Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine by Alan Lightman (PDF)

Description

From the bestselling author of Einstein’s Dreams—“an elegant and moving paean to our spiritual quest for meaning in an age of science” (The New York Times Book Review). As a physicist, Alan Lightman has always held a scientific view of the world. But one summer evening, while looking at the stars from a small boat at sea, Lightman was overcome by the overwhelming sensation that he was merging with something larger than himself—an eternal unity, something absolute and immaterial. The result is an inspired, lyrical meditation from the acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams that explores these seemingly contradictory impulses. Lightman draws on sources ranging from Saint Augustine’s conception of absolute truth to Einstein’s theory of relativity, and gives us a profound inquiry into the human desire for truth and meaning, and a journey along the different paths of religion and science that become part of that quest. This small but provocative book explores the tension between our yearning for certainty and permanence versus the modern scientific view that all things in the physical world are uncertain and impermanent.

User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Alan Lightman vs. God“It’s déjà vu all over again.” Yogi BerraIn 1946, anthropologist Loren Eiseley exposed the hypocrisy of scientists who dismissed the Biblical story of creation as mythical and unprovable and then proceeded to replace the poetic metaphor with The Big Bang Theory which is equally mythical and unprovable.Eiseley, who has been described as one of the great science/spirituality writers and along with many honors, was awarded the Pierre Lecomte du Noüy award to writers who described the overarching themes uniting science and religion.When he wrote; “The story of the Garden of Eden is a greater allegory than man have ever guessed,” he was aware that secular scientists were using their God-given gift of free will to devise theories and models that supposedly proved that God did not exist.Like Louis Agassiz, he was not convinced that Darwin had answers for any of the “big” questions in biology: The origin of the Universe; the origin of the first DNA molecule; the origin of the first cell; the Precambrian explosion; the origin and rapid dispersal of the angiosperms, the rapid increase of the human neocortex; the origin of human “values—consciousness—free-will;” the origin of non-genetically transferred “gifts” of music—art and logical/mathematical genius.70 years later, physicist Alan Lightman published, Searching the Stars on an Island in Maine. While the book may be a personal “tour de force” of his academic brilliance, as a self-described “humanist,” he confesses that science cannot prove or disprove the existence of God. To his credit, he questions his own credibility and that of other secular scientists who have eschewed Newton’s law of conservation of matter/energy. Collectively, they boldly proclaim that “The Big Bang Theory” is the Alpha and Omega solution to the Universe, without describing what the Universe was the nanosecond before “The Big Bang” or how a universe could exist before time was created. Lightman is not alone. There is a legend that on his deathbed, Einstein smiled and said, “But I still wonder how nothing can become something.”His book might have been inspired by a transcending experience; “looking up at the stars off the coast of Maine.” He also shared a goose bump-inducing account by clergyman William James: “I stood alone with Him who made me, and all the beauty of the world and love, and sorrow, and even temptation. I did not seek Him, but felt the perfect union of my spirit with His…”(Varieties of Religious Experience).He surely knows that neither of those accounts can be explained by Darwinism and the great Naturalists John Muir, R-W Emerson and Henry Thoreau describe events like those as essential components of being fully human, fully alive.Lightman touches briefly on human ego, but in the debate of science vs religion the issue is of paramount importance. It is unlikely that he is familiar with the acronym “e-g-o” (edging God out) that is frequently used by people of faith. One of the extreme examples of “e-g-o” can be found in Stephen Hawking’s book, The Grand Design. Hawkings has risen to a Greek-god-like status in academic circles and I suspect that his book has replaced the Holy Bible on the bookshelves of many secular scientists. He boasts that believing in God is obsolete because the universe is so complex that it made itself out of nothing. To many people of faith this represents the highest form of ego/narcissism by inferring that he is smarter than God.When I share his theory with others their responses range from shock, disbelief, derision and even laughter. One of my “cowboy” friends scoffed and asked, “Do intelligent people really believe that “b s”?”Lightman suggested that most cosmologists are atheists and I can envision a group of them on a starry night, shaking their fists upward and chanting, “There is no God!” and toasting each other with a glass of fine wine.It is intriguing that he does not entirely share Hawking’s unbelief, but seems to admire people of faith and the huge contributions they have made to civilization.In a hauntingly transparent passage he wrote; “But nonbelievers have a great deal of difficulty. It may be that quantum physics can produce a universe from nothing, without cause, but such an accidental and unanalyzable origin for EVERYTHING seems deeply unsatisfying, at least to this pilgrim (a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons). In the absence of God, we still want causes and reasons.”Therefore , from a spiritual perspective, Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine is a melancholic, if not tragic story. Lightman employed his vast, left-brain knowledge, and the scientific method, in an attempt to prove (or disprove) the existence of God. Like other intellectual/scientific giants, his thesis statement may have doomed his mission:“I respect the notions of God and other divine beings. However, I insist on one thing. I insist that any statements made by such beings and their prophets about the material world, including statements recorded in the sacred books, must be subject to the experimental testing of science.”Ergo, it appears that his left-brain/ego has compelled him to command: “Come on jump God jump! If you jump through my hoops I will believe in you.”He is not alone. For thousands of years countless millions of skeptics, like“doubting Thomas,” have demanded proof of God before they make the mystical leap of faith.One of his saddest confessions is; “I will admit that incoming stimuli are not forming patterns to my personal satisfaction.” Surely he must know that his humanist view puts him in diametric opposition to one of the world’s greatest scientific minds, Albert Einstein:“He who can no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead; his eyes are closed.”“The scientists’ religious feeling takes the form of a rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an intelligence of such superiority that, compared with it, all the systematic thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.”Whether knowingly or not his book may be a perfect example of what German theologian, philosopher and mystic, Meister Eckhart predicted circa 1300:“The answers to the greatest mysteries of the universe will not be solved by science.”Einstein, Eckhart and a countless number of enlightened scientists, saints, sages, poets, theologians and philosophers agree that to conclude that a man of Lightman’s brilliance (or any human being) appeared in an unfathomable universe without a blueprint, template or guiding force seems illogical, if not absurd.Finally, in a splendid irony, Lightman may have become an unwitting advocate of Genesis 1:27; “So God created man in his own image.”Lowell H. YoungAuthor: Biodesign Out For A Walk

⭐You never know what you are going to find at amazon when you look up one of your major interests. I was looking for a book on stars and this appeared. Since I’ve read other Alan Lightman books I was intrigued. I always enjoy the poetic way he writes and his deep philosophical and scientific considerations in this book are a bonus. I love science and reading about the universe and Lightman makes it fascinating as he is up to date on scientific research. His predictions for the future also made me think seriously about what is in store for humans in a short time relatively speaking.Upon beginning this book you are transported to a cave of damp earth and stone in France. Alan Lightman soon connects his experience with thoughts about the material world. It only gets better when he then describes what I would call a mystical experience. Alone with his thoughts, laying in a boat he gazes up at the stars which fill the vast expanse. Soon he is talking about relativism and dreamy philosophical musings. If you know Lightman’s writing you will recognize his signature poetic descriptions. This is sheer beauty to me as he has such a command of the English language and on top of it, sees things like a philosophical scientist.Why is there something rather than nothing?What caused the universe to come into being?Are their other universes?What is dark energy?What is consciousness?Alan Lightman is right to question how consciousness could be the result of electrical and chemical flows between neurons. I wish he has spent more time describing how the mind works as opposed to just the brain as I have read the mind can function apart from the body in a near-death experience. In some ways he questions materialist viewpoints. As he says: “The Now is not enough.” “We want to be part of the Infinite.” Who can not relate? As he says 74% of Americans believe in life after death. Still however Lightman is not convinced. He sees himself mostly as a biological machine. He even goes so far as to say there is no “I” although his self-image is quite intact.Some of this book is deeply scientific and there is a long discussion about the Law of Conservation of Energy. I feel Lightman makes science a fun and creative subject for the casual reader. You don’t have to be a scientist to enjoy this book although your imagination (eye of the soul) will function at a higher level if you’ve seen COSMOS or paid great attention in science class. Knowing what an atom looks like helps greatly in some of the explanations.This book while serious in places is also brilliantly poetic and at times lol humorous. Then there are some startling admissions like when Lightman says: “I wish I believed.” Maybe he will one day as he is so close to finding a spiritual reality. His love of nature could easily be a gateway into the Divine.My favorite line was: “The tart scent of raspberries blends with the salty sea air.” How I longed for the beach while I was reading this book. I’ve never been to Maine, but it seems idyllic.To me, this book is a search for ultimate meaning. Yes life is short but maybe eternity in heaven will make up for it. I think Lightman would enjoy reading The Case for God by Lee Strobel or Knowing God by Packer. They would be perfect books to encourage more of his intellectual introspection.I enjoyed this book completely and think you will love it. Lightman asks some of the most important questions about reality that have been asked by religious people and scientists alike. But I have to say that not everything needs to be tested. Some things should just BE. Now and then sometimes what is, simply is and we know it in our heart. We’ve never needed to prove love exists.~The Rebecca ReviewP.S. If you enjoy philosophy and science blended together you may also enjoy a book by Kat Lehmann called Stumbling Towards Happiness. It is poetic, philosophical and has science all blended together. A great achievement for any author!

⭐science and literature make this informative and worth rereading.I have found this fascinating.

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