Azarian appears to be a potent patternist. Using common language (even if intellectually challenging) he weaves cutting edge science into an explanation of the origin, development, and purpose of life as we know it. In three sections titled: Origins, Evolution, Transcendence, he relates how science and beliefs could fit together to make sense of everything, and provide us a purposeful and noble path for the future.
I read this book because my beliefs are underpinned by the research and writing of psychologist Daniel J. Siegel (UCLA/Mindsight) and include the thesis that mind is a process that regulates information and energy. After his practice in clinical and therapeutic psychology and clinical research on advanced meditators, he found that the process is emergent, self-organizing, embodied, and inter(trans)personal. Siegel has written over 30 books since 2010. So I was delighted to see that Azarian deals with many of the same elements in his 2022 book.
Azarian's subject is far broader than human behavior. He takes on the universe and reality. In his search for the theory of everything (TOE) he proposes that, "Energy is nature’s fundamental organizing force, and a universe rich with flowing energy is a cosmos primed for complexification." and further, "Knowledge is the information we acquire that reduces our uncertainty or ignorance about the world." He calls his theory: "the integrated evolutionary synthesis." I certainly admire the pursuit, his citations, and his creative synthesis.
I also appreciate that his synthesis points towards science as it's basis, and yet it's trajectory towards the wonder and nature of spiritual connectedness as necessary for our ultimate evolutionary path. I loved this reference about free will, "The evolutionary process is poetic because it is inherently creative, and each new functional pattern that emerges at a higher level is a “rhyme” on the level before it. In poetic meta-naturalism’s model of reality, the mind is a multilevel controller, and free will is a higher level of control than basic biological agency. Once we understand the hierarchical structure of life, mind, and cosmos, we begin to see that individual freedom and cosmic destiny are not incompatible notions."
Ultimately he gives us a way to be optimistic that even in our darkest moments in our world and environment he offers, "“Popper’s principle,” which is based on a simple premise: Problems create progress." Overall, I would say this is not an easy book to read. But if you are motivated by curiosity about science and how it will help us navigate the future, and you find it useful to participate in that discussion, you will find it delightfully intriguing.
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An incredibly well synthesized philosophical theory of everything (PTOE)
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2022
This book should be required reading for all those interested in a deep understanding of the nature of reality. Bobby Azarian masterfully weaves together dozens of important concepts and their historical origins into a brilliant picture of what is going on in our universe. With this work, we can truly see how close we are to “waking up” as a universe, and perhaps understanding the nature of our reality.A philosophical theory of everything (PTOE), to me, is a theory which doesn’t quite have a fully mechanistic explanation that can be run on a computer, and/or used to predict all of our various perceptions. I would argue that a PTOE is a necessary stepping stone towards a true TOE. In this way, it’s paramount for those interested in understanding the nature of reality to see examples of how PTOEs are crafted, such that they can make their own and ideally turn it into a full blown TOE.I know of no other work that brings together these particular concepts into a cohesive story in a way that is graspable by even the lay person. I would certainly recommend it to anyone trying to get a good high level understanding of many scientific concepts which currently do a great job at describing different facets of our world, as well as how they might be connected together to create a true TOE.I have plenty of gripes/disagreements with certain views that Bobby seems to have, and even sometimes with the way those views are delivered, but that's what PTOEs are all about. Strong convictions, loosely held. It's meant to be provocative. Hopefully, this provocation drives YOU to actually do something about it... To fix what bothers you, to make your very own PTOE, or perhaps even a true TOE.
Reviewed in the United States on August 15, 2022
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