JOURNAL OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL NETWORK ESTABLISHED 1973 Paradigm Explorer

FRONT COVER

INSIDE PAGE 3 Bohm and Krishnamurti

PAGE 9 Beyond Duality

PAGE 15 Contrasting Futures

ISSN 1362-1211 | No 124 | 2017/2 www.scimednet.org 1 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 2017-18 NETWORK CALENDAR October 28-29 Beyond the Brain XII, Regent’s University, London with Dr Rupert Sheldrake and Prof Chris Roe from the Parapsychological Association, Dr Cassandra Vieten and Dr Dean Radin from the Institute of Noetic Sciences, Dr Diane Corcoran and Dr Penny Sartori from the International Association for Near-Death Studies and Prof Stuart Hameroff from the Center for Consciousness Studies, University of Arizona – leaflet enclosed November 17 Launch lecture for Rupert Sheldrake’s new book, Science and Spiritual Practice, King’s London – leaflet enclosed November 18 Transformative Innovations in Health. Day conference with the British Holistic Medical Association and the University of Westminster – leaflet enclosed Jan 29 – Feb 7 Jamaica seminar – see advert below April 6-8 Mystics and Scientists 41, Latimer Place July 6-8 Annual Meeting, venue tbc September 15 Day conference to celebrate 80th birthdays of Keith Ward and Ravi Ravindra September 28-30 Continental Meeting in Bagni di Lucca, Italy, with Laszlo Institute

LONDON - CLAUDIA NIELSEN – 0207 431 1177 or email [email protected] We meet at 38 Denning Rd NW3 1SU at 7.30 for an 8pm start when parking restrictions are lifted. Nearest tube station is Hampstead (Northern Line) or Hampstead Heath (Overground). Cost is £10 for members and £12 for guests. Please confirm attendance so I can anticipate numbers. Friends and non-members are always welcome. For more comprehensive information on presentations (to include synopsis and biographies) plus summaries of past ones, go to the London Group page of the SMN site at www.scimednet.org. Please note that sometimes talks have to be rescheduled and information is sent via email so even if you are not in London but would like to be kept informed of changes, please send me an email and I will put your address on the circulation list.

UPCOMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER Monday 25th Laurence Freeman OSB - The Rule of St. Benedict, a little Rule for Beginners OCTOBER Monday 9th Prof Tom Lombardo - Future Consciousness: The Path to Purposeful Evolution – An Introduction OCTOBER (NOVEMBER event) Monday 30th Prof Stuart Hameroff - The “quantum pleasure principle” – Did life evolve to feel good? JANUARY 2018 Monday 8th David Lorimer - Gnosis, Initiation and Transformation

THE FRENCHMAN’S COVE EXPERIENCE is unlike any other. It is a unique setting for a remarkable combination of conference and recreation in an unspoilt area near Port Antonio Jamaica 30th Jan to 4th Feb Suggested travel from UK 29th January to 7th February Dr Jude Currivan will present ME AND WE: SELF, GAIA AND THE COSMIC HOLOGRAM

The event will be chaired by David Lorimer and hosted by Diana Clift Further details from Diana Clift - [email protected]

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Notice to Contributors All proposed contributions should be sent to the Editor by email as a Word CONTENTS and/or PDF file. For further guidelines please email: [email protected]

EDITORIAL PARADIGM EXPLORER is published three times a year by the Scientific & A New Child Paul Filmore, 4 Medical Network, generally in April, Chairman August and December.

Editor: David Lorimer ARTICLES 2 Chemin de la Chaussee, 11230 St Colombe sur l’Hers, Why did Bohm Collaborate David Edmund Moody 5 France with Krishnamurti? Beyond Duality Jude Currivan 9 E-mail: [email protected] The Whole Spectrum: Biological to Spiritual Hazel Skelsey Guest 12 Web Site: www.scimednet.org Contrasting Futures for Humanity: Jennifer M. Gidley 13 (Members may apply to the SMN Office Technotopian or Human-Centred? for password to access the Members Only area of the web site). A Farewell to Ice Peter Wadhams 19 Editorial Board: Three Horizons: the Patterning of Hope Bill Sharpe 22 John Clarke, Paul Kieniewicz Regenerative Business - Giles Hutchins 24 Printed by: The Way Nature Intended Kingfisher Print & Design Ltd, Devon Meet the Terminator Paul Kieniewicz 26 The opinions expressed in Network are those of individual authors and not necessarily statements of general Network views. The Network is in no REPORTS way liable for views published herein. David Bohm & Ilya Prigogine Christos Sideras 28 Centenary Meeting Paradigm Explorer Registered office: Mystics and Scientists 40 (2017) Michael Langford 32 151 Talgarth Road, London W14 9DA CORRESPONDENCE Tel: 0203 468 2034. Culture, Conflict, Credibility and Curiosity Tim Houlding 34 Email: [email protected] Company limited by guarantee, registered No. 4544694 England NETWORK NEWS Registered charity No. 1101171 UK Network News 35 Members’ News 35

JOURNAL OF THE SCIENTIFIC AND MEDICAL NETWORK ESTABLISHED 1973 Local Group News 37 Members’ Articles 39 Paradigm News and Notices 40 Explorer

BOOK REVIEW SECTION FRONT COVER Science/Philosophy of Science 43 Medicine/Health 46 INSIDE PAGE 3 Bohm and Krishnamurti

Philosophy/Spirituality 47 PAGE 9 Beyond Duality

PAGE 15 Psychology/Consciousness Studies 50 Contrasting Futures ISSN 1362-1211 | No 122 | 2017/2 www.scimednet.org 1 Ecology/Futures Studies 56

General 60 Phoenix, by Thetis Blacker (1927-2006) Books in Brief 63 © Estate of Thetis Blacker

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www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 A New Child Dr Paul Filmore, Chairman, [email protected]

Talking of children, I must mention the formatted journal, to go out from us into imminent arrival of our Office Manager the world; part of our raison d’être. We are Chiara’s baby. Our thoughts are with Chiara glad of your continuing support in these our and her family. Associated with this, we will SMN endeavours. As Kahlil Gibran says on be providing maternity cover for Chiara for children: the next six months, so if you hear a different voice on the end of the office telephone, you You are the bows from which your will know why. children On other matters, we are in need of overspill as living arrows are sent forth. office space on occasions, for use by volunteer members. If you have a room, ideally in or The archer sees the mark upon the path Dear Member, near London, that could be used on an ad hoc of the infinite, As I look through an early copy of Paradigm basis, we would be very interested in hearing and He bends you with His might Explorer, I am heartened that we have from you. The SMN has also a considerable that His arrows may go swift and far. together achieved a correct balance between paper archive which we need some help to approachability and respectability. The new digitise, and somewhere to store. Storage Let your bending in the archer’s hand be fresh modern look complements, I feel, the is also needed for 12 boxes of books from for gladness; scientific journal appearance. I have confidence the late Peter Hewitt’s library, and a steadily For even as He loves the arrow that flies, that this publication will help in continuing to increasing number of boxes of review books. If you are able to help in any way, do please establish our image as a dynamic, cutting edge so He loves also the bow that is stable. email [email protected] as soon as organization. possible. My thanks go to David and Kim at Kingfisher Press for the design, and to David and the It takes effort and time to conceive and Warmest wishes to you all, editorial team for the content. A fantastic job! produce a child, such as this our new- Paul

postulating a spiritual universe infused with definition, still tentative, of the kind of material Introducing Paradigm consciousness. This involves new ontologies, we are looking for to recommend to others. So epistemologies, methodologies and ethics. far we have described it as follows: Explorer Another phrase frequently used in the history of David Lorimer the Network is Wider Horizons, indicating that a) Evidence (not proof) of planning by or there is much to discover beyond our immediate purpose of some dynamic mind other than After considerable discussion at board level, we sight, and which in the 1970s and 1980s was that of any incarnate person connected with have taken the decision to change the name of a week-long course for young people on topics the research. Network Review, as intimated in an electronic largely absent from conventional education. b) Evidence of the existence of energies, laws newsletter earlier in the year. We have chosen the title Paradigm Explorer to reflect the content The Network remains committed to balancing and forms of life that cannot be directly more accurately and the underlying commitment open-mindedness with rigour, and it is apprehended by our normal physical senses. of the Network towards the articulation and interesting to look back on early newsletters - c) Evidence that the physical structure of living communication of a spiritual and ecological the name Network Review only came in in the or inanimate things is dependent for its worldview. 1990s. The first newsletter sent out in January maintenance and growth on a more basic 1974 stated that the immediate aim was to nonphysical field. As many readers will know, the term ‘paradigm’ d) Well-attested instances of higher sense was popularised by Thomas Kuhn in his seminal build up a network of qualified scientists and perception (also ESP) book, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions doctors ‘who have adopted or are inclined e) Well-attested cases of mind functioning in 1962. Although the notion of a paradigm towards the non-materialist interpretation independently of the body (including out of has been criticised, I still regard it as a useful of the universe and who have a sympathetic the body experiences). term to denote the pattern of metaphysical personal interest in studies of and research into assumptions underlying scientific thinking, as paraphysical, parapsychological and spiritual f) Evidence of the continuity of life after the first explored by E.A. Burtt in 1925 in his book matters.’ The newsletter went on to say that the death of the body. The Metaphysical Foundations of Modern method of compiling an ever-growing body of g) More than usually conclusive cases of Science. In the 1990s, this work was followed facts, each related to and depending on those healing through paranormal agencies.’ already established, leads to the development of up by Willis Harman and the Institute of Although a great deal of evidence of this kind Noetic Sciences. a great scientific system of immense value and entirely valid and coherent within its own terms. has accumulated over the last 40 years, we The work of the Network lies at the interface However, new discoveries unrelated to what are still in the early phases of a paradigm shift between science and the rapidly evolving fields is already known in a scientific way tend to be and there is very considerable resistance to of consciousness and spirituality. ignored, so scientific research should be focused this process, as witnessed by the polemical As indicated in my reviews below of The to an increased extent on various areas where agenda of explicitly sceptical groups with Oxford Handbook of Psychology and true advances in basic understanding of the respect particularly to parapsychology and Spirituality and Transcendent Mind, leading human situation can be made. Then these results complementary medicine. We welcome thinkers and practitioners are already moving should be communicated within the scientific contributions to this creative process of beyond a mechanistic, reductionist and community. The newsletter continued: ‘it may exploration of frontiers and expansion of materialistic approach to consciousness and be useful at this point to refine further our horizons.

4 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 Why did Bohm Collaborate with Krishnamurti? Some Reminiscences and Reflections

David Edmund Moody

This article is adapted from Background David Bohm was 43 years old when he met But if one looks underneath the surface, a talk the author gave in Krishnamurti, and Krishnamurti was 66. the reality of Bohm’s relationship with The year was 1961, and their work together Krishnamurti was very different. The most London on June 24 at the continued for a quarter of a century, until important difference is that the image of Krishnamurti died in 1986. During those Krishnamurti as a cult figure is completely Bohm/Prigogine centennial 25 years, the two men participated together divorced from who he actually was. Early in 144 recorded dialogues. Many of these in his career, more than 30 years before he celebration conference. were with various groups of people, but met David Bohm, Krishnamurti categorically It is based upon his recent there were 30 recorded conversations separated himself from his theosophical consisting of just the two men talking roots, and he made it a central pillar of his book, An Uncommon together. These were published in a series philosophy not to encourage or develop of books, including Truth and Actuality, any sense of authority in psychological or Collaboration: David The Ending of Time, The Limits of Thought, religious matters. He emphasised repeatedly and The Future of Humanity. that he was not a guru, not a leader, not an Bohm and J. Krishnamurti. authority, and that he did not want to create Many of Bohm’s colleagues in the scientific any kind of organisation to join or any sense Both David Bohm and Ilya world held a somewhat negative or of belonging to a special group of followers. disparaging attitude toward his involvement On the contrary, “Be a light to yourself” was Prigogine were honorary with Krishnamurti’s work, and, on the one of his most frequent and familiar refrains. members of the SMN. surface of events, one can understand why. To someone not familiar with Krishnamurti’s Bohm’s relationship with Krishnamurti was The article gives a unique actual philosophy, it might appear that he based on something entirely different than the was an unscientific individual, probably superficial image of a guru and his follower. insight into the relationship some kind of mystic or the leader of a The reality is that Krishnamurti developed cult. His name alone would have evoked a comprehensive and original philosophy between the two men by associations with Maharishi, or Yogananda, of mind, a deep and elaborate exposition of or perhaps someone who made substances the nature and structure of consciousness, someone who knew them materialise by rubbing his fingers together. including a diagnosis of the sources of In addition to his name, Krishnamurti had illusion and of conflict in the individual and both well. a close affiliation in his youth with the in society. That detailed, concrete, and radical Theosophical Society. That organisation philosophy is what attracted Bohm raised him from the age of 14 and cultivated to Krishnamurti. him to become an important spiritual teacher. But the Theosophical Society had a And so the relationship between these two strongly esoteric or occult component, which men was indeed highly unusual, but not probably reinforced or cemented in the for the reasons Bohm’s scientific colleagues minds of some people the image of a guru might have imagined. Their relationship offering platitudes to a credulous cult was uncommon because Krishnamurti’s of followers. philosophy of mind was uncommon.

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It is very original and entirely outside the Perhaps the most notorious of the strange called to testify before the House Committee mainstream of conventional ways of thinking. features of the quantum world is the on UnAmerican Activities regarding people And so the question is not, what caused connection between the apparatus that he knew and political activities from several Bohm to abandon his scientific background we use to observe quantum events and the years earlier. and pursue a mindless allegiance to the leader events under observation. In the quantum of a cult. The real question is what moved domain, the act of observation is inextricably Bohm to become so involved and invested in linked with whatever is observed. This basic Because he refused to answer all of the this particular philosophy of mind, one so reality bears a strong resemblance to one of Committee’s questions, Bohm was indicted, radical, original, and outside the parameters Krishnamurti’s most characteristic statements along with dozens of others, and tried in of conventional ideas. about events in the psychological field: federal court. The court exonerated him, but that the observer is the observed. Indeed, it the president of Princeton University was a was precisely this feature of Krishnamurti’s devout anti-Communist, and he intervened Krishnamurti’s philosophy philosophy of mind that initially attracted in what was normally a faculty decision and Space does not permit any thorough Bohm’s interest and led to his involvement refused to renew Bohm’s contract. That is with Krishnamurti’s work. description of Krishnamurti’s philosophy, what led Bohm to leave the United States and but here is a brief summary, for illustrative to take a position at a university in Brazil, But this is not the only feature of quantum purposes, of some of the principles or ideas and then in Israel, and finally at University that he rejected or objected to: reality that connects with Krishnamurti’s philosophy. Another important and of London, where he remained for the rest controversial element of the quantum domain of his career. • Nationalism is a principle called non-locality. Some of the experimental evidence suggests that As a result of this experience, Bohm suffered Organised religion • subatomic particles that are separated at a a deeply personal loss based on his political • All psychological authority distance from one another may be related convictions, and this must have contributed or “entangled” so that what happens to one to his acute awareness of the currents of Fame, pleasure, ideals, “seeking” particle immediately affects or influences • irrationality prevalent throughout society. what happens to the other. This phenomenon • All systems or methods of meditation is called non-locality because it does not seem This too would have prepared him to be receptive to some of Krishnamurti’s views. • Knowledge as a source of to matter whether or not the particles are transformation located near to one another. They can still be connected or related no matter how far apart • Psychological achievement, they may be. Hegelian logic “becoming” In addition, the ideology of Marx had its What non-locality suggests is an underlying roots in the philosophy of Hegel, and after wholeness or deep connectivity within the Bohm left the United States, he became deeply Each one of these items represents just the basic fabric of physical reality. It is partly immersed in the study of Hegelian logic. The tip of a large iceberg. Krishnamurti would for this reason that wholeness was a crucial new form of logic that Hegel introduced is never have presented them in this summary feature in the development of Bohm’s known popularly in terms of the dialectical form or any kind of epigrammatic or casual theoretical physics. It is a key concept in his progression of thesis, antithesis, and synthesis. fashion. Rather, each point was the product most important book, Wholeness and the But this phrase is really just an abbreviation of a complete and detailed exposition. Implicate Order. These are just a few highlights that I have for a deep examination of basic concepts and their relationship to one another. Hegel pulled together to illustrate the original and The principle of wholeness was also a unconventional character of his philosophy. central feature in Krishnamurti’s philosophy maintained that within any fundamental But in addition to what he rejected, here is of mind. He held that consciousness as we concept lie the seeds of its opposite, so that a list of some of the things he encouraged or know it is divided in numerous ways, and the tension between apparently opposing actively endorsed: that these divisions are inherently illusory. He concepts is resolved in a higher and more maintained that the divisions in consciousness complete synthesis. are a by-product of our failure to understand • Nature the nature of thought and cognitive processes, In his dialectical logic, Hegel was giving • Intelligence (as distinct from and that a true and accurate perception close attention not only to the issues with intellect) brings about psychological wholeness. This fundamental element of his philosophy was which philosophy is concerned, but also to • Facts similarly important to Bohm and formed one the process by which philosophical concepts of the basic elements of their collaboration. arise and are developed. That is, he was • What is (not escaping) giving attention to the very process by which • Inquiry – doubt, questioning thought functions. This was a key, crucial step Bohm’s political affiliations that led to Bohm’s interest in and receptivity • (True) meditation The philosophical nature of quantum to the work of Krishnamurti. mechanics was not the only stream of • Not-knowing inquiry that brought Bohm into contact with Krishnamurti. A second stream had its For Krishnamurti was above all a philosopher roots in his interest in Marxist philosophy. of the nature and structure of thought and Common elements During his graduate years working with its pervasive effects upon consciousness and With this as background, we can examine Oppenheimer at the University of California daily life. Krishnamurti held that the manner what influences or sequence of events at Berkeley, several of Oppenheimer’s students in which thought functions is not properly contributed to Bohm’s involvement with were interested in and attracted to Marxist understood, and the failure to understand it this philosophy. We can begin with the fact ideology, as was Oppenheimer himself to is a primary source of illusion and conflict that quantum physics, which is the branch some extent. in the individual and in society. Bohm was of physics that deals with events inside the keenly receptive to this point of view in structure of the atom, is a field of science Because of Oppenheimer’s involvement in the part as a result of his immersion in the highly conducive to philosophical inquiry. Manhattan Project to create the atomic bomb philosophy of Hegel. When you penetrate quantum mechanics to during World War II, his graduate students its deepest level, many of the principles of were under some degree of surveillance ordinary reality that we take for granted fly by the army intelligence and the FBI. As a To illustrate Krishnamurti’s view, here is a list out the window and give rise to questions result, in 1949, when Bohm was working as of some of the things he had to say about the that are normally the province of philosophy. a professor at Princeton University, he was nature of thought.

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wisdom. Hegel believed that the development There was one occasion when Krishnamurti • Thought is mechanical. of philosophy was tied to the development asked me directly how I would assess the of history, but he thought that philosophy is relative contributions of Bohm and himself. • Thought is a material process. always one step behind historical events, and I said he was like the sun and Bohm was like doesn’t catch up until a major era or epoch of • Thought is limited. the moon, suggesting that the light of the history is almost over. moon is a reflection of the sun. This seemed • Thought is fragmentary. to satisfy Krishnamurti, but it wasn’t quite • Thought is knowledge. Hegel said that the owl of Minerva flies at fair to Bohm, because his light was by no dusk, by which he meant that the wisdom of means just the reflection of Krishnamurti or • Thought is time. philosophy can only make a new development at the end or the twilight of an historical anyone else. What I found remarkable is that The word (thought) is not the thing. • epoch. So when Bohm and I kept talking Krishnamurti even raised such a question. philosophy until night was starting to fall, There is no one else in his career that he he would sometimes adapt Hegel’s aphorism would have posed this question about. But it As with our previous list, Krishnamurti in an amusing way and say, “The owl of was pretty clear when I said he was the sun would never have expressed these ideas in Minerva flies at dusk.” and Bohm was the moon, that he thought I the brief, summary manner in which they are presented here. In his exposition any one of was on the right track. these ideas would form part of an integrated, Over the course of seven or eight years, I comprehensive description of how thought went on a hundred or more walks like this I still agree with that assessment. functions and the ways in which it is not with Bohm. Our conversation usually lasted Krishnamurti was the one with the properly understood. two hours or more. The topic of discussion extraordinary insight, and he always was almost always psychological issues spoke from that direct perception. Bohm These are some of the themes of crucial of the kind that he liked to explore with was more articulate in some ways, more interest to Bohm and the reason for his Krishnamurti, and he would do about ninety precise in his language and detailed in his percent of the talking. My role was to listen extensive collaboration with Krishnamurti. descriptions, but I think his understanding and pose questions and say what points I did Four years after Krishnamurti died, Bohm was more intellectual and not as deep and conducted a seminar in Ojai, California that not understand or were unclear. Bohm was comprehensive as Krishnamurti. became the basis for a book called Thought absolutely tireless in his willingness to explain as a System. In that book, many of these and explore and explicate whatever question themes are described in detail, with Bohm’s we were discussing, even as night fell and it We can also turn the question around and exceptional skill at elucidating subtle ideas began to get dark. The owl of Minerva flies consider what was Bohm’s assessment of with illuminating examples and colorful at dusk. Krishnamurti. With respect to that issue, we metaphors. don’t have to guess or speculate, because I Relative contributions recorded a conversation with Bohm about So the collaboration between Bohm and two years after Krishnamurti died and raised Krishnamurti was indeed uncommon, One of the issues I had to address in my book these questions with him. The transcript of but not for the superficial reasons one was the relative contributions of Bohm and that conversation is included as an appendix Krishnamurti to the work they were engaged might at first imagine. It was a direct and in my book. I won’t try to summarise logical consequence of the progression of in. The centre of gravity of their work it except to say that Bohm had a very Bohm’s thinking both in the philosophical together was Krishnamurti’s philosophy of implications of quantum theory, and also mind, and that was the basis for their mutual interesting and nuanced overall assessment along the path from Marx to Hegel, including explorations. Nevertheless, Bohm made a of the philosophy and the personality of the attention to the nature and process of great contribution to Krishnamurti’s work. Krishnamurti. thought and its effects upon consciousness. Krishnamurti clearly wanted his teachings to be consistent with a scientific approach. At the end of his life, Bohm suffered a He wanted the teachings to be factual, not serious depression that required him to be Personal reminiscences speculative. He wanted people to challenge hospitalised for several months. Some people Years ago, when Krishnamurti was alive and and question and inquire. He didn’t want have interpreted this as the failure of his I was serving as director of his school in Ojai, anything to be accepted on the basis of work in the psychological field, but I feel the Oak Grove School, Bohm and his wife personal authority. All of this is consistent Saral used to come out to Ojai from their this is unfair and wrong. One person who with the spirit of scientific inquiry. Bohm was had this attitude told me, “By their fruit you home in England every year for six weeks well attuned to that mode of inquiry, and he shall know them,” meaning that if Bohm during the Spring. It was Bohm’s habit to take helped Krishnamurti proceed and discuss in a nap in the afternoon between three and that manner. got depressed, then all of his work in self- four, and when he got up, he liked to have understanding must have been for nothing. a cup of tea and go for a long walk. During Nevertheless, there were some differences in That passage in the Bible comes from the those years, I often went up to his apartment book of Matthew: at the four o’clock hour to talk with him and their manner and their approach. This was have tea and walk together. apparent in the way they handled group discussions, such as the many Beware of false prophets, which come conversations with teachers at the school. to you in sheep’s clothing…. A good Bohm and his wife always stayed in an tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, upstairs apartment in the office building next Krishnamurti was very serious and sometimes to Krishnamurti’s home in the east end of the a little bit sharp in the way he replied to neither can a corrupt tree bring forth Ojai valley, and our daily walk took us half people in group dialogues, whereas Bohm good fruit. Wherefore by their fruits ye a mile up a slight incline to the campus of an was more relaxed and agreeable. Some people shall know them. old and well-established private school. There said that whenever Krishnamurti was asked a question, he would always begin by saying we continued our walk around a road that In reality, the causes of depression are not no, whereas Bohm would begin by saying yes. circled the whole perimeter of the large well understood, and there is a great deal school property. of evidence that depression is often purely When I was a teacher at the school, sitting in chemical in nature and may not have any kind On our way home, Bohm liked to quote a the group meetings with Krishnamurti, I would of psychological source. It may be simply an saying from Hegel. It was an aphorism about sometimes complain to him afterwards about Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom. the way he responded to people. Once I said illness, like pneumonia or Parkinson’s disease. Minerva had a little owl that used to go he seemed to be angry, and he said, no, he was So to attribute Bohm’s depression to some with her wherever she went, and so the owl not angry, he just wanted to move. Another kind of psychological failure seems to me of Minerva became known as a symbol of time he told me, “I cannot tame myself.” wrong and unfair.

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But even if his depression did have some One way to approach this question is simply has ever lived. So in one of the last chapters degree of psychological origin, that in no to bring into focus why it is necessary to ask of my book, I address the question posed way diminishes his accomplishments in it. And that is because Krishnamurti was by Mary Lutyens and review some possible the psychological field. We have no way of such an unusual individual. I review in my answers, and attempt to shed some light on knowing how disturbed he may have become book some of the unique characteristics of this mystery. if he had never met Krishnamurti or taken him that demand explanation. One was the any interest in psychological issues. He may extraordinary prophecy made in his early I would like to conclude by saying what have become much more depressed at a much teens that he would become the “World earlier age. Teacher.” He had an extreme sensitivity a privilege it was to know and work with to nature, as expressed in exceptionally each of these men. I knew at the time it detailed and nuanced descriptions recorded was happening how lucky I was, but my Who was Krishnamurti? in many of his books. He had a unique form admiration and appreciation for them has Finally, I would like to mention one other of meditation, unlike any other approach, only grown through the years. Therefore issue that is addressed in my book. That which he insisted was the only meaningful to write the story of their relationship is the question raised by Krishnamurti’s kind of meditation. He experienced a strange, was not only a privilege but an enormous biographer, Mary Lutyens, in the second intermittent pain in his head and neck responsibility. Krishnamurti and Bohm were volume of her biography, Years of Fulfillment. throughout his adult life, one which was both historic figures and their relationship At the end of that book, she asks, “Who associated in some obscure manner with his with one another was an important chapter in or What was Krishnamurti?” She describes psychological observations. And above all the history of the twentieth century. how she addressed this question directly there was his original, profound philosophy to Krishnamurti. They discussed it at of mind. some length, but in the end he said he was incapable of answering it. He makes the Any one of these characteristics would mark rather memorable statement, “Water can Krishnamurti as highly unusual, but taken never find out what water is.” Mary Lutyens together they represent an entirely singular leaves the question unresolved. individual, someone unlike anyone else who

David Edmund Moody, Ph.D., is the author of An Uncommon Collaboration: David Bohm and J. Krishnamurti. He is the former director of Oak Grove School, founded by Krishnamurti in Ojai, California, where he worked closely for more than a decade with both Bohm and Krishnamurti. His experiences there are described in his previous book, The Unconditioned Mind: J. Krishnamurti and the Oak Grove School. He is currently working on a new book containing transcripts and analysis of several conversations he conducted with Bohm. The tentative title is Philosophy, Science, and Religion: Dialogues with David Bohm.

References Krishnamurti, J. Truth and Actuality. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1978. Krishnamurti, J., and David Bohm. The Ending of Time: Where Philosophy and Physics Meet. New York, NY: Harper One, 2014. Krishnamurti, J., and David Bohm. The Limits of Thought. London and New York: Routledge, 1999. Krishnamurti, J., and David Bohm. The Future of Humanity. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1986. Bohm, David. Wholeness and the Implicate Order. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1980. Bohm, David. Thought as a System. London and New York: Routledge, 1992. Lutyens, Mary. Krishnamurti: Years of Fulfillment. New York: Farrar, Straus, Giroux, 1983. Moody, David Edmund. An Uncommon Collaboraton: David Bohm and J. Krishnamurti. Ojai, California: Alpha Centauri Press, 2017.

8 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 Beyond Duality Our In-formed and Holographic Universe

Dr Jude Currivan

Completing the 20th century in-formational patterns embedded on a This article argues that the holographic boundary and initiated from deeper scientific revolution non-physical realms, our entire Universe arises, 20th century scientific Although the scientific revolution of the 20th exists and evolves as a unified entity. revolution was incomplete. century expanded and replaced the previous Newtonian ideas of a Universe of things and Information is real absolute space and time with interactions Science has overlooked the of energy fields, quantum probabilities and Despite its appearance of solidity, physicists relativities, it was an incomplete revolution in know when drilling down to sub-atomic scales that matter is extremely ephemeral. Its significance of information overlooking the significance of information will-o’-the-wisp nature shows our Universe and consciousness which and the inclusion of consciousness. is essentially more than 99.9% no-thingness and where material entities, rather than need to be incorporated in As these are being increasingly viewed as embodying any solidity, instead have been crucial to our understanding of reality, we are shown to be merely excitations within now on the threshold, not only of a further energetic fields. a more comprehensive scientific revolution, but even perhaps a view of reality and which revolution in the way we view ourselves and They also know that, whilst within space the entire Cosmos. and time, no signal can go faster than naturally reconciles the speed of light, Bell’s theorem, named Recent discoveries, experimental evidence after physicist John Stewart Bell shows quantum and relativity and theoretical insights across all scales from mathematically that quantum mechanics the tiniest to the entirety of our Universe can only work if the whole Universe is also nonlocally interconnected as a single entity. and numerous fields of research ranging theories. Such nonlocal and universal coherence from physics, cosmology, information theory has now been experimentally proven in and complex systems to biology, human- laboratories on macroscopic scales1 and made structures and social behaviours are astronomically for distances of at least 600 accumulating and converging. light years from Earth2.

To paraphrase Hermann Minkowski, who However, given our everyday experiences pioneered our 20th century geometrical and of the apparent solidity of the physical relativistic understanding of space and time world and the seeming separations between and update his insights for this widening large-scale objects, such evidence of its perception: henceforth space-time by itself truly ephemeral nature and fundamental and energy-matter by itself are doomed to interconnectedness has looked to have little fade away into mere shadows, and only a relevance for most of us. This may be about kind of union of the two will preserve an to change. independent reality. Information is being seen as offering this union; underpinning, In 2012 an experiment led by physicists 3 pervading and literally in-forming the Antoine Bérut and Eric Lutz demonstrated formation of physical reality. that when a digital bit of information is deleted, actual physical heat is released and in line with theoretical predictions. Just as the informational description of any physical object, interaction and process can be This experiment validates an initial insight formulated as the digitised bits of information by communications expert Claude Shannon in our technologies, such informational bits, and later expanded on by information not as random data, but combined as patterned theorist Vlatko Vedral4 that the entropy of a and relational in-formation are being discovered system, previously considered as its level of to comprise the foundation and all-pervasive order and disorder, is better understood as nature of our Universe. Moreover, mounting being the measure of its information content. evidence is demonstrating that from dynamic The experiment proved the links between

www.scimednet.org 9 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 information and physical concepts of heat, Thermodynamics to information within space-time means that work and entropy. from that first moment space must expand infodynamics and the arrow of time must flow for the From these and other discoveries, There are certain key aspects of our Universe space-time of our Universe to express extraordinary though it might seem, an and one key premise that are pointing the ever more information. Indeed, I suggest increasing number of physicists are coming to way to not only restate and expand the laws that the nature of time itself may now consider that the digitised information, that is of thermodynamics in informational terms be comprehended as the ever-increasing the basis for all our technologies, is exactly the but suggesting how, by doing so, quantum accumulation of the evolutionary and same as universal information, also articulated and relativity theories, might be reconciled. experiential information of our Universe. as digitised bits, that underpins and literally makes up all physical reality. Leading-edge The key aspects, supported by cosmological The two laws of infodynamics indicate scientific research is discovering and coming to evidence, are that spatially our Universe an understanding that energy-matter and realise that our high-tech virtual realities and is geometrically flat and that it is both space-time are complementary expressions of holograms are children’s toys for which the finite and closed in space-time. And, as information; the first enabling our Universe to appearance of our Universe is the master class. we have seen, both theoretically and exist and the second enabling it to evolve as a experimentally, information has been proven finite and unified entity within an infinite and to be physically real. eternal Cosmos. The cosmic hologram The patterned information, or in-formation The key premise, supported by a Recognising that quantum and relativity that in-forms all physical reality does theoretical framework and progressively theories deal respectively with the existence so at a fundamental scale that naturally by evidence, as we shall see, at all scales of of energy-matter and the evolution of space- emerges when all the forces of our Universe physical existence, is that not only is our time, the resultant laws of information I are combined. This so-called Planck Universe informationally based but also would advocate, are then able to also support scale for energy, matter, space and time holographically manifested and indicate a natural reconciliation of these is equivalent in terms of space and time two pillars of 20th century science. to an almost unimaginably tiny length of These key aspects and premise, I propose, around 10-35 metres and a time duration of enable the expansion of the laws of Universal geometries approximately10-44 seconds respectively. thermodynamics, designated by Ludwig Boltzmann in the 19th century to describe The ancient understanding that universal geometric relationships underpin all physical To understand how the Planck scale relates the behaviour of gases, as laws of information or infodynamics. phenomena, is also now being validated. to the informational attributes of physical Instead though of idealised patterns, reality, we need though to consider a further computer analyses of vast amounts of extreme phenomenon of our Universe; black The first law of thermodynamics states that the energy of a closed system is always data make it possible to uncover these holes. Studies of black holes show that in-formational and holographic templates the information describing their physical conserved. Expanding this to our entire Universe, taking account, as quantum theory as fragmented dimensional and self-similar properties, their so-called informational shapes termed fractals that holographically entropy, isn’t proportional to their three- does, that energy and matter are equivalent and finally understanding that information scale up and scale down throughout universal dimensional volumes. Instead and acting phenomena. exactly like a hologram, it varies in relation to can be expressed as energy-matter leads to a their two-dimensional spherical surface areas, restatement of the first law as: information expressed as the energy-matter of our They arise from dynamic in-formational or event horizons. Universe is always conserved. basins called attractors in the complex plane of phase space, which is being increasingly If we imagine the surface areas of such event The second law of thermodynamics states understood as an actual nonphysical horizons to be covered in tiny triangles at that the entropy of a closed system always domain of reality; rather than merely the the Planck scale, every miniscule Planck increases. Boltzmann described entropy in mathematical realm on which virtually all area stores one bit of information at this terms of the number of microstates of a fundamental laws of physics are based. minute pixelation of space-time. Extending system. We have seen though, how, thanks this insight from black holes to our entire to information theory, the notion of entropy From individual atoms7 to the scale of Universe, as the so-called holographic can be restated to describe the information vast galactic clusters8, examples of such principle, then shows that physical content of a system. Whilst entropy has attractor-based, fractally realised patterns reality isn’t just inherently in-formed but hitherto been commonly thought of in terms abound. On our planetary level, instances holographically manifested. of order trending to disorder, now from an of such innate in-formational patterns so informational viewpoint and considering it far investigated range from geology and In bringing together these two profound for the Universe as a whole, it is coming to geophysics (coastlines, topographical features, perceptions of an in-formed and holographic be considered in terms of simplicity evolving tectonic plates, river drainage systems, sizes Universe, literally as a cosmic hologram, to complexity. of mountains within ranges); meteorology scientists are beginning to restate and (clouds, lightning cascades, snowflakes) to expand the laws of physics as informational Given the extraordinarily ordered and chemical processes (corrosion). algorithms. Just like those that instruct our simplest state that cosmologists have computers to operate, these fundamental laws discovered prevailed at the birth of our Holographic behaviours are now being understood as instructing our Universe, also means that the entirety of Crucially, however, the signature of the entire Universe how to do so. space-time at its first moment embodied its cosmic hologram is not only being discovered minimum informational entropy. throughout the so-called natural world but The latest cosmological evidence strongly also in our collective human behaviours. posits that our Universe is finite; born 13.8 The second law can then be restated as: the billion years ago, but not with a chaotic big total informational entropy of our Universe Examples of such correlations investigated bang, but in an exquisitely ordered and finely- always increases over space-time. to date include movements of stock market tuned Big Breath and as what’s called a closed prices by the ‘father of fractals’ Benoit system. From these and other discoveries and Including the premise of the holographic Mandelbrot; internet traffic, website links and insights it’s becoming ever clearer that energy- principle, that each Planck area of the data routes7,8,9 email, snail mail and social matter and space-time are phenomena that holographic boundary of our Universe internet group communications and web emerge from and which are complementary embeds one bit of information, the browsing10,11,12, geographic and time-based expressions of such universal information. continually increasing entropic flow of usage of mobile phones and over time13

10 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 and characteristics of so-called small world scientifically-based revolution that offers 14 References networks , first studied by social psychologist the potential of reconciling with universal Stanley Milgram in the 1960s. 1. Lee, K. C., Sprague, M. R., Sussman, spiritual experiences, supernormal B. J. , Nunn, J., Langford, N. K. , Jin, X. phenomena and explorations of consciousness M., Champion, T., Michelberger, P., Reim, In 2015, astrophysicists Henry Lin and to reveal that all we call reality is the K. F., England, D., Jaksch, D. and Abraham Loeb at Harvard tracked how ultimate unity of cosmic mind expressing, Walmsley, I. A. Entangling macroscopic by looking at their population densities, exploring, experiencing and evolving at all diamonds at room temperature. Science. respectively people and stars, cities grow scales of existence. It is progressively offering 334(6060):1253-6. doi: 10.1126/ in the same in-formational ways that compelling evidence that we are microcosmic science.1211914 (2011) 15 galaxies evolve . co-creators of the realities of our Universe 2 http://web.mit.edu/asf/www/Press/ that exists and evolves as an integral and Hartwig_Vienna_2017.pdf (2017). Many researchers are also discovering how finite entity, perhaps one of many, within the 3 Bérut, A., Arakelyan, A., Petrosyan, dynamic in-formational forms pervade infinite and eternal oneness of the Cosmos. A., Ciliberto, S., Dillenschneider, R. and ecosystems and guide and pre-dispose Lutz, E. Experimental verification of evolutionary processes; seeing too how they What if we collectively begin to understand, Landauer’s principle linking information are identical to the in-formational structures experience and ultimately embody the and thermodynamics. Nature, 483, 187- of the internet and our complex social awareness of unified reality, and so 189 (2012). Science. 334(6060):12536. behaviours. are empowered to live more and more doi: 10.1126/science.1211914 (2011). consciously in harmony with its inherent 4 Vedral, V. Decoding Reality - the universe Researchers Lewis Richardson in the 1940s oneness and evolutionary impulse of ever- as quantum information. Oxford and recently Neil Johnson and his team at greater self-awareness? University Press (2010). the University of Miami have even uncovered 5 “Fractal Patterns Spotted in the Quantum how the in-formational relationships that What if we, as a species, are able to Realm,” Physics World online (February link the relative frequencies and destructive acknowledge that it has been the limitations 9, 2010), http://physicsworld.com/cws/ powers of earthquakes are the same as of our duality-based perceptions which have article/news/2010/feb/09/fractal-patterns- those that plot the occurrences and scales of spotted-in-the-quantum-realm. fatalities of human conflicts. primarily driven the conflicts, inequalities and exclusions of our fear-based behaviours? 6 International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research, “WiggleZ Confirms the Big Such wide-ranging discoveries are showing What if, instead of continuing to fall into Picture of the Universe,” (2012) www. both the ‘me’ of our individual uniqueness icrar.org/news/news_items/media-releases/ fear, humanity can come together to leap and the diverse yet fundamentally wigglez-confirms-the-big-picture-of-the- interconnectedness of the ‘we’; not only of into love? universe. humanity but the entirety of our Universe. 7 Willinger, W. and Paxson, V. Where What if by re-membering who we really are Mathematics Meets the Internet. Notices Beyond duality and knowing rather than hoping that we are of the American Mathematical Society, each microcosmic co-creators of its unified 45, 961-970 (1998). Invariant space-time allied with universal reality empowers us to celebrate both the nonlocality ensures that our Universe exists 8 Albert, R., Jeong, H. and Barabási, A-L. me of our individual uniqueness and the we The Diameter of the WWW. and evolves as a coherent and unified entity. of our collective diversity and harness our Whilst within space-time, the speed of Nature 401 (6749): 130–31. communal wisdom to transform our current arXiv:cond-mat/9907038. massless entities such as photons of light is global emergency into the emergence of our a universal limit to the flow of information, Bibcode:1999Natur.401..130A. conscious evolution? doi:10.1038/43601 (1999). thereby preserving causality, the innate nonlocality of our Universe enables it to 9 Faloutsos, M., Faloutsos, P, and simultaneously ‘observe’ itself existing What then? Faloutsos, C. Power-laws of the Internet. and evolving universally and at all scales Technical Report UCR-CS-99-01. of existence. University of California, Riverside. (1999). 10 Barabási, A-L. and Oliveira, J. G. http:// At their most fundamental level, the www.nature.com/nature/journal/v437/ increasing discoveries and insights that n7063/abs/4371251a.html (2005). our Universe is innately in-formed and 11 Dezsö, Z., Almaas, E., Lukács, A., holographically manifest and the expanded Rácz, B., Szakadát, I. and Barabási, awareness it provokes, raise profound A-L. Dynamics of information access questions of the nature of reality itself and on the web. Physical Review 73, 066132 crucially of the meaning of consciousness. Based on The Cosmic Hologram: (2006). In-formation at the Center of Creation by 12 Rybski, D., Buldyrev, S. V., Havlin, S., Philosopher David Chalmers’s famous ‘hard’ Jude Currivan (Inner Traditions, 2017) Lilijeros, F. and Makse, H. A. Scaling laws question of how mind arises from materiality of human interaction activity. http:// may now be able to be resolved by the Dr Jude Currivan is a cosmologist, planetary www.pnas.org/content/106/31/12640. progressive proof that mind is matter and healer, futurist and international author. She abstract (2009). has a Masters Degree in Physics from Oxford matter is mind, and thus there is no such 13 Song, C., Qu, Z., Blumm, N. University, specialising in quantum physics duality. Essentially, the increasing evidence is and Barabási, A-L. Limits of and cosmology, and a PhD in Archaeology that consciousness isn’t something we have predictability in human mobility. researching ancient cosmologies from the but what we and the whole world are. Science.327(5968):1018-21. University of Reading in the UK. Her work doi: 10.1126/science.1177170 (19 integrates leading edge science, consciousness Feb 2010). From its simplest Planck scale pixelation, research and universal wisdom teachings into digitised information arranges into dynamic, a wholeworld-view aiming to raise awareness 14 Watts, D. J. and Strogatz, S. H. Collective patterned and relational in-formation, and empower resolutions to global challenges. dynamics of ‘small-world’ networks. Nature with simplicity evolving to complexity and www.judecurrivan.com 393, 440-442 doi:10.1038/30918 (1998). emergent self-awareness. 15 Lin, H. and Loeb, A. https://www. Jude will be the speaker at Frenchman’s technologyreview.com/s/534251/ With such a developing perspective of Cove in February 2018 – see advert on inside astrophysicists-prove-that-citieson-earth the unified nature of reality, we are in front cover. grow-in-the-same-way-as-galaxies-in- the embryonic stage of a 21st century space/ (2015).

www.scimednet.org 11 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 The Whole Spectrum: Biological to Spiritual Hazel Skelsey Guest

The categorisation of Body/Mind/Emotions/Spirit can be seen as a currently fashionable way of describing human beings in terms of four quite distinct components. These are loosely related to Carl Jung’s Four Functions, namely sensing/thinking/feeling/intuiting respectively, which again are distinct. Their separateness in the popular psyche is in no way diminished by the well-known fact that emotions have their physiological correlates, nor by the extensive research carried out since the early 1970s on the physiological correlates of transcendental meditation.This paper aims to show that they are aspects of our being which are inextricably linked in a continuum. Two systems will be used to justify this thesis, the first of which is already well-known in a curtailed form. Editorial note: Network Trustee and founding member Geoffrey Leytham working in the psychology department at the University of Liverpool was one of the first in the UK to recognise the significance of Abraham Maslow’s work and had an extensive correspondence with him.

Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy required reading for students on business and INTRINSIC VALUES management courses, in spite of the fact that of Needs the paper did acknowledge that something Abraham H. Maslow (1908-1970), well- was missing. known psychologist, was elected President of the American Psychological Association SELF-ACTUALIZATION After its publication he spent some twenty- in 1962. He is known worldwide for his five years exploring what motivates Hierarchy of Needs. self-actualisers, including examples of ESTEEM transcendence/peak-experiences (Maslow, Some readers will be surprised to see 1968, 1970). His problem was that he Intrinsic Values at the top of his hierarchy of recognised this was in the spiritual realm, and biologically-rooted motivating needs when BELONGING for him that meant it could not be the result many textbooks and tutors of business and management courses represent the hierarchy of biological evolution and therefore did not as having only five levels, from Physiological belong in his hierarchy. to Self-Actualization. This is because his SAFETY seminal paper on the subject (Maslow, 1943) Eventually he was persuaded that spiritual did indeed contain only those five levels. The motivations which transcend self-interest, paper was an immediate success worldwide PHYSIOLOGICAL such as compassion, the pursuit of justice or and his five levels became enshrined in the truth, ethical considerations, the love of

12 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 beauty, and religious beliefs, are potential to live their lives at the level of Self- success, probably has a deficiency need in every human being even if not actualised, Actualisation or Intrinsic Values, must already for Esteem. and therefore must be biologically-rooted have their lower needs satisfied to a large in the species. So finally he added Intrinsic extent. Although wealth does not necessarily This kind of vulnerability is at the root Values to his Hierarchy (Maslow, 1967,1976; bring happiness, it certainly can help. of the radicalisation of prisoners in our Guest, 2014). Shortly afterwards he died jails. Many a convict feels that he does not with the result that his, by now well- It was precisely this principle of priority belong. The mere fact of his having been established, earlier version which had which made Maslow’s theory an immediate arrested and imprisoned reinforces this Self-Actualisation at the top, lives on in the success with business managers because impression. Then along comes a group of literature of psychology and business studies, it gave them ideas about how to motivate men calling him ‘brother’ and inviting him to their work forces to become more with his amended version mainly confined join them. At last he has a ‘family’ to which productive: provide adequate breaks, the to publications related to humanistic and he belongs. Next they boost his own self- transpersonal psychology. right tools, safety precautions, working in teams, rewards for good performance, and esteem and encourage his esteem for their compassionate leave. leader by emphasising toughness. The crime Ken Wilber is one of the well-established for which he was incarcerated is treated as authors to include Maslow’s sixth level, a qualification for a future role of violence referring to it as ‘self-transcendence’ rather Destructive Aspects in which he can self-actualise because that than ‘intrinsic values’ (Wilber, 2000, chart Each one of these motivating levels of need is what he is good at, and to justify this role 7), and thereby emphasising that this level of has its destructive side. For example, at he is taught their version of ideology which motivation not only transcends self-interest the Physiological level is the drug addict’s now becomes his guiding intrinsic value. but also tends to evoke peak-experiences. need for another fix, under Safety there are phobias, Belonging can give rise to The grooming of vulnerable young girls for The Hierarchical Structure possessiveness and discrimination, Esteem sex follows a similar pattern, based on their can mean choosing the wrong people as role By tracing the evolution of species from the need to belong. If they do reach a point at models, Self-Actualisation may be expressed which they realise their error, they feel there very earliest life forms to homo sapiens it in the form of greed or tyranny, and Intrinsic is not difficult to justify the order in which is no-one to turn to for help because of Values is where we find terrorism backed by Maslow’s six levels of motivation gradually their all-pervading sense of not belonging, religious ideology. emerged, starting at the bottom of the chart reinforced by a lack of self-esteem. and working upwards. Religions recognise the dark side. Some have He was of the opinion that we are deities with mixed characteristics. In others Ian Marshall’s Scale of distinguished from the most advanced God is good, which requires the existence of Responses of non-human species by being the only a satanic figure to account for evil at the We come now to the second of the two creatures that can be motivated by Self- spiritual level. Actualisation and Intrinsic Values (Maslow, systems. The Jungian psychiatrist Ian 1987, p57). Here I have to disagree with The notion that our needs must be all good Ninian Marshall (1931-2012) is known him. Self-Actualisation is about being truly because they are natural, and that higher for his co-authorship of several books who we are and living life to the full, and needs are necessarily an advance on the with his wife Danah Zohar. What is not our close relationship with domestic dogs lower ones, is both simplistic and dangerous. well-known is that in the late 1960’s and and cats gives us the impression that they are Management courses which have taught early 70’s he developed a therapeutic system indeed fulfilled at this level if living within a that Self-Actualisation is the highest called ‘Sequential Analysis’, which used a loving and caring family. However, I doubt motivation to which one can aspire, may skin-resistance meter as a monitoring device a dog’s obedience is due to an ethical sense have inadvertently encouraged their students (Guest, 1990). One small part of the of right and wrong but rather to a desire to to aspire to becoming rich financiers by using system is his Scale of Responses (Guest & please its owner. As for dolphins and whales, those dodgy practices which brought large Marshall, 1997). we know too little about them to be able to banks to their knees in recent times. judge, so we are still justified in claiming to be the only species that is capable of being 0: Neutrality motivated at the spiritual level, namely Intrinsic Values. -1: Self-Assertion +1: Exploration -2: Attack +2: Co-operation The order of appearance of these needs in the evolution of species is repeated in -3: Retreat +3: Participation the development of the human embryo -4: Self-Abasement +4: Generativity and young child, which may be why we experience these motivations as having -5: Despair +5: Emancipation an order of priority. When two urges of comparable strength are experienced -6: Depersonalisation +6: Transpersonalisation simultaneously, that which is lower on the chart tends to take precedence over the Without the spiritual sixth level, Intrinsic By interpreting each of the thirteen items as higher. People give up their careers to care Values, ethics is not taken into consideration. broadly as possible, this covers all possible for a sick loved one (Self-actualisation v responses to stimuli of whatever kind. Belonging), potential whistle-blowers can Deficiency needs are another destructive be deterred by threats (Intrinsic Values v aspect. These occur when a person has Safety), and whatever else one is doing will experienced traumatic deprivation in a basic be abandoned temporarily in order to relieve need at some time in the past. The endeavour 0

oneself (predominance of a Physiological ➤ need). The only exception to this pattern is to fulfil that need then stays with them with the result that they are forever pursuing if the higher need is stronger than the lower, up up for example people persecuted for failing it to excess, even when it is actually being to change their religion (Intrinsic Value v satisfied. They are stuck in a groove. For example, the person who clings obsessively

Physiological and Safety). ➤ in a relationship probably has a deficiency need for Belonging, and someone who is -6 +6 This prepotency of the lower needs means forever trying to prove himself in spite of that those fortunate persons who manage

www.scimednet.org 13 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2

The Scale of Responses is like a step-ladder dampen it will only send the subject down Conclusion going from -6 at the bottom, through 0 to again into -3: Retreat. Each stage of the +6 at the top, which has been folded in half bereavement process must be fully expressed Either one of these two systems is sufficient to to reveal pairs of opposites. For example ±6 in order eventually to reach a satisfactory demonstrate that Body/Mind/Emotions/Spirit are the egoless pair. Transpersonalisation new norm. are not four distinct aspects of homo sapiens, occurs when one has transcended the ego, but are interlinked. and Depersonalisation when the ego has Recovery from an accident follows the same disintegrated. The signs for plus and minus path. If the accident causes unconsciousness Maslow’s motivation theory is based on do not indicate ‘good’ and ‘bad’. Rather plus then there is a brief moment of disorientation biological evolution and its levels range from shows that one accepts the current situation at -6: Depersonalisation while recovering the physiological through the emotional and to some extent, while minus indicates some consciousness, followed by a slow climb up social to the spiritual. Marshall’s responses degree of non-acceptance. Every one of the ladder. all have their physiological correlates these responses is appropriate in certain and range from the personal at 0 and ±1, circumstances. through the interpersonal to the spiritual. Other Patterns Moreover, in both systems there are patterns ‘One-Step-Up’ is a manipulator’s weapon and ±1: establishing the nature of a of inter-relationship. Together these two is very difficult to counteract, because the situation systems demonstrate that, far from being victim has responded automatically before separate elements in our being, the biological, ±2: functioning with, or against, others realising what is going on. If A appears to be physiological, emotional, social and exactly one step up on B then this drives B spiritual aspects are inter-related and form a ±3: totally involved in, or withdrawn down a step. An accomplished manipulator from, the situation will then follow the victim down to the next continuum (Guest, 2016). stage, being one-up yet again, and so on. For ±4: feeling extremes of capability example a shy child at -3: Retreat is criticised Hazel Skelsey Guest read mathematics at ±5: extremes of the spirit by an adult at -2: Attack, which sends the the University of Cambridge, UK in the child down into -4: Sef-Abasement (‘It is my 1940s, and later studied psychotherapy ±6: ego-less states fault’). The adult now makes no approach at the pioneering Centre for Transperson- to the child who perceives this as -3: Retreat, al Psychology in London in the 70s. She Neutrality is no response at all, which is which once again is one-up on the child who lectured in mathematics at City University, not the same as deliberately ignoring things descends into -5: Despair. London, volunteered as a student counsellor, although that may be what it looks like to and ran courses on Transpersonal Psychology someone else. Apart from Neutrality these By contrast ‘The Knight’s Move’ should be for their programme of General Studies, the responses to situations can be active or in every counsellor’s and psychotherapist’s first courses on TP to be part of any degree passive, overtly expressed or just inwardly toolbox. If person C is at –n then person programme in a British university. On retire- D can contain the situation by being (or felt. They are how one actually feels and not ment she moved to Cambridge to practise as a appearing to be) at n+1. Obviously this how one is pretending to feel. rule cannot be applied when the client is psychotherapist. in -6: Depersonalisation, which is the kind of situation Stanislav Grof addresses when Normal Position This article is based on Hazel’s book ‘The dealing with spiritual emergencies (Grof & Everyone has their normal position on the Grof, 1990). Walrus’s Handbook’ which was published chart. This is their most frequent response. in Dec 2016 by Archive Publishing, Dorset, We can all recognise the shy person at -3: England. ISBN: 978-1-906289-29-4. See Retreat or the bossy one at -1: Self-Assertion. review in section below. Movement away from one’s normal position usually occurs one step at a time, up or down or across to the opposite. Se we tend to find a given individual’s responses cluster within a References section of the chart. Grof, Christina and Stanislav Grof (1990). The Stormy Search for the Self. Los Angeles, CA: Tarcher. During meditation there is a gradual Guest, Hazel (1990). Sequential Analysis: monitoring counselling sessions via skin transition, one step at a time, from one’s resistance. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, vol.3, no.1, 85-91. normal position towards +5: Emancipation, Guest, Hazel Skelsey (2014). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs --- the sixth level. or possibly an altered state of consciousness The Psychologist, vol.27, no.12, 982-983. The British Psychological Society. at +6: Transpersonalisation. Guest, Hazel Skelsey (2016). The Walrus’s Handbook. Dorset, England: Archive Publishing. LSD is associated with ±6 and heroin with ±5. Guest, Hazel & Ian Marshall (1997). The Scale of responses: emotions and mood in Because the latter is physiologically addictive context. International Journal of Psychotherapy, vol.2, no.2, 149-169. users tend to stay in or close to -5 until the Maslow, Abraham H (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychology Review, vol.50, next fix sends them into its opposite at +5. 370-396. Reprinted as chapter 2 in his book Motivation and Personality and in many other books and journals. Bereavement is a situation in which one Maslow, Abraham H (1967). A theory of metamotivation: the biological rooting of the is suddenly plunged down the chart to value life. Journal of Humanistic Psychology, vol.67, 93-127. Reprinted as chapter 23 in his somewhere low on the left-hand side. book The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Probably -5: Despair. Temporarily this is Maslow, Abraham H (1968) Toward a Psychology of Being (2nd ed.). New York: one’s new norm. Recovery takes a long time D.Van Nostrand. Original work published in 1962. because it requires a slow climb step by step up the chart, -5 to 0 and then +1, +2 to Maslow, Abraham H (1970). Religions, Values and Peak Experiences. New York: wherever one’s eventual new norm will be. Viking Press. Original work published in 1964 by Kappa Delta Pi. Friends of a bereaved person often make a Maslow, Abraham H (1976). The Farther Reaches of Human Nature. Middlesex, England: mistake when stage -2: Attack is reached and Penguin Books. Original work published in 1971 in the USA by Viking Press. anger is expressed. This can take many forms Maslow, Abraham H (1987). Motivation and Personality (3rd ed.). New York: Harper and from a threat to sue the hospital to criticism Row. Original work published in 1954. of relatives for not showing more concern, and even anger directed at the dead person. Wilber, Ken (2000). Integral Psychology. Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala Publications. It is vital to allow this stage. Any attempt to

14 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 Contrasting Futures for Humanity: Technotopian or Human- Centred?1 Jennifer M. Gidley, PhD

The two approaches I discuss here are psychological, socio-cultural, aesthetic, and We are at a critical point informed by Oliver Markley and Willis spiritual development, and a commitment Harman’s two contrasting future images to the betterment of earthly conditions for today in research into of human development: ‘evolutionary all humanity through education, cultural human futures. Two transformational’ and ‘technological diversity, greater economic and resource extrapolationist’ in Changing Images of parity, and respect for future generations. divergent streams show up Man (Markley & Harman, 1982). This has historical precedents in two types of utopian By contrast, what I call ‘technotopian futures’ in human futures human futures distinguished by Fred Polak in is dehumanising, scientistic, and atomistic. conversations. Which The Image of the Future (Polak, 1973) and C. It is based on a mechanistic, behaviourist P. Snow’s ‘Two Cultures’ (the humanities and model of the human being, with a thin direction we choose will the sciences) (Snow, 1959). cybernetic view of intelligence. The transhumanist ambition to create future also decide the fate of What I call ‘human-centred futures’ is techno-humans is anti-human and anti- humanitarian, philosophical, and ecological. evolutionary. It involves technological, Earth futures in the sense It is based on a view of humans as kind, biological, and genetic enhancement of of Earth’s dual role as fair, consciously evolving, peaceful agents humans and artificial machine ‘intelligence’. of change with a responsibility to maintain Some technotopians have transcendental home for humans, and the ecological balance between humans, dreams of abandoning Earth to build a Earth, and cosmos. This is an active path fantasised techno-heaven on Mars or in habitat for life. The author of conscious evolution involving ongoing satellite cities in outer space. here chooses a deliberate oversimplification to make a vital point.

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Interestingly, this contest for the control of have issued serious warnings about the This means that the development of society human futures has been waged intermittently potential existential threats to humanity and its cultural values are driven by that since at least the European Enlightenment. that advances in ‘artificial super-intelligence’ society’s technology, not by humanity itself. Over a fifty-year time span in the second (ASI) may release. half of the 18th century, a power struggle for In an interesting counter-intuitive human futures emerged, between human- Not all transhumanists are in agreement, development, Bostrom points out that centred values and the dehumanisation of the nor do they all share Bostrom’s, Hawking’s since the 1950s there have been periods Industrial Revolution. and Musk’s circumspect views. In David of hype and high expectations about the Pearce’s book The Hedonistic Imperative he prospect of AI (1950s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s) The German philosophical stream included argues for a biological programme involving each followed by a period of setback and the idealists and romantics, such as Herder, genetic engineering and nanotechnology that disappointment that he calls an ‘AI winter’. Novalis, Goethe, Hegel, and Schelling. will ‘eliminate all forms of cruelty, suffering, The surge of hype and enthusiasm about the They took their lineage from Leibniz and and malaise’ (Pearce, 1995/2015). Like the coming singularity surrounding Kurzweil’s his 17th-century integral, spiritually- shadow side of the ‘progress narrative’ that naïve and simplistic beliefs about replicating based evolutionary work. These German has been used as an ideology to support human consciousness may be about to philosophers, along with romantic poets such racism and ethnic genocide, this sounds experience a fifth AI winter. as Blake, Wordsworth and Coleridge (who frighteningly like a reinvention of Comte helped introduce German idealism to Britain) and Spencer’s 19th century Social Darwinism. seeded a spiritual-evolutionary humanism Along similar lines Byron Reese claims in The dehumanisation critique that underpins the human-centred futures his book Infinite Progress that the Internet The strongest critiques of the overextension approach (Gidley, 2007). and technology will end ‘Ignorance, Disease, of technology involve claims of Poverty, Hunger and War’ and we will dehumanisation, and these arguments The French philosophical influence included colonise outer space with a billion other are not new. Canadian philosopher of La Mettrie’s mechanistic man and René planets each populated with a billion people the electronic age Marshall McLuhan Descartes’s early 17th-century split between (Reese, 2013). What happens in the meantime cautioned decades ago against too much mind and body, forming the basis of French to Earth seems of little concern to them. human extension into technology. McLuhan (or Cartesian) Rationalism. These French famously claimed that every media extension philosophers, La Mettrie and Descartes, One of the most extreme forms of of man is an amputation. Once we have a along with the theorists of progress such transhumanism is posthumanism: a concept car, we don’t walk to the shops anymore; once we have a computer hard-drive we as Turgot and de Condorcet, were secular connected with the high-tech movement don’t have to remember things; and with humanists. Secular humanism is one lineage to create so-called machine super- personal GPS on our cell phones no one can of technotopian futures. Scientific positivism intelligence. Because posthumanism requires is another (Gidley, 2017). find their way without it. In these instances, technological intervention, posthumans we are already surrendering human faculties are essentially a new, or hybrid, species, that we have developed over millennia. It is including the cyborg and the android. The Transhumanism, posthumanism likely that further extending human faculties movie character Terminator is a cyborg. and the superman trope through techno- and bio-enhancement will Transhumanism in the popular sense today lead to arrested development in the natural The most vocal of high-tech transhumanists evolution of higher human faculties. is inextricably linked with technological have ambitions that seem to have grown enhancement or extensions of human out of the superman trope so dominant in capacities through technology. This is a From the perspective of psychology of early to mid-20th-century North America. technological appropriation of the original intelligence the term artificial intelligence Their version of transhumanism includes idea of transhumanism, which began as is an oxymoron. Intelligence, by nature, the idea that human functioning can be a philosophical concept grounded in the cannot be artificial and its inestimable technologically enhanced exponentially, evolutionary humanism of Teilhard de complexity defies any notion of artificiality. until the eventual convergence of human Chardin, Julian Huxley, and others in the We need the courage to name the notion of and machine into the singularity (another mid-20th century, as we shall see below. ‘machine intelligence’ for what it really is: term for posthumanism). To popularise anthropomorphism. Until AI researchers can this concept Google engineer Ray Kurzweil define what they mean by intelligence, and In 2005, the Oxford Martin School at the co-founded the Singularity University in University of Oxford founded The Future explain how it relates to consciousness, the Silicon Valley in 2009. While the espoused term artificial intelligence must remain a of Humanity Institute and appointed mission of Singularity University is to Swedish philosopher Nick Bostrom as its word without universal meaning. At best, use accelerating technologies to address so-called artificial intelligence can mean Chair. Bostrom makes a further distinction ‘humanity’s hardest problems’, Kurzweil’s between secular humanism, concerned with little more than machine capability, which own vision is pure science fiction. In another human progress and improvement through will always be limited by the design and twist, there is a striking resemblance between education and cultural refinement, and programming of its inventors. As for machine the Singularity University logo (below left) transhumanism, involving ‘direct application super-intelligence it is difficult not to read and the Superman logo (below right). of medicine and technology to overcome this as Silicon Valley hubris. some of our basic biological limits.’ Furthermore, much of the transhumanist Bostrom’s transhumanism can enhance discourse of the 21st century reflects a historical human performance through existing and sociological naïveté. Other than Bostrom, technologies, such as genetic engineering transhumanist writers seem oblivious to the and information technologies, as well as 3,000-year history of humanity’s attempts to emerging technologies, such as molecular predict, control, and understand the future nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. (Gidley, 2017). Although many transhumanists It does not entail technological optimism, sit squarely within a cornucopian narrative, in that he regularly points to the risks of When unleashing accelerating technologies, they seem unaware of the alternating potential harm, including the ‘extreme we need to ask ourselves, how should we historical waves of techno-utopianism (or possibility of intelligent life becoming distinguish between authentic projects to aid Cornucopianism) and techno-dystopianism extinct’ (Bostrom, 2014). In support of humanity, and highly resourced messianic (or Malthusianism). This is especially evident Bostrom’s concerns, renowned theoretical hubris? A key insight is that propositions put in their appropriation and hijacking of the physicist Stephen Hawking, and billionaire forward by techno-transhumanists are based term ‘transhumanism’ with little apparent entrepreneur and engineer Elon Musk on an ideology of technological determinism. knowledge or regard for its origins.

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Origins of a humanistic ideas on evolving human-centred futures, of consciousness with global planetary with concepts such as spirit self and spirit shifts (László, 2006). Richard Tarnas in transhumanism man (between 1904 and 1925) (Steiner, The Passion of the Western Mind traces In 1950, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin 1926/1966). During the same period Indian socio-cultural developments over the last (1881–1955) published the essay From the political activist Sri Aurobindo wrote about 2,000 years, pointing to emergent changes Pre-Human to the Ultra-Human: The Phases the Overman who was a type of consciously (Tarnas, 1991). Jürgen Habermas suggests of a Living Planet, in which he speaks of evolving future human being (Aurobindo, a similar developmental pattern in his book ‘some sort of Trans-Human at the ultimate 1914/2000). Both Steiner and Sri Aurobindo Communication and the Evolution of Society heart of things’. Teilhard de Chardin’s Ultra- founded education systems after the German (Habermas, 1979). In the late 1990s Duane Human and Trans-Human were evolutionary bildung style of holistic human development. Elgin and Coleen LeDrew undertook a forty- concepts linked with spiritual/human futures. three-nation World Values Survey, including These concepts inspired his friend Sir Julian Consciously evolving human- Scandinavia, Switzerland, Britain, Canada, Huxley to write about transhumanism, which and the United States. They concluded, ‘a he did in 1957 as follows [Huxley’s italics]: centred futures new global culture and consciousness have There are three major bodies of research taken root and are beginning to grow in the “The human species can, if it wishes, offering counterpoints to the techno- world’. They called it the postmodern shift transcend itself–not just sporadically, an transhumanist claim that superhuman and described it as having two qualities: an individual here in one way, an individual powers can only be reached through ecological perspective and a self-reflexive there in another way–but in its entirety, as technological, biological, or genetic ability (Elgin & LeDrew, 1997). humanity. We need a name for this new belief. enhancement. Extensive research shows that humans have far greater capacities across Perhaps transhumanism will serve: man In relation to futures of thinking, adult remaining man, but transcending himself, many domains than we realise. In brief, developmental psychologists have built by realising new possibilities of and for his these themes are the future of the body, on positive psychology, and the human human nature” (Huxley, 1957). cultural evolution and futures of thinking. potential movement beginning with Abraham Maslow’s book Further Reaches Ironically, this quote is used by techno- of Human Nature (Maslow, 1971). In transhumanists to attribute to Huxley the Michael Murphy’s book The Future of the Body documents ‘superhuman powers’ combination with transpersonal psychology coining of the term transhumanism. And yet, the research is rich with extended views of their use of the term is in direct contradiction unrelated to technological or biological enhancement (Murphy, 1992). For forty human futures in cognitive, emotional, and to Huxley’s use. Huxley, a biologist and spiritual domains. For four decades, adult humanitarian, was the first Director-General years Murphy, founder of Esalen Institute, developmental psychology researchers such of UNESCO in 1946, and the first President has been researching what he calls a Natural as Michael Commons, Jan Sinnott, and of the British Humanist Association. His History of Supernormal Attributes. He has Lawrence Kohlberg have been researching transhumanism was more humanistic and developed an archive of 10,000 studies of the systematic, pluralistic, complex, and spiritual than technological, inspired by individual humans, throughout history, who Teilhard de Chardin’s spiritually evolved have demonstrated supernormal experiences integrated thinking of mature adults across twelve groups of attributes. In human. These two collaborators promoted (Commons & Ross, 2008; Kohlberg, almost 800 pages Murphy documents the the idea of conscious evolution, which 1990; Sinnott, 1998). They call this mature supernormal capacities of Catholic mystics, thought ‘postformal reasoning’ and their originated with the German romantic Sufi ecstatics, Hindi-Buddhist siddhis, philosopher Schelling. research provides valuable insights into martial arts practitioners, and elite athletes. higher modes of reasoning that are central to Murphy concludes that these extreme the discourse on futures of thinking. Features The evolutionary ideas that were in discussion examples are the ‘developing limbs and they identify include complex paradoxical the century before Darwin were focused on organs of our evolving human nature’. thinking, creativity and imagination, consciousness and theories of human We also know from the examples of savants, relativism and pluralism, self-reflection progress as a cultural, aesthetic, and spiritual extreme sport and adventure, and narratives and ability to dialogue, and intuition. ideal. Late 18th-century German philosophers of mystics and saints from the vast literature foreshadowed the 20th-century human from the perennial philosophies, that we Ken Wilber’s integral psychology research potential and positive psychology movements. humans have always extended ourselves– complements his cultural history research to To support their evolutionary ideals for often using little more than the power of build a significantly enhanced image of the society they created a universal education our minds. potential for consciously evolving human system, the aim of which was to develop futures (Wilber, 2000). the whole person (Bildung in German) Regarding cultural evolution, numerous (Gidley, 2016). 20th century scholars and writers have I apply these findings to education in my put forward ideas about human cultural book Postformal Education: A Philosophy for After Darwin, two notable European futures. Ervin László links evolution Complex Futures (Gidley, 2016). philosophers began to explore the impact of Darwinian evolution on human futures, in other ways than Spencer’s social Darwinism. Friedrich Nietzsche’s ideas about the higher person (Übermensch) were informed by Darwin’s biological evolution, the German idealist writings on evolution of consciousness, and were deeply connected to his ideas on freedom.

French philosopher Henri Bergson’s contribution to the superhuman discourse first appeared in Creative Evolution (Bergson, 1907/1944). Like Nietzsche, Bergson saw the superman arising out of the human being, in much the same way that humans have arisen from animals. In parallel with the efforts of Nietzsche and Bergson, Rudolf Steiner articulated his own

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Can AI ever cross the higher forms of human reasoning than their stages of postformal reasoning. In short, own. Nor do they have the scientific and ASI proponents are entrapped in their thin consciousness threshold? technological means to deliver on their high- cybernetic view of intelligence. As such they budget fantasies. Machine super-intelligence are oblivious to the research on evolution of Given the breadth and subtlety of postformal is not only an oxymoron, but a science consciousness, metaphysics of mind, multiple reasoning, how likely is it that machines fiction concept. intelligences, philosophy and psychology of could ever acquire such higher functioning consciousness, transpersonal psychology and human features? The technotopians Even if techno-developers were to succeed wisdom studies, all providing ample evidence discussing artificial superhuman intelligence in replicating general intelligence (strong that human intelligence is highly complex carefully avoid the consciousness question. and evolving. Bostrom explains that all the machine AI), it would only function at the level intelligence systems currently in use operate of Piaget’s formal operations. Yet adult in a very narrow range of human cognitive developmental psychologists have shown When all of this research is taken together capacity (weak AI). Even at its most that mature, high-functioning adults are it indicates that we humans are already ambitious, it is limited to trying to replicate capable of very complex, imaginative, capable of far greater powers of mind, ‘abstract reasoning and general problem- integrative, paradoxical, spiritual, intuitive emotion, body, and spirit than previously solving skills’ (strong AI). In spite of all wisdom–just to name a few of the qualities imagined. If we seriously want to develop the hype around AI and ASI, the Machine we humans can consciously evolve. These superhuman intelligence and powers in the Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI)’s own complex postformal logics go far beyond 21st century and beyond we have a choice. website states that even ‘human-equivalent the binary logic used in coding and We can continue to invest heavily in naïve general intelligence is still largely relegated programming machines, and it seems also far technotopian dreams of creating machines to the science fiction shelf.’ Regardless beyond the conceptual parameters of the AI that can operate better than humans. Or we of who writes about posthumanism, and programmers themselves. I find no evidence can invest more of our consciousness, energy, whether they are Oxford philosophers, in the literature that anyone working with and resources on educating and consciously MIT scientists, or Google engineers, they AI is aware of either the limits of formal evolving human futures with all the wisdom do not yet appear to be aware that there are reasoning or the vast potential of higher that would entail.

Professor Jennifer M. Gidley PhD is an author, psychologist, educator and futurist, Jennifer is a global thought leader and advocate for human-centred futures in an era of hi-tech hype and hubris. She is Adjunct Professor at the Institute for Sustainable Futures, UTS, Sydney and author of The Future: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford, 2017) and Postformal Education: A Philosophy for Complex Futures (Springer, 2016). As former President of the World Futures Studies Federation (2009-2017), a UNESCO and UN ECOSOC partner and global peak body for futures studies, Jennifer led a network of hundreds of the world’s leading futures scholars and researchers from over 60 countries for eight years.

References Aurobindo, S. (1914/2000). The Life Divine. Habermas, J. (1979). Communication and Boulding) (E. Boulding, Trans.). San 2nd American Edition. (Originally published the Evolution of Society (T. McCarthy, Francisco: Jossey-Bass. in the monthly review Arya 1914-1920). Trans.). Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Reese, B. (2013). Infinite Progress: How the Twin Lakes, Huxley, J. (1957). Transhumanism. In Internet and Technology will end Ignorance, WI: Lotus Press. J. Huxley (Ed.), New Bottles for New Disease, Poverty, Hunger and War. Austin, Bergson, H. (1907/1944). Creative Wine (pp. 13-17). London, UK: Chatto & Texas: Greenleaf Books. Evolution (A. Mitchell, Trans.). New York: Windus. Sinnott, J. D. (1998). The Development of Macmillan & Co. Kohlberg, L. (1990). Which Postformal Logic in Adulthood: Postformal Thought Bostrom, N. (2014). Superintelligence: Stages are Stages? In M. Commons, C. and its Applications. New York: Springer. Paths, Dangers and Strategies. Oxford, UK: Armon, L. Kohlberg, F. Richards, A, T. Snow, C. P. (1959). The Two Cultures and Oxford University Press. A. Grotzer, & J. D. Sinnott (Eds.), Adult the Scientific Revolution. Paper presented at Commons, M. L., & Ross, S. (2008). What Development, Volume 2: Models and the The Rede Lecture, The Senate House, Postformal Thought is, and Why it Matters. Methods in the Study of Adolescent and Cambridge, UK. Adult Thought. Westport, CT: Praeger. World Futures, 64, 321-329. Steiner, R. (1926/1966). The Evolution Elgin, D., & LeDrew, C. (1997). Global László, E. (2006). The Chaos Point: The of Consciousness as Revealed through Consciousness Change: Indicators of an World at the Crossroads. Charlottsville, VA: Initiation Knowledge (GA 227) (2nd ed.) Emerging Paradigm. http://education.jhu. Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc. (V. E. W. & C. D., Trans.). [13 Lectures: Penmaenmawr, N. Wales, August 19 - 31, edu/PD/newhorizons/future/articles/ Markley, O. W., & Harman, W. W. (1982). 1923] (Original published work 1926). global-consciousness/index.html Changing Images of Man. Oxford, UK: London: Rudolf Steiner Press. Gidley, J. (2007). The Evolution of Pergamon Press. Consciousness as a Planetary Imperative: Tarnas, R. (1991). The Passion of the Maslow, A. H. (1971). The Farther Reaches Western Mind. New York: Random House. An Integration of Integral Views. of Human Nature. New York: The Viking Integral Review: A Transdisciplinary and Press. Wilber, K. (2000). Integral Psychology: Transcultural Journal for New Thought, Consciousness, Spirit, Psychology, Therapy. Research and Praxis, 5, 4-226. Murphy, M. (1992). The Future of the Boston: Shambhala. Body: Explorations into the Further Gidley, J. (2016). Postformal Education: Evolution of Human Nature. Los Angeles: A Philosophy for Complex Futures. Jeremy P. Tarcher. Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer International. Pearce, D. (1995/2015). The Hedonistic 1 This article has been drawn from a recent Imperative. US: Amazon Kindle. Gidley, J. (2017). The Future: A Very book by the author: The Future: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford, UK: Oxford Polak, F. (1973). The Image of the Future Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, University Press. (Translated and abridged by Elise 2017), especially from Chapters 4 & 5.

18 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 A Farewell to Ice Arctic climate feedbacks and their worldwide effects

Peter Wadhams

The changing Arctic world, and this is causing the accelerated loss adds the equivalent of one more molecule for of ice which within a very few years will yield heating the planet. An enormous change has occurred in the a completely ice-free summer Arctic. appearance of our planet during the last two decades. The Arctic Ocean, which has A second, truly global, consequence of ice an area of 14 million sq km (five times that The ice also looks different. In the past retreat is its impact on sea level rise. The rate of the Mediterranean), used to be full of most Arctic ice was multi-year ice, several of melt of the Greenland ice sheet has greatly formidably thick and rugged sea ice, winter years old. It had a rugged and magnificent increased in recent years, due to warmer air and summer. Today the ice is thin and weak, topography, with huge pressure ridges which moving over Greenland in summer from the and in summer it shrinks back to an area of blocked the paths of explorers and ships and open Arctic Ocean. Until the 1980s global sea only 3-4 million sq km, less than half of its which had keels reaching down 50 metres or level rise was due partly to ocean warming summer area as recently as the 1980s. The more into the ocean. Today most of the ice – which makes the water less dense so that media report extensively on the disappearance is first-year; it grows during a single winter, the level stands higher – and partly to the of the summer ice, but most people do not reaches a maximum thickness of only 1-1.5 retreat of mountain glaciers in places like the realize that even in winter the ice now has a metres, and has only a few shallow ridges to Alps and the Rockies. Then after the 1980s character which is quite different from the break up the very flat ice surface. Ice which pools of melt water began to appear on the recent past. grows during a single winter can easily melt Greenland ice sheet, with much of the water away during a single summer, causing what disappearing down holes called moulins the US climatologist Mark Serreze calls the which bring it down to deeper levels or to I first went to the Arctic in summer “Arctic death spiral”. And the death of the 1970, aboard the Canadian icebreaker bedrock. Here is lubricates outlet glaciers “Hudson”, which was carrying out the summer ice is close. which began to accelerate until some of first circumnavigation of the Americas. them are now moving twice as fast as before, After sailing around South America and up Global impacts of Arctic change depositing much more ice into the ocean as through Bering Strait we were to attempt a icebergs. In the record year of 2012 there was The ice retreat is not just a curiosity of the feat accomplished by only nine ships before a time in July when 97% of the Greenland us, a transit of the Northwest Passage. All Arctic. The global consequences are dramatic. ice sheet surface was covered with melt along the north coasts of Alaska and the Once ice melts, the albedo of the ocean– the water, and a gravity satellite called GRACE, Northwest Territories, the Arctic Ocean sea fraction of solar radiation reflected back which measures the mass of the ice sheet, is ice lay close in to the land, leaving us a slot into space – drops from 0.6 (dirty summer finding that 300 cubic kilometers of ice are only a few miles wide to navigate and carry ice) to 0.1 (open water only), which will now being lost per year. Greenland is now out our surveys. Sometimes the ice pushed accelerate warming of the whole planet. It the biggest generator of global sea level rise right up to the coast and we had to break our has been estimated that the rate of loss of and a similar melt is starting in Antarctica. way through, and eventually, when we were ice is causing a global albedo decrease which The impact is very serious: official predictions in the middle of the Northwest Passage, we is adding a quarter to the direct effect of by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate had to be rescued by a heavier Government man-made global warming. Even this is an Change (IPCC) are for a 60-90 cm rise this icebreaker, the “John A. Macdonald”. underestimate because the albedo effect is century, but most glaciologists are estimating In those days, a battle with sea ice in the not confined to ice. We also see faster spring 1 metre or more, maybe much more. This will Canadian Arctic was normal, even in high snow melt in Arctic coastal lands as sea ice have a disastrous effect on coastal cities like summer. In 1903-6 it took Amundsen three recedes, due to warmer air masses moving Miami, New York, Shanghai and Venice, as years for the first transit of the Northwest over the coasts from the newly ice-free sea; well as increasing the flood frequency on low- Passage, while the second ship, the Royal in 2012 we saw a 6 million square kilometre lying crowded coastlines like Bangla Desh. It Canadian Mounted Police schooner “St. negative area anomaly in June compared is irreversible. Roch”, still needed two seasons, in 1942-4. with 1980. Since the albedo of snow-free land is similar to that of open water (0.1), an A third effect, and possibly the greatest Today the situation is transformed. In anomaly of this size is equivalent in albedo immediate threat, is seabed methane September (the month of greatest ice retreat) to a sea ice retreat of similar magnitude. So if feedback. This was mentioned by the Pope in a vast area of blue ocean surrounds the Pole. we put these two effects together the overall his encyclical “Laudato Si”. Removal of the The 3-4 million square km of remaining ice ice/snow-albedo feedback adds 50% to the ice cover takes away a vital air conditioning is only half of the area in the 1970s-1980s direct global heating effect, showing how the system for the Arctic. So long as some ice and the average thickness has also halved, so Arctic has become a driver of, rather than is present in summer, however thin, the sea the summer ice volume is only a quarter of just a responder to, global change. For every surface temperature cannot rise above 0ºC, what it was then. Warming of the Arctic is two molecules of greenhouse gas that we put since if the water warmed further it would proceeding 3-4 times as fast as the rest of the into the atmosphere, the snow-ice feedback lose its heat in melting some of the overlying

www.scimednet.org 19 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 ice. With the ice gone completely, the surface co-authors, using a model employed by the system in one mode, e.g. drought, flooding, water now warms up by several degrees (up British Government, estimated a vast cost cold weather or heatwaves. The biggest to 7ºC) by absorbing solar radiation, and to the world of 60 trillion dollars over a effects occur in mid-northern latitudes which over the shallow continental shelves this heat century. This adds 15% to the overall cost is exactly the location of the planet’s most extends down to the seabed. This melts the of man-induced global warming, while the productive croplands. If the effects persist, offshore permafrost, frozen sediments which immediate temperature rise is likely to prove this could be a serious threat to global food have lain there undisturbed since the last Ice disastrous to our attempts to limit the rate of production, with both direct consequences Age. The thawing of offshore permafrost is warming of our planet. This dire threat has in the form of famine, and indirect in the like releasing the lid of a pressure cooker; it caught most scientists unprepared, because form of social unrest in poor countries due to triggers the release of huge plumes of methane significant summer retreat of ice in the shelf rises in food prices. With a rapidly increasing gas from the disintegration of methane seas started only in about 2005, so this is a population, the world cannot sustain a check hydrates (a compound of methane and ice) new phenomenon which has probably never to its capability to produce food. Very serious trapped within the underlying sediment. occurred since before the last Ice Age. famine is inevitable. Methane has a greenhouse warming effect 23 times greater than carbon dioxide per A further huge threat to our planetary The final major feedback is one that may molecule. An annual Russian-US expedition wellbeing is the likelihood that Arctic offer some benefit, but only to nations to the East Siberian Sea is already observing warming and sea ice retreat have been the in northwest Europe. The thermohaline methane plumes welling up from the seabed, cause of extreme weather patterns which circulation, or “global conveyor belt”, is a and this observation has been duplicated by have occurred over the past seven years, very slow circulation of the world ocean, Swedish and Norwegian work in the Laptev typically involving very cold or stormy not driven by winds but by the distribution and Kara Seas. weather in winter in certain parts of Europe of heat and precipitation over the oceans. and North America and very warm weather It has been called a conveyor belt because Since offshore methane release causes general in others. The jet stream, the fast-moving there are surface and deep components, with atmospheric levels of the gas to rise, it will boundary flow which separates Arctic areas of upwelling or sinking to connect give an immediate boost to global warming. from lower-latitude air masses, has slowed, them, like the cogwheels in a conveyor belt. One third of the Arctic Ocean is composed because of the smaller temperature difference In the Atlantic the surface current is part of shelves only 50-100 metres deep, so the between low latitudes and the fast-warming of the Gulf Stream, taking water from the area involved is huge. Russian scientists Arctic. As the flow gets weaker the jet tropics northeastward to bathe the coastline estimate that 50 gigatons (1 gigaton = 1012 stream follows a wavier path, bringing cold of Europe and then head further north still. tons) of methane could be emitted from air masses down to lower latitudes in the Up in the Greenland Sea some of it sinks in the East Siberian Shelf during the next few southward lobes and warm air to unusually a very small region at 75°N 0°W, and this is years. I and two colleagues estimated that high latitudes in the northward lobes. one of the main cogwheels of the conveyor. this emission, occurring over 10 years, would But it is a cogwheel that is failing: the sinking give an extra warming of 0.6°C worldwide The slow movement of these lobes enables had been driven by ice formation in winter, by 2040, while an economic analysis by my prolonged persistence of a local weather with the surface water gaining extra density

Barny Revill

20 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 from the salt that is left in the water when ice Geoengineering can be thought of as a Peter Wadhams is Emeritus Professor of forms. In this special region the extra salt was sticking plaster solution to our global Ocean Physics at the Department of Applied just enough to drive deep cylinders of sinking problem. It consists of reducing the radiation Mathematics and Theoretical Physics, Cam- water called ”chimneys”. absorbed by the planet, typically by spreading bridge University. He has carried out research finely divided powder in the stratosphere, or on sea ice and polar oceanography since But since 1998 no sea ice has formed in more benignly by injecting fine water droplets 1969, encompassing more than 50 field trips this region, and chimneys no longer form; into the lower parts of marine stratus clouds on various vehicles including submarines. He the conveyor belt is failing. Because of this to make them brighter, that is to increase was Director of Scott Polar Research Institute their albedo. It is not a permanent solution. weakening, the European Environment from 1987-1992. He now carries out his It does nothing to halt the growth of CO in European Union research as a Professor at Agency estimates that by the end of the 2 the atmosphere, so as soon as the treatment Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, century Britain, Ireland, Iceland and the is stopped the disease (rapid warming) and until December 2017 he is Green Scholar French and Norwegian coastlines (and the breaks out with greater virulence. It also does at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La NW tip of Spain) will experience “only” nothing to halt the acidification of the ocean, Jolla, California. 2°C of warming, compared to a ruinous another product of increased CO2 levels, 4°C for most of continental Europe. This which will wipe out coral reefs and seriously is good news for NW Europe, but not for impact marine life. tropical America, since the loss of this current will increase the temperature of tropical The only actual solution to catastrophic Atlantic waters, and hence increase the global warming, apart from an impossible References intensity of hurricanes. appeal to mankind’s better nature, is to find a Albedo way to take CO2 out of the atmosphere. This The need for action is the ultimate technofix, and those wise souls Pistone, K et al (2014). Observational who advocate that we live in closer harmony determination of albedo decrease caused by vanishing Arctic sea ice. Proceedings The global feedbacks created by Arctic ice with nature find the concept appalling, retreat are of enormous importance for of National Academy of Sciences, because it would allow us to continue with 111(9), 3322-3326. two reasons:- all our bad habits such as continued fossil fuel use. But it is unavoidable. Various Sea level rise They show the invalidity of arguments which methods have been proposed, such as massive Englander, J. (2013). High Tide on Main point to the economic advantages of sea ice worldwide tree-planting; carbon capture and Street: Rising Sea Level and the Coming retreat in terms of easier marine transport and storage from coal-fired power plant exhausts; Coastal Crisis.The Science Bookshelf. oil exploration. Each of these two benefits has or even the exposure to the atmosphere been estimated to be worth billions of dollars of billions of tons of crushed olivine rock, Methane – but the cost to the planet of the warming which very slowly undergoes a chemical Shakhova, N. et al. (2013). Ebullition which makes them possible is measured in reaction in air involving absorption of CO . 2 and storm induced methane release from trillions of dollars. None of these can be scaled up in time. It the East Siberian Arctic Shelf. Nature is clear that a straightforward cost-effective Geoscience, 7, doi: 0.1038/NGEO2007. and energy-effective method to take CO They show that future climate warming 2 Whiteman, G., C. Hope and P. cannot be modelled in a linear way based on out of the air has to be developed, and here is a true challenge to mankind. Can we Wadhams (2013). Vast costs of Arctic the quantity of CO2 emissions. The reality is change. Nature, 499, 401-3. that new feedbacks come into play at certain persuade our politicians and scientists to critical stages, which accelerate warming and have a new Manhattan Project, a focus for a Extreme weather may end up dominating the future pattern massive worldwide research effort, to design an effective method of removing CO from Francis, J.A. and S.J. Vavrus (2012). of global change. It is not quite a runaway 2 the normal atmosphere and turning it into Evidence linking Arctic amplification warming such as that which removed the to extreme weather in mid-latitudes. a benign substance which can be stored or water from Venus, but we have pointed to Geophysical Research Letters, 39, used? To my mind this is the most important two emerging feedbacks which pose big L06801, doi: 10.1029/2012GL051000. challenge in science and technology today, dangers – albedo feedback and methane since our very existence is at stake. We have Overland, J.E. (2016). A difficult Arctic feedback. So it may be that even if we reduce created global warming and we ought to be science issue: mid-latitude weather CO emissions radically, the system may not linkages. Polar Science, 10(3), 312-322. 2 able to stop it. respond – it is developing a momentum of its own. Thermohaline circulation I have spent my entire scientific life from the Wadhams, P. (2004). Convective age of 21 working on the science of sea ice A serious problem is that these effects were chimneys in the Greenland Sea: a review and the polar oceans. What do these changes of recent observations. Oceanography downplayed in the past by the very body, mean to me as I say a personal farewell to IPCC, which was established to warn the and Marine Biology. An Annual Review. this magic landscape? Overwhelmingly I feel 42, 1-28. world of dangerous climatic change. Now, that this is a spiritual impoverishment of the with the Paris Agreement of 2015, the legal Earth as well as a practical catastrophe for onus is on every country of the world to mankind. Our own greed and stupidity have reduce its carbon emissions such that global taken away the beautiful world of Arctic sea temperatures do not rise by more than 2°C ice which once protected us from the impacts – and if possible 1.5°C. My own conclusion, of climatic extremes. Now urgent action is based on the way in which Arctic feedbacks needed if we are to save ourselves from the enhance the warming rate, is that even a rapid consequences. reduction in CO2 emissions will not work in time (a problem made infinitely worse by My personal testament on these changes the insane global vandalism of Trump) so we is a book called “A Farewell to Ice” (UK: must urgently consider emergency methods Allen Lane, US: Oxford University Press), which could slow down the rate of warming in which I describe the decline of sea ice, its and give us time to change to a new way of frightening worldwide consequences, and the living on this planet. This means applying measures which I believe we must take to geoengineering techniques, repugnant as these save ourselves from the rapid climate change are to many people including scientists. which is resulting.

www.scimednet.org 21 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 Three Horizons: Patterning of Hope Bill Sharpe

For over 30 years Bill has been involved Prevalence now transition future in finding ways to think about the future, first as a research manager in the computer industry, and for the last 15 years working 1st HORIZON independently as a futures practitioner across all sorts of areas from sustainable transport to the arts, and the future of healthcare. The Three Horizons practice has grown from his work with the International Futures Forum (IFF) that seeks to foster practical hope and wise initiative in the most complex issues 2nd HORIZON facing our society. Bill is speaking at the 3rd HORIZON conference on Transformative Innovations for ➤ Health at the University of Westminster on Time November 18. Three Horizons is a way of working on Three Horizons thinking offers a way to find Summary transformative change, drawing attention and shape our own intentions more clearly as we In every area of professional life, I meet towards systemic patterns rather than look over the first horizon of the known towards people facing an existential crisis: as the individual events or unexamined trends; it the second and third horizons of innovation and frames the discussion in terms of the shift from transformation towards the future. It transforms complexity of the issues facing society grows, the established patterns of the first horizon to our perception of the future potential of the the organisational structures seem less and less the emergence of new patterns in the third, via present moment by revealing each horizon as a able to cope; attempts to transform the system the transitional activity of the second. different quality already existing in the present, seem to work for a little while and and which might develop depending on how then get defeated by the overwhelming A simple linear way of thinking about change we choose to act – to maintain the familiar or pressure to sustain the present way of doing places us in the present moment looking pioneer the new. things; people experience a growing gap towards how we want things to be in future between their personal values and aspirations – placing the future outside the present The outcome of Three Horizons work is a and the organisational life they must inhabit. moment, something that might or might not map of transformational potential which In this context, Three Horizons is offering a happen, and appearing in the guise of the enables us to act with more skill, freedom and way for people to restore hope and pursue unknown or unknowable and the risky. Yet creativity in the present, both individually and the need for a transformational response in a we act with future intent all the time, linking together. practical way. what we are doing now to future outcomes. The central idea of Three Horizons, and H1: The first horizon what makes it so useful, is that it draws The first horizon describes the current way Three Qualities of the Future in attention to the three horizons as existing of doing things, and the way we can expect it the Present always in the present moment, and that we to change if we all keep behaving in the ways How can people with widely varying have evidence about the future in how people we are used to. H1 systems are what we all backgrounds, expertise, and worldviews (including ourselves) are behaving now. depend on to get things done in the world. Throughout the day we make use of a myriad come to a shared vision of the future? How By making these qualitative distinctions societal systems – shops, schools, banks, can we work constructively with the complex between the three horizons in the present, a lot hospitals, transport – and most of the time we problems our society faces that defy any of dynamics of change come into view quite don’t want, or need, to think about them too definitive analysis and demand that we learn naturally, and we are led to explore them in much; we all help perpetuate the system by our way together into the future respecting terms of the patterns of behaviour of those who taking part in it. both our knowledge and our ignorance of are maintaining or creating them. This leads to what to do? Over the last few years the the additional benefit, that we can reflect on our While we talk a lot about the pace of change, Three Horizons framework (Sharpe, 2013) own intentions towards those patterns in the it is worth remembering that lots of things has emerged as a way of helping people with process of exploring the behaviour and intent must stay the same for daily life to go on. these challenges. that is revealed in each horizon. Innovation and change in our H1 systems

22 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 is happening, but it is about sustaining and It allows us to understand more clearly how dimensional point of view in which we extending the way things are done now in a our own and other people’s actions might become aware of each horizon as a distinct planned and orderly way; uncertainties and shape the future we are exploring. This is quality of relationship between the future risks are to be eliminated or prepared for – especially important when we look at issues and the present. We call the move into this the lights must be kept on. of broad societal concern, where we are all multi-dimensional view, and the skill to work actors in the future. Here we are particularly with it, the step into future consciousness: Nothing lasts forever, and over time we concerned to find ways for the many different an awareness of the future potential of the inevitably find that our H1 ways of doing constituencies in society to come together present moment. things are falling short – no longer meeting to unlock the future from the dominance of expectations, failing to move towards new old ways of doing things – ways that are no As people make this step individually they can opportunities, or out of step with emerging longer working for us. also make it together – developing a shared conditions. More than that, we have a sense culture of future consciousness that in turn that our H1 methods of improvement and Over the last few years many people have opens up a greater freedom of action. Just as innovation do not ever get us where we want started using the Three Horizons framework a sports team or a musical ensemble practise to go and are just sustaining the old approach as a way to work on their issues and in the together to develop their collective skill, and with its failings; that approach is losing its International Futures Forum we’ve been in doing so enhance their personal potential ‘fitness for purpose’. talking to them about why it works. All of as part of the whole, so we can develop our them speak of the way it separates things out capacity for transformative change by seeing H3: The third horizon in a helpful way and improves the dialogue, future consciousness as a collective practice because people can see where they are and The third horizon is the future system. It is and skill rather than purely individual. can avoid unnecessary confusion and conflict those new ways of living and working that between the three horizons. It turns out to be will fit better with the emerging need and Through our shared understanding of the quite natural, in almost any situation where opportunity. H3 change is transformative, patterns and where ‘we’ are within them people are working on some complex issue, bringing a new pattern into existence that is we can act with shared hope, creativity and to gently bring out the three ‘voices’ of the commitment, holding together as we navigate beyond the reach of the H1 system. There horizons: will be many competing visions of the future from the familiar to the new. and early pioneers are likely to look quite • the managerial voice that is concerned unrealistic – and some of them are. As we with the first horizon responsibility for Three Horizons in practice build our own Three Horizons map we bring keeping things going; International Futures Forum is supporting the our own vision to bear and take a view on emergence of transformative culture through how it relates to the visions of others and the • the entrepreneurial voice of the second the provision of resources and expertise to horizon that is eager to get on and try new trends that are playing out for all of us. support Three Horizons and related practices things (some of which won’t work); (www.iffpraxis.com). IFF’s experience of H2: The second horizon • the aspiration and vision of the third Three Horizons has grown up over a decade The second horizon is the transition and horizon voice that holds out for of use; extended accounts of what has been transformation zone of emerging innovations commitment to a better way and the learned are available in Transformative that are responding to the shortcomings of the opportunity that can be imagined in the Innovation in Education (Leicester et al., first horizon and anticipating the possibilities mind’s eye. 2013 - second edition) and Humanising of the third horizon. New ways of doing Healthcare (Hannah, 2014). For those things emerge in messy ways, brought about The Three Horizons approach is aligned with with an interest in futures techniques the through some combination of deliberate these three forms of awareness which everybody background to the development of Three action and opportunistic adaptation in the can adopt towards the future. By default, Horizons, and its relationship to other light of circumstances. many people inhabit just one horizon in their approaches such as scenario planning, can be work, and view other horizons with perplexity, found in (Curry et al., 2008). Entrepreneurs must judge the moment, and misunderstanding or hostility. However, bring together ideas and resources to try everyone has a natural capacity to work with the other horizons, and the core of Three a new way of doing things here and now. Bill Sharpe is an Independent Researcher in They live in an ambiguous territory where Horizons practice is the flexibility to work with all three modes of awareness at the same time. science, technology and society, the old ways are dominant but the new is Member of International Futures Forum becoming possible; they can look to the past (www.internationalfuturesforum.com) and fit in with familiar patterns of life, or try Once different groups are able to see which horizon dominates their thinking they can and Visiting Professor, Digital Cultures to become the seed that grows into the new. Research Centre, University of The West Entrepreneurship is hard and most attempts also see how it relates to the others. For example, a passionate H3 advocate for of England. Reprinted from the Journal of to do new things fail; it is much easier to Holistic Healthcare. serve the old systems, and established H1 renewable energy may easily forget what players typically dominate. it feels like to have H1 responsibilities for keeping the lights on, and in return the H1 Convening the future thinker, dominated by current responsibilities, can regard the H3 protagonist as simply References So, from this simple Three Horizons irrelevant to their pressing needs. The H2 framework we get three things: entrepreneur may be drawing their inspiration Curry, A., Hodgson, A., Integrity, D. (2008) Seeing in Multiple Horizons: • a way to look at the processes of change from the third horizon, but is also having to judge when the time is right to challenge the Connecting Futures to Strategy. Journal that encourages us to see deeper patterns of Futures Studies 13, 1-20. of systemic change beneath surface events H1 organisations for dominance, or instead to work with them. Hannah, M. (2014) Humanising • a way to make the future accessible in Healthcare. Triarchy Press, London. the present in the form of the intent and Future consciousness and the actions that are bringing it about Leicester, G.H., Stewart, D., Bloomer, patterning of hope K., Ewing, J.R. (2013 - second • a way to bring all the voices of continuity As people appreciate the positive contribution edition) Transformative Innovation in and change into play as part of the of each horizon they can move from holding Education: a playbook for pragmatic discussion, as expressed in their intent ‘their’ horizon as a fixed mindset and instead visionaries. Triarchy Press. towards the patterns. use all three as flexible perspectives on the future. This is the core idea of Three Sharpe, B. (2013) Three Horizons: Three Horizons is a way to think about the Horizons – to make the shift from our simple, the patterning of hope. Triarchy Press, future that recognises deep uncertainty but one-dimensional view of time stretching London. responds with an active orientation. into the future and instead adopt a three-

www.scimednet.org 23 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 Regenerative Business - The Way Nature Intended Giles Hutchins

problems our wrong-headed business logic A Shift of Logic Here Giles discusses how has created over the years. There is little doubt that our prevailing business logic This short article explores this shift in logic ‘today’s businesses that alienates and undermines not only the now emerging in many organisations (literally embrace a living systems majority of its employees through hierarchic thousands across the globe and rising). This control-based thinking, but also degrades article does not tackle the equally interesting logic will be tomorrow’s our communities and more-than-human development in business of transforming world through its myopic short-termism and ownership structures such as a shift from success stories.’ self-centred greedy intent. shareholder ownership to membership or cooperative structures for instance. Here, A new paradigm we focus on the leadership and management logic within our organisations, regardless of Yet there is a new paradigm emerging in whether they are shareholder owned, private, Over the last century, conventional business which goes beyond mere ‘green- commerce and industry has been a core washing’ PR fluff. It is an embracing of a new non-profit, etc. contributor to our present environmental worldview: a living-systems worldview for and social crisis. This mainstream business business, with huge implications for us all. The challenge we face today is not simply approach is born out of a flawed logic about digitisation, collaborative ways of about how the world works. It is a logic Over the last few months I have engaged with working or leaner operations. Something that is being challenged by a growing a wide range of thought leaders like the living much deeper, much more fundamental, is number of forward-thinking business folk. systems theorist Fritjof Capra, the leadership being demands of us. As the well-respected For example, Ray Anderson, one of specialist Prof. Peter Hawkins and the business futurist John Naisbitt points out, America’s most admired CEOs, notes, ‘we values-based business guru Richard Barrett. I have also engaged with a variety of CEOs st have been, and still are, in the grips of a ‘The greatest breakthroughs of the 21 and senior managers from a wide range of Century will not occur because of technology, flawed view of reality – a flawed paradigm, businesses. I have been heartened to find that a flawed worldview – and it pervades our but because of an expanding concept of what many are patently aware of the now desperate it means to be human.’ culture putting us on a biological collision need for a radically different approach to how course with collapse.’ we strategise and organise. For example, when I asked the CEO of a global chemicals company what their most Paul Polman, the CEO of Unilever, leads The ‘new norm’ of business is unceasing by example when demanding that business transformation, hand-in-hand with increasing pressing challenge was, it was the need to leaders snap out of old thinking about how stakeholder complexity. Put simply, business- transform the psyche of the company to the world works and move to a new model, as-usual is no longer an option. In fact, one that embraces eco-systemic thinking a new logic, where the interconnectedness business-as-usual is very much part of the where social and environmental drivers are of business, society and the environment is problem. ingrained into day-to-day decision making. seen as core to purpose-driven enterprise. For the CEO of a large professional services We now need to cultivate not just a different firm, it was transforming their world-of- Being a passionate environmentalist from leadership logic, but also the learning systems work in a way that enables everyone to an early age, and engrossing myself in that enable our leaders to embrace this new bring their ‘whole-selves’ to work so that Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful during my logic amid unceasing transformation and the organisation becomes more purposeful, teens, I am only too aware of the immense increasing day-to-day pressures. vibrant, connected and alive.

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For the Head of Strategy of a global bank it Balancing divergence with The ‘divergence’ provides the vibrancy, was embedding a learning culture that is not creativity and effectiveness, while the just agile and responsive, but purposeful and convergence ‘convergence’ provides the mission- all together more-human. For the CEO of a Living systems logic informs us that we need driven intent and soulful purpose of the global consumer goods company it was to a blend of ‘divergence’ and ‘convergence’ to organisation. Both together provide the deepen their strategic intent to serve life. thrive amid volatility. aliveness, agility and purposefulness for the living system to thrive amid volatility. More and more of our business leaders ‘Divergence’ through the inclusion of a This coherence within the organisation informs the way it relates with its eco-system are waking up to the realisation that our diversity of perspectives from different of stakeholders including society and the organisations are actually living systems people within and beyond the organisational environment. rather than machines. That these living boundaries (facilitated through generative systems are intimately entwined with the dialogue approaches); empowered self- living systems of society and our more-than- organising teams adapting to their local Regenerative life-affirming business is not a human world. terrain, freed from cumbersome bureaucracy utopian dream; it is how life really is. It is (facilitated through team dynamics); a our prevalent practices that are a delusory participatory and exploratory cultural mind- aberration. The rising interest in the B-Corp movement is symptomatic of this shift Regenerative business set (fostered by a blend of appreciative inquiry happening across the world in our business And for these living organisations to thrive in and heart-based communication methods). times of increasing uncertainty and volatility, mind-set. To become a B-Corp companies they must learn to become regenerative. What voluntarily change their legal constitution For example, the global network of social- away from a narrow focus on short-term do we mean by ‘regenerative business’? enterprise community centres, Impact Hub, returns for shareholders to creating value for has check-ins at the beginning and end of all stakeholders including society and ‘The purpose of life is to live in agreement every meeting for people to centre themselves the environment. with Nature’ Zeno, ancient Greek and share in authentic and purposeful philosopher ways. A North American waste company The rising popularity of movements such as regularly holds stakeholder dialogue sessions Conscious Capitalism, Teal, The Purpose Regenerative business seeks to create the with a diverse group of stakeholders to Movement and B-Corps heralds the dawning conditions conducive for life, by operating in ensure customers, suppliers, local activists, of a new business logic; a deeper richer ways that embody the natural logic of life. indigenous people, and community leaders consciousness that expands not only our per- are all involved in generative discussions ception of organisations as living systems but The control-based characteristics of about the strategy of the organisation. A also our perception of ourselves as purposeful conventional business separate the work London supermarket, Thornton’s Budgens, human beings playing our part in an innately functions from the management functions, holds sharing circles every few weeks for all interconnected world. creating silo-mentality and hierarchic employees, regardless of role, to openly share bureaucracy that relies on a control-and- in an open-hearted and authentic way so that predict ethos of managing remotely by problems transform through empathy into numbers. The organisation is perceived improved ways of working. This helps the as a self-maximising machine struggling organisation deliver on its purpose of putting for survival in a dog-eat-dog world. This people and planet first, trusting that profit will hyper-competitive control-based logic is follow, while creating a more vibrant work not actually how life is. Vibrant ecosystems place for everyone involved. Speaker, adviser and author Giles Hutchins’ flourish through diversity, distributed latest book Future Fit (2016) is available on decision-making, local attunement, and an ‘Convergence’ is achieved through: a life- Amazon and all good book shops. He blogs evolutionary sense of purpose. affirming resonant sense of purpose and clear at www.thenatureofbusiness.org and strategic intent that guides and governs the is Chairman of The Future Fit Leadership Academy www.ffla.co The emerging future of business encourages over-arching direction-of-travel; and, a soul- wholeness within ourselves, our systems, and based culture that underpins and infuses the our society. It’s a radical departure from the day-to-day meeting conventions, management traditional scientific management theory still protocols and behavioural values. served-up in many of our leading business References schools today. As an example, the financial services provider Anderson, Ray & White, Robin (2009) Triodos makes money work for positive Confessions of a Radical Industrialist, Yesterday’s logic is now failing us. Enter, social, environmental and cultural change by Random House Business Books, living systems logic: adaptive teams are investing in projects that enrich our world New York. empowered to make change happen at – all of Triodos’s investment projects are Schumacher, E.F (1973) Small is the local level, to self-organise and attune open to public scrutiny, with the social and Beautiful, A Study of Economics as locally amid an ever changing environment. environmental credentials of every investment if People Mattered, Penguin Group, Leaders do not manage remotely through available online. London hierarchy but rather facilitate environments where learning, co-creativity and authenticity The chemicals company Pantheon Enterprises Capra, Fritjof (2003) The Hidden flourish. Decision-making is not hierarchical applies conscious chemistry to ensure all Connections: A Science for Sustainable but distributed. The goal is to deliver on the its products are biodegradable and non- Living, Flamingo, London purpose of the organisation, and in so doing toxic. It is committed to changing the Barrett, Richard (2010) The New a healthy profit follows. The organisation chemical industry for the better through its Leadership Paradigm, Barrett Values is viewed as a purpose-driven community conscious chemistry approach. As a culture, Centre intimately interwoven within the living it encourages its people to become more systems of our wider world. Nothing is empowered by engendering self-organised The Global Lamp Index separate from anything else, everything is methods of management and decision-making. http://www.lampindex.com/ interconnected. This logic is the logic of how The legal services provider IACP’s boardroom B-Corp https://www.bcorporation. life really is. And it is simply good business considers the impact all its decisions have on net/ sense, as hot-off-the-press research from The the next generation, our children, ensuring Global Lamp Index shows that organisations services to corporate and domestic clients Hutchins, Giles (2016) Future Fit, embracing this regenerative logic consistently actually transform conflict into breakthrough Amazon out-perform their mechanistic counterparts. resolutions.

www.scimednet.org 25 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 Meet the Terminator “If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you.” Gospel of Thomas

Paul Kieniewicz reflects on a Modern Devil

Recently, Stephen Hawking, Elon Musk return some in the AI community are These days you’d think and Bill Gates1 sounded a warning that planning for. One might rewrite Voltaire’s artificial intelligence posed the greatest well known saying to read, “If the devil that demons, malevolent existential risk to the human race. Along did not exist man would have to invent spiritual beings out there with other cyberneticists they are him”. Curiously cyberneticists don’t convinced that one day machines will predict that their work will give rise to an to trip us up, would have become self-aware. conscious beings like all intelligent, benevolent being, the sort ourselves, and when that day comes, the that religions might have called God. been consigned by most human race won’t stand a chance. The They find it easier to create a devil. scientists to the dustbin warning reads not unlike an early script for The Matrix, where intelligent What exactly is a devil? The Ultimate of history along with machines ended up wiping out most Terminator is an obvious example. of humanity. However, the devil also resides “in the “superstitions” and other details”. It’s what comes out and bites us If that warning weren’t enough, a recent when we least expect it. It’s in the law of religious ideas. They paper by2 Federico Pistono3, Roman V. unintended consequences. While we shine certainly wouldn’t be a Yampolskiy provides information on how our light of reason on a problem, the devil to design a cybernetic demon that could resides in the things we have forgotten subject for serious obliterate the human race. Now that the about, or regard as not worthy of our plans are out there, no doubt someone attention. Things we would like to forget. scientific research. Well, will sit down and try to figure out how to apparently they are a do it. How to create a devil. And so it is with the rapid technological development of the past decades. The subject of research, not as Why does contemporary science have so greatest and latest gadgets are marvellous. much trouble in getting rid of the devil? My iPhone connects me to all my friends horned animals, but true Since the Enlightenment there has been regardless of where they are for a little difficulty in marginalising God to the minimum cost. Except that there is a cost. to 21st century style, as extent that according to writers such as For all our connectedness, many people malevolent artificial Richard Dawkins, there isn’t much left for feel a greater isolation because other God to do in the universe. That doesn’t forms of relationship have gone. The new intelligences. seem to be the case for the devil, whose global mind we call the Internet harbours

References 1 http://observer.com/2015/08/stephen-hawking-elon-musk-and-bill-gates-warn-about- artificial-intelligence/ 2 http://arxiv.org/find/cs/1/au:+Pistono_F/0/1/0/all/0/1 3 http://arxiv.org/find/cs/1/au:+Yampolskiy_R/0/1/0/all/0/1

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www.jungcurrents.com

terrorist networks too, organised crime, An alternative view is that our feeling of The problem with that view is that the destructive viruses, and perhaps one day it control is only an illusion. That we are not devil does not cease to exist because we will give birth to the Ultimate Terminator. in control, but that forces of which we are ignore him. Someone right now is trying largely unaware control us. For most of us to figure out how to build the Ultimate To this writer, it is clear that our modern who view our rational mind much as the Terminator. Depth psychology teaches culture is pervaded by a deep angst. Our supreme deity, this is an uncomfortable us that the devil that we don’t know, technological growth, particularly in the admission to make. The poet Czesław that we refuse to get to know is the one information field, for all its advantages of Miłosz expresses it, that causes most mischief. The person creating global communication, has left we kill in a fit of fury, that turns out to us feeling afraid. We don’t know where it be the son we never knew, still ends up is all leading to. An announcement of a What reasonable man would like to being our son, --- killed by our hand. Our new AI breakthrough such as a computer be a city of demons, unconsciousness does not exonerate us. beating humans at a new game tends to who behave as if they were at make us afraid. Our movie culture reflects home, speak in many tongues, In our technological progress we have our cultural anxiety. The future that we lost touch with our inner world, with the envisage is not a benevolent one but a and who, not satisfied with stealing forces that, unknown to us, inform our dystopian future of man pitted against his lips or hand, decisions. We ignore that world at our machines, zombies or nasty werewolves. work at changing his destiny for peril. To recognise it, to come to know We visualize a society is in shreds, of “dog their convenience? it, is an imperative that may determine eat dog”. The demons are certainly active. whether as a race we survive. And there’s a hero or heroine who works tirelessly to sort them out. This is not a Paul Kieniewicz (SMN) is a geologist, particularly radical astronomer and writer. He is the author of Having banished the notion of a God, our view among many Gaia’s Children, co-author with Andrew Glazewski of Harmony of the Universe. rational mind has become the supreme historians, and ruler of the universe. There’s nothing among depth we can’t do --- cure diseases, travel to psychologists. the stars, one day (hopefully) merge our C.G. Jung spent a consciousness with AI to become an lifetime researching immortal super being. But now at the the Archetypes --- psychological forces pinnacle of our achievement we find that common to all of humanity that control it’s a bit lonely at the top. The universe us at a deep level. But for the past century we contemplate with our rational mind is much of depth psychology as expressed more pointless than ever. Unsurprisingly by Freud and Jung has been sidelined by we may end up creating the devil, because modern psychology with its focus on how it’s a fun thing to do. We may feel that to fix problems. Easier to retreat to the we’re in charge, but an enhanced moral position that we are in control. Evil is sense is not a given. what terrorists do. It’s other people who are the problem. The devil will one day disappear in the pure light of reason.

www.scimednet.org 27 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 David Bohm & Ilya Prigogine Centenary Meeting London, June 24, 2017

Christos Sideras

the Supreme Court ruled that the option was The meeting started with indeed legal, so Bohm was released. He then had to leave the USA in 1951, introductions by David taking up a professorship in São Paolo, Lorimer and Bernard Carr, Brazil, instead. He later moved to Haifa, Israel, in 1955, but after a few years moved who explained how the again, this time to England, eventually settling in London, where he was appointed work of Bohm and to a Chair of Theoretical Physics at Birkbeck College, and developed his work Prigogine went beyond the on the implicate and explicate order, in strict purview of collaboration with Basil Hiley. conventional academic During the documentary screening, clips were shown of David Peat, who recently physics, to explore the links passed away, explaining how Bohm was keen to ‘open up the doors’ to the discussions between the ideas of mind that were closed with the current canonical Copenhagen interpretation of quantum and matter. As David physics. However, this was not favorably Lorimer suggested, both of received by most physicists and David Peat The first speaker, Paul Howard, was saying in the documentary that even his these scientists thought documentary maker, showcased the film mentor, Oppenheimer, was not supportive. he was creating, ‘Infinite Potential: the He explained that Oppenheimer organised ‘beyond mechanism, Life and Ideas of David Bohm’. Some of a conference after Bohm had left the USA to the biographical information was covered discuss some of his controversial papers and predictability and linearity’ during the earlier introduction, outlining suggested to all the prominent physicists there how Bohm became involved in theoretical that ‘if we cannot disprove Bohm, then we and left room for a more physics, going to Berkeley to do his thesis must agree to ignore him’. open future. In addition to with Robert Oppenheimer. However, due to his involvement with communist groups, The sketch of Bohm through the documentary their broader take on he was denied access to his own work and then, is of a man who was not liable to fall was unable to defend his own thesis, as into convention for the acceptance of his physics, they also share a some of his findings and calculations directly peers, but was rather more interested in contributed to the Manhattan Project. With exploring this reality we share, ‘this field’ centenary, both of them the help of Oppenheimer, he was nonetheless where ‘we are all linked by a fabric’ in ways able to obtain his thesis and, after the end we cannot readily comprehend. His work being born in 1917, which of the war, he went to Princeton, where he even went beyond physics in the strict sense this meeting celebrated. had discussions with Einstein. In the first to encompass such approaches to human year of his contract, he was arrested because understanding as the holographic brain, Both were honorary he pleaded the fifth Amendment and as which he worked on with Karl Pribram, a consequence banned from the campus. and his discussions on spiritual matters with members of the Network. McCarthy tried to make this clear legal, but Jiddu Krishnamurti.

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His dialogues with Krishnamurti developed is observed. According to Krishnamurti, a This latter work suggests a particular as he became interested in the idea of the similar principle obtains in the psychological interpretation of quantum mechanics, one unconditioned mind, thinking more about field, often expressed in his aphorism, “the acceding to hidden variables. He also had the relationship between equations and observer is the observed.” interests in relativity physics, in mind, matter language. Tensions arise from the way most and consciousness, as discussed from other languages structure our world in concrete In addition, Bohm maintained that the theory perspectives in earlier talks. In outlining objects, as if it is a concrete object itself, as of relativity and quantum mechanics both Bohr’s ideas on Quantum Theory in 1951, opposed to this other take on the world - one reveal a quality of wholeness in the fabric of Bohm saw four essential elements to the work: of continuous transformation and process. wholeness, that is, the indivisible unity of the the physical universe. Somewhat similarly, Bohm also became more interested in the idea entire universe, quantum non-mechanics, the Krishnamurti held that consciousness is of dialogue and how this can be critical to thought-like qualities of quantum phenomena, divided and fragmentary due to our failure ongoing transformation, and how ‘parking and that hidden variables are not possible. the conditioned view’ can allow for this to understand the processes of thought, And yet, only a year later he wrote a paper true transformative dialogue. Following the and that careful observation of oneself can on quantum mechanics and hidden variables, screening, Paul Howard explained that there result in psychological wholeness. More following his own thinking rather than is additional archive material of Bohm, and generally, he expressed the view that thought established opinion, to postulate how they it is his hope, given sufficient funds, that is inherently mechanical, limited, and prone could be used if they exist. There were various this can at some point be included in the to fragmentation in everything it does. Due reactions to this view, mostly quite negative. documentary. in part to his immersion in the philosophy of As noted earlier, Oppenheimer felt it should Hegel, Bohm was highly receptive to these be ignored. Heisenberg felt it was a return elements of Krishnamurti’s teachings. to the old materialist ontology. Pauli spoke of electrons ‘like kindergarten children being Moody concluded with some personal guided by a teacher’, whilst Rosenfeld wanted reminiscences of his relationship with to protect the student readers from the two men. He engaged in more than a the ‘confusion created by Bohm, Landé, and hundred dialogues with Bohm, exploring the other dilettantes’. psychological issues that Bohm had discussed with Krishnamurti. Bohm was inexhaustible Yet there were other later voices such as Bell, in his ability to sustain conversations of who wrote that in 1952 he ‘saw the impossible this kind, and was always lucid, insightful, done’. Indeed, there are a number of technical and gifted with illuminating examples objections to David Bohm’s theory that Basil and colourful metaphors. Moody said the Hiley briefly outlined, but it seems that the relationship between Bohm and Krishnamurti crux of the objections revolved around issues was an important chapter in the history of of ontology and physicists’ philosophical the twentieth century, and he felt honoured to stance. What is a particle, is the question: is write the story of their collaboration together. it a localised entity, a total process or activity, The second speaker was author and educator an abstraction from the underlying process? David Edmund Moody, Ph.D., who presented These were some of the issues explored. Further, some highlights from his recent book, An it was suggested that Bohm’s theory was not Uncommon Collaboration: David Bohm popular with physicists, in part as there was, and J. Krishnamurti. Moody pointed out at first, no mathematical structure upon which that Bohm and Krishnamurti engaged in he based his ideas. How to capture this idea more than 100 recorded dialogues together of structure-process in the whole? Ideas from over the course of a quarter of a century. Dirac, Feynman, Whitehead and Prigogine As we had already heard a few things about were all brought together, in the making of Bohm, Moody began by telling us about the a mathematics that describes this process of philosophy of Krishnamurti. The superficial becoming, such as the movement of a particle impression of him as a New Age guru, from one place to another. The importance of according to Moody, is entirely misguided. non-commutativity was brought out, and the Rather, Krishnamurti developed a radical tool of matrix multiplication used, with the and original philosophy of mind, one that basic assumption that every process can be entailed, among other things, a rejection described, or adequately captured, by a matrix of nationalism, organized religion, and all algebra. From this process, space-time emerges, forms of authority in the psychological evoking the thought of Leibniz, speaking of field. Krishnamurti considered that fame, orders of succession and coexistence. pleasure, seeking psychological achievement, The last speaker of the morning was Basil Hiley, emeritus professor of physics and even ideals are false, dangerous, or It was claimed that there are no such things self-contradictory. He rejected knowledge at Birkbeck College and David Bohm’s collaborator for the years he worked there. as waves, just as there are no things as as a source of psychological transformation, particles. Instead, it is all process. It was also He spoke on ‘The Legacy of David Bohm: and said that all systems and methods of suggested that, in a related fashion, Prigogine from Plasma Physics, through Quantum meditation are incapable of bringing about a talks about ‘super-operators’ and only if the Mechanics to the Philosophy of Mind’. truly meditative state of mind. product can be factored in a certain way can Someone in the audience commented that you get quantum mechanics, otherwise you What Krishnamurti advocated or endorsed there were not only substantial similarities in get irreversibility. The overarching philosophy were relationship with nature, intelligence as the thought of Bohm and Prigogine, but that is that, in this context of non-commutativity, distinct from intellect, and remaining with they also shared the same year of publication not all orders can be made explicit together. what is, inwardly, rather than indulging in – 1980 - for their two important works, Ilya We are not gods looking at nature, on the any form of psychological escape. These were Prigogine’s ‘From Being to Becoming’ and outside looking in; instead, we are inside some of the features that attracted Bohm to David Bohm’s ‘Wholeness and the implicate looking out. Bohm’s ideas of the implicate his philosophy. The two men engaged in a Order’. Hiley’s account of Bohm concentrated order tell us that quantum places are not series of creative dialogues, based upon their on his research interests, which spanned a happenings going on in space and time, but mutual interest in certain common themes. number of domains: nuclear physics, plasma are process. The session ended with Bernard Foremost among these was a basic principle physics and the foundations of quantum Carr briefly mentioning some exciting of quantum physics that inextricably links mechanics, and his subsequent work on the developments where the ideas of David Bohm the observer of quantum events with what Bohm-de Broglie approach. are being tested.

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upon the fractal archetype, self-reference and self-similarity, each part being the whole. He spoke about patterns, and how dissipative structures can sustain patterns. This is akin to Goethe’s idea of morphogenesis, or the the emergence of patterns.

What, then, do we know about patterns? In chemistry, it was deemed that reactions were irreversible. When Boris Pavlovich Belousov suggested that this modified law of thermodynamics predicts oscillating reactions in chemistry, he was ridiculed at the time – a classic case of ‘theory blindness’ that avoids seeing the evident beyond orthodox concepts. Yet, this was later experimentally proved by Following the lunch break, Vasilieios Basios, Anatol Markovich Zhabotinsky, showing at Our last speaker was Peter Allen, Professor researcher in Brussels at the Department the very least that our fixations are not always at the Complex Systems Research Centre of the Physics of Complex Systems and justified. We then had a quick overview at Cranfield University, who spoke on Statistical Mechanics, spoke on ‘Unfolding of Prigogine’s overall contribution to our ‘The Complexity of Human Systems’. Lars Complexity: Chaos, Patterns and Creativity’, understanding of the world, including the Onsager, a physical chemist, studied systems an encomium to his teacher and mentor science of open systems and the second law of near equilibrium, whilst Prigogine, coming Ilya Prigogine. As a man of great culture, thermodynamics, dissipative structures, self- a little later historically, wanted to create Prigogine was interested in both pre- organisation, and the emergence of patterns, a physics far from equilibrium. He tried to Colombian art and cycles. As his interest constructive fluctuations and chaos, non- show what laws must be obeyed but was not was not confined to simple oscillations, his linear feedback and self-reference, emergence able to do so, as these systems are non-linear. work opened a path of understanding of and irreversibility. Many of these principles As mentioned in the previous lecture, far from the creative role of chaos comprising more are used and seen everywhere, across all equilibrium systems gain some autonomy, chaotic and indeterminate oscillations. We scales of life. and order can spontaneously occur in an had the opportunity to see such an example open system, with a decrease in entropy. Thus of an indeterminately oscillating object in the One further interest of Prigogine was the universe is not just decomposing but is lecture which brought the explanation a more creativity, a concept that can bring the two also creative. Open systems can self-organise tangible flavour. apparently disparate cultures of the subjective spontaneously. The smallest fluctuation can humanities and the objective sciences together. change the system, and as Allen suggested The lecture proper then began, explaining A researcher in Prigogine’s department, at his talk, self-organisation occurs when how Henri Poincaré, Prigogine’s intellectual Jean-Louis Deneubourg, applied these ideas homogeneity becomes unstable, and non- grandfather, was the first to look at the to social insects, looking at collective decision linear interactions are driving symmetry- 3-body problem, the simplest complex system making and symmetry breaking, where breaking changes in morphology. that we know, which could describe the very simple systems can have quite complex oscillation of the moon around the earth and emergent properties. These ideas are also This was shown through the Belousov- around the sun. He contributed greatly to now seen in road traffic, but also Internet Zhabotisnki reaction, mentioned earlier, philosophy and insisted that intuition is traffic, and there is now an interest in using where the reactant, naturally switching much more important than logic. Théophile these methodologies to predict turning or from red to blue as explained, rather than Ernest De Donder was Poincare’s student, tipping points and events. When we look at and also Prigogine’s mentor, and De Donder emergence, then, there is a difference between continuing to oscillate, settles on a colour; was very much an introvert. Conversely, the microscopic and macroscopic rules, and given more than one box of the reactant, Prigogine was very much an extrovert and a though they clearly have to be ‘compatible’. it ends up making spatial structures. communicator, often courting controversy, to Basios mentioned Richard Strohmann on The question then becomes a bit more the point that his position would have been the coming Kuhnian revolution in biology, complicated. If the system is open in the way at risk had he not already gained so much and also Dieterick Aerts who suggests that described, what then delineates a system? respect for his work. concepts are quantum entities. It is not so clear, and it seems so in physics and chemistry, that the only thing you can make definite statements about is something Chaos is characterised by instabilities, In an interview with Emilios Bouratinos called where you can do repeatable experiments. which form the dynamical substratum of ‘The Heraclitus of Modern Science’ in 1996, In this sense, science is only solid when not the behaviour of complex systems’. This Prigogine said that ‘you can’t solve a non- brought in new ideas about equilibrium and linear problem with linear thinking’, speaking dealing with biology or people. In ecology, a the mechanistic idea of Laplace’s demon was against mechanistic, and reductionistic computer model of interacting populations, ‘exorcised’, leaving us with causality without thinking, and Basios suggested we should looking at birth, growth, and death rates, predictability. The results are seen in such allow non-paradigmatic thinking, metaphor is very far removed from the real life. The varied conditions as global climate, bird and the living cosmos to come back to the model simplifies down to a few species flocking and the stock market. Equilibrium is centre of our thinking. He ended with a folk very quickly, whilst in reality, this does not then shown to have a multiplicity of possible story as a narrative of emergence, the stone happen, as there is micro-diversity. outcomes and not just stable or unstable, and soup, that took place after the devastation the emergence of this structure is bottom-up, of the 30-year war. Soldiers from different So we can ask which assumptions are wrong? rather than hierarchical and top-down. armies come to a village wanting food and Some such assumptions are that there is shelter, but they were all turned away, as a boundary around the system separating There is an interwining of order and disorder people had precious few individual resources. it from the environment, that there is and Basios showed how very similar initial By cleverly enticing all the villagers together adequate representation of the system’s conditions can lead to different results, to contribute what little the each had with internal elements, or that the variables (as dubbed the ‘butterfly effect’. Interestingly, their promise of stone soup, the whole village categories) are fixed stereotypes and there is by reversing the equation one can reach the was fed, through good ideas, good intentions, no micro-diversity, no adaptive behaviours, same origin or end from different places, and perhaps a bit of necessity, being the no local knowledge. Other assumptions are and Basios suggested how this may relate to ‘mother of invention’, ultimately through that things occur at average rates, in linear the idea of synchronicity. He then touched collectively nourishing food. (rather than non-linear) dynamics and, also,

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So it is the self-belief (unproven initially) that Nobel laureate Prof Brian Josephson (centre) allows entrepreneurs to launch new products. with Richard Hellen and Tom Stedall In a sense, risk takers are needed for market evolution, and market structures do not reflect rational behaviour, but ‘arise when self-belief gets lucky’. Interestingly, human reflexivity, awareness of the outcomes predicted by a model of market processes, would invalidate the model, as some of the agents involved would change their behaviour as a result of the outcomes predicted by the model – thus invalidating the model! This means that any model of a human system, if believed by some of the agents, will invalidate the original model. However, one could imagine a model that might include the ‘learning’ by some of the players. In any case, the model becomes part of the overall system! So in conclusion, because of this complex interaction between the world and a model of the world, different possible outcomes are possible and though not everything is possible, there is no single truth either. We therefore cannot truly understand history, we can only describe it. So we cannot predict the future. Another way of saying this that we are looking at the system reaching theory nor in practice could any one political is that the predictions of our models can affect equilibrium. The ‘modelling’ plan is to thinker or any small group of political leaders the world being modelled, making it difficult start with life’s complexity, make successive wipe out a developed society and replace it to get a ‘clean’ system. Models of the world assumptions, and reach simplicity. But these with one that was adequate.” affect the world, becoming part of it. equilibrium or system dynamic models are much too simple – resulting from making too Peter Allen then shared what he deems to be This well-attended and engaging meeting many simplifying assumptions. We need to his two good ideas, which are: (1) evolution touched upon a broad variety of topics and consider the important effects of mutations, occurs through structural instability, when worked well for participants were from innovations and of microdiversity in order to novel actions, through internal heterogeneity, varied backgrounds. I have given a broad understand how a system of populations or an micro-diversity, error and so on, take place, stroke outline of what took place, although organization may actually evolve over time. allowing new populations and structures to there is of course much more to be explored emerge, and, (2) for the innovation to persist, it at this juncture of ideas, and I can readily An interesting description of this life evolving must take sustenance (energy, matter) from the recommend the writings of the speakers, is that any such structures that arise are environment – and so it must ‘do something’ as well as those of Bohm and Prigogine emergent in characteristics and functions. for some part of the environment, or else it themselves. Where there are emergent characteristics, will fade away. In other words, the ‘innovation selection operates on the macrostructure, must have some emergent capabilities if it meaning it is partially blind to the is to survive. He also shared an interesting microstructure. If that is the case, diversity aspect of an economic market model. The can ‘secretly’ occur beyond the immediate model they initially designed did not run at control of ‘selective forces’. This means that all, as the initial investment led initially to a Christos Sideras works as a psychiatrist micro-diversity continues to increase selection loss, and to a cessation of production that and studies philosophy, having done some forces hidden from the macrostructure, until had been envisaged. It was at this point that neuroscience research. He is interested in some critical change occurs and a major they realised that expectations of results and psychoanalysis, movement practices, and a evolutionary step occurs. profits, and – even more importantly, trust was great many aspects of our living world. necessary for things to get moving. He then gave a very interesting quote from Edmund Burke from 1790 (found in Bryan Magee), which I copy here in its entirety Peter Hardwick and commenting on human society: Janine Edge

“A developed society is so complex that a single mind cannot possibly understand it. It has come into being over many generations through numberless acts of initiative and organisation on the part of individuals and groups who have had to cope with reality. Its institutions and arrangements embody innumerable choices and decisions, balanced judgements arrived at through experience, preferences based on knowledge. [ . . ] The whole thing is like a vast and complex organism; and it changes organically developing new capacities in response to need, and perpetually adapting to ever- changing circumstances. It is not at all like a machine which can be built from scratch from a blueprint, and whose working parts can be removed and replaced at will. Neither in

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Michael Langford

On the Friday evening, following an a very early age, and interesting suggestions The fortieth annual informal reception, Dr Paul Filmore (chair concerning how quantum and relativity meeting ‘Mystics and of the SMN) and Malcolm Lazarus gave an theory could be harmonised within a universe overview of the early days of the Network ‘informed and holographically realised’ – the Scientists’ met at Horsley and of the Mystics and Scientists gatherings, topic of her recent book. Among the themes leading up to this fortieth event – a highly was the idea of the universe being likened to a Park from April 7 to 9 symbolic one if we think of 40 as the last of ‘big breath’. On this view, ‘consciousness is under the general title five octaves. This was immediately followed not so much something we have, rather it is by David Lorimer’s summary of ‘The Quest something we and the whole world are. ‘The Continuing Quest for for Unity – the Continuing Journey’. The search for unity, or integration, applies not The afternoon programme led people to make Unity and Integration’. only to the theoretical level, where the difficult decisions between rival sessions (all different scientific disciplines are searching of which appear to have been appreciated), The attendance of nearly for a theory of ‘everything’, but also to the involving (i) a meditation workshop with 150 people was in itself a spiritual journey, from separation to Ravi Ravindra; (ii) Charlotte Lorimer’s talk wholeness in the inner life. For both, there is on Gustav Klimt (one of group of artists tribute to the quality of the a process that is endless. [Later in the who exemplified a spirituality in which an conference a speaker referred to Eliot’s line: integration between the arts, sciences and speakers and organization. “the end of all our searching will be to humanities was sought); (iii) a Movement In order to indicate what return to where we began, and to recognize Workshop (led by Meredith Dufton, which it for the first time”. (Little Gidding). The included exercises from the Taoist arts of went on I shall go through evening ended with an introduction of the chi kung and tai chi); (iv) a talk by Malcolm speakers. Following meditation or ‘movement’ Lazarus entitled ‘The Transformational the programme in order, exercises the Saturday sessions began with Journey: My Psychospiritual Exeriences’ but it needs to be stressed Ravi Ravindra (one of several professional (which included an account of the work of scientists on the panel of speakers, and who the Wrekin Trust) and (v) a number of small that much of the value has held many positions in both physics and group discussions. philosophy, presently being an emeritus consisted in small Professor of Physics as Dalhousie). Ravi’s topic Following tea there followed a lecture – thanks gatherings and networking was ‘Eternal Spiritual Wisdom and Modern to a large version of the skype screen, beamed Science’. Two themes that struck me (among from Oregon – by Dr Fritjof Capra (author that took place outside the the many present) were the concern with of the best-selling 1975 ‘The Tao of Physics’), Western science (since the sixteenth century) titled ‘Mystics and Scientists in the 21st Century formal sessions I describe. with ‘matter’ at the ‘lowest level’, in contrast – Science and Spirituality Revisited’. There with the ‘origin’ of things at the highest level. were several references to his seminal book, the The second was the surprising neglect, by physics of which – Capra stressed – has never many Western thinkers, of their own spiritual been disputed. The sense of ‘oneness’, which traditions, which frequently complement pervaded the human search for wholeness, was Eastern traditions. [As an example, Ravindra not to identified with any one religion – since referred to Nicodemus coming by night to religions represented particular and limited Jesus, and being told that if he wanted to insights within historical contexts, however, understand he had to be ‘born again’.] both religion and physics were concerned with the ‘non-ordinary’ – in particular the inner The following session was led by Dr Jude world and the subatomic world respectively. Currivan, ‘Restating and Reunifying Reality The lecture moved on to the implications of – Our In-formed and Holographic Universe’. a proper understanding of the relationship of In this talk Currivan (qualified in both physics science and spirituality for ecology and then and archaeology) brought together her to the adequacy of the ‘bootstrap’ hypothesis personal experiences of a mystical kind from -- brought to prominence in the ‘Tao of

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Physics’ (that is, the impossibility of separating -- on ‘Underground Connections: Fungal which tends to assume that reductionist the scientific observer from the observed Networks and the Wood Wide Web’. Here materialism, in its different forms, is basically phenomena) – leading to the realization that we were presented with, on the one hand, in retreat, and that – intellectually at least – the universe has to be seen as a dynamic web of an account of how fungi have a kind of the fallibility and irrationality of hard core interrelated events. intelligence that integrates massive quantities empiricists (and of the popular crowds that of information (sometimes gathered from the blindly follow them), has been exposed. The The Saturday programme concluded with an tips of the hyphi), without there being any grounds for this optimism include the very extraordinary musical presentation by the central nervous system or ‘brain’ – and on nature of modern physics (when properly Sheldrake brothers (Merlin, the biologist and the other, an indication of how the web-like understood), and the awareness of ancient Cosmo, a multi-instrumentalist musician), interconnectedness of the fungal world can and rich traditions of understanding gathered involving voice, bones, guitar and accordion. teach us something about interconnectedness from many spiritual traditions. The sense of unity and relationship between more generally. This was further illustrated by Living in academe, as I do, and also in a the brothers coloured an amazing diversity an account of how fungi shared information, and of fungal collaborations and examples broad social context, I have to say that and originality of sounds, that – in a way – this optimism (as I would call it) does not acted as a symbol for the whole gathering. of symbiosis, including an extraordinary tale of how parts of the fungi act – as it were – as seem to be shared by most of those whom I meet. Personally, I am convinced of both the Following the opportunities for meditation either ’traders’ or ‘negotiators’ with other flora or fauna. fallibility and irrationalism of both popular or movement the Sunday presentations culture and (perhaps surprisingly) of many began with Marilyn Monk (emeritus There followed an ‘Open Forum’ with all the highly intelligent academics (both in the professor of biology at UCL and the first presenters at which a range of topics were sciences and in the humanities), but I don’t scientist to provide empirical evidence for discussed, including: (i) The use of LSD (with think it is the case that the kinds of insights the phenomenon of epigenetics). Once a general nervousness being expressed about commonly accepted at SMN gatherings are again, a major theme was complementarity, ‘short cuts’ to genuine mystical experience, generally shared. I suggest, therefore, that in this case between (i) the reproducible while admitting that some cultures have we have to do more to reach out to a wider nature of science, (ii) the subjective insights found ways of using drugs creatively. audience, using language that can be grasped of the poet, and (iii) the interconnectedness (ii) Interesting questions about whether both the contemporary reductionist scientist experienced by the mystic – all of which and by the ordinary person. consciousness can change the material world comprised different way of knowing. If we (with the phenomena of placebos suggesting look within, we might find that we are all My second concern is related. At typical that in some circumstances it might). (iii) The three-dimensional beings. We should not seek philosophy conferences keynote addresses importance of the thought of Goethe. (iv) are challenged by those with very different to ‘synthesize’ these three kinds of experience The relationship of consciousness to artificial (they are in truth, already ‘reconciled’) but opinions, both by other speakers and from intelligence (which was generally felt to be the floor. At its best this leads to lively we need to balance and understand them. mechanistic, at least in its present forms). (v) The lecture went on to identify a number exchanges and a clearer understanding of the The relationship of grace as a spiritual gift issues, even though -- at its worst -- there can of barriers to internal change (such as habit to the need for effort (or, as Ravi Ravindra and faulty perception) and contrasting ways be bruised egos and unnecessary rancour. I stressed) the willingness to be changed. The am definitely not suggesting this model for of promoting helpful change (including a gathering ended with poetry and tea. discussion of the Alexander technique). There SMN conferences – which would indeed be followed an account of early work on slime paradoxical, given our search for ‘unity’ at Looking back at the whole event, two many levels. The model of a typical academic mould (and the consequent emergence of the concerns arise for me, neither of which should science of epigenetics) – important, among conference is definitely not what I want to be taken as a criticism of the speakers or of introduce. However, there could be more other reasons, as an example of a ‘paradigm the organisation. shift’ in understanding – one that makes the place for a friendly version of “I’m, afraid I ‘mystery’ of the universe all the greater. still don’t see what you’re getting at” or “I’m First, for the most part the speakers afraid that I really don’t agree with that way were ‘preaching to the converted’ as the of putting things”; expressions I occasionally The following session was led by Merlin saying goes. There is a somewhat upbeat heard in small groups but almost never in Sheldrake (elder son of Rupert), a biologist emphasis, both in the Network Review open forums. concentrating – as his lecture indicated and in gatherings such as this, an emphasis I wonder – to be provocative – whether, at a future gathering, one keynote speaker who represents the all too common ‘overarching physicalism’ (as I would call it) of our age might be invited to debate their general position with an SMN representative at one of the sessions. I recognise two difficulties here. The first is finding a person who, while representing such an overarching physicalism, is prepared to enter into an eirenic debate. (I see little value in a point-scoring boxing match.) The second is that, for some delegates, even such an eirenic debate would introduce a somewhat disturbing element into the proceedings. Nevertheless, I for one, would welcome such a session if it were handled in a creative way.

Michael Langford was a student of Isaiah Berlin in Oxford and is a Professor of Philosophy, emeritus, The Memorial University of Newfoundland; and now, Richard Irwin, Marianne in semi-retirement, teaches part-time in van Mierlo, Kevin Tingay the University of Cambridge’s Faculty of and Charlotte Lorimer Theology.

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Culture, Conflict, Credibility and Curiosity Tim Houlding, [email protected]

The cultural impact of the amazing technology science, some fundamental questions are never In his presentation to the that science has brought us is obvious. The posed, some deep assumptions are never spoken usually very good TV science documentaries, the of and the requirements for degrees of “fine- 2016 “Mystics and Scientists stunning photographs of our beautiful planets tuning” are obfuscated. In addition, we need to Conference” at Horsley brought to us from the various solar-system be aware that the “shut up and calculate” ethic probes, the extraordinary advances in health- runs very deep in science, but is rarely admitted. Park, Surrey, Professor Tom care and awareness of our imperilled Earth make an obvious cultural impact. There are In our earnest searches for wide and deep McLeish FRS spoke shadows, however. The debate between scientists models which help explain our remarkable passionately about a and religionists has undoubtedly become very place in the Universe, both science and polarised, some would say militarised. On the mysticism may fall into “paradigm-traps”. “theology of science”. one hand, whilst scientists might cling to the Quite recently, SMN members were presented ethos that they make their science vulnerable to with a holistic model which attempted to alloy He pointed to science’s need verification and falsification through experiment, mystical insights with some newish ideas in there is often a strident, dismissive tone. On the science, namely the Holographic Model and for a deep cultural narrative. other, religionists may claim that eternal truths concepts of Shannon (information) Entropy. He noted, with regret, how, have been captured in unchanging ancient scripts Problematically, the Holographic Model is one - sadly, that strident, dismissive tone may emerge of the most reductionist concepts in physics, in his view, the relationship here too. which purports that all the information within our whole Universe is compressible on to a between science and religion There is no doubt that science has lost its digital, two-dimensional “worldsheet” at the had become distorted and intimacy as far as we subjective experiencers are edge of our Universe. Sadly, the author of the concerned. Of the so-called four fundamental holistic model had profoundly misunderstood spoke of his vision of a forces, only two, gravity and electro-magnetism some basic tenets of physics and had mis- (light), are accessible to us; the strong and weak shapen them to fit what was otherwise a very theology of science that is nuclear forces remain in an obscure hinterland. enchanted mystical model. To bridge the divide, The greatest scientific theories of the twentieth we need credibility on both sides. participative, relational and century, Special and General Relativity and co-creative. Quantum Mechanics, are extraordinarily So, where do we go from here? This questions difficult to understand and their fundamental brings me to the SMN in particular. The SMN insights deeply counter-intuitive. In addition, has done heroic work in providing a platform for the domain of science is just as exposed to bridging the divide between the objective theories assumptions, belief systems and fashions as of science and the subjective experience of being other human pursuits. Sir Roger Penrose’s recent human. To me, curiosity is key. There can be book “Fashion, Faith and Fantasy in the New no fundamental paradoxes, of course, in our Physics of the Universe” is a must-read for all exciting journeys through experience and theory, scientifically-oriented folk. Here, you will read although that may be how it often feels. I would, that none of String Theory, Inflationary Theory therefore, seek a platform within the SMN where nor the Holographic Model are a done-deal, in we feel encouraged to pose questions that feel his very eminent and considered opinion. fundamental to us. Sometimes, I feel that the SMN conferences may be a little too didactic and I believe that a fundamental problem is that pedagogic. To me, there is a very great “wisdom neither the science camp nor the mystical camp in the room” within the SMN that is not always is prepared to acknowledge the assumptions honoured. Would it be possible to devote a full each makes. In a recent private exchange with session within the main conferences to inviting a Vedantic Guru, I found I could not penetrate deep, fundamental questions from the floor? the assumption that the “absolute truth” We may benefit from not necessarily needing is undeniably expressed in certain ancient “answers”, but enjoying, with humility, loving narratives. Somewhat similarly, even in the best imagination, integrity and competence, the deep descriptions of difficult concepts and theories in searches of our fellow travellers.

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MEMBERS’ NEWS APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS, 2017 At the Annual Meeting in Plymouth in July, Jacqui Nielsen, Richard Irwin and Paul Kieniewicz were re-elected. Dr Edi Bilimoria gave notice of his resignation. Dr Joan Walton was co-opted.

Honorary Member Dr. F. David Peat (1938-2017) Joan is Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at York F. David Peat was born in Liverpool and was awarded a PhD at St John University, teaching Research Methods on the Liverpool University before moving to Canada. For a number of years, Masters programme, and supervising doctoral students. She he carried out research in theoretical physics but his constant desire to is particularly interested in exploring the ontological and find “the question that lies behind the question” led to an encounter epistemological contexts within which approaches to research with the physicist and philosopher David Bohm, whom Einstein had are located. This has led to her taking an active interest in the described as his “spiritual son”. The two remained friends and were phenomenon of consciousness, which, to quote Christian de working together on a second book at the time of Bohm’s death. David Quincey, is ‘our deepest mystery and our most intimate reality’. is the author of Quantum Potential, a biography of David Bohm.

In collaboration with colleagues from both western and eastern In 1979 Peat decided to focus on writing and was author of over twenty cultures, Joan is researching different ways of understanding books that deal with such topics as Jungian synchronicity, creativity, consciousness. This also leads to a meaningful dialogue about chaos theory, quantum theory and the Native American universe. In various interpretations of science and spirituality, the relationship 2007 Pari Publishing brought out his scientific autobiography Pathways between them, and the significance of this discussion for the ontological and epistemological foundations of social and of Chance. Peat also organised meetings of artists and scientists, and educational research. She draws on a wide range of disciplines, scientists and Native American elders. including quantum physics, biology, transpersonal psychology, and diverse spiritual traditions, to inform her research. In 1996 Peat moved from Canada to the medieval hilltop village of Pari near Siena in Tuscany. There he and his wife established the Pari Center for New Learning, which had a huge cultural and economic impact on BLAKER FUND TO SUPPORT RESEARCH the local community. INVITATION TO APPLY - EXTENDED The Center is dedicated to education, learning and research. It fosters NOTICE an interdisciplinary approach linking science, the arts, ethics and The Trustees of the GB Blaker Charitable Trust have requested spirituality. Above all the Pari Center for New Learning is dedicated that the grant, and the interest arising from it, shall be used to to the principle of “the spirit of place”. Housed in a medieval village it fund educational programs, in line with the charitable objects becomes an ideal location in which to pause and think about the future of the SMN Trust and SMN, particularly for young people and the values, meaning and direction of our contemporary society. aged approximately 15-30. Note especially that the intention is The heavily wooded countryside and the traditional farming methods that the funds shall be used purely to support such educational of Pari’s inhabitants also remind us of the importance of ecological programs in science or medicine. considerations in a world that has become increasingly obsessed with progress and consumerism. All those who wish to be considered for a grant in the range of £500 to £5,000 are requested to apply by 31st October 2017 to The Pari Center favours a gentle approach to learning that emphasises the Chair, Dr Paul Filmore – [email protected] for human interaction in simple, pleasant surroundings without the guidance on application. intrusion of unnecessary technology. Its philosophy and approach is described in the book “Gentle Action”

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■■ David Lorimer writes: I just can’t imagine Network events without Tony. He was diagnosed David Peat has been an honorary member of the Network since 2007, with prostate cancer more than 20 years ago and treated it with when we held a memorable Continental Meeting in conjunction with all manner of alternative techniques. He always travelled with a his Pari Center. He spoke at a number of Network Events and was range of potions and devices. Apparently they worked for him. He due to take part in the centenary conference for David Bohm and held the condition in check and didn’t seem to age much in all that Ilya Prigogine, reported above. As mentioned in the first paragraph time. Although he was nearly 80, he was planning to go to all the above, David was never satisfied with conventional thinking and was upcoming Network events at home and abroad. I think the Network always looking for what was beyond and outside the box. Reading was like family to him. his autobiography, his inquisitive approach and passion for science becomes apparent at an early age. Paul Howard spoke about David at It’s not well known that he was a brilliant scientist and engineer, a the centenary meeting, where we also held a silence in his honour to pioneer in computer animation and biofeedback research, who never celebrate a creative and courageous life. got the recognition he deserved. He was the first to admit that he was hopeless at self-promotion and diagnosed himself as having Asperger’s syndrome. Most of us knew him as a great Network ‘character’. Fussy TONY PRITCHETT – AN APPRECIATION and exasperating certainly, wacky and eccentric for sure, but I was in touch with his wife, Maureen Doolan, who related the following warmhearted, loyal, and a very dear friend. apposite story surrounding David’s death: “It was pointed out to me that David died on the same day as Carl Jung. I think he would have liked He will be dreadfully missed... that. But more interesting is that David always told the story of Jung and the scarab beetle when teaching his synchronicity course. It was finding ■■ Suzette van Hauen Drucker writes: a scarab beetle in Siena that led us to Pari (a long story that he also liked It is hard to understand that Tony will not to relate). Anyhow, a few moments after he died, our son-in-law, Andrea, be there any more. He seemed like a cat found a scarab beetle on the stairs - the first to our knowledge that with nine lives, and maybe, unbeknownst had ever entered the house. It was lying on its back desperately trying to us, during the many years we knew to right itself. He turned it over and it flew out of the open window.” each other, he just started on the last of A wonderful parable for his soul taking flight for the next stage of his those lives. journey. I was his health consultant for 30 odd ■■ Diana Clift writes: years, a job which, apart from health Like everyone who knew him, I was terribly shocked to hear that Tony issues, involved answering questions on Pritchett died suddenly last week. Tony was a stalwart of the Scientific anything from UFOs, free energy and and Medical Network and the Society for Psychical Research and politics to the latest medical reviews many other groups exploring “weird stuff”. I met him first through of research and treatment of chronic our mutual interest in crop circles nearly 30 years ago. Since he joined illnesses. He had a voracious appetite for information and knowledge, the Network in 1993 he was a regular at all our residential events and preferably scientific, spiritual or leading edge mind-body therapies, or especially the continental meetings. the possibility of integrating all of these areas.

He was a great worrier and would fuss about everything, forever asking A consultation with him was never boring, and it took no little effort to questions. I particularly remember how he would look at a menu in persuade him to stick to the presenting health issues. Greek or Czech and ask me which items were wheat free...as if I had the faintest idea! He might have become a brilliant, albeit somewhat absent-minded researcher or scientist. But maybe his role in life was more importantly that of keeping me and all his other friends and whomever he met on their toes - to never stop questioning information and to always be open to new ideas and new view points.

Tony will be poking my shoulder, if ever I should fall asleep in the comfort of established knowledge - quite a legacy to leave behind.

I will miss him very much.

Dr Philip Kilner - Emerson College and Goethean Science Emerson College in East Sussex was founded by Francis Edmonds in 1962, inspired by the approaches to inquiry, creativity and education of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, John Ruskin and Rudolf Steiner. The college hosted the Network’s ‘Wider Horizons’ seminars in the 1970s and 80s. It remains an enriching place of communal striving and personal discovery; a venue for a lively variety of workshops and courses. I’d qualified in medicine when I studied sculpture and flow here in 1979. He was also well known for videoing everything at these events, which Questions of flow in relation to heart form and was intrusive and annoying at the time but actually resulted in some function led me back into mainstream cardiovascular research. Having great moments being captured for posterity: such as Eileen Lwin being retired now, I’m in Emerson again with on-going interest in Goethe’s hoisted onto a donkey to climb the steep cobbled streets of Hydra to phenomenological approach to natural science. While analytical the idyllic setting of our Network meeting in 1995, and highlights of approaches tend to proceed through theoretical explanations and the 1999 Frenchman’s Cove Event in Jamaica with speaker Dean Radin, measurements, Goethe’s approach begins free, as far as possible, of including precious last glimpses of Hermod Sverre, who was killed in preconceptions, and moves through repeated, accurate, inclusive an accident just days later observations towards informed, enlightening discovery.

I am so pleased that Tony made it back to Frenchman’s Cove this year. Emerson College homepage: http://www.emerson.org.uk Goethean Science He loved it and had a great time. I shall treasure memories of him page: http://www.emerson.org.uk/goethean An 11-week programme next dancing to a reggae band on a warm tropical night in January! early summer: http://www.emerson.org.uk/designing-for-life

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LOCAL GROUP REPORTS ■■ June 2017 This month we welcomed back Bernard Carr who spoke to the group a few times in LONDON GROUP the past. PROF BERNARD CARR is Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at CLAUDIA NIELSEN Queen Mary University of London and is a former chair of the SMN. In his talk, entitled 0207 431 1177 Facing up to Mind and Spirit: Do we need a [email protected] Post-Materialist Science? Bernard started by To read reports from other meetings, go to the telling us how he found out about his REPORTS page of the London Group page personal life’s passion. When sent to his room of the Network’s website. If you don’t live in for being a naughty boy in boarding school, London but wish to be advised of London he read books and out of those, three events, please drop me an email and I shall add fundamentally determined his future: Bertrand Russell’s ABC of your e-address to the circulation list. Relativity, Dunne’s An Experiment with Time and Rampa’s The Third Eye. These books underlie his three passions: science, psi and ■■ May 2017 Buddhism, and his talk this evening brought all three together. This month we welcomed Keith Ward who spoke at many SMN With the use of the Uroboros, Bernard showed us the history of conferences but nor yet to the London Group. PROF KEITH the advance in scientific knowledge towards the very large and the WARD is a philosopher and a priest in the Church of England. He very small scale. He explained in detail the various milestones in is the author of over 25 books and numerous articles and has in the the progression towards what we know today. On the small scale past taught philosophy, religious studies and theology. Amongst many end, we find the search for a theory that unifies all the forces, the other posts, he was Regius Professor of Divinity at the University M-theory and at a macro-scale we speculate the existence of a of Oxford. His talk this evening had the intriguing title, Stephen multiverse. This narrative demonstrates the triumph of physics. Hawking nearly talks about God and it addressed the content However, in this quest, one element is missing: consciousness. And of Hawking’s book The Grand Design (Bantam, 2011) in which this is what his lecture explored. Without consciousness, the physical Hawking asks questions such as when and how did the universe reality is only a mental model. Scientists are looking for a theory of begin? Why are we here? Is the apparent ‘grand design’ of our everything but how can that be achieved without the consideration universe evidence for a benevolent creator who set things in motion? of consciousness, our subjective experience?

Bernard argues that we must move away from the matter-centric perspective and include mind in our models. And, he says, the bridge between mind and matter is psi. Psi includes phenomena such as telepathy, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis etc. Psi has the potential to explain Quantum Mechanics and vice-versa. We heard about entanglement and evidence for the non-locality of mind from psi experiences, giving us a glimpse into the holistic fabric of reality. As well as what we call the paranormal, psi includes also spiritual experiences and creativity. It is recognised and expressed by many artists that their creativity comes “through” them, rather than being the creation of ego. The evidence seems to point to mind having access to other levels of reality, explained by the principles of non- locality. Bernard’s “cri de coeur” is that we need an extended physics which will connect matter and mind, and an extended transpersonal psychology to connect mind and spirit. And connecting the extended Two aspects of Hawking’s explanation caught Keith’s attention: 1) physics and the transpersonal psychology is the new paradigm space-time, the reality of our universe, does not come from nothing, proposed. but comes from a quantum vacuum. In other words, it depends on something beyond it. 2) Quantum vacuum is not empty, but is full ■■ July 2017 of ‘stuff’’, understood as energy. This means that the reality beyond space-time has qualities, it has non-material laws. Laws of nature We welcomed Ornella Corazza this month to require wisdom, intelligence. So, what he is saying, is that the hear her presentation on the research she has universe depends on something eternal, beyond time, with laws that done into Near Death Experiences (NDEs) in are necessary. In other words, the material world is dependent on Japan. Dr. ORNELLA CORAZZA is a non-material reality. medical anthropologist, author of Near-Death Experiences: exploring the mind-body Later in his book, describing the two slit experiment, Hawking connection (Routledge 2008). She held points out that the observation by consciousness of the experiment, fellowships at the 21st Century Centre of will determine a particular outcome, i.e. particle behaviour, which Excellence (COE) on Death and Life Studies is different from the wave behaviour when the experiment is not at the University of Tokyo and this evening observed. This shows that consciousness has an effect on the Ornella explained the different perspectives outcome of this experiment. This conclusion leads him to state the Japanese have on what it means to be a that we create history by our observations, rather than history human being, through the lens of Near Death Experiences. We were creating us. The philosophical approach that is best aligned to this told about the ubiquitous phenomenology of an NDE from the conclusion is Idealism. Until the collapse of the wave, which is the reports of people who have experienced it. The sense of peace, being term used to describe the outcome of the experiment, the status out of their bodies, entering the darkness, or tunnel, seeing the light is one of probabilities. Bringing into his argument the concept of and entering that light, in the presence of friends and family who Mind, Keith pointed out that Mind is intentional. Consequently, had died, entities and sometimes people from sacred traditions. asks Keith, in the quantum world of probabilities, might the Reports of life review is often present. People who have had those universe be a creation of God’s observation? Might God have experiences invariable mention the realisation of a sense of mission created the universe by actualising probabilities through intentional they have to accomplish in this lifetime. She also mentioned observation? He started the talk by saying that he would talk not ketamine and its effect which are similar to NDEs which help about what Hawking thinks but about what he writes. He knows explain the attraction young people have however, as she explained, Hawking is an atheist, but in his writing, there are clear indications not knowing how to integrate these experiences in their lives can that God, or Mind terminology could find a place in it! have serious consequences to users.

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Whereas in the West the experience of an NDE involves leaving the body behind, in Japan the interpretation is very different. The unity SYDNEY GROUP of the mind-body connection is an aim to be cultivated during a lifetime. This is the teaching of Ornella’s master Yasuo Yuasa. The JEAN AND DAVID INGMAN contemplation of the cherry blossoms in the Spring, which involves ■ people looking at them for hours, is an example of the meditation ■ Beyond Duality - Towards Transformation Part 2. Lindsay Mell, 20th May 2017 on the meaning of being embodied, as well as the impermanence of life. The mind-body connectivity is externalised to include others There were six people present and five apologies. and the environment. A human being is a being within a context and the whole context participates including the ground of being, which Lindsay’s presentation was about Vasubandhu, a Buddhist monk who is called Basho. The visible Basho is the connection with the lived lived in the 4th century BCE and a philosopher who was considered one reality and the invisible Basho is the ground of being, or cosmic of the most influential thinkers in Indian Buddhist philosophy. consciousness. Whereas in the West the experience on an NDE is of disconnection from the physical body, in Japan the experience Lindsay talked about how all things, being subject to causes and is of an embodied connection with the invisible Basho, expressed conditions, could therefore be impermanent, from this perspective, in imagery for instance of rivers which typically is associated with because change would be logically impossible. All things persist for death, the Tori gate, the symbol of the perennial connection with the transcendental, or the Shimenawa, the belt around a tree indicating only a moment. Vasubandhu shared such a view and established that the tree is itself a divinity. Momentariness, things must self-destruct because of cause and effect. Each moment is different but giving the appearance of continuity as ■■ August 2017 illustrated by the apparent motion on a movie screen. August brought Olly Robinson who Vasubandhu, had philosophical problems and like his forbears had presented a fascinating Introduction to to account for continuity, memory and karma, across many lifetimes, Sacred Geometry and Mystical which was difficult to reconcile with the doctrine of impermanence. Mathematics. Dr. OLIVER ROBINSON is an ex member of the Lindsay then went on to talk about Vasubandhu’s disproof of a SMN Board of directors, now a consultant, as well as a senior lecturer creator god. The 8 Eightfold path, right speech, right action, right in psychology at the University of livelihood etc. The world is inconsistent with a single creator from Greenwich. His book Paths Between Vasubhandu’s perspective. Vasubandhu postulated that things are not Head and Heart: Harmonies of Science caused by a unity god but by one of god’s many desires. Everything and Spirituality is due to be published depends on mind or many minds. Vasubandhu was an idealist, in 2018. This evening he showed us everything dependent on mind, everything is mind. Lindsay continued hidden patterns in both geometry and with a discussion of the 8 consciousnesses, starting with the mental mathematics, which bring to light storehouse consciousness and the seeds of experience, universal inbuilt harmony and beauty. Although a meaningful explanation of ontological idealism. those patterns goes beyond our understanding, their uncovering is awe inspiring. Vasubandhu was only an idealist in the realm of conventions. Appearance being all there is and all that appears being a false Sacred geometry, we were shown, point to forms as a source of construction of self. intuition into spiritual truth. When present in works of art and architecture it gives them a sense of sacredness. Olly recommended A very interesting discussion followed regarding these concepts and the book A Beginner’s Guide to Constructing the Universe by included David Bohm’s Implicate/Explicate, and the question “Are Michael Schneider as a comprehensive guide for an exploration of the topic. We had an insight into the nature of the humble point: it we living in a hologram”? The gestalt consciousness concept of how is the start of everything and yet, in itself has no physical form. It realities and personalities are created as outlined in realityandyou.com manifests the unmanifest. It is the arrival of the second point which seemed to have much in common with Vasubandhu’s theories. allows a line to come into being expressing certainty and directness, or a curve, the source of infinite possibilities. One point can be the Vasubandhu agreed with the Mahayan tradition, each moment is centre of a circle and two points can create the overlapping of two new, the previous has gone, it has moved to a different dimension but circles. The multiplicity of circles creates harmonious forms and reality is still connecting through continuity, the process of linking. Olly showed us the importance of the number 6 and its multiples The afternoon was extremely interesting with plenty of interaction and in geometric forms originating in circles in nature as well as in the discussion taking place for which we thank Lindsay. symbols of sacred traditions. ■■ Scientific and Medical Network Sydney Group On mystical mathematics Olly showed us the mystery of the digital August 26th 2017. root, which involves adding up the digits of numbers until a single David Ingman presented a paper: The Interconnectedness of digit (between 1 and 9) is achieved. For example, we found out Universal Consciousness. The Self as a projection of multiple that by dividing the number 360 on a continuous basis for as long individual Consciousnesses. as we’d like allowing for the expression of the fractions in full, the digital root of all the digits of the resulting numbers will be Those of you who read Erwin Laszlo’s review of “You are the Universe” always the number 9. Other interesting patterns emerge in such by Deepak Chopra and Menas Kapatos in the last Network Review will an operation. We heard that the digital root in the Vedic Square find the complementary aspects of this presentation fascinating. Ervin are an indication that the mysteries hidden in mathematics were states “If the cosmic consciousness is a hologram (meaning that the already being explored by the ancient people of Vedic times in India. universe itself is a hologram) your consciousness and mine is a fractal of And time was devoted also to the exploration and examples of the the universe.” This resembles the concept outlined in the paper that we Golden Ratio, the proportions which universally denote beauty and are participants in conglomerations of consciousness, within universal which are frequent in nature. It was a fascinating evening and I for consciousness, each immersed in and experiencing the manifestation of one, will be looking forward to learning more when reading his book next year. their desired intention. Below is a link to the full presentation. http://realityandyou.com/2017/08/30/talk-the-interconnectedness-of- universal-consciousness-the-self-as-a-projection-of-multiple-individual- consciousnesses-31st-august-2017

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PHILOSOPHY-RELIGION SMN IN NORTH WALES ■■ Awakening in the Holy Spirit KEITH BEASLEY Anne Baring (6 pp.) (address on 850th Anniversary of Bogomil/Cathar Meeting in 1167 The local group for North Wales, as part of our reaching out to a wider – highly recommended) community of kindred spirits, has evolved into Bangor . . . Beyond. The group now has a Meetup presence (a global online place to inform ■■ The Cosmic Context and Gnostic Foundation for All Our Lives anyone about public meetings) which has proved highly beneficial in finding Paul Hague (2 pp.) new members. ■■ Aristotle’s Categories of Cause – the case for a fifth proximal cause We have also been holding weekly ‘Unity’ gatherings in the 2 Dragons L. R. B. Mann (11 pp.) Garden (as featured a few years ago) in Bangor University’s Botanic Gardens. This combines a shared experience of reflection with open PSYCHOLOGY-CONSCIOUSNESS STUDIES discussion on a topical theme (e.g. How to respond to extremists). The approach seems popular, having attracted quite a few new faces, ■■ Fear, Pain, Denial, and Spiritual Experiences in Dying Processes and offers those attending opportunities to share insights, concerns Monika Renz et al (14 pp. from American Journal of Hospice and or inspirations. By encouraging and enabling intellectual, experiential Palliative Medicine) and a deeper sharing, our intent is to ‘practice what we preach’ and ■■ Inter Dimensional Time Travel: A Trans Personal Experience and demonstrate the sort of group/community that the world so needs today. A Changing Life Long Perspective - A New NDE Perspective Cindy Massey (7 pp.) Contact via Bangor . . . Beyond Meetup: www.meetup.com/Bangor-Beyond/ ■■ An Evaluation of the Leading with Compassion Recognition Scheme Yvonne Sawbridge and Alistair Hewison (34 pp.) ■■ Cracking the Hard Problem of Consciousness A.K. Mukhopadhyay (15 pp.) ■■ The Ladder of Cognition: Abstract Operations, Molecular Biology, Systems Science Mukhopadhyay AK (15 pp. from Annals of Psychiatry and Mental Health) ■■ The Science of Spiritual Psychology A K Mukhopadhyay (2 pp. from Psychology and Behavioral Science) ■■ Life and Consciousness – The Vedāntic view Bhakti Niskama Shanta (12 pp.) GENERAL ■■ Ubiquity University - A digital-first social learning and The 2-Dragons Garden at Bangor University’s Botanic Garden, photo by Keith Beasley innovation platform Peter Merry with Griffin de Luce (20 pp.) ■■ Transformative Education and the Future of the Species MEMBERS’ ARTICLES Frank Parkinson PhD (7 pp.) AND ARTICLES OF INTEREST ■■ What is the Main Obstacle to Creating “Inclusive Prosperity”? Prabhu Guptara (5 pp.) Available from the editor or through links – [email protected] ■■ Creating Future-Fit Organizations with Super Coherence SCIENCE Giles Hutchins (12 pp.) ■■ Before The Big Bang:Towards a Scientific Revolution Frank Parkinson (8 pp.) ONLINE ARTICLES Much of our current scientific thinking about microscopic physics BY ANTHONY JUDGE and cosmology is probably wrong and will have to be discarded. Maybe in the future there will be a major revolution in physics that ■■ Envisaging NATO Otherwise -- in 3D and 4D? will revise our whole idea of reality ….What we now regard as “the Potentially hidden faces of global strategy highlighted through origin of the universe” may be the temporal threshold of worlds polyhedra beyond our imagining. https://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs10s/natologo.php – Heinz Pagels, Perfect Symmetry: The Search for the Beginning of Time (1992) ■■ Refining the Value of Sustainable Development Goals In quest of the systemic coherence of global attractors ■■ Morphogenetic Fields in Embryogenesis, Regeneration and Cancer: Non-local control of complex patterning https://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs10s/refine.php Michael Levin (19 pp.) ■■ 64 Questions for the Environmental Conservationists of the ■■ “In Space” Or “As Space”: Three Dimensions or Not? World raising the question as to why they are not effectively Charles Smith (4 pp.) addressed https://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs10s/enviques.php MEDICINE-HEALTH ■■ Reframing the Square Wheels of Global Governance ■■ Cancer Cell Reprogramming: Stem Cell Differentiation Stage Transcending vain hopes of squaring the circle in global Factors and An Agent Based Model to Optimize Cancer decision-making Treatment https://www.laetusinpraesens.org/docs10s/squares.php P.M. Biava et al (12 pp. from Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, 2011, 12,)

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ANDRIJA PUHARICH DOCUMENTARY NEWS AND NOTICES HEART OF LIGHT David Lorimer writes: Heart of Light is a new initiative supported by the One Spirit Alliance (www.onespiritalliance.net) and building on the idea of the Silent Minute (see Review Section for more information on Wellesley Tudor Pole) by suggesting an attunement at 9 PM local time while also lighting a candle. I was recently in the Bulgarian mountains with Colum Hayward of White Eagle Lodge and other disciples of Peter Deunov, and there we used one of his formulas: “In the fulfilment of the will of God is the power of the human soul” (repeated three times), then, after a pause, a formula from White Eagle: “in the light of the Star, I am aligned with the Love and the Will of God.” (also repeated three times). If you would like to be part of this movement, please see further details at www.heartoflight.org. Doing that is both a way of supporting the project and also of making a commitment in yourself to do the attunement each night – or whenever you can. ■■ Greg Mallozzi writes: MONIKA RENZ WORKSHOP IN LONDON Once a top name in both science and medicine, Dr. Andrija Puharich put his career and reputation on the line to research the unknown, DYING – A TRANSITION becoming one of the most controversial figures in modern science. Readers may recall my enthusiastic reviews of Monika’s books so it Considered too far out or too ahead of his time, Puharich’s work is exciting that Max Mackay James is arranging for her to come to delved into psychic healing, psychic phenomena, consciousness and London over the weekend of October 7-8. the reaches of the human mind. This film is the never been told story of a man whose research and theories have both baffled and inspired ■■ Monika writes: people around the world, including his colleagues, his family and The dying do not simply have to let go as is often even top intelligence agencies. What did he really know? Why was said. They also have to find a new awareness of his life’s research suppressed by establishment science and academia? time, space, and body, in a new connectedness with Only now, decades later, the implications of his research in these areas some fundamentally other mode of existence. are beginning to be taken seriously. Incorporating never-been-seen Letting go and losing control is a spiritual path photographs, home movies, unpublished papers and manuscripts, towards finding. personal journal entries and interviews with family, friends, colleagues The perception of the dying is different, of a special and everyone in-between, this film will be a unique look into one of the intensity and sensitivity. Participants on this Dying: most controversial yet fascinating figures of the 20th Century. a Transition workshop will explore this 3-stage model (pre-transition / transition / post-transition) both experientially More info and donations can be given through this site directly: and with critical reflection, including the evidence base. www.puharichfilm.com

Enhancing our sensitivity to the altered perception of the dying by music-assisted active imagination. Letting go is an art of releasing and a gift of grace at the same time: it involves enduring ‘empty-handedness’ and the pain of ‘no-longer-being-able-to’. ATTENTION MEMBERS

Because the perception of the dying is different, Monika Renz works PERSONAL NUMBERS not only through inputs and discussion, but also through using images AND OFFICE PROCEDURES from fairy tales, symbolic language and especially through music- assisted relaxation. Participants have the chance to access and share Please help your administration office to run smoothly and so this different level. Active imagination and monochromatic sound help you efficiently: vibration in particular helps us relax and allow our perception to shift, ■ permeating all levels of our being at the limits of our everyday ego. ■ when your details change (address, telephone number, email Letting go as well as finding – touching our souls, so it may be, as well address etc.) please make sure we know as the dying experience – including connecting with the deeper levels of ■■ use your membership number whenever you contact us, and our physical, mental, emotional and spiritual lives. write it onto all correspondence, conference booking slips, subscription forms and orders for books, services etc. Details: [email protected] www.diealog.co.uk ■■ book early for conferences - it helps you get a place ■■ ensure cheques are made out correctly to Scientific & Medical Network; for conferences and orders: always add TOLSTOY ON LOVE (legibly!) details of what it’s for and membership number on The longer I live — especially now when I clearly feel the back, even when accompanied by a booking form approach of death — the more I feel moved to express what ■■ remember we’re a network, and it often takes time for all I feel more strongly than anything else, and what in my relevant people to be contacted so when making requests opinion is of immense importance, namely, what we call give us time to respond helpfully (and always remember to the renunciation of all opposition by force, which really tell us who you are - we sometimes get forms back with no simply means the doctrine of the law of love unperverted name at all!) by sophistries. Love, or in other words the striving of men’s souls towards unity and the submissive behavior to ■■ help us save money; whenever possible pay in £ sterling and one another that results therefrom, represents the highest remember to gift aid when you make a payment (subscrip- and indeed the only law of life, as every man knows and tion, conference fees, etc..) - it maximises funds available for feels in the depths of his heart (and as we see most clearly more important things. in children), and knows until he becomes involved in the Office hours are 10.00am to 5.00pm Monday - Thursday. lying net of worldly thoughts… Any employment of force is Please leave a message if no one is available to take your call. incompatible with love. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

40 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 book reviews

Books in this section can be SCIENCE-PHILOSOPHY purchased via the Network web OF SCIENCE site (www.scimednet.org) from Amazon.co.uk and the Network ■■ The Observer and the will receive a 10% commission. Observed In addition, the Network Paul Kieniewicz receives a 5% commission on ■■ QUANTUM all sales if you log on through NONLOCALITY AND our web site! REALITY – 50 YEARS OF BELL’S THEOREM Edited by Mary Bell and Shan Gao Cambridge University Press, 2016, 441 statistical interpretation of the Schrodinger pp., £ 82.99 - ISBN 978-1107104341 wave function which states that a particle does not have a well-defined path and Fifty years ago John Bell published a ground- momentum. Also, he could not accept the breaking paper, in which he suggested that apparent separation of the observer and the quantum physics is nonlocal. In this highly experiment. Neither did John Bell, who felt technical book, physicists present their views that though the Copenhagen Interpretation on Bell’s Theorem and what is meant by gave the correct results, the theory lacked nonlocality. Several alternative versions of clarity. Whereas physicists generally adopt quantum mechanics are also discussed, in a view dubbed “For all practical purposes” particular that of David Bohm. (FAPP) that allows them to remain vague about what an electron is, Bell felt that we The implications of Bell’s theorem and would gain additional results and insights non-locality are a hot topic not only if we understood the physics more clearly. among physicists but in New Age circles. Elementary particles are real objects. He Many people talk about the “quantum called them beables. Beables are not depended mind”, multiple realities, about the nature on the observer. We know macroscopic of consciousness in the same breath beables such as an electric or magnetic field. as Bell’s Theorem. It is often said that What kind of beable is a quantum particle? quantum mechanics implies the existence Bell was convinced that we are dealing with a of consciousness, or that consciousness can real entity and not a mathematical figment. affect quantum processes. Another view is that that “we create our own reality”. Our Early on in his career, Bell was drawn to own universe. Unfortunately, most of those the work of David Bohm. Bohm was also views are unwarranted extrapolations of dissatisfied with the separation of the Bell’s Theorem. The Theorem is extremely observer and the experiment. He viewed subtle, and has been misunderstood even quantum behavior as deterministic and not by specialists in the field. It has far reaching random or statistical. In his paper, Sheldon implications in areas that are only now Goldstein quotes Bell, starting to be explored. “But in 1952 I saw the impossible done… In standard quantum physics, it is said that Bohm showed explicitly how parameters the observer’s presence changes the result could indeed be introduced… with the help of an experiment, through wave-function of which, the indeterministic description collapse. That the observer is separate from could be transformed into a deterministic the apparatus. This view lies at the heart one. More important, the subjectivity of the of the Copenhagen Interpretation, still orthodox version, the necessary reference to regarded as the foundation of quantum the observer could be eliminated…” physics. A photon for example, is said to Bohm’s view was that the photon is behave like a wave or a particle, depending simultaneously both a wave and a particle, on the experiment that is being performed. a view also expressed by De Broglie. Its Whether or not it is being observed. The journey from point A to point B follows a circumstances in which we find the photon definite trajectory, but one that is steered by are key to its nature. Einstein disagreed with its quantum potential. Quantum potential this view, just as he also disagreed with the

www.scimednet.org 41 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 is an extra non-local term Bohm introduced However, Bell’s Inequalities were borne out into the Schrodinger equation. It does not by experiments in the 1970s and 80s by depend on space or time. Its presence is Freedman and Clauser, Aspect, Orsay and responsible for the odd trajectories of photons others. Marco Genovese summarises those as they pass through two slits in the Young’s results, implying that nonlocality is real. interference experiment, resulting in the commonly observed interference pattern. If particles can communicate instantly over In Bohmian mechanics the photon does large distances, what is the mechanism? pass through either one slit or the other, Standard physics offers no explanation. not (as per the Copenhagen interpretation) Bohmian mechanics offers a mechanism, through both. In short, Bohmian mechanics because quantum potential, an integral part of is deterministic but nonlocal. Where is the theory, is already nonlocal. But Bohmian the observer? He is inseparable from the mechanics is not the only explanation for experiment. As Bohm’s friend J. Krishnamurti apparent nonlocality. Lev Vaidman and expressed it, “the observer is the observed.” Travis Norsen describe the Many Worlds This is the fundamental difference between Interpretation. If we accept that events Bohmian mechanics and the Copenhagen happen simultaneously in many worlds, we Interpretation. As Basil Hiley explains in can explain Bell’s result, and still avoid an his chapter, a particle does have a defined unexplained action at a distance. However, position and momentum. This does not the mathematical details of the Many World violate the uncertainty principle, as that Interpretation are yet to be worked out. principle refers only to the limits on measuring the position and momentum. Is a nonlocal world incompatible with relativity? The answer is by no means This view has been long dismissed by most trivial. Even though a message cannot be physicists because it was viewed (incorrectly) conveyed instantaneously using entangled ■■ Intelligence and Insight as implying the existence of hidden variables. particles, information is transmitted --- faster David Lorimer Many physicists from Von Neumann to Bell than the speed of light. By measuring one himself have proved that such variables do particle’s spin, the second particle’s spin is ■■ AN UNCOMMON not exist. However, the quantum potential instantly established. That counts as cause COLLABORATION as described by Bohm does not imply hidden and effect. Shan Gao explores describes variables. Today, experiments to measure nonlocality and its apparent incompatibility David Edmund Moody Bohmian trajectories have been successfully with relativity. Does nonlocality mean Alpha Centauri Press, 2017, 300 pp., performed that confirm the theory’s predictions, that at some fundamental level there exists $24.99, p/b – ISBN 978-0-692-85427-3 as a result of which more physicists are taking a preferred Lorentz frame of reference, another look at Bohm’s mechanics. The author is surely correct in describing analogous to the aether? Is there a possibility the collaboration between Krishnamurti for superluminal signaling? Gao points out Bohmian mechanics is also nonlocal --- (1895-1986) and David Bohm (1917-1992) that if a preferred frame of reference does as uncommon, since, as he points out, most allowing for “spooky action at a distance”. exist, it should be detectable by experiment. It was this feature that Bell described in his collaborations take place within the same The Cosmic Microwave Background could discipline. There is no doubt that they were theorem, also known as Bell’s Inequalities. be such a frame. What if an entangled What is an inequality? ¾ > 1 is an inequality. both men of genius, deeply concerned with microscopic particle has conscious awareness? It is also an inequality violation because it is the human situation, its limitations and Conceivably that particle could manifest untrue. In his lucid chapter, quite readable by prospects. It is useful to think of Krishnamurti its awareness, of its spin, by an action the non-specialist, Jean Bricmont describes as a psychological philosopher, or even as detectable by a measuring device. This could Bell’s Inequalities and why those lead to a philosopher of mind; David Bohm is as nonlocality. make superluminal signaling possible. While much a philosopher as a physicist, and he Gao admits that his hypothesis is highly was someone with a subtle and probing mind speculative, he suggests that nonlocality always trying to reach the ground or root of Take two particles that are produced should cause us to rethink the possible together with opposite spins in a magnetic an issue. In that sense, both men were radical existence of a preferred frame of reference. field. According to quantum mechanics, thinkers. One has to ask whether Bohm’s Implicate if you measure the spin of particle A, you Order could be such a frame of reference. immediately know the spin of particle B, Bohm learned of Krishnamurti’s work regardless of how far apart those particles through reading The First and Last Freedom, This reviewer is left with the impression that are. Possible explanations are: with a foreword by Aldous Huxley. He wrote there is no consensus on the implications to the publishers and the two men met in 1. The spin values, up or down, of both of Bell’s Theorem. Everyone accepts the London, leading to a total of 144 recorded particles are predetermined. results of the experiments, and most feel that dialogues, some of which were published in nonlocality is real. But there is no agreement 2. There is some form of instantaneous two volumes, The Ending of Time and The on what that means. More conservative action between A and B regardless of their Future of Humanity. David Moody is in a separation. voices feel that standard quantum mechanics unique position to write this book, having can accommodate nonlocality. That worked closely with both men when he ran nonlocality has no practical meaning except Krishnamurti’s Oak Grove School – and he Bell proved that option (1) leads to an to philosophers. But many others express internal contradiction, assuming that had scores of long walks with Bohm, where a certain queasiness, that perhaps the the particles obey the rules of quantum he was able to absorb as well as probe his Copenhagen Interpretation is limited or plain mechanics. This implies that the particles ideas. The book gives useful biographical wrong. David Bohm may have been right all do communicate instantly. Einstein found background of both men and their along. Perhaps some predictions of relativity this even harder to believe. In a 1942 letter interactions, looking in more detail at central he wrote: must be questioned. The far reaching themes in their dialogues, with some useful implications of Bell’s Theorem clearly remain appendices, three of which feature David’s It seems hard to sneak a look at God’s cards. yet to be seen. own dialogues with Bohm. But that he plays dice and uses “telepathic” Paul Kieniewicz is a geologist, astronomer methods (as the present quantum theory and writer. He is the author of Gaia’s One of the concerns that brought the two requires of him) is something I cannot believe Children, co-author with Andrew Glazewski men together was wholeness, incorporated for a moment. of Harmony of the Universe. in the title of Bohm’s best-known book,

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Wholeness and the Implicate Order problems. As Einstein also observed, (1980), which I read in 1983 after hearing problems cannot be resolved with the same Bohm speak at the Mystics and Scientists kind of thinking that originated them, and conference. Both men addressed thought it is interesting to wonder if he actually and its fragmentation, of which more below. discussed this question with Bohm while they For Bohm, this was associated with the were together at Princeton. Krishnamurti mechanistic and reductionist approach of expresses the view that our civilisation is science analysing things into discrete, separate highly cultivated but also barbarous, so the units. This gave the wrong basis, which they question becomes: can we in fact go beyond both felt should be the ground or undivided our conditioning? Bohm tried to do this with wholeness, from which the explicate order of his practice of dialogue in which assumptions separation arises. are consciously suspended as we try to reach a deeper understanding of other people. A In his 1980 book, Bohm used as a point greater awareness of the limited nature of of departure undivided wholeness, which thought and therefore of fixed positions both relativity and quantum theory have would help enormously in addressing our in common. Undivided wholeness means pressing global challenges. dropping the primacy of the mechanistic order and seeking a deeper ground of Appendix 4 is a fascinating dialogue on reconciliation where ‘both relativity and physics and the laws of nature, in which it quantum theory are to be derived as becomes apparent that Bohm is very well abstractions, approximations and limiting informed in pre-Socratic philosophy, which cases.’ (p. 173) Bohm speaks further about is probably the origin of the search in physics this elsewhere in the book, where he points for one basic underlying principle – for Thales activities are based upon it. By this he means out that, like Newton’s theory, relativity this was water. More generally, Bohm sees standard empiricism, of which more below. is based on the idea of perfect continuity, physics as the systematic study of nature while quantum theory violates continuity by using reason, observation and experiment. Maxwell - now 80 - has been contributing definition. This makes one wonder whether He regards the essence of the universe as to the philosophy of science for 50 years, the polarity of continuity and discontinuity mathematical relationship and stresses that and nearly 50 of his articles are cited in can be resolved at a deeper level, as Bohm the essential principle of the physical world the bibliography. His 1984 book, From proposed. Even more interesting is the is contained in equations rather than verbal Knowledge to Wisdom was favourably point at which theory breaks down, which concepts. Theories are symbolic structures, reviewed in Nature, and the reviewer, Bohm feels is at the Planck length of 10 interpretations that can be tested by Christopher Longuet-Higgins, described -33 - this involves constants from relativity, experiments, the primary function of which is his work as revolutionary in terms of our gravitational theory and quantum theory. to answer questions raised in theories. intellectual goals and methods of enquiry The structure of the electron has only been and that there were too many symptoms -16 investigated down to 10 , so Bohm points David Moody has rendered a huge service to of malaise in our science-based society out that there is a long way to go. He states studies of the Krishnamurti/Bohm dialogue, for Maxwell’s diagnosis to be ignored. that fluctuations in the gravitational field not only for his clear and sympathetic (p. 181) However, it does seem to have 33 increase with shorter distances, so at 10 - elucidation, but also for the way in which been ignored in the intervening period, space and time become indeterminate. This he engages readers in this same quest for which I think has a great deal to do with sheds new light on scientific hypotheses as understanding human consciousness – after the massive resistance he refers to among approximations by defining an absolute limit all, we all have own thought systems that scientists in acknowledging the necessity of to theoretical validity. require more rigorous self examination. underlying epistemological and metaphysical assumptions effectively denied by standard The dialogues draw a distinction between empiricism with its insistence that evidence intelligence and thought. Intelligence ■■ Aim-Oriented Empiricism alone determines what theories are accepted gives rise to insight, which, it is argued, is David Lorimer and rejected in science. beyond the operation of thought. While thought is tied to time and the ego, insight ■■ UNDERSTANDING This technical but important book ‘is neither matter nor a material process; it SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS addresses these issues and provides is instantaneous, a flash of light, a form of Nicholas Maxwell a coherent solution. It is inevitable pure perception.’ (p. 124) Bohm adds that that science has to make metaphysical ‘the operation of intelligence is the absence Paragon House, 2017, 216 pp., $24.95, assumptions concerning the knowability of movement of thought.’ (p. 200) This p/b – ISBN 978-1-55778-924-2 and comprehensibility of the universe. This leads to a more detailed consideration of the Willis Harman, the first President of the means that the claim that evidence alone nature of thought, which runs through the Institute of Noetic Sciences who devoted determines the acceptance or rejection of volume. The thinker or observer introduces the last few years of his life to exploring the new theories is false. Theories also have to what both men felt was an artificial division metaphysical foundations of modern science, be unified, simple and explanatory – hence in consciousness; they maintained that the used to say that philosophy of science is to disunified theories, however appealing thinker is the thought, the observer is the scientists what ornithology is to birds, a empirically, are discounted. Induction and observed, and that the very existence of the discipline that seems to have no relevance to underdetermination mean that theories thinker is created by thought. Some of the practical working scientists. Since it was first cannot in principle be verified by evidence, most interesting conversations explore the formulated by David Hume, the problem of and in practice ‘scientists invariably choose relationship between the ego, time, becoming induction has been insoluble. Hence Nicholas that theory which is the simplest, the most and the ground. To live from the ground is Maxwell’s statement that, despite the unified, or the most explanatory.’ (p. 3) to be undivided, while the ego living in time astonishing progress of natural science and This means that we need a new conception is trying to become something other than improving our knowledge and understanding of science that solves the philosophical itself, a paradoxical aim. My only question in of the universe, philosophy seems to have problems of progress - and this is precisely this respect was that Krishnamurti makes no made no progress at all in understanding how what this book proposes in terms of ‘aim space for the witness aspect of consciousness. this progress of science as possible. He quotes oriented empiricism’. CD Broad as saying that induction is the More generally, thought as a system - glory of science but the scandal of philosophy, Given that science must inevitably make including feelings and the state of the and Whitehead that the theory of induction metaphysical assumptions, the best and body - is the source of our most intractable is the despair of philosophy - yet all our most rigorous scheme is what Maxwell calls

www.scimednet.org 43 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 presuppositionism. By acknowledging that modern war, the development of extreme science makes a persistent metaphysical inequalities of wealth and power around the assumption concerning unity (eight criteria globe, pollution of earth, sea and air, and are articulated in great detail) it is by most serious of all, the impending disasters definition more rigorous than any standard of climate change.’ (p. 180) Science has empiricist conception that denies this. enabled us to learn more about the nature Moreover, it corresponds to the principle of the universe, but we have a long way to of intellectual integrity and making go in learning how to become more civilised assumptions explicit so that they can be or ‘wiser by increasingly cooperative critically assessed. In a key chart on page rational means’. Maxwell has a great deal 67, Maxwell adopts a hierarchical scheme to offer with these important ideas, and whereby the most general metaphysical deserves to be much more widely recognised assumption is expressed at level 7 – that than he is. Readers with a background in the universe is partially knowable – moving philosophy of science will appreciate the down through six levels including the rigour and thoroughness of his argument, notions that the universe is comprehensible while more general readers will find his in physical terms towards accepted aim-oriented rationality a promising way fundamental physical theories and their forward in terms of a future sustainable and relationship to empirical data. wise social order.

An important point is that the blueprints ■■ Bridging Conventional describing the composition of reality are always changing, so that, historically, they Science with a Holistic turn out to be false and provisional. Ether Science of the Spiritual was abandoned in favour of fields then Dr Michael Evans quantum entities, culminating in the current understandable is implicit in ordinary standard model, which will in turn prove ■■ ANTHROPOSOPHY science. So thought and the laws of nature to be inadequate. Maxwell agrees with are part of the natural world. Thought itself Popper that our knowledge is conjectural, AND SCIENCE - AN is not a physical object. Steiner equates but criticises his adherence to standard INTRODUCTION thought, intelligence and spirit. In which case we can say that spirit is the foundation empiricism and his uncritical attitude Peter Heusser towards criticism itself. He argues, correctly of the material world and every layer of Peter Lang, 2016, 368 pp., £45, h/b – existence including the phenomena of life, in my view, that his aim-oriented empiricism ISBN 978-3-631-67224-2 facilitates the critical assessment and sentient beings (animals) as well as human improvement of metaphysical assumptions “Anthroposophy and Science” is a beings who think about the world. related to the improvement of knowledge. remarkable state-of-the-art milestone in exploring the relationship of natural As the starting point of knowledge One of the reasons for scientific resistance science with spiritual science as originally (epistemology) is thought and perception, to acknowledging metaphysical assumptions represented by Rudolf Steiner (1861- theories of sensory physiology or is the reluctance to acknowledge that 1925). The book reflects the author’s neuroscience have no primary role in there is an element of faith in science. This high standard of scholarship and reviews epistemology, as they are themselves the becomes clear with dogmatic atheism and the latest concepts in physics, chemistry, products of thinking and sense perception. scientism, whose assumptions should also biology, genetics, medicine, neurobiology, Neither can atomic theory be assumed to be be subjected to sustained critical scrutiny. psychology, philosophy of mind or cognitive a primary reality, (based on non–perceptible Maxwell is correct in saying that dogmatic science, anthropology and epistemology, all atoms) which often used in science as a basis religion does not have this self-critical in their relationship to anthroposophy. To for rejecting the prime reality of perception. element. Equally, he is aware of the limits write an up to date overview of one of these of the physicalist approach in its implicit fields is a significant task, but to provide A fundamental and recurring theme of the denial of qualia, meaning, value and free a comprehensive overview of them all is book is the way Peter Heusser considers will. He asks how our human world imbued a magnificent achievement of a very high the various levels of complexity in the with the experiential, consciousness, free order. world. He points out that with higher will, meaning and value can exist and best levels of complexity new characteristics flourish, embedded as it is in the physical The reductionist materialistic world view and lawfulness emerge, which would not universe (p. 168). His answer is that physics not only characterises conventional natural be predictable from the most complete describes only a highly selective aspect of science, but our current whole world knowledge of the characteristics of the existence: no physical statement can predict culture and understanding. To penetrate this constituent parts. Indeed, many of the or describe experiential features, leading to thinking and really explore alternatives I characteristics of the parts disappear or are the so-called hard problem of consciousness. found exciting and even disturbing! I became “sublated” in the more complex structure. aware of how deep this reductionist science The simplest physical and chemical example In the final chapter, Maxwell extends his sits in my own consciousness, in spite of 50 is water H2O a combination of hydrogen analysis by formulating a corresponding years’ study of anthroposophy. and oxygen. Detailed knowledge of aim-oriented rationality with a structured hydrogen and oxygen, he says, would never chart implying value and political or The fundamental realisation expressed lead to a prediction of the characteristics of humanitarian assumptions on page 175. in Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom is water and the laws of hydrodynamics. So the This addresses the aim of how to achieve a that world reality meets us through the qualities of water cannot be reduced to the civilised, good world, about which people combination of sense perception and qualities of its component parts in spite of have very different ideas. Here, level 1 is thought. A modern philosopher Nagel points the fact that without hydrogen and oxygen human experience rather than empirical to the realisation that the world is intelligible water could not exist. data, and the basic currency is actions or and includes human beings with intelligence. possible actions. We live in an era where (Nagel, T. 2012 Mind and Cosmos. Why the At a more complex level, proteins in living science and technology have in fact brought Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of organisms although composed of a series about ‘almost all our current grave global Nature is Almost Certainly False. Oxford of amino acids, have characteristics which problems: rapid population growth, University Press, Oxford.) So intelligence has cannot be extrapolated from knowledge destruction of natural habitats and rapid a double part in existence. The realisation of the amino acids and their sequence. For extinction of species, the lethal character of that the universe is lawful and potentially example, their tertiary structure which is

44 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 critical to their functioning as enzymes In the 1970s, Duane was involved cannot be predicted from the amino acids in the government-sponsored SRI and their sequence alone. So on the one parapsychology programme, and this gave hand, new properties emerge – the concept him the opportunity to explore his intuitive of emergence and on the other the properties connection with some of the experimental of the components to a significant degree apparatus. He calls this ‘cosmic feedback submerge or are sublated in the qualities of training’, implying an empathic connection the new structure and its functioning. with the universe and an extension of consciousness far beyond the range of Historically a Swiss Physician Troxler 1780- physical senses. The effects are sometimes very subtle, and the fundamental relationship 1866 (Beethoven’s physician) observed that is not one of dominance, but rather behind the sense perceptible phenomena of participation. This gave him a felt sense that life was a real but not directly perceptible there is a field of consciousness pervading something, behind feelings a real not directly the universe, which is consistent with the perceptible soul (Seele) and behind human definition of a living universe already cited. self-conscious thought a real not directly perceptible spirit (Geist). He attempted to sketch out a medical anthropology The second part explores spiritual traditions and the idea that spirituality is intimacy that would understand development, with a living universe. He also looks at the physiological functions and pathological idea of the Mother Universe as the ultimate processes as not simply physical interactions beyond description, articulated variously but as the expression of a harmonious or ■■ A Cosmic Connection as God, Brahman and Tao. He sees our disharmonious interaction of material- David Lorimer identity as embodying three paradoxes: unity physical, bodily-living, soul and spiritual with diversity, knower and known, being forces in an organ or organ system. ■■ THE LIVING UNIVERSE and becoming. Consistent with insights Duane Elgin from modern physics, his understanding of He went on to predict that in future a new reality is one of vibrations, frequencies and sense was needed to develop, for the reality Berrett-Koehler, 2009, 230 pp., $15.95, p/b – ISBN 978-1-57675-969-1 harmonies, and the body is a biodegradable that stands behind life phenomena and the vehicle for acquiring soul-growth; when we development of cognition of soul and spirit. Duane Elgin is author of Voluntary Simplicity leave the world, we take away ‘the distilled He called such cognition anthroposophy as and Awakening Earth – here he sets out knowing-essence of our passage to life’ - I distinct from anthropology. A name with his understanding of a living rather than a think this is spot on. He sums this up as Steiner would subsequently use for his dead universe and its implications for how follows: ‘at the heart of life is a simple task: perceptions and researches. Troxler gave we see ourselves and our future. It is based to become intimate and forgiving friends with an opening address at the opening of the on three fundamental questions: Where are ourselves and to grow ourselves as a stream University of Berne where he became the we? Who are we? Where are we going? The of light, love, music and knowing. (p. 113) first professor of philosophy. Biographically, Renaissance view incorporated the idea of an I found it interesting that Peter Heusser Anima Mundi and indigenous cultures assume The third part of asks where we are going. shared one of the first chairs in Integrative an animistic universe, but since the 17th At one level, life seeks to connect with itself, Medicine with responsibility for the subject century the West has been dominated by the know itself and grow in an evolutionary of Anthroposophic Medicine at this same mechanistic metaphor implying a deanimated process to higher levels of self-organisation. University of Berne. Nature and a fundamentally non-living and This also suggests the task in front of purposeless universe. Anthropomorphism humanity, which Duane sees as a heroic The fundamental perspective of is often criticised, but, as Rupert Sheldrake journey from the limited thinking self through anthroposophic medicine is based on suggests, the modern scientific picture is in reflective and oceanic to what he calls flow asserting the reality alongside the physical fact mechanomorphic - we project onto the consciousness characterised by the toroidal material body (Korper), the living body universe our mechanistic understanding and form as we awaken to a conscious living explain ourselves in terms of this. (Lieb), the soul (Seele) and spirit (Geist). universe. He suggests a further collective These emergent phenomena are described scheme from separation to initiation to with reference to other western thinkers. Duane defines a living universe as ‘a unified communion, similarly to Thomas Berry. and completely interdependent system The supreme test of our time is to ‘learn to that is continuously regenerated by the live in balance with the Earth, in peace with The work is referenced as expected of an flow-through of phenomenal amounts of one another, and in gratitude to the living academic paper and points to advances in life energy whose essential nature includes universe.’ (p. 139) However, this involves natural science that make sense of many of consciousness or a self reflective capacity that dealing with what he calls ‘adversity trends’ Steiner’s puzzling statements as well as the enables systems at every scale of existence to as our ecological, economic, political, many way anthroposophy can holistically exercise some freedom of choice.’ (p. 12) He cultural, psychological and spiritual systems contextualise and make sense of the findings argues, correctly in my view, that how we enter into a crisis of adaptation, quite of natural science. It also provides a rational see ourselves is a critical cultural factor and possibly bringing about a world scale systems and philosophical framework that can that the idea of the living universe will create crisis, which we are already beginning to integrate conventional and complementary a new sense of relationship with the Earth see, as it becomes increasingly clear that our approaches to medicine. and the universe. He provides a very useful current systems are radically inadequate. Reference table on pp. 30-31 contrasting a dead with Nagel, T. 2012 Mind and Cosmos. Why the a living universe. In this view, consciousness The last part sets out a blueprint for action in Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of is a living field of life energy providing terms of co-creating our story of awakening, Nature is Almost Certainly False. Oxford reflective capacity, and we are fundamentally cultivating reflection and reconciliation, living spiritual beings having a bodily experience. University Press, Oxford. simply and sustainably, creating new kinds of Ethically, because everything is alive and community, and becoming media conscious Dr Michael Evans is a retired NHS GP interconnected, ‘whatever I do to the world citizens of the Earth. The current breakdown based in Stroud, Gloucestershire, now I ultimately do to myself.’ Duane then is an opportunity for breakthrough, but this teaching doctors in the UK, the Philippines, discusses the nature of the living universe is by no means guaranteed as we can either Mainland China and Taiwan holistic and in more detail, including the flow of energy, ‘pull together in creative cooperation or pull spiritual approaches to medicine inspired by continuous regeneration and sentience apart in profound conflict’, only to have Anthroposophy. throughout. a totalitarian order imposed from above

www.scimednet.org 45 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 and maintained by violence and force. As With numerous examples, Currivan illustrates these, ‘Thank you, Father’. This child of I was reading this book, it occurred to me how the universe came into existence. In God had very likely used me to make that many of the vital words in this respect particular, she emphasises the importance of her final confession, for she died a little begin with r: rebirth, renewal, renaissance, in-formation. She concludes: “Our Universe while after. regeneration, restoration, reconnection, appears to have come into being perfectly reconciliation, reciprocity and refinement. balanced, yet inherently unstable.” (p. 119) The nurses indulged the Irishwoman’s The value of this book lies in its setting out religiosity as harmless, but I could see how the necessary transformative vision for a According to Currivan, this means that the a routine of prayer and worship, however positive future, but also in spelling out exactly fundamental nature of reality is based on the low key, might offer an effective antidote how we can help bring this about. unity of consciousness in the universe. We are, to the encroaching melancholy of old age in effect, co-creators of the universe rather after a barren, restricted and potentially than mere inhabitants of it. She supports this meaningless life. This poignant episode insight by reporting experiences of cosmic was one of a number of encounters with awareness. She compares this with the Eastern patients – both medical and psychiatric concept of maya. This claims that the physical (for I had earlier been a GP for two world is, in reality, ‘illusory’, i.e. that what we years) – persuading me of the importance perceive as real is in fact our perception of it for clinicians of taking full account of being real. She explains that we have “..arrived the spiritual dimension of people’s lives. at the perspective that we’re each individuated Thinking and later writing about this, microcosms of the holographic intelligence of discussing it with colleagues (doctors, our Universe and ultimately of the infinite and psychologists, nurses, social workers, eternal mind of the Cosmos.” (p. 215) hospital chaplains and other clergy of my acquaintance), also with a Buddhist monk She also claims that we are at an historic I encountered at the time, served only to turning-point from which, on the one hand, convince me further. we may face the man-made destruction of our planet, or, on the other, we may be able to use our understanding of how and why the In the late 1990s, groups of similarly Universe was formed to create a better future minded professionals, meeting each other for all of us. She points to ancient wisdom at SMN conferences, joined to initiate as a good guide to help us find the right way the ‘Spirituality and Psychiatry’ Special forward. This will require an open attitude Interest Group (SIG) of the Royal College to studying and learning from anecdotal of Psychiatrists, and the ‘Transpersonal evidence of non-ordinary events and realities. Section’ of the British Association of Psychologists.1 These developments led ■■ The Perfect Recipe Gunnel Minett is author of Breath and Spirit. eventually to publications and policy Gunnel Minett statements, but still attempts to publish articles on spirituality as relevant to ■■ THE COSMIC MEDICINE-HEALTH psychology and psychiatry were being HOLOGRAM: IN- rejected by journal editors, who frequently asked the impatient rhetorical killer FORMATION AT THE ■■ A Light Shining in Darkness question, ‘Where is your evidence for these CENTER OF CREATION, Larry Culliford assertions?’ It would have been wonderful Jude Currivan, Ph.D. (SMN) Foreword to have Glòria Durà-Vilà’s excellent book ■■ SADNESS, DEPRESSION, to hand then. by Ervin Laszlo (Hon SMN) AND THE DARK NIGHT Inner Traditions, 2017, 256 pp., £12.99, p/b -, ISBN 978-1620556603, 272 pages, OF THE SOUL: TRAN- ‘Sadness, Depression, and the Dark £12,99. SCENDING THE MEDI- 1 Those particularly involved included SMN members Andrew Powell, the late David Jude Currivan, Ph.D., is a cosmologist, CALISATION OF SADNESS Fontana, Sarah Eagger, Peter Fenwick and futurist, and planetary healer with a master’s Glòria Durà-Vilà Julian Candy. degree in physics from Oxford University Foreword by Professor Roland and a doctorate in archaeology from the Littlewood University of Reading. In this book, Jude Currivan set out to answer not only the Jessica Kingsley Publishers 2017, 358 pp., £24.99, p/b - ISBN: 978-1-7859205-61 question of how the universe came into existence but also why. As a trainee psychiatrist in South Australia, forty years ago, I was sent to work in one The book examines recent research to show how of the ‘back wards’ for women in a large our Universe is ‘in-formed’ and holographically state mental hospital. On arrival, the nurses manifested. Currivan uses the metaphor of a asked me to see an elderly Irish Catholic recipe in which every part plays its role. It is not woman; as a favour, it seemed, because her just a question of having the correct ingredients. mental health was stable. The two of us It is also important how they are put together sat together in a small, darkened interview and the container in which they are mixed, room for twenty minutes or so. I found the etc… to achieve the perfect result. She writes: experience peaceful. All I had to do really “Information…, literally in-forms all that we call was listen, and occasionally to encourage physical reality, and from the innate instructions, flow in the ensuing, essentially one-sided, conditions, ingredients, recipe, and container conversation. The river of words – of of the in-formation that make up the cosmic which, regrettably, I now remember not one hologram, enables the outcome of a Universe – eventually slowed to a trickle and then that nurtures the evolution of complexity and dried altogether, at which point we rose ever more self-aware consciousness - makes a simultaneously and left the room. The final Universe that is perfect for us.” (p. 112) heartfelt words I heard as we parted were

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Night of the Soul: transcending the hopefully that conscientious doctors and medicalisation of sadness’ is an account other professionals who give sufficient of a detailed, extensive and informative consideration during assessments to the piece of qualitative research conducted by personal, social, cultural and spiritual the author, a bi-lingual Spaniard, living dimension of patients’ lives, rather than and working as a practising psychiatrist applying an inflexible, ‘tick-box’ medical in London. It reports a study designed model for diagnosis and treatment, to explore the conceptualisation of ‘deep overcoming constraints of time and sadness and consequent help-seeking resources where necessary, will contribute behaviour’, through analysis of data to progress and general enlightenment by gathered from interviews with 57 practising setting examples of ‘good practice’ for Catholics in different parts of Spain. others to follow.

Four groups of people on different religious The book is divided into three parts: pathways were involved: contemplative ‘Setting the literary and historical contexts’ monks, contemplative nuns, lay theological (chapters 1-3); ‘Unfolding the narratives students, and Roman Catholic priests. of sadness and spiritual growth’ (chapters ‘Carrying out this research was a wonderful 4-7); ‘Stepping beyond the monasteries’ and and exciting experience for me’, the author the parishes’ walls’ (chapters 8-11). Chapter writes impressively. Her enthusiasm for the 10, ‘The clergy’s role in assisting those task, and for even-handedly discussing her suffering from sadness and depression’, findings, shines through on every page. This offers a warning that, as well as ignorance book was a genuine pleasure to read, the about psychiatric matters, ‘Neglect of their bonus being that many of my own thoughts own spiritual development’ often prevented and experiences over long years seemed clergy from providing optimum spiritual substantially verified within its pages. support for those in need of it’. The final chapter, ‘A framework to differentiate normal sadness from depression’, At the heart of Durà-Vilà’s thesis is the intelligently encapsulates and develops the idea of two types of ‘deep sadness’ – one author’s research and its constituent themes, PHILOSOPHY- pathological, one salutary – that sometimes offering relatively simple, useful, and indeed SPIRITUALITY overlap. One is a mental illness, not a meaningful, guidance to clinicians seeking reaction to identifiable challenges or loss. It to help those who are deeply sad, clinically is characterised by hopelessness, risk of self- depressed, or experiencing something of ■■ Realistic Idealism harm, and requiring psychiatric intervention both conditions. David Lorimer and physical treatment. The other reflects the notion of a spiritual aspect to human I found the book is worth reading ■■ THE HUMAN SITUATION suffering, and the understanding that times particularly for Durà-Vilà’s evocative Aldous Huxley of intense sadness often represent a normal description of her subjects and their ways Chatto & Windus, 1978, 261 pp., £4.95, and valuable aspect of spiritual growth, a of life, and for the revealing testimonies h/b – ISBN 0-7011-2143-2 condition (usually temporary) sometimes concerning their own ‘Dark Nights’ of the referred to as ‘The Dark Night of the Soul’, religious people interviewed, especially the Aldous Huxley (1894-1963), brother of Sir during which the subject remains ‘hopeful contemplatives. It is worth noting her point Julian Huxley and grandson of TH Huxley, in the middle of hopelessness’ and is not at that, ‘In the Dark Night, the suffering is not was one of the most brilliant intellectuals of risk of self-harm. over the loss of God but rather the loss of his generation and author of some 40 books, including the classic books The Perennial prior notions of God’ (p45). A corollary of this dichotomy, also Philosophy, Brave New World and Island. I first read this book in October 1978, so sensitively explored here, is a divergence of To be divested of false or incomplete nearly 40 years ago, and it consists of a views and allegiances. On one side, there notions (whether of God or anything else), series of 16 lectures given at the University is an essentially worldly and commercial, obviously serves to promote personal, of California, Santa Barbara in 1959. Given science-based, pharmaco-medical intellectual and perhaps spiritual maturity, that two of the books above depict his community, ignorant and intolerant of the however painful the process. Durà-Vilà has dystopia and utopia, I thought it would be ways and wisdom of religious people. On done her readers a great service in exploring interesting to reread the book, and I was not the other is a more spiritually orientated, and lucidly explaining the subtleties of the disappointed. It is said that one could infer faith-based congregation, wary of secular debate, showing clearly the opportunities from the topics of Huxley’s conversation formulations and pharmaceutical remedies for growth and new wisdom involved which volume of the Encyclopaedia for ‘meaningful sorrow’, the leaders of in looking at problem areas like this Britannica he had recently been reading. which admit lack of training on matters ‘from both sides’. I have no hesitation in In the first lecture, he apologises for being pertaining to psychiatry and mental illness. recommending this thought-provoking and someone of ‘encyclopedic ignorance’, by Those in each camp, the author concludes, encouraging book to as wide a readership which he really means that he is a generalist would do well to examine their own as possible: mental health professionals who is able to make unusual connections weaknesses, with the aim of improving the adrift of religion and spirituality; religious between different disciplines. service they offer people in distress, rather people adrift of psychiatry and mental than entrench themselves in fixed positions health issues; plus anyone concerned with His first plea is for an integrated education, and blame the others. human suffering, with how to manage which he thinks should be based on one’s own emotional pain, and how to help fundamental human problems considered from a number of different angles. This The fixed position of psychiatry, Durà- others in similar distress. Such essential questions are at stake. would enable people to build bridges, as Vilà tells us, depends on a diagnostic he himself does in these lectures as a man classification system, ‘deeply embedded Larry Culliford is a retired psychiatrist of letters. He feels it important to bring in all aspects of psychiatric research and and author of several books on spirituality, together the three worlds of abstractions and practice’, that fails to tease out normal including ‘Love, Healing & Happiness’, concepts, immediate experience and objective from pathological forms of sadness. ‘The Psychology of Spirituality’ and ‘Much observation, and the world of spiritual This system is unlikely to change, she Ado about Something’. For details, see insight. He returns to this theme in the final regretfully predicts, but adds more Larry’s website: www.ldc52.co.uk.” lecture where he recommends a training of

www.scimednet.org 47 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 the mind-body in perception, in imagination, destroys us; it makes civilisation possible, and human needs. Alas, we are still waiting, while and in the use of language. it also produces those frightful conflicts which the production of armaments and the pursuit wreck civilisation.’ (p. 171) He observes of power are given priority. In this first lecture, he refers to the growth that totalitarian regimes regard things of technology and the ‘technicisation of and people as illustrations of key words – This still leaves an important role for what every aspect of human life’. In a lecture on usually prejudicial. The same applies to war Huxley calls realistic idealism or idealistic the future he thinks that the most important propaganda persuading people that those on realism rather than a utopian idealism devoid mechanical advances will be connected with the other side ‘are the concretisation of very of practical suggestions. Writing in 1958, computers, mentioning an early version of a bad abstractions.’ President Sukarno issued an impassioned device for searching back numbers of scientific plea to draw back from the edge of moral periodicals – something now routine. It would This same issue is found in the history bankruptcy and use science for peaceful have been difficult for him to anticipate the of symbol-manipulating religion, which purposes (p. 88). For Huxley, this means Internet, but he does refer to Werner von he analyses in terms of myth, creed, and bringing together love and knowledge: ‘love Braun forecasting that satellites may be theology. This leads him to contrast the without knowledge is largely impotent, connected together into a kind of electric religion of direct acquaintance with the and knowledge without love is frequently relay ‘which will permit TV programmes to divine with the religion of belief systems. He inhuman. In the world as we see it today be globally transmitted at any moment’ (p. is extensively acquainted with the history of there is obviously a great deal of loveless 107) - not a prospect that he relishes. He is mysticism and its often heretical status within knowledge and knowledgeless love - not to concerned, though, that such technological orthodox circles. As we know only too well, mention a good deal of both knowledgeless progress might strengthen the hand of the religion as a system of beliefs has always and unfortunately very knowledgeable hate powerful minority against the majority. This is been an ambivalent force, and Huxley notes floating around.’ (p. 249) the case for instance in surveillance technology that the strife-producing quality of religion He places his hope not only in education but although the Internet is also a powerful driver as a system of theological symbols has not also in cleansing the doors of perception: of freedom and democracy. only brought about jihads and crusades, but internal friction and hatred within religions. ‘if we habitually saw the world as infinite His discussion of the environment has proved He would be sad but not surprised to see and holy, we should obviously find it a great prescient. At the time of the lectures, the world the spread of terrorism, fundamentalism and deal less necessary to go in for bullfighting, population was 2.8 billion, and he devotes fanaticism. Interestingly, he wonders why attacking minorities or working up frenzies two lectures to the planet and the population many otherwise open-minded scientific people against foreign peoples.’ He continues: explosion, forecasting that population will refuse even to consider the evidence amassed ‘let us hope that sooner or later we shall double in less than 50 years – it has now in fact by parapsychology, for instance by JB Rhine. find some method by which, combining tripled in just under 60 years since the lectures. He answers that the facts ‘just don’t make awareness with trainings in good feeling, we He anticipates an increasing proportion of sense in terms of the worldview which we may increase the sum of human decency and make the realisation of many of our latent people living in cities, which he is concerned accept as more or less axiomatic.’ This is still potentialities possible.’ (p. 253) This is a will leave them devoid of contact with the true today. profoundly humanitarian vision that we can natural environment. So far as the planet as a all share. Huxley was a great visionary with whole is concerned, he remarks that humans He sees much more promise in the mystical a deep understanding of human nature, and have been increasingly ‘a profound geological approach cultivating a sense of unity and these lectures represent the culmination of 50 force’ - indeed, since 2000, we now refer to the solidarity with the world, as well as love and years of thought. When asked what advice Anthropocene era. He likens us to parasites, and compassion. He quotes Eckhart’s remark that he would give people, he replied that it was not very sensible ones at that, as we seem intent what is taken in by contemplation is given a little embarrassing after so much study that on destroying our own habitat. He catalogues out in love. He continues this discussion in the best advice he could give was that people the disappearance of species, the erosion of the lecture on the natural history of visions, should be kinder to each other. Typically, this topsoil, the felling of forests and overgrazing - which he starts with the question: why are is both wise and humane. remarking that ‘it is quite fantastic what the goat precious stones precious? His answer is that has succeeded in destroying; it includes the whole they remind us of transcendent visions, which Mediterranean basin.’ (p. 25) He concludes he had some experience through mescaline in ■■ Vision in Action that ‘the combination of human destructiveness the 1950s, which he wrote up in a book called David Lorimer and population increase is an enormous and The Doors of Perception. He writes that frightening fact.’ This is still true. the highest common factor in the visionary ■■ LIGHT UPON THE PATH experience is that of subjective light – ‘an Paul Fletcher Huxley shows extensive knowledge of immense white light of extraordinary power.’ contemporary psychology, and notes the (p. 227) He would have been very interested Chalice Well Press, 2015, £10.99, p/b – significance of Abraham Maslow and Fritz in the advances made in the study of spiritual ISBN 978-1-906810-08-5 Perls, along with the implications of the experience and near death experiences, where As President of Wrekin Trust, founded by teaching of FM Alexander for posture. In a this light is frequently mentioned. Sir George Trevelyan in 1971, I attended a lecture on the unconscious, he argues that closing celebration of its work at Hawkwood Huxley is sanguine about human political the work of FWH Myers is much more College last month. There I met Paul Fletcher prospects. In a lecture on war and nationalism illuminating than that of Freud. However, of the Chalice Well Trust and he kindly I found his most interesting observations he comes back to the role of language and a conceptual system, remarking that ‘war gave me a copy of this book of unpublished related to the different temperaments writings of Wellesley Tudor Pole. Much of represented by the body types of endomorph, is conditioned by human symbol systems, the book is based on correspondence with Sir mesomorph and ectomorph. He quotes the and in our modern life symbol system is David Russell, who was a great benefactor of work of WH Sheldon and is critical of the that of nationalism’ - this is still largely classification in Jung’s work on psychological true. He laments the extraordinary and my own university at St Andrews, but about types independently of the type of the body: paradoxical spectacle of unprecedented skill whom I knew nothing except his connection the extrovert mesomorph is very different and knowledge being poured into projects with a successful local paper mill. Tudor Pole from his endomorph counterpart. It seems leading to misery, servitude and death. He and Russell corresponded a period of decades, that this aspect is still largely neglected in puts the point poignantly that preparations and the archive is lodged in the University. modern psychology. for war have always led to war and, given This involved a huge labour of love on Paul’s the role of armaments in the US economy, part, mirroring the prodigious output of WTP A number of lectures are devoted to political ‘preparation for death has become the basis himself, writing up to 200 letters a day (and and religious themes, where Huxley’s of Western prosperity’. (p. 82) He quotes a we think we are swamped by emails!). I felt interesting starting point is a discussion of book he wrote in 1946 called Science, Liberty a personal connection here, as Sir George language: ‘it is on the one hand the mother and Peace where he argues for the necessity was a spiritual mentor for myself, and had of science and philosophy, and on the other of shifting the whole attention of politics been in his turn mentored by WTP. Then hand it begets every kind of superstition, from the unsolvable problems of power to the also a connection with Russell who, towards prejudice and madness. It helps us and it solvable and even more urgent problems of the end of his life, wrote that ‘what we are

48 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 here for is the development of what one can form a channel between the visible and might call Mind, which includes sympathetic invisible worlds. For WTP, silence can become understanding, imaginative purposes and all the gateway to the eternal Mind. He put in these qualities include and mean.’ (p. 249) an immense amount of work in setting this up, including some 10,000 communications WTP – as he was called - lived from 1884 and 1,000 interviews, bringing the BBC, the to 1968, and was a mystic and visionary King and Churchill on board. Eventually, in action, who influenced many leading millions of people were taking part. Later, in spiritual figures of the day, and is perhaps a letter to President Eisenhower, he reports best known as the originator of the Silent that a staff officer of the German Intelligence Minute during World War II. The book Corps told him that during the war ‘you had draws on his unpublished writings in a a secret weapon for which we could find chronological sequence and contains many no countermeasure and which we did not gems of spiritual advice. Even as a young understand, but it was very powerful. It was man, he writes about the critical factors associated with the striking of Big Ben at 9 PM of will, concentration and control and the each evening. I believe you called it the Silent importance of concentrating attention on Minute.’ the thought of oneself as the I am based on the reality of the one Self and Spirit - WTP developed a further iteration of this offering oneself in service to the whole. impulse with the Lamplighter Movement His experience during the First World along with Sir George Trevelyan (p. 290) War was decisive, and resulted in his book and invoking the power of the Archangel Private Dowding, a post-mortem account Michael. I believe such an impulse is of a soldier taken down as heard, although necessary in our own time, so as to harness WTP recognises that he cannot even prove the healing power of positive intent, and to the reality of his source to himself. In any this end I am working with the One Spirit for him to find a teacher or teaching so that event, he transcribed the following inspiring Alliance on a parallel Heart of Light idea, he could understand its real meaning. This words: ‘if you will dwell in peace, learn to also using the 9 PM silent minute in your has surely shaped his quest. love deeply. Never cease loving. Love God own time zone - interested readers can email by pouring yourself away. Love your fellows me for details. I will end this review with In 7:3 we read: ‘Among thousands of human by giving them all you possess of light and some words written to Rosamond Lehmann, beings scarcely one strives for perfection, truth. Love LOVE for her own blessed sake. whom I met through the College of Psychic and among those who strive and attain Such love will bring you nearer heaven.’ Studies in the 1980s. WTP remarks that perfection, scarcely one knows Me in the full (p. 37) This also illustrates how WTP wisdom is not made up of a mess of theories, truth of My being.’ This is a reminder that served as a bridge between the worlds while speculations and metaphysical intricacies. most of us spend our lives on the horizontal, he emphasises the critical importance of Many earnest pilgrims and students of the material dimension without establishing a real spiritual work during our human lifetime. path of knowledge find themselves swamped vertical connection with the spiritual level. and lost in by-ways leading to cul-de-sacs: We may do so for a while, but are subject to One chapter is devoted to the discovery and ‘the spiritual road to progress is a simple many distractions as the monkey mind leaps significance of what came to be known as one and is not cluttered up by masses of between the branches. This tension typifies the sapphire blue bowl - representing the non-essentials.’ There is much rich spiritual the central metaphor of the Gita, namely Grail cup - in 1906. The importance of this nourishment in this book, which gives an struggle and battle between the higher and for WTP is that the cup of communion and intimate glimpse into the life, work and world lower within ourselves. One of Ravi’s teachers fellowship should have been the central of a remarkable spiritual visionary in action. was Jeanne de Salzmann, about whom he symbol of Christianity rather than cross. For wrote in his book Heart without Measure, him, the Sign of the Cross represents duality ■■ A Conscious Servant and who is extensively quoted here. She spoke and sorrow, while the Sign of the Cup stands a great deal about the higher or finer energy for unity and joy while also representing the David Lorimer and the role of the human being and the feminine. The idea of companionship and ■■ THE BHAGAVAD GITA body in channelling this as a contribution to fellowship is expressed in the Chalice Well evolution. In this respect, the question what Trust which he founded and which continues Ravi Ravindra (SMN) do I serve is a critical one. As Ravi observes, to this day. WTP thought that Glastonbury, Shambhala, 2017, 302 pp., $19.95, p/b – we are capable of transcending self-will and Iona and an unspecified other location in the ISBN 978-1-61180-410-2 becoming an instrument of Krishna or Christ. Western Isles were the key spiritual power The Bhagavad Gita, according to Ravi, Salzmann remarks that energy cannot be points of the British Isles and formed part is perhaps the single most important text without relationship: ‘if it does not serve I of a new energetic dispensation of the Light, to emerge from India. I have a number of intentionally, then it automatically serves the embodying spiritual renewal in Britain. This editions, including those by Juan Mascaro ego…. Unless there is the I, there is only the vision was very much shared by Sir George and Radhakrishnan, and this is a hugely ego. One recognises the presence of I from the and I remember getting a sense of it when valuable addition to scholarship around the fact that I wishes to serve.’ (p. 109) Elsewhere, sitting with him on Glastonbury Tor during Gita. At the recent Mystics and Scientists she is quoted as saying that we can either be an Harmonic Convergence in 1987. conference, Ravi remarked how rare it was unconscious slave or a conscious servant. for people to be both scholars and seekers, As I mentioned earlier, WTP is best known for which he is. Having been a professor of In the West, there is much talk of freedom, his role in the Big Ben Silent Minute during physics, philosophy and comparative religion, but for Ravi the most important freedom World War II. This is an expression of what he has now intensified his work as a seeker, is not for the self but from the self, which he called the Inner or Spiritual Front, and was although both the scholar and the seeker are is vairagya. We each have our svadharma inspired by a conversation in December 1917 represented in this text. Ravi first became or responsibility in accordance with our when another officer received the message aware of the Gita when he was 11 and was svabhava, or essential nature or inner calling. that, although he himself would not survive, struck when his father read out the 19th verse In this sense, we can all make our own WTP would live to witness an even greater of the seventh chapter: ‘At the end of many contribution to order in the widest sense, and more vital conflict. Here, this officer and births, a wise person comes to Me, realising both through mindful attention characterised others like him could form part of an unseen that all there is is Krishna. Such a person is by yoga and through right action. Here we army by using a special time of silence ‘to a great soul and very rare.’ His father said to come to one of the fundamental teachings give us our opportunity’, observing that the him that he could tell him these words but did of the Gita, action without attachment to power of Silence is greater than you know and not really know what they meant, and wished the fruits of action. Taken one stage further,

www.scimednet.org 49 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 this becomes sacrificial action, and Ravi characterises sacrifice as central to the spiritual PSYCHOLOGY- life of transformation. In this process, we can CONSCIOUSNESS move from unconscious reaction to conscious response. STUDIES One of the hallmarks of Ravi’s translation ■ and commentary is the width of his ■ A Postmaterialist Psychology erudition. He quotes liberally and David Lorimer extensively from East and West as well as ■ from sages like Plotinus and the Cloud of ■ THE OXFORD Unknowing. He sees self-transformation as HANDBOOK OF the sole purpose of all spiritual disciplines, and remarks that all spiritual teachings in PSYCHOLOGY AND India, unlike the biblical ones, are insight SPIRITUALITY oriented, in other words involving jnana Edited by Lisa J. Miller or what we in the West would call gnosis. It is significant that the Gnostic Gospels Oxford, 2012, 634 pp., £52, p/b – ISBN have made a comeback as this element was 978-0-19-935734-5 largely excluded from the canonical texts. This is a landmark volume, especially given I think he is right in saying that Krishna, the fact that it has been published by one of The volume consists of ten parts with 38 as opposed to Christ, is primarily a teacher the world’s leading university presses. It forms essays. There are sections on epistemological rather than saviour, although this is also is part of the Oxford Library of Psychology, and ontological assumptions in history and the view of Gnostics, who spend time on a series designed to review major sub- culture, personality and social psychology, opening the eyes of the spirit. disciplines with breadth, comprehensiveness spiritual development in relation to family and and exemplary scholarship; it also combines culture, prayer and intentionality, mindfulness Beyond gnosis, though, is perhaps the state a searchable online facility. Significantly, therapies, physical health and spirituality, of unknowing referred to by Ravi: ‘an positive psychology and spirituality, the though, only two of over 60 contributors open mind is passionately searching and brain and spiritual experience, then sacred from outside the United States. always unknowing…. True religious mind consciousness and healing in terms of a is silent, free of fear and self-importance, postmaterial spiritual science. Each chapter innocent, open, and vulnerable, full of In her introduction, Lisa Miller remarks that contains an abstract, coverage of its area, wisdom but unknowing, willing and able the handbook is at the cutting edge of an suggestions for further research, and extensive to be surprised.’ (p. 122) As the mystery expanded psychology that directly addresses references. All this expands and redefines the deepens, ‘it is known but there is no no the broadened set of ontological assumptions philosophy and psychology of spirituality one who knows it.’ Ravi distinguishes and a view that spirituality is fundamental and religion. One of the essays in the first scientific from spiritual mysteries, which to the human constitution. In one sense, it part is very useful in spelling out theoretical he regards as unsolvable: ‘they call for a continues the work of William James after a and epistemological foundations for the radical transformation of our whole being, long diversion by taking the human mind as field, with an emphasis on methodological, including the mind, so that we may come to part and parcel of a living spiritual reality, epistemological, ethical, and ontological a different level of the mind.’ (p. 204) Here, which leads to an expansion of psychology metaphysical presuppositions. This is an the mystery can be lived and dissolved as ‘by a Copernican magnitude’ in the direction excellent analytical piece about what the action, knowledge, meditation and love of postmaterialism, ‘a science beyond the authors call positivistic naturalism, and it is support each other in an ever finer and finer interesting to note that the corresponding limitations of exclusive ontological materialism quality of being of the searcher (p. 251). ethical assumption is primarily instrumental. and mechanism.’ This takes consciousness as fundamental and the fabric of reality. In response to the verse cited by Ravi’s The essay on good and evil in religion father, the Yogi sees the Self and everyone contains some interesting work on core and everyone in the Self (6:29). Thus they Miller argues that postmaterialist spiritual virtues, moral foundations and value can become impartial, beyond attachments psychology can live alongside work conducted categories across a number of different to knowledge, action and indolence, from a materialist perspective, adding that traditions, contrasting self-transcendence corresponding to the three gunas of ‘materialist science merely needs to make with self-enhancement, love with hate, sattva, rajas and tamas, extensively its assumptions clearer as it sustains a vital selfishness with service, and empathy with discussed in this edition. This translation place abreast work conducted from other self-absorption. The paper on religion and and commentary is the result of over 60 ontological contexts’. The word ‘merely’, altruism could have brought in the seminal years of reflection and practice and is though, is a big ask, even if the limitations of work of Pitirim Sorokin written up in The essential reading for both scholars and materialism are becoming more evident, at Ways and Power of Love in the 1950s. In seekers since the central elements of the least to authors in this volume. Significantly, the context of my other work on character spiritual life are universal in all times and the author organised a student lecture for some education, I found the essay on spiritual all places. We are all engaged in a struggle of the contributors at Columbia University development in adolescence of great interest, at some level, but it is our responsibility Teachers College and when they entered the as well as another on spirituality and to choose that level consciously and work largest available theatre, they found it full to positive youth development. This last essay on refining our being and actions. The overflowing. Later, students remarked that provides a framework of developmental assets for young people and a useful French writer Buffon once said that ‘le ‘this is the [postmaterialist] education that style, c’est l’homme même’ - a person’s definition of spiritual development in terms we want; the old scientific models feel dead style expresses their essence, and in this of connectedness, meaning, purpose and respect I was struck by the Hasidic story to us… I already assume a spiritual reality, contribution. Clinicians will find a great deal about a man who was asked whether he most of us do, so now what? We want to of interest in the volume, including essays on visited his master to hear his words of learn from this perspective.’ (p. 3) Miller spiritually sensitive psychotherapy, spiritual wisdom. “No”, he replied, “I want to see concludes that the science in this handbook aspects of Jungian analytical psychology and how he ties his shoelaces.” Everything we ‘shows our universe to be alive, guiding and so the transformation of Eastern meditative do manifests our being, but the question very sacred. The scientific perspective that all disciplines into Western psychotherapy. There is how consciously we act. Studying this consciousness is one and sacred may reawaken is good coverage of positive psychology and book can enhance and refine our capacities our appreciation of living beings around us, spirituality as well as the role of spirituality in to help make us more conscious servants. all life.’ relation to resilience and positive emotions.

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The section on the brain and spiritual experience contains essays by Andrew Newberg on transformation in brain structure and spiritual experience, neuroimaging and spiritual practice by Mario Beauregard and the psychology of near death experiences and spirituality by Bruce Greyson. All three are well worth close reading as they are the result of many years of research and reflection. Bruce refers to the NDE as posing an inescapable challenge to the materialistic model of mind-brain identity by asking how ‘complex cognition, sensory perception, and memory can occur under conditions such as cardiac arrest in which physiological models of mind deem it impossible. (p. 525)

In the final section, there are contributions from Stefan Schwarz and Larry Dossey ■■ An East-West Odyssey These three books are complementary nonlocality and healing, then an extensive in their coverage of Ramakrishna Rao’s David Lorimer and quite technical paper by William Tiller life, thought and central concerns. The on knowledge, intention and matter, where he ■■ CONSCIOUSNESS, first celebrates his 80th birthday with 17 distinguishes between the knowledge pathway contributions from colleagues around the of logos as physical science and mythos for GANDHI AND YOGA world, while the second is a Festschrift of what he calls psychoenergetic science. He draws (CGY) reflections and reminiscences of his life. The on great deal of research, adding information Edited by B. Sambasiva Prasad third volume was first published in 1992, and consciousness to the physical equation and the new edition contains four new and DK Printworld, 2013, 360 pp., $40, h/b – of mass and energy. Gary Schwartz provides authoritative essays by Ramakrishna Rao ISBN 978-81-246-0715-2 a thorough analysis of materialism and the on yoga, Vedanta, Buddhism and East-West mind-brain problem and evidence pointing ■■ AGELESS MIND AND approaches to consciousness. towards the separation of mind from brain TIMELESS IDEAS (AMTI) in relation to experiments and experiences A good place to start is the definition of for survival. A greater spiritual reality with Edited by V. Balamohandas and K.R. Rajani consciousness, which depends equally on consciousness as the key, he argues, will require context, academic discipline and culture. Rao a revision and expansion of psychological DK Printworld, 2016, 186 pp., $20, h/b – states that consciousness in the Indian tradition ISBN 978-81-346-0847-0 definitions of mind, its operation, limitations is more than an experience of awareness, but and potentials – probably in terms of building ■■ CULTIVATING rather a fundamental principle that underlies on the William James filter model. However, CONSCIOUSNESS (CC) all knowing and being. The cognitive structure Gary is also aware that the politics and indeed does not generate consciousness, but rather the social psychology of science makes progress K. Ramakrishna Rao et al. reflects, limits and embellishes it. It is the in this direction challenging. Amit Goswami DK Printworld, 2014, 380 pp., $40, h/b – source of our awareness or the light which covers some of the same ground, highlighting ISBN 978-81-246-0717-6 illumines the things on which it shines. (AMTI, paradoxes and anomalies of materialist p. 38). In his conclusion to the final essay in science, concluding that scientific materialism Gowri Rammohan is right when he observes that Dr K. Ramakrishna Rao is to Indian the third book, he characterises the Western is not a valid metaphysics for science before scholarly tradition as equating consciousness advancing his own view of a new science psychology what Dr S. Radhakrishnan is to Indian philosophy in bringing the depth with the mind and defining intentionality as within consciousness. Ethics, he states, will be its essential characteristic. The goal is rational based on a metaphysics that fundamentally and richness of classical Indian thought into a contemporary context. Radhakrishnan understanding of what consciousness or recognises the interconnectedness of all humans, mind is, and the focus is on the phenomenal which I myself argued in my book Whole was the first Professor of Eastern Religions and Ethics at Oxford and subsequently aspect. By contrast, the Indian approach does in One (1990), shortly to be republished as not distinguish between consciousness and Resonant Mind. President of India and a recipient of the Templeton Prize. He has had a very mind, characterising consciousness as such In her conclusion, Lisa Miller returns to some considerable influence on my thinking or pure consciousness as non-intentional, of the themes raised in her introduction relating over the past 40 years. Ramakrishna Rao while mind is intentional. Critically, the to a broadening of ontology, and articulating deserves to be equally well-known to goal is one of developing practical methods a postmaterial view where human science sees readers for the scope of his contribution to for transformation via the realisation of human mind as an extension of the fabric of psychology, philosophy, parapsychology, consciousness as such. (CC, p. 348) Rao universal consciousness - a ‘consciousness- yoga, mysticism and education. Like believes that humans enjoy dual citizenship of driven science’. She writes that the fact that Ervin Laszlo and his time twin Stanley the phenomenal and transcendental domains ‘consciousness exists in states other than matter Krippner, he was born in 1932 and has of consciousness, but it is striking how the expands our notion of the human brain and is made extensive scholarly contributions over transformational impulse is generally absent the linchpin of a post-material psychology.’ (p. a period of 60 years. He first visited Duke from the Western tradition, except more 612) Consciousness is in us, through us and University and the parapsychology lab of recently in humanistic and transpersonal around us. Taken as a whole, the volume is a JB Rhine in 1958, at the age of 26. Rhine psychology. The West is mainly concerned powerful argument for an expanded ontology had a formative influence on his thinking, with knowing, while the East addresses both in psychology, and I hope it will be avidly read and he was closely involved with his knowing and being. by students and younger psychologists in the work over many years. He has held many field so as to encourage them to become part of distinguished positions, including Vice Rao was 15 when India gained its independence the necessary expansion and transformation of Chancellor of Andhra University, President in 1947. However, Indian education was still the discipline. General readers will also find a of the Parapsychological Association, fundamentally influenced by the Western great deal of valuable material, although they President of the Indian Academy of Applied worldview, and indeed more specifically by will be more drawn to particular essays in terms Psychology, President of the Asian Congress science, especially emphasised by Nehru. of their own special interests. This is truly a of Philosophy and currently Chancellor There has been a tendency, also present in landmark and potentially revolutionary volume of the Gandhi Institute of Technology and early anthropologists, to assume that the that deserves the widest possible readership. Management University (GITAM). Western way of knowing is inherently superior,

www.scimednet.org 51 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 which disregards the thousands of years of by the philosophical principles such as phenomenology and existentialism. It sophisticated philosophy in India, China and satyagraha (truth force, a form of spirituality provides a fitting summation to the themes elsewhere. In the 19th century, Lord Macaulay in action). Rao is deeply concerned by covered in all three books. stated the aim of education as cultivating the extent of violence in our societies and Indians who were English in taste, in opinions equally impressed by the way in which Ramakrishna Rao’s prodigious output over and intellect. However, this comes at the cost Gandhi and others have addressed this the last 10 years has amounted to over 5,000 of denigrating and distancing Indians from through nonviolence. Rao writes about this pages, including the magisterial Cognitive their native culture while privileging those himself in the final essay of AMTI, where Anomalies, Consciousness and Yoga, which of the West, and arguably results in a crisis he relates his own model to Gandhi’s life, I reviewed for the Journal of Consciousness of philosophical identity. In particular, Rao epitomised by an acute tension between Studies. He is an interdisciplinary giant argues that by providing a more expansive higher and lower aspects of his nature. Thus, who has integrated his ideas across many context, Indian psychology can throw light we have a constant and fundamental choice disciplines, while never losing sight of the on and resolve some of the major challenges of orientation, where practice of yoga and fundamental importance of wisdom, the confronting psychology, namely the meditation can play a critical role. process of spiritualisation, and applied consciousness puzzle, the enigma of cognitive spirituality addressed to the fundamental anomalies, and the development of human CC originates in a conference held to challenges of our time. spirituality. celebrate the centenary of the birth of Louisa Rhine in 1991. It contains many classic contributions, including an essay In elucidating these topics, Rao has exhibited on metaphysical foundations of modern a commendable intellectual courage in the science by Willis Harman, with a critical face of academic pressure to dismiss or ignore commentary by Stephen Braude, an parapsychology. He identifies the limitations exposition of Whitehead’s understanding of scientific materialism with respect to both of consciousness from David Ray Griffin, parapsychology and spirituality. He was epistemological issues covered by Eugene Director of the Institute for Parapsychology in Taylor, the importance of balancing Yin and Durham, North Carolina from 1976 to 1984, Yang, feminine and masculine in science, an and Executive Director of the Foundation for essay by Michael Grosso on imagination and Research on the Nature of Man (also founded healing as well as contributions from Robert by the Rhines) from 1988 to 1994. He has Jahn and Brenda Dunne from Princeton. An published extensively in both fields, always interesting theme is the relationship of psi to with the aim of connecting them in his pursuit the unconscious and subliminal perception of ‘wisdom aimed at transforming the person as it presents an immediate form of knowing and society.’ often only subsequently verified or falsified. Of course, a huge amount of research has CGY gives a comprehensive overview of the been published since the first appearance of whole range of Ramakrishna Rao’s work in the book in 1992, but it still provides many psychology, yoga, parapsychology, applied pertinent reflections. psychology, philosophy and Gandhian studies. The essays are written by experts Many people are put off the ideas of in the respective fields and make for highly Whitehead because of their difficulty and stimulating reading across a wide range of the fact that he invents new terminology to issues. Max Velmans compares his reflexive replace what he considers to be defective model of consciousness with the Body-Mind- or incomplete ideas. His point of departure Consciousness Trident model advanced by is experiential events, or occasions of ■■ Busy Bodies make Rao. This is a thorough and very instructive experience, so the stuff of the mind is chapter highlighting both similarities and experience rather than consciousness. Clever Bodies major differences while situating his own Griffin argues that consciousness itself is Olly Robinson contribution within the Western tradition. not efficacious, but the human mind as a Max provides a detailed comparative table whole – with its unconscious depths as well ■■ INTELLIGENCE IN THE (pp. 120-121) and highlights the importance as its conscious surface - is the most powerful FLESH: WHY YOUR MIND of perspectival switching between first and actuality on the face of the planet. He also third person accounts of causality. discusses whether consciousness is a blessing NEEDS YOUR BODY or a curse, quoting Whitehead as saying MUCH MORE THAN IT The essay on the search for authentic self that the function of philosophy is the self provides an illuminating contrast between correction by consciousness of its own initial THINKS Western and Eastern approaches. The authors excess of subjectivity. He sees consciousness Guy Claxton see this as a process of becoming through being, as selectively obscuring the totality, which Yale University Press, 2016, 344 pp., which in the West focuses on the development philosophy has to seek to recover. This gives a £12.99, p/b - ISBN 978-0300223477 of personality – ‘being true to oneself’ - while fresh insight into the field. India emphasises an inner orientation. They The work I do as an academic is really rather discuss Sri Aurobindo and Mahatma Gandhi Ramakrishna Rao’s own contribution unhealthy. It involves countless hours of as case studies of people who transformed the body of the volume discusses some staring at computer screens, tapping away at themselves in order to achieve a greater, selfless conceptual and methodological issues, keyboards, with my eyes and body stuck in purpose. In these cases, authenticity is a process covering definitions, the relationship between a fixed and rather unnatural posture. Even of transformation or self-transcendence rather conscious and unconscious, philosophical when I am away from the computer, my than a narrower self-fulfilment. This makes for approaches by Descartes, Husserl and Sartre, attention at work is usually in some cognitive fascinating reading, with extensive quotations issues of upward and downward causation, matter, and hence away from my body and from both authors. The more holistic first and third person perspectives and environment. This combination of heavy-duty Indian approach also relates to community, the role of meditation. However, his new rationality and a lack of bodily movement responsibility and shared goals - it is much essays on yoga, Vedanta and Buddhism are is tailor-made to cause imbalance. I use less individualistic and requires a degree of masterly expositions of these traditions and dancing to help solve this problem. I go out detachment. their relationship to modern psychology. as regularly as I can to ‘5 Rhythms’ classes, His final essay, as mentioned earlier, is a or other ecstatic dance workshops, to help A major strand of Ramakrishna Rao’s work wide-ranging consideration of Western and feel physically alive, vital, real, present and is Gandhi’s applied spirituality, informed Eastern approaches also covering Western full of emotion. Every workshop feels like a

52 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 remembering of my true embodied self and a or paranormal phenomena, does provide for temporary release from the fictional junk of a spiritual sense of unity, albeit a radically my cognitive self-concepts. immanent one. We are one with the cosmos, being not rational souls inserted in the Given this passion of mine, I was excited to physical world, but integral parts of the read Guy Glaxton’s book Intelligence in the material whole. We flow out into the world Flesh, which synthesises his ideas on how beyond our skin. To open to the wisdom of intelligence is a function of the whole body. the body means opening to its porous nature Claxton relays how society has become more – accepting that it has no clear edges. Every sedentary over time, and its pastimes ever more breath in draws atoms from the world into disembodied. Even things that used to involve us, and every breath out expels atoms from complex bodily action, such as cooking, for one’s inside into the outside world. Every many now simply involve ripping off a lid and learning event draws information in, and putting a tray in a microwave. Meanwhile, every sentence spoken sends it out. Embodied psychology and philosophy have been taking intelligence works with this in adaptive and intelligence away from the body for some functional ways. Tools and technologies centuries now. Intelligence tests typically become seamless parts of systems that include require little if any bodily work or physical the physical body, while information flows activity and instead emphasise abstract seamlessly inside and outside the body, reasoning or memory. In sum, culturally connecting us intimately with the world and and academically, we have been displacing each other. the body as the foundation of wisdom or cleverness. We need to reclaim the wisdom of In the final two chapters, the book discusses the body – this is the core message of the book. whether and how embodied intelligence can be taught, and what it means for education. For Claxton, the body is the basis of all Why do we make children sit stock still intelligence. Reason comes from nowhere ■■ Remedy for a New Era through class, says Claxton, when intelligence else, in his view. There is no Platonic realm, Gunnel Minett benefits from moving around and from no Higher Source, no mind or soul distinct gestures? And then we pathologise those ■ from the complex operations of body. We ■ THE WALRUS’S have evolved physically, we are made for kids who want to move around as having HANDBOOK, an attention deficit disorder! This is such an action, and there is no dividing line between UNDERSTANDING OUR- brain and body. It is all one intelligent important message, and one that needs to system. The mind and consciousness ‘well be echoed throughout the education system, SELVES - A CONTINUUM up’ out of the body’s working. including higher education, where we have also forgotten the power of learning through FROM THE BIOLOGICAL The whole discussion of how brain and mind action. Claxton calls for a New Materialism, TO THE EMOTIONAL, relate, says Claxton, is mistaken. The body which embraces the importance of making, SOCIAL AND SPIRITUAL is the mind’s substrate, not just the brain. doing and moving in the physical world. ASPECTS Thoughts, feelings, intuitions, values and concerns all are expressions of total bodily Claxton considers various ways that we can Hazel Skelsey Guest (SMN) events that incorporate the nervous system, rehabilitate our somatic intelligence – he briefly Archive Publishing, 2016, 229 pp., immune system, circulatory system and more. reviews the effects of biofeedback, mindfulness £19.95, p/b - ISBN 978-1-906289-29-4 Our blood sugar changes in response to meditation, exercise, tai chi and dance. I did The year 2016 marked the beginning of a thoughts, our thoughts respond to bacteria feel a little short changed that dance only got new era - the Post-Truth Era. And only a in our intestine. Hence studies show that about half a page of coverage, and exercise couple of days into 2017 we have learnt about people make better decisions when they rely only three pages. I felt the book missed out on ‘alternative facts’. This describes a new trend, on their physical intuition – their gut feelings. a chance of extensively exploring the research where people are becoming indifferent to The brain is more like a chat room than a that is out there on the benefits of exercise, whether the information they are given and/ directorate. yoga and dance. And given Claxton’s expertise on Buddhism, I was hoping for a bit more on or pass on is true or false. This applies in Feelings and emotions are the glue that keeps spirituality in the book. particular to social media and propaganda the embodied system together. They bring spread by ruthless politicians and people the whole organism into a kind of action- willing to do anything to take advantage of Overall, Claxton’s basic thesis is important people’s ignorance for their own benefit. The focused alignment, and demand expression. If and convincing. We must learn to re-engage feeling is not properly expressed, it becomes need for independent data with confirmed with our bodies and their extraordinary validity has all of a sudden become less confused and loses its natural wisdom. Any capacities. Like him, I believe that the whole divorce of thought from feeling creates a kind important. This new trend is completely body is indeed the locus of feeling, memory opposite to a tradition that is as old as human of ‘clever-stupid’ intelligence (which, in my and thinking. However unlike Claxton I experience, is all too common in academia). history, to turn to elders for their wisdom, am not a materialist, and I don’t share his accumulated over a life-time of learning, view that the physical is all there is, when research and fact-testing. Thinking, from the Claxton’s embodied it comes to intelligence and consciousness. cognition theory, is a series of stories that the I expect that is also true of many readers This is why this book feels so reassuringly body constructs about what is going on in its of the Network Review, given that the different and old-fashioned in the best possible inner depths. There is no other unconscious Scientific and Medical Network is in large senses. In it the author is sharing her knowledge than the unconscious depths of the body part about exploring alternatives to scientific of human behaviour and the psyche, which and our lack of conscious access to its finer materialism. But if I was going to read a she has acquired over a lifetime as a teacher workings. This does not leave room for an book that had a philosophically materialistic and psychotherapist. To illustrate both unconscious that is akin of Jung’s model foundation, it would be this one. It shows just psychological, emotional, social and spiritual or Huxley’s. There is no extended ‘Mind at how healthy and wise materialism can be. Large’ beyond our conscious bubble. The aspects of human life she relates them to two unconscious is just the operation of matter Olly Robinson is Senior Lecturer at the theoretical frameworks; firstly, Maslow’s very and physical information beyond our ken. University of Greenwich and author of well-known Hierarchy of Needs, that illustrates “Paths Between Head and Heart: The Seven which of our inner forces impel us to act in Claxton’s materialism, while not leaving Harmonies of Science and Spirituality”, to be a certain way, and secondly, to the Scale of much if any room for God, transcendence published in 2017 by O Books. Responses and Sequential Analysis from the

www.scimednet.org 53 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 lesser known Jungian psychotherapist, Dr Ian electronic books which are accessible online N Marshall, to highlight our reactions, i.e. in all parts of the world. In fact, I think how and why we respond in a certain way in a elders sharing their wisdom is so important specific situation. that organisations such as SMN, which represents a different, more thoughtful and The first part of the book focuses on serious approach to research and fact-based Maslow’s theories, particularly his later, knowledge, should lead this initiative and revised hierarchy of needs which includes encourage its member to follow the example intrinsic values. By illustrating the theory of Hazel Skelsey Guest by writing down with anecdotes from her own practice, as the wisdom they have accumulated over a well as current world events, this account lifetime. Furthermore, it is certainly high time becomes very accessible and entertaining, to try to counter the Post-Truth era, which even for those with no previous knowledge seems to be taking over our world. Otherwise of this field. Drawing on this clear and future generations may struggle to find their well tested theory of the human psyche way back to a more balanced outlook on life. helps clarifying behaviour that otherwise can be misunderstood or misinterpreted. ■■ Emancipatory Enaction In particular, in these times of turmoil and David Lorimer friction between people from different backgrounds who are trying to live together ■■ PARTICIPATION AND in a shrinking world, it can be a great help to see how much we really have THE MYSTERY in common rather than being alienated by Jorge Ferrer embodied integration, and the eco--socio- our differences. SUNY Press, 2017, 376 pp., $95, h/b – political test ‘assessing the extent to which ISBN 978-1-4384-6487-9 (paperback spiritual systems. The ecological balance, We have things in common, not just with forthcoming) social and economic justice, religious and other human beings, but also with other political freedom, class and gender equality, Jorge Ferrer is Professor of East-West animals. The author points to animal research and other fundamental human rights.’ (p. Psychology at the California Institute of which has established many similarities 203) I agree that this approach invites ‘a more Integral Studies, author of the seminal between us and other species. There is, of nuanced, contextual, and complex evaluation Revisioning Transpersonal Theory: A course, an ongoing, intense and important of religious claims’ based on results rather Participatory through Vision of Human debate on animal welfare and environmental than any a priori conditions. issues. So it’s particularly helpful, given that Spirituality, and co-editor of The ‘environmental deniers’ have recently been Participatory Turn: Spirituality, Mysticism, elected to powerful positions in the world, Religious Studies, both of which were The second essay on transpersonal to see how much we can learn from studying reviewed in these pages. Jorge is the foremost psychology, science and the supernatural is other species. (The arguments presented in theorist of participatory spirituality and, as a penetrating analysis and critique of the the book has received recent backing from such, these brilliant new essays are required tendency within psychology to try to align TV programmes showing animals in the reading for anyone seriously interested in itself with science by claiming a metaphysical wild, displaying emotions such as grief and spirituality, psychology, religion, mysticism, neutrality or agnosticism. It is apparent loneliness which were previously thought to philosophy of science and education. There that Harris Friedman, editor of the Wiley- be unique to human beings. It also shows are nearly 100 pages of notes and references. Blackwell Handbook of Transpersonal how much animals learn their behaviour The three parts are devoted to transpersonal Psychology, is trying to restrict the field to exclude the existence of transcendent realities, from each other.) psychology, integral education and some which is an implicit acknowledgement of reflections on spirituality and religion, orthodox naturalism and a denial that science The second part of the book focuses on Dr Ian particularly a critical engagement with the also contains metaphysical assumptions; Marshall’s Scale of Response and Sequential work of Stan Grof and Ken Wilber. Analysis. This too illustrates how human indeed, naturalism is itself a metaphysic. behaviour is influenced by the environment: Jorge sees this in terms not only of Western The first essay on participatory spirituality ethnocentrism, but what he calls epistemic basic reactions can be positive or negative defines its approach as emerging from ‘human depending on outer circumstances - something colonialism that critically filter traditional co-creative participation in an undetermined supernatural claims and claim to be the final to remember before we judge behaviour in mystery or generative power of life, the cosmos, others which might seem to come directly from arbiter on their validity. Jorge argues for a or reality’ (p. 10) - in an appendix he explains critical but sympathetic engagement with some sort of inner evil rather than desperation his use of the term undetermined to distinguish and despair in a hopeless situation. other worldviews and ways of knowing. it from indeterminate and to leave open the He is also right in criticising what he calls possibility of determinacy and indeterminacy The title of the book comes from Lewis cognicentrism, both in education generally within the mystery. Likewise, he has substituted Carroll’s book Through the Looking Glass: and psychology particularly. More on this the word ‘mystery’ for ‘spirit’. The participatory ‘The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk below. He steers a middle course between of many things’. It refers to the fact that approach denies the existence of pre-given both perennialism and scientism, both of the author decided to present the wisdom ultimates and/or single traditions but is also which commit transpersonal psychology to acquired over a lifetime of experience and critical of post-modern reduction of religion to a single metaphysical worldview – either research, at the age of 87. In this new era a cultural-linguistic artefact - this means that the transcendentalist or naturalistic. The of Post Truth, to be willing to take time to approach is essentially enactive and co-creative. participatory approach is open to multiple collect thoughts and experiences, and share it Jorge provides a useful map of participatory metaphysical possibilities and state-specific with the rest of the world, is something to be spirituality with different forms of co-creation – insights (p. 62). appreciated and treasured by all. Something transpersonal, interpersonal and intrapersonal, we all should be doing when we feel we are each with its principles, challenges, tests, The chapters on integral education assert approaching a more mature age, as a gift to regulative goals and direction. (p. 12) that modern Western education ‘emphasises future generations. the development of the mind’s rational and This provides an excellent theoretical intellectual powers, paying little attention to On the positive side, our new information framework as well as three practical tests that the maturation of other ways of knowing.’ (p. age has made it much easier to share our can be applied to any spiritual tradition: the 55) This is a good definition of cognicentrism knowledge with others. Publishing a book no egocentrism test relating to the overcoming and highlights the lack of development in longer requires the mediation of a publisher. of self-centredness in practitioners, the kinematic, emotional, aesthetic, intuitive It can easily be achieved in the form of dissociation test addressing the extent of fully and spiritual intelligences. In this respect,

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Jorge could have drawn on the work of Iain committed to rejecting any supernatural his presence would not be appropriate at McGilchrist on the implications of left and causes, agents or principles. Open naturalism a scientific conference. He subsequently right hemisphere thinking for culture, but allows a more expansive view that is free learned, incredibly, that it was feared that his this reference is missing from his coverage. from materialism and reductionism and is presence might damage the career prospects Integral education is also transformative and therefore open to the plausibility of subtle of students attending. demanding at different levels. Jorge describes dimensions of reality. Similarly, Jorge the work of Marina Romero and Ramon questions the sharp distinction between The authors give a brief history of Albareda addressing body, vital, heart, mind transcendent and immanent, preferring the materialism, which they show has been and consciousness in a co-creative process use of the word subtle. I found it useful to transcended by physics itself. They take of unfolding learning and enquiry. This question these widely accepted dichotomies considerable trouble to define various makes very interesting reading, especially as a way of loosening up categories. After meanings of consciousness as referring to the incorporation of the vertical dimension all, the participatory integrates subjective subjective events suffused with existential reconnecting education with transformation and objective in its approach. Overall, the qualia that occur privately for a person and spirituality. As Jorge points out, expanded volume is highly stimulating and thought- (p. 15). They detail not only evidence intellectual understanding does not equate with provoking in articulating a participatory for phenomena anomalous in terms genuine integral knowledge; the former can perspective across a number of disciplines of materialism, but also strategies for remain lopsided and exclusively mind-centred. and challenging us to become more integral, approaching the area, which they subject to embodied and responsible. critical scrutiny. They feel that materialism This leads on to the incorporation of as a philosophy is like a dyke holding back embodied spiritual practices and the ■■ Rethinking the Science of the water of knowledge. They rightly point overcoming of disassociation from the out the close correlation between beliefs physical and alienation from nature and the Consciousness about consciousness and reality in terms of feminine. Embodied spirituality takes in all David Lorimer worldviews. The overall approach nicely human dimensions as equal partners; its goal balances open-mindedness with rigour. is integration rather than sublimation, which ■■ TRANSCENDENT MIND includes listening to the body as a source Imants Baruss and Julia Mossbridge In looking at shared mind, they review of spiritual insight, the resacralisation of American Psychological Association, nature, sexuality and sensuous pleasure, and evidence for remote viewing, telepathy and 2017, 249 pp., $69.95, h/b – ISBN psychokinesis. Some readers may be familiar rediscovering the mystery in its immanent 978-1-43382-77-3 manifestation rather than simply seeking with the CIA parapsychology programme the transcendent beyond the body and the It is encouraging that such a radical book at Stanford Research Institute, which lasted world. All this is in the service of liberation. has been published by the American from 1973 to 1995. During this period, These insights are incorporated in the chapter Psychological Association as it goes way 1,215 remote viewing trials were performed, on teaching mysticism from a participatory beyond conventional psychological thinking, and already in 1996 statistician Jessica Utts perspective, perhaps the most wide-ranging as is apparent in the first sentence: ‘we concluded that ‘using the standards applied to methodology I have read about anywhere are in the midst of a sea change. Receding any other area of science, it is concluded that and which is at once integral, experiential from view is materialism, whereby physical psychic functioning has been well-established.’ and transformative. These methods are phenomena are assumed to be primary and Yet, more than 20 years later, sceptics still further elaborated in a chapter on embodied consciousness is regarded as secondary. claim that there is no evidence for psi - in spiritual enquiry as a radical approach to Approaching our sites is a complete reversal this respect they resemble the cardinals who contemplative education. of perspective: according to this alternative refused to look through Galileo’s telescope. view, consciousness is primary and In discussing the theoretical basis of shared The critical chapters on Stan Grof and secondary. ‘(p. 1) Imants Baruss is Professor mind, the authors could have referred to the Ken Wilber provide readers with a of Psychology at King’s University College extensive work of Ervin Laszlo on the Akashic useful participatory view by questioning at Western University Canada, where he has field, and, historically, New Thought ideas the privileging of a non-dual monistic been teaching undergraduate courses about about a universal mind, for instance in the metaphysics with a pre-given ultimate consciousness for nearly 30 years. Julia work of Thomas Troward. spiritual reality. Jorge’s approach, as indicated Mossbridge is an experimental psychologist above, is enactive, co-creatively bringing forth and cognitive neuroscientist at the Institute Moving on to their treatment of time, new insights which are bound to be culturally of Noetic Sciences and a visiting scholar at the authors discuss its centrality to conditioned in some respects. He uses the Northwestern University. The reversal of consciousness and experience as well as analogy of the ocean of emancipation having perspective referred to will be familiar to evidence for pre-sentiment, precognitive different shores, which also allows for new many readers, although they might find the dreaming and precognitive remote viewing. evolutionary spheres to develop, which do confident tone overoptimistic in view of the Interestingly, they consider the implications not apply a hierarchical scheme, as advanced evident strength of resistance and the social of the life review for our understanding of by Wilber. As Tim Freke points out in Soul psychology of confirmation bias. time, as this seems to compress a lifetime Story (see his article and my review in the into a few seconds. Then we can also last issue), these realms must have developed With over 35 pages of references, the authors experience timeless states, which I would alongside cultural evolution. The final chapter draw widely on research and consider the not personally interpret as time ‘coming discusses religious pluralism and the future of full range of parapsychological phenomena apart’. This leads them to postulate a deep religion, with a number of scenarios that let a implying a shared mind, rethinking time, time distinguished from subjective apparent thousand spiritual flowers bloom, intrinsically separation of mind from brain, direct mental time. The next chapter looks at evidence for valuing diversity and mutually respect. influence and openness to the transcendent contact with the dead, including spontaneous Thus one can achieve a sense of belonging mind of the title. There is no doubt in my cases and mediumship, and they consider the to a common spiritual family committed mind that if one applies William James’s relative merits of superpsi versus survival as to spiritual individuation and responsible principle of radical empiricism there is ample a plausible explanation. In their treatment transformation of the world in ecological, evidence to justify a fundamental reversal in of near death experiences, the authors point sociological and political dimensions. our understanding of consciousness, but very out the paradox that ‘the less the brain is little of this literature is read by mainstream able to function properly, the more vivid the One other concept new to me was that of neuroscientists, whose working hypothesis experiences that are occurring’ and in this ‘open naturalism’ as a result of realising that remains that brain produces mind. Such respect they could have cited the Auckland the dichotomy of naturalistic/supernaturalistic is the general prejudice that member and Geddes case as an argument in their favour. is itself problematic and arises from Nobel laureate Brian Josephson received a Of course, mental functioning in the afterlife the theology of mediaeval Christianity. note from a conference organiser that due implies mind without any brain, not just Modern scientific naturalism is particularly to his research interest in the paranormal, mind separable from the brain.

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Various forms of direct mental influence unconscious is part of a larger collective or are investigated, including random event family unconsciousness and how dreams can generators, remote healing, poltergeist express this. activity, macro-PK and the extraordinary case involving the rapid disappearance of One of the really positive aspects of the book is Anita Moorjani’s terminal cancer following that it approaches our interest in dreams both from a current and historical angle: it points to her NDE. They also discuss the ‘fictitious the way we lived in (extended) family groups and ghost’ Philip, ostensibly created by a group the role dreams played there. This ancient way of of Canadian researchers, but I have always life may often be dismissed as superstition based wondered if someone on the other side was on ignorance (‘now we know better’). But, as in fact having a joke at their expense. The the author points out, even if we now live more next issue is reintegrating subjectivity into isolated lives, and have more individual freedom, consciousness research, where the authors the extended family can often have a positive point out that first person observation is in effect on our inner wellbeing. We seem to have a fact at the core of science, and that careful need to get so close to others that we can share observation is a skill to be learned, to which both their conscious and unconscious life in the they devote a separate section. They also form of dreams. cover phenomenology, psychophysics and psychophysiology as well as arguing for self- However, going back to closer family ties development in consciousness researchers. doesn’t necessarily mean returning to the biological family. Such a return to closer family ties would probably demand an Finally, we come to the title of transcendent impossible amount of change in our modern mind from a post-materialist perspective. societies. But an ‘extended family’ does One of their core contentions is that ■■ “Life is but a Dream” not have to be biological. As Steve Minett conditioned ways of thinking have displaced describes in his book Gazing at the Stars, Gunnel Minett empirical evidence, hence the need for this well managed family constellations aimed at book to define a new scientific footing for ■■ THE DREAMLIFE providing the optimal environment for child consciousness research. In considering a care can be a very good solution for adults as possible explanatory model, they quote the OF FAMILIES, THE well as children. filter theory advanced by Aldous Huxley, PSYCHOSPIRITUAL whom they wrongly call an American writer, CONNECTION Bynum’s book is full of recorded dreams that reflect both major and minor events in but, oddly, they make no mention of William Edwards Bruce Bynum, PhD, ABPP James’s seminal lecture on immortality our lives such as illness, birth and death and Inner Traditions, 2017, www. where he discusses in detail the philosophy medical emergencies, that all seem to have a InnerTraditions.com, 275 pp., £14.99, special effect on our dreamlife. These dreams of a filter model, some of which he derives p/b – ISBN can also be simultaneous shared dreams, from the much less well-known work of telepathic or precognitive dreams. Regardless Oxford philosophy don FCS Schiller, whose Although we still have a lot to learn about dreams, why we have them and what they of the fact that these types of dreams may 1891 book Riddles of the Sphinx is perhaps not have an explanation within our current the most comprehensive statement. They mean, we can conclude that they play a big part in our lives. As this book points out, scientific paradigm, they most certainly themselves advance what they call a flicker- appear often and strongly enough to be taken filter model based on the sequence of nows they often represent a true expression of our innermost thoughts, a version that is seriously, which is exactly what this book is where a more permeable filter would open uncensored by the conscious mind. They doing. up access to material in deep consciousness. can also express our connection with others, family and friends, past and present in ways ECOLOGY-FUTURES Finally, the authors suggest ten guidelines we normally would not perceive them. for future research in consciousness based Dreams can also solve problems of all kinds STUDIES on a deeper questioning and a more open both past, present and future ones. yet systematic and rigorous approach, which ■■ Will it be Enough? also has clinical implications. Interestingly, From perhaps a somewhat unexpected they recommend self-development as environment, I can give a personal example Chris Thomson necessary for deepening one’s understanding everyday ‘problem solving’ via dreams from my own past history when I worked in a ■■ NO IS NOT ENOUGH of the nature of consciousness and reality: bank. Despite an otherwise very conservative Naomi Klein we ourselves need to open up and evolve. environment, we had a well establish method This book is a very thorough investigation Allen Lane, 2017, 288 pp., £12.99, p/b - of solving mistakes we had made during the ISBN 978 - 0241320884 of consciousness day, which usually meant the embarrassing research that situation of giving customers too much or too Living in the Catalan Pyrenees, it is easy to should appeal to little money. When we could not find where forget about the outside world. The seasons rigorous yet open- we had made the mistake, we were told to come and go. Wildlife is very evident. Beauty minded scientists go home and sleep on it. Mostly this had the and peace are ever-present. And people here who are prepared effect that the person in question came back in the country go about their lives, peaceably, to engage the next morning having ‘remembered’ in a more or less as they always have. All feels fully with dream where they had made the mistake. well with the world. the evidence In his book, Edward Bruce Bynum presents Of course, all is not well with the world. and think a comprehensive and integrated view of A greedy, amoral narcissist occupies the Oval through its traditional dream analysis and family Office. That alone is serious cause for implications psychology both from a clinical science concern. To make it worse, he has surrounded for the nature approach, but also drawing on old traditions himself with very rich men who see it as their of reality. from Africa, China and India and from mission to undo much of the genuine progress parapsychology. He explains and illustrates made in the last 100 years or so. As Naomi with numerous examples how our individual Klein says…

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the Trump phenomenon. Another part of of hundreds of horror stories – incidentally the explanation is reality television. If you involving the current Vice-President - in which know anything about The Apprentice, the the insatiable greed of the rich caused untold TV programme that Trump hosted, you will misery for the poor and the vulnerable. In my know that it was largely about humiliating view, Naomi really gets to the point when, the “losers”, of which there were many, and talking about the 2008 financial crash, she says: glorifying the one “winner”. “When the failures of the current There were no rules - the norms of decent model revealed themselves in a manner discourse were nowhere to be seen. Insults more spectacular than at any point and lies were the norm. This is exactly how since the Great Depression, we did not Trump behaved during the election campaign, collectively seize that moment to grasp and how he continues to behave in office. the whole of history and swerve…The It is the most plausible explanation for his bottom line is that in 2009 too many precocious lying, and for the fact that he seems of us were waiting for change to be to be able to do this with impunity. Any other delivered from on high. And by the time President would have been impeached by now. most of realised how inadequate that Not Trump, as he continues to entertain his change was, the window had closed.” followers and, it has to be said, much of the “The goal is all-out war on the public media. It is no coincidence that he was once And the remedy? Short of a miracle, in which sphere and the public interest…In their involved in professional wrestling, which humanity as a whole suddenly becomes wise place will be unfettered power and surely has to rank as one of the most fake and intelligent, there is no magic cure. Naomi freedom for corporations…The people activities of all time. describes some of the many initiatives that have who already possess an absolutely taken place since the WTO protests in Seattle obscene share of the planet’s wealth Now, all this would be comical, were it not in 1999. Some of these have been successful are determined to grab still more.” so serious. And it is very serious indeed. within their own limits. However, the fact Noam Chomsky is also fond of telling us remains that there has, to date, been no massive The situation is so serious that Noam about the Doomsday Clock, an assessment by supervening movement on the scale required to Chomsky has started referring to the some eminent people of how close we are to stop neoliberalism and neoconservatives in their Republican Party as “the most dangerous annihilating ourselves. The Clock has never tracks, and replace them with something that organisation in human history”, because it is been so close to midnight. What makes the reflects our true humanity. Perhaps the Leap recklessly, but deliberately, bringing the world situation even more urgent is that we have “a Manifesto (https://leapmanifesto.org/en/the- closer to nuclear war and environmental parcel of rogues” in the world’s most powerful leap-manifesto/) described towards the end of disaster. One way or another, this is going to rogue state pushing the minute hand ever the book will the new beginning that we all long affect you and me, even if we live in isolated closer. So, what do we do? Many of us feel for. One can only wish. places. Trump and his cronies have just made impotent, given the scale of the problems and it very personal. given the quantity of money and power ranged Although Naomi writes well, is a powerful against us. One thing is clear, as the book’s campaigner, and makes some compelling In her latest book, Naomi explains why title suggests – just protesting is not sufficient. arguments, I remain doubtful. The bottom Trump is in the White House, and she then In Naomi’s view “two crucial things have to line for me is: do we have the will, and do goes into detail on the great damage that happen. First, we need a firm grasp on how we have the strength? Speaking personally, neoconservatives and neoliberalism are doing shock politics work and whose interests they I am not sure. Would I give my life, literally, to the world. Although it can be depressing serve…Second, we have to tell a different story for this cause – the survival of humanity? I read at times, because the damage is so deep from the one the shock doctors are peddling.” suspect that things would have to feel even and widespread, the book keeps holding more desperate. All of us have our breaking out hope in the form of the many local and It was at this point in the book that I began point. That much is clear. But few of us have international initiatives being taken to counter to have doubts. A lot of people have been been put to that ultimate test. If we hope to Trump and all that he stands for. That said, telling different stories for a long time. To reverse the damage and create a better world, there were moments when I wondered whether give just one example, the New Economics what we do will have to be unprecedented, the book’s title should have been “Will it be Foundation has been describing and promoting given the unprecedented nature and scale of Enough?” I will return to this theme shortly. a different kind of economics and a different the challenges. This almost certainly means kind of society since its inception at the end of that we will have to be stronger and more It is important to note, as the author points the 80s. There are countless other examples determined than we have ever been. All this out, that Trump is not an aberration. On the of “different stories”. All of us can think of puts me in mind of some lines from one of my contrary, he is the ideal figurehead for the many. Yet the fact is that inequality continues favourite poems, “On A Raised Beach”, by corporations and the elite. He provides false to grow, materialism is as rampant as ever, Hugh MacDiarmid… hope for one half of the population and a military spending is huge while welfare is cut convenient target for the other half. Indeed, and, to crown it all, the biosphere is more “Let men find the faith Trump is the logical culmination of three threatened than ever. This is not a counsel that builds mountains important trends – neoliberalism, brands, and of despair, but one does wonder at the reality television. The first of these should combined effect of the many different stories. Before they seek the faith need no explanation. Suffice to say that it can Are they making sufficient impact? One, not that moves them. summarised (in the style of Orwell) as “private unreasonable, ray of hope is that this latest Men cannot hope to survive good, public bad”. The other two trends may power grab by the elite is so naked that the the fall of the mountains need a little explanation. small boy will not be alone in noticing that Which they will no more the Emperor has forgotten to dress himself. see that they saw their rise Although Nike and Apple and other big Perhaps the Trump phenomenon is so companies sell things, much of their value is outrageous that it will cause many to wake up. Unless they are more in their brands. Thus, when people buy their I hope so, and perhaps they will, but people concentrated and determined, products, they are to some extent buying into tend to fall asleep again rather too quickly. Truer to themselves a fantasy. This is why, for example, Nike is and with more to be true to, able to sell very ordinary trainers for up to Much of the book is an uncomfortable Than these stones, $300. Naomi goes into some detail about narrative on how those in power are damaging and as inerrable as they are.” the way Trump is using the Presidency to individuals, societies and this planet. Many of continue to promote brand Trump (as well you will be familiar with this narrative. The Chris Thomson is the author of Full as those of his family). This partly explains aftermath of Hurricane Katrina is just one Spectrum Intelligence.

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in terms of extent and thickness. Even by the equilibrium society. The magnitude of the 1990s, the ice thinned by 43% relative to the challenge is illustrated by asking how long it

1970s and the overall pattern is inexorably would take to reduce current CO2 levels from downwards, as illustrated in a chart showing 404 ppm to 280 ppm if we stopped emitting

what he calls the death spiral of Arctic ice. CO2 altogether. Due to the survival time A further factor - precipitated by open water - of the gas, it would take 45 years to bring is that wind can further break up the ice. The the level down even to 350 ppm, so further history is illustrated with useful comparative increase looks inexorable, not least because charts. The key question is whether we have carbon remains in the atmosphere for 100 passed the tipping point in terms of the years. possibility of substantial multi-year ice cover to reform. Peter thinks we may well have, So what can be done about it? An important and is critical both of scientists who rely on part of Peter’s recommendations is the models rather than data, and more seriously urgent need for a new Manhattan Project to of the IPCC 2013 report, which relies on clean up our atmosphere. He references the a linear rather than nonlinear analysis and important 2009 geo-engineering report from contains some dubious statistics (p. 90). the Royal Society explaining two possible approaches of solar radiation management His next chapter explains eight forms of and carbon dioxide removal. SRM in terms positive feedback that are likely to accelerate of stratospheric aerosol spraying is at best a the melting effects. The most serious of sticking plaster, as he points out, since it does these are ice-albedo and snowline retreat nothing about the causes of global warming feedbacks, whose combined effects amplify nor does it affect ocean acidification. More

the radiative forcing effect of CO2 by seriously, it requires constant application and 50%. Then we should not forget ocean the toxic chemicals fall back down to earth, acidification feedback, which has already which may also have an effect on water and ■■ Emit Now, Remove Later?! had a catastrophic effect on marine life food. In my review of Experiment Earth in David Lorimer and coral reefs. Arctic methane is described the last issue (p. 54), I cited evidence that this as a catastrophe in the making that could may already be occurring, and will ultimately ■■ A FAREWELL TO ICE potentially lead to a further temperature result in white rather than blue skies. Peter Peter Wadhams rise of 0.6°C by 2040. As Peter points out, also discusses carbon drawdown and the Allen Lane, 2017, 240 pp., £20, h/b – this is surely a case where the precautionary possibility of direct air capture, which is ISBN 978-0-241-00941-3 principle and proper risk analysis are urgently not yet been developed. He also mentions required. It is also possible that this could be new forms of nuclear power using pebble Peter Wadhams was Professor of Ocean amplified by permafrost melt. Some of our bed and thorium reactors. The need for geo- Physics at Cambridge from 1992 to 2015, disruptive weather patterns seem to be due to engineering is a drastic prospect, but Peter and has devoted his entire career to the increased meandering of the jet stream, also feels this will need to start by 2020, especially study of the Arctic, making more than 50 related to Arctic warming. The mechanisms as there is little or no prospect of any serious expeditions to both polar regions. As such, are by no means clear, and Peter cites a reduction in CO2 emissions. He points out we should take his ‘report from the Arctic’ number of models and references. However, that the Paris Agreement will still leave us very seriously as it is based on research disruptive weather is likely to exacerbate with a warming of at least 2.7°C even if all and first-hand experience, not just on volatility in food production, especially as national commitments are honoured, which extrapolating computer models. Readers can population is forecast to increase to 9.5 bn by is vanishingly improbable. There are no plans consult his own literally chilling summary 2050 and 11.2 bn by 2100. for immediate action, ‘and no date set for in the Articles section. In contrast with the achieving carbon balance except between first pictures from 1969, photographs from There is a very interesting chapter on the 2050 and 2100’, when current politicians will space show the top of the world in northern Antarctic, where Peter explains their very either be retired or dead. summer as blue rather than white. I have been different situations and ways in which sea following the Arctic debate for a number of ice is formed. The advance of sea ice in that In his last chapter, A Call to Arms, Peter years, and think it is right to assert that the region is often cited by sceptics as a criticism states that it is not enough to reduce carbon sea ice situation is the canary in the mine of of global warming, but the situation is in emissions, hence the need to remove dioxide planetary climate change. fact more complex with regional variations, from the atmosphere. Interestingly, he quotes and it is likely that changing wind patterns a speech by Margaret Thatcher to the UN in The book begins by explaining the background are a critical explanatory factor. The Pacific 1989, for which he provided the text - even of the Arctic, the nature of ice, the history of sector has in fact warmed twice as fast as then, he was warning of runaway climate ice on planet Earth and the modern cycle of the rest of the continent so that while the change through feedback amplification. As ice ages. It is striking that previous geological western sector is shrinking, the eastern sector readers will be aware, the political situation is changes took place over thousands of years, is growing, resulting in a slow net growth. further complicated by well funded institutes while the current global warming to 404 ppm However, this does not alter the fact that it denying global warming and attacking leading of CO2 in the atmosphere has occurred in less is the Arctic feedbacksthat will determine the scientists like James Hansen. In the UK, Nigel than 100 years. The average concentration of rate of global warming. Lawson’s Global Warming Policy Foundation CO2 during interglacial periods is 280 ppm, plays a leading public role, and Peter Lilley falling off to 180 ppm during ice ages. Peter now turns to the state of the planet, called Peter a ‘well-known alarmist’ after Peter then explains the nature of the arguing that CO2 at 404 ppm is already too he himself had published a report funded greenhouse effect and the direct correlation high for non-destructive climate change, by the above foundation recommending between adding carbon dioxide to the especially as carbon emissions are not even no action on climate change and ignoring atmosphere and temperature rise (p. 52). beginning to slow. He returns to the question the Stern review. Although there are small Greenhouse gases produce ‘radiative forcing’ of population, showing that the population actions that we can take as individuals, I was that upsets the natural thermal balance of the of Africa is anticipated to quadruple between persuaded by Peter’s analysis that we should planet, while ‘Arctic amplification’ explains 2015 and 2100, even though it is already all be vocally supporting his proposed new why changes due to global warming happen in a situation of not being able to feed Manhattan Project to undertake a colossal first in the Arctic. itself. Personally, I find these projections scientific and technical research programme extraordinary, precisely for that reason. Peter on clean energy as well as technologies for Peter then moves on to the history of Arctic rightly notes that our current financial and carbon dioxide removal. As a citizen of planet sea ice melt back, using his own data both economic system cannot lead to a sustainable Earth, this book is compulsory reading.

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■■ The Courage to Hope The book itself is located at the crossroads of hopelessness and hope - on the one hand David Lorimer with a full awareness of the grimness of ■■ A WORLD BEYOND our global situation, not only military, but also environmental, and on the other a GLOBAL DISORDER determination to work for a better and more Edited by Fred Dallmayr and Edward cosmopolitan future. The contributions come Demenchonok from a variety of disciplines and cultural Cambridge Scholars 2017, 316 pp., backgrounds, including China, with an £52.99, h/b – ISBN 978-1-4438-9882-9 essay on spiritual humanism and another on Muslim ethics in an era of globalism. The title of this remarkable collection of Then the longest and final essay is by essays gives the lie to the oft heard phrase Demenchonok entitled ‘World in Transition: ‘New World Order’ which is in fact a form From a Hegemonic Disorder toward a of disorder based on militarism and unipolar Cosmopolitan Order’. global hegemony on the part of the United States, even if this is now being challenged by The first essay by Richard Falk on a new China and a resurgent Russia. In June 1963, geopolitical realism for the 21st-century is a President Kennedy gave a commencement masterpiece of brevity and insight. He rightly address at the American University where contends that ‘a state-centric world order he stated that war need not be inevitable has shown its inability to find sustainable and questioned the routine demonisation of solutions to nuclear weapons and climate enemies. More remarkably, in answer to his change at the global end of the spectrum rhetorical question about what kind of peace and address severe and prolonged situations he sought, he replied: ‘not a Pax Americana, of criminal injustice in Syria, Palestine etc.’ enforced on the world by American weapons Nation states are incapable of responding ideal is an alternative to a conflicted state- of war; not the peace of the grave or the to global challenges, and global solidarity centric international system, which needs security of the slave. I’m talking about a is helpless against preventing genocidal fundamental restructuring to remove the genuine peace: the kind of peace that makes violence and crimes against humanity. The privileges of the Security Council and create life on earth worth living; the kind that old geopolitical realism is still based on hard a consensus of all nations as free and equal enables men and nations to grow and to military power where law, morality and under the rule of law. This is necessarily hope and build a better life for their children; people are fundamentally irrelevant. The pluralistic and morally excludes violence and not merely peace for Americans, but peace current global political leadership still treats domination. The urgent task is to develop for all men and women; not merely peace this old geopolitical realism as the basis for viable alternatives to hegemonic domination. in our time, peace in all time.’ One can’t rational behaviour, but this is manifestly The author outlines the distinctive help thinking that Kennedy’s assassination inadequate with its focus on narrow national characteristics of a New Cosmopolitanism might in some way have been linked to these interest rather than planetary responsibility. based on diversity, democratic principles, sentiments, especially given the military and Falk sketches the outline of a new geopolitical foreign policy record of the US since that realism where war and militarism can no ethics, dialogue and transformation. There is time. [See my review of The Paradox of our longer generate security and stability in an also huge work to be done to articulate and National Security System in Books in Brief era when species vulnerability has become embody these ideals, but this essay, and the below.] the signature reality. Structural reforms book as a whole, makes a very constructive must be brought about so that global and point of departure. Demenchonok warns that The speech is quoted in a powerful human interests become primary. Then the a cosmopolitan order will not come about contribution by former Congresswoman development of political will to regulate the automatically – ‘all the great democratic Cynthia McKinney. Former because of her world economy on the basis of the values of achievements have been the result of people’s passion for truth, justice and peace. She was justice, sustainability, self-determination, and struggles for their legitimate interests.’ taught to be unruly by her father, and in ethical and ecological consciousness. However, in this context, the cosmopolitan Congress was part of every hot button issue ideal can become a guiding and mobilising that came across her desk. Because she tried force that will only come about from the A telling example of global disorder is grassroots, as our current political leaders are to align her values with her behaviour, her addressed in an essay on the use of drones talk with her walk, she became more than hostages to short-term political and financial as a means of random, extrajudicial killing interests. And although the need for positive an irritant, she became dangerous, with a of suspects. Daniele Archibugi focuses on powerful array of status quo opponents. Here transformation has never been so urgent, three major problems: the status and rights the task has never been so difficult, so it is she advocates not war leadership, but peace of the target, the authority for the killings leadership, like former Congressman Dennis important to raise awareness as a preliminary - decisions are often made by intelligence to more coordinated action. Kucinich. She quotes Stephane Hessel’s line agencies or unaccountable bureaucratic “Indignez-vous!” - We should be indignant and bodies - and ‘collateral damage’ aka killing outraged about the shambles that is happening of innocent people. I agree with the author ■■ ‘Politics is Fate’ in the world – disorder by design. Hence that these killings are war crimes fuelled by David Lorimer her recommendation that it is time for us amoral power, and also that they represent collaboratively to interpose our vision and our the triumph of technology over humanity. ■■ DEFIANT EARTH directed action onto the warmonger’s plans. It is very clear that this whole area needs Clive Hamilton ‘We need to give them more resistance than international regulation, ultimately with a they are getting from us now.’ And engage not view to banning drone killings. In addition, Polity Press, 2017, 184 pp., £14.99, p/b – ISBN 978-1-50951-975-0 in a clash, but in a dialogue of civilisations. such technology could easily get out of hand and be used by terrorist groups. The author of this important book is The subtitle of ‘The Courage to Hope’ reflects Professor of Public Ethics at Charles the title of a book by theologian Paul Tillich Edward Demenchonok articulates a Sturt University in Australia and author ‘The Courage to Be’. In this case, hope is not cosmopolitan ideal as a realistic alternative of Requiem for a Species about how and an escape, but an existential position, the to the current militarised and unipolar global why we resist the truth about climate courage to hope in an apparently hopeless hegemony. Cosmopolitanism would free the change. Subtitled ‘the fate of humans in world, genuine rather than foolish hope. world from any hegemonic domination and the Anthropocene’, this book spells out the Hope may require patience and needs to be the idea goes back at least as far as essays by implications of this new geological epoch embodied in acts of love and compassion. Kant in 1784 and 1795. The cosmopolitan defined by the new discipline of Earth

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amount of sunlight through solar radiation Earth in the present, and by implication management. For Hamilton, this is a ‘last- in the future. Curiously, in this respect the ditch attempt by eco-modernists to impose book makes no mention of population, order, to exercise mastery, to regulate which is not even in the index. This is the planet as a whole in the interests of manifestly a key impact in addition to humans. (p. 72) He further notes, correctly, rising consumption and requires the that this technology carries the implicit empowerment of women, especially promise of protecting the prevailing in Africa. The most significant overall politico-economic system and sidestepping contribution of this book is the call for a the necessity for fundamental change or a different kind of orientation to the Earth, ‘socio-fix’. ‘one in which we understand deeply our extraordinary power and unique By contrast, the narrative of Goethe’s Faust responsibility.’ (p. 152) The forces of illustrates overreach and hubris where neglect represent business as usual, a form human creativity is a gift that also tests of wanton neglect as both reckless and self- our character in making sure that ethical indulgent, and this is the default momentum progress keeps up with technological unless sufficient resistance is engendered. progress. If the development of Bacon’s This is where politics is unavoidably attitude represents the forces of neglect, central, but awareness and outrage provide against these are ranged the forces of the fuel for action, otherwise we just remain care. The former embodies power-hunger, passive passengers and betray the future greed, growth fetishism, hedonism and of our children. Hence the pressing need psychological weaknesses, while the latter for more people to become activists and stands for self-restraint, respect for the bring together the forces of care. This book natural world, love of one’s children, and articulates why this has become urgent and the desire for civilisation to flourish (p. necessary. 124). In other words, domination and Systems Science and which acknowledges exploitation versus living in harmony humans as a geological force. Progressive with nature. He sums the situation up GENERAL thought in the humanities has been trying masterfully on page 135, where he lists the forces on the side of responsibility to cut humans down to size, but Hamilton ■ shows that our freedom and power and care, including scientific insights into ■ Language is Us – and Us the Earth’s physical limits, evidence of nevertheless confer great responsibility. Alone ecological disruption, the logic of long- term self-interest and the political power Lance Butler The first chapter spells out that this new of environmentalism. Against this is ■■ WHY ONLY US: geological era is a real rupture with the ranged an economic structure driven by past that has created a convergence of the profit motive, the enormous political LANGUAGE AND human and geological history as a result power of corporate interests, the seemingly EVOLUTION of the impact of human activity on the insatiable demand for material affluence, Robert C. Berwick and Noam Chomsky Earth System as a whole. Hamilton argues along with ‘human weaknesses of wilful that this represents an ontological shift in ignorance, apathy, evasion and denial.’ MIT Press, 2016, 224 pp, £15.95, p/b – human self-understanding. Paradoxically The Anthropocene meets globalisation, the ISBN 978-0-262-03424-1 and despite our technological power, we World Economic Forum meets the World have become more vulnerable as climate This is not a book for the faint-hearted Social Forum, freedom meets power and and, unless there has been some serious becomes less predictable and controllable. responsibility. The upward trend recorded by the brightening-up in recent years, readers able insurance industry is a significant indication to understand its every paragraph will be Hamilton makes a clear distinction between very few in number. of this. Humans are both separate from anthropocentrism as a scientific fact and and embedded in nature, and the history of a normative claim: we now inhabit the Berwick and Chomsky (yes, I was surprised modern science has been one of masculine Earth System driven by interconnected too, for this is the very Chomsky who rose striving for control and domination. cycles and forces, where human activity Correspondingly, we do have freedom, but modifies many of the processes and has - to controversial prominence sixty years ago are also subject to necessity in terms of perhaps irreversibly - disrupted some of and is now nearing ninety) want to report natural laws. Hence, the use of our freedom these, which means that we cannot revert on where we are now in the vexed matter is a central issue, both collectively and to the Holocene. Oceans are one third of when, how and why language evolved individually. more acidic, while humans represent 30% biologically. I think that they could have of animal biomass on the planet, domestic done it more clearly for the general public, The title of this review comes from a animals 67%, and other wild animals only but in the event they have chosen to speak remark made by Napoleon to Goethe. 3% - a figure I found quite shocking. Our to fellow-researchers in their discipline. Hamilton contrasts the attitudes deriving collective power is very considerable, even if For this reason they take no prisoners and from Bacon and Goethe respectively. we feel disempowered at an individual level. often seem happy to exclude the rest of Bacon referred to science mastering and However, encouragingly and in spite of the us. Their book is awash with the special subjecting nature, which has been a driving fact that the measures were inadequate - see terms of their many disciplines, many of force ever since and is embodied in the my review of Peter Wadhams’ book - the them unexplained, and the sense of being eco-modernist approach that greets the tension between North and South shifted excluded from a small esoteric club is new era as a sign of our ability to renovate in the Paris Climate Summit of 2015 to constantly being sharpened as we read. and control nature. A statement from a rhetoric that humankind must act as a Take this sentence as a sample: the Breakthrough Institute claims that whole in response to the question: how can ‘humans appear fully capable of continuing we all live together on this Earth? Very, very little systematic abstraction-layer to support the burgeoning population by circuit design knowledge, from dataflow engineering and transforming the planet’ In spite of denials and resistance, we can architectures, to pipelined CPU designs, to (p. 63) A paradigmatic example would be no longer avoid planetary responsibility, asynchronous processing, has yet to make solar geo-engineering aimed at controlling especially given that we are now more its way into cognitive modelling practice. the global climate system and regulating the aware than ever of our impact on the (p. 133)

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All perfectly true no doubt, but how many 4. Instead of these external orientations readers will know what each and every one language evolved as an internal matter, of these monsters actually is? The contrast an ‘internal mental tool’, a way of between the rhetorical flourish at the start organising the new thoughts being of the sentence (the repetition of ‘very’) experienced by early man. Language and the brain-freezing specialist register of does a great deal more than merely the rest of it is a tiny glimmer of amusing communicate, notably in internal light discernible among these opacities. And spheres such as planning, calculating, there are pages and pages like this. daydreaming and poetry.

However, leaving the problems posed by this 5. ‘Externalisation’ – that is speaking and highly-academic register aside, one is able writing – come second to this internal to discern something very useful here. Thus: process and may not even be a necessary we know that language evolved at some consequence of it. point and we know that language has been a sine qua non of human development ever 6. Language evolved NOT in a slow, since, but there are problems: how could gradual, pure-Darwinian way but very so complex a feature of being human have quickly, probably as a result of some developed in the very short evolutionary time- minor mutation in the brain that pulled span available for it? Was there no language various of its capacities together. among hominid populations? Among Neanderthals? Is there any real language 7. Subsequent language development among primates such as chimpanzees? To is another matter entirely and is quote the title of this book: Why Only Us? (I not ‘evolution’ as such. The history don’t know why the publishers have omitted of language from the beginning is Second and following from this, it is the question-mark from this obviously- inexorably dependent on that first wonderful to feel some of the great currents interrogative implied clause.) Is there a mutation, that chance concatenation of of modern thought coming together. gene for language? What is it about the circumstances in the brain. Since then Berwick and Chomsky are happy to quote development of the brain of Homo sapiens nothing much has changed in the Basic Saussure though they come from a very that permitted language to emerge? Property of the brains of language- different school, and they sound like users. A Martian might easily see all the Derridians in their description of how planet’s languages as dialects emerging I could not possibly rehearse the language formed the world of early man from this same basic ability. Little or no compacted, even clotted, arguments that and how it forms our later world too in just actual biological evolution has occurred sustain Berwick and Chomsky’s answers to the same way. Great minds think alike, as in our linguistic abilities since they came these questions, but it does seem that they they say. to us. have done the work for us by reviewing and assessing all the relevant research Thirdly and finally, my feeling of 8. Real language arrived on the scene and scholarship in the area. They leap inspiration after reading this book is based about 80,000 years ago, before the polymathically from biology to game on its provision of something scientific exodus from Africa and the diaspora theory to linguistics to anthropology and and palpable to hold on to in our endless of Homo sapiens across the world philosophy in the most impressive manner political arguments: I am not an obsessive which took place about 60,000 years and even if we cannot follow them we can egalitarian but it is very nice to learn that ago. As a result of this point and the perhaps believe that they know what they at a deep level all humans are the same preceding one we may conclude that we are talking about after what amounts to a because they all have the same real language all belong to the same family, Hom sap, century of thought and work, which is what capacity. Language is so much the heart and in the sense that we all have the Basic they have amassed between them. soul of everything we do as humans that Property that makes language possible this easily trumps a large number of more – aboriginal Australians, Africans, superficial differences. Here are some of their answers, as they Chinese, Amerindians and Caucasians present them, opaquely for we outsiders alike. Lance Butler worked in the English but tentatively and modestly it has to be Departments of the University of Stirling admitted. All these ideas have come forward in recent and the University of Pau for forty-five years and has now retired to Perthshire 1. Human language is very special. decades because of advances in the study of the brain and in the study of fossil and where he is working on a book on Songbirds and chimpanzees do not really Etymology. have ‘language’ in our advanced sense of other records and, of course, because of the term. The term ‘language’ is simply work in linguistics. In spite of its dense and at time rebarbative nature I found myself not suitable to describe the abilities of ■■ The Discovery of a Gene even the best-educated ape. surprisingly inspired by this book once I had waded through it. First because, in spite Design Machine 2. There was no real ‘protolanguage’ of its high and exclusive professionalism, Janine Edge among hominids and Neanderthals. it shows the very best of interdisciplinary They may have done the communicating thinking at work: perhaps only great ■■ A CRACK IN CREATION of animals (roaring, birdsong, mating brains like the brains of these two authors, – THE NEW POWER TO calls) but they show no signs of a along with that of Steven Pinker say, could second-degree consciousness of language have put together biology, anthropology, CONTROL EVOLUTION such as we find among early men in linguistics and many other considerations Jennifer Doudna & Samuel Sternberg cave-paintings and the like. to come up with an authoritative synthesis. The Bodley Head, 2017, 285 pp., £9 p/b Not only do they remind biologists, for - ISBN 978-1-84792-381-3 3. This is because real human instance, that they need to keep up with language is NOT a matter of simple advances in linguistics before pronouncing The spectacular advance in gene editing ‘communication’ as is assumed by most on the evolution of language, they remind technology (known as ‘CRISPR’) has recently biologists. Nor is language referential: it all of us that a monocular approach to attracted significant attention in the media doesn’t simply indicate pre-established matters human is almost bound to miss and this book is on how it came about. I entities within the world but rather something important or simply fail to consider it a must read, not least because of creates the world we inhabit. understand what is going on. the huge implications for our environment

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interspaced short palindromic repeats’ found with WHIM syndrome which is a potentially in bacteria which were discovered to be deadly immunodeficiency disease caused by a strands of identical DNA taken from a virus single incorrect letter among some six billion which previously infected the bacteria. When total letters of DNA. The patient found herself the virus strikes the bacteria again, the CRISPR suddenly cured at the age of 38. It transpired generate RNA strands from the stored DNA that a stem cell in her blood (from which all and combine each one with a protein called other blood cells in her body originated) had Cas 9. The RNA acts like a guide taking the undergone a spontaneous shattering to the protein to the offending DNA sequence in the virus and the Cas9 acts like a weapon to snip chromosome which harboured the mutated that sequence out. The virus is thus disabled. gene. This particular case was highly unusual but apparently scientific literature is peppered In June 2012 the CRISPR discovery was with cases of genetic diseases being cured published by Doudna and others together through spontaneous editing of a genome. with a suggestion that this natural process CRISPR technology enables this to be done on could be harnessed for genome editing. The purpose – and for the benefit of many, it could next 5 years saw an explosion research all be argued. round the world which involved combining RNA with the Cas-9 protein to enable a So how is CRISPR different from previous genome to be edited almost like a piece genetic tinkering such as Dolly the sheep of text, including adding in strands of cloning, gene splicing and test tube babies? The DNA. This has shown the potential use answer is CRIPR is much, much more accurate, of the CRISPR technology to treat genetic quick to carry out, cheap and relatively easy. diseases (sickle cell anaemia, cystic fibrosis Even undergraduate biology students are using and muscular dystrophy to mention just and society. The cover calls it ‘potentially the three), lower the risk of or cure many other it, as shown in a TED talk given by Doudna most powerful and dangerous’ of all human conditions and to edit virtually any gene in which can be found on YouTube. The ease of discoveries and this may be no exaggeration. any cell, plant or animal, for any purpose. use of CRISPR has led to some alarming (for This includes germline cells which, when so me) experiments, including altering the DNA It is also of interest to those looking beyond edited, have the potential to continue for all of an African elephant to make it more like a the technical science. First it shows how future generations. woolly mammoth and humanising the DNA CRISPR occurs in nature and there is an of pigs to make their organs more suitable intriguing story at the beginning about a The second part of the book is entitled for human organ transplants. The knowledge spontaneous healing of a genetic disease. ‘The Task’ and is about the enormous needed to use the CRISPR technology is now Secondly Professor Doudna, the main pioneer implications of CRISPR and how Doudna has widely available. of the CRISPR technology, writes the book personally orientated her life from scientist in the first person and we are taken on her to international coordinator of the effort to So what are the risks? If it goes wrong it personal journey complete with her dreams agree a way to contain the use of the CRISPR could play havoc with our environment, and emotions. Lastly Doudna is a scientist technology. This is no easy task. Only one not to mention the evolution of the human who has decided to engage fully in the moral, month after Doudna and her colleagues ethical and even spiritual implications of her published as article asking scientists to refrain species, even if used in good faith. It is discovery, even asking questions such as - from human germline cell editing, an article almost impossible to predict the unforeseen ‘Will we be transgressing divine laws if we use was published in April 2015 describing circumstances. And what if it is used for this technology’? experiments carried out in a Chinese nefarious purposes - genetic terrorism and university to edit the beta-globin gene in 86 eugenics to name but two? On the plus side The book divides into two halves. The human embryos, with a view to preventing it could, for example, aid food production in first part, entitled ‘The Tool’, is a detailed the genetic blood disorder known as beta- a rapidly changing climate, eradicate horrific description of how the CRISPR gene editing thalassemia. The ethical issues are not straight hereditary conditions, cure other diseases and technology was discovered and works. forward. If this technology is available, when modify the genes of mosquitoes so they can Doudna starts from first principles on what could it be right to use it? no longer carry malaria. So it seems we all is a genome, chromosome, gene and DNA, need to know and participate in discussions and how genetic information is passed from On this point, it is interesting to learn that about the CRISPR technology - which is DNA to RNA (produced from the DNA apparently every person experiences roughly what, more than anything else, Doudna template) to protein. It quickly progresses to one million DNA mutations throughout the advocates in her book. an in-depth account of a naturally occurring body per second. Which leads back to the process in which bacteria acquire immunity to story about the spontaneous healing at the Janine Edge is Chair of the Network Trustees viruses. CRISPR stands for ‘clustered regularly beginning of the book. It concerns a woman and works as a legal mediator.

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which compares with sympathetic magic. SCIENCE-PHILOSOPHY Universities emerged at a time when the curriculum was still dominated by Aristotle OF SCIENCE as well as the Church, but they gradually ■■ Mass became more autonomous and important centres for scientific development associated Jim Baggott with questioning traditional authority. Oxford 2017, 346 pp., £20, h/b. Patrons also played a significant role before In this informative and readable account, the the more widespread availability of public David Lorimer author traces the history of mass from the funding for science in the 19th century. The Note: many of these books are Greek atomists to quantum fields. He shows second part is about the practical aspects now available in downloadable how modern developments have undermined of science - including medicine - and the electronic form comfortable preconceptions and given us institutions and communities that have a completely different perspective on the developed. It includes chapters on fieldwork, world. Most of what Baggott writes about the changing definition of life, mapping the has occurred in the last 100 years, and he universe cosmologically, the role of theory, writes compellingly about these developments and the ways in which science has been with five-point summaries of the end of each communicated. Theoretical differences, such chapter. A key insight is that the mass of an as between Einstein and Bohr, have given rise object should be understood as a behaviour to widespread debates as we try to formulate a more unified and coherent vision, while rather than a property: ‘something the object accommodating new forms of knowledge and does rather than something it has.’ Ultimately, research. The possibilities for communicating he explains that mass is in fact a secondary science have of course expanded enormously, quality: ‘there is no such thing as mass, there but so has the complexity and extent along is only the energy content of quantum fields.’ with accompanying ethical issues. This is a In elaborating the features of the standard highly readable and informative volume. model, he nevertheless points out that it is full of explanatory holes and that scientists ■■ The Physicist and the are forced to speculate. However, at the end of a century of extraordinary progress, we Philosopher are humbler than our 19th-century forebears Jimena Canales in admitting the extent of what we do not Princeton 2017, 479 pp., £18.95, p/b. yet know about ‘the reality of things-in- The protagonists in this fascinating book themselves.’ It is possible, however, that this are Einstein and Bergson, who engaged in a phrase may put us on the wrong track by high-profile debate in Paris on April 6, 1922. implicitly denying a more fundamental role to The main bone of contention was the nature consciousness in the overall scheme of things. of time in Einstein’s relativity, but the debate ■ goes wider in showing up tensions between ■ The Oxford Illustrated science and philosophy. Sir Herbert Dingle History of Science was probably correct in lamenting that a Edited by Ivan Rhys Morris scientist ‘understands what he is doing about as well as a centipede understands how he Oxford 2017, 435 pp., £25, h/b. walks.’ For the philosopher, science always Surprisingly, this book claims to be the first presupposes metaphysical assumptions, of fully illustrated global history of science, which the scientist himself is rarely aware. and is written by leading experts in the field. In this case, Bergson wanted to insist on It is an excellent volume in two parts: the distinguishing the psychological experience first is about origins of science in various of time from time as understood by relativity, parts of the world. This covers the eastern and he has often been accused of not Mediterranean, ancient China, mediaeval understanding the science. Einstein insisted Christian and Islamic science, science in the that psychological perceptions of time pre-modern East, the scientific revolution of were off the mark and did not correspond the 17th century, and Enlightenment science. to anything concrete. Philosophers were The authors relate the development of science divided: Whitehead was sympathetic - as was to social conditions as well as to the overall Eddington - while Russell was very critical, definitions and shifts in world view. It is accusing Bergson of being anti-intellectual fundamentally the story of how we have with his emphasis on intuition. We can now tried to make sense of the world, and it is see, as in the work of Iain McGilchrist, that interesting to see the role played historically we should appreciate the differing roles of the by astrology in various different cultures, left and right hemisphere in our thinking.

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Einstein and Bergson were both public transmission, the origins of language and ■■ The Mystery of Emerging figures. It is easy to forget how famous the foundations of cooperation. There is a Bergson was before the First World War fascinating chapter on the evolutionary roots Form – when he gave a public lecture in New of the arts, especially rhythm and dance. We Yvan Rioux (SMN) York it was said that he was responsible for have enormous adaptive plasticity, which we Temple Lodge 2017, 188 pp., one of the city’s largest ever traffic jams. are now coming to appreciate also in relation £16.99, p/b. Einstein became a much more substantial to the brain. The argument for the culture This book builds on the work of Rudolf media figure later in his career, but it is drive hypothesis is entirely convincing in Steiner, and especially his Calendar of the interesting to note that they both took my view, and nicely illustrated in a diagram Soul, where the constellations of the Zodiac political stances – Bergson tried to persuade on page 129 where one can appreciate are illustrated by Imma von Eckhardstein the American president to enter World War the feedback loop between high fidelity and reproduced here. Trained in biology, I sooner, while Einstein is famous for his copying and the evolution of larger brains. Yvan’s perspective is very different from antinuclear campaigning, along with Russell. Agricultural settlement is another key staging the objectifying gaze of modern science and The split described can also be seen in the post enabling the development of civilisation draws on two important concepts from contrast between continental and analytical and more specific shaping of the environment Aristotle: his hylomorphism, where ‘beings philosophy, and between those like Bergson to human use. This effectively creates a and things (ousia) are compounds of matter who took psychical research seriously and congenial niche as well as an upsurge in and form emerging out of nature’s rhythms’ those who dismissed it out of hand. In this innovation and greatly increased population; (and our own perception); then entelechy, the connection, it was interesting that there is as we know, however, each advance brings its active spirit directing matter into form. In this no mention of non-locality in relation to own corresponding challenges. Settlements book, spirit is ‘a conscious intelligent activity the speed of light. The word is not in the provide new opportunities for cooperation or intention that makes the fabric of the index, nor is John Stewart Bell, and yet non- - including trade - but also for rivalries. In kingdoms of nature.’ (p. 3) This same creative locality has something to contribute to the our current situation, it has become crucial intention works within us, coordinated by debate. In the Postface, the author discusses to enhance our capacity for cooperation on what the author calls a rhythmic purpose the changing views of Ilya Prigogine to a larger scale beyond the nation state. These resonating with the Zodiac constellations. Bergson, who found him sympathetic in thoughts were developed by Kropotkin and Each of the 12 chapters follows a similar his explanation of aspects of temporal others in terms of mutual aid, a feature also structure, unfolding from simple to more development that had been unexplained by emphasised by Margulis and more recently complex and self-conscious life forms. Einstein. Prigogine was critical of Einstein’s by Elisabet Sahtouris. The author remarks Perceptually, the formative force is not behind views about the arrow of time as an illusion, that the scale and complexity of human the form, but, according to Goethe, ‘comes since it left no real space for creativity and cooperation is unprecedented, but we now into view through manifestation’, even if our novelty as explained by Bergson. Reading need to take things to the next stage, and this limited senses cannot grasp it as a whole. This this book makes one realise how widely the book provides the necessary evolutionary is a subtle journey of sequences of unfolding implications of this debate were felt, and background and understanding. forms all expressing the one life. that they are still relevant to the relationship between science and philosophy today. st ■■ Spiritual Science in the 21 MEDICINE-HEALTH ■■ Darwin’s Unfinished Century Yeshayahu Ben-Aharon ■■ Spiritual and Religious Symphony Temple Lodge Press 2017, 297 pp., Competencies in Clinical Kevin Laland £22.50/ p/b. Practice Princeton 2017, 450 pp., £27.95, h/b. Ben-Aharon is a spiritual scientist, Cassandra Vieten, PhD and Shelley This is a very impressive interdisciplinary philosopher and social activist living in Israel, Scammell PsyD work about cultural evolution that draws who is also the co-founder of the Global on the author’s research over a 30-year Network for Social Threefolding. The book New Harbinger Publications 2017, period about the ways in which culture consists of 13 lectures given in the arts of the 229 pp., $49.95, p/b. drives the development of the human mind, world from 1997 to 2012 on a wide variety The last 20 years have seen considerable addressing the fundamental question about of topics: spiritual science in contemporary developments in the relationship between how evolutionary processes have resulted philosophy, changing self-love into world spirituality and health and in spiritual literacy in our unique human heritage. It covers thinking, the working of Christ in apocalyptic for clinicians – the existence of the special social learning across many species in terms conditions, Israeli civil society and the global interest group in spirituality and psychiatry of imitation and copying, showing how melting pot of the clash of civilisations, the within the Royal College of Psychiatry is ‘the learned and transmitted activities of global initiation of humanity and education. indicative of this phenomenon. Although the our ancestors shaped our intellect through The author is exceptionally well informed Christian background of the US is somewhat accelerating cycles of evolutionary feedback.’ across a number of disciplines, and an different to that of Europe, the 16 research- In other words, culture has been a fundamental important consideration is the spiritualisation based guidelines about how to navigate the driving force mediated by its co-evolution with of thinking, taking as a point of departure spiritual and religious domains of clients’ genes. In this respect, I was surprised not to Steiner’s Philosophy of Freedom, ultimately lives are equally applicable. A survey of find any mention of epigenetics in the index, representing not analysis but transformation, 300 psychologists revealed that 80% of as this deals with gene expression shaped by and wrestling with the riddle of spiritual them thought that psychologists should lifestyle and therefore culture. It also seemed nature of the human being in relation to the receive training in spiritual and religious to me that the author has not fully absorbed problem of immortality. The author shows competencies, while 70% of them said that the implications of Gaia theory articulated by himself a realist in political terms and has no they had no such training. The rationale Lovelock and Margulis where organisms and illusions about the current world order with for such training is very strong, especially environment are closely intertwined rather its pragmatic power-seeking. However, he has as clients wish to address such issues and than the latter exerting selection pressure on faith in the ultimate power of love and talks that spirituality and religion are links to the former to adapt in certain specific ways. about a spiritual rather than technological psychological well-being. This systems way of thinking has yet to singularity when we finally identify with our permeate biology. higher nature. In addition, we can transcend The three parts divide the 16 competencies narrow nationalism by embracing our into attitudes, knowledge, and skills, the The two parts address the foundations identity as global citizens and transform our most important of which is demonstrating of culture in terms of copying, imitation, educational systems so that people take more empathy, respect and appreciation for clients. innovation and creativity, then evolution responsibility for our collective future. Psychologists also need to understand the of the mind, the need for accuracy in social A stimulating volume. increasing spiritual and religious diversity

64 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 among their clients, and can be considerably ■■ Paleo in a Nutshell the cancer extends over five or more years. challenged by beliefs that they personally find The journal entries in the second part bring Geoff Bond uncongenial, as some of the case histories this vividly to life, with repeated CT scans SquareOne publishers 2017, 168 pp., demonstrate. It is here that becoming more and a rhythm of remission and relapse, $15.95, p/b. self-aware about your own beliefs and their hope and fear, leading to the realisation that role in therapeutic relationships is critical. Geoff Bond originally qualified in applied one may achieve healing without a cure. sciences and has written extensively on living Other important areas include knowing Sometimes, treatment options are agonising the difference between spirituality and in harmony with nature and embodying ‘the lifestyle that nature designed for us in as one has to make a decision while fearing psychopathology, eliciting spiritual resources, the consequences. Readers will be inspired knowledge of legal and ethical issues, ways of Palaeolithic times.’ He has read widely, as well as studying tribal societies. It is evident, by the courage, persistence and tenacity of taking a spiritual history and acknowledging as Sir Robert McCarrison observed a hundred the author, as well as by her lucidity and your own limits. This is essential reading years ago, that the modern refined diet is compassion. for mental health professionals, but is also strongly correlated with the diseases of accessible to the general reader. The book civilisation, which were absent in the Hunza also contains provisional training guidelines people he studied. So in order to recover our ■■ Network Medicine and a list of resources related to specific health, we need to review our lifestyles and Edited by Joseph Loscalzo, Albert-Laszlo competencies. learn from these long-lived people. Geoff’s Barabasi and Edwin K. Silverman approach is based on the hunter gatherer, Harvard 2017, 436 pp., £33.95, h/b. ■■ Common Sense about Health who ate 75% plant and 25% animal matter as well as taking a lot of exercise. He stresses Subtitled ‘complex systems in human disease Dr Peter Mansfield (SMN) the importance of an alkalising diet rich in and therapeutics’, this volume builds on big Scholars’ Press 2017, 214 pp., micronutrients and fibre, which is low in data, genomics and quantitative approaches €39.90, p/b. sodium and high to network-based analysis. The book goes Peter is a physician of rare integrity and moral in potassium. beyond the model of identifying singular courage, who has never hesitated to set out molecular defects as the cause of disease to his views and enter into controversies where His chapter on how things went wrong a consideration of the inherent complexity necessary, while at the same time providing explains the problems with cereals, potatoes, of human diseases, a lack of understanding exemplary avenues for the cultivation of real sugar, dairy and beans. He produces his own of which has led to inappropriate treatments pyramid based on these insights and gives an health rather than the management of disease with adverse side-effects. The new network owner’s manual as an overall guide, dealing - the focus of much modern medicine. He medicine embraces this complexity at many in detail with 12 separate food groups, giving levels but stops short of considering the was inspired by the Peckham Experiment in colour coding to desirable and undesirable community health of the late 1930s as well foods. He then explains how to adopt role of the mind in influencing molecular as other pioneers in natural health. Here he this way of eating so we are no longer so processes. Chapters include coverage of sets out his own philosophy of health as well dependent for fuel on carbohydrates. Overall, epigenetics, metabolomics, microbiomics, as resources and a variety of recommended this means replacing grains, legumes and systems pharmacology and systems approaches. He explains his four axioms: the sugars with leafy greens, vegetables, fruits approaches to clinical trials. The number relationship between essence and substance and nuts. This involves a fundamental review of elements and levels of complexity are or principle and form, wholes and wholeness, for most people, but the potential benefits for mind-boggling and this book provides an affinity, relationship and order, and health a healthy lifespan are priceless. Geoff helps excellent technical introduction to the field and creation. From this he derives an overall by providing recipes and resources (his own for specialists rather than the general reader. dynamic of the creation of larger wholes as website is www.thebondeffect.com). Based critical to health. The reverse of this is the on my reading of many different approaches, emergence of unease, disease then disorder it seems more important to avoid refined ■■ Where God and Medicine and a state of diminished vitality. and processed foods as the positive benefits Meet of individual approaches are less clear. I also wondered about how the Ayurvedic approach Neale Donald Walsch and Brit Providing the enabling conditions for the might square with this, with its three types Cooper MD creation and maintenance of health is of vata, kapha and pitta requiring different Rainbow Ridge Books 2016, 186 pp., therefore his main aim, which he has achieved kinds of nutrients. Having said that, I think it $16.95, p/b. through the Templegarth Club and Good is certainly worthwhile to move in the Paleo HealthKeeping (www.goodhealthkeeping. direction, especially from a public health Neale Donald Walsch is well known for his co.uk). The book then covers a number of angle. This is an excellent introduction. Conversations with God series, and here he is resources for health, including sunlight, air, in dialogue with a young doctor who was also water, food, cleansing, and also adventure, one of his students. The dialogues consider purpose, belief and sleep. Then the final ■■ A Most Clarifying Battle human life, the body and health in a wider section summarises the contributions of Landis M. F. Vance framework, integrating the physical with the various traditions of medicine, including O Books 2017, 127 pp., £9.99, p/b. spiritual; then the second part is a series of homeopathic, anthroposophical and Chinese, The late Landis Vance was a chaplain, questions and answers on a number of topics along with the role of water treatments and scientist and educator who examined research including dementia, prescriptions, death and manipulative therapies. This is full of good into illness, suffering and spirituality, and spiritual healing. Overall, the book is a timely practical advice, and I commend Peter’s movingly articulates her own rollercoaster reminder of some of the core messages of approach as a refreshingly frank distillation experience of cancer where the treatments Conversations with God: that life is primarily of his views and experience. as a whole took a huge toll, with cytotoxic a spiritual experience of being, that we are chemotherapy nearly killing her on more than here to help and heal each other in a spirit one occasion. She depicts ‘the inner landscape of Oneness, that what you resist persists, of suffering’ and the loss of control that often results from the patient – medical system that gratitude is a powerful policy, and that interaction. Even in the face of such suffering, life goes in cycles, renewing and expressing one can still live a full life, even though itself in new forms. Quality of life is more full of challenges to one’s habitual way of important than quantity, and we need to tune functioning and relationships with friends in to our soul agenda beyond our immediate and family. This is particularly the case when physical preoccupations.

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■■ Dawkins’ God develop into sympathy and of course a much PHILOSOPHY- more complex moral system where we aspire Alister McGrath SPIRITUALITY to expand the circle of morality beyond our Wiley Blackwell 2015 (2004), 192 pp., immediate kin. In philosophy, these ideas were ■■ Science and Religion – £15.99, p/b. developed by Francis Hutcheson and Adam Alister McGrath is the professor of science Smith in the 18th century. In his comment, an Impossible Dialogue and religion at Oxford, author of more than Peter Singer distinguishes between the Yves Gingras 20 books and trained both as a theologian proposition that human nature is inherently Polity Press 2017, 249 pp., £27.95, p/b. and biophysicist. This is probably the most social and shares patterns of behaviour with other social mammals and the idea, which As the subtitle suggests, this book questions intelligent, comprehensive and articulate he does not defend, of human ethics deriving the fashionable emphasis on dialogue book addressing the extensive writings of entirely from nature and social mammals. In between science and religion by arguing Richard Dawkins on God and atheism. the final part, de Waal modulates his view that they are social institutions giving rise The author expresses his admiration for and provides a useful table of three levels to incompatible ways of knowing and Dawkins as a scientific populariser, but also his dismay as he gradually evolves into of morality, comprising moral sentiments, rooted in different methodologies and forms crusading atheist fighting the straw man social pressure, and judgement and reasoning, of knowledge. It is both a historical and of blind faith as he defines it. McGrath’s while continuing to advance his case that sociological study going back to Copernicus knowledge of Darwinism and theology is human morality elaborates upon pre-existing and Galileo and building on the work of exceptionally thorough, so he is able to biological tendencies. This is an informative Durkheim on the growing autonomy of describe the rise of Darwinism as a scientific and accessible discussion to an important science. The author’s fundamental position theory and the selfish gene view introduced topic. is that the methodological naturalism of by Dawkins in 1976. Then there are chapters science excludes any entity transcending on faith in relation to evidence, proof and nature given that ‘all sciences must explain ■■ Pandeism – an Anthology rationality in both science and religion, Edited by Knujon Mapson the world by natural principles, immanent the blind watchmaker and the question of to nature.’ (p. 165) So there can be no design, Dawkins’ use of the meme cultural iff Books (John Hunt) 2017, 462 pp., supernatural causes, and the world has been Darwinism, and finally a critical analysis £19.99, p/b. justly disenchanted by the autonomisation of his book The God Delusion. He shows Few readers will have heard of the term of natural science - God has moved from that Dawkins has caricatured faith in a way ‘pandeism’, the proposition that the Creator the centre to the periphery. The perspective unrecognisable to sophisticated theologians, of our Universe created by becoming our of institutions is indeed important, as they that science itself has limits and that it does Universe, but this extensive anthology fills the constitute shifting power relationships, not necessarily lead inexorably to atheism or gap. The three parts cover fundamentals of and the author is certainly correct in his even agnosticism. The inventor of this term, pandeism, its philosophical implications and analysis that the Church still hangs onto TH Huxley, insisted that ‘the God question some criticism and analysis from other views. epistemological and ontological power and could not be settled on the basis of the The editor provides a brief history, in which authority, diminishing though it is. Science, scientific method’, hence his anti-dogmatic many familiar names such as Newton, Leibniz however, also uses its corresponding power position. Anyone wishing seriously to engage and Spinoza appear. Elaborating on the basic to exclude unorthodox and heretical views. with the new atheism should read this very definition, Encyclopaedia Britannica notes thorough book. that pandeism ‘attempted to unite aspects of An important issue concerns the limits of Deism with pantheism. Since God becomes science, which the author sees as the limits of ■■ Primates and Philosophers the universe in the act of creation, ‘there our current horizon. He seems to share the is no theological need to posit any special Frans de Waal et al view of Peter Atkins in the limitless power relationship between God and creation; rather, of science to explain everything in natural Princeton 2017, 209 pp., $17.95, p/b. God is the universe and not a transcendent terms, including consciousness. The author This fascinating book by one of the leading entity which created and subsequently governs traces the recent emergence of a new phase primatologists examines the biological it.’ In other words, God expresses him/herself of science – religion dialogue, much of which foundations of morality as it grows out of through conscious lifeforms and is therefore has been supported by the John Templeton primate sociality while remaining within immanent rather than transcendent. This Foundation; this is critically discussed at a framework of random natural selection. corresponds to Whitehead’s notion of the length (p. 153 ff.) in terms of both prizes After an editorial introduction, Frans de Waal consequent or evolutionary nature of God as and programmes. Readers should note provides the main essay, which is followed by opposed to the transcendent. There are also that American views on evolution are not four commentaries and a response by de Waal. parallels with New Thought and the idea of reproduced in Europe. Many well-known His case is based on extensive field observation an omnipresent universal mind, and there is books and thinkers are reviewed in the and takes the broad view that humans are a contribution from William Walter Atkinson chapter on ‘dialogue’ between science and basically good, corresponding to the theology (1862-1932). religion, along with the political implications of Matthew Fox of original blessing as of the Templeton Prize, for instance in the opposed to the orthodox view of original There are many good analytical essays in this case of Martin Rees. The final chapter pits sin. The biological equivalent of this is what volume, which require some philosophical belief versus science, and in his conclusion de Waal calls the Veneer Theory espoused background on the part of the reader. - betting on reason - he does admit that by TH Huxley, Richard Dawkins and others Bernardo Kastrup provides an interesting methodological naturalism as the basis of and expressed philosophically by Thomas idealist slant, while Alan Dawe gives a proof science cannot itself be demonstrated even Hobbes: that we are basically selfish and that of the pandeist theorem that if God exists, if he regards it as a good bet. He sees this as altruism is a veneer. It becomes apparent from then God is identical to the Universe. Mapson validated by the consequences and results the commentaries that this thesis is somewhat argues that theism requires more assumptions it produces, although reason need not be overstated, but it does capture an important than pandeism, while Dan Dana, arguing confined to naturalistic premises when it point set out in a table on page 22. from a scientistic perspective, finds even can in fact operate on a wider philosophical pandeism unparsimonious. Zoltan Istvan basis than argued here. De Waal acknowledges the pioneering takes an upbeat view of transhumanism contributions of Kropotkin’s Mutual Aid in contrast to what he calls ‘deathism’, and the work of Edward Westermarck. He supporting technological enhancement of sees empathy as an evolutionary mechanism human biology. Apart from one reference, found in primates and favouring the survival love is conspicuous by its absence, and of both individuals and the group. This is experience of the divine as love is the basis in the first instance empathy as a form of of mystical theism. A stimulating collection emotional contagion, but can in humans articulating an interesting viewpoint.

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■■ Heretics! of the region and aspects of the more esoteric extensively discussed by Seyyed Hossein Nasr stream in Catharism. These include women in his seminal Gifford Lectures, Knowledge Steven Nadler and Ben Nadler in the spiritual tradition of Christianity, the and the Sacred. She would like to see this link Princeton 2017, 179 pp., £18.95, p/b. Bogomils as a spiritual influence in Europe, reforged, and defines wisdom as knowledge Set out in a highly original cartoon strip the relationship of Cathars and Troubadours deepened by love. This is an inspiring vision form, this book tells the story of the birth to other traditions and Cathars and the quite at odds with the impersonal and of modern philosophy and political freedom origins of Protestantism. There is an emphasis mechanistic prospect of trans-humanism with in the 17th century, featuring not only on gnosis and the idea of a church of love, its emphasis on manipulation and control the best-known characters like Galileo, which is still very much alive among some and a transition from the I-Thou relationship Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, Leibniz locals. Gadal also relates to the real story of (Martin Buber) to the I-Phone link. The and Newton, but also less well-known Rosicrucianism as a triple alliance of light. intimacy of I-Thou is surely of a different and contributors like the Jansenist Arnauld, Henry The neo-Bogomil teaching of Peter Deunov vastly more significant order. It is a worthy More, Lady Anne Conway and Elizabeth also features, as does the history of druidism and inspiring goal to reconnect love with of Bohemia. All these people challenged in the area. It is a richly illustrated and knowledge in the pursuit of wisdom. existing religious and political authority, as informative book for those who read either well as each other, and the narrative format French or Spanish. ■ provides not only a commentary but also ■ Spiritualise your Life typical exchanges between these philosophers. ■■ Teilhard de Chardin on Love Allan Armstrong (SMN) Ancient ways of making sense of the world Imagier Publishing 2017, 198 pp., are discarded in favour of natural philosophy Louis M. Savary and Patricia H. Berne £12.50, p/b. and the emergence of materialism that has Paulist Press 2017, 234 pp., £20.99, p/b. With the publication of so much eclectic come to dominate modern thinking. Most of This is an extensive book explaining Teilhard’s work in the field of spirituality, it is refreshing the key books were on the Inquisition index, philosophy and practice of love, which he to have a clear statement of the essential and many of these leading thinkers were prophesied would eventually be harnessed as disciplines of spiritual life relating to exiled or persecuted. The book moves around an energy. In the foreword, Ilia Delio sees a traditional Christianity. This path requires Europe with specific dates and encounters, death of love associated with modernity and its real dedication and is a lifelong process finishing in Geneva with Voltaire in 1755. impersonal approach. In the Teilhardian view, of ‘patient ferment’. The first part gives a The author could have mentioned his love is the core relational energy of evolution different theoretical and practical slant on Philosophical Letters of 1734, which resulted towards more being and greater fullness based meditation, beginning with the chemistry from his exile in London and studying of on attraction and connection. The authors of stress and the need for techniques of Newton. Voltaire praises the English virtue summarise this as the Law of Attraction – relaxation, then moving on to the nature of toleration and attacked the Church for Connection – Complexity - Consciousness as of concentration, conceptualisation and holding up the progress of knowledge. Not repeating stages in life. There is a gradual shift controlled imagining. All this is simply and surprisingly, the occult side of Newton is from a focus on knowledge to one on love lucidly explained, with excellent practical not mentioned, and the emphasis on reason based on the premise that God is indeed Love. step-by-step guidelines. Next comes the art and evidence needs to extend beyond the The second practical part gives more detailed of this kind of meditation itself, beginning materialistic approach of our time, otherwise advice and exercises for committed partners, with reflection on the day’s events in relation the new orthodoxy just gives rise to a new parents and children, friendship and teams. to what Allan calls the transient self, with a form of heresy. Having said that, this is an This culminates in a theology of love and focus on mind, imagination and will at various entertaining and informative read. what they call omega love. This is a mystical levels. The second part covers the nature of Christian path where one becomes more prayer, helpfully explaining its various forms, ■■ Sabarthez – Berceau de acutely aware of the personal contribution we especially the importance of interior prayer can make. There are, however, many more for our personal development and in relation l’Humanite accessible stages of development described in to the cultivation of virtues. Allan devotes a Ritman 2012, 287 pp, €20, p/b. the book. chapter to the beatitudes and to contemplative A historic event took place recently at St reading or lectio divina, with its four stages of Felix en Lauragais near Toulouse. In this ■■ The Unbearable Wholeness lectio, meditation, oratio and contemplatio. small town a congress was arranged in 1167, He also explains the stages of the Devotio presided over by the Bogomil bishop from of Being Moderna method and the daily rhythm of Constantinople, Nicetas. A number of people Ilia Delio prayer. Finally, he selects some themes for decided to hold a commemorative 850th Orbis Books 2013, 230 pp., £17.99, p/b. meditation consisting of well-known passages from the Bible. Allan has distilled over 40 anniversary bringing together mainly French This book takes up the themes of the years of practice into this guide for spiritual and Bulgarians, but also some Dutch people previous one using the thought of Teilhard practice, and anyone wishing to deepen including Joost Ritman, the founder of the de Chardin as a springboard. The author is their knowledge of Christian meditation and Ritman Library of philosophy and esotericism a Senior Fellow in Science and Religion at contemplation should read this book. in Amsterdam. This contains 30,000 volumes, Georgetown University and is exceptionally and is a tremendous resource to scholars in well informed in scientific, philosophical and the field. The library arranged an exhibition theological terms. She begins by analysing ■■ Instant Presence in Tarascon sur Ariege in 2012, and this book the decentring process following the demise Enza Vita is the accompanying illustrated volume in of mediaeval theology and the rise of a French and Spanish. The reason for the title mechanistic universe. Her discussion of Watkins 2017, 178 pp., £10.99, p/b – referring to the cradle of humanity is the wholeness and nature includes the work of www.enzavita.com existence of a number of prehistoric caves David Bohm on the implicate order, as well The author of this illuminating and very dating back to before 10,000 BC. It might as systems biology and holons as we try to go direct book is an Italian living in Australia, have been more accurate to say a cradle of beyond the mechanistic metaphor. Her vision who publishes the InnerSelf newspaper Europe, but the other association is with the is a journey towards wholeness and love and and website. She understands spiritual Cathars, who retreated there after the fall she argues that we need a new evolutionary enlightenment as an ever present reality of Montsegur in 1244. The most interesting vision of God, quoting not only Teilhard but available to us, one which we fail to realise caves are off the beaten track and were also Paul Tillich and Raimon Panikkar. Her since the ‘searching for “it” outside myself researched by a number of scholars, including theology is more traditional with respect to had separated me from the very thing I Antonin Gadal (1877-1962). the cross as a symbol of kenosis (emptying), was seeking’ - in other words the sense of vulnerability and transformation. Perhaps the separation inherent in the ego is itself the The book contains many fascinating articles, most important insight is her analysis of the obstacle to be set aside rather than overcome: some autobiographical, others on the history breakdown between knowing and loving, also ‘ego just means the identification with a

www.scimednet.org 67 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 separate entity. Awareness is what we are. looking at the stillness of space, an unmoving that the solitary Rousseau was also the Ego is what we believe we are.’ (p. 85 - a space…. which is also emptiness.’ This author of The Social Contract and the notion brilliant formulation) In a normal state of sense of emptiness and spaciousness seems of general will. For Sloterdijk, the origin of consciousness, we find ourselves in a dualistic to correspond to pure consciousness. The freedom lies in noble disposition, generosity impasse, a trance of separation. We just need first part is devoted to deathless spirituality, and liberality in the sense of sympathy. This to realise that ‘you are the awake, boundless, then the second to death and dying, and is a highly original reading of the genealogy omnipresent consciousness that is right here, the third to the creative now. Some of the of freedom. right now.’ (p. 7) She distinguishes awareness valuable teaching about death and dying as timeless and eternal, which gives birth is given in the form of a dialogue, along to consciousness as the background for the with the lessons in detachment that we will ■■ The Happiness Philosophers appearance of the body-mind. Being awake is have to undergo. Hsin Tao emphasises the Bart Schultz our natural state of being, and it is important importance of preparing for death, which few Princeton 2017, 437 pp., £32.95, h/b. to note that ‘awakening arises through the of us address. In his view, meditation is a key The last 20 years have seen the rise of mind, not from the mind.’ (p. 71) preparatory practice that can also bring us to positive psychology and virtue ethics as well a state where our mind is more ordered and as the development of a scholarly industry Striving and orientation towards the future less fluctuating. This means that we will be around happiness, for instance in the work are additional forms of separation, so Enza able to face death with greater equanimity. of Richard Layard. This philosophical recommends ‘no practice practice’: real The ultimate development is that of the biography vividly describes the lives and meditation lies in letting go of control: ‘we bodhisattva embracing all sentient beings. works of the great utilitarians whose are just resting in what is happening moment This is precious teaching for our time. maxim was the greatest happiness of the by moment.’ (p. 83) Being present in the greatest number. The author brings to life moment means that living well is also learning ■ the personalities of these pioneers, most to die, every day, every moment. This means ■ The Magdalene Lars Muhl of whom were passionate social reformers simply being as we are, being present with as well as philosophers: William Godwin, what is already present. It also means paying Watkins 2016, 244 pp., £8.99, p/b. Mary Wollstonecraft, Jeremy Bentham, John attention rather than reading books, including This is volume 2 of the Grail trilogy reviewed Stuart Mill and Harriet Taylor, then finally this one! One story in the book made me as The O Manuscript in the summer issue - and perhaps more surprisingly - Henry laugh out loud: a king is given a gift of two of 2015. While I would urge you to read Sidgwick. The author explains that ‘the great falcons. He arranges for them to be trained, the whole book about Lars’ initiation in classical utilitarians were fascinating people, and while one makes great progress, the other the landscape of Montsegur, this volume is brilliant and complex, and as intrinsically cannot be moved from its branch. Finally, a specially concerned with Mary Magdalene. interesting as great artists. Inspired, weird, farmer is brought in, and the next day when Lars vividly recreates her putative initiation provocative and controversial, they were asked by the King how he had made the bird and training in Egypt, building on what we neither as complacent nor as naive as their fly, he simply replied that he had cut off the know from the Gnostic Gospels and the followers – or their critics.’ In addition, they branch on which the bird was sitting! So Enza Therapeutae in Alexandria. This parallels were all concerned with philosophy as the art reminds us that we are born to fly, rather than the continuing gripping story of his own of living as well as penetrating exploration spending our lives sitting on a branch. spiritual development, but its fundamental into the central issues of life. One can read message is the power of the sacred feminine, about Bentham’s articulation of the many ■■ The Buddhist Voyage beyond also associated with sacred sexuality and holy simple pleasures of life, and about the union, which is depicted towards the end of extraordinary education and capacity of John Death the book in the intimate relationship between Stuart Mill, who began studying Greek at Ven Master Hsin Tao the Magdalene and Jesus. This itself is a the age of three and by the age of nine was Cambridge Scholars 2017, 150 pp., further form of initiation, and the recovery reading in the original Virgil, Cicero, Euclid, £52.99, h/b of sacred sexuality in the West would be Newton, Sophocles and Euripides. At 13 he I imagine that few readers will have enormously significant in psychological was reading Plato’s dialogues, again in the heard of the work and teaching of the and cultural terms. It also means men and original, along with several Latin books of Chinese Buddhist monk Hsin Tao, but women working together, as also represented logic. He writes how his mental culture was this book is a real jewel. Born in 1948, historically by the Cathars and still present in fundamentally shaped by the approach of Hsin Tao put himself through an intensive this area as people walk the path of love - see Socrates in terms of probing, precision and training, including two years in a cave and also my review of Sabarthez above. analysis. Later in the chapter, one also comes meditating in a graveyard. This is not for to appreciate the enormous contribution of the fainthearted. The fundamental truths of ■■ Stress and Freedom Harriet Taylor, Mill’s wife. Buddhism are clearly articulated – suffering, Peter Sloterdijk emptiness, impermanence - but also the Schultz is also the author of a biography cultivation and promotion of self-less-ness Polity 2017, 60 pp., £9.99, p/b. of Henry Sidgwick, and this provides the and goodness. Life and death alternate as we I reviewed Peter Sloterdijk’s book on self- longest chapter, perhaps the one of most are reborn in new though impermanent forms formation in the last issue, and here he interest to readers here. Sidgwick made his with opportunities for further transformation: takes a historical view of the concept of reputation with his Methods of Ethics and ‘death and rebirth is one thing. Death itself freedom from ancient Greece to the present held the Knightsbridge chair of philosophy means the rebirth of life’. (p. 39) Hsin Tao era. He argues that political communities at Cambridge, subsequently occupied by translates some teachings into modern arise ‘in response to a form of anxiety or CD Broad. He was one of the earliest figures metaphors, for instance the memory matrix stress’ and applies this to the Greek polis to resign his college fellowship because he and the idea that death is a change of channel. with its concept of eleutheria. Central to the could not subscribe to the 39 Articles of the It is this memory matrix that is reborn, book is a discussion of Rousseau’s Reveries Anglican Church, and his whole approach and we are constantly sowing new seeds as of the Solitary Walker, which I read while is one of radical doubt, also applied to his thoughts as we create and recreate ourselves. studying French in the 1970s. His was a pioneering work in psychical research. He was Individual lives are like files or folders. ‘felt existence’ expressed by the modern the founding president of the SPR and was individual as a subject free of stress in the married to the formidable Eleanor Balfour, He has a very interesting teaching on time natural world. This situation makes him sister of Prime Minister Arthur Balfour and and space, which he says appear different useless in a utilitarian sense and a forerunner the first Mistress of Newnham College. The at first sight but in the end are not so of loafing, which is no use to society as a author devotes considerable space to Sidgwick’s different: ‘space is unmoving time and time whole. Sloterdijk further argues that the involvement in psychical research, describing is moving space.’ We can easily get caught notion of reality is a construct of modernity his relationships with other pioneers such up looking at changes in time, ‘rather than by defenders of objectivity, reminding readers as Myers, who was also a fellow of Trinity

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College. Although others were convinced by the in others. The fundamental theme is how the book is very wide in dealing with well- same lines of evidence, Sidgwick was ultimately we position ourselves among others in known and less well-known figures in the unpersuaded by the evidence for personal the social world. He explores hubris, history of psychology (e.g. Fechner, although survival, which led him to scepticism about self-esteem, pride, respect, temptation, there is little coverage of William James). the foundations of ethics and caused him great sincerity and authenticity, drawing on a Towards the end, the author considers the despair. While not agreeing with this conclusion vast range of reading including Erasmus, therapeutic turn and forms of self-idolatry myself, I can certainly respect the extraordinary Cicero, Rousseau, Hume, Kant and in various forms of narcissistic display. intellectual integrity displayed by Sidgwick and particularly Adam Smith with his work on Given the nature of conscious interiority, his openness to unpopular avenues of research moral sentiments and empathy. He shows the author might have extended his analysis mostly ignored by his successors. This book how modern advertising such as L’Oreal’s to mystics who take this process to the deserves to be widely read by the intellectual slogan ‘because you’re worth it’ in fact next stage, while also finding the root of successors of these 19th-century pioneers. implies that we are not worth it until we the self in the universal, for instance in buy their product and enhance ourselves Teilhard or Thomas Merton. There is also in the process. This tour of the social self no mention of the cultural contribution of ■■ Ultimate Questions necessarily leaves readers more self-aware Iain McGilchrist. The book is nevertheless a Bryan Magee as well as better informed and greatly significant contribution to our understanding Princeton 2017, 132 pp., £10.95, p/b. entertained in the process. or psychohistory. Bryan Magee has had a long and distinguished career as a philosopher, music PSYCHOLOGY- ■■ Living from the Centre Within and theatre critic and BBC broadcaster, Michele Rae where he hosted a series on central questions CONSCIOUSNESS Paragon House 2017, 196 pp., in philosophy. Now in his 80s, this is $16.95, p/b. his philosophical testament reflecting on STUDIES the human predicament and the limits of Michele Rae is a transformational coach knowledge. It is clearly and fluently written ■■ A Psychohistory of trained in a wide range of disciplines who was from a broadly humanist perspective that Metaphors also a minister. In this book she synthesises many aspects of neuroscience, mind-body rejects transcendence and sees in religion Brian J. McVeigh an unjustified evasion. His position is a science and consciousness studies into an questioning and radical agnosticism, where he Lexington Books 2017, 233 pp., evolutionary path of co-creation, living from wonders if we actually have the equipment to £52.95, h/b. the calm centre within. She distinguishes go beyond a limited sensory understanding. Subtitled ‘envisioning time, space and three main levels of consciousness: I am He shows no sign of being acquainted with self through the centuries’, this is an Individual, I am Interconnected and I am the literature of mysticism and survival of extraordinarily interesting book building Infinite. This also provides the progressive consciousness and, although he has a sense on the work of Julian Jaynes about the structure of the book as a journey from that consciousness transcends the material emergence of interiority or what the author our present condition of consciousness world, this does not affect his view of death calls ‘the inward turn’. We think in terms of to a more illuminated state. Each chapter most probably as oblivion. metaphors, images, mentalities and frames, contains an invitation to practice along with which all depend on visualisation and some questions for reflection. The author spatialisation, regardless of form. For the has a good grasp of the key qualities of the Movingly, he experiences the prospect of old and emerging paradigms (see diagram death in terms of grief and loss, summarising author, the transition from what he calls a cosmic to a scopic worldview in modern times on page 24). Readers must first accept the his view as: ‘I know that I have a persisting invitation to the transformational journey self for as long as I am in this world, but I is central. He coins the terms ‘introcosm’ and ‘introscopic’ (think of telescope and with its accompanying practices - including am unable to fathom its inner nature, and I nonviolent communication - and expanded have no idea what happens to it when I die.’ microscope) to characterise the inner world of these worldviews. Time goes from cyclical self-awareness. The author provides useful (p. 119) Magee’s horizons are an illusory summaries of the three states in terms of security of faith on the one hand and a full to linear, which also entails the emergence of the idea of progress and future. Soul qualities and leadership style. The book is acknowledgement of ignorance on the other, accessible, informed and practical. but without considering the possibility of is now understood as mind, qualities are gnosis as a deeper way of knowing. He quantified, while our instruments open up speculates that even when we depart from new spaces. Interestingly, the development ■■ Love and the Evolution of the world we will be in the same state of of perspective is also understood as a form Consciousness ignorance and uncertainty, which is not of interiorisation, although associated with Karen L. Rivers consistent with the survival literature (for geometry and measurement. instance as studied by CD Broad – see also Lindisfarne Books 2016, 323 pp., Private Dowding below). I don’t personally It is characteristic of modernity to question $28, p/b. see this as ‘grasping at the supernatural’ authority with its unshackling and This profound book is inspired by the work but rather as a way of extending our emancipatory ethos that saw the rise of of Rudolf Steiner and the less well-known knowledge and reducing our ignorance. capitalism, science, technology, industrialism, Valentin Tomberg, the anonymous author Nevertheless, this is a moving and profound national statism, market forces, democracy, of the seminal Meditations on the Tarot, reflection on life. bourgeois lifestyle and civil society. The which I read at the recommendation of Bede self is redefined in terms of conscious Griffiths. It is a map for the development interiority involving self-authorisation, self- of selfless love through a process of inner ■■ Mirror, Mirror – The Uses narratisation, self-autonomy, individuation transformation and purification, which also and Abuses of Self-love and self-reflexivity. This emergence is represents redirection of human interest from Simon Blackburn fascinatingly paralleled by the appearance the self-centred to the community centre. As of words with the self prefix from the 16th a psycho-spiritual text, it engages fully with Princeton 2014 209 pp., $19.95, p/b. century onwards. For instance, self-love the shadow, here called the double, using the This subtle and erudite study explores the appears in 1563, self-knowledge in 1621, terminology of Steiner and incorporating his history and nature of self-love, showing self-interest in 1649 self-esteem in 1657 and two aspects of evil characterised by Lucifer that narcissism, vanity, pride and self- self-determination in 1683. We have to wait and Ahriman representing respectively the esteem are more complex than they seem, until 1775 for self-important and 1795 for opposing forces of egotism, then hardness of and in fact have numerous good and bad self-respect. It would be fascinating to know heart and materialism. In this general context, forms. As Blackburn ironically puts it, if parallel concepts emerge concurrently in the role of evil is to bring good to development. everyone deplores narcissism, especially different European languages. The scope of Following chapters on these aspects and their

www.scimednet.org 69 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 transformation, there is a long discussion of a useful observation that the goal of mysticism is a valuable addition to the literature on the the karmic double web of destiny involving is not goodness as such, but self transcendence, wider nature of the mind and consciousness. thinking, feeling and willing, then a key chapter while also recognising the value of virtuous on, and forgiveness. There are helpful charts conduct. A wise and considered book. (e.g. pp. 158-9) enabling readers to understand ECOLOGY-FUTURES the process more deeply. As Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee observes, the shadow teaches ■■ Mindfulness and Education STUDIES us the lesson of humility: ‘having experienced Edited by Tamara Ditrich, Royce Wiles the depths of our own darkness we can never and Bill Lovegrove ■■ Money Changes Everything judge another person, nor can we be frightened Cambridge Scholars 2017, 341 pp, William N Goetzman by the darkness.’ The appendices discuss the £57.99, h/b. Princeton 2017, 600 pp., £14.95, p/b. 10 Commandments of Moses, the eightfold This volume is the outcome of a path of the Buddha and the nine Beatitudes conference on mindfulness, education and Subtitled ‘how the development of finance of Christ, as well as quoting the Golden Rule transformation held in Australia in 2014, and over thousands of years enabled the growth in different traditions. The last appendix is as such mainly reflects work in the southern of civilisation’, this is a fascinating book of the most important: a meditation course for hemisphere. There are 12 chapters in three magisterial scope, which must surely be the inner development involving a weekly cycle parts: conceptualisations and research about definitive history of the topic, beginning as over a number of months as a way of really mindfulness, mindfulness and settings, and it does with the Sumerians and bringing the internalising heart thinking and undertaking mindfulness in tertiary and related settings. analysis right up-to-date. The first two parts the metamorphosis of the will through the path One important theme is the secularisation look at the history of finance in Europe and of love. This is the fruit of a lifetime of thought of mindfulness by abstracting it from its and practice that should be widely read. China, with extensive coverage of Athens and original Buddhist context, which implies Rome. The book enables the reader to think the development of compassion and a about finance in a new way, as enabling value corresponding ethical framework. In the ■■ Find and Follow your Inner to be moved backwards and forwards in West, mindfulness is often associated with a Compass therapeutic context. Some chapters are more time (think of mortgages) as well as a means Barbara Berger directly concerned with a critical review of of mitigating risk, allocating resources and O Books 2017, 105 pp., £8.99, p/b. evidence, while others integrate mindfulness fostering growth. Finance represents a system This practical book has a simple message, with local traditions and practices. There is of thought and quantification. One comes that we should tune into our Inner Compass an interesting article on the impact of teachers to appreciate the critical nature of finance in and pay attention to our emotions as a link meditating in a school setting where results relation to cities, which is also reinforced by to the Universal Intelligence. We instantly seem to indicate a transformative effect not the nature of contracts and law. It is quite know whether or not we are in the flow and only within the teachers, but also in the startling to see a 10-year growth plan for a aligned with our deeper sense of purpose. school community. In the university context, dairy herd showing expected future profits When we go against this by failing to trust mindfulness can help students with emotional dating from 2400 BC. The establishment and our emotional sense of the situation, things regulation, self-efficacy, decentring (detaching maintenance of Roman Empire required a from one’s thoughts) and deautomatisation of often go badly wrong. In a world when we complex system of finance, and it was also are brought up to seek outer approval rather reflex behaviour patterns, also associated with self-control and corresponding to Buddhist very interesting to learn how closely wealth than follow the inner compass, we can easily and political access were linked – senators be motivated by pleasing other people and equanimity. This is an important volume for had to have very considerable private means from a fear of disapproval. The author shows anyone interested in the relationship between us how to manage this so that we become mindfulness and education. in order to be eligible for office. self-referred rather than other-referred. Interestingly, she relates this to democracy in ■■ Before Consciousness The chapter on China shows the regressive remarking that parents need to realise that effect of bureaucracy, which arguably each child has a right to be who they are, Edited by Zdravko Radman prevented a corresponding industrial with their own link to the Great Universal Imprint Academic 2017, 339 pp., £19.95. revolution to that which occurred in Europe, Intelligence. Indeed, as she points out, our This is an authoritative volume on the partly because of the fragmentation of political evolution depends on it since pioneers always role of the non-conscious in relation to power - a parallel argument can be made listen to and act on this Inner Compass. consciousness as the prior basis from which for the Enlightenment (see my review of mentality germinates and which is critical to Joel Mokyr’s book on the culture of growth ■■ The Psychic and the Spiritual our understanding of the mind as a whole on p. 70 of the last issue). The third and - the non-conscious is ontogenically prior fourth parts are devoted to the more recent John White in evolution. Much of the philosophy of history of finance in Europe, beginning with White Crow Books 2017, 154 pp., mind is in fact a philosophy of the conscious £11.99, p/b. mind and is as such ‘conscious-centred’. It the Templars, and the emergence of global John White has a long career as an author is interesting to reflect that just as the vast markets. While financial innovations have and educator, and was director of education majority of matter in the universe is dark, so developed to solve economic problems of for the Institute of Noetic Sciences in the our consciousness is like the tip of an iceberg time and geography, they have inevitably 1970s. He is the author of 18 books on a with the rest underwater. The first part engendered new challenges, as we have seen wide variety of topics. Here he brings together covers relationships between conscious and only too clearly in the last decade. There is 15 essays on understanding the difference unconscious aspects of the mind, the second an excellent discussion of the importance between the psychic and the spiritual. Perhaps the role of the non-conscious in perception, of Fibonacci (see also my review of Keith the fundamental point is that ‘psychic decisions and thinking, while the third is Devlin’s book on p. 61 of the last issue) and development is not the same as spiritual devoted to the unconscious sophistication the discovery of chance and working out of growth’, and indeed many spiritual traditions of skills in terms of habits and skills, with a probabilities. The emergence of corporations, specifically discourage psychic development particularly interesting chapter on the role for instance the East India companies, is for this reason. The author knew many leading of the non-conscious in sport performance, psychics and thinkers personally, including which could equally be applied to the arts. related to exploration, and the operation of Uri Geller and Andrija Puharich, and writes Personally, I am a much better putter on markets is described, including history of authoritatively throughout these essays; he is the golf course if I leave things to my non- various bubbles. The tremendous value of this not afraid to admit where he has made a few conscious aspect, although paradoxically, book lies in its broad historical sweep that mistakes. Some chapters in the second part the thought of avoiding a bunker frequently enables readers to understand the present in also look at meditation and mysticism, and it is means that you finish up in it! This volume the light of past history.

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■■ Ethics for a Full World recalls her experience of working with women The exponential rise in population over the in sub-Saharan Africa who experienced sexual last century has been permitted the existence Tormod V. Burkey assault as a result of climate-forced migration of cheap and abundant energy also applied to Polity Press 2017, 179 pp., £12.99, p/b. brought about by drought or resource agriculture, so we now face overpopulation, This brilliant and concise book is essential wars. She characterises climate change as ‘a potentially catastrophic climate change, reading in facing the global problematique manifestation of the convergence of historic exhaustion of mineral resources, food and and galvanising the necessary political action. global patterns of domination, extraction water shortages, peak oil and energy shortage The main title highlights a key theme, that and oppression’ emerging from the history of – this last problem is likely to become the global emergencies facing the planet capitalist colonisation where natural resources particularly acute in the UK, where one third are symptoms of a common problem, were acquired and exploited, resulting in the of energy generation capacity will be lost namely that the world is full, with humanity impoverishment of the many and enormous between 2012 and 2020. All these challenges having already exceeded several planetary wealth among the few. She gives coal as a are clearly explained in the first part, where boundaries. This is an unprecedented specific example with huge casualties due to the author also analyses the geopolitical situation and the implicit ethic is one of black lung disease and vast annual subsidies aspects of oil in relation to the Middle East. anthropocentrism, while the author calls for for an industry central to global warming. He is sceptical about the capacity of wind to a biocentric ethic reflected in the subtitle: can plug the gap, as its unreliability and lack of animal lovers save the world? He argues that The book is structured in five parts, beginning storage potential means that there has to be the world needs to be saved from humanity with chaos and going through the four a central backup. We need a revolution in rather than for humanity. He asks why we are elements as symbolic of the underlying issues. energy storage. not acting to save the world and, interestingly, Reading the essays and poems gives the reader draws on the work of the behaviourist BF a powerful and different lens, especially The rest of the book explains Frank’s ideas Skinner who noted that, from an evolutionary on the assumed primacy of hegemonic for addressing the global energy trap. Already point of view, we are programmed to react to masculinity represented by capitalism. The in 1897, Tesla was emphasising the need the immediate rather than the remote. From metaphors continue with the use of the term to evolve means for obtaining energy from a planetary perspective, we have to do better Anthropocene as an extension of the Western inexhaustible stores using perfect methods than putting health warnings on cigarette paradigm exemplified in colonial conquest in that do not involve consumption and waste. packets. this arresting passage referring to metaphors He thought that the realisation of this idea of ‘white, masculine, sexual domination of was close, but he came up against the interests Overall, the pace of change and the complex a dark, feminine (sometimes promiscuous, of the oil and energy industry, who favoured interdependencies of our ecological system sometimes virginal) and forced to give macrogeneration and centralised distribution have exceeded our ability to cope and we way to the thrust of (white, male, phallic) in order to maximise their profits. The fact that drift along with business as usual, making penetration, including military invasion, Tesla’s ideas were not pursued is tragic. Frank the best of a bad job. Our institutions and occupation, and resource exploitation.’ (p. puts forward two radical microgeneration political systems are not fit for purpose, and 25) One can appreciate the parallels here with concepts, the E-Plus house that generates more politicians on a five-year electoral cycle have the masculine scientific revolution bringing than consumes, along with what he calls K-gen no incentive to fix things before a disaster about a mechanistic world picture based on as a meta-system using collection, conversion, supervenes. Our current practices are in fact separation from and mastery of nature as the concentration, conservation, and control to robbing our children of a sustainable future, feminine. Another essay explores whiteness, achieve a very smart grid. He explains the yet individually we are mostly too busy (in masculinity and the conservative media various components in some detail, and the my case writing reviews like this) to prioritise denials of climate change and sexism - just scheme looks extremely promising if only it the necessary cooperation that is the only real look at the White House. The female body were taken seriously, which he points out is hope, and that can now be mediated via the is highlighted in relation to reproductive really a question of imagination, motivation Internet. Indeed, many petition sites bring rights and population questions, while and mobilisation of human effort. There are huge numbers of people together in a common R.D.K. Herman draws on Hawaiian culture increasing signs that these global challenges cause. The final chapter describes a possible to contrast indigenous and more feminine are being taken more seriously, but, as argued process for we can translate ideas into effective worldviews with masculine dissection, in many books reviewed on these pages, our action, outlining all the necessary components. analysis, mastery and conflict. (p. 90) All current mind set, time horizon and institutions As the author points out, ‘largely, we know this points to the necessity of profound are quite inadequate to the scale the challenge. what needs to be done, but have no idea how systemic change, which Chris Williams argues Books like this serve to raise awareness and to get humanity to do it… political systems are involves building organised resistance in every clarify ideas about potential effective policies geared so that no major changes will occur.’ workplace, community, school and farm and actions. This is especially dangerous when applied to across the world fighting for social justice irreversible tipping points. This is a passionate, and equality for all. This is represented by the galvanising and compelling call to informed element fire involving mobilisation, heat and ■■ Mental Penguins action. transformation. The book sends a powerful Ivelin Sardamov message of theory and praxis, scholarship and iff Books (John Hunt) 2017, 224 pp., activism in its structural and intersectional £14.99, p/b. ■■ Systemic Crises of Global analysis of global climate change. Climate Change Subtitled ‘the never-ending education crisis and the false promise of the information Edited by Phoebe Godfrey and Denise ■■ The Global Energy Trap and age’, this important study explores the social Torres a Way Out and educational consequences of digital Routledge 2016, 332 pp., £110, h/b – immersion for modified brain structure and Frank Parkinson (SMN) ebook £27.99. intellectual capacity. The author teaches Subtitled ‘intersections of race, class and Matador Books 2017, 257 pp., £10, p/b. political science at the American University in gender’, this is an edited volume of 49 This important book not only provides a clear Bulgaria and has trawled both neuroscience international, interdisciplinary contributions account of the energy and climate crisis, but and educational theory in developing the on climate justice and inequity. The also an interesting and quite feasible solution view that we need to bring back a focus on contributions are not simply essays, but to it. Modern industrial civilisation is built what he calls ‘deep reading’ as the way of include pictures and poems as ways of on energy derived from fossil fuels, which developing an integral understanding of a conveying the issues. The distinctive is driving unsustainable global warming particular discipline. Many students arrive at intersectionality approach uses the social that threatens further and more extreme University having never read a whole book, categories of race, gender and class of the disruption of the global climate. We cannot in as extracted information is available on subtitle to deepen analysis of social issues. fact afford to use all the fossil fuels still in the the Internet as a shortcut in writing essays. Hence, in the foreword Jacqui Patterson ground if we are to contain temperature rise. Digital immersion and multitasking are

www.scimednet.org 71 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 associated with unrelenting overstimulation, romanticism, but they were also the historical simple. The reality of an interpenetrating resulting in ‘continual partial attention’ rather originators of a sustainable world for the spiritual world shines through the narratives than the sustained attention required for deep future. Reverting to the title, the author and we are reminded that a deep intuitive reading or true listening. This also happens at concludes that profits and sustainability knowledge is available to all of us. Ultimately, meetings, as I am sure readers will recognise, have been hard to reconcile but the whole this involves a re-identification with a deeper as people check emails while participating. process has brought into the foreground the aspect of the self and the realisation that need to address major ecological issues and there is no separation between us. Although This situation is in fact nothing short of redirect policy, especially in relation to food, such messages have appeared in previous an addiction and its academic implications agriculture and energy. books, including my own Whole in One and are just beginning to emerge more clearly, Lessons from the Light by Kenneth Ring and although the issue goes back to the work of ■■ Rethinking the Oceans Evelyn Elsaesser, the appearance of this book Marshall McLuhan on TV (larger screens is particularly timely view of the widespread and HD lead to further overstimulation James Alix Michel search for meaning. Readers cannot fail to be and desensitisation). Reading proficiency Paragon 2017, 227 pp., $24.95, p/b. deeply touched by these narratives. has correspondingly declined, and 40% of This book is unusual in being written by incoming first-year students at American the serving president of the Seychelles, ■■ What Happens When colleges have to take at least one remedial who is passionately involved in promoting class in reading, writing or maths. Given the idea of in blue economy based on the We Die? the work of Iain McGilchrist, who endorses sustainability of the oceans. Politically, he Margarete van den Brink and the book, it is interesting that the author represents the Small Island Developing States, Hans Stolp writes about the chronic overengagement many of whom are vulnerable to sea level rise Temple Lodge Press 2017, 144 pp., of the analytic network - left hemisphere resulting from climate change. The book is £10.99, p/b. - and the corresponding withering of the exceptionally well informed both theoretically This is a very well informed book meshing the intuitive network - right hemisphere. The and practically, and contains many beautiful understanding of Steiner with modern death result is that many students are caught in small photographs to illustrate the text. and near-death studies, also by bringing in a concrete thinking detached from any larger Michel is fully aware of the challenges facing Gnostic perspective. In addition, it is based frame of reference. As mentioned above, the the oceans in terms of overfishing, waste on the personal experience of the authors, author’s prescription is deep and intensive and specific exploitation of species such as although it is not always clear which voice reading - what he calls reading-centred whales. He also points out the growing learning starting in elementary school and is speaking in the first person. Historically, pressure on our land resources and, as they see the loss of the category of spirit leading to an expanding personal frame of an island dweller, turns very naturally reference. He explains how he encourages and the reduction of the human being to towards the sea. Coastal regions potentially soul and body as a regrettable development his students along these lines and reflects under threat not only represent ports and that Huxley rather than Orwell was right in in A.D. 869, and describe seven steps to fishermen, but also widespread tourism, not the world of light in the post-mortem state. speaking about our almost infinite appetite to mention the fact that many major cities for distractions, and fearing that there would They see the purpose of life as the greatest are situated on the coast. Michel’s love of possible manifestation of the higher self with be no reason to ban books as no one would the sea and dedication to the cause of the want to read one. This book is essential its consciousness, love and wisdom. They blue economy shines throughout the book then outline their understanding of the path reading for education departments around with his optimistic outlook. However, he the world and anyone concerned with the through the spirit realms, ultimately leading does not underestimate the challenges of to a cyclical process of ascent and descent. future of education and the development of the sustainability transition, although it will our children. The context of the life review is the question: clearly take more than inspiring rhetoric what have you done with your life? The to shift the entrenched interests within our final chapters are devoted to the connection ■■ Profits and Sustainability current system. between the dead and the living and the ways Geoffrey Jones in which the living can provide spiritual nourishment for those who have passed on. Oxford 2016, 442 pp., £30, h/b. DEATH AND DYING This all amounts to essential knowledge This engaging and authoritative history ■ missing in the churches, who of green entrepreneurship shows that its ■ The Transformative Power of need to reconnect with people’s experience. origins go far further back than most readers Near-Death Experiences On a personal level they see as important will realise, to the mid-19th century. The Dr Penny Sartori and Kelly Walsh the development of gratitude, trust and author traces the often eccentric lives and Watkins 2017, 256 pp., £10.99, p/b. openness to the future. A profound reflection ideas of green pioneers in organic food, of life and death. vegetarianism and energy, including Rudolf I read the manuscript of this remarkable Steiner, who impacted food, agriculture, collection of transformative near death medicine and design. Wind energy in its experiences a few months ago and found ■■ Jesus and the Near-Death modern form goes back to the 1850s, and it a powerful and transformational read. Experience by the end of the First World War Denmark The many different accounts converge on Roy Hill had 250 electricity producing wind turbines, some key themes of self-love, acceptance, while the first solar company was formed in forgiveness and renewal. Underlying all White Crow Books 2017, 218 pp., 1892. The book proceeds chronologically this is the realisation of Oneness and deep £11.99, p/b. through the 1930s to 1950s, then to the rise interconnectedness characteristic of love. This This book follows up the author’s earlier of green business in the 1970s, including is exactly the experience and message of the work on psychology and the near death recycling and ecotourism. Since the 1980s, well-known books by Anita Moorjani and experience, focusing this time on encounters the growth of green businesses has been Eben Alexander, both of whom endorse the with Jesus during the NDE. He also brings accompanied by a major shift in attitudes book. There is a foreword by Mick Collins, in two other perspectives: a little-known towards the natural environment and whose new book I have also endorsed and book by Julian of Norwich, called Showings, a corresponding proliferation of green who sees the content of this book as a love which she recounts what would now be institutions and certifying agencies. Another letter from God. Then there is a profound called an NDE and written in 1393; and the chapter is devoted to green finance, such as prologue by Neale Donald Walsch: his own gnostic gospels - especially those of Thomas the Triodos Bank, and government initiatives, experience converges with the core message and Philip - where Christ is known in the then the features and limits of corporate of the book: ‘I am not my body, I’m totally centre of our being. To this he adds his own environmentalism. Many of the original loved and absolutely perfect just as I am, I am revelatory experiences and perspective as green entrepreneurs were motivated by one with everything, and everything is really forms of divine communication leading to

72 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 spiritual discovery that is shared with the being killed, including Raymond Lodge, the we need a public informed enough to govern reader. The all-pervasiveness of love and light son of the physicist Sir Oliver Lodge, resulting itself in order to uphold democratic ideals. is a central theme, also reflected in Julian of in a highly evidential account. This book Essential reading for our time. Norwich. She asked about the Lord’s meaning describes Dowding’s death and experiences and receives the response: know it well, love in the immediate aftermath in a vivid manner was his meaning. Who reveals it to you? Love. and contains a number of lessons about life, ■■ The Paradox of our National What did he reveal to you? Love. Why did for instance the need to love deeply, ‘love God Security Complex he reveal it to you? For love. Remain in this, by pouring yourself away. Love your fellows Richard Otto and you will know more of the same.’ As by giving them all you possess of light and Chronos Books (John Hunt) 2017, 359 with other books in the field, transformation truth.’ This involves the emptying of one’s self pp., $32.95, p/b. is of the essence, and sometimes the questions of self. A second series of communications are disarmingly direct. How have you helped occurs two years later, and there is an This is a chilling and well-informed book, others? What did you learn in this life? In what instructive chapter on the passing of Major written by an attorney, about how secrecy way did you give of yourself? We are told that P. Readers may also be interested in Writing and security diminish liberty in the US and God evaluates the human heart, and on page on the Ground, one of WTP’s final works on threaten their democratic republic. The 139 there is a comprehensive list of themes his perception of the life of Jesus, elements of author uses the term ‘national security related to spiritual transformation, which history including Atlantis, key questions for complex’ for what Eisenhower initially called again the seasoned reader will recognise from human life and his reflections on the Baha’i the military-industrial complex. It describes other sources. It is significant that Gandhi is faith, especially his encounter with Abdu’l the evolution of this system, then other quoted as saying that Christianity has yet to be Baha. It finishes with the reflection ‘the more chapters discuss JFK’s quest for peace, the lived in its essence, although many saints have love we reflect and share with one another, controversy surrounding his assassination done just this. The point is both emulation but the greater will be the supplier available to and the role of dissenters in uncovering also in terms of one’s unique personality and us.’ government secrets. As the author points circumstances. out, annual military expenditure in the US is of the order of $1 trillion, along with a GENERAL significant proportion of the research budget ■■ Quand les Dėfunts Viennent also devoted to military projects, representing à Nous ■■ #republic a significant diversion of labour and financial Evelyn Elsaesser (SMN) Cass R. Sunstein resources to maintain and even enlarge this colossal war machine. Furthermore, the US is Editions Exergue 2017, 225 pp., Princeton 2017, 310 pp., £24.95, h/b. the leading exporter of military hardware and €18, p/b. Harvard law professor and bestselling weaponry used by governments to oppress Evelyn has been involved in research into author of Nudge has produced another game their people and bomb their neighbours. the near death experiences for more than changing book about divided democracy in Paradoxically, the corresponding escalation in 25 years, and in this important study she the age of social media. Although his thesis global violence produces not only the refugee addresses what has come to known as of fragmentation and polarisation is best crisis we are witnessing, but also brings after death communications, which gives illustrated by his chapter on polarisation further insecurity in its wake. The author is us another angle on death, dying and entrepreneurs on terrorist sites, he argues surely correct in saying that the pursuit of the survival of consciousness. It is full of convincingly that the issues are far more the politics of power and empire building illuminating case histories and builds up a widespread, and affect us all. He quotes have led to the sacrifice of their image as a detailed account of their phenomenology and John Stuart Mill, writing in 1848, that it is defender of liberty. impact. Because of her background, Evelyn is essential for us to be exposed to people and able to situate these in a wider context, and ideas dissimilar to ourselves, what Sunstein American exceptionalism seems able to includes interviews with other specialists on calls competing perspectives. Facebook holds overlook the barbaric track record of the the consequences of ADCs for the grieving out the prospect of the Daily Me newsfeed CIA, which, since the 1950s, has been process, all of which has wider educational based on filtering one’s preferences and views, involved in sabotage, covert paramilitary implications. She discusses parallels between but this process creates ‘echo chambers’ of operations, assassinations and murders, the various experiences surrounding death. self similarity and group identity based on kidnapping, overthrowing of legitimate In considering the authenticity of such like-mindedness. This can be a self-reinforcing governments and dissemination of experiences, Evelyn points out that this is not process as we become less open to arguments propaganda. A former director called it the an isolated phenomenon and that different from a different perspective. Sunstein gives department of dirty tricks, and it is based on types of experiences are arguably consistent the telling example of the polarising issues secrecy, and almost complete lack of oversight and self-reinforcing. It also seems that not of GMOs and climate change, where the and the notion of ‘plausible deniability’, for only can the living help those who have dominant scientific position on the former is instance in false flag operations. It is nothing passed on, but the reverse also applies. The mainly espoused by Republicans, while on the less than an official criminal organisation, and relationships continue to evolve, but take latter it is by Democrats. no overall assessment of American foreign on a different form. This book is sure to be policy should omit the CIA and associated translated into English in due course, and This shows how prior ideological agencies such as the NSA in its consideration I will let readers know. In the meantime, commitments tend to shape our views, with, of the nature of the US government. It has francophones can learn a great deal from this as David Hume observed, reason being the infiltrated the powerbase, and hawks are careful and considered study. slave of our passions and reflecting our hugely influential in formulating government confirmation bias. The author draws an policy. It is clear from the author’s analysis ■■ Private Dowding important distinction between our roles that JFK was pursuing a foreign policy as citizens and consumers in relation to deeply uncongenial to these people, who Wellesley Tudor Pole free speech and free choice. His proposals then orchestrated not only his assassination, White Crow Books 2012 (1917), 91 pp., encourage a commitment to public forums but also framed the cover story of the lone £11.99, p/b. and democratic deliberation or deliberative assassin used as a basis for the Warren Readers can learn more about the remarkable democracy, where we are exposed to opposing Commission. Forensically, it is clear that the life of Wellesley Tudor Pole in the main viewpoints and serendipitous encounters in six bullets came from four different locations review section. This book originates from order to encourage us out of our self-created and three different directions. The use of his time as an officer during World War I information cocoons. As Benjamin Franklin the term conspiracy theory is invoked to when he found himself communicating with observed when referring to the American debunk other approaches, not only in this a recently killed soldier, Thomas Dowding. Constitution, its status as a republic must instance, but also in relation to 9/11, which There was huge interest in mediumship be carefully guarded and nurtured. As the the author does not cover. I refer readers to during that period, with so many young men author’s colleague Lawrence Lessig remarks, the forensic books on this topic written by

www.scimednet.org 73 Paradigm Explorer 2017/2 theologian David Ray Griffin, also reviewed ■■ Temenos Academy Review ■■ My Heart is too Big for my in these pages. The author quotes the slave activist Frederick Douglass as saying that 2016 Pacemaker ‘power concedes nothing without a demand. Temenos 2016, 284 pp., Shane Jagger It never did and never will.’ So one may no price given, p/b. Beshara 2017, 31 pp., no price given, p/b agree with the author that the CIA must be The annual Temenos Academy Review is This short of book of poems is written by reformed into an intelligence gathering agency always a feast of wisdom, and this year is a long-term resident of the Sufi centre at as originally intended by President Truman no exception. It provides about 20 articles Chisholm House in the Scottish Borders. The in 1947, and that its clandestine operations on a wide variety of topics, then some poems are all short and direct with a beautiful should be terminated, although one cannot extensive book reviews along with a few evocative tone and simplicity of language. I see this happening within the existing power poems and icons. Among the articles that can do no better than quote one here and find structures. Such a deep reform would require struck me were Shelley and the India of space for one or two others elsewhere in this a revolution of human consciousness and Imagination by Kathleen Raine, whose letters issue: a commitment to implement a new vision; to Robert Graves are also featured. Then this can only come from the grassroots, but EARLY I regarded as a moral imperative at least to Reimagining the Grail Quest: the Grail of articulate such thoughts. Compassion. This is a journey of seeking, Sweet calmness in the early hours which is about finding ourselves as well as before dawn understanding that we are part of something Black Velvet sky is starless tonight ■■ Face and Mask – A Double larger in terms of moving from isolation and an air of comfort enfolds the to belonging. We transform through seeing History possibility of a glorious day Hans Belting ourselves in the other and by the opening the heart. The article on the icon tradition takes my mind once again at rest Princeton 2017, 270 pp., £37.95, h/b. up some of the same themes, culminating Soon these hours will pass This ground breaking interdisciplinary study in transfiguration. One understands that and the hum of busy comings and is the first cultural history and anthropology making an icon is a form of prayer. Joseph goings of the day will begin of the face across the centuries, between Milne provides an analysis of David Abram’s This time is magical cultures and in the media. It begins with critique of Plato, while another highlight before the fray, peace fills the room an analysis of the relationship between is Grevel Lindop writing about Raimundo sweet calmness in the early hours face and mask (one is reminded of masks Panikkar and his beautiful being as well in Greek theatre as persona - sounding before dawn as exquisite scholarship. Reflecting on the A precious gift through) as well as roles as masks, whether Church, Panikkar he thinks there is much to in theatre or real life. The mask appears to be forgiven in its history, but remarks that have originated in cults, while the portrait forgiveness demands repentance. There are ALSO RECEIVED: conveys the face as representation, so that, also appreciations for the late Suheil Bushrui, in a sense, the portrait itself is a mask. In the editor of the speeches of the Prince of ■■ Unsolved! this respect, the author’s discussion of van Eyck, Rembrandt and Francis Bacon is Wales. The History and Mystery fascinating. More recently, faces are used as of the World’s Greatest Ciphers from Ancient icons, for example Mao, Marilyn Monroe ■■ Heav’nly Tidings from the Egypt to Online Secret Societies (also and Einstein. Once again, there is an element contains a chapter on ciphers from beyond of mask, while the face cannot finally be Afric Muse the grave) portrayed in its dynamic movement. Richard Kigel Craig P. Bauer Paragon House, 2017, 577 pp., Princeton 2017, 620 pp., $35, h/b. ■ $27.95, p/b ■ Face Value ■■ Three Stones Make a Wall – Alexander Todorov This is an eye-opening biography of Phillis Wheatley (1753-1784), who arrived in the Princeton 2017, 327 pp., £27.95, h/b, the Story of Archaeology US at the age of around seven in 1761 as a Eric H. Cline This book is a nice complement to the one slave on a ship where 25 of the 96 passengers Princeton 2017, 455 pp., £27.95, h/b. above with its extensive reporting on studies died en route. She began writing poetry in about the face, with an emphasis on the her teens, and published her first book at the ■■ Morning Homilies IV irresistible influence of first impressions, age of 20. She is called the poet laureate of Pope Francis based on neuroscientific findings. We all the American Revolution and was a literary Orbis Books 2017, 149 pp., £14.99, p/b. makes snap decisions based on these first sensation in her day, not only as a black impressions, which can underlie important American, but also as a woman. Significantly, decisions such as who to vote for. Using ■■ Your Behaviour – a large group of distinguished men had to composite faces shown in various different provide an attestation that she was indeed in Understanding and Changing but similar frames - a morphing continuum, the author of these sublime works, especially the Things You Do and we tend to associate particular features as racism was rife even among thinkers with dominance, criminality, attractiveness, Richard H. Pfau competence and trustworthiness. Readers can like Hume and Kant. A judgement by Lord Paragon House 2017, 384 pp., conduct their own experiments while reading Mansfield in England changed the status $24.95, p/b. of slaves and rippled out into the colonies. the book to see if they agree that personality ■ can be read from faces - this has its own Slavery was much less widespread in Boston ■ Emotional Rescue dedicated brain area. The author also makes than in the South. Wheatley was also a Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche the interesting observation that, from most pioneer in the emancipation movement and Tarcher Perigee 2017, 253 pp., $15, p/b. of our evolutionary history, we have lived in wrote eloquently about freedom. In 2003, small groups where we do not have to rely on statues were unveiled in Boston not only ■■ We Know All About You – appearance information to draw inferences for Phillis but also Abigail Adams and Lucy the story of surveillance in about character. At any rate, readers will Stone. As well as learning in detail about the Britain and America emerge with greater self-awareness from this life of this remarkable woman, the reader study, even if we all continue to trust first gains a great deal of background information Rhodri Jeffreys-Jones impressions. on this revolutionary epoch. Oxford 2017, 290 pp., £18.99, h/b.

74 www.scimednet.org Paradigm Explorer 2017/2

Seneca on Time and Life It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realise that it has passed away before we knew it was passing. So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it… Life is long if you know how to use it.

You are living as if destined to live for ever; your own frailty never occurs to you; you don’t notice how much time has already passed, but squander it as though you had a full and overflowing supply — though all the while that very day which you are devoting to somebody or something may be your last. You act like mortals in all that you fear, and like immortals in all that you desire… How late it is to begin really to live just when life must end! How stupid to forget our mortality, and put off sensible plans to our fiftieth and sixtieth years, aiming to begin life from a point at which few have arrived!

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