Science and Spiritual Practices: Transformative Experiences and Their Effects on Our Bodies, Brains, and Health

In a time where dividing lines--in politics, in religion, in science--are drawn quickly and sharply, Sheldrake's book offers a timely alternative to division. It is a blending, a choice to draw from multiple sides and angles, and an opportunity to bury a false dichotomy and observe the ways in which the fields of science and spirituality enrich one anotherWritten both for believers and atheists alike, Sheldrake illuminates a search for meaning in the gray areas between science and religion. Readers all along the secular-religious spectrum, and across religious traditions, will find meaning with this bookFor listeners of Radiolab, 99% Invisible, and On Being, and in the tradition of Pulitzer Prize-winner Edward O. Wilson (The Meaning of Human Existence) and Alain de Botton (Religion for Atheists and How Proust Can Change Your Life)As shown by the growing momentum of the industry of well-being, many are looking for new ways to make meaning in their lives. Science and Spiritual Practice discusses yoga, astrology, meditation, alternative medicine, well-being, and positive psychology in both scientific and spiritual terms, illuminating the ways modern scientific studies are helping to validate themCounterpoint has a robust history of publishing books on religion, secularism, and spirituality--we have the resources and the lists to support this book, as we have done for many others like it.At the end of each of the seven chapters, Sheldrake includes a quiet invitation to engage with the chapter's topic with simple instructions on how to to do so--these are intelligent opportunities for engagement without empty promises or pseudoscienceWritten with both lucidity and nuance, Science and Spiritual Practices examines the seven spiritual practices upon which most religions are founded: meditation, gratitude, connecting with nature, relating to plants, rituals, singing and chanting, pilgrimage and holy places. Each practice is illuminated from two perspectives--the scientific and the spiritual--resulting in bright, dynamic understanding.Dr. Sheldrake is a decorated biologist and researcher. He is currently a Fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences in California, and a Visiting Professor at the Graduate Institute in ConnecticutThe recording of Dr. Sheldrake's controversial TEDx Talk The Science Delusion has been viewed 4.5 million times. The video was removed from TED.com in 2013, and a compelling conversation (on the TED blog) about censorship, science, materialism, and radical thinking followed between TED, Dr. Sheldrake, and many viewers