Science does not fully explain enlightenment – it makes it stranger

We created this video in partnership with Unlikely Collaborators.

We often ask how to reach enlightenment, as if it’s a destination. A better question may be: how do we practice enlightened behavior in everyday life? And once we begin, how does our reality evolve?

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What if enlightenment is not a permanent state, but a habit we regularly return to? Andrew Newberg, MD, Robert Waldinger, MD, and Jim Al-Khalili, PhD, explore how moments of awe, unity, and insight can alter the brain and reshape our sense of reality. From neuroscience to Zen practice to the limits of scientific knowledge, they argue that enlightenment may be less about arriving somewhere and more about how we act once we feel connected.

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