Expanding the Scope of Science
ORIGINS
David Lorimer introduces the Galileo Commission Report
REMIT
The Galileo Commission was founded in 2017 with a view to expanding the worldview of science beyond its limiting materialistic assumptions, which are seldom explicitly examined. A central and widely held assumption is that the brain generates consciousness and is therefore extinguished at death.
Following in the spirit of William James and through its report and activities, the Galileo Commission questions the validity of this assumption and invites scientists and academics to ‘look through the telescope’ and to explore critically and with an open mind the extensive evidence base documenting transformative human experiences of oneness and interconnectedness – for instance near death – the implications of which call for an expanded and more humane world view.
Following widespread consultation in 2018 with 90 advisers representing 30 universities worldwide, we have published the Galileo Commission Report, written by Prof Dr Harald Walach and entitled Beyond a Materialist Worldview – Towards an Expanded Science. The report has been widely endorsed as a groundbreaking document, so we encourage you to support our movement by joining the Galileo Commission either as a Professional Affiliate or a Friend. There is also a Summary Report and a Layman’s Report, and a brief summary of the argument is available in a number of languages. We encourage you to read and support Dr Athena Potari’s Call for a Renaissance of the Spirit in the Humanities and to read our edited book Spiritual Awakenings, which documents the transformative experiences of 57 scientists and academics.
A Call for a Renaissance of the Spirit in the Humanities
The “Call for a Renaissance of the Spirit in the Humanities”, written by Dr Athena D. Potari, is a pioneering project aiming to raise awareness regarding how the prevailing paradigm of materialism affects the ways in which knowledge is approached within the context of the Humanities. In line with the Galileo Report, which discusses the importance of liberating the positive sciences from the limitations of the paradigm of scientific materialism, this Call aims at making the case for the Humanities as well. The Call explores how recent developments in scientific studies on consciousness, and the ensuing understanding that consciousness is primary and unified, can inform our understanding of what it means to be “human” with correspondingly appropriate epistemologies, as well as how we approach key areas of human activity, including ethics, politics and the environment.What people say…
Featured book
Featured podcast
Spiritual Awakenings – Marjorie Wollacott & David Lorimer (Eds)
Scholars share the experience of their own spiritual awakening and journey, including encountering challenges to their credibility in academia, if they shared these experiences. Their comments about transformation in values, beliefs, and approaches toward life are very moving, expressing a deep inner wisdom and connection, not only with humanity, but with the earth and cosmos.
Recent News
Making sense of the sacred – Alex Gomez-Marin
The clash between science and religion has generated more heat than light, and yet our search for meaning in life is relentless, and a sense of the sacred remains a universal part of the human experience.
Postmaterialism, Anyone? – Brian Martin
Conventional scientific theories can’t explain telepathy and precognition. Nor can they provide a convincing explanation for consciousness. The usual scientific assumption is that the material world is all there is. To explain anomalous evidence, should this assumption be superseded by a model in which consciousness is independent of matter?
Joan Walton – Idea Cast Interview
An interview with Joan Walton integrating lots of different ideas, including evolution of consciousness, ways of integrating theory and experience, and more!
Imaginal Inspirations with Aaron Kheriaty
AARON KHERIATY, MD is a psychiatrist, and the director of the program in Bioethics and American Democracy at the Ethics and Public Policy Center in Washington, DC, and the director of the Health and Human Flourishing program at the Zephyr Institute in Palo Alto, California.
Iain McGilchrist – Rediscovering Wisdom in a World Gone Mad
In this conversation, Iain and Helena employ a big-picture lens to critique artificial intelligence, corporate globalization, and the profit-orientation of science and academia. They ask some hard questions about how things might change – through collapse, through movement-building, through grassroots action, or through a combination of these? And they also articulate insights into who we are as human beings, what constitutes genuine intelligence, and what a fulfilling life really entails.
Imaginal Inspirations with Lotte Valentin
Dr. Lotte has had two Near-Death out-of-body experiences which resulted in her becoming clairvoyant, clairaudient and clairsentient and activating her life path. She was then guided to attend medical school as well as become an author and evidential medium. Dr. Lotte completed her medical school pre-requisites and was accepted into medical school at the age of 54!
