New Brain, New World: How the Evolution of a New Human Brain Can Transform Consciousness and Create a New World [Paperback]

Despite his impeccable academic credentials, having worked as a researcher and professor in both the US and his native Denmark, Erik Hoffmann comes more across as a spiritual seeker. Far removed from the paradigm of 'reductionist materialism' that dominates in the academic field.

In fact the book argues convicingly against this paradigm, instead basing his research and his theories on the assumption that consciousness is something far bigger than the human brain and definitely not an epiphenomenon of biological/physical processes. And separating between the individual human consciousness and what he calls the 'eternal Consciousness'.

The findings in his books is based on his experimental work measuring (EEG) brain processes in people engaged in meditation, primal therapy (in the mid 90s he worked together with Arthur Janov for 2 years), yoga and also ayahuasca sessions.

In a time when it has become en vogue in some (pseudo)spiritual cicles to denounce all kinds of sadhana wether it's meditation and therapy it's interesting that Hoffmann presents some hardcore facts for the benefits of these activities. In fact he proposes that different kinds of sadhana are all important if humanity shall reach a higher level of consciousness. And this is really the main point of this small but condensed book: that only by reaching what he calls 'a new brain' can humanity survive it's current crisis and go beyond the Ego which have created the problems in the first place. By it's unreflected greed and destructive behavior.

It's unusual to find a scientific book where mystics like Osho and Eckhart Tolle are quoted with approval and taken as authorities. An approach and an intellectual openess which definitely makes this beautiful and profound book a valuable tool for spiritual seekers interested in the biological processes involved with different kinds of self-exploration. And for everyone interested in creating a better future on the planet. In many ways a pendant to the beautiful books by Albert Hofmann Hofmann's Elixir: LSD and the New Eleusis Insight Outlook

This basic premise of this splendid book is that our consciousness is not a product of our mind, but something our mind connects with that was and is always there. His argument is that the ego, which is very much a product of our mind, interferes with this connectivity, drawing us ever further into ourselves via greed and defence, rather than outwardly to embrace the world.

A key theme underlying his arguments is the common imbalance in the relationship between the left-side rational, thinking hemisphere and the right-side creative, touchy-feely hemisphere. In particular, how the bundle of fibres between them - the Corpus Callosum -enables or disables the inter-hemisphere communication. This appears to have a huge impact on our lifestyles and our health.

He claims that the principle problem for man is this imbalance, hence his advocation for a new brain. We spend too much time in the left hemisphere, where the ego resides, leaving the mind unbalanced. He relates this hemisphere balance to that of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, where many of us also have imbalances. He feels that we will evolve to move away from this left-hemisphere dominance to embrace the right hemisphere more fully - a New Brain leading to a much better `New world'. But I tend to disagree with his opinion that we should evolve to a right-hemisphere dominance. Surely the best position would be a balance between the hemispheres? He offers his view in idealised, utopian terms, but his direction is correct - it is far better than the earth destroying direction our egos are currently taking us.

Some of the concepts in the book will probably initially appear to be offbeat and new-world in feel. But they start making sense in the context of the understanding of consciousness he explores via bio-feedback, meditation and mind-altering substances. Hoffmann explains that such alien mind-states give a fuller understanding of the human mind much as disease-altered body-states give a better understanding of the human body. Such concepts can be hard hard to grasp because it is hard to think about how we perceive the world, and that most of that perception is beyond measurement.

Hoffmann has 40 years neurological experience, but it is more that he also embraces Eastern philosophies, meditation and biofeedback effects on the mind that is able to paint a broad picture of consciousness. It certainly compelled me to look further into the last of these three areas.

He presents his theories in a generally grounded and humble fashion, and from my limited understanding, mostly plausibly so. He discusses Kundalini energy, a subject new to me, theorising that this awakened energy force is not always easy to handle, and is accompanied by some negative symptoms, and this may even be what is affecting those who suffer with psychoses. This makes eminent sense to me, and is really exciting, even if beyond the realms of the easily measurable. In support of this idea, psychotic episodes are often seen as periods of spiritual enlightenment in some of the so-called undeveloped nations. It makes you wonder if we are wise to label nations in this manner, or to label psychotics as ill.

The prose is simple and to the point, and engagingly so. The explanations are some of the clearest and illuminating I have seen. It does get a little incoherent at times, such as when results of brain scans during altered states of consciousness are discussed, but these distractions are probably sufficiently infrequent not to disconcert or derail most readers. The book is far from perfect but warrants five stars for the insights that it does offer.

I finish with a quote chosen from the dozens I highlighted in the book :

"... it sometimes seems that ... it [the left hemisphere] plays its intellectual games without much reference to the older evolutionary brain systems - it seems to rule as if it had no body. It is in fact more isolated from the deep brain structures than the right hemisphere, which is much more integrated with the limbic system, and hence the feelings, and the rest of the body."

great ideas, informative read. well worth it for anyone who likes reading this sort of thing. If you only want to read one book about the mind and transforming consciousness i recommend 'the power of now', more practical than theory. but buy this book too!!