Sunday, June 13, 2010

Biocentrism

The other day I stumbled across a very interesting article by Robert Lanza on the Huffington Post. It is entitled, "What Happens When You Die? Evidence Suggests that Time Simply Reboots." That title in itself was enough to make me interested in reading it, and I found that the whole idea of biocentrism is predicated on a theory by Lanza that "life and biology are central to being, reality, and the cosmos -- life creates the universe rather than the other way around." (quote from Wikipedia)

The whole idea is based on quantum physics (which I know nothing about), but there are seven principles that define his theory. I won't list them here; they are available in that Wikipedia link above, but the first one fascinates me: that anything we perceive as reality involves our consciousness, and therefore any external reality would by definition have to exist in space. But this is meaningless, according to Lanza, " because space and time are not absolute realities but rather tools of the human and animal mind."

Hmm. I don't know why, but I find this entire concept to be really fascinating and rather comforting. To think that if we are experiencing all that exists, each in our own way, means that the scary aspects of death cease to exist. Lanza has written a book about all this, called (what else?) Biocentrism: How Life and Consciousness Are the Keys to Understanding the True Nature of the Universe, and I think if it's not too awfully technical I'll get it and read it. R.C. Henry, a professor of Physics and Astronomy at Johns Hopkins University, has this quote:
What Lanza says in this book is not new. Then why does Robert have to say it at all? It is because we, the physicists, do NOT say it –– or if we do say it, we only whisper it, and in private –– furiously blushing as we mouth the words. True, yes; politically correct, hell no!”
 Now THAT is enough to make me want to rush out and buy the book. I'll let you know what I think of it once I've read it.
:-)

No comments:

Post a Comment

 

KENJI Sponsored by TOPHANT