Fingerprints Of God: The Search For The Science Of Spirituality (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
This was the second time I attempted to read this book and the first time I've completed it. The first time I read it as the scientific survey that it advertised itself as. Through that lens the author's personal stories and clear bias for a portion of the works addressed made it difficult to take the book seriously. However, when read as a memoir of the author's experience of using her journalist access to pursue personal questions, the read was much better. A very good "intro" book to the junction of faith and science. I particularly enjoyed the studies on the meditative and psychedelic-tripped brain... which did make me want to try LSD at some later date in life. Also really loved the study on "paired" couples and their ability to effect the other over distance and with no known material connection.The chapters on near-death experiences I found tedious. While I understand that they are life-changing for many people who have them, I really fail to see them as scientifically meaningful, or as proof of anything. (RANT FOLLOWS) So what if a person's heart stops and then starts? Complete brain death takes time-- a longer time than near-death experiences allow for. Near-deathers were not 'really' dead, because they came back to life. My argument is: even if these experiences DID somehow 'prove' that the individual soul continues past death, it would prove ONLY that it continues for a few minutes afterward, wherein you see light and God and loved ones and whatever religious personage you subscribe to. (This last I find a tad suspicious.) ALSO, why do the people who study these things ignore the fact that MANY, perhaps even the majority, of people DO NOT HAVE THEM when they 'die.' They just die, and are unaware of anything.If you are going to use near-death experiences as 'proof,' you would be obligated to say that only some, randomly blessed, people get to experience life after death. The rest simply cease to exist.
What do You think about Fingerprints Of God: The Search For The Science Of Spirituality (2009)?
So far I'm really enjoying this book but I'm only on page 50.
—taytotots
A disappointing read so far; will try again later...
—soccerball_1
Really enjoying it so far -- trying to read slowly.
—georgianazor
