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Books > Humanities > Religion & beliefs > Aspects of religions (non-Christian) > Religious experience
Within the general chaos that is our daily lives, there is a
perspective where everything falls into place and finally makes
sense. H.E. Tsem Rinpoche brings this perspective through
explaining the mechanism of life based on the fundamental
principles of Buddhism. In his characteristically logical and
down-to-earth manner, Rinpoche introduces the vast topics of
reincarnation and karma in a way that anyone can understand. He
also provides easily applicable guidelines on how we can
immediately unlock the liberating powers within us to lead a happy
and harmonious life, simply by finding the living Buddha within
each and every one of us.
This is an original contemporary expression of the timeless wisdom
of Enlightenment. The fruition of Andrew Cohen's fifteen years as a
spiritual teacher, this book presents a radical psychology of
liberation. It takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery that
reveals not only the liberating fact of our true nature, but the
way to live that truth in this world.
"Elizabeth Clare Prophet's book is a masterpiece. The rich
tradition of the Kabbalah comes to life in a language that is
accessible even to those unfamiliar with this ancient and classic
tradition." Caroline Myss, Ph.D., NY Times bestselling author of
"Anatomy of the Spirit."
This volume, first published in 2002, presents a sophisticated
analysis of the musical instruments, repertoires, musicians and
ensembles, and symbolism of the ritual music of Shamans of Seoul,
Korea. Placed firmly in a social and historical context, it shows
that Shamanism, considered superstition by many today, is alive and
well in Seoul in a rich tradition reaching back to the Choson
Dynasty (1392-1910), the capital of which was Hanyang (now Seoul).
The instruments, dress and other accoutrements of courtly life from
the Choson Dynasty have been taken up, although transformed, in
contemporary rituals among spirit-possessed Shamans. Through a
comparison of Hanyang kut - the rituals of the Hanyang Shamans -
and the ritual practice of Inner Asian Shamans, and through an
analysis of the relations of spirit-possession music rituals to
musok, the indigenous religion of Korea, Seo sheds light on the
role of music, spiritual practice and culture in present-day Korea.
Glossolalia (paranormal speaking in tongues) and zenolalia
(paranormal speaking in allegedly foreign languages) are features
of many sub-cultures and religions. The most obvious example is
Pentecostalism, where every believer in many denominations is
expected to speak in tongues at least once - the gift in other
cultures being limited to individuals, shamans and mediums. This
book, first published in 1978, surveys the practice of 'speaking in
tongues' in anthropology, Christianity and spiritualism, and
provides an analysis of the psychological, theological and
linguistic considerations of the phenomenon.
New Age and holistic beliefs and practices - sometimes called the
"new spirituality" - are widely distributed across modern global
society. The fluid and popular nature of new age makes these
movements a very challenging field to understand using traditional
models of religious analysis. Rather than treating new age as an
exotic specimen on the margins of 'proper' religion, "New Age
Spirituality" examines these movements as a form of everyday or
lived religion. The book brings together an international range of
scholars to explore the key issues: insight, healing, divination,
meditation, gnosis, extraordinary experiences, and interactions
with gods, spirits and superhuman powers. Combining discussion of
contemporary beliefs and practices with cutting-edge theoretical
analysis, the book repositions new age spirituality at the
forefront of the contemporary study of religion.
This book examines the current use of digital media in religious
engagement and how new media can influence and alter faith and
spirituality. As technologies are introduced and improved, they
continue to raise pressing questions about the impact, both
positive and negative, that they have on the lives of those that
use them. The book also deals with some of the more futuristic and
speculative topics related to transhumanism and digitalization.
Including an international group of contributors from a variety of
disciplines, chapters address the intersection of religion and
digital media from multiple perspectives. Divided into two
sections, the chapters included in the first section of the book
present case studies from five major religions: Christianity,
Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism and Judaism and their engagement with
digitalization. The second section of the volume explores the
moral, ideological but also ontological implications of our
increasingly digital lives. This book provides a uniquely
comprehensive overview of the development of religion and
spirituality in the digital age. As such, it will be of keen
interest to scholars of Digital Religion, Religion and Media,
Religion and Sociology, as well as Religious Studies and New Media
more generally, but also for every student interested in the future
of religion and spirituality in a completely digitalized world.
How close is spirituality to psychosis? Covering the interrelation
of psychosis and spirituality from a number of angles, Insanity and
Divinity will generate dialogue and discussion, aid critical
reflection and stimulate creative approaches to clinical work for
those interested in the connections between religious studies,
psychoanalysis, anthropology and hagiography. Bringing together an
international range of contributors and covering many different
types of religious experience, this book presents its theme in
three parts: Psychoanalysis, belief and mysticism Anthropology,
history and hagiography Psychology, psychosis and religious
experience. Each section includes discussion of the hinterland
between madness and religious experience from the perspective of a
number of religions, autobiographical accounts of those who have
experienced a psychosis in which spirituality played a key part and
a comprehensive review of the position of psychology research into
the meaning and function of spirituality in relation to the
psychoses. Insightful, enlightening and wide-ranging, Insanity and
Divinity is ideal for clinicians, academics and chaplains working
in clinical settings.
Originally written as a manual of spiritual instruction, this
crucial work of medieval Islamic thought examines Sufi and mystical
influences within the Muslim tradition to provide insight into the
intellectual and religious history of the Muslim world. Written by
one of the most famous theologian-mystics of all time, it is an
in-depth discussion of two essential virtues of the religious and
spiritual life: patience and thankfulness. Compelling and
insightful, this exploration defines these virtues and examines
their place in the Islamic worldview, with particular attention
paid to their attainment and the influences that divert people from
these virtues. This first-ever academic translation includes an
introduction to the structure and development of al-Ghazali's
thought, as well as a biography, appendix, and index.
The Open Access version of this book, available at
www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781472453983, has been made available
under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivative
4.0 license. Experiences of hearing the voice of God (or angels,
demons, or other spiritual beings) have generally been understood
either as religious experiences or else as a feature of mental
illness. Some critics of traditional religious faith have dismissed
the visions and voices attributed to biblical characters and saints
as evidence of mental disorder. However, it is now known that many
ordinary people, with no other evidence of mental disorder, also
hear voices and that these voices not infrequently include
spiritual or religious content. Psychological and interdisciplinary
research has shed a revealing light on these experiences in recent
years, so that we now know much more about the phenomenon of
"hearing voices" than ever before. The present work considers
biblical, historical, and scientific accounts of spiritual and
mystical experiences of voice hearing in the Christian tradition in
order to explore how some voices may be understood theologically as
revelatory. It is proposed that in the incarnation, Christian faith
finds both an understanding of what it is to be fully human (a
theological anthropology), and God's perfect self-disclosure
(revelation). Within such an understanding, revelatory voices
represent a key point of interpersonal encounter between human
beings and God.
This accessible study of Northern European shamanistic practice, or seidr, explores the way in which the ancient Norse belief systems evoked in the Icelandic Sagas and Eddas have been rediscovered and reinvented by groups in Europe and North America. The book examines the phenomenon of altered consciousness and the interactions of seid-workers or shamanic practitioners with their spirit worlds in historical and political contexts. Written by a follower of seidr, this study not only investigates, but also addresses those new communities involved in a postmodern quest for spiritual meaning.
This key text presents an accessible and diverse exploration of
spirituality in mental health practice, broadening the definition
of spirituality to comprise a variety of transcendent experiences.
Chapters include a brief history of the tensions of spirituality in
mental health practice and consider a range of emerging topics,
from spirituality among the elderly and energy work (Reiki), to
spirituality in addiction recovery, incarceration, and hospice
work. The book offers a close examination of the limits of the
medical model of care, making a case for a more spiritually
sensitive practice. Rich case examples are woven throughout, and
the book is paired with podcasts that can be applied across
chapters, illuminating the narrative stories and building active
listening and teaching skills. Suitable for students of social work
and counseling at master's level, as well as practicing clinicians,
Spirituality in Mental Health Practice is an essential text for
widening our understanding of how spiritual frameworks can enrich
mental health practice.
At the time when existentialism was a dominant intellectual and
cultural force, a number of commentators observed that some of the
language of existential philosophy, not least its interpretation of
human existence in terms of nothingness, evoked the language of
so-called mystical writers. This book takes on this observation and
explores the evidence for the influence of mysticism on the
philosophy of existentialism. It begins by delving into definitions
of mysticism and existentialism, and then traces the elements of
mysticism present in German and French thought during the late
nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The book goes on to make
original contributions to the study of figures including
Kierkegaard, Buber, Heidegger, Beauvoir, Sartre, Marcel, Camus,
Weil, Bataille, Berdyaev, and Tillich, linking their existentialist
philosophy back to some of the key concerns of the mystical
tradition. Providing a unique insight into how these two areas have
overlapped and interacted, this study is vital reading for any
academic with an interest in twentieth-century philosophy, theology
and religious studies.
Fear has taken on an outsized role in our current cultural and
political context. Manufactured threats are advanced with little to
no evidence of danger, while real threats are exaggerated for
self-interested gain. This steady diet of fear produces unhealthy
moral lives, leading many Christians to focus more on the dangers
we wish to avoid than the goods we wish to pursue. As a fearful
people, we are tempted to make safety our highest good and to make
virtues of suspicion, preemption, and accumulation. But this leaves
the church ill-equipped to welcome the stranger, love the enemy, or
give to those in need. This timely resource brings together
cultural analysis and theological insight to explore a Christian
response to the culture of fear. Laying out a path from fear to
faithfulness, theologian Scott Bader-Saye explores practices that
embody Jesus's call to place our trust in him, inviting Christian
communities to take the risks of hospitality, peacemaking, and
generosity. This book has been revised throughout, updated to
connect with today's readers, and includes new discussion
questions.
Dr Deepak Chopra, the world-famous pioneer in the field of
mind-body medicine, addresses one of the fundamental questions of
existence: what happens when we die?. Drawing upon personal
experience, the wisdom of ancient Vedic philosophy and
state-of-the-art particle physics, Chopra helps us to overcome our
fears about dying and to consider the fantastic possibilities that
may await us in the afterlife. This is the book that Dr Chopra has
been preparing to write his entire life. In it, he considers the
theory that death is an illusion of the senses and that the soul
survives in an ongoing spiral of refinement, ending in
enlightenment. Thought-provoking exercises offer a first-hand
experience of these and other ideas, helping you to make sense of
your own spirituality whatever path you choose to follow, and
offering you your very own map of eternity.
A devotional-style book for the modern seeker, intended to help
them remember the divine wisdom they carry within and utilize it to
create a life that is authentic. Are you ready to activate your
inner goddess? 365 Days of Divine Feminine Wisdom is a
devotional-style book for today's spiritual seeker. In it, you will
learn how to deepen your connection with yourself and your
spirituality, discover who you really are, and find the courage to
create a life you love by using your innate gifts and power. Each
daily entry reflects upon the different aspects of Divine Feminine
energy that are always active within us, regardless of age or
experience: the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. These aspects
are linked to the milestones that we experience throughout our
lives as we get in touch with the goddess within us. These aspects
are also connected to the phases of the moon, as well as to the
seasons. Each daily entry draws wisdom from the three-part feminine
archetype, according to the time of year: January to April provides
inspiration from the Maiden aspect; May to August offers guidance
from the Mother aspect; and September to December reveals knowledge
from the Crone aspect. This helps readers gain a full understanding
of their innate gifts and wisdom, as well the phases they naturally
go through each year as they continue to grow, evolve, and live
their best life.
In this final volume of the series "Jesus, the Christ", Dr. Bhagat
Singh Thind continues his careful and critical examination of the
scriptures and practices of Christianity, and contrasts them with
the requisites of true spiritual growth and the unification of man
and God. Dr Thind asks hard questions, and answers them with keen
and cutting insight. Why was God's greatest creation -- man -- so
imperfect as to require a saviour? Why did God wait millennia
before sending him; and why is man's redemption still incomplete,
two thousand years later? How -- and by whom -- were the gospels
composed, and why is there no record of Jesus' life other than the
brief period of his ministry? What meaning can we ascribe to some
of Jesus apparently irrational words and deeds? And why does Jesus
never smile, but often weep? No defunct saviour -- be he Christian
or Sikh, Jew or Gentile -- can ever save mankind. Rather, a living
and present guru is needed to assist each individual in seeking his
own perfect unification with God, which can only be accomplished
through meditation on His Holy Nam. The seeker must transcend both
his human and animal nature, and all other pairs of opposites,
knowing that struggle and suffering are essential to the growth of
the soul on its Godward path. Ultimately, we must learn to see
reality with God's eyes, as He Himself sees it. This rational,
pragmatic, and testable approach to religion is the essence of
Sant-Mat, or Spiritual Science. Indeed, science and religion are
complementary, not opposites -- for, as Dr Thind points out, what
is true in one cannot be false in the other.
WORLD-RENOWNED BESTSELLING AUTHOR CARLOS CASTANEDA'S SELECTION OF HIS WRITINGS ON THE SHAMANS OF ANCIENT MEXICO Near the end of his life, Carlos Castaneda gathered together and reviewed his seminal works on his training as a shaman initiate, recorded in a literary career that spans over thirty years. The result is this groundbreaking collection of quotations -- the essence of Carlos Castaneda, drawn from his landmark volumes including The Teachings of Don Juan, Journey to Ixtlan, A Separate Reality, and Tales of Power. Enhanced with an introduction and original commentary by the author, this powerful work illuminates the shaman's life as never before. Castaneda's words explore how the ancient shamans could literally touch and direct the wheel of time -- a profound yet pragmatic tradition that can be felt even in our day.
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