Weekly Shincho Column: Rebuttal to Shoichiro Takahashi (Professor at Kokugakuin University) - Mr. Takahashi's "Escape from Ignorance"

Shoichiro Takahashi, a philosopher of science and professor at Kokugakuin University, has been criticizing the spiritual messages of Ryuho Okawa, the president of Happy Science, for two consecutive weeks in his column "Anti-Occult Theory" serialized in Weekly Shincho (June 25, July 2 issues). The main points are: (1) President Okawa's spiritual abilities are questionable because he defended Dr. Haruko Obokata, the discoverer of STAP cells, without seeing through her fraud and crime, and (2) the spiritualism movement that began about 160 years ago was nothing more than an "event" lacking empirical evidence, starting from the pranks of the Fox sisters.

In this article, I would like to point out the errors in Mr. Takahashi's claims and clarify that it is rather "philosophy of science" that is dubious.

Spiritual Messages: A Phenomenon Common to World Religions

Spiritualism did not begin 160 years ago; it is a spiritual phenomenon universally observed in world religions. For example, Islam began when a spirit descended upon its founder, Muhammad, and made him speak the words of Allah. The Quran itself can be said to be a kind of "collection of spiritual messages."

In the Quran, it is written that Allah took Muhammad to Jerusalem, ascended to heaven, guided him through paradise, and conversed with Jesus, Joseph, and Moses. Mr. Takahashi cites an example where a medium's lie was exposed because a spirit that supposedly couldn't speak English used fluent English. Does this mean Mr. Takahashi considers the Quran, which features Jesus and Moses who supposedly couldn't speak Arabic, to be a fraud as well? I would like a clear answer on whether the Quran is a bundle of lies.

Furthermore, Mr. Takahashi only addresses the spiritual message of Dr. Obokata's guardian spirit in his series of criticisms, but President Okawa has summoned hundreds of spirits and published over 350 volumes of spiritual message series. Spiritual messages are now becoming a social phenomenon, influencing the world.

For example, President Okawa summoned the guardian spirits of President Xi Jinping and First Secretary Kim Jong-un ahead of the media, revealing their "soul nature and tendencies." This accuracy has been symbolized by the departure of the pro-China Democratic Party administration and the transition to the Abe Cabinet, which has opened up the fate of our country. In a spiritual message by President Okawa conducted at the end of 2011 with former Bank of Japan Governor Shirakawa, it was revealed that he would resign before his term ended, leading to the introduction of inflation targeting and Abenomics. How does Mr. Takahashi view this social expansion?

The Dubiousness of "Philosophy of Science"

Mr. Takahashi, a philosopher of science, points out that "if a spirit possesses someone but cannot speak the spirit's 'native language' or mimic its 'tone,' the lie is immediately exposed." It seems he uses Karl Popper's "falsifiability" as a basis for criticizing mystical phenomena. However, this is not an issue on the side of mystical phenomena, but rather because the "philosophy of science" Mr. Takahashi relies on is inherently dubious.

For example, Mr. Takahashi cites an example in his column where pre-war mystic researcher Kazusaburo Asano was deceived by a medium. However, President Okawa has clarified the dangers and mechanisms of spiritualists falling into fraudulent acts due to various circumstances. As detailed in "The Laws of Mystery" (published by Happy Science in 2005), when spiritualists start making spirit communication their profession, evil spirits target the gaps in their hearts, disrupt séances, and in desperation, spiritualists may resort to false spiritual messages.

Spiritual phenomena are not simple matters that can be judged black or white through falsification. The fact is that over 30 years, President Okawa has summoned hundreds of spirits and published over 350 volumes of spiritual message series, leading to a leap in empirical elucidation compared to the spiritual world boom of the 1980s. Rather, it is Mr. Takahashi who is left behind by the times, not progressing from the "ignorance" (a pitiable state placed in darkness without the light of truth) as described in Buddhism. I recommend taking the time to thoroughly read and compare various spiritual messages, starting with "The Laws of Mystery."

What Dr. Obokata's STAP Cells Questioned

Furthermore, the discovery of STAP cells by Dr. Obokata, which Mr. Takahashi questions, lost its essence because the media only focused on the deficiencies in the paper and whether it could be reproduced. The reason the discovery of STAP cells is a great achievement is that, unlike iPS cells, which are artificially reprogrammed mature cells, it caused a phenomenon that can be called a kind of "miracle" where reprogramming was spontaneously achieved. The fundamental issue of "what is the beginning," the "first cause" in the creation of life, is being raised, as seen in "Can science exist by acknowledging the creative and formative actions of God?" (from the second volume of Dr. Obokata's guardian spirit spiritual message, urgently published on June 23). The problem lies with the media and RIKEN, which lack this perspective, not with Dr. Obokata or President Okawa.

Mr. Takahashi's "Escape from Ignorance"

In the "philosophy of science" that Mr. Takahashi relies on, the connection between matter and spirit is not visible. Now, natural science is tracing the path from matter to spirit (Hideki Yukawa's "The Invisible"), and it requires courageous explorers to pioneer the vast unexplored wilderness that lies between them. The attitude of frivolously mocking or denying them is a kind of totalitarianism that crushes the true spirit of science. If Mr. Takahashi is teaching at a Shinto-affiliated university, he should face religious and scientific mysteries with an open mind and attempt an "escape from ignorance."

* It should be noted that on June 26, I requested a meeting with Mr. Takahashi to inquire about the above points, but he stubbornly refused, citing his busy schedule.

* Regarding Weekly Shincho, "Research on the Devil Nesting in Weekly Shincho," "Weekly Shincho Editor-in-Chief: Devil's Radioactive Contamination," "Disqualified Human: Shinchosha President Takashi Sato's Runaway to Ruin," and "Buddhist Sutra: Demon Conquering Sutra - Phenomenon Edition: Patriotizing the Devil of Shincho" (published by Happy Science) have been published.

Happy Science Group Public Relations Division Manager Tomoaki Takama