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The Superhumanities

The Superhumanities PDF Author: Jeffrey J. Kripal
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226820246
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
A bold challenge to rethink the humanities as intimately connected to the superhuman and to “decolonize reality itself.” What would happen if we reimagined the humanities as the superhumanities? If we acknowledged and celebrated the undercurrent of the fantastic within our humanistic disciplines, entirely new cultural worlds and meanings would become possible. That is Jeffrey J. Kripal’s vision for the future—to revive the suppressed dimension of the superhumanities, which consists of rare but real altered states of knowledge that have driven the creative processes of many of our most revered authors, artists, and activists. In Kripal’s telling, the history of the humanities is filled with precognitive dreams, evolving superhumans, and doubled selves. The basic idea of the superhuman, for Kripal, is at the core of who and what the human species has tried to become over millennia and around the planet. After diagnosing the basic malaise of the humanities—that the truth must be depressing—Kripal shows how it can all be done differently. He argues that we have to decolonize reality itself if we are going to take human diversity seriously. Toward this pluralist end, he engages psychoanalytic, Black critical, feminist, postcolonial, queer, and ecocritical theory. He works through objections to the superhumanities while also recognizing the new realities represented by the contemporary sciences. In doing so, he tries to move beyond naysaying practices of critique toward a future that can embrace those critiques within a more holistic view—a view that recognizes the human being as both a social-political animal as well as an evolved cosmic species that understands and experiences itself as something super.

The Superhumanities

The Superhumanities PDF Author: Jeffrey J. Kripal
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226820246
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 290

Book Description
A bold challenge to rethink the humanities as intimately connected to the superhuman and to “decolonize reality itself.” What would happen if we reimagined the humanities as the superhumanities? If we acknowledged and celebrated the undercurrent of the fantastic within our humanistic disciplines, entirely new cultural worlds and meanings would become possible. That is Jeffrey J. Kripal’s vision for the future—to revive the suppressed dimension of the superhumanities, which consists of rare but real altered states of knowledge that have driven the creative processes of many of our most revered authors, artists, and activists. In Kripal’s telling, the history of the humanities is filled with precognitive dreams, evolving superhumans, and doubled selves. The basic idea of the superhuman, for Kripal, is at the core of who and what the human species has tried to become over millennia and around the planet. After diagnosing the basic malaise of the humanities—that the truth must be depressing—Kripal shows how it can all be done differently. He argues that we have to decolonize reality itself if we are going to take human diversity seriously. Toward this pluralist end, he engages psychoanalytic, Black critical, feminist, postcolonial, queer, and ecocritical theory. He works through objections to the superhumanities while also recognizing the new realities represented by the contemporary sciences. In doing so, he tries to move beyond naysaying practices of critique toward a future that can embrace those critiques within a more holistic view—a view that recognizes the human being as both a social-political animal as well as an evolved cosmic species that understands and experiences itself as something super.

How to Think Impossibly

How to Think Impossibly PDF Author: Jeffrey J. Kripal
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226833682
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Book Description
"From precognitive dreams and telepathic visions to near-death experiences, UFO encounters, and beyond, so-called impossible phenomena are not supposed to happen, but do happen all the time. These are the kinds of fantastic experiences that Jeffrey J. Kripal takes up in How to Think Impossibly. The impossible, Kripal asserts, is a function not of reality, but of our present social constructions and subsequent perceptions and cognitions. In other words, we think these events and experiences are impossible, but they are only impossible within our historically constructed frameworks. In How to Think Impossibly, Kripal thinks-with specific individuals and their extraordinary experiences in vulnerable, open, and often humorous ways. These lines of thought interweave the mental and material dimensions of humanistic and scientific inquiry, resulting in a developing awareness in the reader that what we think of as the impossible is not impossible at all"--

Comparing Religions

Comparing Religions PDF Author: Jeffrey J. Kripal
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119653932
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 532

Book Description
Teaches students the art and practice of comparison in the globalizing world, fully updated to reflect recent scholarship and major developments in the field Comparing Religions: The Study of Us that Changes Us is a wholly original, absorbing, and provocative reimagining of the comparative study of religion in the 21st century. The first textbook of its kind to foreground the extraordinary or “paranormal” aspects of religious experience, this innovative volume reviews the fundamental tenets of the world’s religions, discusses the benefits and problems of comparative inquiry, explores how the practice can impact a person's worldview and values, and much more. Asserting that religions have always engaged in comparing one another, the authors provide insights into the history, trends, debates, and questions of explicit comparativism in the modern world. Easily accessible chapters examine the challenges of studying religion using a comparative approach rather than focusing on religious identity, inspiring students to think seriously about religious pluralism as they engage in comparative practice. Throughout the text, a wealth of diverse case studies and vivid illustrations are complemented by chapter outlines, summaries, toolkits, discussion questions, and other learning features. Substantially updated with new and revised material, the second edition of Comparing Religions: Draws from both comparative work and critical theory to present a well-balanced introduction to contemporary practice Explains classic comparative themes, provides a historical outline of comparative practices, and offers key strategies for understanding, analyzing, and re-reading religion Draws on a wide range of religious traditions to illustrate the complexity and efficacy of comparative practice Embraces the transcendent nature of the religious experience in all its forms, including in popular culture, film, and television Contains a classroom-proven, three-part structure with easy-to-digest, thematically organized chapters Features a companion website with information on individual religious traditions, additional images, a glossary, discussion questions, and links to supplementary material Comparing Religions: The Study of Us that Changes Us, Second Edition, is the perfect textbook for undergraduate students and faculty in comparative religion, the study of religion, and world religions, as well as a valuable resource for general readers interested in understanding this rewarding area.

Psychedelics and the Coming Singularity

Psychedelics and the Coming Singularity PDF Author: David Jay Brown
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1644117991
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 506

Book Description
• Includes conversations with Duncan Trussell, Graham Hancock, Grant Morrison, Hamilton Morris, Erik Davis, Julia Mossbridge, Rupert Sheldrake, and others • Explores the possibility of human extinction, Simulation Theory, Virtual Reality and lucid dreaming, space migration, DMT research, and advanced robotics • Delves deep into the relationship between psychedelics and ecological awareness Between war, inequality, biosphere collapse, climate change, and destabilizing advances in technology like AI, humankind is confronted with an almost insurmountable array of challenges. Yet many brilliant experts are working on outside-the-box solutions, looking to psychedelic-inspired visions of the future to lead humanity through these crises. In a series of conversations with leading minds in consciousness studies, psychedelic culture, anthropology, chemistry, and other disciplines, author David Jay Brown elicits answers to some of the most thought-provoking questions about our origins, our present situation, and the future of humanity and the Earth. Brown and these luminaries explore topics as diverse as potential human extinction, the relationship between psychedelics and ecological consciousness, simulation theory, virtual reality and lucid dreaming, the consciousness-altering effects of the pandemic, space migration and contact with alien intelligence, and DMT research and advanced robotics. Whether he’s speaking to podcaster Duncan Trussell about the Singularity, comic book author Grant Morrison about magick and the occult, or neuroscientist Julia Mossbridge about psychic phenomena, Brown’s spirited interview approach helps draw profound insights from these cutting-edge thinkers. What, he asks, are the implications of our understanding of consciousness, particularly altered states—and how might entheogens help raise ecological awareness to impact the future of our species? In this curated colletion of interviews, Brown seeks to find out.

Coma and Near-Death Experience

Coma and Near-Death Experience PDF Author: Alan Pearce
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1644119226
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 417

Book Description
• Examines the experiences of those who have survived comas • Demonstrates how a key element of the brain is switched off by coma-inducing sedatives, allowing the mind to break free from the body • Shares proven alternatives to medically-induced coma that are safer for treating critically ill patients and kinder for the patients and their families Every day around the world, thousands of people are placed in medically-induced comas. For some coma survivors, the experience is an utter blank. Others lay paralyzed, aware of everything around them but unable to move, speak, or even blink. Many experience alternate lives spanning decades, lives they grieve once awakened. Some encounter ultra-vivid nightmares, while others undergo a deep, spiritual oneness with the Universe or say they have glimpsed the Afterlife. Examining the beautiful and disturbing experiences of those who have survived comas, Alan and Beverley Pearce explore the mysterious levels of consciousness this near-death experience unlocks. They demonstrate how a key element of the brain is switched off by coma-inducing sedatives, allowing the mind to break free from the body and experience a greater expansion of consciousness. Revealing the dangers of deep sedation and other intensive care procedures, the authors show how comas are unnecessary more often than not and that many coma survivors go on to suffer lasting cognitive and physical harm. Exploring proven alternatives to medically-induced coma, they share tried and tested protocols that are safer for critically ill patients and kinder for the patients and their families. Showing how we can avoid the suffering caused by comas, this book reveals the wide variety of conscious states that can arise during comas, both positive and negative, and how accepting the reality of these experiences is crucial not only to the recovery of coma survivors, but also to the field of consciousness and NDE studies.

Mutants and Mystics

Mutants and Mystics PDF Author: Jeffrey J. Kripal
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226453839
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 392

Book Description
"Account of how comic book heroes have helped their creators and fans alike explore and express a wealth of paranormal experiences ignored by mainstream science. Delving deeply into the work of major figures in the field - from Jack Kirby's cosmic superhero sagas and Philip K. Dick's futuristic head-trips to Alan Moore's sex magic and Whitley Strieber's communion with visitors - Kripal shows how creators turned to science fiction to convey the reality of the inexplicable and the paranormal they experienced in their lives. Expanded consciousness found its language in the metaphors of sci-fi - incredible powers, unprecedented mutations, time-loops and vast intergalactic intelligences - and the deeper influences of mythology and religion that these in turn drew from ; the wildly creative work that followed caught the imaginations of millions. Moving deftly from Cold War science and Fredric Wertham's anticomics crusade to gnostic revelation and alien abduction, Kripal spins out a hidden history of American culture, rich with mythical themes and shot through with an awareness that there are other realities far beyond our everyday understanding."--Jacket.

Journeys of Life

Journeys of Life PDF Author: Nathan Carlin
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 259

Book Description
Trained as a cultural historian, Thomas R. Cole is one of the most influential scholars of his generation, with his work moving beyond and impacting many other fields and disciplines. His work includes The Journey of Life: A Cultural History of Aging in America, which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Cole also published No Color Is My Kind: The Life of Eldrewey Stearns and the Integration of Houston, creating along with the book an accompanying film, The Strange Demise of Jim Crow, which was nominated for a regional Emmy and a National Humanities Medal. Cole created a number of other films as well. In all of his work, there is an emphasis on religion, spirituality, and moral meaning. Cole is also a Jewish spiritual director, and this work has become a major focus for him in retirement. This edited volume engages or responds to Cole’s work, which spans cultural history, oral history, aging studies, film, medical humanities, religious studies, and more. As such, this book is not about Cole per se, but the impact of his ideas and subsequent inspirations.

Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated)

Delphi Complete Works of Ralph Waldo Emerson (Illustrated) PDF Author: Ralph Waldo Emerson
Publisher: Delphi Classics
ISBN: 1909496863
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 6108

Book Description
Disseminating his genius through celebrated essays and the hundreds of public lectures he gave across the United States, Ralph Waldo Emerson led the Transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century and was lionised as a champion of individualism and a staunch critic of the countervailing pressures of society. The Delphi Poets Series offers readers the works of literature’s finest poets, with superior formatting. This volume presents the complete works of Ralph Waldo Emerson, with beautiful illustrations and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1) * Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Emerson’s life and works * Detailed introduction to the life of Emerson * Excellent formatting of the poems * Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry * Hundreds of rare poems appearing here for the first time in digital publishing * Easily locate the poems you want to read * Includes Emerson’s letters – spend hours exploring the poet’s personal correspondence * The complete prose works, with all the essays * A generous selection of early, middle and late journals – appearing here for the first time in digital publishing * Features two biographies – discover Emerson’s literary life * Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genres CONTENTS: The Poetry of Ralph Waldo Emerson BRIEF INTRODUCTION: RALPH WALDO EMERSON THE COMPLETE POEMS The Poems LIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Books NATURE: ADDRESSES AND LECTURES ESSAYS. FIRST SERIES ESSAYS, SECOND SERIES REPRESENTATIVE MEN MEMOIRS OF MARGARET FULLER OSSOLI by R. F. Fuller ENGLISH TRAITS THE CONDUCT OF LIFE SOCIETY AND SOLITUDE LETTERS AND SOCIAL AIMS LECTURES AND BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES MISCELLANIES NATURAL HISTORY OF INTELLECT AND OTHER PAPERS The Essays LIST OF ESSAYS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER LIST OF ESSAYS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER The Letters THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THOMAS CARLYLE AND RALPH WALDO EMERSON The Journals SELECTED JOURNALS The Biographies RALPH WALDO EMERSON by Oliver Wendell Holmes BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH by Edward W. Emerson Please visit www.delphiclassics.com to browse through our range of exciting titles

1834-1872

1834-1872 PDF Author: Thomas Carlyle
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 432

Book Description


The Matter of Wonder

The Matter of Wonder PDF Author: Loriliai Biernacki
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197643078
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 265

Book Description
"The current discourse of New Materialism seeks to chart a way of addressing our contemporary predicament around environmental destruction through reassessing our relationship and attitudes to matter. This book argues that the panentheism of the 11th century Indian Hindu thinker Abhinavagupta offers a cogent philosophical model that gives us new ways of thinking about matter, which can help a contemporary New Materialist thought. What makes panentheism an attractive model for Abhinavagupta's philosophy is its Tantric impetus towards both the materiality of the world and the transcendence of divinity, proposing a philosophy that finds consciousness-a subjectivity as, and at the very core of matter. With this, Abhinavagupta's articulation of a foundational and encompassing subjectivity proposes a panentheist solution to a familiar conundrum, one we still grapple with today-that is: how does consciousness, which is so unlike matter, how does it actually connect to the materiality of our world? In familar 21st century terms, how does mind connect to body? This book brings this question to bear in comparative fashion on contemporary issues: our current concerns around what is sentient-animals? viruses? artificial intelligence?-set in relation to Abhinavagupta's articulation of what gives rise to sentience via his use of the term vimarśa; our current conceptions of information as data-articulated in juxtaposition to Abhinavagupta's theology of mantra, mystic sound; examining Abhinavagupta's use of wonder (camatkāra) as as a philosophical concept, and how his cosmological system (tattva) underwrites his understanding of a foundational subjectivity"--