Author: Carl Sagan
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101201835
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 316
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Book Description
“Ann Druyan has unearthed a treasure. It is a treasure of reason, compassion, and scientific awe. It should be the next book you read.” —Sam Harris, author of The End of Faith “A stunningly valuable legacy left to all of us by a great human being. I miss him so.” —Kurt Vonnegut Carl Sagan's prophetic vision of the tragic resurgence of fundamentalism and the hope-filled potential of the next great development in human spirituality The late great astronomer and astrophysicist describes his personal search to understand the nature of the sacred in the vastness of the cosmos. Exhibiting a breadth of intellect nothing short of astounding, Sagan presents his views on a wide range of topics, including the likelihood of intelligent life on other planets, creationism and so-called intelligent design, and a new concept of science as "informed worship." Originally presented at the centennial celebration of the famous Gifford Lectures in Scotland in 1985 but never published, this book offers a unique encounter with one of the most remarkable minds of the twentieth century.
Author: William James
Publisher: The Floating Press
ISBN: 1877527467
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 824
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Book Description
Harvard psychologist and philosopher William James' The Varieties of Religious Experience: A Study in Human Nature explores the nature of religion and, in James' observation, its divorce from science when studied academically. After publication in 1902 it quickly became a canonical text of philosophy and psychology, remaining in print through the entire century. "Scientific theories are organically conditioned just as much as religious emotions are; and if we only knew the facts intimately enough, we should doubtless see 'the liver' determining the dicta of the sturdy atheist as decisively as it does those of the Methodist under conviction anxious about his soul. When it alters in one way the blood that percolates it, we get the Methodist, when in another way, we get the atheist form of mind."
Author: Wesley J. Wildman
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139495240
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 321
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Book Description
What is the value of religious and spiritual experiences within human life? Are we evolutionarily programmed to have such experiences? How will emerging technologies change such experiences in the future? Wesley Wildman addresses these key intellectual questions and more, offering a spiritually evocative naturalist interpretation of the diverse variety of religious and spiritual experiences. He describes these experiences, from the common to the exceptional, and offers innovative classifications for them based on their neurological features and internal qualities. His account avoids reductionistic oversimplifications and instead synthesizes perspectives from many disciplines, including philosophy and natural sciences, into a compelling account of the meaning and value of religious and spiritual experiences in human life. The resulting interpretation does not assume a supernatural worldview but incorporates religious and spiritual experiences into a positive affirmation of this-worldly existence.
Author: William James
Publisher: Everymans Library
ISBN: 9780460875578
Category : Ethics
Languages : en
Pages : 372
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Book Description
Brother of novelist Henry James, William James held views embodied in the tendency to subordinate logical proof to intuitive conviction. He was a vigorous antagonist of the idealistic school of Kant and Hegel, and an empiricist who made empiricism more radical by treating pure experience as the very substance of the world. Taking writings from The Principles of Psychology, Essays in Radical Empiricism and The Meaning of Truth amongst other publications, this edition offers a comprehensive selection of James's writings.
Author: Marianne Rankin
Publisher: A&C Black
ISBN: 0826498213
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 303
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Book Description
Spiritual experiences, mystical and near-death incidences are interpreted from scientific, philosophical and religious viewpoints.
Author: Charles Foster
Publisher: Hodder
ISBN: 1444722050
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 282
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Book Description
Human religious experiences are remarkably uniform; many can be pharmacologically induced. Recent research into the neurology of religious experience has shown that, when worshipping or praying, a certain part of the brain, apparently dormant during other activities, becomes active. What does all this mean for those of faith and those with none? In this fascinating book barrister Charles Foster takes a survey of the evidence - from shamans to medieval mystics, to out-of-body experiences and epilepsy, via Jerusalem and middle-class Christianity - and assesses its significance. Written in short, accessible chapters, this is a fascinating tour of religious and mystical experiences and their relation to human physiology.
Author: Matthew Kelly
Publisher: Blue Sparrow
ISBN: 9781635822007
Category : Self-actualization (Psychology)
Languages : en
Pages : 224
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Book Description
Life is messy. It isn't a color-within-the-lines exercise. It's a wild and outrageous invitation full of uncertain outcomes. The mess of life is both inevitable and unexpected. It is filled with delightful mysteries and frustrating predicaments. In our disposable culture, we throw broken things away. So, what will we do with broken people, broken relationships, broken institutions, broken families, and of course, our very own broken selves? We are all broken and wounded. This book is about putting our lives back together, and allowing ourselves to be put back together, when life doesn't turn out as we expected it to. Based on his own heart-wrenching personal journals, Matthew Kelly shares how the worst three years of his life affected him, by exploring this question: Can someone who has been broken be healed and become more beautiful and more lovable than ever before? The answer will fill you with hope. There has never been a more urgent need for us to attend to what is happening within us. This is quite simply the right book at the right time.
Author: Kevin Nelson
Publisher: Penguin Group
ISBN: 0452297583
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 337
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Book Description
"Bold, provocative, and highly readable." -V. S. Ramachandran, M.D., author of Phantoms in the Brain What are near-death experiences, out-of-body sensations, and spiritual ecstasy? And what do they have in common? Perhaps no one is more qualified to answer these questions than renowned neurobiologist Dr. Kevin Nelson. Drawing on his more than three decades of groundbreaking research into the "borderlands of consciousness," Dr. Nelson offers an unprecedented journey into the site of spiritual experience: the brain. Filled with amazing firsthand accounts as varied as a patient seeing the devil battling with his guardian angel to a man watching the universe synchronize around a pinball machine, The Spiritual Doorway in the Brain is an eloquent examination of our brains' spiritual "hardwiring" that will enthrall believers and skeptics alike.
Author: Mark L. Tompkins
Publisher: Celestial Arts
ISBN: 9781587612770
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 168
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Book Description
It is precisely when we are struggling with doubt and confusion-or the persistent sense that there must be something more-that spiritual exploration begins. Considering the questions we often share when pursuing or choosing our beliefs allows us to deepen our understanding and empathy for others-even as we travel along disparate sacred paths. In ILLUMINATIONS, Mark L. Tompkins and Jennifer McMahon have compiled a profound and visually stunning collection of original artworks, photographs, short prose pieces, poems, and interview excerpts contributed by more than 180 artists and writers from 43 countries. Instead of attempting to provide answers or explain doctrine, ILLUMINATIONS gives voice to a worldwide collective of truth seekers, including Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu, peace activist Fatima Gailani, bestselling authors Julia Cameron and Marianne Williamson, Reverend Tamara Siuda, and spiritual leader ShantiMayi. Representing a diverse range of cultures, traditions, and faiths, Illuminations is a provocative celebration of the personal spiritual experience.Reviews"This celebration of curiosity and questioning will appeal to those who are on a spiritual journey and find individual exploration to be more fulfilling than institutional religious experience." -Publishers Weekly"A refreshing counterpoint to the one-answer religious tract. . . The collection is beautiful visually and intellectually. The works are spiritual without being sentimental, no easy task. . . This book is a blessing."-Dallas Morning News and The Oklahoman "Mark Tompkins and Jennifer McMahon have undertaken an important task, mining the spiritual diversity that lies at the heart of humanity. Understanding each other'¬?s spiritual quest will lead to deeper healing for us all." -Marianne Williamson, author of A Return to Love and Everyday Grace"Illuminations merges art and spirituality into an elegant and moving collection of profound beauty. This book is a physical blessing to all who are fortunate enough to view it." -Arielle Ford, founding partner of The Spiritual Cinema Circle "Illuminations helps the reader move past understanding to empathy, which is the way to peace." -Jody Williams, 1997 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate "An important book, Illuminations allows all of us to deepen our connections with one another through the profound questions that live in every faith, every culture, and every heart. This is a book that affirms the inner dependence and interdependence of out time." -Lynne Twist, author of The Soul of Money "Sometimes religious systems expand life, introducing us to our spiritual natures; sometimes they diminish life, surrounding our fears with the mirage of certainty. In this book, Mark Tompkins and Jennifer McMahon open our spirituality in wondrous new ways, challenging and deepening all religious systems." -John Selby Spong, former Episcopal Bishop of Newark, New Jersey "Illuminations portrays an ecumenical inquiry in to the questions that lead the reader to uncover and remember the essences of living. Its symphony of stories and images lifts the spirit and invites conversations designed to end the separation of humanity from life and to reconnect us to that ineffable light that guides our journey." -Juanita Brown and David Isaacs, authors of The World Caf?© and founders of the World Caf?© Community Foundation
Author: Krispin Mayfield
Publisher: Zondervan
ISBN: 0310363802
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 252
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Book Description
Why does God feel so far away? The reason--and the solution--is in your attachment style. We all experience moments when God's love and presence are tangible. But we also experience feeling utterly abandoned by God. Why? The answer is found when you take a deep look at the other important relationships in your life and understand your attachment style. Through his years working in trauma recovery programs, extensive research into attachment science, and personal experiences with spiritual striving and abuse, licensed therapist Krispin Mayfield has learned to answer the question: Why do I feel so far from God? When you understand your attachment style you gain a whole new paradigm for a secure and loving relationship with God. You'll gain insights about: How you relate to others--both your strengths and weaknesses The practical exercises you can use to grow a secure spiritual attachment to God How to move forward on the spirituality spectrum and experience the Divine connection we all were created for You'll learn to identify and remove mixed messages about closeness with God that you may have heard in church or from well-meaning Christians. With freedom from the past, you can then chart a new path toward intimate connection with the God of the universe.
