http://www.ncreview.com/ 226-425 http://www.ncreview.com/science-consciousness/sun-of-god-discover-the-self-organizing-consciousness-that-underlies-everything I found this to be an interesting read overall although I lost some interest during the first third of the book or so that covers some historical and religious ground that relates, sometimes loosely, to the central theme of a conscious universe because I've read similar ideas before. However, for someone new to ideas that fall outside of mainstream religion, it's probably a helpful introduction. Yes, as some previous reviewers noted, the author has criticized the failings of organized religion but he also criticizes the failings of dogmatic science so it seems to me that he's fair in presenting accurate criticism of both sides of the philosophical fence. I started getting more interested in the book when the focus turned towards recent scientific research. Overall, I found this to be an engaging speculative piece that reminds me of the teachings I've found in eastern philosophy except that the dogma and mythology have been removed. I also appreciate the fact that these ideas are not being presented from the viewpoint of someone committed to a particular religious viewpoint but rather from the viewpoint of a free thinker who has the ability to consider the possibility of something that is clearly outside of the norm. ]]> Sat, 15 May 2010 01:51:49 -0700 226-95 http://www.ncreview.com/science-consciousness/sun-of-god-discover-the-self-organizing-consciousness-that-underlies-everything “People might look at you strangely if you tell them you believe that the Sun thinks and that it truly is a celestial being…” So begins Son of gOd, a journey with author Gregory Sams into the mysteries of the universe, from microbes and molecules to galaxies and Universal Mind. One might think, from the opening line, that this book was another new age spin on an old theme, and that we were being encouraged to jump on the bandwagon and hail Sun as our divine essence of the month. Not at all; although the marketing for this book gives that spin. Although Sams makes a point of reminding us of the provocative paradigms of our solar origins and our solar-based existence, his view of Sun as “intelligent” or conscious of itself and its place in the Universe is no less radical than the idea that Earth is an organizing, interdependent living system. His point is that to omit Sun from our consideration as having and being part of a conscious universe is a strange omission and one that he intends to illuminate. And he does, with engaging depth and reverence. Sun of gOd, however, is epic in scope and subject, diving into such unruly subjects as creative intelligence from a ‘bottoms up” perspective, free will, notions of divinity, the four elements, electro-magnetism, the intelligence of light and photons, God, feedback, gods, microbes; in short the self-organizing force that seems to be apparent everywhere. Sun of gOd is wise, persuasively reasoned, and thoughtfully written—not light reading, but rich, provocative, and worth savoring, like a fine meal. By the time we finish, Sams has served up a feast, moving fluidly between the micro and the macro, exploring self-organizing principles within the cosmos with resounding logic and common sense, and making great contributions to the global shift in consciousness. Coined as a “cultural pioneer and bootstrap philosopher” (his life is as unusual and intriguing as this book) author Gregory Sams summarizes Sun of gOd by saying: “If we cannot even understand our own process of intelligence, how can we be expected to understand how trillions and trillions of drifting hydrogen and helium atoms in a pre-stellar cloud managed to engineer their own amazing feat of star formation? But they did it, as we and a bright Universe are able to witness. Perhaps it is time to acknowledge other vehicles of intelligence that are beyond our comprehension, and not just the incomprehensible version that we personally experience and accept. …This universe is, I would suggest, assembling and utilizing the vibration and intelligence of its myriad individual components and synthesizing them into a unified universal intelligence—a single mind. Whatever the nature of such a Universal Being at the beginning of time, it is now infinitely more substantial, evolved, enlightened and enlightening than the infant universe. And we are all playing a part in that cosmic evolution—every star-studded galaxy, each planet, person, butterfly, microbe and molecule of Us that has the honor to exist—to be. Enjoy, appreciate, care.” --Julie Clayton ]]> Mon, 13 Apr 2009 22:01:13 -0700