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Mystical Encounters With The Natural World
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Book Synopsis Mystical Encounters with the Natural World by : Paul Marshall
Download or read book Mystical Encounters with the Natural World written by Paul Marshall and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2005-07-07 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Some experiences of the natural world bring a sense of unity, knowledge, self-transcendence, eternity, light, and love. This is the first detailed study of these intriguing phenomena. Paul Marshall explores the circumstances, characteristics, and after-effects of this important but relatively neglected type of mystical experience, and critiques explanations that range from the spiritual and metaphysical to the psychoanalytic, contextual, and neuropsychological. The theorists discussed include R. M. Bucke, Edward Carpenter, W. R. Inge, Evelyn Underhill, Rudolf Otto, Sigmund Freud, Aldous Huxley, R. C. Zaehner, W. T. Stace, Steven Katz, and Robert Forman, as well as contemporary neuroscientists. The book makes a significant contribution to current debates about the nature of mystical experience.
Download or read book Ecomysticism written by Carl von Essen and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2010-10-19 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Explores the philosophy, science, and spirituality of nature mysticism and its Green calling • Offers a solid bridge between spiritual practice and environmental activism • Reveals how we can heal the environment by renewing our connection to it • Shows how spiritual encounters in nature are healing the Nature Deficit Disorder of our psyches and bodies Many have been struck by a majestic moment in nature--a sole illuminated flower in a shady grove, an owl swooping silently across a wooded path, or an infinitely starry sky--and found themselves in a state of expanded awareness so profound they can feel the interconnectedness of all life. These trance-like moments of clarity, unity, and wonder often incite a call to protect and preserve the earth--to support Nature as she supports us. Termed “nature mysticism,” people from all cultures have described such experiences. However, the ever-increasing urbanization of the world’s population is threatening this ancient connection as well as the earth itself. In Ecomysticism, Carl von Essen explores nature mysticism through the recorded experiences of outdoor enthusiasts as well as scientific studies in biology, psychology, and neuroscience. Citing consciousness scholar William James and a variety of well-known nature lovers such as Ansel Adams, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson, von Essen shows how the spiritual transcendence from an encounter in nature--like other mystical experiences--is healing the Nature Deficit Disorder of our psyches and bodies, leading to an expansion of our worldview and a clearer understanding of our self and of our natural world. Offering a solid bridge between spiritual practice and environmental activism, von Essen’s spiritual ecology reveals how only through a renewal of humanity’s spiritual connection to nature can we effect true environmental healing.
Book Synopsis Religion as Orientation and Transformation by : Jan-Olav Henriksen
Download or read book Religion as Orientation and Transformation written by Jan-Olav Henriksen and published by Mohr Siebeck. This book was released on 2017-05-12 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Religions are not primarily expressed in people's heads and their thoughts, but in what they do. People use religious symbols in order to orientate or change themselves. In this way, religion is related to all realms of human life. Jan-Olav Henriksen shows that only against this backdrop can we understand the role of religions in human life. Book jacket.
Book Synopsis The Shape of the Soul by : Paul Marshall
Download or read book The Shape of the Soul written by Paul Marshall and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2019-03-18 with total page 426 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Combining philosophy, psychology, religion, and even a bit of physics, Marshall establishes an expanded consciousness that proves the existence of a deeper being common to us all. Addressing the origin of the universe, evolution, reincarnation, suffering, and the nature of God, Marshall delivers what will prove an instant intellectual classic.
Book Synopsis Teaching Mysticism by : William B. Parsons
Download or read book Teaching Mysticism written by William B. Parsons and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-12-16 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The term ''mysticism'' has never been consistently defined or employed, either in religious traditions or in academic discourse. The essays in this volume offer ways of defining what mysticism is, as well as methods for grappling with its complexity in a classroom. This volume addresses the diverse literature surrounding mysticism in four interrelated parts. The first part includes essays on the tradition and context of mysticism, devoted to drawing out and examining the mystical element in many religious traditions. The second part engages traditions and religio-cultural strands in which ''mysticism'' is linked to other terms, such as shamanism, esotericism, and Gnosticism. The volume's third part focuses on methodological strategies for defining ''mysticism,'' with respect to varying social spaces. The final essays show how contemporary social issues and movements have impacted the meaning, study, and pedagogy of mysticism. Teaching Mysticism presents pedagogical reflections on how best to communicate mysticism from a variety of institutional spaces. It surveys the broad range of meanings of mysticism, its utilization in the traditions, the theories and methods that have been used to understand it, and provides critical insight into the resulting controversies.
Book Synopsis An Introduction to Jacob Boehme by : Ariel Hessayon
Download or read book An Introduction to Jacob Boehme written by Ariel Hessayon and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2013-08-29 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume brings together for the first time some of the world’s leading authorities on the German mystic Jacob Boehme, to illuminate his thought and its reception over four centuries for the benefit of students and advanced scholars alike. Boehme’s theosophical works have influenced Western culture in profound ways since their dissemination in the early 17th Century, and these interdisciplinary essays trace the social and cultural networks as well as the intellectual pathways involved in Boehme’s enduring impact. The chapters range from situating Boehme in the 16th Century Radical Reformation, to discussions of his significance in modern theology. They explore the major contexts for Boehme’s reception including the Pietist movement, Russian religious thought and Western esotericism, as well as focusing more closely on important readers: the religious radicals of the English Civil Wars and the later English Behmenists; literary figures such as Goethe and Blake, and great philosophers of the modern age, among them Schelling and Hegel. Together, the chapters illustrate the depth and variety of Boehme’s influence and a concluding chapter addresses directly an underlying theme of the volume – asking why Boehme matters today, and how readers in the present might be enriched by a fresh engagement with his apparently opaque and complex writings.
Book Synopsis Integral Ecology by : Sean Esbjörn-Hargens
Download or read book Integral Ecology written by Sean Esbjörn-Hargens and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2009 with total page 833 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dozens of real-life applications and examples of this framework currently in use are examined, including three in-depth cases studies: work with marine fisheries in Hawai'i, strategies of eco-activists to protect Canada's Great Bear Rainforest, and a study of community development in El Salvador. In addition, eighteen personal practices of transformation are provided for you to increase your own integral ecological awareness."--Jacket.
Download or read book Mystics written by William Harmless and published by Oxford University Press on Demand. This book was released on 2008 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Mystics, William Harmless, S.J., introduces readers to the scholarly study of mysticism. He explores both mystics' extraordinary lives and their no-less-extraordinary writings using a unique case-study method centered on detailed examinations of six major Christian mystics: Thomas Merton, Bernard of Clairvaux, Hildegard of Bingen, Bonaventure, Meister Eckhart, and Evagrius Ponticus. Rather than presenting mysticism as a subtle web of psychological or theological abstractions, Harless's case-study approach brings things down to earth, restoring mystics to their historical context.
Book Synopsis A Scientific Assessment of the Validity of Mystical Experiences by : Andrew C. Papanicolaou
Download or read book A Scientific Assessment of the Validity of Mystical Experiences written by Andrew C. Papanicolaou and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2021-04-14 with total page 268 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this book the approach of the natural sciences is adopted to confront the ontological question of how far mystical experiences can be considered as reports of an objective reality rather than reports of subjective delusions. Moving beyond traditional philosophical or cultural and theological interpretations of mystical phenomena, the author uses inductive inference to analyze claims made by secular and religious mystics, highlight links between altered states of consciousness and neurochemistry, and counters reductionist claims that mystical states are exclusively products of neurochemical, neurophysiological, or psychopathological factors. The text also considers the positive long-term effects of proper use of psychedelics and meditation. This fresh approach to mystical experiences will be of interest to scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students working in the areas of psychology and neuroscience, and with an interest in mysticism in religious studies and philosophy.
Book Synopsis An Introduction to Religious and Spiritual Experience by : Marianne Rankin
Download or read book An Introduction to Religious and Spiritual Experience written by Marianne Rankin and published by A&C Black. This book was released on 2008-01-01 with total page 303 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Spiritual experiences, mystical and near-death incidences are interpreted from scientific, philosophical and religious viewpoints.
Book Synopsis Routledge Handbook of Environmental Anthropology by : Helen Kopnina
Download or read book Routledge Handbook of Environmental Anthropology written by Helen Kopnina and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-08-12 with total page 472 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Environmental Anthropology studies historic and present human-environment interactions. This volume illustrates the ways in which today's environmental anthropologists are constructing new paradigms for understanding the multiplicity of players, pressures, and ecologies in every environment, and the value of cultural knowledge of landscapes. This Handbook provides a comprehensive survey of contemporary topics in environmental anthropology and thorough discussions on the current state and prospective future of the field in seven key sections. As the contributions to this Handbook demonstrate, the subfield of environmental anthropology is responding to cultural adaptations and responses to environmental changes in multiple and complex ways. As a discipline concerned primarily with human-environment interaction, environmental anthropologists recognize that we are now working within a pressure cooker of rapid environmental damage that is forcing behavioural and often cultural changes around the world. As we see in the breadth of topics presented in this volume, these environmental challenges have inspired renewed foci on traditional topics such as food procurement, ethnobiology, and spiritual ecology; and a broad new range of subjects, such as resilience, nonhuman rights, architectural anthropology, industrialism, and education. This volume enables scholars and students quick access to both established and trending environmental anthropological explorations into theory, methodology and practice.
Book Synopsis Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism by : Kenneth Rose
Download or read book Yoga, Meditation, and Mysticism written by Kenneth Rose and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-09-08 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contemplative experience is central to Hindu yoga traditions, Buddhist meditation practices, and Catholic mystical theology, and, despite doctrinal differences, it expresses itself in suggestively similar meditative landmarks in each of these three meditative systems. In Yoga, Meditation and Mysticism, Kenneth Rose shifts the dominant focus of contemporary religious studies away from tradition-specific studies of individual religious traditions, communities, and practices to examine the 'contemplative universals' that arise globally in meditative experience. Through a comparative exploration of the itineraries detailed in the contemplative manuals of Theravada Buddhism, Patañjalian Yoga, and Catholic mystical theology, Rose identifies in each tradition a moment of sharply focused awareness that marks the threshold between immersion in mundane consciousness and contemplative insight. As concentration deepens, the meditator steps through this threshold onto a globally shared contemplative itinerary, which leads through a series of virtually identical stages to mental stillness and insight. Rose argues that these contemplative universals, familiar to experienced contemplatives in multiple traditions, point to a common spiritual, mental, and biological heritage. Pioneering the exploration of contemplative practice and experience with a comparative perspective that ranges over multiple religious traditions, religious studies, philosophy, neuroscience, and the cognitive science of religion, this book is a landmark contribution to the fields of contemplative practice and religious studies.
Book Synopsis The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions by : Laszlo Zsolnai
Download or read book The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions written by Laszlo Zsolnai and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-03-15 with total page 734 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increasingly, it is being recognized that spirituality, defined here as "a multiform search for a transcendent meaning of life that connects them to all living beings and brings them in touch with God or ‘Ultimate Reality,’" is an aspect of almost every sphere and aspect of social life. It appears in humanity’s dealings with nature, home and community, healing, economics and business, knowledge, and education. The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions is a stimulating collection that summarizes the most important issues, frameworks, discussions, and problems relating to spiritually inspired activities in different fields of social life. The contributors explore how spirituality is a part of existence and present approaches and models for professionals working in diverse areas. Presented in seven parts, the book provides a full overview of current research and practice. Part II, "Facets of spirituality," explores topics including philosophy, psychology, theology, and culture. Part III, "Nature," looks at ecology, agriculture, cities, and tourism. Part IV, "Home and community," presents chapters on various life stages, disability, gender, and culture. Part V, "Healing," examines medicine, mental and physical health, and ill-health. In Part VI, "Economy, politics, and law," contributors discuss business, leadership and the workplace, peace, and policing. Part VII, "Knowledge and education," includes chapters on science, design, fashion, literature, and the arts. In the final part, "Way forward," the editors look to the future with a chapter on inter-spirituality and the renewal of social practices. Driven by contemporary research and new developments, this Handbook is an innovative and interdisciplinary collection that provides an essential overview of contemporary spirituality and society from an international selection of contributors. The Routledge International Handbook of Spirituality in Society and the Professions offers accessible, diverse, and engaging international research, and its scope will appeal to academics and students of a wide range of subjects, including aging and addiction, psychology, theology, religious studies, sociology, business studies, and philosophy. It will also be an important work for professionals in medical and social services, the clergy, education, business, the arts, religious communities, and politics, and members of organizations looking at the links between spirituality, religion, and society.
Book Synopsis The Lyre of Orpheus by : Christopher Partridge
Download or read book The Lyre of Orpheus written by Christopher Partridge and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2014 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Christopher Partridge's The Lyre of Orpheus is the first general introduction to the subject of religion and popular music. His aim in this book is to introduce a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives to be used in the study of religion and popular music and popular music subcultures.
Download or read book Kama Muta written by Alan Page Fiske and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2019-11-26 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book describes a ubiquitous and potent emotion that has only rarely and recently been studied in any systematic manner. The words that come closest to denoting it in English are being moved or touched, having a heart-warming feeling, feeling nostalgic, feeling patriotic, or pride in family or team. In religious contexts when the emotion is intense, it may be labeled ecstasy, mystical rapture, burning in the bosom, or being touched by the Spirit. All of these are instances of what scientists now call ‘kama muta’ (Sanskrit, ‘moved by love’). Alan Page Fiske shows that what evokes this emotion is the sudden creation, intensification, renewal, repair, or recall of a communal sharing relationship – when love ignites, or people feel newly connected. He explains the social, psychological, cultural, and likely evolutionary processes involved – and how they interlock. Kama muta is described as it manifests in diverse settings at many points in history across scores of cultures, in everyday experiences as well as the peak moments of life. The chapters illuminate the occurrence of kama muta in a range of contexts, including religion, oratory, literature, sport, social media, and nature. The book will be of interest to students and scholars from a number of disciplines who are interested in emotion or social relationships. Supplementary notes can be found online at: www.routledge.com/9780367220945
Book Synopsis Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality by : Jake Poller
Download or read book Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality written by Jake Poller and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2019-08-12 with total page 366 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality offers an analysis of Huxley’s spiritual interests, spanning both mysticism and Western esotericism. With this methodology, Jake Poller generates new insights into Huxley’s work and draws revealing parallels between Huxley’s ideas and the New Age.
Book Synopsis An Introduction to the Study of Mysticism by : Richard H. Jones
Download or read book An Introduction to the Study of Mysticism written by Richard H. Jones and published by State University of New York Press. This book was released on 2021-12-01 with total page 398 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 2022 CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title The purpose of this book is to fill a gap in contemporary mystical studies: an overview of the basic ways to approach mystical experiences and mysticism. It discusses the problem of definitions of “mystical experiences” and “mysticism” and advances characterizations of “mystical experiences” in terms of certain altered states of consciousness and “mysticism” in terms of encompassing ways of life centered on such experiences and states. Types of mystical experiences, enlightened states, paths, and doctrines are discussed, as is the relation of mystical experiences and mysticism to religions and cultures. The approaches of constructivism, contextualism, essentialism, and perennialism are presented. Themes in the history of the world’s major mystical traditions are set forth. Approaches to mystical phenomena in sociology, psychology, gender studies, and neuroscience are introduced. Basic philosophical issues related to whether mystical experiences are veridical and mystical claims valid, mystics’ problems of language, art, and morality are laid out. Older and newer comparative approaches in religious studies and in Christian theology are discussed, along with postmodernist objections. The intended audience is undergraduates and the general public interested in the general issues related to mysticism.
