“How is it that something as unconscious as the matter of the brain ever gives rise to something as immaterial as an experience?” muses Peter Russell in From Science to God, a beautiful program exploring science, spirit, and the mystery of consciousness.

Peter starts with the “hard problem” of consciousness—why do we have an inner world of experience? Diving into his eye, and into his mind, we enter a surreal world in which we discover that all we ever know directly are the forms and images arising in the mind. But, he asks, where does consciousness itself come from? Has conventional science got it wrong?

Preview (3 mins):

According to Russell, who studied mathematics and theoretical physics before he delved into experimental psychology, science is locked into the view that consciousness itself is somehow created by the human brain. He believes that we need to question that basic assumption and consider instead that awareness is present to some degree in all living things.

The difference with humans is that we are aware that we aware. But what is it that is aware? In bustling downtown Los Angeles, Peter explores the perennial question of “Who am I?” He looks at how we seek fame and fashion, power and position, in our search for inner fulfillment. But in the final analysis, peace of mind is to be found within our selves rather than in what we have or do.

Returning home, he shows how to become more present, more in the Now. As he sinks into meditation, the viewer journeys with him through the world's various spiritual traditions, discovering their common core—the liberation of consciousness.

In the closing, he observes that Western science has proved very successful in explaining the world and advancing technology, but has not provided us with meaning or values. He calls for integration of scientific understanding with the wisdom of spiritual traditions. “The next great frontier is not outer space,” Russell concludes, “it’s inner space.”

Shot in high-quality digital, this production utilizes animation and innovative post-production to create an exciting experience that takes the viewer to the heart of the emerging new paradigm on human consciousness.