The Atma Paradigm workshop at the London College of Vedic Studies
⁃ by London College of Vedic Studies
The London College of Vedic Studies (www.facebook.com/londoncvs) was honoured to have HG Akhandadhi dasa (from the Science & Philosophy Initiative) recently deliver an interactive workshop entitled ‘The Atma Paradigm’. The College serves as the educational department of ISKCON-London, offering a wide range of educational, spiritual and practical courses, seminars and workshops aimed at developing character, personal fulfilment and spiritual progression.
This one-day workshop intended to ‘link science with consciousness’ and was well attended by regular devotees and newcomers not just from London but different parts of the country. A prime objective of the workshop was to unite the faculties in addressing the fundamental questions of:
⁃ What are the processes of perception, cognition and experience?
⁃ Who or what is doing the observation?
⁃ What is the self and the source of consciousness?
⁃ What is being observed?
⁃ What is matter and the nature of reality?
⁃ Is consciousness different from biological matter, and if so, then how does it interact with matter?
Some of the topics that were discussed in depth, to help explore the nature of consciousness in science and life, are:
⁃ How reality is shaped by consciousness
⁃ What guides the unfolding of the universe
⁃ What lies beyond the universe
⁃ How science fits into spiritual reality
⁃ What this all means for you
Science and philosophy have common goals: to explore and uncover answers to the big questions of existence and to apply that knowledge for the benefit of the entire humanity. It turns out that the seemingly simple question, ‘who am I’, has plagued not only philosophers since time immemorial, but in more recent times it has seen neuroscientists scratching their heads also. In this workshop we went on a journey through matter, life and the universe, all the while putting the most important piece – ‘consciousness’ – into its rightful place in the puzzle of existence; right at the very beginning!
Generally, it may appear that consciousness is restricted to only the subject of neuroscience. This presentation quite satisfactorily changed that view by integrating science, philosophy & consciousness and illustrating that consciousness permeates all fields of science. After the session all the attendees were utterly impressed, inspired and ready to connect with their true nature in ways that they probably would not have considered before.