Peter Russell – Forgiving Humanity: The Curse of Exponential Change. 13 November 2024
A graduate in mathematics and theoretical physics at Cambridge University, UK, Peter became interested in experimental psychology and travelled to India to study meditation and Eastern philosophy.
On his return to the UK, he obtained the first ever research post in meditation. As a writer, Peter predicted the emergence of the internet and its influence in The Global Brain, originally published in 1983 and a number of books devoted to the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and its potential danger to our lives and to our planet if not managed carefully. His latest book and the topic of his webinar is Forgiving Humanity: How the Most Innovative Species Became the Most Dangerous (Elf Rock Productions, 2023).
In his webinar with the SMN he reviews the development and potential downfall of the human race in the face of the fourth industrial revolution – the intelligence age – dominated by the development of digital communication. In his talk he introduces the concept of exponential change in the world in which issues increase by what he describes as an order of magnitude – a larger measure of change moving ten times faster year by year increasing stress and recognition of our failure to adapt to change, leading to the eventual destruction of our planet and of ourselves.
Computer inventions such as ChatGPT and Artificial Intelligence are beginning to change the way we think and live, and we are ignoring the dangers to our planet caused by climate change, potentially leading to the fall of our civilisation.
What we need, Peter explains, is self-awareness and the consciousness of being conscious beings. We need to learn about ourselves and the awareness of our being. Above all, he says we have to improve our quality of leadership, committed to what David Nicoll describes as subtle activism – the value of inner consciousness work as well as outer activism. He encourages us to do whatever we can in our sphere of influence.
Report written by Barry Tomalin
