Science and spirituality are often presented as polar opposites: Is your sense of ultimate reality grounded in reason, or in faith? There seems to be little room for reconciliation.
But a handful of open-minded thinkers are challenging that narrative, making space for science and spirituality to coexist peacefully. So if you’d like to welcome this dual perspective into your own worldview, we recommend checking out the seven remarkable reads below.
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The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices
By Casper ter Kuile
In America and around the world, it’s no secret that many people are struggling to find fulfillment in traditional organized religion. But a Harvard Divinity School Fellow believes that whether you’re religious or not, you can design personal rituals for your life, rituals that add joy and meaning to everyday experiences. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Casper ter Kuile, in the Next Big Idea App
God, Human, Animal, Machine: Technology, Metaphor, and the Search for Meaning
By Meghan O’Gieblyn
The inexorable rise of technology, with artificial intelligences that surpass our comprehension and control, and the spread of digital metaphors for self-understanding, the core questions of existence—identity, knowledge, the very nature and purpose of life itself—urgently require rethinking. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Meghan O’Gieblyn, in the Next Big Idea App
The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness
By Mark Solms
A renowned neuropsychologist proposes a revelatory new theory of consciousness. In The Hidden Spring, he helps readers recognize the workings of their own minds for what they really are, including every stray thought, pulse of emotion, and shift of attention. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Mark Solms, in the Next Big Idea App
The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life
By Lisa Miller
Absorbing, uplifting, and ultimately enlightening, The Awakened Brain is a conversation-starting saga of scientific discovery packed with counterintuitive findings and practical advice on concrete ways to access your innate spirituality and build a life of meaning and contribution. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Lisa Miller, in the Next Big Idea App
Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings
By Alan Lightman
In this heartfelt and mind-blowing collection of essays, MIT physicist Alan Lightman reflects on the preciousness and precariousness of life on Earth in the vast and wondrous cosmos. View Our Conversation with the Author
How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion
By David DeSteno
Drawing on a wealth of new evidence, a pioneering research psychologist shows why religious practices and rituals are so beneficial to those who follow them—and to anyone, regardless of their faith (or lack thereof). View on Amazon
Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That’s Lost Its Mind
By Jamie Wheal
A revolutionary new practice that combines the best of neuroscience and optimal psychology. It’s an intensive program of breathing, movement, and sexuality that mends trauma, heightens inspiration, and tightens connection, helping us show up for a world that needs us all. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jamie Wheal, in the Next Big Idea App
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