Consciousness through One Mind; the nonlocal ways of knowing that bypass physical senses

Book reviewed: One Mind, by Larry Dossey

I very much enjoyed this thought provoking book which is largely built on the concept of One Mind of Vedanta Philosophy of Hinduism. Erwin Schrodinger, a physicist and philosopher and a strong believer of Vedanta, echoed its basic concepts of All in One, and expounded on the foundations of quantum physics that in One Mind, the consciousness is transpersonal, universal, collective, and infinite in spacetime. Therefore it is immortal and eternal. Although there are billions of apparently separate human minds but their view of the world is largely coherent. He saw perfect harmony between the philosophy of quantum physics and the metaphysics of Vedanta.

In this book, the author argues that the ability to acquire information at a distance without the mediation of physical senses or the machines is an example non-local communication. If consciousness is non-local, it exists everywhere in spacetime. Therefore the mind and the consciousness cannot be confined to brain or a body, but it is universal. The author has done an exhaustive literature work to compile his One Mind theory supported by numerous examples; both historical and scientific facts. The One Mind is like an invisible, non-physical cloud computing platform with infinite storage capacity. There is no need to link to the storage, because all minds are connected non-locally in a unitary whole, says the author.

Examples from many paranormal and parapsychological experiences such as Near-death experience (NDE), parapsychology, and dreams have been discussed. All these involve nonlocal ways of knowing that bypass the physical senses. They reveal linkages and connections between distant individuals. In ancient India, yoga was practiced by sages and rishis to obtain spiritual insight and tranquility that far exceeded their original mental capabilities. During meditation, reverie, or in a state of seep thoughts, time is perceived as eternal and the distinctions between past, present and future disappears, and it opens the door to One Mind. When One Mind is the source of all information that is known and knowable, then it is omniscient and if it is nonlocal, unconnected to body or mind in spacetime, then it is omnipresent and eternal.

The book is written as a series of stand-alone, bite size vignettes about One Mind concept for general readers, and it does not require any knowledge of neurobiology, if some sections are not interesting, skip it. It is the big picture that emerges from the discussions of the book that is important in appreciating the book.