In his book Peace Is the Way Deepak Chopra explains how a global shift in consciousness will bring an end to war. The title for Deepak Chopra’s latest book was inspired by a quote from Mahatma Gandhi: “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.” Interview by Lisa Schneider

You write that we are on the verge of a global shift in consciousness that will lead the world toward peace.

One indicator you cite is that one third to one half of Americans accept some form of New Age values. What are New Age values?

New Age values are conscious evolution, a non-sectarian society, a non-military culture, global sharing, healing the environment, sustainable economies, self-determination, social justice, economic empowerment of the poor, love, compassion in action, going beyond religious fundamentalism, going beyond nationalism-extreme nationalism, culture.

The first thing you mentioned, conscious evolution-what is that?

Well, evolution is a process in the universe that is ongoing; otherwise, our children wouldn’t be smarter than us, which they are-and there wouldn’t be any progress in the world. So the universe is constantly moving in the direction of higher evolutionary impulses, creativity, abstraction, and meaning. Conscious evolution is the ability of human beings to consciously participate in that process; we are a species that is conscious of our consciousness. We can actually accelerate the process through meditation, through the ability to find stillness through loving actions and sharing, through understanding the nature of the creative process and having a sense of connection to it. So that’s conscious evolution. — Beliefnet.com