The Evolutionary Mind: Conversations on Science, Imagination and Spirit

by Rupert Sheldrake, Terence McKenna, Ralph H. Abraham

Stimulating and often startling discussions between three friends, all highly original Rupert Sheldrake, controversial biologist, Terence McKenna , psychedelic visionary, and Ralph Abraham , chaos mathematician. Their passion is to break out of paradigms that retard our evolution and to explore new possibilities. Through challenge and synergy they venture where few have gone before, leading their readers on an exciting journey of discovery. Their discussions focus on the evolution of the mind, the role of psychedelics, skepticism, the psychic powers of animals, the structure of time, the life of the heavens, the nature of God, and transformations of consciousness. “Three fine thinkers take us plunging into the universe of chaos, mind, and spirit. Instead of leaving us lost, they bring us back with startling insights and more wonder than we knew we had.” —Matthew Fox, Original Blessing and Sheer Joy "A jam-session of the mind, an intellectual movable feast, an on-going conversation that began over twenty years ago and remains as lively and relevant today as it ever was. Sadly, Terence had to leave the conversation a little earlier than planned. But the appearance of this book of trialogues at this critical, historical juncture is a reaffirmation of the potency of the optimistic vision that the trialogues express." —Dennis McKenna, brother of the late Terence McKenna Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of many books including The Sense of Being Stared At, And Other Aspects of the Extended Mind . Ralph Abraham is a mathematician, one of the pioneers of chaos theory and the author of several books including Chaos, Gaia, A Chaos Pioneer Uncovers the Three Great Streams of History. The late Terence McKenna was a scholar of shamanism, ethno-botanist, psychedelic researcher and author of many books including Food of the Gods and True Hallucinations .

Genres: Science, Philosophy, Nonfiction, Psychology, Spirituality, Evolution, Metaphysics

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of more than 80 scientific papers and ten books. A former Research Fellow of the Royal Society, he studied natural sciences at Cambridge University, where he was a Scholar of Clare College, took a double first class honours degree and was awarded the University Botany Prize. He then studied philosophy and history of science at Harvard University, where he was a Frank Knox Fellow, before returning to Cambridge, where he took a Ph.D. in biochemistry. He was a Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, where he was Director of Studies in biochemistry and cell biology. As the Rosenheim Research Fellow of the Royal Society, he carried out research on the development of plants and the ageing of cells in the Department of Biochemistry at Cambridge University.

Recently, drawing on the work of French philosopher Henri Bergson, he developed the theory of morphic resonance, which makes use of the older notion of morphogenetic fields. He has researched and written on topics such as animal and plant development and behaviour, telepathy, perception and metaphysics.

Reviews

[Maico Morellini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quando e come si è sviluppato il linguaggio? È un limite alle nostre percezioni o uno strumento affilato che ci siamo procurati nella comprensione del mondo? Oppure, ancora, si tratta di un’entità che ha deciso di entrare in una simbiosi costruttiva con l’uomo per sviluppare una sua personale evoluzione?
Abraham, McKenna e Sheldrake intraprendono un percorso complesso, ambizioso e spregiudicato a ritroso nel tempo e verso un futuro tutto ancora da definire.
Senza preconcetti, con un’apertura mentale tanto provocatoria quanto brillante, mi hanno coinvolto nelle loro visioni offrendo alternative filosofiche alle sovrastrutture scientifiche e religiose intorno alle quali è costruita la modernità.
Complesso, stimolante. Chi ama la fantascienza non può restare indifferente alle infinite possibilità che i tre autori offrono invitando chi legge al tavolo del loro “trialoghi”.
Seguirli in tutto e per tutto richiede una cultura sterminata, ma se avete subito la mia stessa fascinazione per la teoria del caos, se pensate che il linguaggio si più che in insieme di suoni usati per descrivere il mondo, non lasciatevi sfuggire questo libro.

[Austin Tanney · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is well worth a read. Some moments of genius, some moments of psychedelic pseudoscience. Towards the end I struggled to maintain interest as the tone tended a little much towards religion for my liking. McKenna was though, without doubt, a truly amazing mind.

[Gord Clements · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quite a much needed book although I don`t believe everything they suggest in the book. They don´t either. They challenged and question each others constructs and perception. I don´t think that the authors are hoping to convert others in a dogmatic way. Its more exploring the need for humanity to open the mind to other more comprehensive concepts and possibilities of life. In general our world vision becomes encrusted at an early time in life and with that our minds are not open to seeing things in a new way. The concepts that they raise can be difficult to grasp and there is a part of our developed identity that resists seeing things differently. They raise the possibility that humans might soon become extinct if we do not open to new possibilities. And that there is so much of our potential that is limited by our fixed persona.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I tried. I tried because I recommended this for book club. I tried because based on the title, it's a topic in which I'm interested. I tried to finish, but just couldn't bring myself to read it. The language is, despite the title, not very conversational or at least not lay-man conversational. And while I thought some of the commentary on psychedelics quite amusing, they weren't enough to offset difficulty in following the conversation. Never tried LSD, but I fear chemicals like those are required to truly appreciate the content in this book. Not going to happen.

[kates · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fantastic read. Thought-provoking and stirring, I brought it into conversations with random people (friends old and new) multiple times while I was reading it. It's funny-- and I laughed out loud more than a few times. My eyes glazed over during some passages where it just got TOO HEADY, but admittedly, I'm a reader that likes to jump in and out of things. Prepare to find yourself on mental tangents, as well. Also: a good read if you're thinking about the end of the world.

[Ryan Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not
read this--
unless...

[Ayu Rem · Rating 4 out of 5]

That Book is like sitting around a fire with three big minds tripping without substances(Sheldrake, Mckenna, and Ralph Abraham).
part conversation, part wild thought experiment, part collective download.

they talk about morphic resonance, psychedelics, telepathy, chaos theory, evolution, consciousness, even the end of history. and its not rigid. it flows. it spirals. no ones trying to dominate, they are thinking together. thats rare.

Sheldrake's big on the idea that memory is not stored in the brain, but in fields. Mckenna jumps in with visionary chaos and mushroom metaphysics. abraham pulls in math and fractals. and somehow, it all dances.

not every page hits. sometimes it meanders. but when it clicks? feels like being let in on a conversation the universe was already having.

you dont read this for proof.
you read it to stretch your mind, to imagine new forms of knowing. best with tea and no distractions.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent read

Worth reading for some of Terrence McKenna's quotes, but most of the good material is contained in the first half of the book. I get the feeling that the other two actors are trying to probe his understanding which is truly transcendental, but he just clams up and obfuscates. I suppose we'll never really know.

[Lugra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Considerazioni sparse su diversi temi, in un dialogo non sempre facile da seguire.
Non è un libro che dà risposte ma stimola il ragionamento e, soprattutto, mette in discussione assunti di base che si é sempre dati per assodati (es. ruolo del linguaggio, della statistica, della divinità)

[Sandrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whenever I need a new impetus to explore further into what it is we are allegedly living in and through I turn to either of these three gentleman’s.

[Khashayar Gholami · Rating 5 out of 5]

Three of the bests in one room writing a book,Rupert Sheldrake,one of the best imaginative biologists.
Ralph Abraham,a chaos mathematician and an amazing man with such great talent, that can take you out of your comfort zone in a very cognitive way, which you will enjoy Enormously.
And at the end
terence, the dearest of all, an ethno-botanist ,a psychedelic researcher with such amazing mind that breaks all the human boundaries in the reader's mind, and offers you this new realm of consciousness, and that is the realm of the god's, where the only rule,is the rule of the human imagination.
one of the best books i had the chance to read.
The Evolutionary mind; conversations on science, imagination & Spirit.

[Graham Bear · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book at university . It is interesting, intriguing and very cool.

[Jenifer Jacobs]

Brought to me by client for my opinion. Definitely going to read and see why it captivated her.

[Jack Oughton · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unexpectedly, I found this to be too dense, fragmented and 'fringe' - I will try to re read it in a few months