Transcendent Mind
Where does consciousness come from? For most scientists and laypeople, it is axiomatic that something in the substance of the brain — neurons, synapses and gray matter in just the right combination — creates perception, self-awareness, and intentionality.
Yet, despite decades of neurological research, that "something" — the mechanism by which this process is said to occur — has remained frustratingly elusive. This is no accident, as the authors of this book argue, given that the evidence increasingly points to a startling fact: Consciousness may not, in fact, reside in the brain at all.
In this wide-ranging and deeply scientific book, Imants Barušs and Julia Mossbridge utilize findings from special relativity and quantum mechanics, modern and ancient philosophers, and paranormal psychology to build a rigorous, detailed investigation into the origins and nature of human consciousness.
Along the way, they examine the scientific literature on concepts including mediumship, out-of-body and near-death experiences, telekinesis, "apparent time" versus "deep time," and mind-to-mind communication.
The result is a revelatory tour of the "post-materialist" world — and a roadmap for consciousness research in the 21st century.
Acknowledgments
Introduction
- Beyond Materialism
- Shared Mind
- Rethinking Time
- Interactions With Discarnate Beings
- Separation of Mind From Brain
- Direct Mental Influence
- Reintegrating Subjectivity Into Consciousness Research
- Transcendent Mind
References
Index
About the Authors
Imants Barušs, PhD, is a professor of psychology at King's University College at Western University Canada, where he has been teaching undergraduate courses about consciousness for 29 years.
His research has focused on the fundamental nature of consciousness, and he has had academic papers published not only in consciousness journals but also in psychology, philosophy, physics, mathematics, anthropology, and other science journals.
He is the author of five previous books, including Authentic Knowing: The Convergence of Science and Spiritual Aspiration and Alterations of Consciousness: An Empirical Analysis for Social Scientists.
Julia Mossbridge, PhD, is an experimental psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and a Visiting Scholar in Psychology at Northwestern University.
She pursues an understanding of time, especially in terms of the relationships between conscious and nonconscious processing of events. In 2014, she received the Charles Honorton Integrative Contributions award for her work in bringing the phenomenon of presentiment to the mainstream.
Dr. Mossbridge is the author of Unfolding: The Science of Your Soul's Work and the upcoming mystical/philosophical adventure The Garden: An Inside Experiment.
Scientists such as these, who step beyond dogma (and sometimes beyond job-preservation) into the unexplored frontiers, deserve to be gratefully admired.
—Light of Consciousness
Transcendent Mind is a landmark text in the history of Western psychology. It is perhaps the first postmaterialist psychology textbook of the 21st century. It offers a rational analysis of theories of consciousness and a rigorous discussion of essentially all the data collected in Western science that speak to the possibility of shared mind, and mind without brain. It is data-driven yet open-minded and scholarly, yet accessible. It should be required reading for a new generation of consciousness investigators.
—Leanna J. Standish, PhD, ND, LAc, FABNO, Professor, School of Naturopathic Medicine, Bastyr University, Kenmore, WA; and School of Public Health, School of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle
Few people can match Barušs and Mossbridge's familiarity with and understanding of the relevant consciousness research and their ability to put that research into context. This book stands out among others on consciousness in its consideration of all the data both for and against various interpretations, and in its rigorous scientific thinking about mind–body interactions.
—Bruce Greyson, MD, Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville
Here is a breath of fresh air for the serious explorer of consciousness. I've waited my whole career for such a book, given to us now by two of the foremost researchers in the field.
—Allan Leslie Combs, PhD, Doshi Professor of Consciousness Studies and Director, Center for Consciousness Studies, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco; President, The Society for Consciousness Studies
Transcendent Mind makes a compelling case that these too often-marginalized transpersonal experiences are not incidental but essential to an understanding of who we are as humans…their scholarship leads the reader to premises they believe the studies point to philosophically and rigorously challenge assumptions about mind-body interaction. I highly recommend this book.
—PsycCRITIQUES
