Chopra, Deepak

Deepak Chopra (1946-) is an Indian-American author and alternative medicine advocate who has written extensively on spirituality and consciousness. Originally trained as an endocrinologist, Chopra transitioned to integrative medicine and spiritual writing in the 1980s. His approach to the God question combines elements of Vedantic philosophy, quantum physics metaphors, and New Age spirituality. In "How to Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries" (2000), Chopra presents a seven-stage model of spiritual development, arguing that human consciousness can evolve toward direct experience of the divine. His work popularizes Eastern spiritual concepts for Western audiences, though it has been criticized by scholars for misrepresenting quantum mechanics and lacking philosophical rigor. Despite controversy in academic circles, Chopra's writings have significantly influenced popular spiritual discourse about consciousness, healing, and the nature of ultimate reality.