It has become a popular notion that the goal of science is to prove what is true. Actually, the scientific objective is to identify what is untrue since an essential quality of truth is that it cannot be logically proven (only inferred).

The scientific method resulted from mankinds frustration with trying to sort out speculation and out-right bullshit from knowledge and wisdom. Unfortunately, the scientific method is limited to consensual reality (i.e. physical manifestation), yet human experience has the capacity to extend beyond the physical. In non-physical realms of experience, scientific method, as we currently understand it, has little application.

Science enables the development of theoretical models that are consistent with verifiable observations. The currently accepted model of physical existence is called Space-Time. It is comprised of four dimensions: three spatial and one temporal. These four dimensions constitute the minimum number of quantifiable elements required to describe all physically observable phenomena. They are length, width, depth and time. The static elements (spatial) are used to describe matter, while the dynamic element (temporal) is required to describe energy.

The fruits of science have dominated western culture to an awe-inspiring degree. Unfortunately, many speculative writers have capitalized off from this by borrowing scientific-sounding terms to lend an air of credibility to their agenda. This irresponsible mixing of fanciful ideas with misapplied scientific terms constitutes a misleading influence on popular culture.

The specific example that Id like to focus on here is the understanding of dimensions. Metaphysical notions of dimensions are often confused with the physical (scientific) terms as they have been described above. The human mind has the potential to experience existence in a variety of nonphysical modalities that cannot be adequately quantified within the Space-Time model. These alternate realities are often referred to as various dimensions; however, this does not imply that they are physically quantifiable.

When a philosophically speculative writer refers to the third dimension it should be recognized that they are unaware that, in scientific nomenclature, the third dimension is the plane of the z axis of the orthogonal coordinates of space. Likewise, , in scientific nomenclature, the fourth dimension is time. Reference to numbered dimensions in metaphysical literature should, therefore alert the reader to the possibility of charlatanism.