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.
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