Living Consciousness: The Metaphysical Vision of Henri Bergson (Transpersonal Humanist Psychol) | Dr. William Barnard

This work delves into the philosophy of Henri Bergson, examining his influential theories about consciousness and how it relates to the material world. The book received the 2012 Godbey Authors' Award from the Godbey Lecture Series at Southern Methodist University's Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences.

Living Consciousness investigates the profound yet often overlooked contributions of French philosopher Henri Bergson (1859–1941). Through a thorough and approachable examination of Bergson's philosophy, G. William Barnard demonstrates how Bergson's insights about consciousness—particularly how it connects to the physical realm—continue to offer valuable perspectives for modern disciplines including quantum physics, process philosophy, philosophy of mind, depth psychology, transpersonal studies, and religious scholarship.

Bergson conceived of consciousness as a continuously flowing, fundamentally temporal aspect of reality itself. This understanding presents a compelling counterpoint to mechanistic and reductionist approaches to consciousness and existence. Barnard weaves throughout his analysis various "ruminations"—neo-Bergsonian explorations of crucial questions including: How can we live with authentic awareness and connection to our deeper selves? Can we make a philosophically rigorous argument that consciousness might not only survive bodily death but is likely to do so?