Demystifying Mysticism

Demystifying Mysticism
Author: Robert Colacurcio
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 142
Release: 2013-05-09
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 1483621952

Jesus gave the key to the Kingdom and to life more abundant when he gave us the example of children. This book explores the idea that people are most themselves when they achieve the seriousness of children at play. When folks are most themselves, they naturally experience the beginnings of mystic perception. The demystifi cation of mysticism starts as simply as the focused attention of children at play, and takes small steps that, slowly but surely, lead to a life changing relationship with the Divine and the entire universe. Although this book is not intended to be a how-to manual, it nevertheless brings the demystifi cation of mysticism down to daily experiences that can be practiced by anyone. Mystic perception just penetrates beyond their surface appearances. Once even the fundamentals of mystic perception become clarifi ed in practice, sacred space opens up as one’s natural environment. Within the environment of sacred space, gratitude as a gift giving exchange becomes the natural relationship one comes to enjoy with the entire universe.

The Social Relations of Physics, Mysticism, and Mathematics

The Social Relations of Physics, Mysticism, and Mathematics
Author: S. Restivo
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 371
Release: 2012-12-06
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9400970587

The problems I address in this book are among the least studied in the soci ology of science and knowledge. Part I is a critique of the claim that there are parallels between ancient mysticism and modern physics, and a sociological analysis of this claim as a strategy in intellectual conflict. This study must. ultimately be rooted more firmly in a: type of sociology of knowledge that is just now beginning to crystallize (and which I discuss in Chapter 7), and a sociology of religion that is not so much unknown as underground, and timid, that is, a non-worshipful materialist sociology of religion. My study of physics-mysticism parallelism is a vehicle for exploring epistemic strategies. I thus conclude Part I by sketching a materialist, emancipatory epistemic strategy. My conclusion brings together a number of ideas formulated by myself and others over the past several years, but stops short of a systematic synthesis. A more integrated and coherent "model" than what I can sketch here must wait on the results of research now in progress in the critical (as opposed to apologetic or worshipful) sociology of knowledge.

Applied Spirituality: Seeing Through the Illusion of Our Separateness

Applied Spirituality: Seeing Through the Illusion of Our Separateness
Author: Robert Colacurcio
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 507
Release: 2015-10-14
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 150355919X

This volume is a compilation of six smaller books that were published between 2012 and 2014. They were written as though I were taking dictation. Some higher power unlocked the gates of inspiration and articulation, and I wrote almost continuously for three hours every day without ever fi rst composing an outline for any of these books. Instead of coming out as gibberish, they form a coherent, and I feel, cogent whole, and so I have grouped them together in one volume. Performance excellence in any fi eld requires, among other things, a clear goal that can be methodically approached incrementally in manageable steps and stages. Without a clear goal, there can be no cogent methodology. Accomplishment in the practice of a spiritual discipline that leads to excellent results is no diff erent. Together these books off er a clear goal and method for accomplishing what I feel is the universal target of every valid form of spiritual practice, namely, seeing through the illusion of our separateness. This goal is universal to every form of spiritual aspiration. The methods outlined in this book, therefore, bypass every form of sectarianism. They can be applied and practiced by anyone of any faith who is sincerely motivated to deepen in the spirit that unites us all.

Spirituality and the Awakening Self

Spirituality and the Awakening Self
Author: David G. PhD Benner
Publisher: Baker Books
Total Pages: 257
Release: 2012-02-01
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1441236236

Being human is a lifelong journey of becoming. This journey defines our humanity, for it is a journey toward our source and our fulfillment, described in Christian theology as union with God. If we remain open to God as our sense of self awakens, we experience a deeper consciousness of being in him. The self that emerges during this process is larger, more enlightened, and whole. David Benner, who has spent thirty-five years integrating psychology and spirituality, presents psychological insights in a readable fashion to offer readers a deeper understanding of the self and its spiritual development. Drawing on a broad range of Christian traditions, Benner shows that the transformation of self is foundational to Christian spirituality. This book will appeal to readers interested in a psychologically grounded, fresh exploration of Christian spirituality; professionals engaged in pastoral care, counseling, and spiritual direction; and students in ministry development and spiritual formation courses. Questions and answers for individual or group use are included at the end of each chapter.

Get A Hold Of Yourself

Get A Hold Of Yourself
Author: Xolani Kacela, Ph.D.
Publisher: X to the k Publishing
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2020-12-04
Genre: Self-Help
ISBN: 1513663925

In these tumultuous times, readers will appreciate author Xolani Kacela’s Get a Hold of Yourself, an enriching book for persons seeking spiritual renewal, alignment and integration with their values, and practices that enrich daily living. Get a Hold of Yourself means using the spiritual gifts you possess and others unknown to you for creative living and engaging others who hold different beliefs, values, and spiritual convictions. The book examines faith through the lenses of many religious and secular traditions. Kacela’s writing is intelligent and even-paced, but not preachy. The book begins by defining faith and its implications for future-oriented life choices. Case studies explore the ways people grow from spiritual infancy to develop exemplary faith, an unshakable hope, coping strategy, and the unrelenting conviction that the human spirit can transcend suffering and despair. The author weaves contemporary spiritual practices with mysticism and guides the reader’s perception and experience of transcendence in everyday life. Readers will enjoy this excellent book, be they religious or spiritual, but not religious.

Ordinary Mysticism

Ordinary Mysticism
Author: Mirabai Starr
Publisher: HarperCollins
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2024-09-17
Genre: Body, Mind & Spirit
ISBN: 0063317206

“This gorgeous, transformative, welcoming book is for anyone who longs to feel more present, more alive, more joyful and aware of the holiness of daily life.”—Anne Lamott, author of Dusk, Night, Dawn and Help, Thanks, Wow Welcome to the temple of your regular life. So begins beloved spiritual guide Mirabai Starr’s stunning exploration of finding the extraordinary in the everyday. In Ordinary Mysticism, she helps readers discover their own inner mystic and let go of the limiting belief that spiritual life exists only in traditional places of worship. Mysticism, she explains, is a direct experience of the sacred—no church or clergy required. Our everyday life can be an encounter with the sacred if we pay attention. Starr explores the magic of mundane life, from weeding in our humble gardens to a slow evening walk with a friend to a full kitchen table surrounded by family. Embracing mysticism in our everyday is a way of being more alive in the world, an awakening to the interconnectedness between all things. You can visit an ashram in the Himalayas or kneel in a church pew to connect to the spirit or examine life’s big questions—but these aren’t the only opportunities to discover the sacred. Life, Starr reminds us, is holy ground. Lyrical and tender, filled with profound wisdom and mind-opening insights, Ordinary Mysticism is about finding wonder in regular life, grounded in lessons from spiritual teachers across the centuries—from Julian of Norwich to Ram Dass. Starr combines their ancient wisdom with the story of her own personal and spiritual journey—from surviving the heartbreak of her fourteen-year-old daughter’s death to growing up amid the 1960s counterculture that introduced her to mysticism to her self-made spiritual practice of today. Alongside storytelling and age-old teachings, Starr offers practices and writing prompts for help our souls seek holy ground. When you decide to walk the path of the mystic, the mundane shows up as miraculous, the boring becomes fascinating, and your own shortcomings turn out to be your greatest gifts. May we all find meaning and wonder in our most ordinary moments.

Applied Spirituality

Applied Spirituality
Author: Robert Colacurcio
Publisher: Xlibris Corporation
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2024-06-23
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN:

The three self-contained works in this compilation are: No Urgency: or How We Fiddle with Eternity Complete, Not Completed Why This Ignorance? These works build on the earlier books in Volume I, and they are more challenging. They provoke--at least I hope they do--a more energetic pursuit of soul depth for the sake of spiritual depth. Like all my books, they openly rely on the spiritual technology of the Buddha. However, they can be on confrontationally read. Because they are non sectarian in the sense that they don’t require or promote a “conversion” to a religious viewpoint, they can be practically incorporated by anyone practicing a sectarian or non sectarian path. That’s the nature of this “spiritual technology”--Tibetan Buddhism doesn’t even have a word for “religion” in its lexicon! The reader is cautioned to take their time and read these books slowly, not hesitating to “stay where there’s fruit.” In fact, if one reads more than one chapter a day, that pace will miss much. As the pithy Latin expression (“non multa sed multum”) has it: “It’s not knowing many things that satisfies the soul, but knowing a few quality things deeply.”

Processing Reality

Processing Reality
Author: John H. Buchanan
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 307
Release: 2022-10-27
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1666709301

In this book, John Buchanan takes us on a journey through the early death of a parent, the ups and downs of addiction, the extraordinary revelations of psychedelic experiences, and the rewards of a sober and meaningful life. Reflecting on these experiences, the author identifies five pivotal events that drove him to seek a deeper understanding of the significance of extraordinary experiences, the nature of mind and the universe, the meaning of life, and most generally to ask: What is Reality? Drawing on his wide-ranging studies and explorations, Buchanan discusses the ideas that most influenced his search and led him to conclude that transpersonal psychology and process philosophy, especially as developed by Stanislav Grof and Alfred North Whitehead, offer the most satisfying answers. He presents in some detail the essence of Grof’s and Whitehead’s thought as it pertains to these basic questions about life and reality so that readers can appreciate these ideas for themselves. Buchanan argues that taken together process thought and transpersonal theory offer the kind of enspirited worldview capable of providing both the necessary inspiration and the intellectual understanding for confronting the great challenges facing our world.

Interactive World, Interactive God

Interactive World, Interactive God
Author: Carol Rausch Albright
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Total Pages: 273
Release: 2017-11-06
Genre: Religion
ISBN: 1498293883

Since the dawn of science, ideas about the relation between science and religion have always depended on what else is going on in a society. During the twentieth century, daily life changed dramatically. Technology revolutionized transportation, agriculture, communications, and housework. People came to rely on scientific predictability in their technology. Many wondered whether God's supposed actions were consistent with scientific knowledge. The twenty-first century is bringing new scientific research capabilities. They are revealing that scientific results are not totally predictable after all. Certain types of interaction lead to outcomes that are unpredictable, in principle. These in turn may lead to a whole new range of potential interactions. They do not rule out the reality of a dynamic God who can act in the world without breaking the known principles of science. God may in fact work with "the way things really are." Human experience of God may accurately reflect this reality. Interactive World, Interactive God illustrates such new understandings in religion and science by describing recent developments in a wide range of sciences, and providing theological commentary. The book is written for intelligent readers who may not be specialized in science but who are looking for ways to understand divine action in today's world.