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The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World Kindle Edition
by Amit Goswami (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 454 ratings
4.0 on Goodreads 1,295 ratings
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In this stimulating and timely book, Amit Goswami, PhD, shatters the widely popular belief held by Western science that matter is the primary "stuff" of creation and proposes instead that consciousness is the true foundation of all we know and perceive.
His explanation of quantum physics for lay readers, called "a model of clarity" by Kirkus Reviews, sets the stage for a voyage of discovery through the common ground of science and religion, the entwined nature of mind and body, and our interconnectedness with all of creation.
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Print length
338 pages
Language
English
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Amit Goswami, PhD, is a theoretical quantum physicist and a retired professor from the University of Oregon’s Department of Physics, where he served from 1968 to 1997. He is a pioneer of the new paradigm of science called “science within consciousness,” an idea he explicates in his seminal book, The Self-Aware Universe, in which he also solves the quantum measurement problem elucidating the famous observer effect. Dr. Goswami has written several popular books based on his research on quantum physics and consciousness, including Physics of the Soul and Quantum Economics: Unleashing the Power of an Economics of Consciousness. --This text refers to the paperback edition.
From Kirkus Reviews
Goswami (Physics/University of Oregon; coauthor, The Cosmic Dancers, 1983) uses quantum physics to promote monistic idealism- -the theory that both matter and mind have their origin in consciousness.
The villain here is materialism--the teaching that everything is comprised of atoms--and its tag-along doctrines of locality (that interactions between objects occur in local space-time), strong objectivity (that objects exist independently of consciousness), and epiphenomenalism (that mind is an accidental by-product of brain function). According to Goswami, quantum physics has laid to rest this view of reality: Quantum objects jump from here to there without passing through intervening space, disproving locality; Heisenberg's uncertainty principle disproves strong objectivity, etc. Goswami's explication of modern physics- -which draws on everything from Winnie-the-Pooh to optical illusions--is a model of clarity. Vastly less satisfying is his brief for monistic idealism. For one thing, he writes off an important alternative, dualism--the ``common-sense'' view that mind and matter both exist, that a rock is a rock and a thought is a thought--in a few skimpy paragraphs. For another, his argument is inconsistent: He cites paranormal events as evidence for idealism, but when an exception arises (such as out-of-body experiences, which suggest dualism), he becomes a debunker. Worst of all, when he tries to describe how idealism actually shapes the world, he sounds like Madame Blavatsky with a hangover (``the universe exists as formless potentia in myriad possible branches in the transcendent domain''). Goswami's aim is inviting--who does not wish us to ``realize our full potential--an integrated access to our quantum and classical selves''?--but most readers will remain agnostic. More substantial than Fritjof Capra, which isn't saying much. This is one cosmic egg that may be too big to crack. -- Copyright ©1993, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
Consciousness, not matter, is the ground of all existence, declares University of Oregon physicist Goswami, echoing the mystic sages of his native India. He holds that the universe is self-aware, and that consciousness creates the physical world. Calling this theory "monistic idealism," he claims it is not only "the basis of all religions worldwide" but also the correct philosophy for modern science. Once people give up the assumption that there is an objective reality independent of consciousness, the paradoxes of quantum physics are explainable, contends Goswami, writing with his wife and Reed ( Building the Future from Our Past ). He also applies his hypothesis to the so-called mind-body schism, which he attempts to heal. Sketching a model of the self, this demanding but rewarding treatise uses analogies from the "new physics" to throw light on choice, free will, creativity, the unconscious and paths to spiritual growth. Illustrated.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Product details
ASIN : B001QWDS1Y
Publisher : TarcherPerigee (March 21, 1995)
Publication date : March 21, 1995
Language : English
File size : 4633 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
Print length : 338 pagesBest Sellers Rank: #352,037 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)#75 in Quantum Theory (Kindle Store)
#135 in Religious Philosophy (Kindle Store)
#138 in Eastern Philosophy (Kindle Store)Customer Reviews:
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 454 ratings
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About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
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Amit Goswami
Amit is a retired professor of physics from the University of Oregon, where he served on the faculty from 1968 to 1997.
The meaning of quantum physics was highly obscured. While researching this, Amit discovered that when quantum physics is formulated within the metaphysics of qualified non-dualism, as in Indian Vedanta, questions regarding meaning are immediately resolved. His work thus integrates science and spirituality. This work has culminated in his most recent book with the physician Valentina Onisor, Quantum Spirituality.
Subsequently, he developed a theory of reincarnation and integrated conventional and alternative medicine within the new quantum science of health. Among his discoveries are the quantum theory of the creative process, the theory of quantum evolution, and the theory of quantum economics that extends Adam’s Smith’s capitalism into a workable paradigm for the 21st century.
In 2009, he started a movement called “quantum activism,” now gaining ground in North and South America, Southern and Eastern Europe, and India. In 2018, together with his collaborators, he established Quantum Activism Vishwalayam, an institution of transformative education in India, based on quantum science and the primacy of consciousness. This program offers master’s and PhD programs in the Quantum Science of Health, Prosperity and Happiness under the auspices of University of Technology, Jaipur.
Amit is the author of numerous books, most notably: The Self-Aware Universe, Physics of the Soul, The Quantum Doctor, God is Not Dead, Quantum Creativity, and The Everything Answer Book.
He was featured in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know!? and the documentaries Dalai Lama Renaissance and The Quantum Activist.
Amit is a spiritual practitioner and calls himself a quantum activist in search of Wholeness.
To learn more about Dr. Amit Goswami, please visit www.amitgoswami.org.
===================
Read reviews that mention
quantum physics monistic idealism quantum mechanics material realism amit goswami self-aware universe bleep do we know wave function science and spirituality paradoxes of quantum heisenberg uncertainty highly recommend material world classical physics wave-particle duality consciousness creates idealist interpretation mind and body recommend to anyone recommend this book
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Top reviews from the United States
Rama Rao
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars A journey through consciousness and physical realityReviewed in the United States on January 22, 2009
Verified Purchase
This book is a conscious effort by the author to provide a link between the physical reality and consciousness. The first half of the book presents conceptual part of quantum physics in which he discusses the uniqueness of quantum world and how it differs from classical reality. The introduction to quantum physics is very well presented. The second half of the book discusses as how consciousness figures in the depiction of reality, and in the process, he proposes a new and alternative interpretation of idealistic monism to explain quantum phenomenon. He is best known for his role as a commentator in the 2004 movie "What the bleep do we know?" starring Marlee Matlin (1).
It is well known that quantum reality does not reconcile with classical reality. Classical reality assumes matter (electrons, atoms, molecules, living species, planets, stars, and galaxies) are real and exist independent of observers or the method we employ to observe them; thus, classical physics is dominated by this objectivity. Secondly determinism; the idea that it is possible to predict completely the motion of all material objects if initial conditions such as position and velocity are known. Thirdly, the cause leading to the effect in the cause-effect relationship of classical reality is due to certainty that an action lead to certain effect. In quantum physics the behavior of quantum objects is probabilis¬tic and strict cause-effect description of the behavior of a single object is impossible. Fourthly, the principle of locality is that all material influences occurring in spacetime must be local, and the information can travel in space at a finite velocity, and not faster than the speed of light. The assumption of locality that all inter¬actions between material-objects are mediated via local signals is crucial to the materialistic view that objects exist independently and separately. Fifthly, materialism depicts that matter and energy are fundamental and all other phenomenon are secondary. The epiphenomenalism is a principle in which all mental phenomenons are explained as secondary to matter by suitable reduction to antecedent physical conditions. Thus consciousness is assumed by the objectivity of science to be a secondary, a part of living being, perhaps an advanced living species. The subject and objects in classical thought are two different things, and God and consciousness do not appear in any mathematical formula, but consciousness appears in physical interpretation of reality. In quantum physics the collapse of wave function upon observation by a conscious observer mixes subject and object, and there is no distinction between the two. Consciousness is without experiences and it is devoid of an object or a subject
The strangeness of quantum world may be summarized as follows; a quantum object can be at more than one place at the same time because of its wave property, and it cannot manifest in classical spacetime reality until we observe it as a matter (wave function collapse). A quantum object possesses both wave and particle (matter) nature but they are complementary properties. Quantum uncertainty prevents the momentum and the position to be determined precisely because of Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This is not measurement problem but a quantum physical problem since it is mathematically proved that the product of the position and the momentum is equal to or greater than Planck's constant. A quantum object ceases to exist here and simultaneously appears over there by quantum jumps and we cannot say it went through intervening space. A manifestation of one quantum object caused by our observation simultaneously influences its correlated twin object, no matter how far apart they are in the universe, by quantum entanglement. The behavior of quantum objects is probabilis¬tic and strict cause-effect description of the behavior of a single object is impossible. Instead, we have statistical cause and statistical effect when talking about a large group of particles. To understand quantum reality in the classical world physicists use a schema of interpretation; this depends on the philosophy or school of thought. Copenhagen interpretation postulated largely by Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and Max Born is commonly used.
The author claims that there is a monistic alternative to material realism where mind and matter are integral part of one reality, but reality is not based on matter alone. He observes that the existence of objective reality independent of consciousness is absurd and believes that the universe is "self-aware" and that it is consciousness itself that creates the physical world. It is outside of spacetime, non-local, all pervading and All-in-One unitary being. It is the consciousness that is the ultimate reality; the immanent and transcendent are within consciousness He attempts to convince the reader that monistic idealism provides a paradox-free interpretation of quantum physics that is logical, coherent, and offers explanation for mental phenomenon such as; self-consciousness, free-will, creativity and extrasensory perception, and finally provide a role for spiritual side of existence. In his discussion about artificial intelligence he questions how mind can be treated like a machine and free will as an illusion. Roger Penrose argues that computer like algorithmic reasoning is insufficient for the discovery of physical and mathematical (theorems) laws. Then where does mathematics come from if we operate like a computer? Mathematical truth is not ascertained by mere use of an algorithm (a systematic procedure which is strictly a logic based approach) for solving a problem. Consciousness is required to comprehend the mathematical argument to be convinced of its validity, and elucidate the emerging physical concepts. Therefore consciousness must exist prior to algorithm and mathematics.
To explain the role of consciousness quantum physics, he cites von Neumann's work; the state of a quantum system (here it is mind) undergoes change in two separate ways. The first is a continuous change in which it spreads as a wave, becoming a coherent superposition of all the potential states allowed by the situation. Each potential state has a certain statistical weight given by its probability wave ampli¬tude. A measurement introduces a second discontinuous change in the state, and the state of superposition that exists in multifaceted potentia is reduced to one actualized facet. Some physicists view the selection process is random, but according to the idealist interpretation, it is consciousness that chooses the outcome. The intervention of the nonlocal consciousness collapses the probability cloud of a quantum state. Since this outcome is a conscious experience, we choose our conscious experiences yet remain unconscious of the underlying process. It is this unconsciousness that leads to the illusory separateness, the identity with the separate "I" of self¬-reference (rather than the "we" of one consciousness). The book provides significant number of references to other works such as; Vedanta (Hindu philosophy), Buddhist and Western philosophical thoughts and how they are related to his monistic interpretation. This book is highly recommended.
1.
21 people found this helpful
====
Dr Sarma N Gullapalli (PhD)
4.0 out of 5 stars Quantum Mechanics and ConsciousnessReviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020
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This book gives an excellent review of the difficult and elusive subject of Consciousness, from philosophical, psychological, neuroscience and quantum mechanical viewpoints, quoting many researchers in these fields, backed by extensive references to hundreds of papers and books, and advances an audacious proposition that the Hindu Vedantic concept that Consciousness creates the world can be substantiated by quantum mechanics. In particular, the quantum mechanical wave function and its collapse by measurement, and the intriguing phenomena of entanglement, action at a distance and non-locality are attempted to apply to how Consciousness may influence the world in a manner akin to quantum mechanical wave function.
But the author takes too much liberty in such applications of quantum mechanical phenomenology, his speculations appearing like scientific conclusions. It would have been much better if the author, a professor of quantum mechanics himself, made it clear that these are speculations, not facts. Many great scientists have speculated on subjective spirituality, but kept their scientific studies entirely objective. For example, Isaac Newton subjectively speculated when the Biblical Last Day (Day of Judgement) will happen - that date passed by recently without the world ending - but his Laws of Motion and Law of Gravitation were entirely objective, and in fact contradicted Church's geocentric universe. Albert Einstein, critical of the fundamentally statistical nature of quantum mechanics, believed that God does not play dice, but he was one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics itself, and accepted all objective evidence. Oppenheimer and Schrodinger were impressed by Vedanta, but did not base their scientific work on it. To make the distinction between subjectivity and objectivity, in the famous Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment, the objective version would be when the act of observation involved the physical opening of the box, nothing to do with the consciousness of the person who opens the box. On the other hand, the subjective version would be when the observer does not open the box but uses his consciousness to decide a particular outcome, and some one else opens the box to see what the outcome is - there will be no systematic correlation between the outcome decided by consciousness and the physical outcome. In the famous Einstein - Bohr debates on wave-particle duality, neither of them made any reference to consciousness of the experimenter, but only the experiment: If the experiment was to observe wave nature the particle behaves as a wave, and if the experiment was to observe particle nature then particle behaves as a particle. This Complementarity Principle advanced by Bohr, and verified to be true by numerous ingenious experiments, has given rise to speculations (not facts) that the consciousness of the person who devised the experiment may also be taken into account. If consciousness is included the experiment will be subjective - no one has successfully conducted such experiments. If consciousness is not included in the experiment (as was in Einstein - Bohr debates and in all the experiments to date), the experiment is objective.
Much has been discussed about wave function collapse. But once we recognize that the wave function, a probability amplitude function, is a purely mathematical non-physical construct, we see that the purely mathematical entity can collapse without violating any physical laws. On probability, it is wrong to characterize classical physics as deterministic in contrast to probabilistic quantum mechanics. Statistical mechanics, a branch of classical mechanics, is statistical, fully developed long before quantum mechanics and successfully applied to important subjects like thermodynamics. The distinction between classical mechanics and quantum mechanics is far more subtle, will take up too much space here to elaborate. Non-locality is when the effect and cause are separated by distance that exceeds the limit set by speed of light in space (186,000 miles per second). But in experiments like telepathy, the separation distance is much less than what light would travel in the time resolution of cause and effect, probably several milliseconds at best, during which light would travel hundreds of miles. If one delves into details of Aspect's impressive experiments on entanglement, one will find subtleties that are glossed over, such as the role of correlation.
While non-scientists like to run off with speculations on quantum mechanics, it would be better if scientists took care to emphasize the speculative nature of their concepts, so that non-scientists will not run away with it.
All said and done, author Prof. Amit Goswami needs to be congratulated on an excellent work on a very difficult subject of Consciousness and the Material World, bringing Vedanta a bit closer to the reader.
9 people found this helpful
====
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Dr. H. A. Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars A world of monistic idealismReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2010
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The Self-Aware Universe: How consciousness creates the material world, by Amit Goswami, Jeremy Tarcher, New York, 1993, 336 ff.
The author sets out at the beginning how he views the world. He is rejecting the dualism of Descartes that suggested the world about us comprised material things and thinking things, that is, matter and minds. Goswami's world is a holistic unity - a world the philosophers would describe as monistic. Thus, he also rejects the dualism of western religion separating God from Man and Nature.
Then Goswami addresses the scientists. Theirs is a world of materialism. Only material objects and their properties are relevant. Any spirituality is subjective and meaningless to everyone else. But the deepest experiences of humankind are those of the soul and emotions and here science, that has explained so much, has little or nothing to say by way of explanation or interpretation. And the world of the numinous is the philosophical world of idealism.
The author is professor of physics at the Institute of Theoretical Sciences at the University of Oregon and is well-known for his writings that try to bridge the gap between materialist science on the one hand and the world of spirituality on the other, like Fritjof Capra a couple of decades earlier. He makes an important distinction though between mind and consciousness. Essentially, mind is the collection of our thoughts; consciousness is awareness and includes our sensory experiences. That aspect of our minds that Jung described as the collective unconscious is what Hindus describe as Atman. The mystic sees this unitive consciousness as God.
Goswami explains the mind-twisting concepts of quantum physics - non-locality, wave-particle duality, complementarity - quite simply for the non-specialist. The quantum matter/energy concept is the scientists' vision of transcendence - `being beyond comprehension'. He also makes quite frequent reference to parallels between his scientific philosophy of monistic idealism and Hindu mythology. It might have widened the readership if Goswami had tied the quantum world view into eastern mysticism more generally, like Capra, but Goswami makes an excellent job of his presentation.
I didn't find the sharp three-fold division of the book into physics, philosophy and mysticism that some other reviewers have found. The book is indeed presented in four parts, but they are much more integrated than that. Because of this diversity of content, the book does seem to jump around a bit in order to make these connections, and this does demand greater concentration from the reader.
When you read this book, the author's writing style is such that you feel you are in conversation with him. Although it deals with many challenging ideas, it is presented in as non-academic a style as possible for such sophisticated subject matter. If you are interested in a spiritual approach to the material world but one that is compatible with the latest ideas in quantum physics, then this book is for you. You must however be prepared to embrace some of the mystical ideas of eastern religion. There's a glossary of technical terms, a list of references and a bibliography, and a good index.
Dr Howard A. Jones is the author of The Thoughtful Guide to God (2006) and The Tao of Holism (2008), both published by O Books of Winchester, UK.
Creative Evolution
Mind Before Matter: Visions of a New Science of Consciousness
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13 people found this helpfulReport
AJ
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very interesting, Informative & Enjoyable Book..Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2015
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Not finished it yet but I'm enjoying it greatly. The physics stuff is more than interesting anyway before it delves more into the metaphysical aspects.
I like the writing style, presented in an easy to understand approach but without dumbing down. It resonates strongly with me, echoing my own beliefs that life & consciousness exist within all of creation, within all matter; the universe itself is alive. We are not a disease of matter as arch atheists like Hawking, Dawkins & co are so cocksure of.
Its another excellent work and another valuable resource in my investigations into the afterlife, the nature of consciousness etc.
Just not a book for those of a closed mind.
I will make a point; I thought the author, as being of a similar cultural background, might be similar in style to Deepak Chopra. I have read one of Deepak's books but must say I prefer this - its less heavy on eastern mysticism and where it uses, it makes a better use of it too.
4 people found this helpfulReport
Jennifer Hobson
4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I thought.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2014
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If you're not a physicist or are not interested in quantum physics, then this will be a little hard going for you. Goswami goes to great lengths to expalin the applicability of quantum mechanics to what he calls "monist idealism". Current, and indeed recent, advances in quantum theory fit neatly into his hypothesis of us all, humans, animals, things, sharing one consciouness. Better than the religious theories, Goswami still manages to make quantum mechanics sound pretty spiritual anyway, whjich is no bad thing, after all, we are all in need of a little imagination and creativity from time to time.
It's a complex read, but worth getting your head around to understand the latest, cutting edge, fringe even, science of quantum consciouness.
2 people found this helpfulReport
Sue I
5.0 out of 5 stars returned as too much science terminology for me to followReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2021
Verified Purchase
Great topic and I'm sure the author has done a wonderful job of representing it. Only problem was that I have minimal science background so found it too hard to follow the logic- should have checked the sample pages more closely I guess. Cost me £3.99 to return it :-(
===
The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World
Amit Goswami
,
Richard E. Reed
,
Maggie Goswami
...more
4.03
1,296 ratings63 reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Consciousness, not matter, is the ground of all existence, declares University of Oregon physicist Goswami, echoing the mystic sages of his native India. He holds that the universe is self-aware, and that consciousness creates the physical world. Calling this theory "monistic idealism," he claims it is not only "the basis of all religions worldwide" but also the correct philosophy for modern science. Once people give up the assumption that there is an objective reality independent of consciousness, the paradoxes of quantum physics are explainable, contends Goswami, writing with his wife and Reed ( Building the Future from Our Past ). He also applies his hypothesis to the so-called mind-body schism, which he attempts to heal. Sketching a model of the self, this demanding but rewarding treatise uses analogies from the "new physics" to throw light on choice, free will, creativity, the unconscious and paths to spiritual growth. Illustrated.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Read less
Product details
ASIN : B001QWDS1Y
Publisher : TarcherPerigee (March 21, 1995)
Publication date : March 21, 1995
Language : English
File size : 4633 KB
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
Print length : 338 pagesBest Sellers Rank: #352,037 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)#75 in Quantum Theory (Kindle Store)
#135 in Religious Philosophy (Kindle Store)
#138 in Eastern Philosophy (Kindle Store)Customer Reviews:
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 454 ratings
Videos
Help others learn more about this product by uploading a video!Upload your video
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Follow
Amit Goswami
Amit is a retired professor of physics from the University of Oregon, where he served on the faculty from 1968 to 1997.
The meaning of quantum physics was highly obscured. While researching this, Amit discovered that when quantum physics is formulated within the metaphysics of qualified non-dualism, as in Indian Vedanta, questions regarding meaning are immediately resolved. His work thus integrates science and spirituality. This work has culminated in his most recent book with the physician Valentina Onisor, Quantum Spirituality.
Subsequently, he developed a theory of reincarnation and integrated conventional and alternative medicine within the new quantum science of health. Among his discoveries are the quantum theory of the creative process, the theory of quantum evolution, and the theory of quantum economics that extends Adam’s Smith’s capitalism into a workable paradigm for the 21st century.
In 2009, he started a movement called “quantum activism,” now gaining ground in North and South America, Southern and Eastern Europe, and India. In 2018, together with his collaborators, he established Quantum Activism Vishwalayam, an institution of transformative education in India, based on quantum science and the primacy of consciousness. This program offers master’s and PhD programs in the Quantum Science of Health, Prosperity and Happiness under the auspices of University of Technology, Jaipur.
Amit is the author of numerous books, most notably: The Self-Aware Universe, Physics of the Soul, The Quantum Doctor, God is Not Dead, Quantum Creativity, and The Everything Answer Book.
He was featured in the movie What the Bleep Do We Know!? and the documentaries Dalai Lama Renaissance and The Quantum Activist.
Amit is a spiritual practitioner and calls himself a quantum activist in search of Wholeness.
To learn more about Dr. Amit Goswami, please visit www.amitgoswami.org.
===================
Read reviews that mention
quantum physics monistic idealism quantum mechanics material realism amit goswami self-aware universe bleep do we know wave function science and spirituality paradoxes of quantum heisenberg uncertainty highly recommend material world classical physics wave-particle duality consciousness creates idealist interpretation mind and body recommend to anyone recommend this book
Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
Rama Rao
VINE VOICE
5.0 out of 5 stars A journey through consciousness and physical realityReviewed in the United States on January 22, 2009
Verified Purchase
This book is a conscious effort by the author to provide a link between the physical reality and consciousness. The first half of the book presents conceptual part of quantum physics in which he discusses the uniqueness of quantum world and how it differs from classical reality. The introduction to quantum physics is very well presented. The second half of the book discusses as how consciousness figures in the depiction of reality, and in the process, he proposes a new and alternative interpretation of idealistic monism to explain quantum phenomenon. He is best known for his role as a commentator in the 2004 movie "What the bleep do we know?" starring Marlee Matlin (1).
It is well known that quantum reality does not reconcile with classical reality. Classical reality assumes matter (electrons, atoms, molecules, living species, planets, stars, and galaxies) are real and exist independent of observers or the method we employ to observe them; thus, classical physics is dominated by this objectivity. Secondly determinism; the idea that it is possible to predict completely the motion of all material objects if initial conditions such as position and velocity are known. Thirdly, the cause leading to the effect in the cause-effect relationship of classical reality is due to certainty that an action lead to certain effect. In quantum physics the behavior of quantum objects is probabilis¬tic and strict cause-effect description of the behavior of a single object is impossible. Fourthly, the principle of locality is that all material influences occurring in spacetime must be local, and the information can travel in space at a finite velocity, and not faster than the speed of light. The assumption of locality that all inter¬actions between material-objects are mediated via local signals is crucial to the materialistic view that objects exist independently and separately. Fifthly, materialism depicts that matter and energy are fundamental and all other phenomenon are secondary. The epiphenomenalism is a principle in which all mental phenomenons are explained as secondary to matter by suitable reduction to antecedent physical conditions. Thus consciousness is assumed by the objectivity of science to be a secondary, a part of living being, perhaps an advanced living species. The subject and objects in classical thought are two different things, and God and consciousness do not appear in any mathematical formula, but consciousness appears in physical interpretation of reality. In quantum physics the collapse of wave function upon observation by a conscious observer mixes subject and object, and there is no distinction between the two. Consciousness is without experiences and it is devoid of an object or a subject
The strangeness of quantum world may be summarized as follows; a quantum object can be at more than one place at the same time because of its wave property, and it cannot manifest in classical spacetime reality until we observe it as a matter (wave function collapse). A quantum object possesses both wave and particle (matter) nature but they are complementary properties. Quantum uncertainty prevents the momentum and the position to be determined precisely because of Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This is not measurement problem but a quantum physical problem since it is mathematically proved that the product of the position and the momentum is equal to or greater than Planck's constant. A quantum object ceases to exist here and simultaneously appears over there by quantum jumps and we cannot say it went through intervening space. A manifestation of one quantum object caused by our observation simultaneously influences its correlated twin object, no matter how far apart they are in the universe, by quantum entanglement. The behavior of quantum objects is probabilis¬tic and strict cause-effect description of the behavior of a single object is impossible. Instead, we have statistical cause and statistical effect when talking about a large group of particles. To understand quantum reality in the classical world physicists use a schema of interpretation; this depends on the philosophy or school of thought. Copenhagen interpretation postulated largely by Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and Max Born is commonly used.
The author claims that there is a monistic alternative to material realism where mind and matter are integral part of one reality, but reality is not based on matter alone. He observes that the existence of objective reality independent of consciousness is absurd and believes that the universe is "self-aware" and that it is consciousness itself that creates the physical world. It is outside of spacetime, non-local, all pervading and All-in-One unitary being. It is the consciousness that is the ultimate reality; the immanent and transcendent are within consciousness He attempts to convince the reader that monistic idealism provides a paradox-free interpretation of quantum physics that is logical, coherent, and offers explanation for mental phenomenon such as; self-consciousness, free-will, creativity and extrasensory perception, and finally provide a role for spiritual side of existence. In his discussion about artificial intelligence he questions how mind can be treated like a machine and free will as an illusion. Roger Penrose argues that computer like algorithmic reasoning is insufficient for the discovery of physical and mathematical (theorems) laws. Then where does mathematics come from if we operate like a computer? Mathematical truth is not ascertained by mere use of an algorithm (a systematic procedure which is strictly a logic based approach) for solving a problem. Consciousness is required to comprehend the mathematical argument to be convinced of its validity, and elucidate the emerging physical concepts. Therefore consciousness must exist prior to algorithm and mathematics.
To explain the role of consciousness quantum physics, he cites von Neumann's work; the state of a quantum system (here it is mind) undergoes change in two separate ways. The first is a continuous change in which it spreads as a wave, becoming a coherent superposition of all the potential states allowed by the situation. Each potential state has a certain statistical weight given by its probability wave ampli¬tude. A measurement introduces a second discontinuous change in the state, and the state of superposition that exists in multifaceted potentia is reduced to one actualized facet. Some physicists view the selection process is random, but according to the idealist interpretation, it is consciousness that chooses the outcome. The intervention of the nonlocal consciousness collapses the probability cloud of a quantum state. Since this outcome is a conscious experience, we choose our conscious experiences yet remain unconscious of the underlying process. It is this unconsciousness that leads to the illusory separateness, the identity with the separate "I" of self¬-reference (rather than the "we" of one consciousness). The book provides significant number of references to other works such as; Vedanta (Hindu philosophy), Buddhist and Western philosophical thoughts and how they are related to his monistic interpretation. This book is highly recommended.
1.
21 people found this helpful
====
Dr Sarma N Gullapalli (PhD)
4.0 out of 5 stars Quantum Mechanics and ConsciousnessReviewed in the United States on August 30, 2020
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This book gives an excellent review of the difficult and elusive subject of Consciousness, from philosophical, psychological, neuroscience and quantum mechanical viewpoints, quoting many researchers in these fields, backed by extensive references to hundreds of papers and books, and advances an audacious proposition that the Hindu Vedantic concept that Consciousness creates the world can be substantiated by quantum mechanics. In particular, the quantum mechanical wave function and its collapse by measurement, and the intriguing phenomena of entanglement, action at a distance and non-locality are attempted to apply to how Consciousness may influence the world in a manner akin to quantum mechanical wave function.
But the author takes too much liberty in such applications of quantum mechanical phenomenology, his speculations appearing like scientific conclusions. It would have been much better if the author, a professor of quantum mechanics himself, made it clear that these are speculations, not facts. Many great scientists have speculated on subjective spirituality, but kept their scientific studies entirely objective. For example, Isaac Newton subjectively speculated when the Biblical Last Day (Day of Judgement) will happen - that date passed by recently without the world ending - but his Laws of Motion and Law of Gravitation were entirely objective, and in fact contradicted Church's geocentric universe. Albert Einstein, critical of the fundamentally statistical nature of quantum mechanics, believed that God does not play dice, but he was one of the founding fathers of quantum mechanics itself, and accepted all objective evidence. Oppenheimer and Schrodinger were impressed by Vedanta, but did not base their scientific work on it. To make the distinction between subjectivity and objectivity, in the famous Schrodinger's Cat thought experiment, the objective version would be when the act of observation involved the physical opening of the box, nothing to do with the consciousness of the person who opens the box. On the other hand, the subjective version would be when the observer does not open the box but uses his consciousness to decide a particular outcome, and some one else opens the box to see what the outcome is - there will be no systematic correlation between the outcome decided by consciousness and the physical outcome. In the famous Einstein - Bohr debates on wave-particle duality, neither of them made any reference to consciousness of the experimenter, but only the experiment: If the experiment was to observe wave nature the particle behaves as a wave, and if the experiment was to observe particle nature then particle behaves as a particle. This Complementarity Principle advanced by Bohr, and verified to be true by numerous ingenious experiments, has given rise to speculations (not facts) that the consciousness of the person who devised the experiment may also be taken into account. If consciousness is included the experiment will be subjective - no one has successfully conducted such experiments. If consciousness is not included in the experiment (as was in Einstein - Bohr debates and in all the experiments to date), the experiment is objective.
Much has been discussed about wave function collapse. But once we recognize that the wave function, a probability amplitude function, is a purely mathematical non-physical construct, we see that the purely mathematical entity can collapse without violating any physical laws. On probability, it is wrong to characterize classical physics as deterministic in contrast to probabilistic quantum mechanics. Statistical mechanics, a branch of classical mechanics, is statistical, fully developed long before quantum mechanics and successfully applied to important subjects like thermodynamics. The distinction between classical mechanics and quantum mechanics is far more subtle, will take up too much space here to elaborate. Non-locality is when the effect and cause are separated by distance that exceeds the limit set by speed of light in space (186,000 miles per second). But in experiments like telepathy, the separation distance is much less than what light would travel in the time resolution of cause and effect, probably several milliseconds at best, during which light would travel hundreds of miles. If one delves into details of Aspect's impressive experiments on entanglement, one will find subtleties that are glossed over, such as the role of correlation.
While non-scientists like to run off with speculations on quantum mechanics, it would be better if scientists took care to emphasize the speculative nature of their concepts, so that non-scientists will not run away with it.
All said and done, author Prof. Amit Goswami needs to be congratulated on an excellent work on a very difficult subject of Consciousness and the Material World, bringing Vedanta a bit closer to the reader.
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Dr. H. A. Jones
4.0 out of 5 stars A world of monistic idealismReviewed in the United Kingdom on December 11, 2010
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The Self-Aware Universe: How consciousness creates the material world, by Amit Goswami, Jeremy Tarcher, New York, 1993, 336 ff.
The author sets out at the beginning how he views the world. He is rejecting the dualism of Descartes that suggested the world about us comprised material things and thinking things, that is, matter and minds. Goswami's world is a holistic unity - a world the philosophers would describe as monistic. Thus, he also rejects the dualism of western religion separating God from Man and Nature.
Then Goswami addresses the scientists. Theirs is a world of materialism. Only material objects and their properties are relevant. Any spirituality is subjective and meaningless to everyone else. But the deepest experiences of humankind are those of the soul and emotions and here science, that has explained so much, has little or nothing to say by way of explanation or interpretation. And the world of the numinous is the philosophical world of idealism.
The author is professor of physics at the Institute of Theoretical Sciences at the University of Oregon and is well-known for his writings that try to bridge the gap between materialist science on the one hand and the world of spirituality on the other, like Fritjof Capra a couple of decades earlier. He makes an important distinction though between mind and consciousness. Essentially, mind is the collection of our thoughts; consciousness is awareness and includes our sensory experiences. That aspect of our minds that Jung described as the collective unconscious is what Hindus describe as Atman. The mystic sees this unitive consciousness as God.
Goswami explains the mind-twisting concepts of quantum physics - non-locality, wave-particle duality, complementarity - quite simply for the non-specialist. The quantum matter/energy concept is the scientists' vision of transcendence - `being beyond comprehension'. He also makes quite frequent reference to parallels between his scientific philosophy of monistic idealism and Hindu mythology. It might have widened the readership if Goswami had tied the quantum world view into eastern mysticism more generally, like Capra, but Goswami makes an excellent job of his presentation.
I didn't find the sharp three-fold division of the book into physics, philosophy and mysticism that some other reviewers have found. The book is indeed presented in four parts, but they are much more integrated than that. Because of this diversity of content, the book does seem to jump around a bit in order to make these connections, and this does demand greater concentration from the reader.
When you read this book, the author's writing style is such that you feel you are in conversation with him. Although it deals with many challenging ideas, it is presented in as non-academic a style as possible for such sophisticated subject matter. If you are interested in a spiritual approach to the material world but one that is compatible with the latest ideas in quantum physics, then this book is for you. You must however be prepared to embrace some of the mystical ideas of eastern religion. There's a glossary of technical terms, a list of references and a bibliography, and a good index.
Dr Howard A. Jones is the author of The Thoughtful Guide to God (2006) and The Tao of Holism (2008), both published by O Books of Winchester, UK.
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AJ
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very interesting, Informative & Enjoyable Book..Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 21, 2015
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Not finished it yet but I'm enjoying it greatly. The physics stuff is more than interesting anyway before it delves more into the metaphysical aspects.
I like the writing style, presented in an easy to understand approach but without dumbing down. It resonates strongly with me, echoing my own beliefs that life & consciousness exist within all of creation, within all matter; the universe itself is alive. We are not a disease of matter as arch atheists like Hawking, Dawkins & co are so cocksure of.
Its another excellent work and another valuable resource in my investigations into the afterlife, the nature of consciousness etc.
Just not a book for those of a closed mind.
I will make a point; I thought the author, as being of a similar cultural background, might be similar in style to Deepak Chopra. I have read one of Deepak's books but must say I prefer this - its less heavy on eastern mysticism and where it uses, it makes a better use of it too.
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Jennifer Hobson
4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I thought.Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 27, 2014
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If you're not a physicist or are not interested in quantum physics, then this will be a little hard going for you. Goswami goes to great lengths to expalin the applicability of quantum mechanics to what he calls "monist idealism". Current, and indeed recent, advances in quantum theory fit neatly into his hypothesis of us all, humans, animals, things, sharing one consciouness. Better than the religious theories, Goswami still manages to make quantum mechanics sound pretty spiritual anyway, whjich is no bad thing, after all, we are all in need of a little imagination and creativity from time to time.
It's a complex read, but worth getting your head around to understand the latest, cutting edge, fringe even, science of quantum consciouness.
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Sue I
5.0 out of 5 stars returned as too much science terminology for me to followReviewed in the United Kingdom on January 5, 2021
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Great topic and I'm sure the author has done a wonderful job of representing it. Only problem was that I have minimal science background so found it too hard to follow the logic- should have checked the sample pages more closely I guess. Cost me £3.99 to return it :-(
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The Self-Aware Universe: How Consciousness Creates the Material World
Amit Goswami
,
Richard E. Reed
,
Maggie Goswami
...more
4.03
1,296 ratings63 reviews
In this stimulating and timely book, Amit Goswami, PhD, shatters the widely popular belief held by Western science that matter is the primary "stuff" of creation and proposes instead that consciousness is the true foundation of all we know and perceive.
His explanation of quantum physics for lay readers, called "a model of clarity" by Kirkus Reviews, sets the stage for a voyage of discovery through the common ground of science and religion, the entwined nature of mind and body, and our interconnectedness with all of creation.
Genres
Science
Philosophy
Spirituality
Nonfiction
Physics
Metaphysics
Psychology
...more
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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Amit Goswami
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Stephanie
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April 1, 2012
If Amit could define what consciousness is there would be, to quote Darth Vader, "No Conflict".
But perhaps that is the final, ultimate rub. What IS consciousness? Can you measure it? Can you show me the math behind it? Well, not yet anyway. Can you deny it exists? Of course not. So we say that consciousness exists because we know it exists, without proof, without measure, without quantifiable and repeatable results. In my day we called that circular logic, not science.
That his discussion of quantum mechanics is rock solid should come as no surprise since he is the author of the books used by most colleges to teach college level quantum mechanics. So far, so good. But then he proposes what appears to be the final paradigm shift required to explain it all, and it is based upon the circular logic common to every single religion. Matter is not the foundation of everything, Consciousness / God / Mind is the foundation of everything, and this shift explains the current inconsistencies seen in the behavior of the "very small". How can electrons be in two places at the same time unless we are watching, in which case it can only be in one place at a time? Where does the electron go when it jumps levels, and how can it be that it does not travel the intervening distance but instead pops from one place to another? How can we continue to say a theory is solid if experimental data point to the fact that something is clearly missing?
This book, as well as his movie "The Quantum Activist" point to what I BELIEVE to be true. It points to the belief I have had for some time now. Reality IS space-time-consciousness. Not some white bearded jealous god on a cloud making rules, but Everything, without exception, right Now. So, I believe this. I think it is true. But even for someone who believes these things I found that as I read this book I kept waiting for him to lay out the proofs.
It is hard to take, crossing the streams... melding belief and science, adding the heady and fragrant spice of mysticism to quantum physics, turning it all upside down and noticing that if you do, it is explained but not necessarily with proof. So, I believe it and I agree, and yet I find myself fussing and kicking and looking for the data.
A great book, highly recommended, and one that will leave you doing what I am doing. Asking the questions and finding your own way. And isn't that one of the fun parts of being here?
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Rama Rao
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February 21, 2014
A journey through consciousness and physical reality
This book is a conscious effort by the author to provide a link between the physical reality and consciousness. The first half of the book presents conceptual part of quantum physics in which he discusses the uniqueness of quantum world and how it differs from classical reality. The introduction to quantum physics is very well presented. The second half of the book discusses as how consciousness figures in the depiction of reality, and in the process, he proposes a new and alternative interpretation of idealistic monism to explain quantum phenomenon. He is best known for his role as a commentator in the 2004 movie "What the bleep do we know?" starring Marlee Matlin (1).
It is well known that quantum reality does not reconcile with classical reality. Classical reality assumes matter (electrons, atoms, molecules, living species, planets, stars, and galaxies) are real and exist independent of observers or the method we employ to observe them; thus, classical physics is dominated by this objectivity. Secondly determinism; the idea that it is possible to predict completely the motion of all material objects if initial conditions such as position and velocity are known. Thirdly, the cause leading to the effect in the cause-effect relationship of classical reality is due to certainty that an action lead to certain effect. In quantum physics the behavior of quantum objects is probabilis¬tic and strict cause-effect description of the behavior of a single object is impossible. Fourthly, the principle of locality is that all material influences occurring in spacetime must be local, and the information can travel in space at a finite velocity, and not faster than the speed of light. The assumption of locality that all inter¬actions between material-objects are mediated via local signals is crucial to the materialistic view that objects exist independently and separately. Fifthly, materialism depicts that matter and energy are fundamental and all other phenomenon are secondary. The epiphenomenalism is a principle in which all mental phenomenons are explained as secondary to matter by suitable reduction to antecedent physical conditions. Thus consciousness is assumed by the objectivity of science to be a secondary, a part of living being, perhaps an advanced living species. The subject and objects in classical thought are two different things, and God and consciousness do not appear in any mathematical formula, but consciousness appears in physical interpretation of reality. In quantum physics the collapse of wave function upon observation by a conscious observer mixes subject and object, and there is no distinction between the two. Consciousness is without experiences and it is devoid of an object or a subject
The strangeness of quantum world may be summarized as follows; a quantum object can be at more than one place at the same time because of its wave property, and it cannot manifest in classical spacetime reality until we observe it as a matter (wave function collapse). A quantum object possesses both wave and particle (matter) nature but they are complementary properties. Quantum uncertainty prevents the momentum and the position to be determined precisely because of Heisenberg uncertainty principle. This is not measurement problem but a quantum physical problem since it is mathematically proved that the product of the position and the momentum is equal to or greater than Planck's constant. A quantum object ceases to exist here and simultaneously appears over there by quantum jumps and we cannot say it went through intervening space. A manifestation of one quantum object caused by our observation simultaneously influences its correlated twin object, no matter how far apart they are in the universe, by quantum entanglement. The behavior of quantum objects is probabilis¬tic and strict cause-effect description of the behavior of a single object is impossible. Instead, we have statistical cause and statistical effect when talking about a large group of particles. To understand quantum reality in the classical world physicists use a schema of interpretation; this depends on the philosophy or school of thought. Copenhagen interpretation postulated largely by Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg and Max Born is commonly used.
The author claims that there is a monistic alternative to material realism where mind and matter are integral part of one reality, but reality is not based on matter alone. He observes that the existence of objective reality independent of consciousness is absurd and believes that the universe is "self-aware" and that it is consciousness itself that creates the physical world. It is outside of spacetime, non-local, all pervading and All-in-One unitary being. It is the consciousness that is the ultimate reality; the immanent and transcendent are within consciousness He attempts to convince the reader that monistic idealism provides a paradox-free interpretation of quantum physics that is logical, coherent, and offers explanation for mental phenomenon such as; self-consciousness, free-will, creativity and extrasensory perception, and finally provide a role for spiritual side of existence. In his discussion about artificial intelligence he questions how mind can be treated like a machine and free will as an illusion. Roger Penrose argues that computer like algorithmic reasoning is insufficient for the discovery of physical and mathematical (theorems) laws. Then where does mathematics come from if we operate like a computer? Mathematical truth is not ascertained by mere use of an algorithm (a systematic procedure which is strictly a logic based approach) for solving a problem. Consciousness is required to comprehend the mathematical argument to be convinced of its validity, and elucidate the emerging physical concepts. Therefore consciousness must exist prior to algorithm and mathematics.
To explain the role of consciousness quantum physics, he cites von Neumann's work; the state of a quantum system (here it is mind) undergoes change in two separate ways. The first is a continuous change in which it spreads as a wave, becoming a coherent superposition of all the potential states allowed by the situation. Each potential state has a certain statistical weight given by its probability wave ampli¬tude. A measurement introduces a second discontinuous change in the state, and the state of superposition that exists in multifaceted potentia is reduced to one actualized facet. Some physicists view the selection process is random, but according to the idealist interpretation, it is consciousness that chooses the outcome. The intervention of the nonlocal consciousness collapses the probability cloud of a quantum state. Since this outcome is a conscious experience, we choose our conscious experiences yet remain unconscious of the underlying process. It is this unconsciousness that leads to the illusory separateness, the identity with the separate "I" of self¬-reference (rather than the "we" of one consciousness). The book provides significant number of references to other works such as; Vedanta (Hindu philosophy), Buddhist and Western philosophical thoughts and how they are related to his monistic interpretation. This book is highly recommended.
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Kenneth Bachmann
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January 26, 2016
I'm not sure where to begin. Like so many of the books on my shelf that have been written by scientists, notably physicists, the promise of a meaningful synthesis of quantum theory, quantum mechanics, and the science of consciousness leave readers deeply disappointed. These authors consistently seem to promise far more than they are capable of delivering. In this particular case, and I leave open the possibility that my mind could change since I have only read about 60% of this book so far, my first observation is great pity for the students who must have endured the author's lectures. Since he was a physicist, I would imagine that he may have been able to reasonably teach basic features of physics satisfactorily. In fact, the first part of this book seems to give a decent introduction into quantum physics. However, once he steps into the realm of psychology, behavioral sciences, and consciousness, watch out. Obviously he is well read, and has a library full of literature to which he can refer as he touches upon these areas and tries to link them to the collapse of quantum waveforms. The problem is that from chapter to chapter he cooks up psychological and/or neuroscience stews--hobo stews--in which he reaches into his pantry and throws anything of possible relevance into the mix. His explanations may have hints of logic to them, but there is never a shred of empirical support. Thus, like so many of hs colleagues that aim to do the same thing, he offers the promise of scientifically sound support (based on his scientific credentials) to propositions that are not much more than his own mythology.
Maybe he will write a chapter or two toward the end of the book that, in fact, will manage to demonstrate (preferrably empirically but maybe even with incontrovertible logic) the connection between the quantum world and consciousness and show unequivocally how, as he proposes, consciousness is the ground state of all reality. AAt this point, assuming he is able to do that, the chapters between his early exposition about quantum physics and those possible latter chapters are nothing more than very sophisticated bullshit.
OK. Now that I've finished the book, my review stands. The last chapters were abject failures if their aim was to provide linkage between quantum science and consciousness or spirituality. I'm not sure what exactly was the point of any of the chapters apart from the initial ones on quantum physicis.
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Leticia Supple
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December 11, 2016
You might be surprised to learn that I have only just finished reading this book, the beginning of which was over twelve months ago. There's a very good reason for this: It's pretty heavy going. The Self-Aware Universe is a book about quantum physics, and as such if you are not trained in physics then you will need to grapple with some pretty intense new terminologies, concepts, and ways of thinking. For advanced readers, it's a good chance to stretch your brain.
Even if you are familiar with quantum physics, you will still need to take time to digest it. In my case, the long, slow digesting was entirely intentional. Well, except for mid-year this year when I felt that I didn't have the intellectual capacity to give it the attention that it deserved.
The Self-Aware Universe gives us an impressively argued case for eliminating material realism in the sciences in general, and in physics in particular. In its place, the author argues for the introduction of a monistic idealism, and does so on the basis that it resolves the paradoxes that exist in material-realism-based quantum mechanics. In the other half of this book, the author goes on to demonstrate how mystical writings throughout time have given us indications of what quantum mechanics is only now learning, and goes on - impressively - to show us how a monistic idealism as a framework can unite the spiritual and the scientific. The reason is because where material realism sees consciousness as arising from physical things like the brain, the monistic idealist sees matter as emerging from consciousness. It's a framework in which consciousness comes first. Well, as first as you can in a tangled hierarchy.
Of course, the staunch atheist, being grounded firmly in material realism, will be unable to grapple with this notion despite its having been demonstrated, argued and proven, insofar as you can prove a quantum concept. Therefore, if you are a hardline atheist, you'd get as much benefit out of this as you would going to church. However, if you are primarily a material realist but have an open mind and are willing to be challenged, then please read this book.
The Self Aware Universe is, In my opinion, essential reading for anyone who seeks to better understand quantum mechanics, or their own relationship with the world. In fact, Goswami does a lot of good in his work: Not only does he manage to make the difficulties of quantum mechanics obtainable with a little bit of effort, but he also manages to discuss many of the hard-to-understand and hard-to-reach elements of a Millenia of mystical writings by bringing the two together. While this may sound like a lot of difficult things all jumbled into one magnificent basket, the truth is that the understanding of quantum mechanics you will reach will allow you to better understand the mystical writings themselves. That alone is of enormous benefit to the curious and philosophical reader.
While a great number of people will skip over this book, it has the potential to dramatically change how people see the world. It is also perhaps one of the more remarkable, rigorous and scientific works at the bleeding edge of scientific knowledge: A place of which science has, through its institutionalised perspectives and academies, become both intolerant and afraid.
If you read this work, I hope that you end it in as great a state of excitement and joy at the possibilities as I did.
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Kitap
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July 16, 2009
The author, famous/infamous for his appearance in the film What the Bleep Do We Know?, begins with a fascinating premise-that the only metaphysical interpretation of quantum physics that accounts for all data is monist idealism. This monist idealist interpretation of quantum physics is akin to the worldview of Advaita Vedanta, in which there is, absolutely speaking, one fundamental reality-Mind/Conciousness (the Sanskrit word is Atman or Brahman, depending on whether one approaches it from the perspective of the individual or the whole). This nondual, nonlocal fundamental reality is apprehended dualistically as the subject of experience (the noumenal world of the individual mind) and the object of experience (the phenomenal world of individual objects). Goswami's most interesting thesis is that the quantum level of mind is that empty silence wherein free choice and novel creativity occur, whereas the classical level of mind is the conditioned chatterbox that operates on habit and repetition; this "two truths" approach allows his model to include and transcend the insights of behaviorism, etc.
As I said, this is a fascinating interpretation, and one that resonates with the philosophical-religious worldview that has been called the perennial philosophy. Alas, this book is not as well written as I would have liked; sometimes the parables he relates don't connect meaningfully to the material at hand and at other times each paragraph seems only slightly related to those preceding and following. As well, the prose is often stilted and occasionally even embarassing (although, in his defense, he is a professor of physics and not creative writing). He only spends 1/3 of the book developing his thesis, a big mistake when you are rocking the boat so thoroughly. Another problem with this book is that the last 1/3 is a completely unnecessary (in my opinion) application of this interpretation to the spiritual path. There are scores of better books on the religious/spiritual practice of nondualism, so why bother? Is it to give the imprimatur of science to something that had previously been merely religious, and therefore suspect? Or is to fill pages?
In short, Goswami's book expresses an interesting idea, although it is not always an interesting read.
jose-recommendation
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Ximena FT
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August 22, 2021
One of the best books I’ve read. If you have read books from Joe Dispenza, Michio Kaku and other spiritual luminaries then this book is for you. Having had ample experience with meditation, yoga and therapy this book confirms much of what I already knew. It’s nice to understand the mechanics of the metaphysical experiences that I’ve had. This helps me to explain them more easily to friends and family, to be able to put concrete words and potential theories about what might be happening behind the scenes. Definitely worth the read. Mild warning though, you kind of do need to have a basic understanding of quantum physics at least knowledge of the uncertainty principle and some of the paradoxes as this author does very little to explain them in a manner that a beginner could understand. Maybe go read Michio Kaku’s book “The Physics of the Impossible” before coming to read this.
2021
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Katie Curlee Hamblen
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January 15, 2011
Want to change the way you think about everything? Well, here you go.
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Noah
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January 5, 2021
I was intrigued by this book as soon as I learned about what it was about in Peace Is the Way: Bringing War and Violence to an End by Deepak Chopra. The book's main theme is pretty simple: the fundamental building block of reality is not matter (atoms or energy, e=mc2) but consciousness. The results of quantum physics experiments can only be explained by the existence of a conscious observer outside of spacetime, namely the one universal consciousness, or as some people call it, God.
Because of the conditioning that I've had particularly in the sciences, painstaking going through and explaining everything using the actual results of experiments in quantum physics was helpful for me to be able to overcome limiting beliefs about the nature of reality and my ability to shape it.
What drove me to read it at this time was a desire to reconcile the overwhelming evidence that consciousness creates reality with my inability to understand how, if that is the case, why I cannot instantaneously change reality--why we do not see dream-like changes ala Inception happening on a daily basis. I have experienced instantaneous changes in reality as a result of my thoughts, but it still happened in a way that conforms to the normal rules of classical physics. I do not have the ability to make supernatural things happen, but if reality is simply consciousness, why not?
The book answered that question for me. I can't fully articulate the ideas in the book (seek out an interview with the author for that), but I think I understood them. The authors go into detail to explain the illusion of separate consciousnesses and all of the other questions that arise for people operating in a materialist paradigm.
I feel satisfied that yes, the building block is consciousness, but that doesn't mean the laws of physics go out the window, they are part of the creation that has its own existence. I will be exploring his other books to learn more about the practical implications of what it means to live in a world where consciousness creates the reality we live in.
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Amit Goswami:
THE SELF-AWARE UNIVERSE (Putnam, 1993)
Home | The whole bibliography | My book on Consciousness
Piero Scaruffi |
Indian physicist Amit Goswami tries to integrate consciousness into science. After a rather amateurish introduction to Western Philosophy of Mind (one philosopher) and Artificial Intelligence (one scientist), Goswami does a much better job of introducing modern Physics. Goswami criticizes materialism (the view that consciousness is a material phenomenon, and that matter is the only substance) and endorses idealism (the view that matter is a mental phenomenon, and consciousness is the only substance).
Goswami's idealism is based on a simple postulate: that consciousness collapses the quantum wave, as Von Neumann originally claimed. Goswami shows that this brand of idealism has no problem with some notorious quantum "paradoxes". Basically, the "oddities" of Quantum Mechanics are in our mind, not in the world. Schroedinger's cat could not possibly be both alive and dead in the real world, but it can be in our minds. Paul Wigner extended Von Neumann's meditation by asking: if a friend tells me what he observed, at which point did the wave collapse, when the friend carried out her observation or when i carried out the observation of my friend telling me the result of his observation? If one thinks that the friend collapsed the wave, then the problem is that two friends observing the same phenomenon would both collapse the wave, and possibly observe opposite outcomes. If one thinks that i collapse the wave when i listen to my friend, then my friend's knowledge depends on her talking to me. Goswami explains Paul Wigner's dilemma by postulating that there is only one consciousness, only one subject, not many individual, separate subjects. There is, ultimately, only one observer. He also cites the non-locality of Quantum Mechanics as evidence that there is only one consciousness in the universe. Goswami credits consciousness with a deliberate act of determining reality: consciousness "chooses" (not just picks up) the outcome of a measurement.
Goswami could stop here, but instead he offers a theory of mind (presumably of the fact that each of us has a different mind). A mind is made of ideas or thoughts, and he envisions these mental objects as fully equivalent to the material objects (the particles) studied by Quantum Mechanics. Thus they must obey the same Physics, the same theories about uncertainty, measurement and non-locality. He views the brain as both a quantum system and a measuring apparatus. The possibilities of the quantum bran are unconscious processes, and the equivalent of the physical observation is the one unconscious process that becomes conscious. Consciousness "chooses" which unconscious process becomes conscious (just like it "chooses" the outcome of any other measurement). Consciousness "chooses" its own conscious experience.
TM, ®, Copyright © 2005 Piero Scaruffi
