Robert Ornstein

“What is needed, now, is a new view, to reassess and reform the concept of God. It is the experience of going beyond the norm to achieve insight as to how life events are connected on a “higher” level. We now have an idea of how the process happens in the brain and, importantly, how to develop this innate potential in today’s world. This knowledge could be the first small step toward finding the common ground for us to stand on to work toward a new spiritual literacy.” — Robert Ornstein Award-winning psychologist Robert Ornstein authored more than 20 books on the brain, mind and consciousness, including the classic study The Psychology of Consciousness, and The Evolution of Consciousness and Multimind. His ground-breaking research and writing on the specialization of the brain’s left and right hemispheres, and on the multiple nature of our mind and its untapped potential for solving contemporary problems, has advanced our understanding of who we are, how we got here and how we might evolve to the benefit of ourselves and our planet. His works include a serious reconsideration of ancient religious and spiritual traditions in the light of advances in brain science and psychology, exploring the potential and relevance of these findings to contemporary needs and to our shared future. Ornstein taught at the University of California Medical Center and Stanford University, and lectured at more than 200 colleges and universities in the U.S. and abroad. His books have sold over six million copies, been used in 20,000 university classes worldwide, and been translated into dozens of languages. Among his many honors are the UNESCO award for Best Contribution to Psychology and the American Psychological Foundation Media Award “for increasing the public understanding of psychology.” He was founder and president of the Institute for the Study of Human Knowledge (ISHK), an educational nonprofit dedicated to bringing important discoveries concerning human nature to the general public. ________________ ENDORSEMENT STATEMENTS FOR 'GOD 4.0' “A fitting final chapter in the canon of an innovative psychologist. [Ornstein] updates his past thesis with later findings in the fields of psychology and neuroscience and further develops his self-described “radical conclusion” that what humanity has “experienced as ‘God’ is a development and extension of consciousness.” … This book carefully balances readability and scientific complexity in its quest to find explanations for the near ubiquity of spirituality in humanity’s history, and the author displays a firm command of information regarding world religion, secular history, and cutting-edge science and psychological theory.” — Kirkus Reviews “God 4.0: On the Nature of Higher Consciousness and the Experience Called God is recommended for psychology and spirituality collections alike, and considers the intersection between the two as it probes different notions of ‘God’ and higher consciousness.” — D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review “In a world of increasing tribalism, Robert Ornstein’s God 4.0 contains a crucial message of unity: that the perceptive potential for a pure, unadulterated, transcendent awareness resides in each and every one of us. This book explains why this is true, and more importantly, how to begin to access it. The survival of our species may very well depend on our collective ability to tap into and experience what Ornstein writes.” — Brad Stulberg, bestselling author of The Practice of Groundedness “The book God 4.0 opened my mind – and my heart – to new possibilities.“ — BJ Fogg, PhD, Behavior scientist at Stanford University; author of the New York Times bestseller ‘Tiny Habits’ “I had the great pleasure of interviewing the late Robert Ornstein in the 1990s about his books, ‘New World New Mind’ and ‘The Evolution of Consciousness.’ There is no question that he was among the core group of thinkers at the forefront of what we now think of as the “consciousness movement” of that era. He had the rare gift of combining rigorous scientific methodology with the whimsy and humor of a Sufi storyteller. This, his final book, takes the exploration to a new level – to the very boundary where human consciousness touches the divine.” — Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD., Host, New Thinking Allowed “Since the publication of The Psychology of Consciousness in 1972, Dr. Ornstein has continued to explore the boundaries of what we call God. In God 4.0 he has combined the latest research from a number of domains to create a new spiritual literacy that offers an understanding of the transcendent nature of consciousness and by doing so allows us to truly see God. Humbling, profound and, ultimately, transformative.” — James R. Doty, M.D., Founder/Director, Stanford University Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education, Senior Editor, Oxford Handbook of Compassion Science and NYT bestseller ‘Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon’s Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart’ “I can think of no one else who has provided such remarkable insight into the psychology of consciousness. At this juncture in human evolution it is imperative for us to take note of his insights and embrace new thinking if we want Homo sapiens to have a long future.” — Donald Johanson, Founding Director, Institute of Human Origins “GOD 4.0 is Robert Ornstein’s final gift to his millions of global fans. In this magnificent exploration of ancient versions of religious beliefs combined with his original views of transcendental consciousness, Ornstein leaves us with a legacy of unmatched wisdom.” — Phil Zimbardo, The Stanford Prison Project “In a compelling blend of solid psychological science and surprisingly universal religious practice, God 4.0 reveals rarified insights into a uniquely human form of consciousness. It is mind blowing, indeed.” — Robert Cialdini, author of Influence and Pre-Suasion “This book is the culmination of, the capstone to, Robert Ornstein’s brilliant, ground-breaking half century of research into the dimensions, capacities, and purposes of human consciousness. As a final part of his legacy, he lays out how this capacity to reach beyond the everyday can, cleared of cobwebs and seen afresh, play a role and be part of preparing humanity to confront today’s staggering global problems. A rewarding and fascinating book.” — Tony Hiss, author of Rescuing the Planet: Protecting Half the Land to Heal the Earth “Staggering in scope and breadth, God 4.0 is the culmination of Ornstein’s work on the psychology of consciousness. Connecting the latest research from archeology, religious history, psychology and brain science, the authors extend a timely invitation to explore a latent, intuitive faculty we all share – one that can moves us beyond belief, faith, and doctrine to a wider perception of who we are and who we could become.” — David S. Sobel, MD, MPH, Stanford University School of Medicine “God 4.0 can make you rethink what God, religion, consciousness, and the human experience of them are. What if God were not a disembodied spirit? What if God were an altered state of consciousness? … Our experience of God is seen as an inborn network of the human brain, a second system of cognition and connection which can be accessed and help us today. This landmark book shines new light on things we thought we understood.” — Charles Swencionis, Associate Professor of Psychology, Yeshiva University “God 4.0 is a visionary fusion of true spirituality and neuroscience. Both authors forcefully argue for “consciousness evolution” which is a shift away from self-centeredness that releases enhanced perceptual capabilities. This shift can profoundly influence epigenetic expression, health, and perhaps even influence the epigenetic inheritance of future generations.“ — Kenneth R. Pelletier, PhD, MD, Clinical Professor of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, Author of Change Your Genes, Change Your Life “God 4.0 is a stunning tour de force of erudition, deftly summarizing forty thousand years of the human search for spiritual transcendence – via the painted caves of the Ice Age shamans, the Neolithic megaliths and Mesopotamian ziggurats, and the soaring Medieval cathedrals and mosques. The second half of the book turns inward to describe the structures and processes of the human brain that foster transcendence, and the factors that interfere with it. Robert and Sally Ornstein make an ideal team for this collaboration, Sally a painter and publisher of children’s books, and Robert a psychologist and neuroscientist. The result is a brilliant guided expedition through reams of archeological and neurological research, with the authors highlighting in easily understood language the important discoveries and developments in our perennial quest for meaning and purpose.” — Lisa Alther, novelist and author of four New York Times best sellers “I can think of no one else who has provided such remarkable insight into the psychology of consciousness. At this juncture in human evolution it is imperative for us to take note of his insights and embrace new thinking if we want Homo sapiens to have a long future.” — Donald Johanson, Founding Director, Institute of Human Origins