Reviews for Integrating Spirituality and Exercise Physiology: Toward a New Understanding of Health

The average rating for Integrating Spirituality and Exercise Physiology: Toward a New Understanding of Health based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2013-06-11 00:00:00 Mary Schneider I read this to try and get some good arguments in favor of the theory of reincarnation. I was disappointed. Al the arguments herein contained are either obviously illogical, or rest on extreme and unforgivable misunderstandings of science. That said, it is, I suppose a good overview of the Vedantic theory of reincarnation, however flawed and illogical that theory is. Generally, these arguments are either identical to, or as logically flawed as creationist arguments. For example: * Scientists cannot explain why genetic mutations occur. Therefore, they must be the result of karma. (wrong, because they could be the result of radiation, imperfections in the DNA copying mechanism, or unknown causes) * "Suppose a man as five children; one is honest and saintly, another is an idiot, the third becomes a murderer, the fourth is a genius or prodigy, and the fifth is a cripple and diseased. Who made these dissimilarities? They cannot be accidents. There is not such thing as an accident. There is no such thing as an accident. Every event of the universe is bound by the law of cause an effect. There must be some cause of these inequalities." (wrong, because while not actually random, such variations could be the result of the pseudo-random variables of the genetic lottery and environmental factors) * "Suppose a man, twenty-four years old, who has certain traits, like music or artistic talents, such as painting and so on, has a crooked nose and other peculiarities, like cross-eyes, which resemble those of his grandfather. Suppose his grandfather died six years before he was born. Now, those who believe in the theory of heredity will say that this young man inherited all these peculiarities from his grandfather. When did he inherit? His grandfather died six years before he was born. He inherited, of course, in the form of that germ. What is that germ like? A minute protoplasm, a jelly like substance, and if you examine it with a powerful microscope you will hardly find any difference between it and the proto plasmic germ of a dog or of a cat or of a tree. It is smaller than a pin's head. And in that state this young man inherited all of those peculiarities from his grandfather... Does it not seem absurd to you? (firstly, this is a strawman. Similarities between child and grandfather don't necessarily indicate inheritance from him. Environment, or recessive genes from the other side of the family could be the cause. Secondly, it shows a gross ignorance of biology and genetics, especially in regards to how much information is contained in DNA) * [Love, truth, self sacrifice, altruism, forgiveness, faith, devotion] cannot be explained as developed from animal nature by means of the struggle for material existence. For these qualities are not to be found in lower animals, although the struggle for existence is there. The moral and spiritual nature of human beings cannot be traced as the outgrowth or gradual development of the animal nature. (Exposes a complete misunderstanding of evolution as a "war of all against all" where cooperation and in-group-altruism are not rewarded. The guy needed to read some Dawkins and Kropotkin. Many of these qualities do seem to be found in "lower" animals.) *Numerous times he posits evolution as partially correct, but incomplete. Part of what he thinks evolution "got right" is the idea of progress. That life is progressing from single celled life to fishy things to quadrapeds to bipeds, to humans, the most "perfect" beings. "According to Vedanta, the end and aim of Evolution is the attainment of perfection. Physical evolution of animal life reached its perfection in the human form. There cannot be any other form higher than human on this earth under present conditions. It is the perfection of the animal form. From this we can infer that the tendency of the law of Evolution is to reach perfection... Do we see in nature any other higher form evolved out of the human body? No. Shall we not be justified if we say that the end of physical evolution is the attainment of the perfection of animal form?" This is again, a gross misunderstanding of evolution for reasons which should be obvious to anyone with a high school level of scientific literacy. Mankind is no more "perfectly" evolved than the cockroach or the octopus or any other animal which is well suited to its environment. Nor is mankind the "end" or goal of evolution. Indeed, the idea that evolution has a goal is absurd. ------ Then there is also the nasty social consequences of a belief in karma and reincarnation which come to light *Those who accept the truth of Reincarnation do not blame their parents for their poor talents, or for not possessing extraordinary powers, but they remain content with their own lot, knowing that they have made themselves as they are today by their own thoughts and deeds in their previous incarnations...They explain all the inequalities and diversities of life and character by the law of "Karma" which governs the process of Reincarnation... (reincarnation and karma teach people to accept their social role, and any misfortunes or tyrannies which come their way. They deserve them. This leads to, at best, happy slaves) I mean, if you dont know much about Vedanta this will tell you some basics about how they think karma and reincarnation works. What their conception of "sin" is (aka, they dont think sin exists except as a manifestation of ignorance. Sort of Aristotelian in a way. Nobody knowingly does wrong. ) But I was hoping for something I could sink my teeth into. Something convincing. This was very very very unconvincing.

Review # 2 was written on 2019-09-26 00:00:00 Paul Mann Swami Abedhananda discusses in a very logical and convincing way about the relevance of the theory of re-incarnation which complements the theory of evolution. He showed various theories of Egyptian, Greek, Jewish and Persian views about the creation of man and his after life. His vast knowledge about other philosophical and religious concepts gives a clear comparison between those views and Vedantic views of Sanatana Dharma. He did a superb analysis of various views and justified the relevance of re-incarnation in a lucid and beautiful manner.