At a time when religious and cultural differences frequently dominate public discourse, psychiatrist Dr. Ed Siegel is asking readers to consider what the world’s major faith traditions may have in common.
In his new book, A Spiritual Journey: To Know the Creator Despite Limitations of the Brain, Siegel explores the idea that enduring religions share fundamental questions and structures, even when their doctrines and practices differ.
A California psychiatrist with more than 50 years of clinical experience, Siegel draws on psychiatry, neuroscience, philosophy and spirituality to examine humanity’s long-standing search for answers about existence and the divine.
Among the questions explored in the book are how the universe was created, whether humans can understand a Creator’s plan, what people are expected to do during their lives and what happens to the self after death.
Siegel said his interest in finding common ground developed during a 40-day journey through Morocco and Spain. While traveling, he began thinking about whether he could develop an idea capable of bringing different religious traditions into conversation rather than emphasizing their divisions.
On the 37th day of the trip, while sitting in Spain’s Plaza Mayor in Salamanca, Siegel said he wrote an 81-word statement that became what he calls his “laconic synthesis.” That statement ultimately formed the foundation of A Spiritual Journey.
The book examines religious experience through the lens of the human brain, exploring how limitations in cognition may affect humanity’s ability to understand spiritual questions.
“It is about time that we come to grips with the fact that there is no one religion for all,” Siegel said.
His travels also influenced his perspective. Siegel said that during visits to cathedrals, churches, temples, synagogues, mosques and shrines around the world, he observed similar expressions of peace and connection among worshippers despite their different religious traditions.
The book features contributions from co-authors representing six major faith traditions. Contributors include entertainer and inspirational speaker Ben Vereen, Hindu Kathak dancer Purnima Jha, former Yale professor and researcher Jose Manuel Delgado, M.D., Ph.D., and former Benin Parliament President Kolawole Idji.
The Dalai Lama contributes the book’s epilogue, bringing the exploration to an optimistic conclusion centered on recognizing similarities among religious traditions.
For Siegel, the project reflects a lifelong interest in the relationship between the human brain and spiritual experience. His professional career has also included lecturing, playing piano and public education.
A Spiritual Journey: To Know the Creator Despite Limitations of the Brain is available under ISBN-13 979-8285567172.