Joseph Chilton PearceThe Biology of Transcendence: A Blueprint of the Human Spirit

Reviewed by Elliot A. Ryan and Charles O. BubarMany books have one or a handful of fundamental concepts. This book has dozens, woven together in a powerful fabric to provide intelligent clothing for a new paradigm of transcendence. A major argument of this book is that transcendence, the ability to go beyond limitation and restraint, is our biological birthright, built into us genetically, and blocked by enculturation. It is an inspired and heretical work as all great truths are heretical in the context of the culture that encounters them.Depending on your cultural and religious background, it will be either joyful or somewhat disturbing to read. Nevertheless, for those who deeply understand its profound implications, The Biology of Transcendence can be a blueprint for a new paradigm in child development.In this powerful work, Pearce draws on research from a wide range of the physical, social, biological, and medical sciences. His bibliography contains over 100 sources from Frederick Leboyer on birth and bonding to Paul MacLean on the brain, Jean Piaget on development, John and Beatrice Lacey on the heart, the Holy Bible on religion, David Bohm and Rupert Sheldrake on science, and Rudolph Steiner on spirituality.Joseph Chilton Pearce reveals the biological and neurological underpinnings that help us discover the underlying principles of our own deepest nature.This is a book which can be productively read numerous times, each time grasping more of the interrelationships among the fundamental concepts and understanding their implications for our own lives and those of our children.This book deserves to be a best seller, yet even as the Bible is a best seller, the Bible is often not read by those who own it - or if read, may be fundamentally misunderstood. In the same way that the Bible is a profound affirmation of spiritual possibility and an indictment of "the world", The Biology of Transcendence is an affirmation of our transcendent birthright and an indictment of cultures which oppose this birthright.An important goal of culture is to inhibit destructive impulses and behaviors. Unfortunately, culture can result in a failure in nurturing and a consequent failure in the brain development of the child's prefrontal cortex - the brain system which, when developed and integrated, internally inhibits the same destructive impulses and behaviors in children and adults which culture has failed to externally control.Pearce offers evidence of the growing failure in nurturing of children in the United States and the increase in destructive impulses and behavior. By the end of the 20th Century, 6000 American children and teens were being killed annually by their peers. Further, suicide has become the third highest cause of death by youth between ages 5 and 17, with suicide attempts in this age group occurring on the average every 78 seconds.Pearce shares many of the transcendent experiences of his own life of 83 years, which provided his powerful personal motivation to understand the true nature and source of these experiences and the framework of child development principles which can open this potential to our children.In explanation of "unconflicted behavior" he describes two such instances from his own life that occurred due to his discovery in his early 20s of how "to bypass my body's most ancient instincts of self-preservation, which resulted in a temporary absence of all fear and subsequent abandonment of all caution. This enabled me, at particular times, to accomplish things that would have been considered impossible under the ordinary conditions of the world," (1) such as sleep and operate a check-proofing machine at the same time plus take customary coffee breaks and (2) climb a sheer cliff straight up from the ocean with an overhang at the top. His implicit trust in the force of unconflicted behavior operated the check-proofing machine and propelled his body up through an avalanche of dust and debris. Unconflicted behavior allows no space for doubt.Pearce sees these fundamental concepts as part of the process of building lifeboats to ferry humankind out of a growing chaos and into a new realm of transcendent possibility. These concepts provide affirmation of the innate intelligence of mothers who possess strength and self-confidence, who are deeply spiritual in a personal sense, who exhibit freedom, and who exude inner security, confidence, and the intelligence of the heart. For fathers, their most important role is to provide mothers with a safe space, free from fear during pregnancy, childbirth, and their son's or daughter's early childhood years, so that the child's safe space is never in question. After the first three years, the father provides the model for bridging between the nest and the world.

The book came EXACTLY as described! I definitely recommend this company!

In his latest book, Pearce argues that we are all biologically programmed to transcend physical reality and experience other, more subtle realms of existence. Our brains and bodies are continually evolving to allow us to have contact with more of the inner and outer universe. We have a choice to raise children with either repressive patterns and limiting belief systems or with evolutionary, expansive ideas. Unfortunately, our society usually chooses the former which creates "conflicted behavior" and all sorts of negative experiences in our lives.Pearce examines how the human brain has evolved, how indigenous societies raise their children and create an open approach to life in general. He introduces a lot of new research into the workings of the heart that shows it is much more than a pump. The heart has its own intelligence that is capable of integrating with and balancing that of the brain. However, due to an overly narrow interpretation of Christianity and also a fear of nature, our society suppresses the intelligence of the heart and all the wisdom it is trying to give us. As a result, we are emotionally and spiritually impoverished and cut off from nature.Overall, this is another positive, forward-looking book from Pierce with a lot of stimulating ideas. His personal stories are a little hard to follow at times, but overall his message is solidly delivered. He encourages us to connect with the flow of our life energy in order to live more naturally and harmoniously.(Dr. Simeon Hein is the author of Opening Minds: A Journey of Extraordinary Encounters, Crop Circles, and Resonance, and the forthcoming Planetary Intelligence: 101 Easy Steps to Energy, Well-Being, and Natural Insight.)

On page 137, Pearce writes, "Keeping their natural world out of reach of children seems to be our national passion. In fact, greater numbers of children are brought up in the artificial world of cement, asphalt, plastics, and the virtual reality of television, while fewer each year experience a world of nature and the unfolding of organic life."Then, in the Epilogue, on page 259 we read, "We have ignored for half a century or more the studies that show some 95 perecent of all a child's learning or "structures of knowledge" form automatically in direct response to interactions with the environment, while only about 5 percent form as a result of our verbal teaching or intellectual instruction."Pearce further tells us how there are certain international organizations with members who intentionally raise their children in "living" environments. These children are said to possess unusual intelligence and sometimes clairvoyant-like abilities. One example on page 250 sites a mother who diliberately gave birth to her son in the ocean of the Bahamas,..."about as far from a hospital you can get."As the author of "The Holy Order of Water", I firmly believe that Pearce is doing his best to spiritually guide us toward fostering a new generation of children to help save humanity. With the way things are today, I think this concept has much merit.

Great combination of science - spirit and love. New insights for me into why humans are so violent yet long for transcendence and to find their real selves and how it is a matter of evolution that we will eventually get there - probably not in this century though. Excellent read.

Excellent

This author is so beyond his time, with his observations on human behaviour, that it is truly mind blowing! His writings are so valuable and his knowledge is so mind-expanding! A stellar book!

So good to read a book that crosses the field of spirituality, biology, east & western faiths & childhood development. Also good to read someone who draws heavily on others work (& references it) as well as candidly describing personal experiences. A book for both the heart & head as no doubt it was intended 😄

The book was in excellent condition!