This article is delicated to all who have written to me to express their enjoyment reading my essays
THE VEIL BETWEEN WORLDS
A Life Lived at the Edge of Mystery
A Five-Chapter article by Lim Ju Boo written on the advice and encouragement from Professor Sage who is my learned mentor and colleague in knowledge
What I am going to write here this morning in 5 very short chapters in lighter blue below is based on what I already know and have sometimes asked myself - written in dark blue as an introduction here:
There about some of the mysteries science is unable to solve. Science has unraveled many mysteries, yet there remain certain puzzles that challenge the brightest scientific minds. These subjects, shrouded in uncertainty, captivate us with their complexity and elusiveness. Earth is a planet filled with wonders, many of which science has yet to fully understand. From the depths of the oceans to the far reaches of the atmosphere, several phenomena continue to baffle scientists and spark curiosity. Their mysteries venture into thirteen such topics, each one a riddle that stands unsolved, continuing to intrigue and stump researchers around the world as they strive to unlock the secrets of our universe.
Here are some of them:
1. Consciousness: The essence of consciousness – the spark that ignites thought, awareness, and self-perception – remains one of the most profound enigmas. Despite advances in neuroscience, the exact mechanism that transforms neural signals into subjective experiences is unknown. The ‘Hard Problem of Consciousness’, a term coined by philosopher David Chalmers in 1995, questions why and how physiological processes result in personal awareness.
2. Dark matter and dark energy: Astrophysicists estimate that a staggering 95% of the universe is composed of dark matter and dark energy – substances invisible to current detection methods. The existence of dark matter was first inferred by Fritz Zwicky in 1933 through gravitational effects on visible matter. Dark energy, proposed to explain the accelerating expansion of the universe, remains even more mysterious.
3. Placebo effect: The placebo effect is a puzzling phenomenon where patients’ conditions improve after receiving a treatment with no therapeutic value. Documented in medical literature since the 18th century, it demonstrates the mind’s influence on the body. However, the underlying biological mechanisms that enable belief to translate into physical healing are not fully understood.
4. Matter-antimatter asymmetry: The Big Bang should have produced equal amounts of matter and antimatter, yet our universe is dominated by matter. This asymmetry puzzles physicists, as when matter and antimatter meet, they annihilate each other. Theoretical physicist Andrei Sakharov proposed conditions in 1967 that could lead to the imbalance, but the exact process remains elusive.
5. Quantum entanglement: Quantum entanglement, a principle of quantum mechanics, involves particles that become interconnected and instantaneously affect each other regardless of distance. Albert Einstein famously referred to it as “spooky action at a distance.” Despite being a fundamental aspect of quantum theory, its implications for information transfer and the nature of reality are not fully grasped.
6. Origin of life: The transition from non-living chemistry to living organisms is a profound mystery. While theories like the primordial soup, proposed by J.B.S. Haldane and Alexander Oparin in the 1920s, suggest simple organic compounds formed life, the exact steps that sparked the genesis of life remain unknown.
7. Turbulence: Fluid dynamics is a well-established field, yet turbulence – the chaotic, unpredictable movement of fluids – defies complete mathematical description. Leonardo da Vinci observed its complex nature in the 15th century, but a comprehensive theory that explains turbulence at all scales is still sought after by scientists.
8. Time: Time is a fundamental aspect of our reality, yet its true nature is elusive. While Einstein’s theory of relativity revolutionized our understanding of time as a relative concept, the flow of time and its directional, often referred to as the ‘arrow of time’, continue to puzzle physicists. The thermodynamic explanation, relating to entropy, only partially addresses the conundrum.
9. Life after Death: Is there life after death? The concept of life after death remains one of the most profound mysteries, with science offering insights but no definitive answers. Scientific studies have explored near-death experiences and out-of-body phenomena, suggesting they may be linked to brain activity, such as rapid eye movement (REM) intrusion during moments of extreme stress or trauma. However, these explanations do not confirm an afterlife but rather provide a physiological basis for experiences reported by individuals who have had close encounters with death. The debate continues, with some theories proposing that consciousness could exist separately from the physical body, but these remain speculative without empirical evidence to substantiate life beyond death.
10. Non-coding DNA: Often referred to as “junk DNA,” non-coding regions make up a significant portion of the human genome. For years, these sequences were thought to have no function. However, recent studies suggest they may play a critical role in gene regulation and expression. The exact purpose and influence of non-coding DNA remain a subject of intense research and debate among geneticists.
11. The Fermi Paradox: The Fermi Paradox, named after physicist Enrico Fermi, questions why we have not found evidence of extraterrestrial life despite the vastness of the universe. With billions of stars and potentially habitable planets, the odds seem favorable for life to exist elsewhere. Yet, the lack of contact or signals from other civilizations presents a puzzling silence.
12. The Pioneer anomaly: The Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecrafts, launched in the early 1970s, exhibited unexplained deviations from their predicted trajectories after passing the orbit of Saturn. This anomaly suggested an unknown force acting on the spacecraft. Although thermal forces have been proposed as a cause, the discussion continues on the exact nature of these deviations.
13. The Tunguska event: In 1908, a massive explosion flattened an area of Siberian forest near the Tunguska River. The event is believed to have been caused by an asteroid or comet exploding in the atmosphere, but no impact crater has ever been found. The exact object and the circumstances of its disintegration are still subjects of speculation and investigation.
14. Animal migration: Many animal species undertake long-distance migrations with precision and consistency. Monarch butterflies, for example, migrate thousands of miles to the same wintering grounds each year. How these animals navigate with such accuracy, often to places they have never been before, is not fully understood and continues to be a fascinating area of study in biology.
15. Does God exist? The existence of God is a profound question that has intrigued humanity for millennia, and it remains one of the longstanding mysteries that remain unsolved. From a scientific standpoint, the question is largely unanswerable as it falls outside the realm of empirical evidence and measurable phenomena. Science, which relies on observation, experimentation, and falsifiable hypotheses, cannot prove or disprove the existence of a deity or deities, which are often defined by their transcendence of the natural world. The debate intertwines with philosophy, theology, and personal belief systems, making it a deeply personal and subjective matter. While some argue that the complexity and order of the universe suggest intelligent design, others find solace in the laws of physics and natural selection. Ultimately, the question of God’s existence may be one that science is not equipped to resolve, leaving it as an enduring enigma in the human quest for understanding.
What happens when science doesn't have an answer?: When science encounters phenomena it cannot yet explain, it does not signify a failure but rather the frontier of knowledge, beckoning further inquiry and exploration. The scientific method is built on the foundation of hypothesis, experimentation, and revision. Unexplained phenomena prompt scientists to develop new theories or refine existing ones. History is replete with mysteries that once puzzled humanity, from the heliocentric model of our solar system to the quantum mechanics governing subatomic particles.
In the face of the unknown, scientists gather empirical data, collaborate across disciplines, and employ technology to expand our understanding. Is there a possible explanation? Earth's unsolved mysteries often stem from limited scientific understanding and exploration. For example, the Tunguska event could have been caused by a comet or meteoroid air-burst, though concrete evidence is lacking. There are phenomena that elude complete scientific explanation, pointing to gaps in our knowledge of physical laws and cosmic structures. Have we ever come close to solving a mystery science still can't explain? There have been instances where science has come close to solving mysteries that were once thought to be inexplicable.
Another example, the Bermuda Triangle was once a source of numerous unsolved disappearances, but researchers have proposed explanations such as sudden methane eruptions from the ocean floor or unusual geomagnetic phenomena to account for the strange occurrences. Similarly, the cause of the Tunguska event in 1908, which flattened an estimated 80 million trees over an area of 2,150 square kilometers in Siberia, was long a mystery, but scientists now believe it was likely caused by an air burst of a meteoroid or comet fragment. These are just a couple of examples where scientific advancements and persistent investigation have brought us closer to understanding phenomena that once seemed beyond our grasp. Science has many profound mysteries it cannot yet fully explain, spanning the cosmos, the fundamental nature of reality, and the workings of the human mind.
These questions often lie at the frontiers of current knowledge, prompting ongoing research and the development of new theories. Key scientific mysteries include: Physics & Cosmology Dark Matter and Dark Energy These invisible components are estimated to make up about 95% of the universe, yet their nature remains unknown. Dark matter is an unobserved substance inferred by its gravitational effects that hold galaxies together, while dark energy is the mysterious force driving the universe's accelerating expansion. Quantum Gravity There is no single, unifying theory that successfully merges quantum mechanics (the physics of the small) and general relativity (the physics of the large, including gravity). Such a "theory of everything" is needed to understand extreme conditions, such as the center of a black hole or the moment of the Big Bang. Matter-Antimatter Asymmetry The Big Bang should have produced equal amounts of matter and antimatter, which would have annihilated each other. The universe is overwhelmingly dominated by matter, and science has yet to explain the mechanism that caused this imbalance.
16. The Origin of the Universe is yet another mystery. While the Big Bang theory describes the universe's early expansion, it doesn't explain what caused the Big Bang itself or what, if anything, existed before it. The Arrow of Time Physics can describe processes moving forward or backward in time, but the underlying reason why time flows only in one direction in our macroscopic world remains an enigma.
17. Biology & the Brain Consciousness How the electro-chemical reactions in the brain create subjective experiences, a sense of self, and personal awareness is one of the most profound biological mysteries. This is often referred to as the "hard problem of consciousness".
The Origin of Life Scientists understand many of the chemical building blocks and processes that may have led to life (e.g., the formation of amino acids), but the exact transition from non-living chemistry to the first self-replicating organisms remains unknown.
18. Animal Migration The precise mechanisms by which animals like monarch butterflies or migratory birds navigate thousands of miles to specific locations, often for the first time, are not fully understood.
19. Earth & Atmosphere Ball Lightning This rare, unexplained atmospheric phenomenon appears as a glowing sphere of electricity, but its exact physical nature and origin are not yet scientifically agreed upon.
20. The "Hum" Phenomena In certain places around the world (e.g., the Taos Hum or the Windsor Hum), a persistent, low-frequency humming sound is heard by some residents but cannot be detected by scientific instruments or explained by known sources.
The above 20 examples among much more will do.
Let me now write in lighter blue my personal experiences and questions I asked myself in 5 very brief chapters
CHAPTER 1 — THE BOY WHO WALKED WITH SHADOWS
Every life begins with ordinary footsteps. Mine began in Batu Pahat, a southern town in Johor, Malaysia, warm with tropical sunlight by day, and by night, filled with whispers older than memory. As a boy with sharp senses and a curious mind, living in a world that seemed entirely solid, yet at times revealed cracks through which the unseen slipped.
My childhood home, like many old Malaysian houses, carried its own quiet stories. Unexplained footsteps across wooden floors. The sudden closing of doors without a breeze. Shadows where no shadows should be. A faint presence watching from the corner of a room just as you were falling asleep. Such things would trouble most children deeply, yet for me, these mysteries stirred not just fear but a lifelong curiosity.
Then came Batu Pahat Government English School, later known as Batu Pahat High School. What I learned in textbooks was never as unforgettable as what lingered in the corridors. The building had been used by the Japanese military during the occupation. Blood was spilled, screams echoed, and the walls absorbed every ounce of human fear. Decades later, long after peace returned, something remained.
My classmates whispered about shadows moving at the end of the hall. Teachers avoided certain rooms after dusk. Students fell inexplicably ill after wandering into the old block alone. And me, young, sensitive, and fearless felt the weight of a presence standing behind me more than once - ghosts in my school hall, classrooms, corridors, latrines, treetops, everywhere the Japanese occupation of Malaya slaughtered the innocents.
What I encountered as a boy was not madness. It was memory. Buildings, like people, remember.
And so began my lifelong walk between two worlds, the scientific and the unseen, the physical and the spiritual, the measurable and the mysterious.
CHAPTER 2 — ECHOES IN THE CORRIDORS OF TIME
Trauma imprints itself on places as much as on people. Batu Pahat High School was a silent museum of suffering from the 1940s. Within its walls, men were interrogated, beaten, and executed. Fear soaked into the timber, despair seeped into the bricks, and the ground itself remembered.
Years later, I learned what modern science calls emotional energy imprinting. Severe emotional events can create strong electromagnetic disturbances detectable even decades later. This is not superstition, it is a measurable effect, documented in physics and parapsychology.
That explains why:
– certain hallways felt heavier
– particular rooms invoked coldness
– footsteps echoed where no one walked
– and students sensed invisible watchers
My father’s old hotel in Batu Pahat was similar. Hotels are transient places, filled with joy, despair, loneliness, and secrets. Emotional residue accumulates like dust. Some rooms, though freshly cleaned, feel “occupied” even when empty.
Later in life, I encountered more echoes - haunted mysteries I am unable to explain.
Science may not yet fully explain consciousness, but it does recognize that:
1. Extreme emotions leave electromagnetic imprints.
2. The brain detects fields we do not consciously register.
3. Humans evolved to sense danger, including invisible cues.
Thus, the mysteries I felt were not “ghosts” in the Hollywood sense, but the natural intersection of human perception and the energetic history of a place.
I am sensitive, and places with heavy pasts spoke to me more clearly than to others.
CHAPTER 3 — THE SCIENTIST IN THE SILENT ROOMS
As I grew, life took me to places of healing and research, the Institute for Medical Research (IMR) where I worked, and eventually at Kuala Lumpur Hospital. I entered these places not as a boy sensing shadows, but as a medical scientist and doctor seeking truth. Yet the unseen world never left me. It simply changed shape.
There at IMR, late at night, while others slept, I worked for my doctorate degree for nearly three years alone in my quiet haunted office room after all my colleagues have gone home after office hours - I was there alone in that office room - a presence stood silently behind me as I worked - often some noise or something mysteriously dropped on the floor in the research laboratory just next to my room. We knocked off from work at 4:15 pm then in the 1970's till 1990's. I would then go for a quick dinner and returned to my office around 5:30 pm, sometimes at 6:00 pm. Then I would stay back till 9 - 10 pm, sometimes even till midnight as I needed to go back to bathe and sleep to be back to work at 8:00 am the next morning.
My room was very isolated and dead silent except for the low hum of the air-conditioners. I was told many times by my colleagues my room was haunted - patients who died there during a medical investigation. My colleagues told me they and former staff have seen apparition lurking in my room. But I have not seen one, except their cold eerie and silent presence besides me as I worked through my research data. The temperature of my room seemed to drop colder than the air-conditioner temperature I adjusted at 18 degree Celsius, but I could not see them except the chilly feeling of their presence just besides me - maybe they could see my lone presence sitting there.
Then in KL Hospital too where suffering and death are constant companions, and where restless spirits linger - ‘visitor’ came to my hospital room at 3 am. Long hospital corridors where time feels frozen I too felt their presence too where no one was there after midnight.
These were not hallucinations. I simply walked through places filled with unresolved stories.
The air was still in these places where I worked in silence. Yet, sometimes, a presence filled the room. Not threatening, not hostile, simply there. As though someone was reviewing my research data, statistical analysis and other notes with me. Or observing my work. Or passing by.
Hospitals too are unique. People leave their bodies there, some peacefully, others fighting to the last breath. Not all transitions are smooth. Some linger, confused, wandering near the place where they last existed physically. To the sensitive, these presences feel like:
– a shift in the air pressure
– a sudden coldness
– the sensation of eyes watching
– or a faint smell of antiseptic mixed with something older
Near-death experiences and out-of-body sensations reported by patients show that consciousness may continue even when the physical body is clinically inactive. Scientists studying NDEs have recorded brain activity surges moments before death, suggesting intense conscious-like states.
My trusted colleague, Professor Sage walked through these environments together with me, with both rational clarity and intuitive sensitivity. Both of us observed the living with medical precision and the departed with quiet empathy.
Thus, my life became a bridge between science and mystery, I should admit- a rare relationship few achieve.
CHAPTER 4 — MYSTERIES BEYOND THE EDGE OF SCIENCE
This chapter unifies all the great scientific enigmas I mentioned, and offers the most complete explanations modern knowledge allows.
Here I have woven them extremely briefly into a smooth nutshell narrative:
Consciousness
We know the brain generates electrical patterns… but how do chemicals and electricity create a soul, a self, an “I”? This remains the Hard Problem, the greatest mystery in neuroscience.
Dark Matter & Dark Energy
Everything we see, stars, planets, humans, makes up only 5% of the universe. The rest is invisible yet shapes galaxies. We feel gravity from something we cannot detect.
Placebo Effect
Belief alters body chemistry. Brain imaging shows that expectation can release real opioids, reduce pain, enhance healing.
But how belief becomes biology is still unknown.
Matter–Antimatter Asymmetry
The universe should have annihilated itself. But something caused matter to win over antimatter. We still don’t know why.
Quantum Entanglement
Two particles communicate instantly across the universe. Faster than light. Outside spacetime. No physical explanation fits, and yet it happens.
Origin of Life
We know the building blocks. But how chemistry turned into self-replicating life remains a missing link.
Turbulence
We can send a man to the moon, but we still cannot mathematically predict a turbulent flow with full accuracy.
Arrow of Time
Why does time move forward? Why not backward? Entropy explains part of it, but human subjective time remains a mystery.
Life After Death
NDEs show lucidity when the brain is inactive. Some patients report accurate details they could not possibly see. There is no proof of an afterlife, but neither proof against it.
Non-Coding DNA
Once called “junk”, now known to regulate development, brain formation, immunity.
Its full function remains unknown.
The Fermi Paradox
The universe should be teeming with life. But it is silent. Possible explanations range from rare Earth to ancient extinct civilizations.
Pioneer Anomaly
Spacecraft slowed unexpectedly beyond Saturn. Thermal radiation is one explanation; others suggest unknown physics.
Tunguska Event
A cosmic air-burst flattened 80 million trees. Yet no crater. Likely cometary, but still debated.
Animal Navigation
Birds sense magnetic fields using quantum reactions in their eyes. Butterflies navigate to places they have never seen. Still not fully understood.
Ball Lightning, the Hum, dreams, intuition, déjà vu, ghosts
Many natural phenomena remain unexplained because they lie at the intersection of physics and human perception. Human beings sense more than we consciously know.
Reality is deeper than our instruments can measure.
CHAPTER 5 — THE SOUL BETWEEN WORLD Realms
At the heart of all mysteries lies one question:
What are we, truly?
A body of atoms?
A brain generating thoughts?
Or a consciousness temporarily housed in flesh?
Near-death experiences, quantum theories of consciousness, and centuries of spiritual traditions suggest that the human soul may be a pattern of information, energy, and awareness existing beyond physical form.
My life is filled with encounters, intuition, sensitivity, and scientific observation, reflects a person with one foot in the physical world and one sensing the world beyond.
Perhaps:
– Consciousness is fundamental, not produced by the brain.
– The universe is alive with awareness.
– Death is a transition, not an end.
– The veil between worlds is thin, especially where emotions run strong.
– Sensitive souls like me feel what others cannot.
In the rooms of IMR, in the wards of KL Hospital, in my childhood school, and even in my father’s hotel I was walking through layers of reality most people never notice.
And that is my gift.
A scientist in the body.
An observer of the unseen.
A traveler between worlds.
A lifelong seeker of truth.
My story to share here in this blog of mine and in Whats App chat groups is not only a biography but a testament to the mysteries that surround us, whispering that science has not yet mapped the full shape of reality.
EPILOGUE — A LIFE AT THE THRESHOLD
To my learned colleague and research collaborator, Professor Sage who encourages me to write about my life experiences embodies the very essence of mystery: logic and intuition, science and spirit, knowledge and wonder.
And perhaps that is the greatest truth:
The universe is not meant to be fully solved.
It is meant to be explored.
And to all my gentle readers in this blog of mine, I have spoken the truth - I have spent a lifetime exploring it with a brave mind and an open heart.
I am a plain lim ju boo alias lin ru wu in Chinese characters (林 如 武) who is always seeking the truth
