While he seems absolutely certain of his beliefs, he still questions his own identity. Spending up to 18 hours a day writing, speaking or meditating, Chopra is a relentless force. He told me he’s getting up at 2 or 2:30 to take a 3 o’clock cab to the airport. He went out to dinner with me once in New York, I took him home at 11 at night. ![]() “We debated in public and also in taxi cabs, in airplanes, in hotels,” Mlodinow said. “Would you like me to teach you some physics,” Mlodinow asked Chopra, “so you can use it better?”Ĭhopra accepted the offer, then wrote a 2011 book with Mlodinow, “The War of the Worldviews: Where Science and Spirituality Meet - And Do Not.” In print, the two men sparred over the nature of reality, time, the existence of God, the fate of humanity. With Stephen Hawking, Mlodinow wrote “The Grand Design,” a 2010 book that argued that the universe’s origins can be explained entirely by science, without any divine agency. This skeptical observer, Leonard Mlodinow, was a Cal Tech lecturer who holds a Ph.D in theoretical physics and views that run counter to Chopra’s mysticism. In his writings and speeches, Chopra often uses the term “quantum.” As in, “quantum physics,” “quantum mechanics,” “quantum healing.” During one such talk at the California Institute of Technology, a member of the audience objected. “I think that somewhere deep down - once you get past the obvious narcissism and self-centeredness, the seeming need for constant adulation - once you get past that, deep down he has a good heart,” Shermer said. ![]() Yet even this critic is not immune to the Chopra charm. “I’m not sure he knows what he is talking about, but it sure sounds good.” “People have no idea what he is talking about,” said Michael Shermer, a regular intellectual sparring partner. To the publisher of Skeptic magazine, this is mystical mumbo jumbo. Quantum physics, Chopra insists, will eventually “discover that we are part of the fabric of creation.” Instead, he sees a universe imbued with a purpose and embracing all humanity. Chopra argues that the current scientific establishment preaches “the superstition of materialism,” explaining the universe in purely material terms. That narrative is nothing less than a radical vision of reality. “I am still struggling to influence the collective narrative,” he said. Now 66, he’s rich, famous - and dissatisfied.Īt an age when many of his peers are winding down their careers, Chopra is picking up speed, trying to chase down his demons. He’s authored or co-authored more than 60 books, from biographies of Jesus, Buddha and Muhammad to cookbooks and “Golf for Enlightenment.” Time magazine dubbed him one of the “Heroes and Icons of the 20th Century.” His personal assets are estimated in excess of $80 million. His Facebook page has 1.2 million likes, double the number Pope Francis commands. His legion of fans include Oprah Winfrey and Lady Gaga. The heart of Chopra’s empire, the center sells his TV specials, online meditation and yoga courses, shampoos and herbal teas. Seminars he hosts at the Chopra Center’s La Costa headquarters draw thousands of people from around the world - at a recent session, paying customers came from New Zealand, Brazil and all across the U.S. Still, why bother? This guru could afford to ignore his critics and go about his business, which has never been more lucrative. “It’s probably a mixture of all of the above.” “I can’t decide if I am doing this out of vindictiveness, out of ego, or because I really honestly want to change the narrative and help other people,” he said during an interview. While Chopra notes that bickering distracts from his own quest for the spiritual heights, he’s unable to resist. It is a challenge not to be triggered into the reactive response.”įor more than a decade, this part-time La Jollan and full-time New Age celebrity has been locked in bitter feuds with skeptical scientists and writers. ![]() “What they say about me is that I am a charlatan,” he said during a recent Chopra Center “Seduction of the Spirit” seminar at Carlsbad’s Omni La Costa Resort & Spa. ![]() That’s a tough state to achieve, the guru noted, especially if you’re beset by critics. At the highest level of consciousness, Deepak Chopra told a packed auditorium, enlightened souls are at one with the universe.
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