The End of Materialism

Our minds, perceptions, and beliefs have become so strongly rooted in material concepts and the science of measurement that materialism has become king in the modern world. We generally do not realize the almost hypnotic power it has on our mindset and culture. The material world has become so entrenched in our conceptualizations that, despite claims of 'spiritual awakening' (whatever that means), our spiritual dimension cannot seep through. This fall into materialism has cut us off from our innate spiritual perceptions. In a materialistic- and exclusively rationalistic-minded age, strong is the belief that modern science has given us superior knowledge over accounts of the spiritual worlds, preventing deeper insights into the human being and the cosmos. Science remains deeply submerged in a materialistic worldview in which all aspects of qualitative experience, the emergence of sentience, life, emotion, meaning, consciousness, and awareness, have been denied or repressed. What is consciousness? What is life and evolution? Is the universe only a purposeless gigantic clockwork? Is a post-material science and worldview that goes beyond materialism's straitjacket possible? These and many other questions are tackled in a series of essays that do not necessarily offer a predefined answer but rather suggest an alternative way of looking at and seeing the world, Nature, and ourselves with a trans-rational and intuitive approach. Going beyond the fragmented world of the Age of Enlightenment not only is possible but will be the inevitable outcome of our cultural evolution.