Consciousness Books - Page 3

The Evolving Self: A Psychology for the Third Millennium

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

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Total reviews: 18 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A new landmark for the third millenium 5 out of 5 stars.
18 of 29 people found this review helpful.

Flow experiences, human peak experiences and high synergetic states are introduced in such an original and practical way in this book that, while readind it, one really experiences flow. Genes are the information units of life; they are associated with the genetic code, while "memes" are the equivalent information units when dealing with consciousness, with mind, with the noosphere, and they are coded in this master piece, from beginning to end, so that the "I" is challenged continually to evolve and to know how to obtain wisdom, "because wisdom is a cognitive skill, a special way of acting and a personal good, because the practice of wisdom leads to inner serenity and enjoyment". Complexity is certainly a fashionable catchword but again Mihaly makes it graspable and human, a practical tool, so to speak, because the final principle of evolution is an increase in both differentiation and integration ... Differentiation refers to the parts that differ in structure or function and integration refers to the whole in which the different parts communicate and enhance one another's goals. Flow, memes and complexity are presented in this work in such a unified framework that we can think that with it we have finally a truly complementary work for the "I", or some sort of evolutionary ontology, while with Ken Wilber work Sex, Ecology and Spirituality we have the corresponding philosophical counterpart, for the "we", and with Physics and the Principle of Synergy by Epsilon Pi, we have the corresponding scientifical counterpart, for the "It". But the important point to recall is that they all three are integral proposal; they really complement each other in this new stage of mankind in which the integration of the big three is a main concern. Synergy is a principle that when applied produces harmony and when not produces entropy, and when synergy is obtained, flow is experienced and a "field" is created, a field that can be used as a medium to detect a higher ordered state or an increased complexity, as "a good society is one that encourages the individuals to realize their potentials and permits complexity to evolve".

After reading this most influential book you will be not the same again because its "memetic" influence will start working by itself in your own evolving self.

Editorial Review:

The author of Flow demonstrates how, with a scientific base to morality, we can transcend cultural and evolutionary programming and become more complex, integrated individuals, working for the common good. 50,000 first printing. $50,000 ad/promo. Tour.

The ESP Enigma: The Scientific Case for Psychic Phenomena

Diane Hennacy Powell, M.D., Diane Hennacy Powell

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Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A revolutionary scientific explanation of psychic phenomena and the nature of human consciousness.

Although much is now known about the brain, relatively little has been determined about where consciousness comes from: What is the source of the “I” in our internal monologue? How does something as nonmaterial as consciousness arise from something material like the brain? Dr. Diane Powell, a Johns Hopkins–trained neuroscientist, has brilliantly reassessed the meaning and nature of consciousness by exploring research on the workings of psychic phenomena.

Over the past few decades several well-designed and rigorously supervised experiments have documented the existence of telepathic interconnection, clairvoyance, precognition, psychokinesis, and out-of-body experiences. Mainstream science has largely ignored these data because they all defy the traditional model of consciousness as being solely the product of brain chemistry.  Building from these experiments, Powell constructs a new theory of consciousness. I ntegrating concepts from physics, neuroscience, and other disciplines, she offers an insightful and intriguing explanation of ESP, provocatively claiming that the existence of psychic abilities expands our understanding and appreciation of consciousness. Psychic abilities are also consistent with findings in modern physics: For example, psychokinesis implies that consciousness is a type of force field, while precognition suggests that the past, present, and future exist concurrently.

Eye-opening in its conclusions and exciting in its implications, The ESP Enigma will challenge your preconceived notions and expand your mind.

The Absorbent Mind

Maria Montessori

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Total reviews: 12 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

this book will change the way you see children 5 out of 5 stars.
63 of 64 people found this review helpful.

This is Montessori's last book, and the most in-depth discussion of her theory based on decades of scientific observation of children. It discusses the special mind of the child, and how nurturing the special potentialities that only children have is the only way to change (and save) humanity. Montessori's theories are particularly interesting today in light of recent neurological discoveries, especially those related to critical periods and language.

This is a very dense book, and requires a good deal of concentration and time to read. I would recommmend The Child in the Family as the first book for one wanting an overview of Montessori ideas.

Editorial Review:

In response to the crisis in American education, more than five thousand public and private schools across the nation have adopted the timeless Montessori Method of teaching, of which this book is the cornerstone. Written by the women whose name is synonymous worldwide with child development theory, The Absorbent Mind takes its title from the phrase that the inspired Italian doctor coined to characterize the child's most crucial developmental stage: the first six years.

A new foreword by John Chattin-McNichols, Ph.D., President of the American Montessori Society, places this classic book in a contemporary context, offering an intelligent discussion of current thinking in child education.

Lucid Dreaming

Stephen LaBerge

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Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

All you need is here 4 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

If you want a more in depth and scientific book about lucid dreaming, Laberge's Explore the World of Lucid Dreaming is better. This short book contains the techniques you need, and all of the most relevant information.
The cd is good, not great. Laberge did not need to put some of the introductions on the tracks which take away from the exercises, and instead should have been printed in the book. The two trance tracks are identical except the day track tells you to wake up at the end, and I personally don't care for the lotus visualization--I always get confused as to how to visualize a lotus in my throat--do I look at it from where my eyes are, or look at me as though I am another person... Not clearly defined. He also varies his vocal volume too much--so you can't set an ideal volume because he mumbles at times and is too loud at others.
Overall a good book. I also liked The Art of Dreaming, The Tibetan Yogas of Dream and Sleep, and Dream Yoga and the Practice of Natural Light. All this reading means little if you don't practice though.

Editorial Review:

Dr. Stephen LaBerge draws on recently developed techniques that teach you to be aware of what you are dreaming, and ultimately control and manipulate the outcome of your dreams, in order to: overcome long-term, deep-seated fears, anxieties, and phobias; harness the healing power of your unconscious, awaken creativity, and more.
Dr. LaBerge presents further excersises in EXPLORING THE WORLD OF LUCID DREAMING.

The Holotropic Mind: The Three Levels of Human Consciousness and How They Shape Our Lives

Stanislav Grof, Hal Zina Bennett

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Can hallucinations explain reality? 4 out of 5 stars.
21 of 24 people found this review helpful.

What does holotropic mean? The dictionary does not define the term, and neither does the author, although he has developed an entire psychiatric treatment and trademarked it as the "Holotropic Breathwork." If we compare it to the meaning of "allotropic" we can deduce that it should mean "of one form." But with one form with what? After reading the book I am guessing that it refers to the universe. Our mind is one with it. Purely a guess; the author does not tell us.

Stanislav Grof was born in in 1931 in Czechoslovakia, where he received an MD in 1956, and PhD in 1967. It appears that he spent his time between the two degrees doing research in LSD-induced psychic states, often using himself as the subject. But when he came to the US in 1967, LSD use became prohibited, and so he eventually continued his work in "Transpersonal Psychology" (defined as a study of non-ordinary states of consciousness) with techniques that involved controlled breathing in a controlled setting. If nothing else, the reader of this book can get an idea of what a psychedelic trip feels like.

The book consists of two parts, framed between what could be called an introductory and a concluding chapter. In the introduction he mentions how some avant-garde physicists have introduced theories that connect together everything in the universe into one mathematical or even conscious entity: Talbot's holographic universe, Bohm's implicate order, Sheldrake's morphic resonance, and finally Jung's (an avant-garde psychiatrist in his day) collective unconscious. He then takes off into his favorite subject, LSD-induced regression into early childhood states and the birth process.

The next four chapters are allocated to studies of regression into the womb and birth experience, which he considers as the most important factors that are unconsciously affecting our adult feelings and actions. Even if you strongly disagree with what he is saying, try not to throw the book in garbage at this point. The following five chapters deal with wider transpersonal expansions of one's consciousness. Although he starts by discussing how under regression he was able to remember his existence as the spermatozoon that caused his own conception, and how others regressed to previous lives, or even plants and inanimate objects, most of the information here comes from published work by others. A lot of it is interesting, and a sufficient reason to have kept reading the book to this point. There is a good discussion of Carl Jung and his myth and archetype ideas, a brief discussion of synchronicity, and an excellent listing of many inventions and ideas that originated in people's minds as complete, inspired insights.

In the concluding chapter, he ignores the contents of the preceding five chapters, returns to his favorite subject of birth trauma, and generalizes it as the cause of all problems that have plagued mankind through its existence.

Obviously, this book is directed to the open-minded reader. Personally I disagree with the author's conclusions. I think all the data he presented could have been explained better if he followed through with Jung's and others' ideas of a universal subconscious rather than his own birth trauma theories.

The writer is the author of "Christianity without Fairy Tales: When Science and Religion Merge."

Editorial Review:

The psychiatrist whom many regard as one of the most brilliant thinkers in psychology today takes readers on a captivating expedition into the wonders of the human mind.

Extraordinary Knowing: Science, Skepticism, and the Inexplicable Powers of the Human Mind

Elizabeth Lloyd Mayer

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Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In 1991, when her daughter’s rare, hand-carved harp was stolen, Lisby Mayer’s familiar world of science and rational thinking turned upside down. After the police failed to turn up any leads, a friend suggested she call a dowser—a man who specialized in finding lost objects. With nothing to lose—and almost as a joke—Dr. Mayer agreed. Within two days, and without leaving his Arkansas home, the dowser located the exact California street coordinates where the harp was found.

Deeply shaken, yet driven to understand what had happened, Mayer began the fourteen-year journey of discovery that she recounts in this mind-opening, brilliantly readable book. Her first surprise: the dozens of colleagues who’d been keeping similar experiences secret for years, fearful of being labeled credulous or crazy.

Extraordinary Knowing is an attempt to break through the silence imposed by fear and to explore what science has to say about these and countless other “inexplicable” phenomena. From Sigmund Freud’s writings on telepathy to secret CIA experiments on remote viewing, from leading-edge neuroscience to the strange world of quantum physics, Dr. Mayer reveals a wealth of credible and fascinating research into the realm where the mind seems to trump the laws of nature.

She does not ask us to believe. Rather she brings us a book of profound intrigue and optimism, with far-reaching implications not just for scientific inquiry but also for the ways we go about living in the world.

Dreams

C. G. Jung

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Total reviews: 6 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Dreams not only as wish fulfilment 5 out of 5 stars.
28 of 32 people found this review helpful.

Carl Jung says he has analysed more than 2.000 dreams per year, a very impressive number by anyone's standards. In his Dreams book, which a very good collection of many of his dreams experiments, he is after demolishing some Freudian's dreams concepts, mainly the one which asserts that the purpose of dreams is to fulfill infantile sexual wishes repressed in the unconscious, which don't find adequate outlet trough conscious activities.
To add content to this dispute, one has only to have in mind that Jung was a very ardent disciple of Freud in the beginning of his career, but the relationship turned sour after 1914 in the figthing for prestige at the foundation of the Psychanalisys in the beginning of the 20th century.
In Jung's view, dreams are not only wish fulfillers, but they are also compensatory vis-a-vis our daily conscious life. So, the purpose of them is to balance our conscious and unconscious life. So, if life is good, dreams are bad and vice-versa. At the end of his life, Jung said in one of his testimonials that by means of a very representative dream he closed a circle, which meant he got a balanced mental life between unconscious and consciousness.

Also, dreams should be taken not as isolated entities, but rather as a series of concatenated manifestations of the unconscious, something which could be represented by the ancient mandalas (Sanscrit for circle) of many peoples from the ancient world (mayas, hindus, polinesians, etc...), where the ultimate end is to attain a balance mind. Jung's theory of the unconscious is, in my opinion, pretty much more attractive than Freud's, specially in what it regards the timelessness of the unconscious and the unconscious collective.

Reading "Dreams" after reading Freud's "Interpretation of Dreams" is a magnificient experience and the winner is surely the reader, who gets the most of two of the most proeminent and polemical psychanalysts of all times.

Editorial Review:

Extracted from Volumes 4, 8, 12, and 16. Includes "The Analysis of Dreams," 'On the Significance of Number Dreams," "General Aspects of Dream Psychology," "On the Nature of Dreams," "Individual Dream Symbolism in Relation to Alchemy," and "The Practical Use of Dream-Analysis."

The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size

Tor Norretranders

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Total reviews: 31 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The user illusion of this groundbreaking book's title comes from the computer industry and refers to the simplistic mental image most of us have of our PCs. Our consciousness, says Nrretranders, is our user illusion of ourselves. For example:
* In any given second, we consciously process only sixteen of the eleven million bits of information our senses pass on to our brains.
* Since it takes half a second to discard those bits of information we don't use, there's a half second delay between reality and our perception of it. If a baseball player thought about swinging at a pitch, he'd never hit the ball.
* Real communication consists of the vast amount of information that's left out--what the author calls exformation--not the minuscule percentage that's left in. The User Illusion makes the case that humans are designed for a much richer existence than processing a dribble of data from a computer screen, which actually constitutes a form of sensory deprivation. In fact, there is far too little information in the so-called Information Age. Drawing on wildly disparate areas of scientific research, Tor Nrretranders makes a compelling case for putting consciousness in perspective and embracing all that the world has to offer.

Cloud Nine:: A Dreamer's Dictionary

Sandra A. Thomson

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Total reviews: 8 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Highly reliable! 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I am one who has been paying attention to, and interpreting my own dreams since I was a kid, however, there are some dreams that I still need help understanding. I had a difficult time chosing a good dream dictionary due to the fact that many dream dictionaries have narrow meanings for their symbologies. However, this book gives you the point of views of Sigmond Freud, Carl Jung, the interpretations of other cultures and esoteric symbologies. So, it gives you a broad view of each symbol. I highly recommend this book. Enjoy!

By far the best dream dictionary... 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

I have been using Cloud Nine for about 10 years now to help me interpret my (and others') dreams, and it's by far the best! Once in a while I will browse through other dream dictionaries to see if I can't find a better one, but I don't think there is a better one out there.

It not only gives multiple interpretations for dreams and provides the reader with various dream exercises, but after using the book for a while, the reader can become adept at just KNOWING what their dream is trying to tell him or her. The book gets into symbolism of different cultures, archetypes in general, psychology, philosophy, religion, etc, but not so much as to become overwhelming. It feeds your brain, and definitely your intuition and ability to read between the lines in all sorts of waking-life situations.

It has really helped me be able to understand that dreams can reveal so much more than reality can seem to about what's REALLY going on in my journey through life. I do have this book by my bedside and it has been indispensable to me in trying to establish clarity, meaning, and direction in my life.

I can't recommend Cloud Nine enough :)

Editorial Review:

A practical guide that explains how to expand dream consciousness is accompanied by more than 1,900 entries that define thousands of dream symbols, along with tips on keeping a dream journal, actualizing one's dreams, and dream interpretation.

Self Hypnosis for a Better Life

William W. Hewitt

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Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you have tried hypnosis tapes and been disappointed with the results, it may be because the tapes weren't recorded with your voice. Self-Hypnosis for a Better Life by William W. Hewitt presents the breakthrough technique that will allow you to become your own hypnotherapist and improve your life. Using the system in this book, you will learn how to create self-hypnosis tapes in your own voice and be able to design your own self-improvement program.

Making these tapes is surprisingly easy. All you need is a tape recorder, a blank tape, and the complete instructions in this book. Simply make yourself comfortable and recite one of the 23 scripts included in the book.

The easy-to-follow scripts include self-hypnosis techniques to:

·Bring more love into your life
·Understand your dreams
·Help control your weight
·Control insomnia
·Improve your memory
·Increase self-confidence
·Enhance success at work
·Overcome phobias and fears
·Maintain good health
·Stop smoking
·Reduce stress
·Stimulate self-healing

Once you have made the tapes, you can use them at your convenience. Just pop in a tape, close your eyes, and allow your own voice to hypnotize you. As you use these tapes, you will discover that hypnosis is safe, pleasant, relaxing, comfortable, and effective.

Self-Hypnosis for a Better Life presents an elegant, simple system you can use to improve every area of your life. You owe it to yourself to get this book.