A strong and growing intuition in society today is the idea that our thoughts create our own reality. Yet it seems obvious that, try as we might, our lives are not quite what we fantasize. Is the intuition thus wrong? Through a rational, methodic interpretation of meditative insights, the validity of which is substantiated with a compelling scientific literature review, the author constructs hypotheses that reconcile facts with intuition. Mesmerizing narratives of his expeditions into the unconscious suggest an amazing possibility: just as dreams are seemingly autonomous manifestations of our psyche, reality may be an externalized combination of the subconscious dreams of us all, mixed as they are projected onto the fabric of space-time. Perhaps the laws of physics are an emergent by-product of such synchronization of thoughts. Through computer simulations, the author explores the implications of these hypotheses, with conclusions uncannily reminiscent of observed phenomena.
An exploration of radical megaprojects in the Ecuadorian Amazon, considering the fate of utopian fantasies under conditions of global capitalism From 2007 to 2017, the “Citizens’ Revolution” launched an ambitious series of post-neoliberal megaprojects in the remote Amazonian region of Ecuador, including an interoceanic transport corridor, a world-leading biotechnology university, and a planned network of two hundred “Millennium Cities.” The aim was to liberate the nation from its ecologically catastrophic dependence on Amazonian oil reserves, while transforming its jungle region from a wild neoliberal frontier into a brave new world of “twenty-first-century socialism.” This book documents the heroic scale of this endeavor, the surreal extent of its failure, and the paradoxical process through which it ended up reinforcing the economic model that it had been designed to overcome. It explores the phantasmatic and absurd dimensions of the transformation of social reality under conditions of global capitalism, deconstructing the utopian fantasies of the state, and drawing attention to the eruption of insurgent utopias staged by those with nothing left to lose.
If this is reality, why is there so much unhappiness in the world? How do we know that what we see is reality? How do we know we're not asleep and dreaming? If the world is a dream, whose dream is it? And what power do we have in the dream? To find lasting happiness and peace, let alone awaken from the dream, we must surrender everything we believe about reality, about life, and most definitely about ourselves. Advanced praise for Reality Is But a Dream "The notion of flowing, one-way time is perhaps the most basic illusion that exists, and is a major cause of human suffering and the fear of death and annihilation. Reality Is But a Dream is an invitation to give up this illusion in favor of a more fulfilling, accurate version of reality." Larry Dossey, MD Author, The Power of Premonitions "A profound and insightful glimpse into the nature of perception and the self. Vandeman's book challenges us to reconsider what we take for reality, and inspires us to wake up from our illusions about what that reality is." Richard Smoley Author, The Dice Game of Shiva: How Consciousness Creates the Universe Helen D. Vandeman is an intuitive, and author of We Are One: Using Intuition to Awaken to Truth, and The Thresholds of Intention: Crossing from Dreaming to Awakening. She lives in Berkeley, CA, and can be reached through her website: http://helenvandeman.byregion.net.
DIVDIV“Sleek and suggestive . . . [Reality and Dreams] is so smart and seductive that you fail to notice how completely you’ve accepted a world gone utterly awry.” —Kirkus Reviews /divDIV/divDIVBritish film director Tom Richard won acclaim for his moments of pure creative inspiration. But when Richard is hospitalized after toppling from a crane during a shoot, he awakes not knowing what is real and what is not—and with no idea who to trust. Soon his wife, children, and friends are all undergoing crises of their own, from the breakup of a marriage to the loss of a job. As Richard fights to regain his health and stay centered amid the swirling chaos of his personal life, he must also wrest control of his film—his most prized pursuit—from those who seek to take it away./divDIV /divDIVWitty andengrossing, Reality and Dreams is a whiplash ride through the highs and lows of the creative process./divDIV /divDIVThis ebook features an illustrated biography of Muriel Spark including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author’s archive at the National Library of Scotland./divDIV /divDIV/div/div
A rigorous case for the primacy of mind in nature, from philosophy to neuroscience, psychology and physics. The Idea of the World offers a grounded alternative to the frenzy of unrestrained abstractions and unexamined assumptions in philosophy and science today. This book examines what can be learned about the nature of reality based on conceptual parsimony, straightforward logic and empirical evidence from fields as diverse as physics and neuroscience. It compiles an overarching case for idealism - the notion that reality is essentially mental - from ten original articles the author has previously published in leading academic journals. The case begins with an exposition of the logical fallacies and internal contradictions of the reigning physicalist ontology and its popular alternatives, such as bottom-up panpsychism. It then advances a compelling formulation of idealism that elegantly makes sense of - and reconciles - classical and quantum worlds. The main objections to idealism are systematically refuted and empirical evidence is reviewed that corroborates the formulation presented here. The book closes with an analysis of the hidden psychological motivations behind mainstream physicalism and the implications of idealism for the way we relate to the world.
The present framing of the cultural debate in terms of materialism versus religion has allowed materialism to go unchallenged as the only rationally-viable metaphysics. This book seeks to change this. It uncovers the absurd implications of materialism and then, uniquely, presents a hard-nosed non-materialist metaphysics substantiated by skepticism, hard empirical evidence, and clear logical argumentation. It lays out a coherent framework upon which one can interpret and make sense of every natural phenomenon and physical law, as well as the modalities of human consciousness, without materialist assumptions. According to this framework, the brain is merely the image of a self-localization process of mind, analogously to how a whirlpool is the image of a self-localization process of water. The brain doesn’t generate mind in the same way that a whirlpool doesn’t generate water. It is the brain that is in mind, not mind in the brain. Physical death is merely a de-clenching of awareness. The book closes with a series of educated speculations regarding the afterlife, psychic phenomena, and other related subjects. ,
A tale of love, hardships, triumph, and success... It is the true story of Stephen Schutz and Susan Polis Schutz and their most unusual and often challenging ventures: Blue Mountain Arts greeting card company and bluemountain.com. Filled with practical business lessons... This story is a riveting account of the mistakes Susan and Stephen made, the solutions they designed, the successes they reached, and the personal and professional lessons they learned. This book gives you an excellent opportunity to learn from the Schutzes' experiences and insights. For anyone who has ever had a dream... In the late 1960's, Susan and Stephen were two idealistic, recent college graduates -- he, an artist with a Princeton Ph.D. in theoretical physics, and she, a teacher and a writer. One day, they decided to silk-screen posters that combined their art and poetry. They traveled around the country selling their posters while living out of a bright-yellow, pickup-truck camper. Thus, Blue Mountain Arts was born. About standing up and fighting for what you believe in... In the 1980's, Susan and Stephen designed the number-one-selling card line in the United States and found themselves battling one of America's largest corporations. Rather than watching their cards and company get destroyed, the Schutzes boldly went to court. The precedent-setting legal battle was dubbed by the media as the trial of David v. Goliath. An insider's look into the dot-com craze... In the late 1990's, Susan and Stephen, together with their eldest son, Jared, developed bluemountain.com -- a free Internet greeting card service that quickly grew into one of the world's most popular websites. A tender portrayal of love and life in an earlier, perhaps more innocent time... In a separate section, Susan shares her personal memories of growing up during the conservative 1950's in a small, country town. She speaks candidly about her college years, teaching, planning a commune, falling in love, and living amidst the political and philosophical turmoil of the 1960's. In heartfelt words, Susan describes her romantic relationship with Stephen and the births of their children. A business book with a soul... In sharp contrast to today's headlines of scandal and greed, this is the refreshing story of how the Schutzes followed their intuition, stayed true to their values and ideals, and created a flourishing company that has managed to stay ethical and successful at the same time. Better than fiction or fairy tale... You will laugh and cry and experience every emotion in between as you read the amazing story of Stephen and Susan Polis Schutz and Blue Mountain Arts. Book jacket.
With a new introduction by Kelly Link, the Locus Award-winning science fiction novel by legendary author Ursula K. Le Guin, set in a world where one man’s dreams rewrite the future. During a time racked by war and environmental catastrophe, George Orr discovers his dreams alter reality. George is compelled to receive treatment from Dr. William Haber, an ambitious sleep psychiatrist who quickly grasps the immense power George holds. After becoming adept at manipulating George’s dreams to reshape the world, Haber seeks the same power for himself. George—with some surprising help—must resist Haber’s attempts, which threaten to destroy reality itself. A classic of the science fiction genre, The Lathe of Heaven is prescient in its exploration of the moral risks when overwhelming power is coupled with techno-utopianism.
This must read book explains how to bring your dreams to fruition. There are key steps that need to be embedded in our process in order to achieve our dreams. Often times the dream that has been placed in us is so big it appears impossible to achieve. Many of us want to move forward but do not know where to start. In this book you will find key steps and concepts that will assist you on how to begin your journey. If you are reading this back cover recognize that you are not the ordinary individual. You are extraordinary and looking to fulfill a God given vision in this season. Decide to be open minded and allow the creation of a new thought pattern. After reading this book you will not be the same. Wherever your dream or passion lies it will become more fervent and more attainable through the inspirational instructions provided in each chapter. Do not let the disappointments of past failures or the viewpoint of others paralyze you from making your dreams come alive. Be liberated and overcome natural fears and concerns. God is waiting on you to take the next step. Your vision can and will become a reality if you allow God to lead you and guide you. The concepts introduced in this book will empower you and balance your approach to building your bridge from vision to reality. All the best to you along this exciting journey!
This book is a three-part journey into the rabbit hole we call the nature of reality. Its ultimate destination is a plausible, living validation of transcendence. Each of its three parts is like a turn of a spiral, exploring recurring ideas through the prisms of religious myth, truth and belief, respectively. With each turn, the book seeks to convey a more nuanced and complete understanding of the many facets of transcendence. Part I puts forward the controversial notion that many religious myths are actually true; and not just allegorically so. Part II argues that our own inner storytelling plays a surprising role in creating the seeming concreteness of things and the tangibility of history. Part III suggests, in the form of a myth, how deeply ingrained belief systems create the world we live in. The three themes, myth, truth and belief, flow into and interpenetrate each other throughout the book.
