Our Spiritual Crisis

Many of the social, cultural, and even economic problems now faced by American society are direct results of excessive emphasis on material consumption, which in turn reflects spiritual poverty. Michael Nagler argues that these ills spring from a false way of looking at the world, based on the premise that material things are fundamental, consciousness merely derivative. He advocates a return to the ancient and Eastern-spiritual view that consciousness is fundamental.Instead of the prevailing paradigm, that the universe is matter-energy-consciousness (M-E-C), Dr. Nagler advances a conception of the universe, in line with the wisdom tradition of spiritual enlightenment, as consciousness-energy-matter (C-E-M). Consciousness is the basic stuff of the universe; matter and energy are ephemeral forms or appearances.In developing this conception and applying it to our social problems, Dr. Nagler explains how we can best oppose war, consumerism, commercialism, scientism, and the spiritual hollowness of modern life.