Let There Be Light: Physics, Philosophy and the Dimensional Structure of Consciousness

by Stephen J. Hage

Speculative theory of consciousness.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Philosophy

286 pages, Hardcover

First published August 15, 2013

Reviews

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tackles the hard problem of consciousness in a way that makes me think Hage is on to something. Hage posits that consciousness isn't in the brain but instead we are in consciousness. He describes theories that I've always had a hard time understanding but in a way that makes me realize that even physicists are baffled by a lot of things these days. I appreciate his corny usage of "WTF?!" when describing weirdo quantum physics studies. Confusing, intriguing, and fun.

[Charlene · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoy books about networks, information theory, chaos, constructs, perception, consciousness, and many other topics covered in this book. However, other books do a much better job at gathering available data and packaging it for human consumption. This book was heavy on the philosophy and light on the science. There are so many books that provide mindgasms from beginning to end. Authors like Vlatko Vedral, Albert-László Barabási, Kevin Kelly, Paul Falkowski,Max Tegmark, and others make much more compelling arguments.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Can be difficult to understand at times if you are not an academic. But thought-provoking and very interesting, nonetheless.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

My own experience in the analysis of the universe has led me to a perception that is very hard to find in the world. This book was the closest I have seen to my experiential interpretation of the world around me. It was one of only a few that tackled Solipsism in a more inclusive form than the general isolationist view. The idea of being in consciousness instead of containing it was great, I personally now have a means of applying my concept that the process of "balancing" in the universe. The process that brings chaos into balance from heated particles to social reform, consciousness is what shifts states into homeostasis. The question to me becomes how it utilizes our genetic make up and the referential experiences to migrate on the micro to macro scale of organizing balance through the experiential tools at it's disposal.

Better yet this would mean that a "clone" designed with this in mind or transportation through de-materialization and re-materialization would be more likely not to lose our consciousness in the process as I is the combination of the consciousness dimension interacting with a specific material makeup from an atomic, genetic, cellular system. I had often wondered what could be lost in teleportation in respect to "self" or what could step in from the void. In respect to a clone even, the idea that they have the same structure, that would then lead to if copied correctly where memory is stored in our cellular make up. Then dimensional consciousness would interact with it as it does us now, which would mean should we die it would be like migrating from the dream to awake state and anything lost in the transition we would be unaware of anyways.

Sorry a tangent, just the way my brain works with material like this. Over all a great book, it is nice to know one is not alone in their interpretations of the universe and to gain a few little twists on perspective open some great doorways in thought.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book. I had a few itches scratched by reading this. He explained crazy hard stuff in an understandable way. My perception on space and time will never be the same. This book is enchanting despite being based on objective research. Beautiful.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Really made me think.