RATIONAL MYSTICISM : DISPATCHES FROM THE BORDER BETWEEN SCIENCE AND SPIRITUALITY PDF, EPUB, EBOOK John Horgan | 292 pages | 22 Mar 2004 | Mariner Books | 9780618446636 | English | Boston, MA, United States Rational Mysticism : Dispatches from the Border Between Science and Spirituality PDF Book Jun 10, Jesse rated it it was ok Shelves: science , religion. Buy this book. In Rational Mysticism, acclaimed journalist John Horgan embarks on an adventure of discovery, investigating the ways in which scientists, theologians, and philosophers are attempting to formulate an empirical explanation of spiritual enlightenment. Sep 11, Bill rated it really liked it. Show Details Description:. To my mind, our main challenge is distinguishing between the psychological and the spiritual, so as to define the threshold between science and religion. Excellent survey. Everything from religion to science to drugs is explored, analyzed, criticized, and ultimately, found wanting. Horgan's bias that "a sense of absolute knowledge is the sine qua non of mystical experiences" causes him to conflate these elements. The author seems as fascinated by psychedelics as he does by spirituality, and the reader will likely come away having learned as much about the former as the latter. Did you know that since , Biblio has used its profits to build 16 public libraries in rural villages of South America? An interesting look at various scholarly viewpoints regarding spirituality and mysticism. Jul 09, Clay Zdobylak rated it liked it. It is clear that—contrary to some claims—not all mystical experiences are essentially alike. Mysticism is about what sort of presence we hold in the world, our awareness of what is present to us within and beyond ourselves , and how we move in the world. The author describes their ideas and then discusses them critically, considering their logic or illogic and relevant evidence. Mar 11, Linda Anderson rated it really liked it. Oct 13, Dave rated it it was amazing. Or are all mystical experiences delusions, generated not by God, but by our own brains? Magus Books. Popular Western culture categorizes traditional Lakhota practices as "mystical" and thereby taints them with the moral and ethical contradictions of religions while associating Western mysticism with drug-induced religious experience. This good writer and journalist shares his tourist's view of the subject of mysticism. Well written and relatable. The frontal lobe , the area right behind our foreheads, helps us focus our attention in prayer and meditation. What induces and defines them? Temporarily Out of Stock Online Please check back later for updated availability. He participates in experiments that seek the neurological underpinnings of mystical experiences. Nov 19, Mortalform rated it really liked it Shelves: philosophic , non-fiction. Seller rating : This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers. Horgan also explores the effects of reputed enlightenment-inducing techniques such as fasting, meditation, prayer, sensory deprivation, and drug trips. Generally these books are created from careful scans of the original. John Horgan, erstwhile science writer, invites his reader on a tour of current opinions about mysticism. Altho it was a bit heavy on psychedelic drugs and mind altering states, it did have quite a few pearls of wisdom that I could glean from it. There are no discussion topics on this book yet. God in the Equation on Google Book Search. Learn More. Riverwash Books. Do mystical experiences reveal profound knowledge? Rational Mysticism : Dispatches from the Border Between Science and Spirituality Writer The cover of a recent Time magazine special issue features a crafty-looking yoga-babe sitting in padmasana alongside the headline: How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body. Bingo Used Books. Uh-oh, it looks like your Internet Explorer is out of date. Add to cart Buy Now Item Price. He participates in experiments that seek the neurological underpinnings of mystical experiences. Rational mysticism , which encompasses both rationalism and mysticism , is a term used by scholars , researchers , and other intellectuals , some of whom engage in studies of how altered states of consciousness or transcendence such as trance , visions , and prayer occur. Each chapter focuses on a particular philosopher, scientist, psychologist or guru who has experience with and strong opinions about mysticism. Show Details Description:. A very worthwhile read. The explanation of life which is offered in this book draws on three main components: evolution, genetics and psychology. Why does God allow evil? And that is what religious institutions are meant to shelter and nourish, cultivate and encourage and preserve. Learn More. The science meeting spirituality regularly devolves into discussions of psychotropic drugs and their effects on the brain without ever relating these to the search for higher truth. God in the Equation on Google Book Search. Used hardcover First. Sperry Books. The book has less than the value of any uninformed tourist guide who does not know the landscape. Add to cart Buy Now Item Price. And, finally, he recounts his own search for enlightenment — adventurous, poignant, and sometimes surprisingly comic. What induces and defines them? Seller rating : This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers. He ends by embracing the here and now of life lived, and rejecting the notion of some ethereal transcendent unity. Mark Salzman novel, Lying Awake "delicately probes - but makes no attempt to resolve- the vexing questions that arise when spirituality collides with science, if a mystical vision can be traced to a brain tumor or some other ailment, does that mean it's false? Different mystics have come to different conclusions on fundamental questions such as: What is the nature of God? One of the foremost 13th-century Persian mystics, 'Aziz Nasaffi with his simple manner of explaining God, His Essence, Attributes and Acts provides the western reader with an overview of all the major interpretations of medieval Islamic thought. Aug 08, Patrick Murphy rated it really liked it. What about ESP? Far from being in conflict, religion and science are complementary, respectively exploring interior and exterior worlds. Rational Mysticism basically consists of a series of journalistic profiles of various heavy-weights who offer their different perspectives on the mystic experience. What I enjoyed about reading it was his fresh approach: He asks questions of all his topics. Readers of Kabbalah and Postmodernism will be exposed to a comprehensive mode of theological thought that incorporates the very doubts that would otherwise lead one to challenge the possibility of theology and religion, and which both preserves the riches of the Jewish tradition and extends beyond Judaism to a non-dogmatic universal philosophy and ethic. I for one have never been a great fan of pure philosophy. Like many of us, he is trying to reconcile mystic intuitions with reason, and while his ponderings can often seem breezy and too quick, they also cut to the chase. John Horgan investig John Horgan, author of the best-selling The End of Science , chronicles the most advanced research into the mechanics — and meaning — of mystical experiences. E-mail required. Both Plotinos and Spinoza are rationalists with overtones of rational mysticism. Namespaces Article Talk. Is there a scientific explanation for religious mysteries and transcendent meditation? Thought provoking. A journalist interviews several key spiritual leaders of our time and also does his own experiment with ayahausca. Taking a journalistic stance - with one foot in a storyteller's motley boot and the other in a gumshoe's sneaker - he is mostly distracted from reflection. There is also a fair amount of pharmacology and discussion of the geography of the brain. Bingo Used Books. Newberg says it's involved in that feeling of becoming part of something greater than oneself. Is there a scientific explanation for religious mysteries and transcendent meditation? And, finally, he recounts his own search for enlightenment — adventurous, poignant, and sometimes surprisingly comic. Rational Mysticism : Dispatches from the Border Between Science and Spirituality Reviews He participates in experiments that seek the neurological underpinnings of mystical experiences. Better World Books. Other editions. Seller rating : This seller has earned a 4 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers. Add to want list. He participates in experiments that seek the neurological underpinnings of mystical experiences. The naturalism part I understand - as mentioned the scientific literature was very weak and contradictory. Get A Copy. Once this block is removed we can view life objectively and see it as a special form of information which has arisen through evolution. Providing the first comprehensive selection in English of Nasaffi's treatises, Dr Ridgeon's work offers the western student of Islam a much-needed guide to the speculative and practical dimensions of Sufism. He lives in New York State with his wife and two children. Horne Publisher: Wilfrid Laurier Univ. The author describes their ideas and then discusses them critically, considering their logic or illogic and relevant evidence. Chris Gajilan April 5, Different mystics have come to different conclusions on fundamental questions such as: What is the nature of God? Journal of the History of Ideas. In this book the author examines questions posed by mysticism. Used good hardcover. Differentiates