the language. A good place to have this done is in an English composition class at some college or university. Don't always let the "rules" of grammar have the final say on the way you state things, after all they are just rules and there are times when rules can be broken (e.g., don't always let the grammar checker in your word processor have the last say). Some of the most famous authors have found their own style in doing so, and have been very successful at it. Most importantly, persevere, don't get discouraged - continue on with strength and fortitude with the intent that you are giving the world something of lasting value.

Pageonelit.com: Who are your favorite writers and why?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: My favorite writers are those who are bold enough to say something that others are afraid to say, or don't have the imagination to see. As Einstein once said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." It is only the creative minds that make any real advances, especially in science. Simply rehashing the status quo is so boring and often dogmatic. I don't read much in the fiction genre, but my interests are in knowing - becoming more conscious. So my favorite authors are probably not known by many. There is Dr. James Lovelock who ushered in the Gaia Theory, which supplied the original framework for the biosphere as being a single super organism. Dr. Lynn Margulis also contributed to this theory and has provided a lot of unique contributions to biology in general. The late Dr. Hanes Alfven, a Nobel Prize recipient for plasma physics (magnetohydrodynamics), was a very creative and bold, theoretical scientist. The late Dr. Fred Hoyle has always been a proponent of a fundamentally biological universe, a rare quality in a scientist. Dr. Paul Davies has been very good at discussing the quantum level of reality, and favors an intelligent designer for the universe and the laws of physics.

Pageonelit.com: What's next?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: Well, as I discussed before there is a new book to be released shortly, called In Defense of Nature - The History Nobody Told You About. This book shows the human interaction with the living Earth and living cosmos as it took place in human prehistory and history. The history that is covered ranges from 1600 BC to 1600 AD, and a look at how we currently are making the same mistakes that have collapsed earlier civilizations on a global scale. There are periods (cycles) of about 200 years long, with most of the events occurring in a 50-year period within those 200 years. That is, the events reach a climax, just as one would expect from destabilization reaching a peak. It includes historians' writings at the time, writings on mythology, religious writings of all the world religions, geological evidence, archeological evidence, climate and solar activity. Unlike most world history books this one includes Nature, for human history is a natural history, not just humanity. Also included is archeoastronomy, the study of astronomy in earlier cultures, which makes sense of buildings like Stonehenge, the Aztec Calendar Stone, and the Mesoamerican Venus tables of the Dresden Codex, among many others. To put it in the vernacular of many in the present, it uncovers the reasons for the "coming Earth changes." Natural disasters, terrorism and war are not as we presently perceive them, and you will certainly be surprised by what really underlies them.

Pageonelit.com:What was the last book you read?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: The Complete Guide to Book Publicity by Jodee Blanco. Not a very interesting subject, but I had to make myself familiar with ways of promoting the book.

Pageonelit.com: Do you have any hobbies? What are they? How do they enhance your writing?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: My hobbies are art, music, gardening and camping. I have done a number of collages using pictures from magazines with Nature photos to create surrealistic scenes. The response to them has always been positive. I also play guitar, bass, flute, tablas, congas, bongos, other drums, marimbas, and some keyboards, all very well. They were all self taught. Also I will try just about any instrument. I have written a number of songs as well. There is nothing like planting some seeds and nurturing a plant to blossom. I like to gather native seeds, sprout them, let them grow to a fairly healthy size, and then plant them in a wild setting, such as a native garden, or state or national park. Camping is always a good release, as it opens the senses and the mind, and centers me very well.

They all have the same effect on writing. Writing is mostly a left hemisphere function of the brain. In contrast, these hobbies are mostly a right hemisphere function of the brain (especially when self-taught and music is improvised). This combination of left and right brain functions tends to develop the brain more holistically, and allows for more interhemispheric communication between the left and right brains. It allows for more creativity and emotion (right brain) to translate into language and writing (left brain). The end result is more creativity and emotional content to ideas and writing.

Pageonelit.com: What has been your feedback from readers? What do they say to you about their interpretations of your books?

Richard Michael Pasichnyk: First of all, there is a website (www.livingcosmos.com) that showcases some excerpts from both books. On checking into who has links to the site has revealed a general enthusiasm and interest worldwide with links in the United Kingdom, Spain, France, Portugal, Russia, Ukraine, Romania, Iran, Kuwait, Egypt, South Africa, Taiwan, China, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, other countries in South America, Mexico, Canada, and various island nations. There may be more, as I have only just begun to look into this. A number of these links are in universities where they are being used as class curriculum in upper level courses in earth science, paleontology, anthropology, and other sciences. Aside from this here are some of the comments written to me about the book, and two which were found on reviewer's comments at Amazon.com:

"Awesome and enlightening! I have read both volumes of The Vital Vastness. They both were powerful and inspiring. And both were written creatively and with authority. Just about every topic imaginable was covered. I was surprised at what I discovered and became convinced quickly as I read. Written for both the average reader and scientist was interesting and added credibility. While the book's size appears somewhat lengthy, it was just right when considering you can skip over scientific terminology which was italicized and placed in parentheses. And considering that the book brings forth a truly complete explanation for the workings of the cosmos, and reviews each of the modern theories and how they fit in or don't fit in, the size was appropriate. I cannot wait for the forthcoming title by this author, In Defense of Nature... Let me know when it becomes available. I highly recommend this author's titles, and would like to review his third book. The two I read were pure genius. I feel enlightened. Five stars!"
Robert Johnson, Chandler, Arizona - from Amazon.com

"Congratulations! To both you and the readers who will enjoy this contribution. I am sure it will do great in all scientifically minded population circles." Shweta Lal Khare - Geophysicist

"I really enjoyed reading how radiation might have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs." Mikhail Yakubov - New York University

"I would like to thank you for furthering the cause of humanity and nature." Robert Falzone - U.S. Military Academy, West Point

"I want to compliment the author.. for providing these theories for consideration. It is so seldom that someone with the inclination to try and bring to light and explain incongruities in modern theory has the time and resources to do the research and produce quality text." Kaos Mynd (email pen-name)

"Life in the universe is an intriguing subject. [I would like to be] a member of the society." Dr. Ali Abdullah - Assistant Professor of Physics and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs at the College of Technological Studies, Kuwait

"I am interested in The Vital Vastness." Dr. Boleslaw Wajsprych, Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences

"I must admit that I have only rarely seen genius like yours. Clearly, you are a genius." David Wilcox, Director, Ascension 2000

"Absolutely fanastic work you are doing!!! Thank you, Richard, for... this incredible work. I will be sure to recommend this to everyone."
Un Leash (email pen-name)

"I find your theory intriguing."
Stephen M. Alvis - author of "Exploding Earth"

"I am a retired physicist who is now very much interested in the subject of a living Earth. I have read your [subject presentations] and I find them quite compelling." NormF (email pen-name)

"This is an incredibly interesting new theory. Your theory deserves to be widely circulated and studied by the scientific community. It is the first really 'new look' at the many questions surrounding our existing models of Earth that I am aware of. It raises many issues that demand response from the earth science field." David C. Webb

"I would like to commend...you on the quantity and quality of work."
Robert S. Hodge

"Fascinating stuff."Matthew Warner

"Fascinating. Its paradigm fits neaty with my intuitive picture of reality. I'd like to join The Living Cosmos Society, or be associated with and promote your objectives." Peter Vervoorn - Aldgate Computers, Problem Solving, South Australia

"Extremely interesting. I totally agree with your concepts of reality in how we should work with nature and how nature works with us." Simon Mychajilw

"I read your material with avid interest. When I read your theory, a lot of things fell into place. Your theory explains a lot. In fact, so much, that I've run out of research ideas." Martin Robertson -- United Kingdom

"Your [theory] mesmerizes me." Lorie Sugra - Penn State, Lehigh Valley

"It looks brilliant. I wish you all success." Richard Martin

"I was surprised to find that someone else other than myself and my friend knows something about what this planet really consists of." Joe Paladin

"I enjoyed reading most of the contents, and tend to agree with your options." Frank Desmedt, Astronica Organization

"I...believe in your theories...Love is very much a part of all this we are going through...it's not easy to pin down since it's not tangible/visible...but that in itself makes it all more real! I believe there is a lot of love in what you believe and write." Joanne Triolo - IBM Executive

"A jewel of the human intellect! Stephen Hawking move over there's a new theoretical genius. This book, both volumes, is so all encompassing in its scope it leaves one breathless. To take so many different sciences and weave them into a new fabric of reality is astonishing. There are answers to so many questions in science today that have left scientists baffled. It covers the earth sciences, astronomy, deep ecology, physics, environmental issues, evolution, extinction, tektites, unusual meteorites, life's ability to transcend entropy, and so much more. Of particular interest is a new model of the Earth that resolves the shortcommings of present theories. New theories on black holes, galaxies, the planets, comets, and so on are included. The dinosaurs really became extinct due to ionizing radiation, not the proposed impact. Planets and galaxies actually eject objects. This review could not possibly do justice to this masterpiece. Moreover, it is uniquely written to be accessible to both the scientifically minded and the layperson who is not so scientifically inclined. Buy it or at least read it, get your library to put in their collection. Five Stars." A reader from Arizona - from Amazon.com