Traditionally, science has regarded the universe as made up of inert matter and empty space. Duane Elgin brings together extraordinary evidence from cosmology, biology, and physics to show that the universe is not dead but rather uniquely alive, an insight that, he shows, is in harmony with all of the world's major spiritual traditions. He explores how this view radically transforms our concept of ourselves, our place in the cosmos, and the evolutionary trajectory of the human family. The nonliving view of the universe has led to rampant materialism and global environmental degradation. To transform our planetary crises we need to move past a paradigm of separation and exploitation and learn to live sustainably on the Earth, in harmony with one another, and in communion with the living universe.
The Living Universe : Where Are We? Who Are We? Where Are We Going?
Description
Table of Contents
Foreword by Deepak Chopra
Preface
Overview of the Book
Introduction: The Great Awakening
A Living Universe?
Living in a Dead Universe
Cosmophilia: Love of the Universe
So What—How Does Aliveness Make a Difference?
Section I: Where Are We?
Chapter 1: The First Miracle
We are Giants
The Universe is Almost Entirely Invisible
We are Just Getting Underway
We Have an Intuitive Connection With the Cosmos
Imagine Building a Universe
Chapter 2: The Science of a Living Universe
A Unified Universe
An Ocean of Background Energy
A Continuously Regenerated Universe
Sentience at Every Level
Able to Reproduce Itself
Freedom at the Foundations
An Integrative View from Science
Section II: Who Are We?
Chapter 3: Spirituality as Intimacy With a Living Universe
Judeo-Christian Views
Islamic Views
Hindu Views
Buddhist Views
Taoist & Confucian Views
Indigenous Views
Greek & Western Views
Harvesting the Wisdom of Human Experience
Chapter 4: The Mother Universe
The Meta-Universe in Science
The Mother Universe in Wisdom Traditions
An Integrative View
Growing in the Mother Universe
Chapter 5: The Soul’s Body & Our Cosmic Identity
The Size of Our Soul
We Are a Body of Light
We Are a Body of Music
We Are a Body of Love
We Are a Body of Knowing
Recognizing Ourselves Before We Die
Section III: Where Are We Going?
Chapter 6: Where Is the Universe Going?
Life Within Life Within Life
A Central Project of the Universe
Humanity’s Central Project
A Garden for Growing Life
Chapter 7: Humanity is Halfway Home
Humanity’s Heroic Journey
Humanity’s Journey of Separation and Individuation
Our Supreme Test and Time of Initiation
Humanity’s Journey of Return
Spirituality in the Second Axial Age
Awakening to the Living Universe
Section IV: Actions for the Journey Ahead
Chapter 8: Six Vital Tasks for the Journey Home
Co-Creating the Story of Our Awakening
Cultivating Reflection and Reconciliation
Living More Simply and Sustainably
Creating New Levels and Forms of Community
Becoming Media Conscious Citizens of the Earth
Bringing Our True Gifts into the World
The Promise of the Journey Ahead
Chapter 9: Meditations and Conversations on the Living Universe
Meditations
Conversations
Acknowledgments
Notes
Index
About the Author
Author Description
Review quote
"No book describes more accurately or guides us more powerfully to the world now waiting to be born."
--Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love
"Vital reading for those wanting to explore and participate in the nature of reality at its most profound levels."
--Edgar Mitchell, ScD, founder, Institute of Noetic Sciences, and Apollo 14 astronaut
"A masterful, potent, and luminous contribution to both human knowledge and spiritual awakening."
--Jean Houston, cofounder, Foundation for Mind Research, and author of twenty-six books, including A Passion for the Possible
"It's all here--brilliant discoveries of contemporary science, key insights of the world's religions, and practical programs of action for bringing forth a new world."
--Brian Swimme, PhD, Professor of Cosmology, California Institute of Integral Studies, and co-author of The Universe Story