Cohen, A. (2011). Evolutionary Enlightenment. New York, NY: SelectBooks, Inc.
Andrew Cohen’s Evolutionary Enlightenment is a poetic and beautifully written dedication to the spiritual and evolutionary potential contained within our often-troubled human race. Cohen reflects upon our creation and the fourteen billion years of evolution that has resulted in life, as we know it today. Cohen takes time to deeply consider how our evolution has been molded and perhaps impeded by our cultural, religious and psycho-spiritual tendencies.Cohen discusses the function of many traditional religious practices, both eastern and western, as reflective and an escapism from the here and now. He reminds the reader that we posses the power to create our future in the present moment, through our thought and actions.
The book addresses humanity’s dualistic over-identification with personal thoughts and emotions and our failure to notice our inner experience or the non-dualistic cosmic web that connects us to one another. This has lead to epidemic levels of narcissism, existential anxiety and meaninglessness across our planet and the formation of an Ego as the ‘enemy within’ (Cohen, 2011, P. 118).
Cohen poses questions that cause the reader to reflect on the quality of our relationship to self, others and the planet. Perhaps leading to a realization of how lost we have become to our authentic self and the notion that the universe and spirit is not something out there but is, in fact, within us.
Our over-identification with Ego has resulted in a spiritual and social disconnection that threatens our moral fabric and is a block to our evolutionary enlightenment. Cohen suggests humanity’s future depends on the expansion of our consciousness and an intention to self-actualize by adopting his five recommended tenants for living; Clarity of Intention, The Power of Volition, Face Everything and Avoid Nothing, The Process Perspective and Cosmic Conscience.