Shining Light on Transcendence: The unconventional journey of a Neuroscientist

by Peter Fenwick

What is consciousness? How does it relate to the brain, to the mind? Does it even extend beyond them? And if so, might those experiences — telepathy, extrasensory perception, near death experiences — be called ‘paranormal’ because we can’t explain them by any normal means? Anything with a firm belief structure, whether it is science or religious faith, limits experimentation and a free spirit of enquiry. I wanted to find a synthesis between these two fields of experience, the measurable and the immeasurable. And it seemed to me that the best – indeed, the only way I could find out more was by finding people who had such immeasurable experiences and studying them. A few years ago I was introduced by a friend to a philosopher, Alain Forget, who, I was told, had a remarkable ability to give ‘energy. During this ‘energy-giving’ process my friend had been aware of light radiating from him. My own ego wanted to persuade this unusual man to allow me to put him under the microscope. But in doing so I found myself, perhaps reluctantly at times, under the microscope of his perceptual grasp of human nature. And I realise that it has changed me, and that much of what I thought about myself was not based in reality. This book tells that story. ~ Peter Fenwick

201 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2019

About the author

Peter Brooke Cadogan Fenwick was a British neuropsychiatrist and neurophysiologist who is known for his studies of epilepsy and end-of-life phenomena.

Reviews

[Timothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peter Fenwick died recently... there were accounts of his interesting studies on Near Death Experiences. They were touted as a sort of "serious" study to quantify how so many people seem to see that "bright light" and have their "lives flash before their eyes".

I was intrigued about quantifying this mystic idea, so I searched for his books. I selected this one, the title made me think it would be somewhat of a memoir talking about how he joined the mystical and scientific in his work. Instead, this is mostly account of how in his retirement, Peter Fenwick became devoted to a man (Alain Forget) who claims to "project light and energy".

There's three possibilities here:

1. Fenwick is crazy
2. Fenwick is completely taken in by this charlatan (Alain Fogert)
3. Alain Fogert can actually project light

The second seems the most likely... and unfortunately both options 1 and 2 seem to indicate that whatever Fenwick's research was on near death experiences... probably shouldn't be taken seriously.

That being said... this book talks about some seemingly impossible scenarios (again it's literally about a man who apparently can project light) but it is a little thought-provoking. I mean, if we just sit there and meditate and try to achieve peak mindfulness... what really happens? The idea of separating from ego doesn't sound particularly appealing? Is the absence of all desires and becoming essentially a field of energy that lives in some cosmic plane virtuous? Fenwick sort of brings up at one point... would psychotherapy have been better... and I kind of think... yeah dude. Like maybe just try to well-adjust a little better instead of transcending this plane of existence. I guess it's all sort of tied to having some semblance of your consciousness exist after death... but I don't think this is it.