The God Theory: Universes, Zero-point Fields, And What's Behind It All | 
 enlarge | Author: Bernard Haisch
Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser
Category: Book
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Rating:  73 reviews
Sales Rank: 27693
Media: Hardcover
Pages: 157
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Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 1578633745
Dewey Decimal Number: 215
EAN: 9781578633746
Publication Date: May 1, 2006
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Product Description
Is it possible for there to be a purpose in a Universe born in a Big Bang and filled with evolving life? Can the multiverse and superstring theories of cosmology be rendered consistent with an infinite intelligence? Might our human consciousness transcend physical matter? Is our existence and the life we live the means whereby God experiences God's own potential? A remarkable discovery has gradually emerged in astrophysics over the past two decades and is now essentially undisputed: that certain key physical constants have just the right values to make life possible. Most scientists prefer to explain away this uniqueness, by claiming that a huge, perhaps infinite, number of universes must therefore exist, each with unique properties, each randomly different from the other, with ours only seemingly special because in a universe with different properties we would never have originated. Haisch proposes the alternative that the special properties of our Universe reflect an underlying intelligence, one that is fully consistent with the Big Bang and Darwinian evolution. At this time both views are equally logical and equally beyond proof. However exceptional human experiences and accounts of mystics throughout the ages do suggest that we live in a purposeful Universe. Haisch speculates on what this purpose might be and what that purpose means for our lives. This is not incompatible with science. Astrophysicist Sir James Jeans wrote that "the universe begins to look more like a great thought than like a great machine" and Sir Arthur Eddington, who proved that Einstein's general relativity was correct, wrote about "science and the unseen world." Cosmologist Sir Fred Hoyle called the Universe "an obvious fix." Haisch also discusses the popular, but often misrepresented, topic of zero-point energy from the perspective of a multiyear NASA-funded study he led at Lockheed Martin. "Part of the appeal of this book is that Dr. H. presents his hypothesis as a scientist, conditioned by decades in the halls of science. In particular there is no pulpit pounding insistence on his viewpoint. Rather he discusses topics such as creationism vs. evolution without the emotional upheaval of belief systems. Of particular interest is his writing on the zero point field. I had been aware of the astounding discovery, where some scientists were able to derive Newton's second law of Physics, F=ma, by considering that inertia was simply the 'drag' encountered by mass in the zero point field. I first read of this in Lynn McTaggart's book the Field. This is astounding because (i) that basic law was thought to be a primary law of the Universe and thus not-derivable, (ii) it made the zero point field a basis of all matter (iii) the scientific community largely ignored this amazing discovery. What I was not aware of was that Bernard was one of those responsible for this discovery! So if you are interested in the zero point field from someone with the scientific and metaphysical credentials - go no further. So if you want to put your metaphysical conception of the universe on a more solid scientific basis, and/or have great discussions...get a little God Theory in your life." -William Arntz, Executive Producer of "What the Bleep Do We Know," October 2007 BLEEPing Herald
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| Customer Reviews: Read 68 more reviews...
 Glimmerings of a New Science of Consciousness and Spirituality July 22, 2007
Dr. Richard G. Petty (Atlanta)
82 out of 85 found this review helpful
Bernard Haisch is an eminent astrophysicist who is a member of an increasingly large group of prominent scientists who are trying to bridge the seemingly impossible divide between the conventional Reductionist worldview, Creationism and Intelligent Design. For over a century it has seemed as if there is no possible way to reconcile the camps that seem to be totally at loggerheads with each other.
Haisch begins with two observations: First, what we often call the "Goldilocks Theory:" why is it that certain key physical constants have just the right values to make life possible. The term is also applied to describe the key zones around a sun - not too hot and not too cold - in which planets are conducive to the development of carbon-based life forms. The second starting point is a phrase that is found in many religious traditions around the world, from the Middle East to India and China: "Let there be light, and there was light." He believes that consciousness is our connection to God, who, or which, is the source of all consciousness. This infinite conscious intelligence has infinite potential, and its ideas become the laws of physics. In his view the purpose of the Universe is the transformation of potential into experience. So consciousness is the origin of matter, the laws of natures and of all the universes that may exist.
Bernard is the co-author of a remarkable theory about inertia: that it is the property of matter that gives it substance, and that this solid matter is sustained by an underlying sea of quantum light: the zero-point. It is good to remember that one of the most celebrated theories of all time - Einstein's theory of special relativity - is based on the properties of light. Bernard proposes that light, in the form of a universal electromagnetic zero-point field, creates and sustains the world of matter that fills space-time.
One of the immediate implications of these ideas is that we are all imbued with some splinter of God consciousness, that God is experiencing through us, that we have purpose and that our relationship should be one of partnership rather than domination or servility. A second implication is that we should live a life that allows the expression of this intelligence, because in that way we evolve, grow and achieve ultimate satisfaction and happiness. The brain is a filter rather than a creator of consciousness and it is possible to develop the brain so that more of this consciousness is able to manifest. This squares well with the recent data on neuroplasticity and the impact of meditation on the structure and function of the brain. These ideas are familiar to anyone who has studied Hindu, Buddhist or Taoist philosophy, or the writings of mystics and contemplatives who have described the universe as the "body of God." But it has rarely been expressed so clearly and placed in a scientific framework.
Bernard Haisch has unique qualifications for writing this book. He was born in postwar Germany but came to the United States as a three year-old child. He had a strict Catholic upbringing, and his mother wanted him to be a priest, and he attended a high school dedicated to preparing boys for the seminary. He did spend one year in the seminary before leaving to become an astronomer and astrophysicist. So the philosophical and spiritual interests were seeded early on, and in later years he began to study other religions and philosophical systems.
This is an extremely well written and entertaining book by someone who has a fine grasp of science and can explain his wok without dumbing it down. It is small in size and only just over 150 pages, including a short bibliography. It is an easy read, but the ideas, whether they are right or wrong, will likely stay with you for a long time to come.
This is an excellent book for anyone interested in consciousness, spirituality and the subtle systems of the body.
Highly recommended.
An Interesting Theory! June 21, 2007
Grumple Dumple
54 out of 56 found this review helpful
I believe that God exists -- it is only that I don't know what God actually is. Perhaps Mister Haisch has God pegged via his unique theory.
It's an interesting theory (a synthesis of science and spirtuality) in which the author believes that God is attempting to experience His full measure of potential "as God" by actualizing Himself through each human being within the physical realm. (We are His incarnations.)
Just a few random things in general about it:
He comes down hard against the materialism (the belief that reality consists of matter and energy and nothing else) and reductionism (the belief that complex things can be explained by examining their constituent parts only) of scientists who refuse to accomodate even the "possibility of the spiritual", but he's equally critical of the massive failings of religion.
He focuses on the "Zero-Point Field" -- A special light energy that is supposed to inhabit all of space as mandated by the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle. He explores the possibility that this background sea of quantum light existing throughout the universe (the zero-point field) is what makes matter the solid and stable stuff that it is. Anyway, it's about that kind of thing.
He proposes that "consciousness" gives rise to matter and not vice versa -- it is the primary stuff of reality shaping and directing matter by an "infinite intelligence" dreaming up an infinite variety of laws and physical constant values and then letting them play out in all their varities in this and other universes.
Though I don't embrace the "God Theory" outright I can't dismiss the idea out of hand because he makes a somewhat compelling case for it. It is as valid a possibility for explaining it all as anything else that has come before.
Mister Haisch does an excellent job in explaining scientific concepts so that the non-scientist can understand it well enough.
If you have a "scientific mindset" but can accomodate the possibilities of the "spiritual" or if you have a "spiritual mindset" but can accomodate the principles of science then you may find this theory at the very least an interesting one.
I have no negative comment about the book except that it is too short.
I hope I have been helpful to you.
A Major Contribution May 22, 2006
Larry Dossey (Santa Fe, NM USA)
64 out of 72 found this review helpful
THE GOD THEORY is a delightful romp through the labyrinths of philosophy, theology, and science by one of the outstanding astrophysicists of our day. Author Bernard Haisch throws a gauntlet at the feet of physicalistic science, which views consciousness as an evolutionary accident or as an epiphenomenon of the brain. For Haisch, consciousness is a fundamental, not derivative, aspect of the world. The philosophical and theological implications that flow from this approach, which is anchored in solid scientific reasoning, are majestic. This book is very smart, very literary, very thrilling--a fine read.
-- Larry Dossey, MD
Author: THE EXTRAORDINARY HEALING POWER OF ORDINARY THINGS
God is consciousness. September 2, 2006
D. Rigas (Northbrook, IL USA)
36 out of 40 found this review helpful
There is a widely held misconception that scientists don't believe in God. The truth is that they don't believe in the anthropomorphic Judeo-Christian and Muslim God who was invented by man in the era of his scientific ignorance. In fact, scientists are recently publishing an increasing number of books trying to identify God and his relationship to our universe. This is another such book, and shares the same main title as Ronald Tarter's book published four years ago. It differs from most others, however, in that the author strays a little more into the realm of the mystic. For him, God is consciousness. That by itself may be a little confusing since there is no general agreement on the definition of the term. But towards the end he defines it as "something infinite, timeless...[that] can have no characteristics that can be properly translated in physical terms. Love, light, and bliss come the closest."
Although this God Consciousness has an infinite potential, this can only be actualized, become real, through experience. So God creates the world so that he can experience himself from a non-God viewpoint. For Haish consciousness is the origin of matter, not the reverse as physical sciences postulate. Creation is thus a physical part of God, including you, me and Fido; we are all parts of God. He maintains that we do not experience the world as it really is but only through what our brains do not filter out. As an example he points to some idiot savants who suffer from brain damage and who cannot tell right from left but can multiply in their heads two three digit numbers while carrying a conversation; not through any analytical process but just by seeing the number shapes in their mind morph into the final number. He attributes it to the [un]conscious being somehow linked to the infinite consciousness.
According to Einstein's theory, says the author, a photon traveling at the speed of light gets to its destination instantaneously, because at that speed there exist neither time nor space. He concludes that light generates matter. Light, of course, is pure energy, and energy can create particles as long as the sum of the particle properties is zero, like an electron-positron pair as an example. He discusses the zero point field (the radiation left over from the Big Bang that is spread throughout all creation), which contains a huge quantity of energy (but at extremely low potential so it is not easily accessible) but does not consider it to be God as some other writers in this field have.
Haisch ends up by scolding both science and religion; science for ignoring everything other than the material world that can be tested in the laboratories, and religion for perverting its own beliefs and causing untold damage to the people of this world. This last chapter can be considered to be inspirational.
The book is extremely readable (with the possible exception of the chapter dealing with Einstein's theories and the Kabbalah, which involves a little more science and mysticism) and the author peppers his writing with occasional humor and personal stories. The bibliography lists twenty five books, of which ten were published after 1990. There is no index, but the book is small and the table of contents sufficiently detailed so it is not a major problem. In my opinion, however, if you expect that your readers will want to look up things in your book you should provide them with an index.
(The writer is the author of "Christianity without Fairy Tales: When Science and Religion Merge.")
A True Scientist Steps Up To the Plate October 15, 2006
The Capitol (USA)
20 out of 23 found this review helpful
First of all, I think it is very important to note that Bernard Haisch is a recognized astro-physicist who has had work published by scientific journals and also received multiple grants from NASA. He's not just another hack attempting to write a fluffy new-age book about God.
While many atheists would disagree, Haisch suggests that without God humanity is lost and without purpose...which can allegedly only lead to destructive thinking and actions by humanity. While I do indeed hope there is more to life and a God, I can't help but wonder if Haisch is blinded and fueled to write this book by his own wanting for a God or supreme being. That in itself woiuld not negate what this book has to say, though.
Haisch spends much of the book explaining why a supreme being would enact creation in all its universe and dimensions, offering a purposeful meaning to all of creation as opposed to mainstream science. In addition to this, he explains what it is that science is lacking, and why there is a need for a "god theory," something that transcends religion.
He then moves on to provide support for his ideas which include studies of consciousness, the "zero-point field," and explanations involving the nature of light (in all of its forms). Unless you are somewhat well-read in scientific theories, some parts of the book may go over your head. I have to take the author's word concerning the more scientific areas of the book. As other seemingly knowledgeable reviewers here have suggested, there may be some minor flaws in Haisch's theories, but they don't seem to be critical enough to discount the theory as a whole. In other words, it is difficult for someone like me to accurately weigh the evidence in my own mind and decide how compelling the information is.
This book is concise, short, and clearly not meant to provide you with all the answers. The book is more like a short presentation of Haisch's theory of what this "creation" is. Haisch clearly does not expect everyone to just accept his ideas. He admits to not having proof. For right now, this book offers those still searching a new way to look at their existence and god. Something logical, not opposed to scientific theory, and not just a fluffy new-age book that is published to make a quick buck. Haisch has put his credibility on the line with the publication of this book. I applaud him for moving forward with his beliefs. The only thing I didn't like about the book is that it seems to delve into karma and mysticism a bit too much, but not enough to adversely affect the book.
I greatly look forward to further studies on human consciousness, as Haisch believes that one day they will support his theory...that we are more than just mindless machines. Definitely check out this book!...especially if you are tired of the recent new-ageism passing itself off as science. Refreshing.
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