CONSCIOUSNESS: THE BRIDGE BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SPIRIT
With his characteristic blend of physics, psychology, philosophy and mysticism, Peter Russell articulates a new worldview that bridges both science and spirit.
The key is the nature of consciousness. Modern science, which has enjoyed so much success in furthering our understanding of the material world, has singularly failed to account for consciousness. Yet without consciousness there would be no science. As far as the contemporary scientific worldview is concerned, consciousness is one big anomaly.
Peter Russell challenges science's assumption about the nature of reality. Rather than trying to account for consciousness in terms of the material world, he proposes a new metaparadigm (the paradigm behind our various scientific paradigms) in which consciousness is as fundamental as space, time, and matter-perhaps even more so.
With consciousness as primary, everything remains the same and everything changes. Mathematics, physics, biology, chemistry remain the same-although some of the paradoxes of relativity and quantum theory become less puzzling, and light takes on a special significance. What changes is our appreciation of spiritual teachings. This new view of consciousness leads a new understanding of God-not the Almighty, father-figure God of classical religion, but the God of which the mystics have always spoken, the Godhead shining within us all as the light of consciousness.
We are, Peter Russell argues, on the threshold of a revolution in worldview even more profound and far-reaching than that initiated by Copernicus 500 years ago. All the pieces for the new worldview are in place. Nothing new needs to be discovered. All that is required is for us to put the pieces together and explore the new picture of the cosmos that emerges.
When we do, we discover a world in which
the worldviews of science and spirituality no longer conflict,
but represent two different views of reality. Such a convergence
is most needed today, for it is the spiritual aridity of the current
times that lies behind the many now facing humanity.
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Peter Russell M.A., D.C.S., F.S.P., is a fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, of The World Business Academy and of The Findhorn Foundation, and an Honorary Member of The Club of Budapest.
As a student, he studied mathematics and theoretical physics. Then, as he became increasingly fascinated by the mysteries of the human mind he changed to experimental psychology. Pursuing this interest, he traveled to India to study meditation and eastern philosophy, and on his return to the UK he took up the first research post ever offered in Britain on the psychology of meditation.
He also has a post-graduate degree in computer science, and conducted some of the early work on 3-dimensional displays, presaging by some twenty years the advent of virtual reality.
In the mid-seventies Peter Russell joined forces with Tony Buzan and helped teach "Mind Maps" and learning methods to a variety of international organizations and educational institutions. Since then his corporate programs have focused increasingly on self-development, creativity, stress management, and sustainable environmental practices. Clients have included IBM, Apple, Digital, American Express, Barclays Bank, Swedish Telecom, ICI, Shell Oil and British Petroleum.
His principal interest is the deeper, spiritual significance of the times we are passing through. He has written several books in this area -- The TM Technique, The Upanishads, The Brain Book, The Global Brain Awakens, The Creative Manager, The Consciousness Revolution, Waking Up in Time, and From Science to God.
As one of the more revolutionary futurists Peter Russell has been a keynote speaker at many international conferences in Europe, Japan and the USA including The Prophets Conference. His multi-image shows and videos, The Global Brain and The White Hole in Time have won praise and prizes from around the world. In 1993 the environmental magazine Buzzworm voted Peter Russell "Eco-Philosopher Extraordinaire" of the year.