Thomas Steininger in dialogue with Rupert Sheldrake

Science doesn’t usually have much to say about spiritual practice. Most of the time, anything “spiritual” is considered by science to be mere superstition. The British biochemist Rupert Sheldrake is widely known for pushing the boundaries of science while using rigorous scientific methods. He has earned few friends in the science academy but has been seen as a careful prophet by many outside. He developed the controversial theory of morphic resonance, to explain how patterns establish themselves in nature and human society, and his book, The Science Delusion, which tries to demonstrate scientifically how scientific materialism itself has becomemore a dogmatic ideology than an open form of rational inquiry.In his latest book, Science and Spiritual Practice, he wants to find out what science can tell us about seven widespread forms of spiritual practice known in many religious traditions: meditation, gratitude, connecting with nature, relating to plants, rituals, singing and chanting, and pilgrimage and holy places. Sheldrake claims that the scientific results are very clear: spiritual practice works. It changes lives of people in a remarkable way even if one does not subscribe to any particular religious belief system. This week in Radio evolve, Thomas Steininger speaks with Rupert Sheldrake about what science can tell us about spiritual practice.