Why Karma is Real: The Scientific View
In the United States and much of the western world, the term karma has often been transformed into a less meaningful, whimsical term not far related from good or bad luck. If one does a good deed, his friend may say “You’ve got in your good karma for the day.” On the other hand, if a fraudulent investment banker is convicted and sent to prison, we might say “Karma’s a bitch, huh?”
In Buddhism, kamma (or more commonly known in the Sanskrit as karma) is a deeper, more complicated spiritual idea. (Karma is also to be found in other religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and Taoism, but for our purposes I will focus on Buddhism).
The simplest explanation of Buddhist karma is that it refers to our current actions (good or bad), and the effect it will have on our future suffering (or lack of suffering). Vipāka is closely related to karma because it refers to the acts of our past, and therefore the result of our present circumstances. Therefore, our karma or wholesomeness/unwholesomeness of today becomes our vipāka of tomorrow.
I give this brief, admittedly simple explanation of karma as seen in both Buddhism and everyday English speech to ensure we are on the same page as I endeavor to make an argument for karma beyond the spiritual. While I find the spiritual tradition to be fulfilling on it’s own, I think I can also present a case for the realistic existence of karma using purely factual, scientific means.
If we are not spiritual beings, or even if we are religious but only secondary to reason and critical thinking, we may use the term karma as an unbelieved superstition, akin to wishing someone good luck knowing that our words do not actually increase or decrease the chances of success.
Consider the following scenario. You have two friends. Both are in need of a great favor. One is constantly dropping by with a dish he knows to be your favorite, he has driven you to the airport, he has watched your dog when you were out of town. He is friendly and always seeking to help when he can. The second friend is cordial enough, he shows up at parties and fun events, but seems to have little concern for others. When your group of friends gets together to help someone move, and other similar situations, he is nowhere to be found.
Which of the friends are you more inclined to help? It seems obvious that if only one can be assisted, the first friend is most likely going to benefit from your kindness. He is the type of person you want to help, and perhaps you even feel some gratification in helping him because of past favors he has done for you.
When I was in high school I frequently helped out in the classroom of a business teacher after school. Most of the courses were based on computers, from Microsoft Office to Visual Basic Programming. I was naturally drawn to it because I had been a computer nerd since I was old enough to reach the keyboard. I even assisted when we came to web design because I began building web sites in HTML in 1995. The following school year I had to classes with this business teacher, but my time assisting in the computer lab when I had time continued.
When I walked out of my family home a week after my 18th birthday with $40 and a duffel bag, this teacher ended up letting me stay in her guest room and assisted in helping me buy a cheap car so I could get to work. Did she randomly take in stray 18 year-olds? Of course not. She had come to know me as kind and generous, and provided generous help when I most needed it.
Similar situations have happened throughout my life. So many times when I found myself facing a difficult situation, I have been helped by people who know the nature of my character. In this way I don’t view karma as some mystical force, but a natural phenomenon of psychology.
One could argue that this does not apply to Buddhist karma, because in the philosophy of Buddhism the goal is primarily to relieve internal suffering. Here too, however, we can find empirical evidence that reciprocal good deeds do in fact improve internal peace of mind. Endless studies have shown that when we spend our time assisting others, we end up increasing our own sense of happiness, satisfaction, or feeling of fulfillment (Seligman, 2002). It is in fact the most lasting form of all the pleasures or contentment.
There is even scientific evidence for the spread of karma. We have long known that the effect of smiling at someone can produce strong results, such as a high probability of them smiling back. Another study, however, had participants smile at 800 passersby, after which the person passing would encounter a person who had dropped their belongings on the ground (Gueguen, 2003). The study found that when participants had just smiled at the person passing by, they were more likely to assistant the man who had dropped their belongings.
This study, in my mind, shows that karma extends beyond a one-on-one relationship. It can literally spread through the world from person to person.
So you do not need to believe in Buddhism, or even in karma, but I think it is well-established that both generous deeds and a cheerful outlook result in feeling better yourself, making someone else feel better, increasing chances of receiving assistance when needed, and in some cases, even passing that good fortune to a third-party.
Why not try it out? Smile at someone today.
References
Gueguen, N. (2003). The Effect of Smiling on Communication Behavior. Communication Reports. 16(2), 133–140.
Seligman, M. E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness: Using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York: Free Press.