Category: Science

The Story of Gaia: The Big Breath and the Evolutionary Journey of Our Conscious Planet by Dr. Jude Currivan

  • footnotes:

Dr. Jude Currivan is a cosmologist, planetary healer, futurist, author, and co-founder of Whole World View. Having grown up as the daughter of a coal miner in the north of England, she has since journeyed to more than eighty countries around the world and for the last twenty -five years has lived in the sacred landscape of Avebury. She has experienced multidimensional realities since early childhood and worked with the wisdom keepers both incarnate and discarnate of many traditions. Jude integrates leading-edge science, consciousness research, and universal wisdom teachings into a holistic worldview. This underpins her work to enable transformational and emergent resolutions to our collective planetary issues, raise awareness, and empower fundamental change and sustainable solutions to global problems. She holds a Ph.D. in Archaeology from the University of Reading in the UK researching ancient cosmologies and a Master’s Degree in Physics from Oxford University specializing in cosmology and quantum physics. She is the author of seven non-fiction books currently available in 16 languages and 26 countries.

For anyone interested in the overlaps between ageless wisdom and science, this is an important book. Gaia’s story explores the discoveries and understanding, both leading-edge and ancient, that have progressively perceived how our Universe began and, from its earliest epoch, the long path that would eventually lead to our home world and the myriad abundance of children she has birthed, including ourselves.

The author begins with several ancient teachings, quoting the I Ching, “In the beginning was the One, the One became two, then became three, and from the three, ten thousand things were born.” She mentions the ancient Greeks and their intuitive understanding of numbers, pointing out that the Big Breath also reflects the Vedic perspective of the Breath of Brahman.

She further reminds us, how the ancient Greeks and many Indigenous peoples “viewed the Earth as a living being: a goddess and a mother. They called her Gaia.”

Dr. Jude Currivan examines in this book the emergence of self-aware members of the Universe which is a unified entity. She shares leading-edge scientific breakthroughs and explains that evolution is not driven by random occurrences and mutations but by intelligently informed and meaningful information flows and processes.

The author details the 13.8-billion-year story of our Universe where everything in existence has inherent meaning and evolutionary purpose. Showing how the Universe was born, not in an implicitly chaotic big bang, but as the first moment of a fine-tuned and ongoing “big breath,” she shares the latest evidence for the innate sentience that has guided our universal journey from simplicity to ever-greater complexity, diversity, and self-awareness – from protons to planets, plants, and people.

She brings together extensive scientific knowledge, evolutionary biology, cosmic insight, and embodied wisdom with brilliant attunement and insights before each chapter, leading the reader on a unified path toward greater wholeness.

You can find on her website a short video about “The Story of Gaia – Big Breath” and I think it’s worth watching. There are quite a few videos with her on YouTube and this is the link to her talk at the Theosophical Society in 2022 “A Whole World-View of the Universe, Gaia, and Us: Helping to Explain the Unexplained“.

Posted in: Metaphysics, Religion, Science , Tagged: ,

The Essential Edgar Cayce: His Philosophy

There are many books out there about Edgar Cayce as well as books that summarize his readings about specific topics. One example is There is a River: The Story of Edgar Cayce by Thomas Surgrue.  Thomas Surgrue received first a “life reading” from Cayce and later medical readings for his debilitating arthritis. From 1939 until 1941, the ailing Sugrue lived with the Cayce family in Virginia Beach, and completed this biography while convalescing. It is the sole biography written of Cayce during his lifetime.

Another Examples is Edgar Cayce: An American Prophet by Sydney D. Kirkpatrick.  Kirkpatrick offers the reader in this biography a different perspective on his life and legacy. It is easy to read and has fascinating details about Cayce’s private life and work as a psychic and the author had unrestricted access to all of Cayce’s letters and papers. Examples for books covering a specific topic is Edgar Cayce’s Atlantis  by Gregory and Laura Little and John Van Auken. There are also books containing the readings pertaining to a specific topic such as Reincarnation & Karma (summarized on this website) or Edgar Cayce on Atlatnis  I decided to write more about the book The Essential Edgar Cayce by Mark Thurston because the author beautifully summarizes the most important philosophical points from Cayce’s readings.

The Essence of the Cayce Philosophy is: 

1) Everything is connected – all is one

Once we perceive this unity it is our challenge to apply this understanding as practical mystics.

2) Life is purposeful

Each of us is born with a personal mission, a “soul-purpose”. There is an aspect of service to soul-purpose.

3) Approach life as an adventure

Life is meant to be a playful search for the truth; it is research in the broadest sense of the word.

4) Be noncompetitive: show compassion

Nothing takes us away quicker from the sense of oneness, and therefore from our own soul-purpose, than the drive for competitiveness. Compassion is the capacity to be present for another person and experience how we are all really the same. It is a matter of feeling with another person, not taking responsibility for that person but being responsible and responsive to that person.

5) Take responsibility for yourself

Help is available but no one else can fix things for us. Ultimately each soul is accountable for itself. The principle of self-responsibility is a cornerstone of Edgar Cayce recommendations.

6) Look ahead rather the back

The present and the future cannot be understood outside the context of the past but in essence he was saying to always look ahead and never back and understand that you are going to come back again. We should make choices that will help create the best possible results in the next lifetime.

7) Changing anything starts with an ideal

Motives, purposes, and ideals are the center of Cayce’s psychology. If we want to change anything in life we have to start at the motivational level.

8) All time is one time

Sometimes we get hints about the deeper mysteries of time (e.g. a precognitive dream). If we pay close attention to our inner lives, we might find clues that time is more complex than we think.

9) Success cannot be measured by material standards

Measuring success, especially in terms of one’s soul, is elusive because we cannot use the same standards for measuring the internal and external life.

10) Courage is essential to any spiritual growth

High aspirations and ideals are not enough, we have to do something with them.

11) Evil is real and comes in many forms

  • A lack of awareness – a deficit in conscious awareness
  • Extremism – we need to watch for our own tendency to go to extremes
  • Aggression and invasion – all human relations have the potential for these forms of evil
  • Transformation – stay engaged with anything ungodly and keep working to transform it
  • Rebellion and willfulness – we choose every day how to respond to evil; the focus is on our behavior – are we going against the impulse to bring the spirit into the material world.

12) Learn to stand up for yourself; learn to say no when it is needed

It is similar to self-assertion and setting boundaries.

Cayce was a significant pioneer in many disciplines that have gained widespread acceptance since his death:

The value of dreams as a tool for self-understanding and[tooltip title=”” content=”See also Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Jung under Psychology” type=”classic” ] guidance[/tooltip]. He saw dreams as a safe and reliable work to explore one’s own soul.

The importance of[tooltip title=”” content=”See also The Bhagavad Gita under Religion” type=”classic” ] meditation[/tooltip]  as a spiritual discipline. He evolved an approach that was easy to apply to the Judeo-Christian world.

A perspective on[tooltip title=”” content=”See also Theosophy under Philosophy” type=”classic” ] reincarnation, karma, [/tooltip] and grace that is potentially acceptable to the Judeo-Christian world. He presents reincarnation as an inescapable reality of how the universe operates. Karma can be softened by the influences of grace available to all souls.

An approach to[tooltip title=”” content=”See also Why Astrology can Help Us under Science” type=”classic” ] astrology[/tooltip] that recognizes past lives and the influence of the planets, especially with regard to helping people find a sense of purpose in life. He used the influence of the planets as a way of describing innate temperament and its impact upon the personality and aptitude.

According to Cayce’s readings we live in an orderly universe that is governed by universal laws. Humanity has a purposeful place in this universe, and there is a plan for us as souls: to bring the qualities of spiritual life into the material world consciously. That plan requires that we make proper use of two great gifts that God has given each of us: a creative mind and a free will. He also emphasized the importance of staying healthy and that we take responsibility for our own lives

Posted in: Metaphysics, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Science, Spiritual-Development , Tagged: ,

Why Astrology Can Help Us

  • quote: Astrology has been dated to at least the 2nd millennium BCE but it’s a safe assumption that astrology existed before this. Astrology, arguably the first science – even though the scientific community rejects astrology as a pseudoscience - connects our human souls to the movement of the heavens and guided ancient physicians, philosophers, seafarers, and spiritual leaders (e.g. The Three Wise Men, Pythagoras, Nostradamus, Isaac Newton). It began as the study of the wandering planets and should be understood as the study of the planetary cycles and how the energies of these events relate to their concurrent time on Earth.

You might wonder why I have put this topic under “Science” since the scientific community rejects astrology as a pseudy science.  But astrology, properly understood, is a science. In the words of Carl Payne Tobey, a known astrologer, astrology is a mathematical study of biological and psychological dynamics. According to the Theosophist Helena Blavatsky and others, it is the oldest known science, and all other sciences appear to have been its children. It comes to us out of prehistoric times, and suggests the existence of a prehistoric civilization enlightened far beyond our own in some respects.

Astrology is scientific in its mathematical calculations, in its consistency of interpretation, and in its direct correlation with the heavenly bodies.  At the same time it is a spiritual art because it can explain the paradoxes of existence and reveals the life-plan of individuals.

The earliest astrological records still in existence, tablets dating back to around 17 BC, show simple planetary movements such as solar eclipses with accompanying predictions of  famine, feast or war and other big events. In regions as diverse as the Middle East, the Far East and Central and Southern America  the planets visible to the naked eye—Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn—were observed, and even looked upon as divine gods.

Astronomer-astrologers made rough predictions based on the planets, as they moved forwards, sometimes halting and sometimes going backwards in the sky. The libraries of the Assyrian kings around 7 BC overflowed with collections of thousands of astrological predictions recorded on tablets.  You can find more examples on this Carl Payne Tobey.

Modern textbooks carefully conceal the fact that the greatest minds they glorify are those of the astrologers of history. Some of these astrologers have been Aristarchus, Aristotle, Plato, Pythagoras, Hippocrates, Copernicus, Kepler, Sir Isaac Newton, Paracelsus, Tycho Brahe, Benjamin Franklin, and many others. And famous followers of astrology were Shakespeare, Goethe, Catherine de Medici, Elizabeth I., Louis Pasteur, Carl Jung, Winston Churchill, John P. Morgan, the Reagans, Donald Reagan, the Blairs, and John P. Morgan. Modern astronomers like to teach us that Copernicus discovered that the earth was not the center of the solar system, but Copernicus was merely going back to a defense of Aristarchus, who proposed as early as the 3rd century BC that the Earth revolves around the Sun and who might have learned it from the work of Pythagoras who lived 500 B.C.

Astrology sees mankind as being not only influenced by hereditary factors and the environment, but also by the state of our solar system at the moment of birth. The planets are regarded as basic life-forces, the tools we live by as well as the basis of our very substance. These planetary forces take on different forms, depending on their zodiacal position and on the way they relate to one another.

Most of us know our Sun signs. But the Sun Signs are just the beginning of astrology. Astrology is as expansive as the heavens and as unique as you.  All 12 signs appear somewhere in your own birth charts and all the signs and planets influence all of us, no matter what our Sun sign is. Their energies “dance” together in many different ways making our life easier or create challenges. Based on the date, place, and time of our birth, the planets and signs in the houses of your birth chart create a metaphor for you. Learning how to read an astrology chart can give you insight into and discovering more about yourself. It shows you how your planets in their signs and houses can help you understand more about yourself and your life.  It explains not only what all those symbols for signs and planets mean, but also how they connect with your everyday life, why you do what you do, feel like you do and work where you work.

Fate is the lessons we need to learn in our life and they are unavoidable. Astrology connects your outer world to your inner world to reveal your potential but how you manifest your potential is where free will comes in. Sometimes manifestations are easy, sometimes there are energies that make manifesting our potential more challenging. We have to understand that nothing is going to stop us from learning our lessons – if we ignore them, life’s circumstances will continue to present us opportunities for learning until we get it.

We have to understand that the planets work to help us help ourselves. By applying pressure, planets help us to overcome inertia. At other times, they help us to see unproductive or even self-destructive behavior that we may have never noticed before but that we can fix. Astrologers believe that we must be accountable for our actions and recognize that we do have choices.

There are many websites where you can find detailed information about all the signs, planets, houses, and aspects.  On some of them you can find  articles and/or free lessons.  Excellent sources are the Correspondence Course in Astrology by Carl Payne Tobey and the site from Hank Friedman.

I am just giving you a quick overview of the basics hoping you get interested in astrology, hoping that you find a good and experienced astrologer who can be a great help on your path to Self-Knowledge.

Signs (Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, Pisces) are the “how” of astrology and all zodiac signs appear in every person’s chart. Planets (Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto) are the “what” of astrology. They represent various energies of a person, including one’s mental and emotional nature, desires, vitality, soul, will, consciousness, and subconscious, as well as the people in one’s life.

The houses are the “where” of astrology. Each of the 12 houses encompasses a specific arena of life and is the stage where the dramas of the planets unfold.

Each zodiac sign has one of two energies, coupled with one of three qualities and one of four elements and creates unique picture.

The two energies are yin or yang:

Yang – masculine/direct/assertive/extroverted (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, Aquarius) Fire/Air Yin – feminine/indirect/passive/ introverted (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, Pisces) – Earth/Water
Specific Holistic
Positive Negative

The three qualities are cardinal, fixed, or mutable.

Cardinal (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) Fixed (Taurus, Leo , Scorpio, Aquarius) Mutable (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)
Independent Persistent Adaptable
Impatient Consistent Flexible
Go-Getting Reliable Mercurial
Efficacious Focused  
Self-starters Determined  

The four elements are fire, earth, air and water.

Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces)
Energetic Practical Intellectual Emotional
Courageous Skillful Social Intuitive
Passionate Down to Earth Thoughtful Romantic

The aspects are angles the planets make to each other and to other points of astrological interest (such as the ascendant)  and are measured by the angular distance in degrees and minutes.  Only certain angular relationships are regarded as aspects, and these are said to have intrinsic qualities – they are said to be “harmonic”, “dynamic” or “neutral”. These relationships influence how the planets work together.There are disharmonious aspects such as Opposition and Square and harmonious aspects such as Trine and Sextil.

By interpreting the roles of these players (the planets) and their qualities (the elements, signs and houses) and creating a synthesis, astrology is able to present a complete and comprehensive picture of the person and his potential, based on the natal horoscope.

Your Sun sign represents your self, your willpower, and your creativity; the ascendant, or Rising sign, is the sign that was rising over the horizon at the moment of you birth chart and represents the “you” that the outside world perceives, as well as your personality traits, needs, and physical characteristics. Your descendant, located on the cusp of your seventh house, represents how you channel your energy through partnerships and relationships. Your midheaven, or M.C., represents your ambition, career, or social role and public image. It’s the highest point that the Sun reached on the day of your birth and is located on the cusp of the tenth house. Your lower heaven, or I.C. is the point on your birth chart that represents your life’s foundation and psychological roots and is located on the cusp of the fourth house.

Remember, not all lawyers, doctors and accounts are the same and there are many astrologers who don’t really know what they are doing.  But if you find a good one he can give you insights and you can choose to make something of them!

Here is another link you might find helpful: Astrology

If you are interested in learning more, the Online School of the Theosophical Society offers a free course (but they ask for donations if you find a course helpful) called “Intuitive Astrology”. You have to create a free account, find the course and enroll.

If you would be interested in taking a beginner’s astrology course using your own charts beginning in mid January 2024, please send an email to uastrologyforall@gmail.com

 

Posted in: Science, Spiritual-Development , Tagged:

Life before Life by Jim Tucker

Jim B. Tucker, M.D. is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia. His main research interests are children who claim to remember previous lives, and natal and prenatal memories. A board-certified child psychiatrist, Dr. Tucker worked with Dr. Stevenson for several years before taking over the research upon Dr. Stevenson’s retirement in 2002 and is continuing his work.

Dr. Tucker was born and raised in North Carolina. He attended the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, where he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA degree in psychology in 1982, followed by a Medical Degree four years later. He then received training in general psychiatry and child psychiatry at the University of Virginia. After he completed his training, he stayed in Charlottesville and began a successful private practice in psychiatry.
Dr. Tucker, who was raised Southern Baptist, had never seriously considered the idea of reincarnation before reading one of Dr. Stevenson’s book. After learning about the work, he became intrigued both by the children’s reports of past-life memories and by the prospect of studying them using an objective, scientific approach.

He has now published two books and numerous papers in scientific journals. He has spoken before both scientific and general audiences and has made a number of television appearances, including Good Morning America, Larry King Live, and CBS Sunday Morning.

In this book the author offers a clear and concise insight into a 40-year investigation of evidence for the existence of reincarnation and the fact that our consciousness survives physical death.

Dr. Tucker examines in “Life before Life” in a rational manner the possibility of reincarnation – a concept explored in Theosophy, by Edgar Cayce in “Reincarnation and Karma“, by Elizabeth Page in “Reincarnation: The Missing Link in Christianity“. He explored this concept through children’s accounts of past lives, which are usually between the ages of 4 and 7. Dr. Tucker has documented over 2,500 cases in countries all around the globe and attempts to address the various explanations for each.

He opens with the story of William, born five years after his policeman grandfather, John, was killed, with birth defects similar to John’s fatal wounds. William was able, at three, to report John’s last moments, of which he couldn’t possibly have had any knowledge.

One of the many stories he tells is about a Turkish child who insisted on being called by the name of a man who had lived 50 miles away. Taken to the man’s town, the child proceeded to the man’s home and identified the man’s parents in a roomful of people. All the stories were checked by scientist-interviewers, and all potential deception was eliminated; hence, Tucker introduces powerful grounds for credulous speculation.

Dr. Tucker acknowledges that mainstream science is by nature conservative, provides examples on how mainstream science turned its back on large amounts of evidence that challenged conventional wisdom, but also admits that mainstream science has rightly rejected many kooky ideas. He carefully explains alternative interpretations, the extent to which they are plausible, and the extent to which they probably are not. The cases he describes are in his words not about “proof”, but they are about evidence. He also explains that no criteria are perfect in all situations and addresses the issue of extrasensory perceptions.

In addition, Dr. Tucker writes about the concept of karma in the connection of birthmarks because in most cases the victims of a crime bear the birthmarks. In  only three cases did children think their birth defects were retribution for acts they remembered in prior life.

Some of the children described in the book talk about the interval between the death of the previous personality and this birth, including events that took place in the mother’s womb. In 1,100 cases 69 cases reported memories of the previous personality’s funeral or the handling of the remains; 91 described other events happening on Earth, 112 reported memories of being in another realm; and 45 reported memories either of conception or being reborn. One boy names Lee said that he remembered deciding to be reborn. He said that other beings helped him with his decision to come down to Earth. Such kind of decisions are also described by other authors. Examples are books by Dr. Michael Newton, for example the book “Journey of Souls” or Robert Schwartz’s  book “Your Soul’s Plan“. Cases in which the previous personality died by natural means are slightly but significantly more likely to include statements about an existence in another realm than ones involving unnatural means – 19% of the natural means versus 13% of the unnatural means ones. The author also discovered that the more that the previous personality meditated, the more likely the child was to describe memories from another realm.

In chapter 9, in which Dr. Tucker addresses opposing views to reincarnation. a concept discussed in Theosophy, or in the book “Reincarnation and Karma” by Edgar Cayce.  The author states, that “the idea that consciousness can be considered separately from the brain is in many ways at the crux of the question of reincarnation” and delves into quantum physics.

He shares with us, that John Wheeler, an important physicist, thinks that on a quantum level the universe is a work in progress in which not only the future is still undetermined but the past as well.  He describe other ideas of well respected scientists and states that we should consider consciousness separate from the brain, that modern physics can be used to explain paranormal phenomena, and that consciousness is an essential part of the universe. This way we get a view of consciousness that is very different from the materialist dismissal of it. He goes on to say, that researchers in several areas have produced evidence that consciousness is not confined to an individual brain.

He reminds us, that in Judaism, the Kabbalah includes reincarnation; that some early Christians, particularly the Gnostic Christians, believed in reincarnation, and that some Christians in southern Europe believed in it until the Second Council of Constantinople in 553 c.e. He also quotes some Bible passages that imply reincarnation. He adds that some Shiite Muslim groups believe that an ultimate Judgment Day comes after a series of lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in: Metaphysics, Science , Tagged: , ,

The Overview Effect

“Many of the great wisdom traditions of the Earth have pointed to what we are calling the ‘Overview Effect’, that is to say, they have realized this unity, this oneness of all life on Earth and of consciousness and awareness”.

Frank White
Author of “The Overview Effect”

On the 40th anniversary of the “Earth” photograph taken from space, “Planetary Connection” created a short video showing astronauts’ life-changing stories from seeing the Earth from the outside.

“They were realizing at some deep level the interconnectedness with that beautiful blue ball.”

David Lay
Philosopher

“The Earth is one system and we are all part of this system and there is a certain unity and coherence to it.

Frank White
Author

“The experience is of total unity and oneness.” (This unity is discussed in Theosophy, in the Bhagavad Gita, in the Yoga Sutras and in other spiritual texts.)

Edgar Mitchell
Astronaut

Here is the link to another spectacular video about our planet.

And NASA has information about it as well.

I feel it’s best to watch the videos to grasp the “Overview Effect”. The most prominent common aspects of personally experiencing the Earth from space are appreciation and perception of beauty, unexpected and even overwhelming emotion, and an increased sense of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole. The effect can cause changes in the observer’s self-concept and value system, and it can be transformative. 

 

 

Posted in: Science , Tagged: ,

Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness

Bruce Rosenblum has a BS in Engineering Physics from New York University and a PhD from Columbia University studying microwave molecular spectra. He is Professor of Physics and former Chairperson of the Physics Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Fred Kuttner graduated from MIT with a degree in physics and spent several years teaching high school physics and training high school physics teachers, both in the US and with the Peace Corps in Colombia. After returning to the U.S. he got his PhD in Physics fro the University of California, Santa Cruz and his thesis was on the quantum theory of magnetic phase transitions.

Even though I have a  separate page that summarizes the most important concepts about quantum physics (see Quantumphysics) that are relevant for this site I decided to create a separate page about this particular book because it is one of the most concise and simplest explanations of various quantum phenomena. I found this it easy to read although I had to go over some passages more than once since I am not a scientist. It covers concepts such as the old Universal Law of Motion based on Newton’s worldview, Schrödinger’s Equation and the new Universal Law of Motion, the Observer Problem, the EPR paradox, Bell’s Theorem and the Copenhagen interpretation.  At the end of the book the authors discuss the link between quantum mechanics and consciousness.

The authors have created a website that includes a book description, a table of content with the quotes they have used for each chapter and a page titled “Enigma in a Nutshell” which I found particularly interesting. In addition the authors address the controversy of this book saying that it is “the mystery beyond the physics, that’s controversial”. The further state:  “One concern is that some people, seeing the solid science of physics linked to the mystery of the conscious mind, might become susceptible to all sorts of pseudo-scientific nonsense. We physicists can also be uncomfortable seeing our discipline involved with anything so “unphysical.”

The authors provide a list of additional readings for both the general reader and advanced student and a detailed index of topics at the end of the book.

 

 

Posted in: Science , Tagged: , ,

Bibliography

Below is a summary of the book titles I have addressed on this webpage.  If there is an asterisk next to the book you can find a separate document about it on this site.

A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle *)

The author shows in this book how transcending our ego-based state of consciousness is not only essential to personal happiness, but also the key to ending conflict and suffering throughout the world.

At the Feet of the Master by Jiddu Krishnamurti (free online)

While under the guidance of the Theosophical Society, Krishnamurti (using the pen name of Alcyone) wrote the book “At The Feet of the Master”. It is a beautiful little book that contains principles of living that can be applied by anyone.

Bhagavad Gita: The Song of God by Swami Praphavananda, C. Isherwood and A. Huxley *)

The Bhagavad-Gita is part of the vast Hindu Epic, the Mahabarat. Its simple, vivid message is a daily inspiration in the lives of millions throughout the world. This edition is a distinguished translation that can be read by every person as a living contemporary message that touches the most urgent personal and social problems.

Biocosm: The New Scientific Theory of Evolution: Intelligent Life is the Architect of the Universe by James A. Gardener

This carefully reasoned book proposes that life and intelligence have not emerged as a series of random accidents, as Darwinists like Stephen Jay Gould have maintained, but are hardwired into the cycle of cosmic creation, evolution, death, and rebirth.

Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow by Elizabeth Lesser *)

The author blends in this book moving stories, humorous insights, practical guidance, and personal experiences and offers tools to help us make the choice we all face in times of challenge: Will we be broken down and defeated, or broken open and transformed?

Dying to Be Me by Anita Moorjani *)

In this memoir the author relates how, after fighting cancer for almost four years, her body—overwhelmed by the malignant cells spreading throughout her system—began shutting down. As her organs failed, she entered into an extraordinary near-death experience where she realized her inherent worth and the actual cause of her disease. Upon regaining consciousness, she found that her condition had improved so rapidly that she was able to be released from the hospital within weeks without a trace of cancer in her body!

Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Conscious by Carter Phibbs

Blending cutting-edge ideas with incisive spiritual insights, this book is the first popular presentation of an emerging school of thought called “evolutionary spirituality.” The author, the former executive editor of EnlightenNext magazine, asserts that evolution is not only a scientific but also a spiritual idea in a book whose message has the power to bring new meaning and purpose to life as we know it.

Four Chapters on Freedom: Commentary on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali by Swami Satyananda Saraswati

This book contains  the full Sanskrit text of Patanjali’s Yoga sutras as well as transliteration, translation and an extensive commentary. The Yoga Sutras,containing 196 epithets or threads of Yoga, is the most respected treatise on Yoga.

From the Outer Court to the Inner Sanctum by Annie Besant

This book is about our pilgrimage from the beginning to the conclusion of our evolution.

Heal Thyself  by Dr. Edward Bach *)

In this book, Dr. Edward Bach, creator of the Bach Flower remedies (which can be purchased at most Whole Foods), looks at the nature and treatment of disease, as well as the vital principles that influence advanced members of the medical profession. You can download the author’s books for free from the Bach Centre.

Hidden Language Codes by R. Neville Johnston *)

This book is about thought. Where we go in life is diretly related to our mastery and command of our thoughts and our language. In evolving, we naturally change the way we think. A method of accelerating this process is to change the very words we think.

How to Know Higher Worlds by Rudolf Seiner *) (free online)

The author offers with this book is a pathway to any person interested in personal growth and the higher reaches of the mind. He explains the reasons why we should walk the spiritual path to self-realization, talks about karma, higher beings, higher worlds, reincarnation and initiation based on his own experiences.

Human Technology by Ilchi Lee *)

The author offers you in this book his essential teachings distilled from a lifetime of study. He presents a toolkit for self-reliance management of the core issues of life: health, sexuality, and life purpose. Meditation, breath-work, and Oriental healing arts are offered as self-reliant health management skills.

Initation by Annie Besant (free online) *)

The authors explains in this book that there is a Path, which leads to what is known as “Initiation” and through Initiation to the Perfecting of Man; a Path, which is recognized in all great religions.

Initiation by Elisabeth Haich (free online) *)

Written at the request of her advanced students, this book is an illuminating autobiography that connects the twentieth century European life of the author and her lucid memories of initiation into the hidden mystical teachings of the priesthood in ancient Egypt. A compelling story within a story emerges detailing the life experiences that catalysed her spiritual path. Elisabeth Haich reveals her in-depth insights into the subtle workings of karma, reincarnation, the interconnectedness of individual daily life choices and spiritual development.Elisabeth Haich shares usually hidden truths that only a few rare individuals in any generation, seek, find and communicate to others, enabling the reader to awaken within the essential understanding necessary to enlighten any life no matter what events manifest.

Introduction to Astro-Psychology by Glenn Perry *)

The book represents a psychologically sophisticated astrology that goes beyond the usual approaches to the subject. All the parts are there—signs, planets, houses, aspects—but they are integrated with the latest developments in personality research and psychotherapy.

Journey of Souls by Dr. Michael Newton *)

In this book readers can learn the latest details and most recent groundbreaking discoveries that reveal, for the first time, the mystery of life in the spirit world after death on Earth—proof that our consciousness survives. Using a special hypnosis technique to reach the hidden memories of subjects, Dr. Newton discovered some amazing insights into what happens to us between lives.

Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children’s Memories of Previous Lives by Dr. Jim Tucker *)

In this book the author offers the most convincing scientific evidence for the fact that our consciousness survives physical death.  And indeed, takes quantum leaps of creativity in the form of reincarnation.  The model that Dr. Tucker presents opens a new vision of who we are, limitless beings that fill up all of space and time.

Memories, Dreams, Reflections by Carl Jung *)

In the spring of 1957, when he was eighty-one years old, C. G. Jung undertook the telling of his life story. At regular intervals he had conversations with his colleague and friend Aniela Jaffé, and collaborated with her in the preparation of the book based on these talks.

Power vs Force by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D

The author details how anyone may resolve the most crucial of all human dilemmas: how to instantly determine the truth or falsehood of any statement or supposed fact. Dr. Hawkins, who worked as a “healing psychiatrist” during his long and distinguished career, uses theoretical concepts from particle physics, nonlinear dynamics, and chaos theory to support his study of human behavior.

Promised by Heaven by Dr. Mary Helen Hensley *)

A moving and inspirational memoir of love, loss, and renewal, Promised by Heaven tells the amazing story of how one woman’s near-death experience and glimpse of heaven led her to discover her gifts of healing and share them with the world.

Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eben Alexander *)

Dr. Alexander’s neuroscience career taught him that near-death experiences are brain-based illusions, and yet his personal experience led him to a different conclusion. When his own brain was attacked by a rare illness, the part of the brain that controls thought and emotion, shut down completely and  for seven days he was in a coma. During that time Alexander journeyed beyond this world and encountered an angelic being who guided him into the deepest realms of super-physical existence.

Quantum Enigma: Physics Encounters Consciousness by B. Rosenblum and F. Kuttner *)

In trying to understand the atom, physicists built quantum mechanics, the most successful theory in science and the basis of one-third of our economy. They found, to their embarrassment, that with their theory, physics encounters consciousness. Authors Bruce Rosenblum and Fred Kuttner explain all this in non-technical terms with help from some fanciful stories and anecdotes about the theory’s developers. They present the quantum mystery honestly, emphasizing what is and what is not speculation.

Reincarnation & Karma by Edgar Cayce *)

Edgar Cayce’s ability to read the Akashic Record, the Book of Life, provides us with some of the best insights into reincarnation and karma. This book contains Cayce’s among other things teachings on how and why the soul reincarnates, how a soul’s actions and thoughts are recorded and how to break free of the wheel of karma.

Reincarnation: The Missing Link to Christianity by Elizabeth Clare Prophet and Erin Prophet *)

The authors trace the history of reincarnation in Christianity―from Jesus and the early Christians through Church councils and the persecution of so-called heretics. 31 illustrations, 4 maps.

Self Healing, Yoga and Destiny by Elisabeth Haich *)

This book explains the attitudes necessary for the path back to one’s self. Based on many years personal experience, the author creates an understanding of how to realise the essential source of life and shares her personal views on love , accidents, suffering, destiny, illness, self-healing and transformation.

Structures of Consciousness – The Genius of Jean Gebser by Feorg Feuerstein

Georg Feuerstein’s work is an indispensable primer to Gebser. Gebser’s seminal work, “The Ever-Present Origin”, is a daunting work, but for those who do not have the time or patience to work through it, Feuerstein gives a terrific overview of the basic framework of his thoughts and concepts.

The Eagle and The Rose: A Remarkable True Story by Rosemary Altea

In this book the autor tells the readers how she contacts the spirit world, predicts future events, ans performs “spirit rescues” for those unable to continue their journey. The essence of her message is that there is life after death, and that we are all spiritual beings who come to earth to learn.

The Essential Edgar Cayce by Edgar Cayce and Mark Thurston *)

A complete guide to the work of the remarkable twentieth-century seer Edgar Cayce, featuring Cayce’s most intriguing and influential readings, and a biographical introduction to his life.

The Ever-Present Origin by Jean Gebser *)

The Ever-Present Origin is a translation of “Ursprung und Gegenwart”, a book which was published in German in two parts around 1949 and 1953. The central contribution of this book is Gebser’s analysis of the history of culture in terms of the predominance of different modes of consciousness. Gebser details five structures of consciousness: the archaic, the magical, the mythical, the mental, and the integral (or aperspectival).

The Five Seasons by Joseph Cardillo *)

The Five Seasons is a simple yet effective code for optimizing the way you live. Based on the five universal seasons from traditional Chinese medicine as well as on Western psychology, this book will teach you how to use the rising and falling energies of nature’s seasons to train your mind and body to feel relaxed, energized, and content…all year long. The formula is simple: change the way you process nature’s energies and you will change your life.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz *)

In this book the author reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.

The Gnostic Gospels by Elaine Pagels *)

In this book the author suggests that Christianity could have developed quite differently if Gnostic texts had become part of the Christian canon. Without a doubt: Gnosticism celebrates God as both Mother and Father, shows a very human Jesus’s relationship to Mary Magdalene, suggests the Resurrection is better understood symbolically, and speaks to self-knowledge as the route to union with God. Pagels argues that Christian orthodoxy grew out of the political considerations of the day, serving to legitimize and consolidate early church leadership.

The Golden Present by Swami Satchidananda *)

This book of daily inspirational selections invites the reader to begin each day on a positive note. In a convenient and popular format, it effectively imparts Sri Swami Satchidananda’s key teachings on the spiritual life, emphasizing how to serve others and realize peace, truth and union with the Divine. Culled from 25 years of lectures to spiritual seekers in the West and the East, its teachings clearly reflect Sri Swamiji’s humor, warmth and practicality–and convey the authority of one who speaks from his own experience.

The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey of Your True Calling by Stephen Cope *)

The director of the Institute for Extraordinary Living at the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health inquires into the dharma–vocation or calling–of a selection of both illustrious and ordinary individuals. ‘Yogis insist that every single human being has a unique vocation,’ writes Cope. Turning to the Bhagavad Gita for guidance, the author realized the difficulty in penetrating even the first piece of advice: ‘Discern, name, and then embrace your own dharma.’

The Heart of the Soul by Gary Zukav and Linda Francis *)

The authors explain the fundamental concepts on how the expansion of human perception beyond the five senses leads to a new understanding of power as the alignment of the personality with the soul — “authentic power.” They show us the importance of emotional awareness in applying these concepts to our own daily lives.

The Heart of Yoga by T.K.V. Desikachar

This yoga book outlines a step-by-step sequence for developing a complete practice according to viniyoga–yoga adapted to the needs of the individual. It also includes a translation of Patañjali’s Yoga Sutras.

The Language Codes by R. Neville Johnston *)

This book is built on the premise that all things exist within a Quantum Field, a field in which all things are virbrating. By altering the field and controlling the vibrations that we emit – such as when speaking – we are able to harness the power of the vibrational fields around us. Suddenly everyday speech becomes a source of magnificent power.

Theosophy: An Introductory Study Course by John Algeo (free online) *)

This study course provides an introduction to basic Theosophical concepts. Chapters include questions for group or individual study.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

The author describes in this book his transition from despair to self-realization soon after his 29th birthday. It took him another ten years to understand this transformation, during which time he evolved a philosophy that has parallels in Buddhism, relaxation techniques, and meditation theory but is also eminently practical.

The Spontaneous Fulfillment of Desire by Deepak Chopra *)

This book contains a dramatic premise: Not only are everyday coincidences meaningful, they actually provide us with glimpses of the field of infinite possibilities that lies at the heart of all things. By gaining access to this wellspring of creation, we can literally rewrite our destinies in any way we wish.

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche *)

In 1927, Walter Evans-Wentz published his translation of an obscure Tibetan Nyingma text and called it the Tibetan Book of the Dead. Popular Tibetan teacher Sogyal Rinpoche has transformed that ancient text, conveying a perennial philosophy that is at once religious, scientific, and practical. Through extraordinary anecdotes and stories from religious traditions East and West, Rinpoche introduces the reader to the fundamentals of Tibetan Buddhism, moving gradually to the topics of death and dying.

The Undiscovered Self by C.G. Jung *)

In this provocative book, Dr. Carl Jung-one of psychiatry’s greatest minds-argues that the future depends on our ability to resist society’s mass movements. Only by understanding our unconscious inner nature-“the undiscovered self”-can we gain the self-knowledge that is antithetical to ideological fanaticism.

The Yoga Sutras by Patañjali

There are countless translations and commentaries on the Yoga Sūtras available. In this book the Sūtras are presented with the original Sanskrit and with translation, transliteration, and commentary by Sri Swami Satchidananda, one of the most respected and revered contemporary Yoga masters. Sri Swami offers practical advice, based on his own experience, for mastering the mind and achieving physical, mental, and emotional harmony.

To Know Your Self by Swami Satchidananda *)

In this compilation of teachings and stories, the author, of the world’s best know Yoga masters, offers guidance for everyday problems in family life and business, and shows us how to realize Universal Consciousness. This book outlines the path to peace of mind and a new, more spiritual way of life.

What the Buddha Taught by Prof. Walpola Rahula *)

In this book the author tries to address those readers, who would like to know what the Buddha actually taught. He aimed at giving briefly, and as directly and simply as possible, a faithful and accurate account of the actual words used by the Buddha as they are to be found in the original Pali texts of the Tipiṭaka, universally accepted by scholars as the earliest extant records of the teachings of the Buddha.

Your Soul’s Plan: Discovering the Real Meaning of the Life you Planned before You Were Born by Robert Schwartz *)

The author explores in this book the premise that we are all eternal souls who plan our lives, including our greatest challenges, before we are born for the purpose of spiritual growth. Through compelling profiles of people who knowingly planned the experiences mentioned above, Your Soul’s Plan shows that suffering is not purposeless, but rather imbued with deep meaning.

BÜCHER AUF DEUTSCH

Die eigene Identität von Herman Meyer *)

Dem Autor nach ist es möglich, durch das Finden der eigenen Identität, das vorhandene Potential zu erkennen und zu nutzen sowie die richtige Wahl der Wohnung, des Arbeitsplatzes und des Lebenspartners zu treffen. Was dann “erfolgt” ist kein Zufall mehr, sondern das Ergebnis einer selbst-bewußten Persönlichkeit.

Die Gesetze des Schicksals von Hermann Meyer *)

Was ist Schicksal, und wie kann man lernen, sich aus seinen Zwängen zu befreien? Der bekannte Partnerschafts- und Schicksalsforscher Hermann Meyer zeigt, dass Schicksal nichts Determiniertes ist, sondern von jedem selbst meist unbewusst erschaffen wird. Er  beschreibt zehn Schicksalsgesetze. Wenn wir ihren Mechanismus durchschauen, können wir Ordnung in das Chaos unserer Schicksalsereignisse bringen, die Wahl unserer moralischen Normen bewusst treffen und unsere individuellen Bedürfnisse angemessen beachten.

Posted in: Metaphysics, Philosophy, Psychology, Religion, Science, Spiritual-Development , Tagged: , ,

Overlap of Science, Religion, and Philosophy

The relationship between religion and science has been a subject of study since Classical antiquity. It has been addressed by philosophers, theologians, scientists, and other commentators. Some contemporary scientists are of the opinion that religion and science are non-overlapping magisterial, addressing fundamentally separate forms of knowledge and aspects of life. Some theologians or historians of science, propose an interconnection between them. In my readings I have found authors and concepts addressing the overlapping of science, religion and philosophy that I find detrimental for understanding that we are here to improve ourselves and that we are all connected.

James A. Gardner, a complexity theorist and essayist, wrote in his book Biocosm: The New Scientific Theory of Evolution: Intelligent Life is the Architect of the Universe, that the “overlapping domains of science, religion, and philosophy should be regarded as virtual rain forests of cross-pollinating ideas” and that “the messy science/religion/philosophy interface should be treasured as an incredibly fruitful cornucopia of creative ideas”.

This idea of overlap is addressed in Theosophy, where the second objective is “To encourage the study of comparative religion, philosophy, and science.”  In the Theosophical view religion, science and philosophy are three different approaches to the truth and when rightly followed are not contradictory. In fact they blend into one another. They are three ways of viewing the truth of the universe, and what at one time is religion or philosophy will be science at another time. As a British scientist, John D. Barrow, has written (Theories of Everything, 4):

Today, physicists accept the atomistic viewpoint that material bodies are at root composed of identical elementary particles, as [that view is] well supported by evidence. It is taught in every university in the world. Yet, this theory of physics began amongst the early Greeks as a philosophical, or even mystical, religion without any supporting observational evidence whatsover… Atomism began life as a philosophical idea that would fail virtually every contemporary test of what should be regarded as “scientific”; yet, eventually, it became the cornerstone of physical science. One suspects that there are ideas of similar groundless status by today’s standards that will in the future take their place within the accepted “scientific” picture of reality.

Carter Phipps refers in his book “Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Conscious” to Jean Gebser when he explains that there is “evidence that integrative, cross-disciplinary thinking may not be the latest and greatest idea of the cognoscenti but an actual higher mental function that represents a further step in the evolution of consciousness itself.”

Gebser describes in his monumental work The Ever-Present Origin  consciousness as “being present”. His major thesis was that human consciousness is in transition, and that these transitions are mutations and not continuous (compare with Initiation by Elisabeth Haich). Looking back into our human past he distinguished four levels of consciousness: the archaic structure, the magical structure, the mythical structure, and the mental structure.  Working from the historical evidence of almost every major field including religion, physics, philosophy and natural sciences Jean Gebser saw traces of the emergence (which he called “efficiency”) and collapse (“deficiency”) of various structures of consciousness throughout.

Gebser saw through the quagmire of “the decline of the West” the emergence of a new structure of consciousness, the integral structure. This structure requires our conscious effort through personal and collective self-transcending practice. In the chapter about integral consciousness of his book he writes in this context, that the necessary changes in humanity won’t be reached through attempts of making the world a better place.  In his opinion those so-called “do-gooders” are shirking their responsibility to work on and improve themselves. They are playing the game of demanding from others what they are too lazy to do themselves. In his words they are not only betraying themselves but the whole world.

In the same book he explains in the article “Dualismus und Polarität” [dualism and polarity] how the classical view of “either and or” (dualism) which has been valid for thousand of years has to be substituted with the view of “as well as” (polarity).  Based on the scientific discoveries of Max Planck, Albert Einstein, Ernest Rutherford, Niels Bohr and Werner Heisenberg about Quantum Physics and the Theory of Relativity we can’t avoid to change our way of thinking. We must integrate these new concepts into our way of live.  With these discoveries our model of the universe expanded rapidly and advanced theoretical physics demonstrated that everything in the universe is subtly dependent upon everything else.

Whereas in dualism opposite views were irreconcilable (e.g. good and bad; the here and now and the afterlife; fear and hope; beautiful and ugly), in polarity you understand that everything is interdepend and can’t fight each other with impunity or exclude each other (e.g. male and female principles; employer and employee). These “poles” are dependent on each other and build a whole (Yin and Yang).

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Quantum Physics

Most of us have heard of Quantum Physics and even though I have read books and articles about this topic I don’t want summarize a specific book.  If you want to find out more about it there are excellent resources on the Internet, for example at http://physics.about.com/od/quantumphysics/p/quantumphysics.htm. This video does a great job explaining the quantum principles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45KGS1Ro-sc.

On this website you can also find a good explanation about Quantum Physics: http://www.abundance-and-happiness.com/quantum-physics.html

Below are the main ideas that are relevant for this website and that I have gotten from my readings directing us again to the fact that we have to work on ourselves to improve the world.

Quantum Physics is a branch of science that deals with discrete, indivisible units of energy called quanta as described by the Quantum Theory. Fundamental to contemporary Quantum Theory is the notion that there is no phenomenon until it is observed. This effect is known as the ‘Observer Effect’ (see http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/02/980227055013.htm).

According to Alex Paterson (see http://www.vision.net.au/~apaterson/science/observer_effect.htm) the implications of the ‘Observer Effect’ are profound because, if true, it means that before anything can manifest in the physical universe it must first be observed. Presumably observation cannot occur without the pre-existence of some sort of consciousness to the observing and therefore the Observer Effect implies that the physical Universe is the direct result of ‘consciousness‘.

This interpretation is supported by Jim Tucker, the medical director of the Child and Family Psychiatry Clinic, and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He explains, that because Quantum Physics shows that events involving its smallest particles only occur once they are observed, the material world is derived from consciousness, not the other way around.  He also points out, that this belief has been shared by a number of quantum physicists, including Max Planck, the father of quantum mechanics and Nobel Prize winner in Physics in 1918.

That means, the substance of the universe is not matter but consciousness (see also Quantum Enigma). This is extremely important to understand because of most people’s belief today that the substance of the universe is matter and therefore they attempt to accumulate as many material possessions as possible. And if consciousness creates the material world, then it may not be dependent upon that world to exist, meaning that consciousness does not depend on a living brain to exist. So if consciousness does not require a brain, it continues after the brain stops working. Tucker goes even further and bases his hypothesis of how [tooltip title=”” content=”You can find more about this concept in The Gnostic Gospels and the Bhagavad Gita under Religion and Theosophy under Philosophy” type=”classic” ]reincarnation[/tooltip] could exist  on these discoveries.

In addition, Quantum Physics is beginning to realize that the Universe appears to be a dynamic web of interconnected and if we understand that there is a common spiritual bond between all things in the universe and that we are all part of one Divine Intelligence, no phenomena such as telepathy and clairvoyance is unexplainable.

But what does this mean for us? It is further evidence that we are all part of the One, the Whole, the Divine Intelligence – whatever you want to call it – and that it is with our deeds and actions that we can change the world (see also http://www.thespiritedway.com/lifepurpose-quantum-physics.html).

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