| View Larger Image | Hidden Dimensions: The Unification of Physics and Consciousness (Columbia Series in Science and Religion) | Hardcoverby B. Alan Wallace (Author)
| List Price: | $24.50 | | Price: | $17.64 | | You Save: | $6.86 (28%) | | | Available: | Usually ships in 24 hours |
| | Binding: | Hardcover | | Publisher: | Columbia University Press | | Edition: | 1st Edition | | Page Count: | 176 Pages | | Publication Date: | August 06, 2007 | | Sales Rank: | 175,006th |
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EDITORIAL REVIEWS |
Product 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 (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 8 reviews)
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Brave, luminous and possibly quixotic by Matthew J. Schimpf (Niagara Falls, NY)  4 Stars
April 25, 2009
While I thoroughly enjoyed Dr. Wallace's book "Hidden Dimensions" as a lucid, well executed and highly intelligent attempt to conflate physics and spirituality (and I highly commend his effort) I can't help but feel that his attempts, noble and necessary as they are, are going to fall on deaf ears. However, every revolution has to start with one person standing up (or sitting down in the case of Mahatma Gandhi) and thunderously announcing the prospect of other possibilities. I can and will continue to be a reader of Prof. Wallace's work and hope that his ideas will invigorate what I perceive as languid scientific thought.
My only negative comments have more to do with Dr. Wallace's writing style than his perspective and opines. In many ways Dr. Wallace's style is reminiscent of the renowned physicist Paul Davies, in that every sentence is so charged with meaning, that I find myself having to do mental acrobatics to try and assimilate what is being (or what I think is being) conveyed. And I think I know why. The author has, in my opinion, an exceptional ability to employ "single pointed concentration/focus," wherein he is able to condense paragraphs, pages and chapters into a single sentence or two. With all due respect, Dr. Wallace, please, expand your writings a bit farther - add more detail so those of us who don't have tremendous powers of single pointed concentration (or , in my case, near zero powers of single pointed concentration) can more ably and efficiently integrate your thoughts into our receptive minds.
Four stars without prevarication.
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Another good read from B. Alan Wallace by Mary F. Obrien 4 Stars
July 15, 2008
This book is an excellent companion to other books by Wallce which address the relationship between science and spirituality.
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Great Material, not for the layman by Matthew Montgomery (San Antonio, Texas)  3 Stars
June 30, 2008
This is a very good book with some great theories and science in it. Wallace really makes you think and analyze the world around us. It definitely doesn't seem to be for the layman. It helps to know some of what he is talking about before you read it! He writes very sophisticated and some of it can be confusing.
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Hidden Dimensions by Alex Kistler (Olympia, WA USA)  5 Stars
January 16, 2008
I found this book to be a fascinating review of the evolution of Physics, the accomplishments of trained meditators, and how combining the learnings from both might greatly improve our lives.
Mr Wallace takes us on a grand tour of what current researchers are discovering about Quantum Physics and how difficult it has been to reconcile it's predictions with what Classical Physics says and what we are used to experiencing in our world. He notes that in the Quantum world everything is intrinsically related to the observer. This has some very strange and wonderful implications and is very different from our usual cause and effect notions of how things work.
He details how well science has described our external world but feels it has very poorly described our internal world. Buddhist meditators over many centuries have explored the inner workings of our minds and the nature of consciousness in a way that complements and parallels Western science. His central position is that consciousness is what ties everything together.
This was slow reading for me but well worth my time. The message is optimistic and very thought provoking.
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Profound and challenging by Bodhi Heeren (Copenhagen) 5 Stars
November 03, 2007
The author was a praticing Buddhist monk for many years, working with H.H. Dalai Lama, and when he left the monastic life he turned to the study of physics. In this book he brings these two worlds together in a convincingly intelligent way, presenting what is arguably one of the most comprehensive descriptions of the world around us (and in us).
He relies on the theories of physicist John Wheeler, and at the same time on his own meditative experiences. Emphazising the buddhist 'middle way'. Arguing for a world view that is neither materialistic nor theistic.
Considering the heated and rather depressiv debate between creationists and fanatic, fundamentalist neo-darwinists like Richard Dawkins, this is certainly a breath of fresh air. Making it clear that natural science has NOT been able to explain how life arise out of matter or how intelligence arise out of the material brain. And of course showing the utter lack of need for the postulate of a personal creator 'God'.
A beautiful book that should appeal to 'fans' of people like Osho, Stanislav Grof, Amit Goswami, Deepak Chopra. In many ways this could be seen as an updated version of "The Tao of Physics" by an author with a much more solid grip on the spiritual aspects than Fritjof Capra.
Intelligent arguments for not considering human 'reason' as the highest Intelligence in the Universe!
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By establishing a dialogue in which the meditative practices of Buddhism and Christianity speak to the theories of modern philosophy and science, B. Alan Wallace reveals the theoretical similarities underlying these disparate disciplines and their unified approach to making sense of the objective world. Wallace begins by exploring the relationship between Christian and Buddhist meditative practices. He outlines a sequence of meditations the reader can undertake, showing that, though...
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