Science and Spiritual Practices
Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and Health
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
A biologist draws on science and psychology to validate the benefits of 7 common religious practices—from meditation and gratitude to rituals and pilgrimage.
“I have personally adopted many of [these] practices . . . and experienced more love, joy, empathy, gratitude, and equanimity as a result.” ―Deepak Chopra
The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious and spiritual practices generally make people happier and healthier. In this pioneering book, Rupert Sheldrake shows how science helps validate 7 practices on which many religions are built, and which are part of our common human heritage:
• Meditation
• Gratitude
• Connecting with nature
• Relating to plants
• Rituals
• Singing and chanting
• Pilgrimage and holy places
Sheldrake summarizes the latest scientific research on what happens when we take part in these practices, and suggests ways that readers can explore these fields for themselves. For those who are religious, Science and Spiritual Practices will illuminate the evolutionary origins of their own traditions and give a new appreciation of their power. For the nonreligious, this book will show how the core practices of spirituality are accessible to all.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Biologist Sheldrake attempts to beat new atheists at their own game by using science to shore up devotion to spiritual practices in this persuasive appeal for a more enchanted world. To do that, he considers seven practices that are spiritually fulfilling while also having proven health benefits: meditation, gratitude, connecting with the non-human world, human-plant relationships, ritual, singing, and pilgrimage. For each, he provides a brief, intriguing history of its rise and modern diminishment across various traditions. Sheldrake pines for his vision of a less profane, more individualized past, as he makes clear through his laments about loss of connection to nature and the secularization of pilgrimages. He draws on a wide range of studies to show benefits for each type of worship: meditation increases the brain's gray matter, gratitude leads to better health, and group singing enhances abilities to concentrate. A few fuzzy moments, including reliance on many studies about improved happiness and overly speculative accounts (such as his claims that ritual repetitions create an inheritable memory across generations), do not overwhelm the otherwise convincing work. With accessible suggestions, clear arguments, and an encouraging tone, Sheldrake makes a good case for reincorporating bygone spiritual habits.