A New World Series Reviews
“I have had the opportunity to read more of your truly fascinating book. You have done an incredible amount of work! Most impressive! It is also an excellent resource/reference source! Thank you so much for sending me your book.”R. Joseph, PhD neuroscientist and author of over 51 peer reviewed scientific papers and books including “Astrobiology, the Origin of Life, and the Death of Darwinism”, “Hitler’s Diaries, Starring Adolf Hitler: The Rise & Fall of Adolf Hitler”, “The Transmitter to God”, “Neurotheology: Brain, Science, Spirituality, Religious Experience”
Book Review of A New World – Book 1: The Science of Higher Dimensional Computation and Metaphysics by Jonathan R. Banks
5/5 stars A gem for the metaphysical seeker who understands the value of synthesizing science with spirituality.
It is one of the few books successfully integrating ideas of the transcendent and cosmic, with brain, mind, consciousness, society, technology, evolution, and spirituality – which Banks believes is essential to survive the confrontation with our collective shadow aspects at this turning point in civilization’s development. Banks fingers the “current materialist, reductionist scientific worldview” as creating most of the pressing problems we face now. The author’s premise is that TRUE scientific endeavour alone can finally heal the rift between atheism and spirituality – and he argues convincingly.
Section One: The scientific worldview provides an accurate dissection of the flaws inherent in the reductionist worldview and biased interpretation of reality which fuels the cold, mechanistic view of reality that constrains us today. Banks endorses the scientific field of complexity as being the way through to a new scientifically grounded holistic view of an interconnected world entity where all dynamical systems effect all other dynamical systems, thus building a bridge between the “spiritual” view and recent scientific advances.
Section Two: explains that the quantum vacuum is actually an infinite higher dimension, and that from this premise, the “strange” quantum phenomena naturally emerge. It’s a distinction that the hordes of the world’s physicists would do well to hear, and explains “why quantum theory [QT] has never been reconciled with relativity, as QT is a mathematical model of an infinite, higher dimensional world and relativity is a mathematical model of a finite, lower dimensional world and not theories of the big and small aspects of space-time.” Here Banks describes a scientific-spiritual worldview based on the integration of complexity and higher-dimensional physics with the “Perennial Wisdom.”
Section Three: describes a quantum computational model of metaphysics, based on set theory—wherein information is more fundamental than matter and energy. Another key distinction that emerges from these pages is that higher-dimensional computation is abstract and nothing like either classical computing OR quantum computing. Creation is both computational, which creates the structure and mechanism and non-computational, which is consciousness. This un-muddies the waters for us: non-computational consciousness is expresses through our brain-minds in a computational lower-dimensional way.
Section Four: applies Banks’ information model to life: the cosmos itself is alive and conscious, its “design template” existing eternally in higher dimensions. This exciting thesis accounts for the mechanism for intelligence and mind—something typically absent in metaphysical models. It is fascinating to learn that artificial life simulations and artificial intelligence (AI) lead to the logical conclusion that intelligent agents are “a natural outcome of higher dimensional computational dynamics…Therefore the cosmos must be teeming with an infinite amount of…hyperspatial intelligences (HIs).”
Reconnecting with the Gaian intelligence is suggested as a way of defusing the current technologically inspired crisis facing us. To survive, Banks details how science must mature, change from within, and ultimately operate from a “holistic complexity based integration of science and a mature higher dimensional physics.”
We need a “bottom-up dynamic described by complex adaptive and evolutionary systems,” and then a “top-down dynamic, described by the lifeforce…as our physical evolution now depends on our spiritual evolution.”
Banks does an excellent job in accurately detailing the “evils” of the Newtonian-Cartesian paradigm, while his synthesis of complexity and set theories with AI and artificial life provide an exciting upgrade to evolutionary theory that actually accords with quantum facts.
A huge step forward and vital contribution to the field (and my own continued research!).
Brendan Murphy
Author of The Grand Illusion
Cofounder of the Global Freedom Movement
5 out of 5 stars More than meets the eye, an excellent book.
This is a brilliant book. The author has managed to compile a phenomenal synthesis of a mass of research, ideas, and personal experiences and scientific views, into a consolidated perspective. Which is no mean feat – trust me. It is an in depth analysis of existing theories and work, combined and added with a range of new and insightful theories of his own. He seems to have the ability to see beyond the control and belief systems to ‘get it’. All of which match my own views and experiences of the system. I am pleased the author has made the effort, and I know how hard it is to articulate this stuff, and get it down. There are a few very minor areas I disagree with, or have slightly alternative objective views on or ways of describing, or analogies for. But these are only very minor ones. On the whole I would say that this is a correct perspective view and model, and integrated with highly astute assumptions, combined with necessary high level spiritual experiences. I would encourage the author to continue with his work, and I am very much looking forward to the second book.
Nick Sambrook
Author of the IT series:
Book I Pieces in the Dark and Book II Blue Angel Knight
Dave the Penguin
Exceptionally well written, organized and presented, “A New World: The Science of Higher Dimensional Computation and Metaphysics” is an inherently fascinating and consistently compelling study that is thoroughly ‘reader friendly’ in tone, content and commentary. Insightful, informative, iconoclastic, thoughtful and thought-provoking, “A New World” is unreservedly recommended for personal, community and academic library Metaphysical Studies collections.
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
“In principal Section Two of Book Two alone would be worth a PhD based on the quality of work.” Sohail Inayatullah PhD Professor of futures research with the IMC, UNESCO chair at University of Trier.
“A very informative and provocative book, filled with well thought out and thoroughly researched ideas.” Trevor Douglas PhD Nutritional Biochemist
“Jonathan’s fascinating model of an Ideas Generation Engine represents at least 6 legitimate AI research programs.” Professor Aditya Ghose University of Wollongong School of Computer Science and Software.
“I feel this book is a masterful overview of the cutting edge of Quantum information and how it interfaces with traditional mysticism/ metaphysics.” Ramon Sender
“So far I have read the first two sections of your book (to page 166). It must have been a tremendous effort to collate and evaluate all this material, tie it beautifully together and supersede it with your own theory. You did a good job of it, and in general terms I am in full agreement with your position. However, I have looked at it from a different perspective and came to a different understanding of the quantum world. Nevertheless, I believe that both of our theories complement each other.” Walter Last biochemist, nutritionist and ND, author of “The Natural Way to Heal”, “Heal Yourself” and “Healing Foods”
“In terms of content: The breadth and scope of Banks’ intellectual grasp is remarkable. People who have read Stephen Hawking’s ‘A Brief History of Time,’ and/or Michael Talbot’s ‘The Holographic Universe,’ or who are familiar with the concept of the Singularity will be on largely familiar territory.
The material speaks for itself to anyone who has a reasonable understanding of most of the subject areas that he treats, as reflecting broad and deep knowledge and thought, as well as being important to consider. For non-scientist readers, the book can be considered a report on some of the more interesting activities and ideas in scientific research and how they are likely to affect human life during most of our lifetimes.
Although Banks adds his own comments, theories and speculations freely, his quotations and citations of the work of prominent, respected, creative scientists are factual, relevant and well-organized around his themes. This is very interesting and relevant.” George Henry
“To me, this book came as a huge breath of fresh air. Jonathan Banks proposes a number of exciting, individual and original ideas. A journey down these paths is enormously rewarding. His arguments are cogently and lucidly disposed, he writes well and engagingly. A book like this immensely readable volume is a work of substance that examines its subject matter thoughtfully, is intellectually stimulating and opens rewarding avenues of thought.” Mark Sykes, Senior Editor
A New World Series
Book I: The Science of Higher Dimensional Computation and Metaphysics
Book II: The Neuroscience and Technology of Enlightenment
Book III: Science and Our Spiritual and Technological Transformation
Buy the Book
