In 1998, Harvard biologist E. O. Wilson published "Consilience: The Unity of Knowledge", suggesting that different avenues of evidence could link together to create a common groundwork of explanation in the search for human wisdom. He proposed that science could join hands with the humanities and religion in this task. In subsequent years, Wilson has walked back this claim by asserting that religions are “dragging us down” and should be “eliminated.” This discussion will examine precursors to the idea of consilience, how the idea has penetrated contemporary culture, and how eminent scientists have supported the interpenetration of science, religion, and spirituality. We will see how the profession of medicine has been periodically reshaped in profound ways through the consilience of several factors, including the evidence for the fundamental, causal nature of consciousness. We will examine consilience interruptus-the obstruction to a deeper process of consilience in medical science: the materialistic dogma that the brain produces, confines, and limits the manifestations of consciousness. Actual clinical cases will illustrate these issues.
