In an engaging interview with MysticMag, Peter Russell explores the compelling intersection of science, consciousness, and spirituality, a path that began with his studies in mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University.
His quest to understand consciousness, spurred by the limitations of scientific discourse on the subject, led him to the profound practices of meditation and spirituality, drawing wisdom from mystics and ancient traditions. Through MysticMag, Russell shares his insights on a deeper form of mindfulness, centered on the ever-present ‘I am’ beyond fleeting experiences.
He also discusses the transformative power of meditation on personal and collective well-being, the complementary nature of science and spirituality, the visionary concept of “The Global Brain,” and his eagerness to delve into the essence of attention and effortless being in his future work.
What led you to explore the intersection of science, consciousness, and spirituality in your work?
I was studying, mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University. Although I was fascinated by the subject, I was also becoming increasingly interested in the nature of consciousness and its relationship to the physical world. Most of the science – thinking, theorizing, drawing conclusions, etc. – takes place in the human mind, yet science had nothing to say about this, which I found somewhat paradoxical, suggesting there was something fundamental missing from the scientific worldview. I studied neurophysiology for a while, hoping this would help, but here, too, consciousness was hardly ever mentioned.
I realized that the best way to explore consciousness was not by studying the brain, but by observing it in oneself, as many mystics, yogis, and other spiritual adepts had done over the years. This led me to explore meditation, and travel to India to study it more deeply. Until then I had rejected religion as having no relevance to the modern world. But the more I explored meditation, the more I realized there was something to spirituality, and that all the great religious traditions had similar roots. My goal then became to understand the underlying essence of spirituality.
How do you define the concept of “mindfulness” in the context of your teachings and writings?
Mindfulness, in general, is a relaxation of the attention, not focusing strongly on any particular experience, but having a more open relaxed attitude to the present moment – whether that be the breath, some sensation in the body, feelings, thinking, or general mood. My approach to mindfulness goes a step further.
Instead of an open awareness of some aspect of their experience, I encourage people to become mindful of that sense of I-ness that lies behind every experience. Not “I” as a person with various qualities and characteristics, but the sense of “I am” that was is always present, that was there yesterday, last year, and all the time back to my childhood. That never changes, but it is seldom noticed. Another word for it is being. So I often call my practice “mindfulness of being.”
Can you discuss the role of meditation in achieving personal and collective well-being?
First of all, meditation helps the mind relax, and when the mind relaxes, so does the body. We know that a lot of illness is caused by tension, so we can expect meditation to lead to an overall improvement in health. This reduction in tension will likewise lead to enhanced creativity and clearer thinking.
Another result of meditation is a decrease in egoic thinking. As a result, we do not need to spend as much time and energy reinforcing or defending our sense of self. We can begin to act more in line with what a situation calls for rather than what our ego demands. This will also impact our relationships with others, leading to more forgiveness and greater kindness. Since many of our fears are ego-based, we can imagine a society run less by fear and more by love.
How does your scientific background inform your understanding of spiritual experiences?
First, I don’t take anything on faith. Just because somebody claims something is true doesn’t mean I have to believe it. Only when something is corroborated by my own experience, do I accept it. This is really the essence of the scientific process. We take an idea, test it out, see where it leads, and compare the results with what others discover.
Second, I think that science and spirituality are describing two complementary realms of reality. Science describes how physical reality works; spiritual teachings describe the workings of consciousness. So I do not see the two are necessarily in conflict. Indeed, the closer each comes to discovering their underlying truths, the more similar their descriptions become. That is why many theoretical physicists have become fascinated by mystical teachings.
In your view, what is the significance of “The Global Brain” concept in today’s interconnected world?
When I wrote the global brain back in the early 1980s, computer networking was in its infancy. Looking to the future, I saw computers would not only be getting much faster and with greater memory, but their networking was going to become equally significant. In the book, I described many parallels between how the human brain develops in the fetus and the way the global network computers would grow.
Ten years later came the World Wide Web, followed by streaming videos, social media, and other advances. These have not only linked us together in an ever-more complex global network but have also created a collective body of human knowledge. Now, with AI, we are accessing that collective knowledge and interacting with it. One could say that the global brain now has a global mind.
Looking forward, what emerging themes or questions are you most excited to explore in your research and writings?
There are two areas that currently fascinate me. One is the nature of attention itself. How does it relate to pure awareness, and to the question of free will? The other is exploring ways to help people drop into the ease of pure being in simple, effortless ways. This is a skill I think we will need more and more in the coming times.
Find out more at: www.peterrussell.com
