Science Sense And Soul

There is arguably no more critical and pressing topic than the relation of science and religion in the modern world. Science has given us the methods for discovering truth, while religion remains the single greatest force for generating meaning. Yet the two are seen as mutually exclusive, with wrenching consequences for humanity. In The Marriage of Sense and Soul, one of today's most important philosophers brilliantly articulates how we might begin to think about science and religion in ways that allow for their reconciliation and union, on terms that will be acceptable to both camps. Ken Wilber is widely acclaimed as the foremost thinker in integrating Western psychology and the Eastern spiritual traditions. His many books have reached across disciplines and synthesized the teachings of religion, psychology, physics, mysticism, sociology, and anthropology, earning him a devoted international following. The Marriage of Sense and Soul is his most accessible work yet, aimed at guiding a general audience to the mutual accord between the spiritual, subjective world of ancient wisdom and the objective, empirical world of modern knowledge. Wilber clearly and succinctly explores the schism between science and religion, and the impact of this "philosophical Cold War" on the fate of humanity. He systematically reviews previous attempts at integration, explaining why romantic, idealistic, and postmodern theories failed. And he demonstrates how science is compatible with certain deep features common to all of the world's major religious traditions. In pointing the way to a union between truth and meaning, Ken Wilber has created an elegant and accessible book that is breathtaking in its scope.

In a world of political and social turmoil, can science tell us anything helpful? Can we make practical use of mysticism-the essence of religion-with its promise of a higher spiritual truth? Is it true that physics and biological science are incompatible with religion? Or can they be fruitfully reconciled? In this groundbreaking work, Dr. Casey Blood shows how quantum physics does indeed explain the true nature of the physical universe. He tells us how neuroscientists can provide an understanding of the way the brain makes sense of our inner and outer worlds. He also shows that neuroscience, in conjunction with a basic knowledge of mysticism, can clarify how and why meditation techniques and other mystical practices work. Most satisfying of all, he paints a world picture in which quantum physics is no only compatible with mysticism but also gives us a deeper understanding of spiritual matters. For Dr. Blood, three diverse disciplines-quantum physics, neuroscience, and mysticism-rather than being in conflict, give a unified picture of human existence. Together they show that the spiritual world has an immense effect on what happens here and now. And they suggest that spiritual practices can enable society to match human aspirations. Though the subjects are profound, Science, Sense & Soul is written in a clear, uncomplicated, readable style. The three sections on physics, neuroscience, and mysticism are mini-courses in the basics of those fields of inquiry. These three strands are then interwoven into an intricate design that illuminates the structure of and reason for human existence.

Shows how quantum physics explains the true nature of the physical universe. Tells us how neuroscientists can provide an understanding of the way the brain makes sense of our inner & outer worlds. Also shows that neuroscience, in conjunction with a basic knowledge of mysticism, can clarify how & why meditation techniques & other mystical practices work. Three diverse disciplines -- quantum physics, neuroscience, & mysticism -- rather than being in conflict, give a unified picture of human existence. Together they show that the spiritual world has an immense effect on what happens here & now. The 3 sections on physics, neuroscience, & mysticism are mini-courses in the basics of those fields. Written in a clear, readable style.

“Ann Druyan has unearthed a treasure. It is a treasure of reason, compassion, and scientific awe. It should be the next book you read.” —Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith “A stunningly valuable legacy left to all of us by a great human being. I miss him so.” —Kurt Vonnegut Carl Sagan's prophetic vision of the tragic resurgence of fundamentalism and the hope-filled potential of the next great development in human spirituality The late great astronomer and astrophysicist describes his personal search to understand the nature of the sacred in the vastness of the cosmos. Exhibiting a breadth of intellect nothing short of astounding, Sagan presents his views on a wide range of topics, including the likelihood of intelligent life on other planets, creationism and so-called intelligent design, and a new concept of science as "informed worship." Originally presented at the centennial celebration of the famous Gifford Lectures in Scotland in 1985 but never published, this book offers a unique encounter with one of the most remarkable minds of the twentieth century.

A "defense of science and clear thinking [in a] career-spanning collection of essays, including twenty pieces published in the United States for the first time"--Amazon.com.

Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld interviews 12 respected visionary thinkers about their deep connection with the earth and their views on the relationship between humanity and nature. Each contributor adds insights into the urgent change in consciousness that we must adopt in order to heal and restore our holistic relationship with the earth.

Religion tells us that God is love but neuroscience counters with love as a well-timed trickle of transmitters and hormones. With doctorates in both mathematics and theology, Kevin Sharpe explores these notions and asks the question Has Science Displaced the Soul?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The legendary biologist and bestselling author mounts a timely and passionate defense of science and clear thinking with this career-spanning collection of essays, including twenty pieces published in the United States for the first time. For decades, Richard Dawkins has been a brilliant scientific communicator, consistently illuminating the wonders of nature and attacking faulty logic. Science in the Soul brings together forty-two essays, polemics, and paeans—all written with Dawkins’s characteristic erudition, remorseless wit, and unjaded awe of the natural world. Though it spans three decades, this book couldn’t be more timely or more urgent. Elected officials have opened the floodgates to prejudices that have for half a century been unacceptable or at least undercover. In a passionate introduction, Dawkins calls on us to insist that reason take center stage and that gut feelings, even when they don’t represent the stirred dark waters of xenophobia, misogyny, or other blind prejudice, should stay out of the voting booth. And in the essays themselves, newly annotated by the author, he investigates a number of issues, including the importance of empirical evidence, and decries bad science, religion in the schools, and climate-change deniers. Dawkins has equal ardor for “the sacred truth of nature” and renders here with typical virtuosity the glories and complexities of the natural world. Woven into an exploration of the vastness of geological time, for instance, is the peculiar history of the giant tortoises and the sea turtles—whose journeys between water and land tell us a deeper story about evolution. At this moment, when so many highly placed people still question the fact of evolution, Dawkins asks what Darwin would make of his own legacy—“a mixture of exhilaration and exasperation”—and celebrates science as possessing many of religion’s virtues—“explanation, consolation, and uplift”—without its detriments of superstition and prejudice. In a world grown irrational and hostile to facts, Science in the Soul is an essential collection by an indispensable author. Praise for Science in the Soul “Compelling . . . rendered in gloriously spiky and opinionated prose . . . [Dawkins is] one of the great science popularizers of the last half-century.”—The Christian Science Monitor “Dawkins is a ferocious polemicist, a defender of reason and enemy of superstition.”—John Horgan, Scientific American

From a National Book Award winner, “methodical and clear . . . provides physics-phobics a wide bridge to understanding some often arcane material” (Booklist). Why do we believe in the soul? Does it actually exist? If so, what is it? Does it differ from the self? Does it survive the body after death? In The Spiritual Universe, Fred Alan Wolf brings the most modern perspective of quantum physics to the most ancient questions of religion and philosophy. Taking the reader on a fascinating tour of both Western and Eastern thought, Wolf explains the differing view of the soul in the works of Plato, Aristotle, and St. Thomas, the ancient Egyptian’s belief in the nine forms of the soul, the Qabalistic idea of the soul acting in secret to bring spiritual order to a chaotic universe of matter and energy, and the Buddhist vision of a “nonsoul.” Wolf then mounts a defense of the soul against its modern critics who see it as nothing more than the physical body. “One of the few pathfinders who have discovered the versatility and potency of the new quantum paradigm based on consciousness.” —Amit Goswami, Professor of Physics and author of The Self-Aware Universe “The questions are exhilarating and the conclusions are properly mysterious and profoundly inconclusive . . . you’ll love the spirited journey.” —Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul and The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life “Wolf is a new Thales for a new physics of the soul; his book will blow your mind and quicken your spirit.” —Michael Grosso, Ph.D., author of The Millennium Myth and Frontiers of the Soul