The Buddha and the Quantum: Hearing the Voice of Every Cell
Buddha and the Quantumpresents Samuel Avery’s theories about the intimate connection between the inner world of consciousness as revealed in meditation, and the outer world as described by quantum theory and relativity. Like many spiritual thinkers before him, he sees a deep significance in the notion that consciousness is embedded in the very fact of quantum events.This approach is one I have a nostalgic fondness for. In the 80s, I read most of the early generation of works exploring similar themes, most famous of which was Fritjof Capra’s The Tao of Physics. A whole generation of thinkers, it seemed at the time, was forging a deep-level bridge between philosophies east and west, and between religion and science. Theirs was a hopeful spirit, before the emergence of fundamentalism soured the whole thing. I miss it. And so I’m glad that the task is being taken up again.Avery has moved on from the frustrating vagueness of Capra’s references to 'Eastern philosophies.' We’ve learned a lot since then, and have practiced a lot, and that practice is the basis of Buddha and the Quantum. In his koan-like, crisp poetical style, Avery embeds articulate descriptions of meditation experience among his explorations of the philosophical implications of modern physics.Some of his observations are strikingly insightful: 'Buddhist meditation begins with breathing. Buddhism begins with morality.' A simple point, often overlooked. He rightly emphasizes that meditation is simply the extension and development of qualities found in ordinary consciousness, and that without a foundation in morality, this can include development of the unwholesome.If you’re after a book on Buddhism, this is not for you. If you’re after a book on quantum theory, this is not for you. But if you want to explore the ways that the ideas underlying modern science can be applied to bend and twist the mind into new shapes,The Buddha and the Quantumoffers a challenging set of models and analogies.(Bhante SujatoSujato's Blog, January 19, 2012)While readingThe Buddha and the Quantum, there was a sublime moment when I thought I understood the entire universe—that insight dissolved the moment I tried to verbalize it.(David Harrington, founder and director, Kronos Quartet)One of the leading areas of philosophical discussion these days is the question of consciousness—what it is and its relationship to brain activity. Because Western science has been at a loss to answer these fundamental questions, there has been a growing interest in what experience and spiritual teachings, particular Buddhism, have to say on this issue. The leading edge of these discussions is focusing on the notion that the fundamental nature of the cosmos is not matter but mind. The idea is not new, it has been the cornerstone of many metaphysical teachings, and proposed by some eminent physicists, e.g., Schroedinger. In the past this has been a fringe idea for the scientific community—and is still far from mainstream—but today more and more people are seriously investigating this possibility. I believe that this interest will continue to grow as people realize that the idea answers many of the hard questions about consciousness, without undermining the discoveries of Western science. Sam Avery's work on these issues explains a crucial aspect of this exploration—namely how the dimensional structure of our experienced world arises in consciousness. His work is unique, and deserves to be more widely known.(Peter Russell, Author of From Science to God and The Global Brain Awakens)Samuel Avery's model of consciousness is brilliant; it explains human experience in a way that is both religious/spiritual and scientific, and shows these two threads of thought to be truly complementary and not contradictory.The Buddha and the Quantumsatisfies and inspires, and along the way offers challenging and interesting reading. Avery manages to make difficult and subtle ideas understandable, and then surprises the reader with the implications. His work is mind-bending and enlightening. Understanding what Avery is arguing convinced me so completely that I rewrote one of my novels in order to accommodate his concept of the dimensional structure of consciousness within the plot. How could I not? He's right about what consciousness is.(Toby Johnson, author of Getting Life in Perspective)Avery writes with the profound and fearless logic of the early Wittgenstein, while launching his own highly original philosophical investigations into the nature of reality in light of contemporary physics. Building on his earlier books, he presents a stunning new explanation that refutes both dualism and materialism by reconciling how we come to know the 'objective' world (science) with our 'subjective' experience (meditation). Prepare to stretch your mind about the evolution of perceptual and observational realms of consciousness, the primacy of light in the unfolding of space-time, and models of the quantum and photon screens that offer insight into the depth and limits of our experience of the world. This is a must-read book for anyone interested in contemporary philosophy, modern physics, and Buddhist meditation, and the interplay between these disciplines.(Chuck Lynd, educator and ITC Consultant, Ohio State University)Samuel Avery possesses a special gift, his ability to explain aspects of existence that reveal how the universe really works. The fluidity of his thinking allows him to merge metaphysics, physics, quantum mechanics, relativity and meditation in ways that are meaningful and intellectually satisfying. I have personally found his bookTranscendence of the Western Mindso compelling that I’ve read it ten times. I’m still not done with reading it, because of its importance.The Buddha and the Quantumis equally compelling.(Stephen J. Hage, retired radiology administrator)