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The Vast Enquiring Soul : Explorations into the Further Reaches of Consciousness

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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.

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.

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.

Ronald Russell has provided a large and valuable service for his readers by writing this book. For many years, I have been interested in the subjects covered; distant healing, out of body, near death and transcendental experiences, remote viewing, channeling, etc.

Russell examines each of these areas in turn and presents historical information, research and insights in a well written and easily understood manner. He quotes liberally from the original researchers, experiencers, teachers and authors then goes on to add his own clear, concise observations and conclusions -- often with wit and humor.

I particularly liked his telling of the story of a little boy, recently arrived from India, who was asked by his British school teacher to write an essay about what animal he would prefer as a pet. He chose a cat and wrote, "The cat is a square animal with four legs, one at each corner. It also has nine lives, but it doesn't use these in Europe because of Christianity."

I became so excited by the presentation that about three quarters of the way through the book, I jumped ahead to the last few pages. I couldn't wait to see how Russell would manage to bring together the limitations of mind, matter, space and time with the seemingly unbounded potential of human consciousness. I don't want to spoil anyone's pleasure by giving away my discovery beyond reporting that, for this vast enquiring soul, the author succeeded with a very credible and creditable result.

Ronald Russell defines consciousness as "our ability to know and understand, to be aware of ourselves and the world around and beyond us." He takes as his subject all circumstances in which our consciousness moves into altered states and seems to extend its reach beyond material reality into other realms. "The work and personality of the late Robert Monroe" and The Monroe Institute (TMI) programs are acknowledged as his inspiration. Extraordinary experiences of ordinary individuals--usually discounted by established science--are the foundation of Russell's case.

Russell addresses the core issue of how mind may influence matter and transcend space and time by scrutinizing psychokenesis, telepathy, premonition, precognition, deja vu, and remote viewing. He theorizes that distant healing, which affects a person without physical contact with the healer, may be a variant of telepathic communication. The near-death experience(NDE)is considered from the perspective of those who have "been there; done that" and from the perspective of researchers.

Communication with the "unbodied" and its implications receive in-depth considerations, from biblical prophecy, through the "auditory hallucinations" of the mentally disturbed, to the "voices" heard by the dying, to spiritualism and finally modern channeling. He personalizes the whole spectrum with the reminder that "...most of us in a variety of situations have heard ourselves say something pertinent or even profound without any forethought..."

Transcendence, which catapults the "separate" self into a state of fusion with all that is, seems closest to Russell's heart. His examination of the phenomenon is replete with examples drawn from the lives of authors, housewives, physicists, philosophers, astronauts, poets, scientists, TMI GATEWAY VOYAGE participants, and even death-and-dying authority Elisabeth Kubler-Ross.

Russell makes quite an impressive case for his major premise: subjective experiences such as ESP, telepathy, precognition, psychokinesis, NDEs, OBEs, and the transcendent moment, as well as abilities such as remote viewing, distant healing, and channeling, are reliable doorways into the dimensions in which consciousness reigns supreme. His arguments are closely reasoned and the abundance of personal accounts and academic references makes key resources readily accessible. If you truly hunger to know, be assured that there is quality nourishment here for your own "vast enquiring soul."