
Discovering a Life’s Purpose
By Marsha Sims
Have you ever asked yourself what your life’s purpose truly is? For many years, I pondered that question—especially because I’ve always had a multidisciplinary background and a passion for living fully across different realms: science, music, and spirituality. It was only recently, after appearing on David Lorimer’s podcast Imaginal Inspirations, that I arrived at a clear and deeply satisfying realization: my purpose is to bridge spirituality, science, and music.
One of the most pivotal phases in shaping this path was my decade (1991–2001) as Executive Editor of the Journal of Scientific Exploration (JSE), while my husband, Bernard Haisch, served as Editor-in-Chief. This time immersed us in the writings of the leading minds in frontier science and consciousness research: Peter Sturrock, Russell Targ, Hal Puthoff, Dean Radin, Ian Stevenson, Bruce Greyson, Brenda Dunne and Bob Jahn, Rupert Sheldrake, and Jacques Vallée, among many others. These extraordinary thinkers deepened my curiosity and laid the foundation for what became a lifelong journey of intellectual and spiritual integration.
The JSE and the Society for Scientific Exploration provided a welcoming, open-minded environment for these bold conversations. My own orientation was forever shaped by the quote Bernie crafted during his tenure, which continues to guide our work today: “Advances are made by answering questions. Discoveries are made by questioning answers.”
As a husband-and-wife team for 38 years, Bernie and I have dedicated ourselves to this integrative exploration. Bernie, a PhD astrophysicist, authored The God Theory, The Purpose-Guided Universe, and Proof of God (with Ptolemy Tompkins). Together, we also composed over a hundred original songs and performed in community operettas. I hold a Master of Music, teach piano and voice, and continue to perform opera in the San Francisco Bay Area. Music, for me, is a sacred language that speaks to the soul and links us to something transcendent.
When Bernie’s Parkinson’s disease made it difficult for him to continue writing, I stepped in as co-author for what would become our final collaborative work, The Miracle of Our Universe: A New View of Consciousness, God, Science and Reality (2023). Bernie had gathered extensive notes over time, and I helped shape them into a coherent manuscript—while adding new ideas of my own. It was a profound act of love and shared vision.
In the book, we propose that our universe is a kind of virtual simulation, “thought into existence” by a universal Consciousness—what many would call God. Everything we perceive as physical is, in fact, consciousness in action. Through free will and interaction, this divine consciousness experiences and evolves itself.
Might there be a God and a heaven of some sort?
Are near-death experiences real?
What is the zero-point field?
Is there an afterlife—and what might it be like?
These are the questions we explore in our work and in conversations that continue to resonate through public dialogues. I’ve now appeared on 27 podcasts, including my inspiring interview with David Lorimer, who asked deeply reflective questions that helped crystallize my personal journey. That dialogue gave me space to articulate my deepest spiritual experiences—including a near-death experience, an awakening of the heart, and transcendent moments of group consciousness while singing and teaching music.
I invite you to listen to the conversation on Imaginal Inspirations and to explore our book and website:

A Parallel Path of Purpose
By David Lorimer
It was a pleasure to host Marsha on Imaginal Inspirations. Her reflections reminded me of a complementary journey I’ve walked for decades, one also centered on meaning, awakening, and purpose.
For over ten years, I led a major educational initiative for youth, originally called Learning for Life and later Inspiring Purpose, reaching over 375,000 young people in the UK and beyond. The goal was to foster reflection on personal values and life purpose. This passion also informed my 2021 book, A Quest for Wisdom: Inspiring Purpose on the Path of Life—a collection of 25 essays on consciousness, ethics, and spiritual development.
My own life pivoted early. After graduating in languages and philosophy from St. Andrews and working in the City of London as a merchant banker, I pressed the “eject” button and devoted myself to education and inner inquiry. A year of reading and reflection led me to Cambridge and then to eight years of teaching, largely at Winchester College.
Since 1986, I’ve worked with the Scientific and Medical Network (SMN), where I serve as Program Director and Editor of Paradigm Explorer. The Network was founded in 1973 by visionary thinkers—many of whom had mystical experiences that convinced them of dimensions beyond materialism. Our mission remains clear: to affirm the spiritual essence of humanity as compatible with enlightened science. https://scientificandmedical.net
Our key initiative related to the science of consciousness is the "Galileo Commission," which I am Co-Chair with Prof Marjorie Woollacott – see https://galileocommission.org, where you can also sign up as a professional affiliate, joining over 600 fellow scientists and academics who are committed to:
“Expanding Minds, Connecting Hearts.”
Our goal, like that of the SSE and JSE, is to provide a platform for voices that stretch our understanding of life, death, and everything in between. In times of fragmentation and materialist dogma, we need these bridges—between spirit and science, tradition and innovation, intellect and heart.
Closing Reflection
As our lives unfold across different domains—whether through editorial work, music, teaching, or global dialogue—what we discover is this: the journey of purpose is also the journey of consciousness. To question answers is to keep that journey alive. We invite JSE readers to continue asking the deeper questions, and to trust that the search itself is part of the answer.