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The Science Delusion: Feeling the Spirit of Enquiry

Freeing the Spirit of Enquiry. But I am against granting scientists and the materialist worldview an exemption from critical thinking and sceptical investigation. We need an enlightenment of the Enlightenment.

The Science Delusion: Feeling the Spirit of Enquiry

Feeling the Spirit of Enquiry. The pictures on the screen depend on the material components of the set and the energy that powers it, and also on the invisible transmissions it receives through the electromagnetic field. A sceptic who rejected the idea of invisible influences might try to explain everything about the pictures and sounds in terms of the components of the set — the wires, transistors, and so on — and the electrical interactions between them.

Through careful research he would find that damaging or removing some of these components affected the pictures or sounds the set produced, and did so in a repeatable, predictable way. This discovery would reinforce his materialist belief. He would be unable to explain exactly how the set produced the pictures and sounds, but he would hope that a more detailed analysis of the components and more complex mathematical models of their interactions would eventually provide the answer.

Some mutations in the components — for example, by a defect in some of the transistors — affect the pictures by changing their colours or distorting their shapes; while mutations of components in the tuning circuit cause the set to jump from one channel to another, leading to a completely different set of sounds and pictures. They are inherited by morphic resonance, an invisible influence on the organism coming from outside it, just as TV sets are resonantly tuned to transmissions that originate elsewhere.

For the smallest units of matter are not physical objects in the ordinary sense of the word: According to the Standard Model of cosmology, dark energy currently accounts for about 73 percent of the matter and energy of the universe. An excellent, thoughtful work that scientists should get a great benefit from.

Sheldrake, himself a scientist of good repute, here reminds scientists what the fundamental nature of scientific inquiry is, and restates the limits of scientific knowledge, which many scientists have either forgotten or are too uneducated about their own disciplines to have ever learned in the first place.

Rupert Sheldrake - The Rediscovery of Spirituality

I am highly amused by the vitriol directed at this book by the self-proclaimed defenders of science. Such people An excellent, thoughtful work that scientists should get a great benefit from. Such people do not know what science is and I would be quite surprised if any of them could do any sort of science, beyond the trivial, at all. Real scientists are not afraid of questions.

Real scientists are willing to test their assumptions. Real scientists question dogma.

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Real scientists are interested in the truth for its own sake, even if the truth causes them to reconsider fundamental ideas that they cherish. Rupert Sheldrake is a real scientist. This book is written in the spirit of real science. Those who are angered or offended by it are mere hangers-on at the science party, essentially religious dupes who have simply attached their ignorance to the myth of 'science' so that they can sneer at other people, without themselves having any capacity to refute a single one of Sheldrake's calm, rational arguments.

In the words of John Greenbank, it is "a preposterous confection. It may unsettle some general readers and turn others away from science, but for the scientifically-initiated it is simply incoherent. Most people think science is free from bias and fashion. This is not true. If a scientist does not work within the current paradigms they don't get tenure or get published. In this book Sheldrake takes on ten of the core beliefs that shape science's biases, including "nothing but physical matter exists," "nature has no purpose," and "all matter is unconscious.

The only problem is the evidence he uses, the experime Most people think science is free from bias and fashion. The only problem is the evidence he uses, the experiments he draws on, are few and largely conducted by him. Of course, Sheldrake's premise states that almost no one will do these experiments because they are outside the dominant scientific paradigm. But when I googled his "morphic resonance" concept, the posts were all about Sheldrake. Surely if there was strong evidence to back his claims someone would have had the guts to speak up.

I find myself a little on edge about trusting him completely. But on the whole I think this is a very useful book that exposes some of the hidden assumptions that influence the modern view of the world. This is a book thinking people ought to read. It made me realize how much of my worldview, which I confidently arrogantly? It doesn't really matter, in my opinion, whether one ultimately comes out doubting their previous views and considering new ones, or if they reinforce the old and make it stronger; either way, this book will challenge people's perce This is a book thinking people ought to read.

It doesn't really matter, in my opinion, whether one ultimately comes out doubting their previous views and considering new ones, or if they reinforce the old and make it stronger; either way, this book will challenge people's perceptions of the universe, science, scientists, and themselves. It really is that powerful and worthwhile of a read.

May 24, Douglas rated it did not like it Shelves: I am sorry, but any book that proclaims to be about science, then tries to squeeze anecdotal "evidence" by me gets an instant failure. I only got as far as the third chapter before I called it quits on this author who makes unproved assumptions in his meandering prose on what he thinks is wrong with science.

I did try to give him a chance, but I knew before the end of the first chapter that this book was going to be hard going for me to try to retain an open mind on. Feb 26, Rosemary Allix rated it really liked it. Years ago I was fascinated by Sheldrake's theories on morphic resonance, and my own concept of the world has been influenced by him. It seems to sit very comforably alongside teachings of the Buddha.

When the author was in Brighton this week I was delighted to hear him speak about this new book, and to acquire a signed copy. It might take a while to plough through it. There is a lot to think about in this new offering of the Sheldrake view of the world. This book was simply boooooring and uninspired. I finished the book have gained no greater understanding of anything. That is not to say that I had nothing to learn. This guy really shouldn't be talking about science. Dec 01, Brian Dichter rated it did not like it.

Nothing here but straw man arguments against so-called materialists. Pseudoscience posing as real science yet failing, at least for those who do not believe in the supernatural. This book is aimed at a specific audience who are likely confused about science and already angry towards mainstream science.

Jan 29, Sheldon rated it it was amazing. An important discussion of where scientific enquiry has been hampered by the politics of science. This book points out some of the fundamental misdirections that are generally accepted as scientific fact. Jun 26, Aasem Bakhshi rated it really liked it Shelves: Overall a good read but generally the tone gets more and more strawmannish towards the end of each of the ten questions he sets out to explore.

Dec 27, Charles rated it really liked it. The vast majority of scientists would scoff: In The Science Delusion, Sheldrake argues for such sweeping changes to the scientific world view that you may find yourself wondering whether it is some elaborate satire intended to highlight the dangers of conventional thinking. The chances of that seem small: Sheldrake is a Cambridge scientist with decades of work in plant biology behind him and a string of mainstream academic connections. He is also the author of more than 80 papers in conventional scientific journals.

The Science Delusion casts doubt on almost everything that conventional science takes for granted.

More books by Rupert Sheldrake

He complains that what we now think of as scientific progress is limited to developments on a narrow front sanctioned by the closed minds of the scientific establishment. The idea of life forms as machines, he says, is more a metaphor than a testable theory. He has data to support the claim. Human skills become easier if others have learn them before see the rise in IQ scores over the years. To him, genes are nothing more than the equivalent of the parts of a TV set in relation to a TV programme: The programme comes from outside the TV set through a whole different process.

Few scientists - whether through fear or genuine scepticism - have thrown in their lot with morphic resonance. To speak on these subjects from within the scientific and academic establishment is taboo, as Sheldrake sees it - and is the great achievement of his work. He insists on open-minded thinking and that the study of strange and exotic phenomena is the lifeblood of scientific enterprise. We should thank him for putting up with the raised eyebrows he meets on high table as he tries, almost single-handedly, to nudge the compass of the scientific oil tanker.

For non-scientists, the feeling that big mysteries are still being investigated is reassuring and seems to make sense. But the sense of new ideas opening fresh possibilities for research and the chance to better integrate theory with observed reality must surely be welcome. Nov 11, Toby Bond rated it it was amazing. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is examination of blind tests and the self-fulfilling prophecy of blinkered r "The realisation that the sciences do not know the fundamental answers leads to humility rather than arrogance, and openness rather than dogmatism.

One of the most interesting aspects of the book is examination of blind tests and the self-fulfilling prophecy of blinkered research, if we don't maintain objectivity and follow the evidence we shall forever be lead up the garden path. That being said, there is little to substantiate morphic resonance or some of the other ideas contained in this book, they remain of interest but need more thorough research, as the author advocates. This is essential reading, as it's always tempting to think you know more than you do and materialism has a siren-like pull. It is good to reassess the ground you cover and provoke thought, which this book does deftly.

This was a fantastic read. It really is a great book: I fully agree with the author's main theses, and though I tend to disagree with some of his particulars on what he calls "morphic resonance", I didn't find that part too distracting. The main theses of the book are twofold: Second, topics of science that are also explainable with "the world of spirits is near at hand" are taboo even though they are perfectly testable.

The author outlines ten different scientific topics that are rarely approached in publication to prove his points. I had previously seen the author's TED talk, but I found the book to be much better in presentation and sourcing than his talk. This is a book that I wish more people would read, not just readers like you and I, but scientists and editors of science journals.

Science has dug itself a materialistic hole and refuses to get out of it, but just keep on digging the hole deeper and deeper. More than humans have feelings, thoughts and consciousness. Anyone who has ever owned a dog or cat or lived on a small farm where animals are not treated like commodities, knows that animals are not automated beings; they have emotional live This is a book that I wish more people would read, not just readers like you and I, but scientists and editors of science journals.

Anyone who has ever owned a dog or cat or lived on a small farm where animals are not treated like commodities, knows that animals are not automated beings; they have emotional lives, they feel sorrow when their baby dies, they feel pain when they are electrically prodded. The world can be a magical place when we stop thinking of it as clock that is winding itself down.

Thinking of the world differently would help us be kinder to one another, as well as to the plants, animals and all of nature. This not what the book is about; it is about how science can set itself free. And once science has set itself free, we would have a very different world. This book will hopefully begin a discussion amongst academics about the bad habits that the scientific community have developed, especially regarding those dogmas that are considered unquestionable.

Sheldrake makes a convincing case not that there is a supernatural, but that the principles and dogmas of materialism haven't been adequately established scientifically, and have failed to explain certain phenomena. There's so much good stuff in this book, on so many different topics, including anima This book will hopefully begin a discussion amongst academics about the bad habits that the scientific community have developed, especially regarding those dogmas that are considered unquestionable.

There's so much good stuff in this book, on so many different topics, including animals, cosmology, spirituality, education, the medical industry, and much more. And it inadvertently confirms my suspicions that Richard Dawkins, rather than being an open minded pursuer of truth, is instead a sort of high priest in the church of Scientism.

I don't agree with everything he says, and I think some of it is easily debunkable and probably already debunked, but enough of it is compelling that he convincingly establishes his case. I recommend this book to everyone, although some prior knowledge of cosmology, philosophy and biology would go a long way.

And, if you get the audio book, his calm British voice is perfect. This is an important contribution to science. And if you without reading it are willing to dismiss it as pseudo-science, you might want to check what it is that made you trigger that automatic defense mode. And this is exactelly the point. The bigger context for this, today, is the one that got us into, for instance, such things as the terrible rise of modern creationism, that has millions and millions of dollars invested so that a child can be raised into an adult without ever being "exposed" This is an important contribution to science.

The bigger context for this, today, is the one that got us into, for instance, such things as the terrible rise of modern creationism, that has millions and millions of dollars invested so that a child can be raised into an adult without ever being "exposed" to the theory of evolution. The creationists have been able to produce segregation their own schools and colleges and now want more and more to ban evolution from all schools, on the grounds that it offends their religious beliefs.


  • DREAMSCAPE.
  • Chansons pour elle (French Edition);
  • Culture Shock (Culture Shock Series Book 1).
  • The Pleasure Chest (Mills & Boon Blaze).

On the other hand, we have militan secularism, atheist groups that opose this and religion at large. And trenches have the effect of simplifying reality. If you look out the trench and you see someone out, you assume it's an enemy. Two reasonable things that are repeated online as mantras, "where's the evidence? Because those questions appear many times after someone pointing out where the evidence is.

And instead of argumentation, refutation and serious scientific discussion, there is just an emulation of what Dawkins and Harris have been doing, debunking bogus claims of people no one should seriously listen to. Richard Dawkins himself invited Sheldrake to a debunking TV show and did not bother to read his papers. For me too, it was hard to get into this book. It took me the first third to really be captivated by it. Because I came to it with suspicion. What I found was an interesting travel in the recent history of science, from the perspective of its philosophy.

Sheldrake traces our current scientific worldview, the materialistic, mechanistic notion we now have, which was not always the accepted one.

The Science Delusion Quotes

And he goes back to the historic periodes where vitalism was oposing materialism and other periods where science established itself or changed, and allows us to see how the method of inquiry that science gave us is fundamentally one thing and the materialistic doctrine or any other is another thing. Rupert Sheldrake identifies 10 dogmas that he believes the current scientific materialistic worldview has cristalized and accepted as unchallenged.

And turns them into questions, exploring authors both marginal and very well accepted ones and regions of science that question those "dogmas". The chapters have many references to other authors and many scientific periods and discoveries, so this book can be a door to further inquiry.


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He is a well known researcher of psychic phenomena. And psychic phenomena being impossible this is precisely one the the dogmas he presents, and one of the most interesting cases that divides the scientific community. The ones that identify themselves as "skeptics" in reference to psychic phenomena and will repeatedly deny any possibility of such phenomena use expressions as "paranormal", "supernatural", "magic".

They are not interested in the scientific explanation, because they preventively deny any possibility by classifying it in the realms of "another world", therefore, impossible, hocus pocus. On the other hand, people like Rupert Sheldrake, investigate, and are interested in finding the actual processes involved.

The premises are different, and so are the worldviews. In physics, I wonder why that is not the case. And math cannot be the only reason. Until the Higgs Boson was confirmed, some believed it existed, some did not, some were waiting for the confirmation because they had no opinion, and some believed we would never find out. But the ones that did not bother to try to find the particle did not say that the ones that did were doing pseudo-science.

Some, I don't know, might have been critic of the over funding, maybe. But they still give credit to the science behind it. However paradoxical, they still thought that trying to find a particle that some scientists believed would never be found was a scientific endeavour.

What Rupert Sheldrake shows is that it is the materialistic worldview, and mechanistic science, specifically the idea that the human body is a machine that makes it impossible to think about such things as telepathy. How can a machine transmit thought? Human thoughts are just processes happening inside human brains and there is nothing more to it. Actually, there has always been scientists even mathmaticians, like Alfred North Whitehead with other views. According to the dogmas of science, all reality is material or physical. The world is a machine, made up of dead matter. Consciousness is nothing but the physical activity of the brain.

Free will is an illusion. God exists only as an idea in human minds, imprisoned within our skulls. But should science be a belief-system, or a method of enquiry? Sheldrake shows that the materialist ideology is moribund; under its sway, increasingly expensive research is reaping diminishing returns. In the skeptical spirit of true science, Sheldrake turns the ten fundamental dogmas of materialism into exciting questions, and shows how all of them open up startling new possibilities. The Science Delusion will radically change your view of what is possible.

Meer lezen Minder lezen. Klanten die dit item hebben gekocht, kochten ook. Pagina 1 van 1 Opnieuw beginnen Pagina 1 van 1. Science and Spiritual Practices: Reconnecting through direct experience English Edition.

Andre produkter med samme artist(er)/medvirkende

An Antidote to Chaos English Edition. The Deniable Darwin English Edition. The Reality of ESP: Productbeschrijving Productbeschrijving The science delusion is the belief that science already understands the nature of reality. Coronet; Digital original editie 5 januari Verkocht door: Amazon Media EU S.

Deel je gedachten met andere klanten. Nuttigste klantenrecensies op Amazon. I suspect the title is chosen as a repartee to Dawkins and a rebuke to the God Delusion. Regardless, it's is an intense act of courage. In clear and simple words Professor Sheldrake has ripped apart a few rancid shibboleths of science and replaced it with something everfresh and intensely real.