David Presti, PhD Professor, Dept. of Molecular and Cell Biology, Univ. of California, Berkeley.
Contemporary biophysical science assumes that the qualities of mental experience (mind, consciousness) are completely derivable from local physical processes within the body and brain. This belief follows from the metaphysical worldview posited by modern science – that of a reductive physical materialism, narrowly defined. I will trace the evolution and reification of this perspective, and the body of empirical evidence speaking to looking beyond the constraints of this worldview – arguing that such a looking beyond is necessary to take us to the next level of development in a science of mind and consciousness. The contemporary Buddhism-science dialogue is a valuable forum for such an exploration. Additionally, such an exploration is relevant to conversation between scientific and religious worldviews more generally, and takes seriously the possibility of investigating phenomena that are often considered off-limits to the methods of science. This is an exploration that gives due priority to the inextricable enfolding of our subjective awareness with what we call objective reality.
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