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Das geheime Leben der Dinge. Warum Computer und Autos ein Eigenleben führen
Lyall Watson war einer der angesehensten Naturwissenschaftler des 20. Jahrhunderts, der zahlreiche wichtige Publikationen über Fragen der Grundlagenforschung veröffentlichte. Gleichzeitig gilt er als Pionier auf dem Gebiet der modernen Bewusstseinsforschung.
Obwohl vom geltenden Paradigma der Moderne geprägt, war Watson bereit, ungewöhnliche Phänomene nicht ignorant abzulehnen, sondern vorurteilslos zu überprüfen. Dieser Forschungsdrang führte ihn in Kontakt mit wahrhaft außergewöhnlichen Menschen und äußerst
ungewöhnlichen Geschehnissen. Nach jahrzehntelangem Forschen und sorgfältigem Dokumentieren gelangte Lyall Watson zu der revolutionären Erkenntnis: Es gibt keine
unbelebten Dinge! Hinter allen Geschehnissen und Prozessen der scheinbar materiellen Wirklichkeit zeigt sich BEWUSSTSEIN.
Nach der Lektüre dieses Buches werden Sie alle Gegenstände Ihres täglichen Lebens mit anderen Augen betrachten! Ein Buch, das die bisherige Weltsicht radikal verändern wird!
Obwohl vom geltenden Paradigma der Moderne geprägt, war Watson bereit, ungewöhnliche Phänomene nicht ignorant abzulehnen, sondern vorurteilslos zu überprüfen. Dieser Forschungsdrang führte ihn in Kontakt mit wahrhaft außergewöhnlichen Menschen und äußerst
ungewöhnlichen Geschehnissen. Nach jahrzehntelangem Forschen und sorgfältigem Dokumentieren gelangte Lyall Watson zu der revolutionären Erkenntnis: Es gibt keine
unbelebten Dinge! Hinter allen Geschehnissen und Prozessen der scheinbar materiellen Wirklichkeit zeigt sich BEWUSSTSEIN.
Nach der Lektüre dieses Buches werden Sie alle Gegenstände Ihres täglichen Lebens mit anderen Augen betrachten! Ein Buch, das die bisherige Weltsicht radikal verändern wird!
280 pages, Hardcover
First published April 19, 1990
13 people are currently reading
506 people want to read
About the author
Lyall Watson
92 books99 followersLyall Watson was a South African botanist, zoologist, biologist, anthropologist, ethologist, and author of many new age books, among the most popular of which is the best seller Supernature. Lyall Watson tried to make sense of natural and supernatural phenomena in biological terms. He is credited with the first published use of the term "hundredth monkey" in his 1979 book, Lifetide. It is a hypothesis that aroused both interest and ire in the scientific community and continues to be a topic of discussion over a quarter century later.
He was born in Johannesburg as Malcolm Lyall-Watson. He had an early fascination for nature in the surrounding bush, learning from Zulu and !Kung bushmen. Watson attended boarding school at Rondebosch Boys' High School in Cape Town, completing his studies in 1955. He enrolled at Witwatersrand University in 1956, where he earned degrees in botany and zoology, before securing an apprenticeship in palaentology under Raymond Dart, leading on to anthropological studies in Germany and the Netherlands. Later he earned degrees in geology, chemistry, marine biology, ecology and anthropology. He completed a doctorate of ethology at the University of London, under Desmond Morris. He also worked at the BBC writing and producing nature documentaries.
Around this time he shortened his name to Lyall Watson. He served as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, an expedition leader to various locales, and Seychelles commissioner for the International Whaling Commission.
In the late 1980s he presented Channel 4's coverage of sumo tournaments.
Lyall Watson began writing his first book, Omnivore during the early 1960s while under the supervision of Desmond Morris, and wrote more than 20 others.
He was born in Johannesburg as Malcolm Lyall-Watson. He had an early fascination for nature in the surrounding bush, learning from Zulu and !Kung bushmen. Watson attended boarding school at Rondebosch Boys' High School in Cape Town, completing his studies in 1955. He enrolled at Witwatersrand University in 1956, where he earned degrees in botany and zoology, before securing an apprenticeship in palaentology under Raymond Dart, leading on to anthropological studies in Germany and the Netherlands. Later he earned degrees in geology, chemistry, marine biology, ecology and anthropology. He completed a doctorate of ethology at the University of London, under Desmond Morris. He also worked at the BBC writing and producing nature documentaries.
Around this time he shortened his name to Lyall Watson. He served as director of the Johannesburg Zoo, an expedition leader to various locales, and Seychelles commissioner for the International Whaling Commission.
In the late 1980s he presented Channel 4's coverage of sumo tournaments.
Lyall Watson began writing his first book, Omnivore during the early 1960s while under the supervision of Desmond Morris, and wrote more than 20 others.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 6, 2019
This is a well written and interesting book, though it's mostly science-based speculation spiced with a bit of of pseudoscience. In general, I would never recommend anything with any pseudoscience as basis but this book big redeeming quality is that it does not aim at convincing us but at making us think differently, by wondering and questioning many of the things we think we know. "Doubt everything, even what you read here," seems to be the motto of this book.
Can our thoughts influence the world around us, perhaps at the subatomic level?
Is there any chance mental energy can heal, as Reiki masters proclaim?
Can lost objects comeback to our hands because our vibrations had affected them in such a way they are linked to us forever?
These are some of the questions Watson takes over along this book, and he does it with equal doses of scientific and anecdotal evidence, which makes for a very entertaining read as long as you're not hoping to get a definitive answer on the matter.
If things like paranormal abilities, telekinesis, spontaneous healing and such are of interest to you, this book it's for you. But if you're hoping for a hard scientific take on these themes, the book may disappoint you. Read with an open mind, open to say yes, but also no, and mostly open to discover new ways of looking at things, that's all.
Can our thoughts influence the world around us, perhaps at the subatomic level?
Is there any chance mental energy can heal, as Reiki masters proclaim?
Can lost objects comeback to our hands because our vibrations had affected them in such a way they are linked to us forever?
These are some of the questions Watson takes over along this book, and he does it with equal doses of scientific and anecdotal evidence, which makes for a very entertaining read as long as you're not hoping to get a definitive answer on the matter.
If things like paranormal abilities, telekinesis, spontaneous healing and such are of interest to you, this book it's for you. But if you're hoping for a hard scientific take on these themes, the book may disappoint you. Read with an open mind, open to say yes, but also no, and mostly open to discover new ways of looking at things, that's all.
September 15, 2007
This is one of the few books that changed the way I view the world. It explained things I'd thought about but hadn't been able to find any concrete, intelligent commentary on. The main thing I learned about was the notion of objects having the ability to trap in energy like a tape recorder. If you're at all interested in entertaining a scientific explanation behind statues of Mary crying blood, then you might want to give this book a whirl.
February 27, 2010
Oh my, this writer is extraordinary! He writes about the mysteries of life we pass by so easily, yet which are quirky and fascinating if/when we just take the time to explore.... He's done the exploring for us and tells of it so well! His writings are incredibly interesting and thought- provoking. I am enthralled on every page! - Every night, a little more!
I am now on pg 155 and still absolutely captivated. I WILL buy all of his books for my own family. They are thought-provoking, amazing studies of things that surround us everyday and are often overlooked, yet which are extraordinarily beguiling!
I am now on pg 155 and still absolutely captivated. I WILL buy all of his books for my own family. They are thought-provoking, amazing studies of things that surround us everyday and are often overlooked, yet which are extraordinarily beguiling!
May 20, 2009
This is just one of the coolest, most thought provoking books I've come across. When one first starts to read the incredulity builds, but then the parallels with cutting edge quantum-mechanics become too many to completely ignore. Fascinating.
May 11, 2024
What a wonderful book that I bought by accident!!
In many ways, it was reminiscent of Fritjof Capra’s 1975 The Dao of Physics. Written 15 years after Capra’s book, The Nature of Things was also written by a scientist who — roughly-- was seeking to push back against the standard model of physics. Both books were certainly products of their time, and I wonder if something like the Nature of Things could even be published today—the author’s career would surely have taken a hit. Speaking of the author, some might know him as the famous Sumo wrestling announcer and expert for the BBC. He was born in Jo-berg, and begins this book recalling time spent learning about Zulu culture in Southern Africa, where he also studied chemistry and biology; after which he moved to the UK to study with Jared Diamond, completing his doctorate in Anthropology. With a background in the sciences, you would think he would be the last person in the world to write a book about animism and the possibility that objects could somehow take on the energy of the humans who interact with them. But the book feels less an impassioned argument, as a kind of fascinating memoir of his life.
Not an argument and yet from the begging of human history certain objects have been collectively held to possess power.
Think of Daruma dolls with their one eye or the powerful regalia of medical British kings.
The book tells stories of objects imbued with magical powers from cultures around the world and down through time. From the heirloom swords of Japan and Malaysia to crying Madonna statues. First comes supernatural rocks, like the Kaaba, Ayers Rock, and the famous Stone of Scone which British kings still incorporate into their coronation rites. I had never even heard of the Stone of Scone...Think of swords, mirrors and bells. And what of the power of Christian and Buddhist relics? Even Tippu’s Tiger is given time in this book! (I loved Tania James’ novel Loot!)
I guess I agree with the author that the practice of transferring life to treat objects as animated is so widespread as to be something one could consider as a fundamental pattern of human behavior.
The end was really "out there" when he took this idea of humans collectively imparting energy and life to inanimate objects to what we are seeing in AI. The book is fun and in this last chapter is also ahead of its time.
In many ways, it was reminiscent of Fritjof Capra’s 1975 The Dao of Physics. Written 15 years after Capra’s book, The Nature of Things was also written by a scientist who — roughly-- was seeking to push back against the standard model of physics. Both books were certainly products of their time, and I wonder if something like the Nature of Things could even be published today—the author’s career would surely have taken a hit. Speaking of the author, some might know him as the famous Sumo wrestling announcer and expert for the BBC. He was born in Jo-berg, and begins this book recalling time spent learning about Zulu culture in Southern Africa, where he also studied chemistry and biology; after which he moved to the UK to study with Jared Diamond, completing his doctorate in Anthropology. With a background in the sciences, you would think he would be the last person in the world to write a book about animism and the possibility that objects could somehow take on the energy of the humans who interact with them. But the book feels less an impassioned argument, as a kind of fascinating memoir of his life.
Not an argument and yet from the begging of human history certain objects have been collectively held to possess power.
Think of Daruma dolls with their one eye or the powerful regalia of medical British kings.
The book tells stories of objects imbued with magical powers from cultures around the world and down through time. From the heirloom swords of Japan and Malaysia to crying Madonna statues. First comes supernatural rocks, like the Kaaba, Ayers Rock, and the famous Stone of Scone which British kings still incorporate into their coronation rites. I had never even heard of the Stone of Scone...Think of swords, mirrors and bells. And what of the power of Christian and Buddhist relics? Even Tippu’s Tiger is given time in this book! (I loved Tania James’ novel Loot!)
I guess I agree with the author that the practice of transferring life to treat objects as animated is so widespread as to be something one could consider as a fundamental pattern of human behavior.
The end was really "out there" when he took this idea of humans collectively imparting energy and life to inanimate objects to what we are seeing in AI. The book is fun and in this last chapter is also ahead of its time.
January 12, 2019
In this book Mr. Watson puts forth the theory that inanimate objects can pick up energy from being held or belonging to people or just getting it from surroundings. It is an interesting premise though it sometimes seems he stretches his information to conform to his ideas. Using examples of odd events he conjectures what might have brought about such occurrences such as self moving stones and strange objects raining from the skies. He also delves into the fascination people and some animals have with shiny items and how that has affected the progress of mankind. He also looks at the field of psychometry wherein someone has the ability to divine the nature of an object or describe its previous owner by touching it or getting impressions through a sealed envelope.
The final chapters deal with man's fascination with machines and how that might bring about our own downfall. Since the book was written in 1990 there is much more intricate machinery now and some of his thoughts, especially on the progress in computers and robotics have come to fruition. If nothing else and regardless of what one thinks of his hypotheses this book gives the reader food for thought.
The final chapters deal with man's fascination with machines and how that might bring about our own downfall. Since the book was written in 1990 there is much more intricate machinery now and some of his thoughts, especially on the progress in computers and robotics have come to fruition. If nothing else and regardless of what one thinks of his hypotheses this book gives the reader food for thought.
August 24, 2023
Who doesn't enjoy a 1980s fun-bag anthology of animism anecdotes? 👀 Everyday objects have a life story of their own. They appear to watch and record the energetic happenings around them.
Sometimes, they will cause us to break our leg on the stairs because they were purportedly stolen from Indian temples and you are not the rightful owner. Sometimes, a Hawaiian volcano goddess will continue to curse you if you don't mail back the souvenir stones you took from her volcano site, tourist! I can't put stuff like this down. It's on par with Secret life of Plants.
Bundles of myths, from the Hope diamond to the mysteriously fireproof crying child paintings of Italy. Whether this is fiction to you or not, the recorded accounts are incontestably rich and poetic. Decades after publication, it is fun is to hop online and investigate context and development of these infamous tales.
A great meditation on mindfulness and respect for what we own and care for. I would not recommend this book to a hoarder. Great for the imagination.
Sometimes, they will cause us to break our leg on the stairs because they were purportedly stolen from Indian temples and you are not the rightful owner. Sometimes, a Hawaiian volcano goddess will continue to curse you if you don't mail back the souvenir stones you took from her volcano site, tourist! I can't put stuff like this down. It's on par with Secret life of Plants.
Bundles of myths, from the Hope diamond to the mysteriously fireproof crying child paintings of Italy. Whether this is fiction to you or not, the recorded accounts are incontestably rich and poetic. Decades after publication, it is fun is to hop online and investigate context and development of these infamous tales.
A great meditation on mindfulness and respect for what we own and care for. I would not recommend this book to a hoarder. Great for the imagination.
May 12, 2023
This is one of those books that just make you scratch your head a thousand times. I both hated and loved it.
June 11, 2024
REALLY enjoyed this book.
Something a bit different.
Something a bit different.
June 19, 2010
I loved Watson's THE WATER PLANET, and was expecting this scientific mind to be discussing what we can learn from all the things we call "inanimate" on this earth. Instead, it's a jumbled compilation of "ghost stories" (he admits at one point taking National Enquirer as a source, which about made me gag!) I stopped reading after the first chapter.
September 3, 2008
A fascinating book about the energetic qualities and cultural/spiritual use of fetishes/talismans/amulets as well as everyday inanimate objects... extremely interesting and thought-provoking.
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November 23, 2013reading
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews