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 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.
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Consciousness, This New Principle – Preamble – Lorna Green
Featuring the work of one of our professional affiliates, Lorna Green, on the topic of consciousness. Here you will find a preamble to all her work.
Imaginal Inspirations with David Lorimer – Kim Penberthy
Kim Penberthy is a professor of research in psychiatric medicine at the University of Virginia. Her key interests include consciousness and psychology at the end of life and research on how mindfulness can enhance the abilities and performance of humans. She is also a founding member of Be Wise, an organisation dedicated to promoting wisdom, compassion and mindfulness in medicine.
Researching Near-Death Experiences with Bruce Greyson
Bruce Greyson provides an overview of his half-century of investigation into NDEs. He describes his initial encounter with Raymond Moody as well as the creation of the International Association for Near-Death Studies. He examines the question of the evidentiality of NDEs for postmortem survival. He highlights some of the most interesting cases he has explored.
Stanislav Grof The Healing Potential of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness
An interview with Stanislav Grof about the healing potential of non-ordinary states of consciousness.
Rupert Sheldrake on the New Dawn Magazine
And that, ultimately, is the message of Science and Spiritual Practices – restore balance, heal yourself, help others, renew the world. Science relating to neuroplasticity and Sheldrake’s morphic resonance shows that our minds are malleable, even at the physical level. So-called ‘human nature’ appears more like a work in progress. This is not a road of no return; the future is what we make it. From timeless spiritual teachings to cutting-edge science, it is clear – or at least very strongly suggested – that everyone and everything is interconnected, interdependent, and from a single source. The implications of this are vast and cannot be ignored. When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change.
Imaginal Inspirations with David Lorimer – Ravi Ravindra
Ravi Ravindra is a professor of Comparative Religion, Philosophy and Physics. He is the author of many books, including The Spiritual Roots of Yoga, The Gospel of St John in light of Indian Mysticism, and The Yoga of the Christ. As an international speaker, he often illuminates the common ground between Eastern and Western religions.
