Hidden Dimensions
The Unification of Physics and Consciousness
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4.7 • 3 Ratings
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- $25.99
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- $25.99
Publisher Description
Bridging the gap between the world of science and the realm of the spiritual, B. Alan Wallace introduces a natural theory of human consciousness that has its roots in contemporary physics and Buddhism. Wallace's "special theory of ontological relativity" suggests that mental phenomena are conditioned by the brain, but do not emerge from it. Rather, the entire natural world of mind and matter, subjects and objects, arises from a unitary dimension of reality that is more fundamental than these dualities, as proposed by Wolfgang Pauli and Carl Jung.
To test his hypothesis, Wallace employs the Buddhist meditative practice of samatha, refining one's attention and metacognition, to create a kind of telescope to examine the space of the mind. Drawing on the work of the physicist John Wheeler, he then proposes a more general theory in which the participatory nature of reality is envisioned as a self-excited circuit. In comparing these ideas to the Buddhist theory known as the Middle Way philosophy, Wallace explores further aspects of his "general theory of ontological relativity," which can be investigated by means of vipasyana, or insight, meditation. Wallace then focuses on the theme of symmetry in reference to quantum cosmology and the "problem of frozen time," relating these issues to the theory and practices of the Great Perfection school of Tibetan Buddhism. He concludes with a discussion of the general theme of complementarity as it relates to science and religion.
The theories of relativity and quantum mechanics were major achievements in the physical sciences, and the theory of evolution has had an equally deep impact on the life sciences. However, rigorous scientific methods do not yet exist to observe mental phenomena, and naturalism has its limits for shedding light on the workings of the mind. A pioneer of modern consciousness research, Wallace offers a practical and revolutionary method for exploring the mind that combines the keenest insights of contemporary physicists and philosophers with the time-honored meditative traditions of Buddhism.
Customer Reviews
Hilarious, Profound, Cutting, Impressive, Paradigm Changing and more
As someone very familiar with the scientific and meditations worlds, I must say that the first and overwhelming impression I had of the book was that it was absolutely hilarious, as the juxtaposition of the cutting intellect, dry and very clear reading voice, scathing commentary on the calcified belief systems and cultures of much of the scientific world, profound insights, brilliant examples of outdated paradigms and modes of inquiry related to the modern and strangely unscientific "scientific" study of the mind, as well as his rich appreciation of irony and hypocrisy left me laughing out loud often and with a feeling of deep appreciation for this compelling and extremely well-argued case for the inclusion and support of the deep study of consciousness as the fundamental science that impacts and relates to all other forms of inquiry.
I think that this should be required reading for anyone who seriously wants to enter the world of the science of the mind, psychology, philosophy, modern physics, and meditative inquiry, and, were even a fraction of its recommendations seriously adopted, as I feel they absolutely should be, the potential for a revolution in the cognitive sciences and for humanity in general that he advocates for is quite real, so I theorize.
While there are just a few places where people might quibble between the various schools of Buddhism about a few of the points that he makes, these are not major issues and do not detract at all from the overall impressive power and genius of the work, and, as he strongly argues, further inquiry and rigorous contemplative testing of his hypotheses and theories should follow to build well-tested consensus on these provocative points.
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