My afternoon session at the 2014 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo today was amazing. Deepak Chopra spoke as part of the master Speaker Series. I have seen his specials on PBS and read some his books. He is a wise man - and funny.
I cannot present the information he gave us today as eloquently as he did, but here are some points from his presentation:
There are 2 big (hard) questions in science:
1. What is the stuff of the universe?
70% is dark energy
- 25% dark matter (not atoms); there is no way to interact with it, it bends space/time like gravity
- 5% atoms
- 99+% is invisible stellar dust
- .01% is knowable, visible universe
- sub-atomic particles disappear into waves when not being observed
So, we understand less than 1% of the universe we live in.
2. What is biological basis of consciousness?
It is impossible to model how thought is produced; after all, how can one see a 3-D world in space and time?
Nature of our Reality = SIFT: Sensations Images Feelings Thoughts
The Hard Problem
There is no explanation for how we understand anything. Start with consciousness, and the spiritual, mental, physical world...
- 90% of the body is bacteria - we are a few human cells hanging onto bacteria - WOW.
- Genes are controlled by consciousness; genes do not work on their own, but in networks. You are not your genes; we are much more than that.
- 64% of our genes are same as a banana
- 94% of our genes same as chimp
Deepak Chopra explored additionally fascinating concepts such as:
Ayurveda: the science of life
- meditation
- balance
- diet
- intellect
- senses
- detox
- massage
- yoga therapies
Self-Directed Biological Transformation
- The body is a process, not structure
- Our body is a verb, not a noun
- The body as energy and information
- We can change your relationship with time - in the present, in the moment
The session closed with Deepak Chopra leading the entire audience in 12 minutes of meditation.
After this session, I reflected back on all the Greenbuilds I have attended, since 2002 in Austin TX. This is my 13th in a row. There have been some amazing moments/speakers throughout those years - a few that immediately come to mind:
- David Suzuki
- Bob Berkebile
- Desmond Tutu
- Bill Clinton
- Van Jones
- E.O Wilson,
- Janine Benyus
- and now, Deepak Chopra
All of the above stand out to me as visionary thought leaders who inspire me to raise my game to the next level.
Who inspires you?
Michael Carlson