Customer Reviews

Global Mind Change: The Promise of the 21st Century

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This is a wonderful indictment of the Western scientific tradition, less comprehensive than Voltaire's Bastards but more readable and more focused as a result. The author shows a clear connection between existing global problems (ethnic violence, water scarcity, pollution, poverty, criminalization of society) and the earlier Western decisions to adopt scientific objectivity (with all of its inherent bias and ignorance) as well as the primacy of economic institutions such as have given rise to the consumerist society, regardless of the external diseconomies, the concentrations of ill-gotten wealth, and the cost to the earth resource commons. The author is especially strong on the need to restore sprituality, consciousness, and values to the decision-making and information-sharing architecture of the world--only in this way could community be achieved across national and ethnic and class lines, and only in this way could environmental sustainability and justice (economic, social, and cultural) be made possible. This is not a "tree hugger" book as much as it is a "master's class" for those who would be master's of the universe. It is a very fine portal into the growing body of people who wish to be cultural creatives, and easily one of the guideposts toward the next major paradigm shift, away from scientific materialism and toward a new communitas in which people really matter.

As a physician trying to bridge the gulf between western and eastern medicine, this has been a wonderful book. The western paradigm, while successful in it's own right, has vast "blanks" to explain certain phenomenon, particularly in the realm of human consciousness. The author has adeptly created a vision from which we can grasp and incorporate a new paradigm. It is so welcoming to read such a scholarly tome that honors the human spirit while embracing the human journey thus far traveled. This is one of the best books from the IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences) collection.

Willis Harman's "An Incomplete Guide to the Future" started me on future studies, and his writings have helped focus my studies since. "Global Mind Change" is a powerful statement, digging deep into our language and assumptions as he explores the history and current thought in humanity's attempts to define reality through science. A must read for the new century, and an excellent text for interdisciplinary social and scientific studies.

From Galileo to the Wright Brothers, mankind's most significant scientific discoveries have come from thinkers who challenged the assumptions of the day, often earning the scorn - or worse - of their contemporaries. Esteemed futurist Willis Harman reminds us of this fact early and often in the second edition of Global Mind Change, which is enhanced by a foreword by acclaimed author, Hazel Henderson, but otherwise maintains the original's insights and flaws. In terms of insight, Harman speaks eloquently about the changes in human perspective that accompanied - and he says ultimately caused - such radical shifts as the fall of the Roman Empire and the demise of slavery in the United States. He extends this analysis to modern scientific thought, which he identifies as a societal foundation currently in the first stages of a paradigm shift in which many concepts now viewed as "New Age" will gain acceptance. We [...] recommend this book to any armchair futurist, but urge all readers to bear in mind one caveat: For every free thinker who upended science with brilliant insight, there have been untold thousands of quacks, madmen and charlatans.

Willis Harman presents the role of 'consciousness' in the evolution of humanity in his book, Global Mind Change. Beginning in the last third of the 20th century, a global mind change emerged that is altering our perception of reality similar in scope to the transition from the Middle Ages to the 17th century scientific revolution. Whereas the Copernican revolution changed our concepts of outer space, the current global mind change is concerned with our understanding of inner space and sees conscious awareness as the new causal reality. At the present time we are somewhere in the middle of a shift from the scientific view that the universe is comprised of matter-energy, to a transcendental belief that the mind, consciousness, or spirit is primary. Harman cites the challenge to the legitimacy of the prevailing worldview as the most powerful force for change.

Harman helps us to anticipate characteristics of a new global 'trans-modern society.' He sees the first indication of shifts in values, attitudes, and perceptions in the business community, and eventually this shift will have an impact on all sectors of society. He describes a new 'learning society' amongst technologically advanced countries similar to the Greek ideal where all of societies' institutions would be directed to learning, fulfillment, and becoming human. He also espouses a 'developing society' for the world in the sense of fostering the maximum possible development for each human individual. The shift towards conscious awareness as the new causal reality may also bring a 'reunion' of science and metaphysics, a return to the early history of science where metaphysics and science were strongly linked.

I just finished reading this really good book by Willis Harman.
For everyone who is working with sustainability and is trying out new, deep, participative forms of leadership in order to create together meaningful future scenarios, this book is a must. Also recommended for those fascinated by the emergence of the 'new' scientific paradigm (from Einstein and Bohr, onwards) with all the implications about the role of consciousness in the new science.
Willis Harman was an authentic futurist, in fact in his pages originally written in 1985 he hits the heart of the matter in so many key points of today's civilization: the link between economic growth and environmental degradation, the perception of nature as a mere 'resource', the eroding sense of meaning that today's societies are facing despite an apparent wealth of scientific knowledge. Lastly, it gives many good insights in the type of leadership that was emerging in the early 80ies (still very relevant today).

This book is essential reading for anyone thinking about any major transformation in our society...Harman nails the key to any major shifts, changing the way we humans think. It reminds me of Einstein's warning that we'll never solve our problems using the same consciousness with which we created them.

This book, in advance of all others, has served to inspire my own work including ten books and many articles.

Harman tries to tell us about our unlimited powers useing our subconscious mind and how to free ourselves from the limitations placed upon it by humanity,socity,and our parents, teachers an so forth. I just wish he had found a way to deprogram our subconscious so we could reprogam it with the real truth!

This is my second 'global mind change' book, and reading 'the promise of the 21st century' resembled Global Mind Change: The New Age Revolution in the Way We Think. I'm not sure if '21st Century' is an expanded edition of 'New Age Revolution,' as they share core concepts. Familiar with the concepts from the first book, I understood them better after reading. The clarity and readability of this work is higher than 'New Age Revolution.'

Global Mind Change is the concept the post-industrial revolution era has opened a huge increase in productivity to the point where the essentials of life are easily provided by society. Instead caring for the Earth, the primary elite are exploitative corporations who sacrifice long term planetary health for a short term profit. The reason for this is linked to a reductionist world view, where numbers and classifications are more important than consciousness and human beings. The Why's of the reductionist worldview (M1) are examined in the context of fundamental assumptions behind science and the purpose of science. Global Mind change seeks to redefine fundamental assumptions, or provide a fresh look at them, for a better future.

It's not a hippy book. The biggest thing I 'got' this time was the levels of science -- Physical Science, Life Sciences, Human Sciences, and Spiritual Sciences. The modern westernized science does not value consciousness or emotions (human or spiritual sciences), meaning reductionist 'put a monetary value on everything' trumps future generations, long-term survival, and intangible values. The books says 'stop and look at nonsensical behavior before you ruin the Earth.' Those fundamental assumptions include profiteering ethics fighting/overwhelming good science, and that a consumption based throw-away society is inherently superior to a 'make things which last' creative society. What struck me as odd is the author is unaware of the 'Tragedy of the Commons' concept, which greatly helps/compliments their thesis.

Perennial Wisdom (i.e. overwhelming empirical evidence regarding human and spiritual sciences which modern science ignores) is examined and not dismissed. Global Mind Change uses a bottom-up approach in examining the flawed methodology of the current M1 (matter giving rise to mind) metaphysics underlying Western science and proposes a shift to M3 (Transcendental Monism, mind giving rise to matter). I did not agree with this conclusion, and I do not understand why the author is not promoting an M2 model (Dualism, matter plus mind).

The book does a wonderful job of analyzing the history of M1, including covering the light wave vs. light particle debate and how Europeans science leaders trashed their meteor specimens in the 1700's because they decided 'space rocks' were like angels and elves. My point is, the author takes a deliberate stand that a dual approach is best for understanding the world. The light-as-particle model is valid, but so is the light-as-wave model, and the end result is a complimentary modeling with greater understanding. While the author covers the flaws in M1, they ignore the flaws in M3 (to find those flaws examine historical India or even a contemporary Islamic theocracy).

While I appreciated the well constructed analysis, I found it fights for the wrong conclusion (M3 vs M2). It does not distinguish 'a move towards M3' and M3 itself. Overall, an enjoyable, thinking book I did not entirely agree with.