Time and Memory: A primer on the scientific mysticism of consciousness

A dark cloud hanging over all spiritual thought is the view that findings in modern science prove that all spiritual experience is simply “generated” by the brain. This book challenges the roots of this view in cognitive science, neuroscience, artificial intelligence, robotics, consciousness theory, evolutionary theory and physics. In consciousness theory, this is the yet unresolved “hard problem.” In cognitive science and artificial intelligence, this is the nearly abandoned problem of “commonsense knowledge,” with its effect on the theory of evolution. In physics, this is a deeply flawed interpretation of relativity and concepts of time. An alternative model of mind is described based in the theory of the great French philosopher, Henri Bergson, where, far from being a computer, the brain is a radically different “device.” This is a natural, scientific mysticism which supports the deep insights of the mystics.