99 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Brilliant and Original Approach to Consciousness, Spirituality and Physics, September 17, 2007
This review is from: Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness (Columbia Series in Science and Religion) (Hardcover)
I have never met the author of this enthralling book, but having now also read several of his previous works, he clearly has a remarkably original and creative mind.
This book is both the most challenging and the most satisfying of his books, in which he tries to construct a comprehensive model that can take into account consciousness, quantum and Relativity theory.
He begins with an exceptionally important problem, and one that is not even recognized by many popular writers who use half-understood metaphors to support their theories of everything from the Law of Attraction to the nature of God.
The question is this: Can quantum mechanics tell us anything useful about the nature of reality in the observable day-to-day world? The trouble is that most of the observations in support of quantum theory vanish as the temperature of a system rises. At human body temperature, quantum effects appear to vanish like fairy gold.
The second question has also lead to its fair share of misunderstandings: how do Einstein's theories of Relativity tie in with our day-to-day experiences and with quantum theory?
In the 1950s a popular science writer first used a simplified but woefully inadequate interpretation of Einstein's work to declare that "everything is energy," and that matter is nothing but "congealed energy." These attractive statements have become enshrined in countless books, articles and documentaries. Sad to say, this is one of those times when an idea is clear, simple, understandable and... wrong.
Alan is far too smart and well informed to make these mistakes. He proposes that three fundamental problems are all related: first, the problem of measurement in quantum mechanics; second the problem of time in quantum cosmology and third the so-called "hard problem" in brain science that tries to explain how consciousness can arise form apparently inanimate matter.
What he does next is almost unique in contemporary literature: he engages in a first-person meditative inquiry into the relationships between these two streams in physics and the third strand: the nature of consciousness. He uses techniques that he outlined in
The Attention Revolution: Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind, and builds on some of the insights in his last book,
Contemplative Science: Where Buddhism and Neuroscience Converge (Columbia Series in Science and Religion).
He comes to the conclusion, rightly, I believe, that consciousness does not emerge from the brain but is conditioned by it. Furthermore, that the entire Universe of mind and matter arises from a fundamental non-dual reality.
Not only has Alan constructed an interesting hypothesis that is compatible with much of what we have learned from physicists, but he has also revived an ancient tradition that teaches us that although we can describe the natural world with our observations and our mathematics, we can also probe the nature of existence by going within our minds.
The worry about the latter approach has always been that we might end up in a meaningless solipsistic dream. Alan Wallace indicates to us that inner inquiry may produce answers that seem to agree with and expand many current models employed in physics.
This is an important, well-written and engaging book that will be of great value to anyone interested in consciousness, spirituality and the nature of the Universe.
Very highly recommended.
Richard G. Petty, MD, author of
Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life
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28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully written account of the intersection of Buddhism and science, October 6, 2007
This review is from: Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness (Columbia Series in Science and Religion) (Hardcover)
Alan Wallace is one of the leading writers in English about Tibetan Buddhism, and is one of the leading Buddhists working with top neuroscientists to study meditation, attention, and emotional development. He was trained in physics before becoming a Buddhist monk for 14 years, so he is also interested in the intersection of Buddhism and modern physics. The book offers the best account yet of his thinking about the intersection of Buddhism and science. I don't personally agree with his more supernatural beliefs, but this in no way keeps me from appreciating his very clear and graceful explanation of his views and what he accepts as evidence for them. It was a pleasure to read and think about this book.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Profound and challenging, November 2, 2007
This review is from: Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness (Columbia Series in Science and Religion) (Hardcover)
The author was a praticing Buddhist monk for many years, working with H.H. Dalai Lama, and when he left the monastic life he turned to the study of physics. In this book he brings these two worlds together in a convincingly intelligent way, presenting what is arguably one of the most comprehensive descriptions of the world around us (and in us).
He relies on the theories of physicist John Wheeler, and at the same time on his own meditative experiences. Emphazising the buddhist 'middle way'. Arguing for a world view that is neither materialistic nor theistic.
Considering the heated and rather depressiv debate between creationists and fanatic, fundamentalist neo-darwinists like Richard Dawkins, this is certainly a breath of fresh air. Making it clear that natural science has NOT been able to explain how life arise out of matter or how intelligence arise out of the material brain. And of course showing the utter lack of need for the postulate of a personal creator 'God'.
A beautiful book that should appeal to 'fans' of people like Osho, Stanislav Grof, Amit Goswami, Deepak Chopra. In many ways this could be seen as an updated version of "The Tao of Physics" by an author with a much more solid grip on the spiritual aspects than Fritjof Capra.
Intelligent arguments for not considering human 'reason' as the highest Intelligence in the Universe!
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