A diverse group of authors journey into the fringes of human consciousness, tackling psychic and paranormal phenomena, lucid dreaming, synchronistic encounters, and more. Collected from the online magazine Reality Sandwich, these essays explore regions of the mind often traversed by shamans, mystics, and visionary artists; adjacent and contiguous to our normal waking state, these realms may be encountered in dreams or out-of-body experiences, accessed through meditation or plant medicines, and marked by psychic phenomena and uncanny synchronicities. From demons encountered in sleep paralysis visions to psychic research conducted by the CIA, the seemingly disparate topics covered here congeal to form a larger picture of what these extraordinary states of consciousness might have to tell us about the nature of reality itself.
A diverse group of authors journey into the fringes of human consciousness, tackling psychic and paranormal phenomena, lucid dreaming, synchronistic encounters, and more. Collected from the online magazine Reality Sandwich, these essays explore regions of the mind often traversed by shamans, mystics, and visionary artists; adjacent and contiguous to our normal waking state, these realms may be encountered in dreams or out-of-body experiences, accessed through meditation or plant medicines, and marked by psychic phenomena and uncanny synchronicities. From demons encountered in sleep paralysis visions to psychic research conducted by the CIA, the seemingly disparate topics covered here congeal to form a larger picture of what these extraordinary states of consciousness might have to tell us about the nature of reality itself.
A consciousness and dream hacker explains how to use liminal dreaming—the dreams that come between sleep and waking—for self-actualization and consciousness expansion. At the edges of consciousness, between waking and sleeping, there’s a swirling, free associative state of mind that is the domain of liminal dreams. Working with liminal dreams can improve sleep, mitigate anxiety and depression, help to heal trauma, and aid creativity and problem-solving. As we sink into slumber, we pass through hypnagogia, the first of the two liminal dream states. In this transitional zone, memories, perceptions, and imaginings arise in a fast moving, hallucinatory, semi-conscious remix. On the other end of the night, as we wake, we experience hypnopompia—the hazy, pleasant, drift that is the other liminal dream state. Readers of Liminal Dreaming will learn step-by-step how to create a dream practice outside of REM-sleep states that they can incorporate into their lives in personally meaningful ways. Liminal dreaming practice is also far easier to learn than lucid dreaming practice, making it possible for the reader to begin working with these dreams this very night.
Invented religions have been described as modern religions which advertise their invented status and reject traditional strategies of authorisation. But what does it mean for a religious formation to be ‘made up’, and how might this status affect perceptions of its legitimacy or authenticity in wider society? Based in original fieldwork and archival sources, and in the secondary literature on invented and constructed formations, this volume explores the allure of, as well as the limits of, the invention of religion. Through a series of case studies, the contributors discuss strategies of mobilization and legitimation for new traditions at their point of emergence, as well as taking issue with simplistic interpretations of the phenomenon which neglect wider cultural and political dimensions. This book was originally published as a special issue of Culture and Religion.
National Book Award Finalist: “This man’s ideas may be the most influential, not to say controversial, of the second half of the twentieth century.”—Columbus Dispatch At the heart of this classic, seminal book is Julian Jaynes's still-controversial thesis that human consciousness did not begin far back in animal evolution but instead is a learned process that came about only three thousand years ago and is still developing. The implications of this revolutionary scientific paradigm extend into virtually every aspect of our psychology, our history and culture, our religion—and indeed our future. “Don’t be put off by the academic title of Julian Jaynes’s The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. Its prose is always lucid and often lyrical…he unfolds his case with the utmost intellectual rigor.”—The New York Times “When Julian Jaynes . . . speculates that until late in the twentieth millennium BC men had no consciousness but were automatically obeying the voices of the gods, we are astounded but compelled to follow this remarkable thesis.”—John Updike, The New Yorker “He is as startling as Freud was in The Interpretation of Dreams, and Jaynes is equally as adept at forcing a new view of known human behavior.”—American Journal of Psychiatry
This fascinating work provides a complete overview of paranormal phenomena, including the beliefs, attitudes, and notable figures who have attempted to explain, defend, or debunk the mysteries behind the unknown. Recent interest in the paranormal as pop culture fodder belies its historical status as an important subject of cultural, philosophical, and scientific significance. This book traces the trajectory of paranormal studies from its early role as a serious academic and scientific topic studied by mainstream scientists and eminent scholars to its current popularity in books, film, and TV. This compelling reference work details the experiences, encounters, and ideas that make up this controversial field of study. The contributed entries examine the broad phenomena of the paranormal, addressing the history of scientific investigations along with its contemporary media depictions to illustrate the evolution of cultural attitudes about the paranormal. A selection of primary documents provides real-life accounts and contributions from noted experts that explore the full scope of themes from spiritualism to poltergeists to astrology. Accompanying images, timelines, quotations, and sidebars make the content come to life and encourage alternative explanations of these events.
A no-nonsense guide to the evolution of meditation, mindfulness, and enlightenment in modern-day society—from their religious origins in the East to their more secular incarnations in the West Evolving Dharma is the definitive guide to the meditation revolution. Fearless, unorthodox, and irreverent scholar and activist Jay Michaelson shows how meditation and mindfulness have moved from ashrams and self-help groups to classrooms and hospitals, and offers unusually straight talk about the “Big E”— enlightenment. Michaelson introduces us to maverick brain hackers, postmodern Buddhist monks, and cutting-edge neuroscientists and shares his own stories of months-long silent retreats, powerful mystical experiences, and many pitfalls along the way. Evolving Dharma is a must-read for the next-generation meditator, the spiritually cynical, and the curious adventurer in all of us.
Storytelling and visionary medicines are fundamental aspects of the human experience. The latter takes us to places beyond ourselves, into realms of the mind unplumbed, unfathomable, and often unpleasant. The former allows us to share such experiences with each other. It unlocks personal experiences from the individuated shell and releases them into the collective, whereby we can learn from them together. From the author of Decomposing The Shadow: Lessons From The Psilocybin Mushroom (2013) comes a captivating and vulnerable exposé into the dark recesses of the human psyche. This book follows James W. Jesso as he recounts in three of his most turbulent and dark experiences with visionary mushrooms. Through story, he takes us along as he travels through depression, self-loathing, inadequacy and feeling unable to love, and out the other side into confidence, courage, and inspiration. From daytime trips with friends gone sour, beyond a night rife with psychotic breaks, and into the watery confines of facing depression in a sensory deprivation tank, The True Light Of Darkness is a vehicle of insight on what it means to ask to be broken in the hopes of finding wholeness.
A futuristic reimaging of the classic Greek myth, as a boy ventures through deep space and challenges the awesome power of black holes. The beauty of the book lies in the images, provided by NASA and the Hubble Space telescope, and printed on board rather than paper.
• Explains how the new Atlantis was rebuilt using ancient Lemurian construction techniques and how Poseidon was put in charge by nefarious Prince Caligastia • Explores the rise of shamanism, the hidden history of Akhenaten, and the privileged role of the Yazidi people in the spiritual evolution of the planet • Exposes how our planet is one of the worlds on which the rebel angels have been the accorded the privilege of a mortal incarnation During the angelic rebellion 203,000 years ago, which led to the quarantine of Earth and 36 other planets from the Multiverse, Georgia, an angel of Seraphic status, aligned herself with Lucifer and the rebel angels. After the rebellion, Georgia was permitted to remain on this planet and become a Watcher. Writing together with Timothy Wyllie, in this book Georgia provides her personal account of Earth during the second rise of Atlantis. Georgia explains how the new Atlantis was home to the few surviving Lemurians and was rebuilt using ancient Lemurian construction techniques. She reveals how Prince Caligastia put Poseidon in charge of the new Atlantis in order to keep him from interfering with the Prince’s imposition of monotheism in southern Palestine. She explores the rise of shamanism through the entheogenic use of power plants -- first on the Islands of Mu, then in the Nile Valley, and later among the Aborigines of Australia. She also looks at the hidden history of Pharaoh Akhenaten and the privileged role of the Yazidi people in the spiritual evolution of the planet--and how even today the attempts to extinguish their culture is the work of Caligastia’s agents. Interwoven with Georgia’s narrative of Earth’s ancient history are her observations of Timothy Wyllie’s current and previous lives, including his involvement with the Process Church, his struggle to leave it, and his spiritual activities after he left. Through her revelations, Georgia exposes the supreme significance of Earth in the larger Multiverse and how our planet is one of the worlds on which the rebel angels have been accorded the privilege of a mortal incarnation. Georgia shares her words, in part, to awaken the 100 million rebel angels currently living their human lives. She reveals how a mortal incarnation for a rebel angel is an opportunity to redeem their past and help prepare for the imminent transformation of consciousness as the rebel-held planets, including Earth, are welcomed back into the Multiverse.
