Ravi S. Iyer: Spiritual

Last updated on October 18th 2013 I did a Google search on religion in elite US universities and came up with this interesting March 2011 article by E.H. Ecklund, Associate Professor of Sociology, Rice university: Religious Scientists: Faith in the American University, http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elaine-howard-ecklund-phd/what-is-keeping-universit_b_839161.html . She (perhaps with some other colleagues) did a survey of "nearly 1,700 scientists at elite American universities". Interesting points from it that tell the sorry state of affairs (from my religion-lover perspective): Many academic scientists told the author of the article that "religion has no place in the modern academy." [Based on response from "scientifically selected sample of 275" scientists at elite American universities.] The author writes that social scientists are more likely to favour religion being part of their discipline. Even though many academic scientists are religious ...

Last updated on October 13th, 2013 At the outset, I beg the reader's pardon for using strong words like science fanaticism and anti-religion fanaticism but I think they accurately describe the tone and words used in an article in The Hindu, "Let’s aim for a post-theistic society", http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/lets-aim-for-a-posttheistic-society/article5154603.ece . [I am a software technologist who has very high degree of respect for mainstream science & technology. I am also a lover of various religions of the world that do not approve of hatred and aggression, except in self-defense. I believe, I have a good balance in my strong and enthusiastic interests in both software technology and religion.] I managed to get a couple of comments of mine shown on the above web page. The first comment referenced an earlier comment by a Nikhil which said that the article was a science vs. religion one and gave some pro-religion points of view. It is the second ...

Last updated on October 9th, 2013 Publisher: White Crow Books (July 16, 2013), http://whitecrowbooks.com/books/page/modern_miraclesthe_story_of_sathya_sai_baba_a_modern_day_prophet/ Amazon.com link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/190873325X Disclosure: I am deeply grateful to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba for the love he showered on me which includes vital direct as well as indirect spiritual guidance. This review mainly focuses on the painstaking and thorough investigations by Prof. Erlendur Haraldsson into the paranormal phenomena associated with Sri Sathya Sai Baba and conclusions drawn from these investigations, as documented in this book. The review does not touch upon some other matters covered by the book and completely excludes Chapter 32, The Western Critics, of the book. [Cautionary Note: Chapter 32, The Western Critics, has unproven and malicious allegations regarding Sri Sathya Sai Baba. A Western TV media documentary/programme is referenced by Haraldsson in this chapte...

I thought a little reading of how some top scientists in India, let alone other parts of the world, viewed (and still view, I am quite sure) our dear Lord, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba Garu, and Bhagawan's holy miracles/paranormal acts, will show how vital Prof. Haraldsson's new book on Swami is, in setting the record straight about Bhagawan's miraculous powers. [To know more about Prof. Haraldsson's new book you may visit this post, " Notes on Prof. Haraldsson's, Modern Miracles, July 2013, book on Sathya Sai Baba",   https://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2013/08/notes-on-prof-haraldssons-modern.html .] Here is the article published in The Hindu over two years ago after Bhagawan's Mahasamadhi, by Pushpa M. Bhargava, former Vice-Chairman, National Knowledge Commission, former member, National Security Advisory Board and former founder and Director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, "The phenomenon of Satya Sai Baba", http://ww...

I think, as a "skeptical scientist" is expected to be skeptical about everything, the answer is, typically, No. As I understand it, spiritual miracles like materialization, healing and visions need intense faith in a person/deity/formless Divinity (God) for the miracles to happen, usually. But the "skeptical scientist" is expected to be skeptical about everything! That, IMHO, would not allow him/her, usually, to develop intense faith in God. So the "skeptical scientist" will, usually, not experience spiritual miracles/Divine Grace. The wiki page on scientific skepticism,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Scientific_skepticism , states, 'Scientific skepticism ( also spelled scepticism) is the practice of questioning whether claims are supported by empirical research and have reproducibility, as part of a methodological norm pursuing "the extension of certified knowledge".' It credits Carl Sagan,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Carl_S...

Last updated on 6th November 2013 As I am reading Prof. Haraldsson's new/updated book on Swami I am making Notes of it. I have received permission, over email, from Prof. Haraldsson and the publisher, White Crow Books, to put up these Notes/Summary on this blog. [ Additional Info : The post, "Review of Modern Miracles: The Story of Sathya Sai Baba: A Modern Day Prophet by Erlendur Haraldsson Ph. D.",  http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-of-modern-miracles-story-of.html , has my review of this book. The post, 'Prof. Haraldsson's book, "Modern Miracles: The Story of Sathya Sai Baba: A Modern Day Prophet", Released',  http://ravisiyer.blogspot.com/2013/08/prof-haraldssons-book-modern-miracles.html , covers the back page, preface and foreword of the book (available in Amazon preview of the book). I have also compared the book to Arthur Osborne's book on Shirdi Sai Baba. end- Additional-Info ] Before I get into the notes, I w...