About this episode
Peter holds degrees in theoretical physics, experimental psychology, and computer science from the University of Cambridge, England, where he was a student of Stephen Hawking. Following university he went to India, to study meditation and Eastern philosophy. In the 1970s, he pioneered the introduction of personal growth programs to corporations, running courses for senior management on creativity, stress management and sustainable development. He coined the term "global brain" with his 1980s bestseller of the same name in which he predicted the Internet and the impact it would have on humanity. His other books, which include Waking Up in Time: Finding Inner Peace in Times of Accelerating Change, and From Science to God: A Physicist's Journey into the Mystery of Consciousness, and his visual presentations and videos have won international acclaim and awards. Peter's work integrates Eastern and Western understandings of the mind, exploring their relevance to the world today and to humanity's future. Peter's website: peterrussell.com Peter's YouTube channel 2nd BatGap interview with Peter Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Interview conducted 6/28/2014 Transcript of this interview. YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction and Background 00:03:32 - The Fascination with Hydrogen and Consciousness 00:06:53 - The Dilution of Concepts and the Loss of Essence 00:10:24 - Challenging the Paradigm 00:13:41 - The Anomaly in the Existing Model 00:16:57 - The Anomaly of Consciousness 00:20:26 - The Mistake of Separating Consciousness 00:24:03 - The Construction of Reality 00:27:49 - The Universe as an Aware Field of Being 00:31:04 - The Field of Consciousness 00:34:34 - The Excitations of Consciousness 00:38:12 - Consciousness and the Experience of Reality 00:41:31 - Yoga: The Return to Connection 00:45:22 - Science and Spirituality 00:48:58 - Inner Exploration of Consciousness 00:52:07 - Exploring the Inner World with Scientific Approach 00:55:56 - The Importance of Inner Development and Balance 00:59:13 - The Impact of Human Consciousness 01:02:47 - The Collective Awakening and Access to Spiritual Wisdom 01:06:10 - The Catastrophic Risks of Climate Change 01:09:39 - Finding Peace Within 01:12:59 - Connecting with the Essence of the Cosmos 01:16:48 - The Marvel of Creation 01:20:23 - The Complexity of the Universe and the Purpose of Being 01:24:07 - Intelligence and Awareness in the Natural World 01:27:31 - Formation of Stable Structures 01:31:14 - The Processing of Information in Cells and Awareness 01:34:55 - The Mathematics Inherent in the Fabric of Creation 01:38:20 - The Fluidity of Understanding and the Openness to Change 01:41:37 - Concluding Remarks & Interaction Opportunities 01:45:12 - A Discussion with Peter