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
The Playful Universe – Marjorie Woollacott, David Lorimer and Gary Schwartz (Eds)
This volume consists of essays by scientists and academics describing their own experiences of synchronicity and how these experiences transformed both their worldview and the way they lived their lives. We truly believe that this is a fundamentally intelligent, benevolent, creative and playful universe in which we, as individual expressions of the one Universal Mind, co-create our reality.
Recent News
Returning from death – Interview with Pim van Lommel
In this interview for KOSMOS magazine, Galileo Commisison adviser Dr Pim van Lommel shares insights from his work on near-death experiences, the findings from his renowned 2001 Dutch study, and how these findings relate to consciousness and the brain. Finally, Pim reflects that after 30 years of investigation into near-death experiences, not only has his own perspective on life changed, but his views on science have evolved too
Film with Bernard Carr – Consciousness and Cosmology
Bernard Carr explains how he has endeavored to maintain professional interests in psychical research, spirituality, physics, and cosmology. He notes that his own interest in the paranormal was stimulated by a series of out-of-body experiences. He suggests that a physical understanding of consciousness will most likely entail a theory incorporating higher dimensions of space. He also describes his work on the anthropic cosmological principle as well as primordial black holes.
Is Postmortem Survival a Scientific Hypothesis? – Bruce Greyson
In this talk, Galileo Commission adviser Bruce Greyson argues that the belief that some part of human beings may survive bodily death (not as a religious question) can be operationalized in terms of empirically testable hypotheses.
Sue Speaks Podcast – David Lorimer
David’s mission: “Inspiring purpose, transforming worldviews, and living your truth.”
Where is My Mind? podcast with Mark Gober
The Where is My Mind? podcast features many episodes with Galileo Commission advisers.
Film with Bernard Carr – Psychical Research and Parapsychology
Bernard Carr shares his passion for parapsychology and psychical research and describes several of his own experiments. He also reviews the history of these disciplines, from his unique perspective as a physicist and astronomer. The discussion touches on questions of post-mortem survival, reincarnation, telepathy, and UFOs. He shares his memories of the late Professor Ian Stevenson as well as his admiration for Sir Oliver Lodge.
