This discussion group will explore the effects of spiritual practices through Rupert Sheldrake’s book entitled Science and Spiritual Practices. The effects of spiritual practices are now being investigated scientifically as never before, and many studies have shown that religious and spiritual practices generally make people happier and healthier. In this book, Sheldrake illustrates how science helps validate seven practices that underpin all major world religions:
◊ Meditation
◊ Gratitude
◊ Connecting with nature
◊ Relating to plants
◊ Rituals
◊ Singing and chanting
◊ Pilgrimage and holy places.
Sheldrake summarizes the latest scientific research on what happens when we take part in these practices and suggests ways that readers can explore these fields for themselves. Science and Spiritual Practices illuminates the evolutionary origins of various spiritual traditions and gives a new appreciation of their power. It also shows how the core practices of spirituality are accessible to all, without the need to subscribe to a particular religious belief system.
