Author ready to address ‘the future of well-being’
Deepak Chopra’s latest book is, even by his standards, particularly deep. The nationally known doctor — a proponent of mind/body healing and a New York Times bestselling author of 85-plus titles — will speak Saturday at Mershon Auditorium in the Wexner Center for the Arts.
In previous books, Chopra tackled subjects such as reversing aging, overcoming addictions and seeking spiritual solutions.
His newest book, released in February and co-written with physicist and cosmologist Menas Kafatos, is “You Are the Universe: Discovering Your Cosmic Self and Why It Matters.”
The promotional materials say the book asks questions such as “Where did time come from?” “What is the universe made of?” and “Does the brain create the mind?”
Yet during a phone interview recently from his home in New York City, the 70-year-old Chopra seemed more interested in talking about how technology will shape the future of health care and personal transformation.
Some excerpts from that conversation:
The obvious question is: Why are we the universe?
Because the universe is experienced in our consciousness, through our human nervous system. If we had a different nervous system, our experience would be very different. Think of how an insect with 100 eyes views the universe.
So there is no such thing as one picture of the universe; it’s just our way of looking at it, and that is programmed culturally and through our religion.
What can people expect from your presentation Saturday?
It will be on the future of well- being and the role of technology in that. In the very near future, we can look forward to using technology to monitor and regulate our behaviors so we can actually learn what’s happening in our body.
I’m going to show how, through technology — and not just with FitBit and sleep monitors — we can get feedback on what’s going on in our brain and our heart.
Using this, people can learn in one session or two sessions what it used to take years of training for a yogi. People can learn how to influence the nervous system and regulate heart rate and lower blood pressure.
Do you find that people are getting more comfortable with science and spirituality co- existing?
Not that much, but I see that as my job. I have been studying experiments in augmented reality, and I’m hoping that, in five years when you go see a doctor, they will be less likely to give you a prescription than give you a virtual- reality program.
Things like phobias or eating disorders, I think, will be treatable through virtual reality — also inflammation. Anything related to stress, virtual reality can give them a different experience and help them find their true self.
Have there been times you have struggled to take your own advice on mind/body healing?
I used to, but right now I’m in a very good place. I do my meditation, take a yoga class seven days a week and get plenty of sleep. I also make sure I get my 10,000 steps ( daily) — in fact, I’m doing that right now.
I don’t take a cab, I don’t Uber. I’ll take the subway, but I’ll usually stop a couple of stations before my stop and walk the rest of the way.