The statement below is an outgrowth of a retreat at Tomales Bay,California, December 3-6, 1992, at which fifteen scientists and philosophersattempted to explore the question of an appropriate epistemology for consciousness research. Contributions were made by the scholars listed below and others; the final synthesis was performed by Willis Harman. The statement is submitted to the broader scientific community, and to the concerned public, to stimulate dialogue about a long-standing question, and to foster interest in an ever-deepening scientific study of (...) human consciousness. Basically, the question is: How does it happen that our powerful methods of scientific enquiry appear so ill-suited to the study of consciousness? If understanding our own consciousness is so central to understanding anything else, will we not have to take this question more seriously than has been the case so far? (shrink)

El autor plantea que la cosmovisión científica moderna tiene el desafío de adaptarse a las nuevas evidencias, lo que reviste una gran dificultad por la densa red de supuestos teóricos en que ella está envuelta. Aclara que no busca atacar el espíritu de la ciencia sino motivar su propia evolución, que debe ir en la dirección de una ciencia más holística o ciencia de la totalidad, de la que describe sus características, para la cual considera que el tiempo está maduro.

El autor nos invita a considerar la paradoja de que siendo una cosmovisión científica tan efectivamente demostrable de tantas maneras, no tenga espacio para concebir la mente y el espíritu; y que, siendo la ciencia una manera de entender que se basa en la creación de modelos o metáforas, se produce un daño cuando restringimos estos modelos y metáforas y los consideramos como la “verdadera” descripción de la realidad. Frente a esto, el artículo explora la posibilidad de incorporar metáforas alternativas, (...) y en particular la metáfora de la conciencia, para aportar con ella una más amplia comprensión del mundo para la ciencia. (shrink)

(1991). The emerging “wholeness” worldview and its probable impact on cooperation. World Futures: Vol. 31, Cooperation: Toward a Post-Modern Ethic, pp. 73-83.

This paper attempts to highlight the emergent threat posed by the Western materialistic worldview to a sustainable human civilization and draws a blueprint of ideas which can reverse this trend. In approaching this global problem from a whole-system perspective the author underlines the importance of the inseparability of environmental and other manmade problems facing humankind. He also ques tions some of the taken-for-granted assumptions of growth-based capitalism like competition, self- interest, progress and technological advance. Finally, the paper suggests that a (...) shift in paradigm from the Western model of development to the more 'holistic' Eastern view is the need of the hour. (shrink)