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I dont understand the negative comments at all.

Customer Rating:

I cannot give this book five stars because I admit that at times some of the concepts that get mentioned are done in a too mater-of-fact way. I remember reading some part of the book (in Part 3) when Goswami throws in the term "self-nature of objects". As a buddhist myself I am versed in the notions of non-self and Emptiness, but I had to review the paragraph and its context to confirm this was indeed what Goswami was talking about (he was). Theres been a few incidents like this through the book, which are actually valid, but sometimes hard to immediately understand when not in contact with the concepts on a day to day basis. But the subject of consciousness, quantum mechanics, experience, emptiness, ephiphenomenology, soliphism, etc are not simple. The above is only a minor criticism. The subject matter is defnitely well covered, and I think Goswami's ideas certainly contribute to the philosophical ideas of this new field of thinking. Goswami covers fundamental principles of quantum mechanics that force materialist scientists to have to re-think the classical principles at the quantum level. He explicates modern thinking of QM, and then brings it into the world of consciousness. I'm surprised at the comments made by Marc John about relegating the Dalai Lama et al to the status of Santa Claus - such comments seem to come from an inappropriate level of attachment to ideals which, in the final analysis, are just mental constructs of things that dont exist. The Dalai Lama was once asked what he would do if it was proven that reincarnation does not exist (I think that was the question the interview posed), and after a short pause the Dalai Lama highlighted he would believe reincarnation doesnt exist - if letting go of that conceptual legacy allows the progression of the eastern/western understanding of life and how to get closer to happiness, then why hold onto it? Therefore, as the west applies more and more what it is learning about QM, nonlocality and its possibility to radically change our thknking of reality, then to me thats the natural way for it to go and one shouldnt feel upset. No way does Goswami imply any negative connotations towards the Dalai Lama et al (certainly from what I read), which does imply the comment author has misunderstood a lot of what is being said - to be fair, the subject matter isnt simple. As for the comments from David Hampson, I can appreciate where he is coming from with some of his comments. There is no bending of accepted science when it comes to the struggle classical scientists have with the ideas that are borne out of the theory and mathematics of QM. The clear denial of "Rabbis, Buddhists, fictional religious characters, Yoga dudes, ..." (it goes on), indicats the intellectual (or not) slant of the comment author. I think it would be a severe injustice to Goswami were people to be swayed from buying the book because of these two, ill-informed and highly devisive and content-lacking reviews. The fact it is that the subject of consciousness is still embryonic, and ideas from any field that helps in breaking old conceptual models to help creative thinking that might help take our understanding further is a good thing. Goswami brings together lots of known facts (remember Goswami has authored academic material on quantum mechanics), as well as bringing together the ideas of the east and its own 2500+ year old experience with the ideas of consciousness. This is a good book and it has some very good ideas. Yes, sometimes its a little difficult and you may need to return to the begining of a section and read it again, but just thinking of quantum mechanics, the ideas of non-locality, the uncertainty principle and the many paradoxes, requires some focus of mind to read. I think other authors may have made such subjects more accessible in places than Goswami achieves, but I do not want to take away anything from what Goswami has achieved with this book, and I think it is a lot. Our understanding of reality opened up when QM was discovered, and the same happened in the east as they understood consciousness, experience and reality. Ill-informed commenters can deny with a blunt knife many well-established and documented worlds of thought that indicate towards a thorough understanding of reality - indeed, some think QM is simply catching up with what the east has always known about reality. Anyone interested in learning about what the thinkers of today are thinking about consciousness and reality will definitely enjoy this, if they remain open-minded. If you are a black-and-white thinker who refuses anything thats described by science, then you might struggle with the challenges to your mental models that this book throws at you - and you can see with some of the negative comments how difficult such challenges seem to be.

Great work

Customer Rating:

I bought this after seening Dr Goswami in the "What the bleep" movie. Some of the ideas require one to stop and think a while and maybe re-read,which I think puts some people off.However I found it not to be too taxing and finished it quite quickly,and I'm not really that well educated. The book gives a good general history of modern physics and related philosophy and psychology,and then goes on to argue for a more holistic view of reality. Some people always complain about the authors ego when it appears in these type of books, but if was'nt for that we probably would'nt have the book in the first place,you should make allowances,its not a technical manual. On the whole this is a great book and I'm sure time will prove his monistic idealism approach to be valued and mysticism will be scientifically proven.

Incoherent treatment of a vital subject

Customer Rating:

Yes, quantum physics appears to offer a scientific bridge to understanding consciousness and the ultimate reality of your being, echoing concepts and truths that ancient sages and mystics have been pointing toward for thousands of years. In other words, there is no contradiction or competition between science and spirituality; the former is now supporting and clarifying the latter. And the best, most intuitive quantum physicists are modern-day mystics, whether they know it or not. One day there will be a mathematical formulation for the achievement of enlightenment. The experience itself will have no equation, but that won't matter. Science will take us to God, and God is present right now in every atom of your being and is knowable directly, inwardly, via a subtle yet often elusive transformation of consciousness which has nothing to do with sensory perception or the mind as you know it. It's a quantum mechanical process, up until a point where categorisations can no longer apply. The advent of Quantum Physics in the early part of the 20th century marked a radical turning point for Western civilisation, it blew apart classical science forever, and complements Eastern esoteric wisdom in a crucial way. We have found the West's Yin to the East's Yang. If quantum physics fulfils its potential, by the next century your local quantum mechanic will have relegated the likes of the Dalai Lama and the Pope to the status of a Santa Claus. But this book does not do justice to such a vital subject and revolution in Western and global society. It is incoherent to the point of often being unreadable, with the author coming across at times as a smug ego-maniac, seeking to validify and bolster his sense of existence, rather than transcend it. How ironic. It's fascinating to observe - as you read through the pompous sludge that gets in the way of the simple message - how the ego of the author has compromised his potential to graduate to true mystic status. I suspect many quantum physicists will fall into that very human trap. We will start to see physicists who intellectually grasp the spiritual dimensions of their findings and even wholeheartedly believe in them, yet will fall short of breaking through their own ego to experience transcendence directly - yet will act, talk and write as though they have. In the same way as we have psuedo gurus and hypocritical religious leaders, who know all the concepts and dogma, but are not truly, deeply living in the Truth, we will have similar charlatans in the new mystical domain of quantum physics. The author of this book is a prime example. If you watch the What The Bleep movies you'll see a whole pack of them. Goswami's in there too, no surprise. I suppose their value is that they're focusing attention on the quantum world in the first place. The trick is finding the genuine seers among the opportunists. Read Fritjof Capra's The Tao of Physcis instead for a much better exploration of consciousness and the parallels between modern physics and Eastern mysticism.

Interesting science quickly descends into boring mumbo jumbo

Customer Rating:

Having ploughed my way through this ridiculous treatise I can proudly say I have became one of the mystics that Dr Goswami so admires, as I am mystified how any university could give him a doctorate or allow him to teach there!?! What starts as a straightforward explanation of quantum physics quite quickly begins to lose grip on reality and bend accepted scientific theories to his own assertion that the universe is not "real" but "consciousness" and that scientists are idiots for only believing what is real, and he goes on it gives equal and then higher footing to religion, mysticism and psychic powers, as states Dr Goswami, our intuition tells us this is so. His highly subjective (mis)interpretation of quantum physics is nothing compared to a sudden quantum leap to a treatise on mumbo jumbo which supposedly follows from the first part of the book. Personally I am much happier to accept the science of Einstein, Bohr and Schrodinger than that of Rabbis, Buddhists, fictional religious characters, Yoga dudes and all manner of medicine men and paradox-citing mystics, but then perhaps I am one of the old-fashioned science types who cannot see the universe for how it is as I spend too much time concentrating on the real parts, which obviously are not real. Perhaps most telling is the quotations on the back cover as to how good and groundbreaking it is - one is from a quack doctor, another from a yoga journal, and a last one is more reliably from a professor of fractals (though I guess having had his science have a tough ride he feels some empathy for what Dr G will go through!). * I recently read Robert Anton Wilson's "Quantum Psychology" and that was all this book purports to be. I'd suggest you start there and save this one for when you run out of toilet paper.

A Forward Step for Human Kind	Customer Rating:
At last a book that coherently & convincingly binds the spiritual with the scientific. A ground breaking & immensely inspiring book - turns the lightbulb on!