6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Vast Enquiring Soul, June 13, 2003
This review is from: The Vast Enquiring Soul : Explorations into the Further Reaches of Consciousness (Paperback)
What is consciousness? Where does it go when we die? Ronald Russell explores the answers to questions like this in his latest book, The Vast Enquiring Soul. A graduate of Oxford University, Russell has written thirteen other books. He describes this one as "a journey of exploration into the further reaches of consciousness." He says that consciousness is "our ability to know and understand, to be aware of ourselves and the world around us."
As part of his explorations, Russell delves into matters like psychokinesis (mind over matter), distant healing, remote viewing, and near-death and out-of-body experiences. His research has led him to the conclusion that consciousness "doesn't reside merely in the brain, but within our bodies, the earth, and the universe."
He relies not only on his own studies, but also those conducted by others from a variety of disciplines. He very neatly weaves all the available information into a tapestry of science, philosophy, theology, poetry, history, and the paranormal.
Russell says that consciousness is a part of everything that happens from before we're born until after we die. He asserts that consciousness isn't the same as soul--that our souls are the essential part of us that holds all our aspects, including mind, body, and consciousness, together. He urges the scientific world to consider the soul, and consciousness, when doing research; and advocates a new branch of study devoted to learning more about both the soul and consciousness and their roles in making us who and what we are.
"The more we can discover about our consciousness," Russell says, "the more of our potential as human beings we are likely to realize." The Vast Enquiring Soul is essential reading for all those interesting in exploring the most interesting frontier of all--their own consciousness.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Review of The Vast Enquiring Soul, December 31, 2000
This review is from: The Vast Enquiring Soul : Explorations into the Further Reaches of Consciousness (Paperback)
I was disappointed by this book. Having already read somewhat widely in many of the areas involved eg Out-of-Body experiences, Near Death Experiences etc, I had hoped that the author would have something fresh or penetrating to say. He hasn't. I felt that his survey was strangely idiosyncratic eg dealing with Edgar Cayce in a brief paragraph and never mentioning the Akashic records whereas spending a lot of time on healing. He also gives little space or in-depth commment to Stephensons work on re-birth (especially cases of children). Dean Radin is repeatedly referred to but it is never made clear what a tour-de-force Radins work is!
More fundamentally I was disappointed by what I felt was the wandering lack of punch in the authors analysis. Of course these are difficult areas, bordering at times on physics and replete with possibilities. But it is precisely because one can so easily lose ones way that I had hoped for solid analysis and intelligent expression of opinion. I don't know exactly what Russells education has been, but I felt he had a loose hold on the scientific method and standards of evidence.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An inspiring contribution to metaphysical studies, March 15, 2001
This review is from: The Vast Enquiring Soul : Explorations into the Further Reaches of Consciousness (Paperback)
In The Vast Enquiring Soul: Explorations Into The Further Reaches Of Consciousness, Ronald Russell argues compellingly for the including of the human soul into everyday thought and conversation, that any scientific concept of the world will remain incomplete unless taking the soul into consideration. Russell evaluated current consciousness research by scientists, philosophers, paranormalists, theologians, poets and historians, and found that consciousness doesn't reside only in the brain, but within the whole body, the earth, and the universe. The Vast Enquiring Soul is an informative, articulate, fascinating, and at times inspiring, contribution to metaphysical studies and the nature of human consciousness.
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