Conversations Beyond Science & Religion

The term metaphysics was first used to describe the book of the Greek philosopher, Aristotle, which came after his book on physics. Aristotle never used the term. Today, metaphysics ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metaphysics) has many meanings. To some it refers to the realm of the supernatural , or the opposite of science, which deals only in the natural world. To others it means first principles...

Almost all the world religions believe in one God, but call Him by different names. YHWH, Elohim, Elyon, Tz'va-ot, Allah, Lord, Jesus, Av, Ribbono Shel Olam, and the list goes on. On this show, we disclose the real name of God, as Philip Mereton engages in an eye-opening discussion with Rabbi Wayne Dosick ( http://www.rabbiwaynedosick.com/) , author of the new book The Real Name of God: Embracing...

Today, an unseen debate is taking place between the matter-first worldview of modern science, and the consciousness-first worldview of spirituality. What makes the debate interesting, however, is that many scientists, including some of the founders of quantum theory, also adopt a consciousness-first mindset. As Erwin Schroedinger ( http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1933/schr...

The world's literature is filled wisdom, and it seems the older it is, the more wise it becomes. The Ten Commandments, the Golden Rule; the analects of Confucius; dialogues of Plato; teachings of the Buddha; the Upanisads -- they all have great wisdom. But how do we bring this wisdom into our daily lives? On this show, Philip Mereton talks with Dr. Johanna Maheshvari Mosca ( http://www.cultivateco...

When most people think about the big questions -- how the world was created, how life began, consciousness arose -- and other deep mysteries, they usually assume modern science will one day come bursting through the door with the answers. But this assumption, according to this week's guest, Rupert Sheldrake ( http://www.sheldrake.org/homepage.html) , is a delusion. Dr. Sheldrake, one of the world'...

Apes or an almighty God? Where did we come from? And are these the only two choices? Modern scientists search for the missing link because Darwin’s theory of evolution predicts smooth, gradual transitions between species. Those who highlight the absence of transitional forms ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitional_fossil#Missing_links)often wind up promoting the contrary viewpoint of creationi...

A worldview determines what we think, do, and say. It is the lens through which we see the world and the filter that sorts our experiences and ideas into categories. Few people think about worldviews, but everyone has one. Maybe we should take a look at what worldviews are and whether there’s a better one out there. On this show, host Philip Mereton, discusses the unappreciated importance of world...

Viewed through the lens of modern science, the stories found in the Old Testament, such as Noah’s Ark, are commonly placed alongside those of Zeus and Mount Olympus, and other stories of ancient mythology ( http://www.amazon.com/Bulfinchs-Mythology-ebook/dp/B002RKT4NA) . But history and myth admit of certain peculiar features indicating the two may not be so easily separated. Flood stories -- from...

Science, we are told, deals with the objective world; spirituality, with the inner world. The disconnect between science and spirituality is shown by the incredible difficulty of imagining how something like spirit -- this ephemeral, ghost-like substance -- can arise from something as lifeless and as spiritless as matter. Philip Mereton's guest this week, Thomas Ray, ( http://life.ou.edu/ ) Profes...

The most famous equation of all time is Einstein's E=MC2: matter is energy but in a different form. If this is true, then our bodies, which seem to be made of matter, are also energy fields. Modern medicine, however, does not treat the body as anything resembling an energy field; rather, to most medical doctors a diseased body is a machine in need of repair. Philip Mereton's guest this week is Ste...

Since life began we have been trying to understand death. What happens at death? Is there a life afterwards? Is death programmed into what we are? In her upcoming book and accompanying documentary, Death Makes Life Possible ( http://noetic.org/education/telecourse/dmlp-course/) , this week’s guest, Marilyn Schlitz ( http://www.marilynschlitz.com/) , of the Institute of Noetic Sciences ( http://noe...

Socrates observed that philosophy begins in wonder. But it is not only philosophy that begins in wonder. According to this week’s guest, Timothy Freke, ( http://www.themysteryexperience.com/) author of the new book, The Mystery Experience ( http://www.amazon.com/The-Mystery-Experience-Revolutionary-Spiritual/dp/1780281498 ), life itself should begin in wonder, the wonder of existence itself. Moder...

We are conditioned to look at the world as if we are physical beings; spiritual experiences become outliers filled with mystery: how did life arise from the dust; consciousness from the brain; or spirit from the heavens? Are we separate creatures forever disconnected from each other? In his book, The Phenomenon of Man ( http://www.amazon.com/Phenomenon-Man-Pierre-Teilhard-Chardin/dp/0061632651/ref...

Among Albert Einstein’s many insightful observations is that, “Science without religion is lame, but religion without science is blind.” Religion, by definition, forces believers to accept opinions without question; beliefs found in sacred scriptures, such as the virgin birth or the parting of the Red Sea, are accepted without question. Science, on the other hand, is the “show-me” system of knowle...

Modern science, following the materialistic paradigm, looks outward for truth, far out among the galaxies or deep within the atom. But there has long been another way to the truth; this is the inward journey of the mystic; the voyage through the realm known as consciousness. The mystical vision should not seem too strange, since many of the world's great religions began with the mystical vision of...

The universe began with the Big Bang, right? But how did this chaotic, random event lead to an ordered, balanced universe? Recognizing this problem, in the 1980's, cosmologists developed a new theory called the inflationary Big Bang. This new model called for the early universe to inflate at super-warp speed in the blink of an eye; if this occurred, cosmologists said, it would be possible for the...

Doomsayers have been predicting the end of the world since the beginning of time. Fortunately, all of them have been wrong. On December 21, 2012, the world, according to some accounts, is scheduled to end again as that day concludes the calendar for the ancient Mayan civilization ( http://www.adishakti.org/mayan_end_times_prophecy_12-21-2012.htm) . If that isn't enough doom, millions of people rem...

A cult is “a system of religious veneration and devotion directed toward a particular figure or object.” Members of a cult commonly do not question the cult leader, but view him as a figure of high authority. Scientisim is "excessive belief in the power of scientific knowledge and techniques." Some observers, such as this week’s guest, David Conn ( http://www.truthsleuth.com ), a leading expert on...

Modern science, and in particular, medical science, treats the body as a machine composed of parts called genes. These genes, just like any other machine-parts, are presumed to control the workings of the human body. If you're born with "good genes" you're lucky; if not, you always have an excuse because you can blame it on your genes. But modern research, pioneered by this week's guest Dr. Bruce...

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is leading efforts to reduce consumption of sugary drinks ( http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/14/nyregion/health-board-approves-bloombergs-soda-ban.html?_r=0 )in New York City. Michele Obama is focused on fighting childhood obesity ( http://www.letsmove.gov/) . But there may be more to fighting obesity than these ideas; consciousness may have a role here as well. As t...

Emotions tend to run faster than thought; we feel before we think. Mastering the emotions is the key to the HeartMath ( http://www.heartmath.org ) system, which focuses on putting the emotion of the heart in harmony with the physical body. With this as a starting point, the thinking is that we can improve not only our attitude but our health and well-being by mastering the intelligence of the hear...

According to modern scientific theory, the Higgs Field permeates all space and gives particles mass. According to Eastern philosophy, a Karmic field pervades life and influences our future actions. Karma is the "unerring law which adjusts effect to cause, on the physical, mental and spiritual planes of being." The Biblical phrase "as ye sow so shall ye reap," the Golden Rule, and many other moral...

This week's guest, Henry Stapp ( http://noetic.org/directory/person/henry-stapp/) , "one of the foremost minds of our generaton," worked with Wolfgang Pauli and Werner Heisenberg ( http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/physics/laureates/1932/heisenberg-bio.html) , two of the founders of modern quantum theory. This theory, which toppled the classical mechanical worldview, is still slowly permeatin...

Quantum theory, first formulated in the early 20th century by Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr and many other luminaries of science, says that at the base of the world are not tiny particles but wave equations, probability functions, and something we can’t quite put our finger on. At a famous physics conference in Solvay in the 1920's, Einstein and Bohr began a debate over what quantum theo...

On this show, Gregg Braden ( http://www.greggbraden.com ), New York Times best-selling author of Deep Truth: Igniting the Memory of Our Origin, History, Destiny and Fate ( http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Truth-Igniting-History-Destiny/dp/1401929192/ref =sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1348448855&sr=1-1&keywords=deep+truth+igniting+the+memory+of+our+origin), and many other books joins host Philip Mereton in...