2nd July 2016 – Colet House

Speakers
Alan Wallace – a scholar and practitioner of Buddhism since 1970 – has taught Buddhist theory and meditation worldwide since 1976. Having devoted fourteen years to training as a Tibetan Buddhist monk, ordained by H. H. the Dalai Lama, he went on to earn an undergraduate degree in physics and the philosophy of science at Amherst College and a doctorate in religious studies at Stanford. With his unique background, Alan Wallace brings deep experience and applied skills to the challenge of integrating traditional Indo-Tibetan Buddhism with the modern world. Alan Wallace therefore provides an unique bridge – a luminous space – for the discussion of the nature of consciousness and of reality where the ancient tradition and knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist theory and practice are brought into dialogue with the traditions and practices of contemporary science, so that each can enrich the understanding of the other.

Bernard Carr is Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy at Queen Mary, University of London. He studied for his PhD under Stephen Hawking at Cambridge. His professional area of research is cosmology and astrophysics and includes such topics as the early universe, black holes, dark matter and the anthropic principle. His recent books include “Universe or Multiverse?” and “Quantum Black Holes”. He is also very interested in the role of consciousness, regarding this as a fundamental rather than incidental feature of the Universe. He is developing a new psycho-physical paradigm, linking matter and mind, which accommodates normal, paranormal and mystical experiences. He also has a long-standing interest in the relationship between science and religion, particularly in the similarities between Buddhist and modern cosmology. He is former Chairman of the Scientific and Medical Network and a former President of the Society for Psychical Research.