Spirituality and religious experience Books

Book SynopsisSacred Knowledge is the first well-documented, sophisticated account of the effect of psychedelics on biological processes, human consciousness, and revelatory religious experiences. Richards argues that, if used responsibly and legally, psychedelics have incredible potential to assuage human suffering and contribute to the quality of life.Trade ReviewSacred Knowledge is not only timely and relevant to a whole host of current social/legal issues but also addresses, with seemingly effortless ease, many of the deeper/subtler metaphysical implications of psychedelics—their therapeutic and spiritual potential. Richards's clear prose makes articulating such difficult topics look easy. -- G. William Barnard, Southern Methodist UniversityRichards' Sacred Knowledge is not a tome but rather a concise work rich with personal stories, observations, and insights into a compelling topic long ignored and now garnering the attention it has long deserved. -- Charles S. Grob, University of California, Los Angeles, School of MedicineA seminal work that will become required reading for anyone seriously interested in either religious experience or psychedelic research. There has not been a book in this area as valuable since William James's The Varieties of Religious Experience, more than a century ago. -- James Fadiman, author of The Psychedelic Explorer's Guide: Safe, Therapeutic, and Sacred JourneysIn this wonderfully sensitive, critical, and confessional history one of the foremost clinicians and scholars of presents his own experience with psychedelics and with guiding others in studies to occasion mystical experiences using entheogens. Neither addictive nor toxic, these drugs whatever called surely can under the right set and setting reveal the God within us all. This book is the best accessible overview by someone who knows by experience, and can guide others whether they choose to be involved with entheogens personally or seek to simply to understand others who do. Regardless of choice, this loving man should be your guide. -- Ralph W. Hood Jr. , University of TennesseeAn inspiring testament to half a century of scientific research and personal exploration into the responsible, beneficial use of psychedelic substances. William A. Richards's work is visionary, personal, and transpersonal, instilled with kindness, deep humanity, and quiet wisdom. -- Don Lattin, author of The Harvard Psychedelic ClubThis is a great book which I highly recommend. It is an immersive experience, which provides an opportunity for those unfamiliar with nonordinary states of consciousness to catch a glimpse of their beauty and power. William A. Richards seamlessly weaves together his extensive understanding of spirituality on the one hand and academic and clinical science on the other – a rare combination. His humour, insights, and empathy shine through on every page. The topic is timely and a manifestation of the fact that the intellectual battle regarding the potential of nonordinary states of consciousness (as, in this case, facilitated by psychedelics) has been won. -- Amanda Feilding, director, Beckley FoundationSacred Knowledge provides the most comprehensive overview of the actual use of psychedelics in psychotherapy and of the transformative power of mystical experiences. -- Torsten Passie, Hannover Medical SchoolThis is a wonderful book and couldn't have been launched at a more auspicious time. As William A. Richards has portrayed so beautifully, psychedelics provide an experience of total sanity and give a glimpse of a deeper, more heart-centred, and universal spiritual reality. In my opinion everyone should read this book, not just researchers, theologians, and philosophers but also the ordinary person in society. As society becomes more and more degraded, the planet more and more polluted, and the natural world destroyed, the truth of what the great mystic Krishnamurthy said, 'It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society,' will become ever more apparent. Increasingly I find more and more people are asking at a deeper level 'why am I here? 'What is this life about? What is it all for'? The sane answer to many of these questions is to be found in this book. -- Ivor Browne, University College DublinA practitioner and professor, Richards writes as a guide into the depths of psychedelic spirituality in an attempt to bring entheogens—substances that 'generate the divine within'—back into the mainstream. * Publishers Weekly *Richards is a generous and gregarious writer, who avoids platitudes for a mix of hard evidence, anecdotal stories, and memoir-like ruminations... Timely. * Baltimore City Paper *A valuable work and a real treat to read.... Few people could have written Sacred Knowledge and even fewer people could have done it so eloquently. * OPEN Foundation *In Sacred Knowledge, Richards . . . distills his years of thinking about psychedelics’ psychotherapeutic and spiritual uses into a book that is readable for educated general readers, intellectually firm enough for scholars, and flavored by his personal experiences. -- Tom Roberts, ErowidPart memoir, part manifesto, Sacred Knowledge charts the birth, death, and resurrection of psychedelic research. . . . The conclusion to be drawn from this book is that it’s time—in a safe setting and with careful guidance—that we started taking our miracles in tablet form. -- Charles Gilmour * Independent *Table of ContentsForeword, by G. William BarnardPreface: One Discovery of TranscendenceAcknowledgmentsIntroductionNote to the ReaderPart I. Setting the Stage1. The Death and Rebirth of Psychedelic Research2. Orientation, Definitions, and the Limits of Language3. Revelation and DoubtPart II. Mystical and Visionary Forms of Consciousness4. Intuitive Knowledge5. Approaches to Unitive Consciousness6. New Perspectives on Time and Space7. Visions and ArchetypesPart III. Personal and Interpersonal Dynamics8. The Interpersonal and the Mystical9. Experiences of Meaninglessness, Despair, and Somatic Discomfort10. Religious Conversion and Psychodynamic Experiences11. Discipline and Integration12. Reflections on DeathPart IV. Present and Future Applications of Entheogens13. Psychedelic Frontiers in Medicine14. Psychedelic Frontiers in Education15. Psychedelic Frontiers in Religion16. Maximizing the Probability of Safety and BenefitPart V. Onward17. Fears of Awakening18. Entering Into a New Paradigm19. Movement Into the FutureEpilogue: A Concise Report of Insights from the Frontier Where Science and Spirituality Are MeetingSelected BibliographyA Hopkins Playlist for Psilocybin Studies (2008 Version)Name IndexSubject Index

Read more less

Book SynopsisBeing delivered and set free from sin and bondage doesn't mean that the enemy now considers you off limits. Focusing on key Bible strategies, John Ramirez teaches you how to shore up your defenses after winning a battle and how to put your life back in order so that when the next attack comes, you are stronger, wiser and more knowledgeable than ever.

Read more less

Book SynopsisNames and celebrates aspects of the Dominican tradition that are at the very core of its spirituality. One of the things which has characterized the Dominican spirit from the beginning is a sense of openness to the world. This book presents the Dominican vision of life.Trade ReviewWhile most of us wouldn't associate Dominic's Order with the love of learning or with mystical experience, Dominican spirituality has, in fact, been congenial to the work of the likes of St. Thomas Aquinas, Meister Eckhart, and Mechthild of Magdeburg. Murray's charming book urges readers to make use of Dominican spirituality by drinking the experience of the world while remaining rooted in God's word. * Library Journal *Through his rich knowledge of Dominic, Thomas, Catherine of Siena and modern-day Dominicans, Murray draws his readers through compelling narrative and poignant use of anecdote into exploring a tradition that has produced some of the sharpest minds and some of the most passionate preachers of Christian History.' -- Dr Natalie Watson * Methodist Recorder *Sit back, relax and drink in this book: you are in the hands of an enthusiast! ... I can't recall reading as lucid account of the balance between action and contemplation anywhere as in the section The World Within God's Hand in the first chapter. What a joy, too, to read some genuinely exuberant writing on the importance of happiness for Dominicans. -- Roland Riem, Canon Pater and Missioner, Winchester Cathedral * The Pastoral Review *...combines impeccable scholarship, profound wisdom, accessible clarity and a wonderful sense of fun, bringing admirably to life the captivating humanity of early Dominicans. -- Fernandi Cervantes * The Tablet *Table of ContentsForeword by The Most Reverend Timothy Radcliffe OP Introduction; 1. What is Dominican Spirituality?; 2. Dominicans and Happiness; 3. Eat the Book; 4. Dominicans Drinking.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn a modern-day parable about a man and his transforming love for his dog, Lass, best-selling author Phillip Keller paints a vivid picture of God's love for the unlovable.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisHidden within the first three chapters of Genesis rests one of the greatest jewels of Western mystical literature. For millennia religious literalism has dominated our understanding of the Bible, imprisoning its subtle inner wisdom within the most coarse and superficial aspects of the narrative. Generations have been led to believe that Genesis 1-3 is only a primitive proto-cosmic history, a mythological explanation of the human moral disposition, a religious fairy tale. But by accepting the text as pure kabbalistic metaphor, the mystical content of Genesis springs forth, revealing the Divine nature of creativity as well as a new understanding of the human mind. Deconstructing each line of Genesis 1-3 with esoteric methods derived from the oral teachings of the Kabbalah, David Chaim Smith reveals how the ten sefirot, collectively known as the Tree of Life, are not simply a linear hierarchy. They are a unified interdependent whole with ten interactive functions, forming the template through which creative diversity manifests. Through acts of creation and creativity, the mind expresses its Divine nature. Through our Divine creative power, we are able to touch upon Ain Sof (the infinite), the lifeblood of all creative expression. Smith's line-by-line examination of Genesis 1-3 reveals a complete model not only of Divine creativity but also of the predicament of the human mind, of the Divine nature of consciousness as well as our inability to recognize the mind's Divinity. With this new interpretation, which removes the concept of a Creator God, we are able to transcend the contrasting notions of "being" and "non-being" at the heart of conventional habits of perception and awaken a new mystical understanding of Unity and the fathomless depth of Divinity.Trade Review“An amazing book--boy does it have chutzpah!” * Hymenaeus Beta, Frater Superior, Ordo Templi Orientis *“A gifted artist who has a deep contemporary understanding of Jewish mystical wisdom, David Chaim Smith takes us into the domain where zero is one, where the all is nothing, and where the creative moment is constantly renewing itself. The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis is not a book simply to read but to contemplate and live with.” * Rodger Kamenetz, author of Burnt Books and The Jew in the Lotus *“A unique mystical voice out of a Blakean tradition, The Kabbalistic Mirror of Genesis is a mind-expanding spiritual text that will both clarify and transform you. Smith has rethought biblical basics from the ground up (‘with-beginningness’) providing insights into the profound depths of mind, perception, reality, life, creativity, luminosity, and transcendence. . . . This is kabbalistic commentary from a living practitioner that will help us immeasurably to help heal the world.” * John Zorn, musician *Table of ContentsIntroduction Part I Window of Manifestation 1 The Essential Nature of Creativity The First Word of Genesis 2 Blueprint of the Creative Process Commentary on the First Chapter of Genesis Part II PriMordial Gnosis and Its Obscuration 3 The EdeNic State Commentary on the Second Chapter of Genesis 4 The CoNsequence of Habit Commentary on the Third Chapter of Genesis Appendix I Kabbalistic SyNopsis of the Three Chapters Appendix II Kabbalistic Array of names Index About the Author

Read more less

Book SynopsisLet’s get it on! Make your love life sizzle with this collection of mind-blowing sex positions inspired by the classic Eastern book of erotica. With positions ranging from slow and sensual to frisky and fun, this book features all the classics as well as adventurous new positions to try. You’ll never want to go back to missionary again. The original Kama Sutra was an ancient text that provided insights into finding happiness and fulfilment with your partner – but it also depicted varied sexual positions and techniques, for a satisfying sex life. Saving you from spending your vital energy on wading through any non-raunchy teachings, this little book contains a hand-picked selection of the best and most exhilarating positions for any kind of mood. Find out all about such delights as: The Lap of Luxury The Glowing Triangle The Splitting Bamboo The Crouching Tiger The Ascent to Desire May this book help you to open your mind (as well as your legs). Remember – make love, not war!

Read more less

Book SynopsisA testimonial of how a present-day mystic’s pursuit of self-discovery led to a revelation of the hidden secrets of Christianity – beginning with the author’s journey to a remote mountain village in southern France and his encounters with a wise man, The SeerTrade Review"This book offers so much. It is not just a book, but an experience. Order it now! There will be an awakening in whoever reads it." --T-Love

Read more less

Book SynopsisWhat makes a successful life, and how do I decide what do with mine? What does it mean to believe in God? Does God still hold the same meaning and relevance in our time, and if so, how can I tap into that meaning? These are just some of the questions addressed in this new book on how the lived experience of St Ignatius Loyola can be used as a guiding principle towards a more intensely and consciously lived life. This concise guide provides an insight into the life of Ignatius, as well as an introduction to Ignatian spirituality, presenting it not as a doctrine, but as a spiritual toolkit from which we can draw strength and knowledge. While an illuminating read for those already familiar with Ignatius, no prior knowledge is required to reap the benefits of this fascinating book.Trade Review‘This little book is an important contribution to the ongoing Ignatian celebrations’ * The Irish Catholic *‘Fr Sintobin’s introduction to Ignatius’s life and spiritual teachings is an invitation to a more intensely and consciously lived life’. * Intercom magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction.................................................................5 1. It started with a cannonball.............................9 2. A long-term conversion.................................. 19 3. Obedience, yes, sorcery, no.........................25 4. Long live indifference..................................... 31 5. Distinguished in everyday life...................... 39 6. Prayer for life: praying with the fifth gospel ........................................................47 7. How do you make a choice?........................55 8. Believing in God makes you believe in humankind.................................................... 63 9. Ignatius’s unruly recipe for happiness.......... 71 10. Ten tips for learning from your feelings......... 81 The life of Ignatius of Loyola in ten dates............ 91 Resources and further reading........................... 93

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn this lively and accessible book, addressed to believers, “recovering” believers, disbelievers, nonbelievers, and “nones” alike—to anyone in search of what they really do believe—the acclaimed philosopher and theologian John D. Caputo seeks out what there is to believe, with or without religion.Trade ReviewJohn Caputo is one of the foremost postmodern philosophers of our time. In this brilliant book, he offers a provocative new way to think about God and an invitation to awaken to a new reality: we are entangled with God. Playful, witty, and radically profound, this is a book to return to over and over. -- Ilia Delio, author of The Not-Yet God: Carl Jung, Teilhard de Chardin, and the Relational WholeHere is a book that countless people who have given up on the God of their childhood will relish. Tired of living in the shallow end of the theological pool, Jack Caputo invites us all to push out into the deep waters of radical theology without letting us sink. What you are about to read is God-years ahead of its time. -- Rev. Robin R. Meyers, author of Saving God from Religion: A Minister’s Search for Faith in a Skeptical WorldAn evocative, accessible, good-humored guide to living (and moving, and being) after the death of God. -- Mary-Jane Rubenstein, author of Astrotopia: The Dangerous Religion of the Corporate Space RaceTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsThis Is How the World BeganFirst WeekLesson One: God Does Not ExistLesson Two: Bridge-Builders and Ground-DiggersLesson Three: That’s Pantheism, That’s HorribleLesson Four: Do Radical Theologians Pray?Lesson Five: The Mystical Sense of LifeLesson Six: Who Do They Say Jesus Is?Second WeekLesson Seven: Suppose Everything Just Vanished?Lesson Eight: What Is Really Going On?Lesson Nine: What Is Going On in the Name of God?Lesson Ten: Whether God Will Have BeenLesson Eleven: Making Ourselves Worthy of What Is Happening to UsLesson Twelve: So What?A Parting Word (or Two): Yes, YesFurther ReadingIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis'This is the kind of book that make you different when you're done.' - Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of Somebody's Daughter'From the womb, we must repeat with regularity that to love ourselves is to survive. I believe that is what my father wanted for me and knew I would so desperately need: a tool for survival, the truth of my dignity named like a mercy new each morning.'So writes Cole Arthur Riley in an unforgettable book of stories and reflections on discovering the sacred in her skin. In these deeply transporting pages, Cole reflects on the stories of her grandmother and father and encounters of enfleshed, embodied spirituality. As she writes memorably of her own lived experiences of childhood and selfhood, Cole boldly explores some of the most urgent questions of life and faith:How can spirituality not silence the body, but instead allow it to come alive?How do we honour, lament, and heal from the stories we inherit?How can we find peace in a world overtaken with dislocation, noise, and unrest? At once a compelling spiritual meditation and a tender coming-of-age narrative, This Here Flesh invites us to ponder the site of the soul by examining our capacity to rest, wonder, joy, rage, and repair - and finding that our humanity is not an enemy to faith but evidence of it.'Exquisite' - Ayo Tomenti, co-founder of Black Lives MatterTrade ReviewAt a time when establishing peace within one's own soul is so vitally important, this book is a balm - reminding me to exercise the spiritual muscle of awe, to notice the simple and to find beauty in the ordinary. -- Ben Lindsay, Author of WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT RACEIn This Here Flesh, Cole Arthur Riley reaches deep beneath the surface of words unspoken, wounds unhealed, and secrets untempered to break them open in order for fresh light to break through. Her personal anecdotes alongside Biblical anchors are serene vehicles through which any reader will remember the preciousness of their body, humanity, and most of all, their dignity. -- Morgan Jerkins, New York Times bestselling author of THIS WILL BE MY UNDOINGThis book is an invitation into the delicate weavings of family, inheritance, and pain, how they mark a bloodline, and connect a people. Riley writes with all the grace and gravity the spirit of humanity deserves. And somehow teaches us to think of ourselves as deserving of such grace, along the way. This is the kind of book that make you different when you're done. -- Ashley C. Ford, New York Times bestselling author of SOMEBODY'S DAUGHTERThis book is breathtaking. Full of profound revelation and beauty woven into poetry, unforgettable imagery and story, it will stay with me long after I've read it. I will keep returning to its pages, ready to hear in Cole Arthur Riley's reflections new ways to see myself, my family, my faith and my God. Who knew truth-telling could be so beautiful? -- Chine McDonald, author of GOD IS NOT A WHITE MANWelcome the rising of Cole Arthur Riley's astonishing voice. This is a gorgeous and muscular work. -- Krista Tippett, host of On BeingTimeless. This is a book I know I will return to again and again. Through this work, I am reminded I am seen. I am reminded I am free. -- Morgan Harper Nichols, artist and poetExquisite. . . Arthur Riley's writing is both transporting and hauntingly intimateas she narrates this important account of generational inheritance. The stories and meditations in this book are sure to stay with you forever. -- Ayo Tometi, co-founder of Black Lives MatterThrough a narrative of family and generation, Cole Arthur Riley speaks of a Blackness so beautiful it can't be contained and a liberation that is present and possible. This Here Flesh is an invitation to hold space, return home and rediscover joy. -- Amena Brown, poet, author, and host of HER with Amena Brown podcastBeautiful. Soul-stirring. . . we rediscover a sense of awe for the bodies that make us, the stories that ground us, and the delicate grace that enlivens our spirits. -- Kate Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of NO CURE FOR BEING HUMANThis Here Flesh is a gospel to what we remember. This book is rigorous, joyous, complex, honest and tells the story of how we get free. It is a story that would not let me go. -- Danté Stewart, author of SHOUTIN’ IN THE FIRE[A] wonderfully winsome, heartbreakingly honest, and ever-poetic work of spiritual biography and theological reflection. While some theologians will talk in the abstract about 'incarnation,' 'enfleshment,' or 'embodiment,' Arthur Riley's book is a lesson in concreteness, in Black theology, in seeing a body, being a body, being a person rooted in time, space, stories, and very particular flesh. * Library Journal (starred review) *A multi-layered, moving and often a poetic exploration of faith, lament, community and much more. * Keep the Faith *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisBecome inspired, find your voice, and create work that matters.Why are human beings driven to make?It’s as if we collectively intuited, long before science gave us the language, that the universe bends toward entropy, and every act of creation on our part is an act of defiance in the face of that evolving disorder.When we pick up a paintbrush, or compose elements through our camera viewfinders, or press fingers into wet clay to wrestle form from a shapeless lump, we are bending things back toward Order and wrestling them from Chaos.But making things is often not enough.We also want the things we make to be filled with meaning. We’re each trying to describe what we know about life, to create a collective sense of “safety in numbers.” When we reach the end of our traditional descriptive powers, it’s time to weave collective meaning from poetry, painting, writing, dancing, photographing, filmmaking, storytelling, singing, animating, designing, performing, carving, sculpting, and a million other ways we daily create Order out of the Chaos and share it with each other for comfort.On this journey we need a creative philosophy which will help us find our voice, discover our message, deal with the responses to our work, maintain inspiration, and stay mentally healthy and motivated creators as we strive to find “the meaning in the making.”Table of Contents Chapter 1: Order Chapter 2: Logos Chapter 3: Breath Chapter 4: Voice Chapter 5: Ego Chapter 6: Control Chapter 7: Attention Chapter 8: Envy Chapter 9: Critique Chapter 10: Feel Chapter 11: Shadows Chapter 12: Meaning Chapter 13: Time Chapter 14: Benediction

Read more less

Book SynopsisBlogger, speaker, and Bible teacher invites readers to embrace the upside-down teachings of Jesus, where failure is success, endings are beginnings, and freedom is found only as we learn to fully submit.

Read more less

Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Seminary Co-Op Notable Book of the Year""Winner of the American Book Fest Best Book Award, Religion Category""A meditative blend of history and travelogue . . . brings the soundscape of the desert to life." * New Yorker *"An engaging and inspiring book that provides much needed reflection on the significance of nature, sound, and silence in a noisy age."---Elizabeth Orens, The Living Church"[Sonorous Desert] is about the experience of solitude, sound, and silence in the ancient world and today. . . . These ideas are significant for current discussion of spirituality and human well-being." * Choice *

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisDo you long for depth and authenticity in your relationship with God? Do you want purpose and daily direction but can't seem to find the right prayer to receive it? When the Soul Listens will guide you away from formulas and step-by-step prayer plans toward contemplative prayer, the lifestyle that allows you to experience God's presence, writes author Jan Johnson. Learn to find rest and guidance in God, opening yourself to God's presence and direction through this practical approach.If you are disillusioned, experiencing spiritual dryness, or simply looking for the next step in your spiritual growth, When the Soul Listens offers a clear path to a fulfilling connection with God.

Read more less

Book Synopsis'For all those who have understood that doubt and free thinking are failings of your faith, Brian's book will help you live fuller and breathe easier.' Glennon DoyleSixty-five million adults in the US have dropped out of active church attendance and about 2.7 million more are leaving every year. In the UK, surveys indicate that religious belief is also declining - and yet a surprising number of people still pray. Faith After Doubt is for all those who feel that their faith is falling apart.Using his own story and the stories of a diverse group of struggling believers, Brian D. McLaren, a former pastor and now an author, speaker, and activist shows how old assumptions are being challenged in nearly every area of human life, not just theology and spirituality. He proposes a four-stage model of faith development in which questions and doubt are not the enemy of faith, but rather a portal to a more mature and fruitful kind of faith. The four stages - simplicity, complexity, perplexity and harmony - offer a path forward that can help sincere and thoughtful people leave behind unnecessary baggage and increase their commitment to what matters most.'In this important book, my friend and colleague Brian McLaren helps you find a deeper and wiser faith that is enriched by doubt instead of threatened by it.' Fr Richard RohrTrade ReviewA gripping, honest and practical book for a Christian who is experiencing doubt... be prepared to be deeply challenged and hugely encouraged. * Christianity Magazine *This is a challenging, provocative, and, at times, uncomfortable read, but, above all, it demands action. Churches need to listen to millennials and engage with their hopes and fears. They also need to reach out to those who have left, asking why and where they have gone and being prepared for some uncomfortable answers. * Church Times *

Read more less

Book Synopsis`Human evolution has now arrived at a decisive crossroads. The future of humankind on Earth depends on whether people recognize their determining role in the evolution of the consciousness of Earth.' - Marko Pogacnik; Humanity today faces a unique task: to overcome the thousand-year-old division between heaven and earth, spirit and matter. This, says Marko Pogacnik, is our present-day challenge. But we have an important ally in this work in the being of Jesus, also known as Christ, whose teachings are intended to help us at this critical time of human development. Historically, however, Jesus' words of wisdom were harnessed to the construction of an earthly religion, and much of their deeper meaning was lost in the process. Christ Power and Earth Wisdom is the story of the author's discovery of a `Fifth Gospel', woven invisibly into the four canonical Gospels. It teaches humanity how to live positively in the third millennium. Bringing together knowledge of elemental beings, Earth science and Christ, the author has translated over one hundred of Jesus' sayings into a language that the modern mind can understand. He identifies blockages in the Biblical gospels that have prevented the Spirit of Christ from manifesting in the past era. But the time is now ripe for understanding the multilayered reality of these teachings. Based on methods of investigation and perception that Pogacnik has developed over many decades of work in healing the various dimensions of Earth's landscape and nature, he deciphers the hidden, holistic messages in Christ's teachings, dismantling the obstacles that have arisen through outdated interpretations. The text is complemented with Pogacnik's energetically-charged drawings, forming a feeling counterpart to the thought flow of the book. A new Postscript offers an important update relating to methods of gaining a broader, spiritual perception of reality in the present.Table of ContentsForeword - Preface - 1 On the Quest of a Fifth Gospel - 2 Testing the Etheric Layers of the Gospel Texts - 3 The Invisible Archetypal Pattern of the Gospels - 4 The Realization of the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth - 5 Traces of the Feminine and the Voice of Nature in the Gospels - 6 Conversations with the `Old Wise One' - 7 An Essential Step Forward - 8 Obstructive Patterns of Power - 9 The Several Layers of Jesus' Teaching - 10 Who Jesus Was and Who Christ Is - 11 The Christ Archetype Across Cultures - 12 Sacred Geomancy: Expression of Christ Power on Earth - 13 Cinderella: a Folk Tale of Human Evolution - 14 Humanity in the Mirror of the Present Earth Changes - 15 Contemplating Some of the Sayings of Jesus - Bibliography - List of the Sayings of Jesus Quoted in the Book

Read more less

Book SynopsisA calming collection of allegories, and illustrations from a world-renowned peace ambassador.Global peace ambassador Prem Rawat has spent his entire life travelling the world to deliver one timeless message: Peace is Possible. Conflict, he explains, takes place at three levels: between countries, between people, and finally within each of us as individuals. These levels are all interconnected. Hence the conflict that rages within a person will lead them to seek out conflict with another. Similarly, conflict between people of one nation is likely to result in conflict between many nations. So the first step to world peace is a simple one: we must first find peace within ourselves. Peace is Possible draws together age-old stories which, as they have been passed down over generations, inspired and transformed the lives of millions. From the power of adaptability, to the importance of trust, to the sticking-place of courage, these are the mes

Read more less

Book SynopsisIn the current climate, most of us are undergoing an angst that sometimes can only be cured through self-reflection. In seeking a cure, we look to improve ourselves, especially during this anxious and uncertain time as we live a 'new normal' during this pandemic. Sometimes the journey begins in the hope to better ourselves as a human being and relieve the inner turmoil. Sometimes the journey develops a more spiritual path where we reach out to the Divine in some capacity. In either case, a feeling of contentment can be attained leading to an inner peace. Yet, we can only begin to do this once we identify those feelings that cause anxiety or negative emotions that lead to a sense of heaviness in our day-to- day lives. The Coronavirus outbreak has led to many industries and Government authorities promoting self-care and urging many to look after their mental well-being more than ever before. The virus has forced most of the world to slow down, which in turn has had an impact on many people's daily routines. Many of us are staying at home, spending time with family and now have some new-found time to reflect on ourselves. As a result of this, many of us experience moments of frustration on a daily basis, from being confined to social distancing, or have a fear of losing one's job (or indeed already have), or are unintentionally feeling ungrateful for what we do have. Prior to the pandemic taking over, we would still face similar thoughts and feelings towards something we had seen on social media perhaps, or heard about from family, a friend or colleague. This could include being envious of someone's belongings or achievements, which they have shared on social media, or indeed boasting about our own. Whilst these emotions make us human, it's our intentions and actions that decide whether we are a 'good' person, whether in the eyes of one's self, our friends and family, our colleagues, or in the eyes of the Divine. Pre-Coronavirus, many of us lost the capacity to sit still and reflect upon ourselves. Now that we have the time to look back and contemplate, perhaps we need to think about why we are feeling these negative emotions. Why do we feel a sense of loss within our workday grind or within our family relationships or friendships? A Handbook of Spiritual Medicine is arranged in a unique way, by breaking down the core maladies of the heart into bite size chunks that are much easier to reference for the layperson. It provides a clear presentation using modern management techniques: a tabulated and color-coded format that enables easy access to definitions and signs and symptoms of spiritual illnesses, their cures, and exceptions. The antidotes to our ailments are drawn from Qur'anic verses and authentic ahadith (Prophetic sayings),inspiring mindfulness of the Almighty Cherisher and His Beloved Prophet. This guidebook, drawing on the 11th and 12th Century works of the 'Proof of Islam' and wondrous sage, Imam Abu Hamid Al-Ghazali can be applied to our busy lives in the modern, hi-tech era, and will prove accessible to people of all ages, all denominations: believers and non-believers alike. This book encourages us to continually self-analyse, in order to begin to experience the positive impact of such changes. It encourages us to look after ourselves during this time, acting as a guide on how to do this now and beyond the pandemic. Making this science accessible to a new generation is of utmost importance especially in times of a spiritual vacuum and great uncertainty.Trade Review"This work will enable the reader to self-analyse and assist him or herself in meeting their Creator with a 'sound heart'." Dr. Shaykh Ashraf Makadam Director of Trust, Madani Schools Federation, UK "A beautifully structured and well-presented work, highlighting one of the most important aspects of Islamic teachings." Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam Al-Kawthari Director of the Institute of Islamic Jurisprudence (Darul Iftaa) "The Handbook of Spiritual Medicine is to be commended as a clear presentation of science of internal purification in a format which enables easy access to symptoms of spiritual illness and their cures." Shaykh Zaqir Director of Darul Arqam Educational TrustTable of ContentsThe Author's Journey. Introduction. Recommendations. Acknowledgements. Self-Purification: A Continual Cycle of Self-Purification, How to Use this Book. Chapter 1: Anger. Chapter 2: Antipathy Towards Death. Chapter 3: Blameworthy Modesty. Chapter 4: Boasting, Arrogance & Pride. Chapter 5: Displeasure with Blame or Disapproval. Chapter 6: Displeasure with the Divine Decree. Chapter 7: Envy. Chapter 8: Extravagance. Chapter 9: False Hope. Chapter 10: Fantasizing. Chapter 11: Fear of Poverty. Chapter 12: Fraud. Chapter 13: Hard-Heartedness. Chapter 14: Hatred. Chapter 15: Heedlessness. Chapter 16: Iniquity. Chapter 17: Love of the World. Chapter 18: Miserliness. Chapter 19: Mockery. Chapter 20: Negative Feelings. Chapter 21: Obliviousness to Blessings or Ingratitude. Chapter 22: Ostentation or Showing Off. Chapter 23: Relying on Other than Allah. Chapter 24: Seeking Reputation. Chapter 25: Vanity. Chapter 26: Wantonness or Greed. Index. Bibliography. The Handbook Team.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book Synopsis"This book almost didn't exist. I was about to write a serious, heavy book entitled How To Save Western Civilization, as a sequel to my book How To Destroy Western Civilization and Other Ideas from the Cultural Abyss. But writing it was not making me happy, and reading it was not going to make anybody else happy either. And then I stopped just long enough for my guardian angel to squeeze through that tiny window of opportunity that I had opened up by my silence and to whisper this commonsense question into my subconscious: "Why not make them happy instead?" (Angels specialize in common sense.) I started thinking: Western civilization is neither healthy, happy, nor holy. Humor is all three. Humor is not only holy, it's Heavenly. And if you are surprised to be told that humor is Heavenly, you need to read this book because you reveal your misunderstanding of both humor and Heaven. If you ask, 'Is there laughter in Heaven?' my answer is: 'You can't be serious!'" Trade Review... Probably the shortest, funniest philosophy book you’ll ever read — Sarah Schutte, National Review

Read more less

Book SynopsisWe can spend a lot of time looking for happiness when the world right around us is full of wonder. But our hearts and minds are so full of noise that we can’t always hear the call of life and love. To hear that call and respond to it, we need silence. In his beautiful new book, Buddhist monk and Nobel Peace Prize nominee Thich Nhat Hanh explains how mindfulness is the practice that stops the noise inside. With gentle anecdotes, simple Buddhist wisdom and practical exercises, he shows us how to live mindfully so that all the internal chatter ceases and we are left with the eloquent sound of silence. Now, at last, we can answer the call of the beauty around us. Through silence, Thich Nhat Hanh reveals, we are free to hear, to see - and just be.Trade Review[Thich Nhat Hanh] shows us the connection between personal, inner peace and peace on earth -- The Dalai LamaThich Nhat Hanh writes with the voice of the Buddha -- Sogyal RinpocheThich Nhat Hanh is a holy man, for he is humble and devout...a scholar of immense intellectual capacity -- Martin Luther KingMindfulness has become a serious movement, now with champions among policy makers as well as Buddhists. Thich Nhat Hanh is one of its guiding spirits * The Times Literary Supplement *

Read more less

Book SynopsisHand-picked reflections from the teachings of the highly respected and influential Christian leader, Sandy Millar.

Read more less

Book SynopsisIndividuals, groups and organizations find themselves in a process of continual change, transformation and growth. Margarete van den Brink suggests all people, whether individually or in groups, experience the same archetypal process of development, consisting of seven steps. Giving practical examples, she describes how these steps or phases can be recognized in individuals, in relationships and groups, and even in commercial and voluntary organizations. A knowledge of the various steps allows for clarity and vision, helping to prepare for the sorts of challenges and rewards we might face. In addition to the external aspect of these processes there is the internal aspect. The author indicates that the process of growth through the seven phases is, in essence, a process of spiritual development. Spirit manifests itself in the human being and determines the meaning and direction of our lives, giving impulses for change and direction. These impulses are also at work in groups and organizations, and knowledge of them allows for greater insight. Van den Brink's approach offers a refreshingly new and dynamic way forward in contrast to the 'rationalist' methodologies of much of mainstream consultancy and personal development.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis “gem of a book” reveals how we can go beyond mindfulness to connect with the ultimate happiness within us and transform our lives (Rick Hanson, Buddha’s Brain)The true nature of our mind is brilliant, clear, and joyful. But we don’t experience this reality amid the swirl of stresses, thoughts, and emotions of day-to-day life. Our Pristine Mind is a practical guide to uncovering our naturally comfortable state of mind and reconnecting with the unconditional happiness that is already within us. Using straightforward, accessible language, Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche leads us through the path of Pristine Mind meditation, a practice from the profound teachings known as Dzogchen. This book presents the entire journey of meditation, from the very beginning all the way to the complete happiness of enlightenment. It is a realistic, natural process that can be practiced and experienced by anyone.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis cutting-edge theory of spirituality for today’s global society honors the truths of modern science and postmodern culture while incorporating the wisdom of the great world religionsApplying his highly acclaimed integral approach, Ken Wilber formulates a theory of spirituality that honors the truths of modernity and postmodernity—including the revolutions in science and culture—while incorporating the essential insights of the great religions. He shows how spirituality today combines the enlightenment of the East, which excels at cultivating higher states of consciousness, with the enlightenment of the West, which offers developmental and psychodynamic psychology. Each contributes key components to a more integral spirituality.On the basis of this integral framework, a radically new role for the world’s religions is proposed. Because these religions have such a tremendous influence on the worldview of the majority of the earth’s population, they are in a privileged position to address some of the biggest conflicts we face. By adopting a more integral view, the great religions can act as facilitators of human development: from magic to mythic to rational to pluralistic to integral—and to a global society that honors and includes all the stations of life along the way.

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisOver the past twenty-five years A. H. Almaas—widely recognized as a leader in integrating spirituality and psychology—has been developing and teaching the Diamond Approach, a spiritual path that integrates the insights of Sufism, Buddhism, Gurdjieff, and other wisdom traditions with modern psychology. In this new work, Almaas uses the metaphor of a 'spacecruiser' to describe a method of exploring the immediacy of personal experience—a way of investigating our moment-by-moment feelings, thoughts, reactions, and behaviors through a process of open-ended questioning. The method is called the practice of inquiry, and Spacecruiser Inquiry reveals what it means to engage with this practice as a spiritual path: its principles, challenges, and rewards. The author explores basic elements of inquiry, including the open-ended attitude, the focus on direct knowledge, the experience of not-knowing, and the process of questioning. He describes the experience of 'Diamond Guidance'—the inner wisdom that emerges from our true nature—and how it can be realized and applied. In this process Almaas looks at many of the essential forms of Diamond Guidance, including knowing, clarity, truth, love, intelligence, compassion, curiosity, courage, and determination. Also included are exercises and questions and answers from the original talks by Almaas on which the book is based.

Read more less

Book SynopsisThis is the continuing story of Milarepa and his disciple Rechungpa, first encountered in volume 18 of the Complete Works. As portrayed in The Hundred Thousand Songs of Milarepa, Rechungpa is a promising disciple, but he has a lot to learn, being sometimes proud, distracted, anxious, desirous of comfort and praise, over-attached to book learning, stubborn, sulky and liable to go to extremes. In other words, he is very human, and surely recognizable to anyone who has embarked on the spiritual path. He all too often takes his teacher's advice the wrong way, or simply ignores it, and it takes all of Milarepa's skill, compassion and patience to keep their relationship intact and help his unruly disciple to stay on the path to Enlightenment. In the story that begins this volume, matters come to a head when Milarepa burns the books that Rechungpa went all the way to India to acquire, but by the end of the volume, Rechungpa is able to set out on his own mission to teach the Dharma. Much happens in between. Sangharakshita's commentary, based on seminars given in the late 1970s and early 1980s, draws from the stories of Milarepa and his wayward disciple much valuable advice for any would-be spiritual practitioner.

Read more less

Book SynopsisC. S. Lewis' Little Book of Wisdom offers more than 300 bite-size nuggets of inspiration and wisdom from the much-loved author, philosopher, and Christian theologist.Novelist, poet, critic, scholar, Christian theologist, and best-selling author of the Narnia series, C.S. Lewis wasa deep thinker and a beautiful writer. His works have become timeless classics for adults and children around the world.Here, in one concise and inspirational volume, is the essence of Lewis' thought. This distillation of his feelings on subjects ranging from love and faith, to ethics and morality, to myth and literature will throw open the windows of the soul and provide readers with bite-size nuggets of wisdom and inspiration from one of the best-loved writers of the 20th century.This lovely little gift book will provide sustenance, wisdom, and hope for believers, seekers, artists and thinkers. It will provide an entry point for those unfamiliar with Lewis' thought; an entry point that will make them want toTrade Review‘This charming volume of quotes from C.S. Lewis’s works includes his Christian apologia (Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, Surprised by Joy) and his fiction (The Chronicles of Narnia, The Space Trilogy). Editors Assaf and Leahy have selected brief quotations and placed them in thematic groupings relevant to modern Christians, such as “Living a Full Life with Christ” and “Recognizing Sin.” Quotes are mainly short but pack punches: “Gratitude looks to the past and love to the present; fear, avarice, lust, and ambition look ahead”; “As image and apprehension are in organic unity, so, for a Christian, are human body and human soul.” A complete Lewis bibliography is included for those interested in following up on works quoted. Also provided are several blank pages at the end of the volume for readers to jot their own thoughts. These well-chosen Lewis quotes will inspire readers and prompt them to make their own spiritual reflections.’ – Publishers Weekly

Read more less

Book SynopsisAndrew Newberg explores the latest findings of neurotheology, the multidisciplinary field linking neuroscience with religious and spiritual phenomena. He investigates some of the most controversial—and potentially transformative—implications of a neurotheological approach.Trade ReviewA tour de force in this emerging field, Neurotheology provides a superb review of the science to date and shows the many directions the field may go in the future. This book raises profound implications for neuroscience, medicine, theology, and philosophy. Fascinating and clearly written and accessible for everyone. Truly mind-blowing. -- Harold Koenig, Duke University Medical CenterThis book offers the promise that ‘neurotheology’ can help move us beyond the conflict between science and religion toward the truth or at least to a more unified and universal perspective on the interface between spirituality and the brain. Neurotheology covers many potential points of contact between science and religion, acknowledges the existence of complexity and the dangers of simple reductionism, and presents clear information on the capabilities and limitations of various forms of neurological assessment. -- John Peteet, Harvard Medical SchoolIn Neurotheology, Andrew Newberg discusses the possibility of a fruitful dialogue between neuroscience and religion and how this sort of investigation may have a profound impact on how we see spirituality, ourselves, and life. A world expert in the neuroimaging study of spiritual experiences, Newberg proposes a nondogmatic approach to the scientific study of spirituality and successfully advocates for fruitful exchanges between science and religion. -- Alexander Moreira-Almeida, Federal University of Juiz de ForaA magnificent work! Newberg is a superb scientist, yet still writes for a curious reader or college student an entirely gripping scholarly account. He addresses some of humanity's all-time epic questions of ultimate meaning with systematic, fine grain research that could only be technically possible in the past decade. A true work of scholarship, with rigor, artful synthesis, and a deep bench of knowledge around spirituality and religion. -- Lisa Miller, Ph.D., Professor and Founder, Spirituality Mind Body Institute, Teachers College, Columbia UniversityThis is an excellent introduction to the emerging field of neurotheology as well as a concise assessment of the contributions of neuroscience to our understanding of a broad range of religious and spiritual issues. * Reading Religion *This volume serves as both a great introduction to the various empirical approaches available to the study of religious phenomena and a strong argument for the crucial role of neurophysiology in aiding the psychology, cognitive science, and anthropology of religion to better understand the ‘why’ and ‘how’ of religious experience and behavior. * Quarterly Review of Biology *This book very usefully highlights complex material related to brain research and neuroscience as applied to areas of human experience broadly categorized as religious. * Religion *[A] comprehensive look at the field of neurotheology, or the neurology of religion. . . . Given that the larger relationship between science and religion has been contested for centuries, Newberg’s latest evidential support for a scientific understanding of why humans practice religion will be a welcome overview for interested readers. * Publishers Weekly *Newberg's book will be of most value to those who are struggling to reconcile science and spirituality. * Choice *Table of ContentsIntroduction: If Neurotheology Is the Answer, What Is the Question?1. Neurotheology and the Happy Prison of the Brain2. What is Neurotheology?3. Neuroscience and Neurotheology4. What is Religion from a Neurotheological Perspective?5. What is Spirituality from a Neurotheological Perspective?6. Neurotheology and the Evolution of Religion7. Neurotheology and Psychology8. Brain Pathology and Religion9. Religious Myths and the Brain10. The Ritualizing Brain11. Religious and Spiritual Practices12. The Spiritual But Not Religious Brain13. Free Will and the Brain14. Escaping the Prison of the Brain: Mysticism15. The End of Faith and the Beginning of NeurotheologyNotesIndex

Read more less

Book Synopsis

Read more less

Book SynopsisProposes a Christian meditative path for guidance and inspiration, based on John's Gospel.

Read more less