Science and Spiritual Practices

- 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 another
- Written 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 book
- For 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 them
- Counterpoint 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 pseudoscience
- Written 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 Connecticut
- The 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