Nonlocal Consciousness and the Anthropology of Religion.
Explore October 24, 2018 Peer reviewed DOI: 10.1016/j.explore.2018.10.007 via Semantic Scholar
Summary
Religion can be understood as a group of people who share a worldview, similar to Thomas Kuhn's concept of a scientific paradigm. Religious paradigms differ but all center on nonlocal consciousness, an aspect now studied in near-death experiences, therapeutic intention, and remote viewing. The author argues that religion and the science of consciousness are converging, reaching the same conclusions about this nonlocal aspect.
Study at a glance
| Design | theoretical or philosophical paper |
|---|---|
| Key finding | Religions and the science of consciousness converge on the concept of nonlocal consciousness. |
Abstract
"Most discussions of religion center on dogmas and beliefs, either of a particular religion or a comparison across denomina- tions. I would like to look at religion from the perspective of a consciousness experimentalist, setting aside the dogmas and beliefs. When I look at religion, any religion, as an experimentalist, what I see is a cohort of people consensually holding a world- view. The process of assembling the cohort seems to me very much like Thomas Kuhn’s description of the paradigm process. The paradigm in religion is defined by scripture and dogma. The paradigms differ in many ways but they all have one thing in common. All are centered on the aspect of consciousness that in science we call nonlocal, and that is now being explicitly researched in near death studies, therapeutic intention work, and remote viewing. For me what is perhaps most interesting of all in studying both religions and the science of consciousness is that this is one of history’s great confluences, the practices of the religion and the practices of science have found common ground, and reached the same conclusions."