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Keywords: information, paranormal, spiritual, quantum-to-classical transition, consciousness, origin of life Concepts involving information play an increasing role in some of the most challenging problems in science. Two of the most profound mysteries in science are how life began and how quantum physics should be conceptualized. Therefore, quantum mechanics may be absolutely essential to the thinking/computing capability of the brain. But that does not necessarily mean that quantum effects are key to consciousness. To me, consciousness requires recursion, that is, self-awareness, the ability to think I'm just not convinced by this book.
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Preview — The Physics Of Consciousness by Evan Harris Walker
For decades, neuroscientists, psychologists, and an army of brain researchers have been struggling, in vain, to explain the phenomenon of consciousness. Now there is a clear trail to the answer, and it leads through the dense jungle of quantum physics, Zen, and subjective experience, and arrives at an unexpected destination. In this tour-de-force of scientific investigatio...more
Published December 28th 2000 by Basic Books (first published February 3rd 2000)
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Jan 09, 2012David rated it it was ok
I'm just not convinced by this book. Evan Walker explains the quantum mechanics effect known as 'tunneling'. He shows that it may be a key element in sending messages across synapse connections between neurons in the brain. Therefore, quantum mechanics may be absolutely essential to the thinking/computing capability of the brain. But that does not necessarily mean that quantum effects are key to consciousness. To me, consciousness requires recursion, that is, self-awareness, the ability to think...more
This book is roughly 350 pages. I made it to page 110 before I decided to stop. In a way, it broke my heart. I read for enjoyment, education, and enlightenment. My suspicion is that this book rates very high on the second two, but I found myself struggling, on several occasions, to try and understand every sentence. I would liken it (very much so) to reading a college physics book, cover to cover. The material is there, but I struggled with any (lack thereof) storyline. I just did not find the enj...more
Incredible!! Read it three times! Evan Harris Walker is the founder and director of the Walker Cancer Institute. He has made major scientific contributions in astronomy, physics, neurophysiology, astrophysics, psychology and medicine. He has a Ph.D. in physics and has published more than a hundred papers in scientific journals and popular magazines and holds a dozen patents. He is intimately familiar with the workings of our brain and mind and the physics that support it. He takes us from Newton...more
Aug 22, 2011Johnathan Von rated it really liked it
good shit yo, too many observer effect misconceptions though. also, cool story about your hot friend dying and shit...
Ugh. What a slog. I admit i could not finish the book. The author spends far too much time at the beginning laying out elements of physics and with mostly straw man arguments. Then he pivots to an impenetrable chapter on Zen Buddhism. I'll take Alan Watts instead please. Then he launches into trying to connect quantum physics to consciousness in the electrochemical activity of the brain. As a neuroscientist, I found his idea novel. But he interestingly avoids consideration of many of the philoso...more
An enquiry into the physical basis of consciousness This book is a part autobiographical and parts an enquiry into the physical basis of consciousness. The author was influenced by his high school sweetheart who died at the age of 16 due to leukemia. This had profound effect on his scientific and spiritual life which made him to participate in this odyssey of seeking the truth. Sometimes it makes an interesting reading when he reminisces about his high school days in the middle of a discussion of...more
I was privileged to attend a gathering in which Dr. Evan Harris Walker presented his book. I was very touched by the emotion evoked by the death of a young woman, who was very special to Dr. Walker, and how that event drove his scientific exploration of the nature of consciousness.
Feb 27, 2011Cassandra Kay Silva rated it it was amazing
Consciousness is a huge topic to tackle. It's one of those questions/truths that is so inexplicably hard to wrap any kind of explanation around that it gets bantered around by philosophers and scientists with equal bravado. Of course the logical starting point would be the brain, which leads indefinitely to the synapse and then where? How do you define consciousness in terms of a synapse impulse aside from the chemistry of it all? Does chemistry account for will? In comes physics. What a brillia...more
Feb 01, 2010Linda Branham Greenwell rated it it was amazing
Shelves: non-fiction, 2017, science, spirituality
I loved this book. Consciousness is approached from a different perspective and explained in scientific terms (Ik would approve) There is no matter. There is no structure. All that you see, all that you touch, is pure consciousness. Consciousness condenses the 'real' physical world from an unreachable realm of potentiality, in which many things are true at once. Walker explains, how this is so, how it must be so, and how the most amazing discovery, non-locality, means that (as Schrodinger said) the...more
Great book overall. A stark contrast from scientific literature where there is overwhelming apprehension to make bold interpretive statements, as this account should be. I appreciate Walker's diligence in explaining each relevant piece of quantum theory as well as the rigor in defining consciousness theories using real values. Of course, including consciousness in a theory of everything is not a new idea but Walker certainly takes it further than any philosopher has, especially by including hard...more
Quantum, it's something, not a matter or not ?, that have been connected my faith among technology science and religious. It's the same, I'm confirm it. If we educate about Quantum and understanding the theory of universe, we can find that the next dimensions (unknown hidden dimension today) are closed and nearly with mind and consciousness.!! So glad and happy that my loving girl take me to goodreads, place that I can finding my interesting journal. Although I'm not a man who have a proficiency in E...more
Books in this category tend either towards the ooo!-gee-whiz New Age life-is-vibrating-energy naive, or towards the logical postitivist this-is-what-we-know-now Sumo-science fund-me-for-more cheerleading. Evan Harris Walker seems to know that and for this title has kept largely to the real. And that's enough to get everybody going ooo gee whiz, considering the rich feast for thought emerging from this field.
Amazing book. Both introspective and backed by empirical reasoning/scientific examples, this book stands face-to-face with life's hardest questions: why are we here? who are we? how do we think? how can consciousness exist if it cannot be measured or observed? if you've ever pondered the meaning of life, the existence of god, or felt the loss of a loved one - this is a book you should pick up.
Very well presented book on consciousness and how the mind works in gathering and projecting information onto our field of consciousness. The appendix is a very good read for anyone looking for a scientific explanation of how this works
Apr 14, 2014Roberta Grimes rated it it was amazing
Evan Harris Walker is a physicist who is said to have been the founder of the modern science of consciousness research. He tries to simplify the physics, but his book can be a tough slog in spots. Still, I loved every mind-bending minute of it.
I would say it was a waste of time but I don't feel reading is ever a waste of time. I was disappointed by it though. I pushed through chapters of mathematical equations only to retain a minute amount of insight.
Jun 25, 2009Caroline rated it really liked it · review of another edition
I see that this book is less popular, but still it's an amazing read. I think the title scares people off. Could have done without some of the personal commentary but it at least goes along with the theme of life, love, and reality...which is really what physics is all about, right?
The physics is too complicated for me to be able to find errors in it, yet the conclusions are almost too amazing to be believable. I guess my next quest is to figure out what I can believe.
I LOVED this book!!!! Intellectually stimulating, spiritually uplifting and tons of 'wow' factor.
Apr 13, 2011Rhiannon Ballard rated it it was amazing
Amazing read, heart-breaking story, great message. I just love this book all ways around.
Jonathan Bennett rated it it was amazing Apr 11, 2013
Marisca Pichette rated it really liked it Dec 03, 2016
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“For Newton and the scientists of his time, God had set up the universe and set it in motion. Newton's laws simply governed the running of the universe. That is how Newton saw the workings of God and the workings of God's universe.” — 0 likes
“The beauty lies in the mind. If the world is beautiful and the laws of the universe sublime...Must there not be somewhere something beautiful that still remains behind, lingering, waiting to be found?” — 0 likes