Our Ego makes us suffer. It creates anger, hate, jealousy and vengeance. It screams, ‘I’, ‘me’ and ‘mine’. People often say, 'Kill your Ego!' While we cannot annihilate the Ego, we can transcend it and have an Enlightened Ego. And an Enlightened Ego is free from all misery, agony and anguish. This book will help you understand what an Enlightened Ego is and show you how to Enlighten your Ego.
Baumann and Taft skillfully weave eyewitness accounts of 9/11 with insights from evolutionary theory, neuroscientific studies on brain plasticity and emotion, genetics, and other new areas of research. I highly recommend this book to all who are interested in how science can help in understanding both the human capacity for horrific action and the clear reasons for optimism about our collective future.''Alfred W. Kaszniak, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology, Neurology & Psychiatry, University of Arizona Ego: The Fall of the Twin Towers and the Rise of a New Humanity by Peter Baumann and Michael W. Taft is the first book to explore the positive evolutionary potential hidden in one of the most destructive events in history. In their examination of the evolutionary implications of 9/11 and its aftermath, the authors contend we are not falling into the grip of a new dark age at all, rather we are on the verge of a much brighter one as the Darwinian process of natural selection continues to advance humankind. The authors' inquiry led them to the root of human suffering: the ego. That the ego underlies our problems as a species may come as no surprise. But a deeper look into the ego's origin and history is full of unexpected revelations: The modern human is dominated by a Stone Age brain Energy consumption and the environmental crisis is nothing more than the evolutionary drive to survive gone haywire Evolution has wired us to be riveted to bad news, bad outcomes, and worst - case scenarios When beliefs are challenged it triggers a life or death stance in the human nervous system Emotions are mostly physical, not mental The self we identify with along with its biases and beliefs turns out to be an evolutionary tool that made its first appearance some 50,000 years ago during what's called the conceptual revolution, arguably the biggest developmental leap in human history. The emerging ego accompanied our ability to construct complex tools, create art, and redefine social structure. For the first time as a species, we were able to imagine the future, consider the thoughts of others, and picture ourselves in our own minds. The ego is a cognitive trick of natural selection intended to insure the survival of the individual. Baumann and Taft say the problem comes when we take the ego's conceptualization of reality as the truth about who we actually are. Using the latest research from cognitive neuroscience, evolutionary psychology, social anthropology, and paleontology, Baumann and Taft show that modern humanity may be on the verge of an expansion of cognitive abilities akin to the development of the ego. This next step will free the human mind to see beyond the confines of the ego and open the vast potential of conscious awareness.
'Dying in the back of a screaming ambulance, my main concern was to live, not because I loved life but because I wanted to be around to hear the story of my survival. This was all just a popularity contest. The fights, the crews and the graffiti were all just ways to be talked about. That was my life.' At the age of 15, Luke Kennedy, an overweight kid from Sydney's southern suburbs, fell into graffiti tagging. Soon he'd dropped out of school to spend all his time with his crew, bombing trains and train lines, thieving, drinking, taking drugs and - Luke's specialty - street fighting.Nothing could stop 'Punchy' (Luke's tag and nickname). He was notorious for taking the biggest risks, drinking the most and fighting anyone who dissed his crew. Punchy was stabbed in the chest and glassed in the head. Some of his friends ended up in jail; others ended up dead.When he was busted bombing a train in Melbourne, a prison sentence looked certain. But a judge gave Punchy one more chance. This time, he took it.Luke quit graffiti, drugs and alcohol and lost 47 kilos. His journey from overweight, drunk street thug to fit, sober and successful business owner whose focus is on helping others turn their lives around is gripping, powerful - and absolutely inspiring. Selling points· powerful, true story that shines a light on topical issues of tagging, alcohol and violence· topic sure to attract media coverage· promotion by PR and media consultant Deb McInnes· highly motivated and promotable author· ongoing program of author visits to schools planned
Ego Trip's Book of Rap Lists is more popular than racism! Hip hop is huge, and it's time someone wrote it all down. And got it all right. With over 25 aggregate years of interviews, and virtually every hip hop single, remix and album ever recorded at their disposal, the highly respected Ego Trip staff are the ones to do it. The Book of Rap Lists runs the gamut of hip hop information. This is an exhaustive, indispensable and completely irreverent bible of true hip hip knowledge.
Do you sometimes wonder why trying to live a peaceful, loving life seems to be such a struggle? The Enlightened Ego offers insights into why our desire to be calm and compassionate is often derailed by fear and defensiveness. Kelly Beninga explains the biological basis for our ego's distrustful and protective nature, and outlines a path of transcendence to a more enlightened state. By releasing the ego's grip and embracing our spiritual selves, we find a life of freedom and inner peace.
In Evolutionary Enlightenment, Andrew Cohen redefines spiritual awakening for our contemporary world—a world characterized by exponential change and an ever-expanding appreciation for the processes of evolution. Cohen’s message is simple, yet profound: Life is evolution, and enlightenment is about waking up to this fundamentally creative impulse as your own deepest, most authentic self. Through five tenets for living an enlightened life, Cohen will empower you to wholeheartedly participate in the process of change as your own spiritual practice. Evolutionary Enlightenment not only makes deep sense of life today; it will show you how to play an active role in shaping the world of tomorrow.
Ferociously intelligent one moment, willfully smart-ass the next, ego trip's Big Book of Racism is a glorious, hilarious conflation of the racial undercurrents that affect contemporary culture at every turn. This one-of-a-kind encounter with the absurdities, complexities, and nuances of race relations is brought to you by five writers of color whose groundbreaking independent magazine, ego trip, has been called "the world's rawest, stinkiest, funniest magazine" by Spin. Filled with enough testifying and truth to satisfy even the good Reverend Sharpton, ego trip's Big Book of Racism is a riotous and revolutionary look at race and popular culture that's sure to spark controversy and ignite debate.
A MASTERPIECE of illuminative writing, Spiritual Enlightenment: The Damnedest Thing is mandatory reading for anyone following a spiritual path. Part exposé and part how-to manual, this is the first book to explain why failure seems to be the rule in the search for enlightenment, and how the rule can be broken. :: Book One of Jed McKenna's Enlightenment Trilogy. Contains Bonus Material.
In Embodied Enlightenment, contemporary spiritual teacher Amoda Maa Jeevan dispels the outdated view of a transcendent enlightenment and instead presents a new, feminine expression of awakened consciousness for all—one that is felt and known through what our everyday lives are made of: our emotions, bodies, intimate relationships, work, and life’s purpose. This book is a direct invitation to awaken in a profound, embodied way, and to participate in a collective evolution that can create a new world. When many of us think of enlightenment, we may envision a life of seclusion and contemplation, transcending the body and worldly attachments, or the achievement of karmic perfection. But what if, rather than something reserved for the mountaintop meditator or sage, the call to awaken is meant for us all? And how can we consciously live that awakening in the midst of our complex, messy, modern lives? Speaking from her own awakened experience, Amoda Maa Jeevan offers a timeless wisdom, busting some of the common myths about enlightenment and addressing topics often excluded from more traditional spiritual conversations—from the connection between consciousness and the body to relationships to planetary health. In addition, she covers the unfamiliar territory of what happens after enlightenment, delving into awakened action, creative expression, and more. There’s an urgency today to evolve beyond humanity’s current ego-based paradigm, and along with it, a unique expression of enlightenment is emerging. With clarity, passion, and grace, Embodied Enlightenment invites you on an exploration of consciousness that embraces both the messiness of your earthly experience and the non-duality of pure awareness, offering guidance on how your daily life can bring you into alignment with a divine destiny of individual and collective awakening.
