The materialist view of life faces problems, notably the missing heritability problem that challenges the idea that DNA alone determines life. This, combined with humans' innate dualistic understanding, provides a preliminary argument for the basic dualism common to religions. The paper focuses on experiences of transcendence or enlightenment from religious and mystical practices, using Jacque Lusseyran's unity experience and Buddhist examples. It suggests a framework connecting these experiences to a soul and discussions on meaning. A modern framing compares traditional Buddhism with its science-influenced Western counterpart, using Sam Harris's "Waking Up" as a guide, noting other traditions face similar detours in a science-led era.
The materialist scientific view of life faces problems such as missing heritability, which may support dualistic or religious beliefs. Humans have an innate dualistic understanding of life, and the questionable DNA basis for life offers a preliminary argument for basic dualism common to religions. The article focuses on experiences of transcendence or enlightenment from religious and mystical practices, using Jacque Lusseyran's account of unity in 'And There Was Light' and a sequence of similar Buddhist experiences. A framework connects these to a soul and meaning. Comparisons are drawn between traditional Buddhism and its Western, science-influenced version, exemplified by Sam Harris' 'Waking Up', suggesting other traditions face similar detours in a science-led, meaning-deprived era.