Informationism

Yeah, he's an interesting dude. A little dry for my tastes, but he's based right here in Tucson and I saw him give a talk at the UofA last year. Really smart guy.

I have just finished another book that agrees with many of the concepts in the Informationism hypothesis: ANATOMY OF THE SOUL : Mind, God, and the Afterlife, by neuroscientist Stephen Goldberg, M.D. A key component of his thesis is that "the entire universe may be made of information". One chapter is entitled : Consciousness = Information = Meaning. His definition of the Soul as the "Self Circuits" [self-referencing feedback loops] in the brain is very similar to mine. He also defines God as the "Consciousness of the Universe". Even his cautious speculation about the prospects for an afterlife sounds like my own non-committal position. Goldberg doesn't mention Deism, but his rational Cosmic Consciousness worldview sounds compatible with the philosophy of Panendeism.

It was gratifying to find someone who has followed some of the same scientific evidence to a similar philosophical conclusion. But I was especially pleased to see that the book was recommended by Michael Shermer, editor of SKEPTIC Magazine. He has long been a hero of mine for his erudition and for his open-mindedness. Shermer is probably not a Deist, but he is also not an Anti-Theist. The author even had the audacity to include an Afterlife debate between Shermer (agnostic) and Deepak Chopra (pro) as an appendix.