Soul; A Still Small Voice

Two new video releases look at human spirituality in the age of the machine, and try to define the mystical experience. Soul, the better of the pair, is an ambitious 3-part series, produced by the BBC, hosted by Anthony Clare, and featuring such renowned thinkers as Stephen Hawking, Paul Davies, Steven Weinberg, Oliver Sacks, and Danah Zohar. The series begins by asking: "is the price of knowledge a spiritual void?" Many would say that it is. The opening volume, "Soul of the Universe," looks at the "Big Bang" theory and asks whether it is reconcilable with the idea of God. Theoretical physicists and theologians both agree on the "miraculous" aspects of bountiful nature, whether arising from incredible chance or the guiding hand of a supreme being. While dealing with--at present--fundamentally unanswerable questions, "Soul of the Universe" does a very good job of outlining the relevant questions. The second volume, "The Evolving Soul," is even better, examining the failures of reductionism (all is explainable and ultimately knowable) to account for the new realities of quantum physics. Newton's clockwork universe is no longer adequate (unless we're talking about a very strange clock) for explaining the nature of very large or small bodies (the microscopic world where whizzing particles behave very oddly). There are also some interesting speculations on the reversibility of time (which, if true, would eventually offer some intriguing life extension possibilities). The final volume, "Silicon Soul," examines the relationship between the mind and the computer, asking whether there really is a ghost in the machine (or even if there's a machine to begin with; there is some excellent discussion--for a welcome change--on how the mind is not like a computer). The trilogy ends, unfortunately, on a bad note with the ideas of Frank Tipler, who tries to wed spiritual concerns with math and science; but this particular deus ex machina doesn't fly. On this segment, my academic notes say: "wacko resurrection stuff." There is one other problem: basically, despite the title, this series has very little to do with the "soul," per se. There is no attempt at definition, no mention of the numerous attempts to quantify the soul, no speculation on what happens to the soul upon death. Ordinarily this would count as a major fault; however, the series is so consistently thought-provoking; so enthusiastically willing to grapple with the central mysteries of the universe, nature, and the mind; and so visually engaging that it's still a wonderful series despite its flaws.A Still Small Voice, on the other hand, is a big disappointment. Hosted by Bill Kurtis, this confusing program (subtitled "Mysticism & the Search for Religious Understanding"), opens with interviews of three people who had so-called mystical experiences. Even given the admittedly non-concrete nature of the subject, it's still difficult to understand exactly what these people are talking about (Valerie Andrews, who was caught in a storm at sea, lashed herself to the mast in a crucifix position, survived the ordeal, and found...something; we're not quite sure what). Next we are told that, according to a Gallup poll, 4 out of 10 people in America have had a "spiritual experience." What constitutes a "spiritual experience" is not defined. After talking about the benefits of meditation, the program veers off to something called "nature mysticism." As the camera strolls down a sidewalk filled with barkers standing in front of strip joints, we're told that those seeking mystical experiences who are not spiritually oriented, may find themselves caught up in sexual perversion and drug addiction (Rimbaud is trotted out as the example. Example of what?). The program goes on to examine the links between mystical experience and the Nazi movement, and offers a very tenuous mystical interpretation of primitive cave drawings. While there is occasionally an interesting premise put forth, the program on a whole is likely to promote more head-scratching than serious pondering.Soul is highly recommended. A Still Small Voice is not recommended. (Available from most distributors.)