A Critical Analysis of Deepak Chopra’s View on the Connection ‎between “Brain Responses” and “Existential Evolution” ‎

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy and Kalam, Faculty of Islamic Studies, Ahl al -Bayt ‎International University, Tehran, Iran‎

Abstract

Chopra’s idea about “existential evolution” is linked to “brain responses” because he considers brain functions to be the source of individual thoughts and actions. Therefore, the article’s question is: to what extent do Chopra’s views on the relationship between “existential evolution” and “brain responses” possess soundness and validity? The research findings, conducted via library methods and an analytical-critical approach, indicate that Chopra’s idea—derived from the triad of “God as Infinite Intelligence,” “Brain Responses,” and “Spiritual Practices”—lacks sufficient validity. This is because there is a deep methodological gap between his claims and his evidence, suggesting that the core idea appears as a pseudo-scientific reading. On one hand, subjectivity, as the foundation of Chopra’s view on spirituality, especially the issue of existential evolution, leads to various challenges such as relativity, pluralism, and the dissolution of criteria. On the other hand, reducing
self-consciousness to body-consciousness leads to an incomplete understanding of existential evolution, as it necessitates ignoring many spiritual-psychological capacities. Furthermore, relying on empirical findings and a physicalist method while simultaneously attempting to justify meaning, metaphysics, and particularly concepts like God and the soul, constitutes two divergent approaches that ultimately result in a kind of internal contradiction in Chopra’s thought.

Keywords

References

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Islam and Researches about Spirituality
Volume 4, Issue 1 - Serial Number 7
December 2025
Pages 122-146

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History

  • Receive Date: 28 February 2025
  • Revise Date: 23 August 2025
  • Accept Date: 29 November 2025

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