Nonlocal Consciousness and the Anthropology of Religion.

This essay argues that religions can be understood as groups of people who collectively hold a worldview, similar to Thomas Kuhn's concept of a scientific paradigm. The author, a consciousness experimentalist, sets aside specific dogmas and beliefs to note that all religions center on the nonlocal aspect of consciousness, which science now investigates through near-death studies, therapeutic intention, and remote viewing. The most interesting point is that religion and science are converging, finding common ground and reaching the same conclusions about consciousness.

Study at a glance

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."