Why Humanity Cannot Survive the Materialist Paradigm

"At the end of chapter 15 of The Nature of Consciousness, you write that humanity cannot survive the materialist paradigm. Why is it so difficult for our culture to see that materialism doesn’t explain reality? Rupert says: ‘I mean something very specific. The belief that we are temporary, finite, separate selves is the inevitable consequence of the materialist paradigm. And the inevitable consequence of the belief in separation is sorrow on the inside and conflict on the outside. That’s what I mean when I say humanity can’t survive. Why is it so difficult? The evidence of sense perception is so persuasive. The senses used to tell us the earth was flat. We still derive our model of reality from perception. The experience of seeing suggests I am located here behind my eyes, and you are out there, separate from me. Our culture is founded on that idea. We don’t realise how deeply conditioned our minds have become. It’s like wearing tinted contact lenses for so long you no longer realise you’re seeing through a tinted lens. We think the senses are a clear window – but we see things as the mind represents them, not as they are.’"

From event 27 February - 01 March, 2026 The Nature of Consciousness – Online Weekend Retreat at Home 27 February–1 March 2026

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