In an event billed as an intersection between the West and the East on the subject of spirituality, Deepak Chopra, the well-known physician and spiritual author, and Harvey G. Cox, who is Thomas Professor of Divinity, contemplated God last night at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The debate centered around Chopra's recently released book, How to Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries, one of 25 written by Chopra.

Chopra argued that people must learn to "step into the unknown" in order to live full lives and prepare themselves for death.

He employed the term "spontaneous right action" to argue that the right response often comes naturally in unforeseen circumstances, and that such responses cannot be planned.

He recounted two instances when he was faced with death and how he chose to deal with them.

When Chopra first moved to the United States twenty years ago with his wife and newborn baby, he said an intruder carrying a baseball bat tried to enter his home in Jamaica Plain.

Chopra said his ensuing scream caused the intruder to drop the bat, allowing Chopra to pick it up and knock the intruder unconscious. He said he later found out that the intruder had been wanted for manslaughter.

His second near-death experience occurred more recently when three teenagers held him up at gunpoint, Chopra said.