Showing titles in Consciousness & Thought

Personal, reflective, and gently investigative, these early essays have a raw, fresh quality which predates the more formal theory and practice of Peter Ralston's two popular books, The Book of Not Knowing and Pursuing Consciousness. Many of the questions we might struggle with in life - identity in relation to others, authenticity in the face of belief systems, the draw we have to pursue ineffective self-serving urges, and our tendency to conceptualize rather than experience things - are described here in simple, almost conversational language.

Los cuatro acuerdos presentaban un sencillo pero poderoso código de conducta para alcanzar la libertad personal y la verdadera felicidad. Ahora, el Cuaderno de trabajo de Los cuatro acuerdos nos lleva aún más lejos en el viaje para recobrar la conciencia y la sabiduría de nuestro auténtico...

A Japanese cultural historian shares a path to joyful living drawn from her nation’s unique approach to spirituality and nature, offering a “fascinating” (Wintering author Katherine May) blend of memoir, cultural reporting, and practical guidance for anyone struggling to find balance in...

Imagination is a core aspect of being human. Our imagination allows us to fully experience ourselves in relation to the world and reality. Since the 17th century, however, imagination has been sidelined and dismissed as "make believe". Four centuries ago, a new way of knowing the world and ourselves emerged in the west and has gone on to dominate human life: science. Imagination has been marginalized - depicted as a way of escaping reality, rather than coming to grips with it - and its significance to our humanity has been downplayed.

What is love? Aside from being the title of many a popular love song, this is one of life's perennial questions. In What Love Is, philosopher Carrie Jenkins offers a bold new theory on the nature of romantic love that reconciles its humanistic and scientific components.

Michael Jordan and countless other NBA stars credit George Mumford with transforming their game. A widely respected public speaker and coach, Mumford shares his story and strategies in The Mindful Athlete. His proven techniques transform the performance of anyone with a goal, be they an Olympian, weekend warrior, executive, hacker, or artist.

In this prize-winning essay for the 2021 Bigelow Institute for Consciousness Studies essay contest, Dr. Ruickbie examines the evidence for the survival of consciousness after death (“life after death”). Initially skeptical, he found that there was sufficient evidence from a wide variety of sources, including apparitions, reincarnation, near-death experiences, after-death communication, and premonitions, that met the contest’s criteria of being “beyond reasonable doubt.”

Imagination: A Very Short Introduction explores imagination as a cognitive power and an essential dimension of human flourishing, demonstrating how imagination plays multiple roles in human cognition and shapes humanity in profound ways. Examining philosophical, evolutionary, and literary perspectives on imagination, the author shows how this facility, while potentially distorting, both frees us from immediate reality and enriches our sense of it, making possible our experience of a meaningful world.

In But Are You Alive?, entrepreneur and teacher Eloise Skinner explores lessons learned from a decade spent pursuing depth, purpose and meaning, including from her training in a monastic community and in the field of existential therapy. Working through practical exercises, principles and tools, Eloise shares wisdom and actionable advice from a variety of traditions and perspectives, all with the intention of helping listeners find a sense of deeper 'aliveness' in daily life.

La moda è uno strano incantesimo: ogni volta che ci vestiamo trasformiamo una qualunque forma o un qualunque colore del mondo che ci circonda nella nostra stessa pelle. È questa strana magia che fa di essa assieme l’arte più potente e più metafisica. Per parlarne è quindi necessario far coincidere la creazione e la filosofia. È quello che fanno Alessandro Michele ed Emanuele Coccia in questo trattato senza pari sull’alchimia delle forme della vita di tutte e tutti noi.

A new field of collective intelligence has emerged in the last few years, prompted by a wave of digital technologies that make it possible for organizations and societies to think at large scale. This "bigger mind" - human and machine capabilities working together - has the potential to solve the great challenges of our time. So why do smart technologies not automatically lead to smart results?

The Analysis of the Mind by Bertrand Russell is a collection of 15 lectures he delivered in 1920. Russell was a highly reputed philosopher, mathematician, and social critic, and would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.

On Inhumanity is bracing and vital listen in a world lurching towards authoritarian political regimes, resurgent white nationalism, refugee crises that breed nativist hostility, and fast-spreading racist rhetoric. The book will open your eyes to the pervasive dangers of dehumanization and the prejudices that can too easily take root within us, and resist them before they spread into the wider world. 

If you sometimes ask yourself "Why am I here?" or "Is there always a clear right and wrong?", you're drawn to the big questions of life, which is what philosophy is all about! Its goal is to explore life's mysteries, to see if universal truths are discoverable through logical reasoning.

This book has lots of actionable information on how to catapult your self-esteem in order to ultimately boost your self-confidence and happiness levels by unleashing the full power of your mind. Sitting at home feeling sorry for yourself won’t make that happen but learning how to become super confident will. Stress and anxiety are both triggered by lack of self-esteem or lack of confidence. You may not be aware of it, but they skew the way that the world perceives you and also the way in which you interact with life.

A cuatro manos, la escritora y extranjera –como a ella le gusta llamarse– Clara Obligado y Raúl de Tapia, biólogo, botánico y degustador de paisajes –como a él le gusta llamarse– se internan en un bosque donde las raíces de las letras y las ciencias se unen. Memoria y naturaleza, ramas y raíces, lo aéreo y lo subterráneo. Y el fuego, ese pavor. Un árbol de compañía habla de lo que nos une al suelo y de lo que nos hace devorar el aire.

During the 2010 Olympic speed skating final, Mark Tuitert wasn't thinking about winning, but about Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus and Zeno - philosophers belonging to an ancient school of thought that emerged from their experiences of personal hardship. The Stoics developed a philosophy grounded in striving toward unbiased thinking, self-betterment through virtues, and a focus on only that which lies in our power to control. Now, after two decades of applying this philosophy, he has distilled Stoicism and his personal experience into ten powerful lessons.

Is the tick a machine or a machine operator? Is it a mere object or a subject? With these questions, the pioneering biophilosopher Jakob von Uexküll embarks on a remarkable exploration of the unique social and physical environments that individual animal species, as well as individuals within species, build and inhabit.

At its core, "The All: Manifesting Reality" is a guidebook for anyone seeking to manifest positive change in their lives, whether it be in the realm of relationships, career, health, or personal growth.

Fr. Wayne Sattler draws upon the teachings of Sts. John of the Cross and Teresa of Ávila to guide listeners through the stages of contemplative prayer. He offers insights into deepening one's relationship with God, understanding the "dark night of the senses," and cultivating inner stillness amidst distractions. This work serves as a roadmap for those seeking to rest in God's love and advance in the spiritual life.