From Science to God: A Physicist's Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness [Paperback]

Peter Russell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 22, 2004

Peter Russell went from being a strict atheist and scientist to discovering a profound personal synthesis of the mystical and the scientific. That transition is the basis of this book. In From Science to God, he blends physics, psychology, and philosophy to reach a new worldview in which consciousness is a fundamental quality of creation. Russell shows how all the ingredients for this worldview are in place; it remains only to put the pieces together and explore the new picture of reality that emerges. Integrating a deep knowledge of science with his own experiences of meditation, Russell arrives at a universe similar to that described by many mystics — one in which the inner and outer worlds no longer conflict. The bridge between them, he shows, is light, and this book invites readers to cross that bridge to find new meaning in God and a deeper significance in spiritual practice.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Russell, a "scientist at heart," seems somewhat oversold as a physicist, although his undergraduate work at Cambridge brought him into Steven Hawking's office on occasion. But his curiosity about the mystery of consciousness is real enough, leading him from a fascination with TM in his student days to studies in India with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, to a successful career as a corporate consultant on meditation, creativity and personal development. Russell's explanations and arguments are generally clear enough-presumably well-suited for seminar audiences-if a bit superficial when presented in book format. He rightly complains that the establishment science and philosophy of the 1960s showed minimal interest in problems of consciousness, but barely acknowledges subsequent developments in neuroscience, cognitive science and philosophy of mind that have attempted more or less successfully to grapple with these problems. Instead, he offers readers an unexceptional argument for a "metaparadigm shift" in which consciousness is accepted as a fundamental constituent of the universe and of scientific explanations, supplemented by analogies between consciousness, light and God and a lavish abundance of epigrammatic quotes from Einstein, Schrudinger and Eastern religious teachers. Readers in search of "a journey of ideas that starts with science and arrives at God" can find much more to work with in the writings of Douglas Hofstadter, Paul Davies and John Polkinghorne.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Russell, well known for his work on the physiology of meditation, describes his personal struggle to bring science and spirit together and conducts readers through some of the more mysterious discoveries of contemporary physics. Physics--"queen of the sciences"--may seem an unlikely source of spiritual inspiration, and when younger, Russell found his growing spiritual curiosity at odds with the mechanistic science exemplified by Stephen Hawking, with whom Russell studied at Cambridge. Dropping out to study transcendental meditation, about which he has written several definitive books, he later returned to academe to engage in scientific study of consciousness and attain the insight that consciousness is what religions call God. Although the conventionally religious may take issue with Russell's effort to connect science and spirit, many, including some of them, may welcome his lucid exploration of their similarities. Patricia Monaghan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: New World Library (December 22, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1577314948
• ISBN-13: 978-1577314943
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.4 x 8.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,587 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 39 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars From complexity to sublime simplicity December 7, 2003

By Orva Schrock

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

A beautiful book! It is little in size but big in content. Peter Russell has graced us with the story of his own journey from common-sense atheistic scientist to one who has Awakened. Along the way he builds a fascinating bridge between the developing theories of science and the inner mysteries of consciousness itself. The theme is not new but then this story is always new when it unfolds itself again in you. This is indeed the ultimate meaning and purpose of life; the discovery that your own self is non-other than the wondrous Self of all. That your deepest being is already one with the light and energy which ever creates and sustains the universe. This is a very timely and wise and well written book. Don't miss it!

46 of 49 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Novel and Inspiring June 28, 2000

By A Customer

Of the many books on the nature of consciousness that I've read over the years, I consider From Science to God to be the best. Like the cover illustrates, it is an attempt to bridge the gap between science and religion by identifying consciousness in measurable terms. Woven with enough autobiography to give context to his claims, one finds the author, Peter Russell, has an extensive background at each end of the divide. He argues with the clarity and breadth of someone who not only understands his topic, but more importantly, knows it. With this particular subject, the distinction is important. Such familiarity is crucial here, as scientific research into a condition as nebulous as consciousness suffers a fundamental handicap in the limitations imposed by the materialistic paradigm within which it must be examined. It is almost a purely philosophical matter, but that's where Russell's scientific training provides the necessary contrast.

Although the book stands firmly on its own merits, I found it to be a complimentary supplement to his previous work, Waking Up in Time, where the nature of consciousness was discussed but not explored in detail. Instead, there he concentrated on the "nurture" end of the spectrum, advocating the practice of meditation to stimulate spiritual awakening and a mindful awareness, that we may better know true happiness by living more in the moment. He explained, through what I consider to be his signature talent for thorough but succinct argument, how the Western materialist mindset not only has failed to provide humanity the comfort it long has sought, arguably leading to more ruin than reward, but also how it has obscured the path to inner peace by suggesting the objects of true satisfaction are external rather than innate. The central theme in that book was that as technology advances, the rate of change quickens, eventually to the point where a threshold is reached and the rate overwhelms us, essentially destroying a system no longer capable of containing its own growth. This threshold is fast-approaching. To avoid it, we must change the way we relate to technology. That means we have to dissociate our sense of identity from external influence and instead focus inward to the essence of self, which doesn't mean we forego technology, but requires we abandon the current materialistic cultural paradigm that shapes our perception of it. To effect this paradigm shift requires spiritual awakening, which first requires we understand the nature of consciousness.

In this book, Mr. Russell deals entirely with the innate. He illustrates that consciousness is not a mechanical process creating experience, but rather is the realm of experience itself--ubiquitous and eternal. That clarification alone is profound, as consciousness is commonly misidentified in the West as a physical mechanism underlying experience. He then draws an insightful comparison to the character of light and ultimately connects the two with compelling evidence, thus giving shape and form to the transcendent. His theory is novel by modern concepts of self, although it is alluded to throughout classical mystical doctrine. More significantly, it is the first example of which I'm aware that conveys the essence of what consciousness is in a way that can easily be understood by the modern materialist mindset--critical to a successful paradigm shift. While scientific research on consciousness has not been exhaustive, the weight of evidence, largely from quantum physics, rests squarely in Russell's favor. Religious philosophy and metaphysical traditions are shown to support him completely.

Mr. Russell has indeed built a bridge to heaven. That such an elegant framework has been erected by a Western mind is cosmic justice. That it spans the gap as lightly and liberating as spirit itself seems preordained.

27 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A great start November 30, 2004

By J. A. Tiesi

Format:Hardcover

I love this book. It is so clear, so concise, so readable. Deep, yet easily understandable. It is a short book, but if you're like me, it will take you a few days to read as you constantly put the book down to contemplate and digest what Russell says.

It's especially valuable to those of us with a science background who have found it hard in the past to find a satisfying middle ground between science and spirituality.

A great book to start your journey with.