Spiritual Insights From the new Science: Complex Systems and Life
Raima Larter
Synopsis "Spiritual Insights From the new Science: Complex Systems and Life "
Spiritual Insights from the New Science is a guide to the deep spiritual wisdom drawn from one of the newest areas of science ― the study of complex systems. The author, a former research scientist with over three decades of experience in the field of complexity science, tells her story of being attracted, as a young student, to the study of self-organizing systems where she encountered the strange and beautiful topics of chaos, fractals and other concepts that comprise complexity science. Using the events of her life, she describes lessons drawn from this science that provide insights into not only her own life, but all our lives. These insights show us how to weather the often disruptive events we all experience when growing and changing. The book goes on to explore, through the unfolding story of the author's life as a practicing scientist, other key concepts from the science of complex systems: cycles and rhythms, attractors and bifurcations, chaos, fractals, self-organization, and emergence. Examples drawn from religious rituals, dance, philosophical teachings, mysticism, native American spirituality, and other sources are used to illustrate how these scientific insights apply to all aspects of life, especially the spiritual. Spiritual Insights from the New Science shows the links between this new science and our human spirituality and presents, in engaging, accessible language, the argument that the study of nature can lead to a better understanding of the deepest meaning of our lives. Readership: This book is aimed at general readers with an interest in complex systems and nonlinear science. Readers interested in theology, and those working on their own spiritual growth or guiding others in theirs, will also find it useful. It could, in addition, be used in graduate-level seminary courses in theology, religion and science or even spiritual direction, and is also appropriate for undergraduate seminars in the history or philosophy of science or religious studies.
