Books on my shelves I should read or re-read

1.  Words That Hurt, Words that Heal: How to Choose Words Wisely and Well ~ by Joseph Telushkin, 1996, ethics

Telushkin explains the harm in spreading gossip, rumors, or others' secrets, and how unfair anger, excessive criticism, or lying undermines true communication.  By sensitizing us to subtleties of speech we may never have considered before, he shows us how to turn every exchange into an opportunity.  He illuminates the powerful effects we create by what we say and how we say it.

Part One ~ The Unrecognized Power of Words
Part Two ~ How We Speak ABOUT Others
Part Three ~ How We Speak TO Others
Part Four ~ Words That Heal
Part Five ~ What Do We Do Now?

2.  Religious Right, Religious Wrong: A Critique of the Fundamentalist Phenomenon ~ by Lloyd J. Averill, 1989, religion

Averill considers fundamentalism to be faith turned in upon itself and consequently ungenerous and unlovely in its religion, flawed in its understanding of history, and dangerous in its politics.  Yet he is also able to delineate some important redeeming characteristics of fundamentalism that deserve acknowledgement.

3.  The Well-Educated Mind: A Guide to the Classical Education You Never Had ~ by Susan Wise Bauer, 2003, education

Offers brief, entertaining histories of six literary genres ― fiction, autobiography, history, drama, poetry, and science ― accompanied by detailed instructions on how to read each type.  If you can understand a daily newspaper, there’s no reason you can’t read and enjoy Shakespeare’s sonnets or Jane Eyre.  Bauer will show you how to allocate time to reading on a regular basis; how to master difficult arguments; how to make personal and literary judgments about what you read; how to appreciate the resonant links among texts within a genre and also between genres.

4.  Knowing Woman: A Feminine Psychology ~ by Irene Claremont de Castillejo, 1973, psychology

A noted Jungian analyst explores the division of the human psyche into masculine and feminine.  Characteristic of feminine consciousness is diffuse awareness, which recognizes the unity of all life and promotes acceptance and relationship.  The masculine attitude is one of focused consciousness, the capacity to formulate ideas and to change, invent, and create.  Concerned with the experience of women in a culture dominated by masculine values, the author discusses topics such as the animus (the masculine "soul image" in a woman's unconscious); women's roles in relation to work, friends, children, and lovers; and issues such as abortion, aging, and self-determination.

5.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks ~ by Rebecca Skloot, 2011, science-race-ethics

Tells a riveting story of the collision between ethics, race, and medicine; of scientific discovery and faith healing; and of a daughter consumed with questions about the mother she never knew.  Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa.  She was a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells — taken without her knowledge in 1951 — became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more.  Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance.

6.  Biography as Theology:  How Life Stories Can Remake Today's Theology ~ by James Wm. McClendon, Jr., 1990 (new edition), biography

By looking at the lives of four significant persons (Dag Hammarskjöld, Martin Luther King, Jr., Clarence Jordan,and Charles Ives), the author discovers a theology that is adequate to account for the kind of lives these persons lived.  The book concludes with suggested methods by which the work of doing theology biographically can be carried further.

7.  The Psychology of Imagination ~ by Jean-Paul Sartre, 1948, psychology

France's leading existentialist writer examines the function of consciousness in creating a world of unrealities.  Sartre reveals a new way of conceiving of consciousness, the nature of psychic life, and the mind's complex relationship with the external world.

8.  Behind the Mask of Tutankhamen ~ by Barry Wynne, 1972, history

An account of the discovery by Howard Carter and the fifth Earl of Carnarvon of the last unaccounted tomb of a Pharaoh in the royal Valley of the Kings at Luxor, Egypt - a treasure vault unparalled in the history of modern excavation.

9.  The Bookseller of Kabul ~ by Åsne Seierstad, 2003 (in English), biography

This mesmerizing portrait of a proud man who, through three decades and successive repressive regimes, heroically braved persecution to bring books to the people of Kabul has elicited extraordinary praise throughout the world and become a phenomenal international bestseller.  This book is a revelation of the plight of Afghan women and a window into the surprising realities of daily life in today's Afghanistan.

10.  The Highest State of Consciousness ~ edited by John White, 1972, psychology

What is the highest state of consciousness?  St. Paul called it "the peace that passeth understanding" and Richard M. Bucke named it "cosmic consciousness."  In Zen Buddhism, the term for it is satori or kensho, while in yoga it is samadhi or moksha, and in Taoism, "the absolute Tao."   Thomas Merton used the phrase "transcendental unconscious" to describe it; Abraham Maslow coined the term "peak experience"; Sufis speak of fana.  Gurdjieff labeled it "objective consciousness" while the Quakers call it "the Inner Light."  Jung referred to individuation, and Buber spoke of the I-Thou relationship.  In this anthology John White brings together a diverse collection of writings by contemporary thinkers such as Aldous Huxley, P.D. Ouspensky, Alan Watts, Kenneth Wapnick, Richard Maurice Bucke, Abraham Maslow, and many more, and asks the question:  What is the Highest State of Consciousness?

11.  Crack in the Cosmic Egg: Challenging Constructs of Mind and Reality ~ by Joseph Chilton Pearce, 1971, psychology

The sum total of our notions of what the world is — and what we perceive its full potential to be — form a shell of rational thought in which we reside.  This logical universe creates a vicious circle of reasoning that robs our minds of power and prevents us from reaching our true potential.  To step beyond that circle requires a centering and focus that today's society assaults on every level.  Through the insights of Teilhard, Tillich, Jung, Jesus, Carlos Castaneda, and others, Pearce provides a mode of thinking through which imagination can escape the mundane shell of current construct reality (the "cosmic egg") and leap into a new phase of human evolution.

12.  Exploring the Crack in the Cosmic Egg: Split Minds and Meta-Realities ~ by Joseph Chilton Pearce, 1974, psychology

We go through early childhood connecting with the world through our senses.  With the development of language and the process of acculturation not only do our direct experiences of the world become much less vivid, but our innate states of nonordinary consciousness become suppressed.  Trapped in a specific cultural context — a “cosmic egg” — we are no longer able to have or even recognize mystical experiences not mediated by the limitations of our culture.  Motivated primarily by a fear of death, our enculturation literally splits our minds and prevents us from living fully in the present.  Drawing from Carlos Castaneda’s writings about Don Juan and the sense of “body-knowing,” Pearce explores the varieties of nonordinary consciousness that can help us return to the unencumbered consciousness of our infancy.  He shows that just as we each create our own cosmic egg of reality through cultural conditioning, we also innately create a “crack” in that egg.  Ultimately certain shifts in our biological development take place to offset acculturation, leaving an avenue of return to our primary state.  Pearce examines the creation of the “egg” itself and ways to discover its inherent cracks to restore wholeness to our minds, release us from our fear of death, and reestablish our ability to create our own realities through imagination and biological transcendence.

13.  Quartet in Autumn ~ by Barbara Pym, 1977, fiction

This is the story of four people in late middle-age — Edwin, Norman, Letty and Marcia — whose chief point of contact is that they work in the same office and they suffer the same problem — loneliness.  Poignantly and with much humour, Pym conducts us through their small lives and the facade they erect to defend themselves against the outside world.  There is nevertheless an obstinate optimism in her characters, allowing them in their different ways to win through to a kind of hope.

The only rule for Thursday Thirteen is to write about 13 things.  The New Thursday 13 is hosted by Country Dew @ Blue Country Magic and Colleen @ Loose Leaf Notes.  If you want to read lists by other people or play along yourself, here's the linky for this week.

A book and some thoughts

I'm about to read this study about one of the most interesting books I've ever come across.  I've found this copy in an old box with my first hardcover copy.  It was published a hundred years after the book came out.

Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind ~ by Richard Maurice Bucke, 1900, consciousness, 121 pages

Bucke explores the concept of cosmic consciousness, which he defines as "a higher form of consciousness than that possessed by the ordinary man."  This is a scientific study of illuminated individuals.  Bucke provides three dozen very consistent examples of  "cosmic consciousness."  These enlightened figures, he says, are evolutionary jumps, the predecessor of a more advanced species.

Back in 2012, I shared stories about some rather clueless folks.  When I happened to run across them the other day, I decided to share some of those stories (and laughs) again.  My readers have probably changed since then, and they were funny to me when I re-read them, too.  Here's one of those stories for you to laugh a little with me:

Customer:  "I've been calling 700-1000 for two days and can't get through; can you help?"

Operator:  "Where did you get that number, sir?"

Customer:  "It's on the door of your business."

Operator:  "Sir, those are the hours that we are open."

When packages are delivered to our building, this is where they are left by delivery drivers, even those that should have been taken to someone's apartment door, like food deliveries.  So there's a jumble this time of year, when folks are sending Christmas gifts.  That rumpled white-plastic thing in the middle is my package.  It's simply some wafers I ordered, but notice the two big delivery containers below the counter!

Added later:  I told a friend that today is my grandmother's birthday, then I had to try to remember what year she was born.  Inez Geneva Underwood Reynolds (my mother's mother) was born December 22, 1880, and died about a week after my third birthday in 1943, when she was only 62 years old.  She's the second person from the left on the front row, standing next to my grandfather.  It was about 1928, and my mother (the tall girl on front row) was about 12 years old.  The six brothers and two sisters of the Reynolds family are lined up by age.

Deb Nance at Readerbuzz

hosts The Sunday Salon.

Physics of the Impossible, by Michio Kaku

(click to enlarge the image)
Today's "Shoe" cartoon shows the wizard owl in a bookstore. In the first two panels he's thinking, "Because I'm a wizard, people think I have the answers to all the riddles of the cosmos" and "But, no matter how hard I look, there's one thing that still has me stumped." So in the last panel, he asks the bird behind the counter, "Is there parallel parking in a parallel universe?"

What made you want to read this book?
If you understood the joke, this may be a book you'd enjoy. The subtitle caught my attention back in November when I was drafting my novel about time travel. And the subtitle is...?

Title, author, date of book, and genre?
Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration Into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel, by Michio Kaku, 2008, physics

Share a quote from the book.
I got the book specifically to find out what a major physicist thinks about time travel, but I really enjoyed most of the rest of the book as well, especially all the "impossible" things that now seem possible, at least eventually.

In our ordinary world we sometimes joke that it's impossible to be "a little bit pregnant." But in the quantum world, it's even worse. We exist simultaneously as the sum of all possible bodily states: unpregnant, pregnant, a child, an elderly woman, a teenager, a career woman, etc. (p. 242)

I have told people that, now that I'm elderly, I have come to see that I am still all those other ages in my life -- which in my case would include pregnant and unpregnant, career woman and retiree. Some days I am twelve and hanging upside down from the swinging bar on the swing set -- and I can feel it, that rush of blood to my head hanging down and my weight on the backs of my knees as the bar swings back and forth. Not that I would ever try to do such a thing at my age. I couldn't, and not because of its lack of dignity, either. I just plain can't do what used to seem so simple and easy. (And sometimes I think I'm 112, but that's another story!)

One minority point of view is that there must be a "cosmic consciousness" pervading the universe. Objects spring into being when measurements are made, and measurements are made by conscious beings. Hence there must be cosmic consciousness that pervades the universe determining which state we are in. Some, like Nobel laureate Eugene Wigner, have argued that this proves the existence of God or some cosmic consciousness. (Wigner wrote, "It is not possible to formulate the laws [of the quantum theory] in a fully consistent way without reference to consciousness." In fact, he even expressed an interest in the Vedanta philosophy of Hinduism, in which the universe is pervaded by an all-embracing consciousness.) (pp. 243-244)

I took note of this quote because of the reference to Hinduism -- some of you know I taught Religions of the World as an adjunct at Chattanooga State for about a decade -- and I noticed an error in the book where Shiva, one of Hinduism's trinity of gods, was a "goddess" (p. 44). Nope, the dancing god may seem feminine, but he's a he.

What did you like most about the book?
I discovered something I didn't know (or at least don't remember hearing or reading before) -- that the moon stabilizes Earth's spin (p. 134). That fascinates me, though I can't really explain why. What if we didn't have the moon?

How would you rate this book?
Because it was slightly more difficult than I expected (Hey, it was written by a quantum physicist!), I give it a 9 out of 10.

Cosmos and cosmic

Cosmos (noun) ― the universe seen as a well-ordered whole.
Cosmic (adjective) ― relating to the universe or cosmos, especially as distinct from the earth.

I ran into Shirvan in the lobby Monday evening, and he asked about the word "cosmos."  Is it the same as "universe"?  I had to think about it, but as best I could sort through what I knew of the word, they were pretty much the same.

I remember Cosmos, the best-selling science book by Carl Sagan from 1980, as being about the universe.  But do we have two words that mean exactly the same thing?

"The cosmos is all that is, or ever was, or ever will be," says Carl Sagan at the beginning of the (four-minute) introduction to his 13-part television series Cosmos: A Personal Voyage.

I got the definitions above from Google.  Here's what Merriam-Webster adds:

"Cosmos often simply means universe, but the word is generally used to suggest an orderly or harmonious universe, as it was originally used by Pythagoras in the 6th century B.C."

I've read the book Cosmic Consciousness by Richard Maurice Bucke (1900) at least two or three times, as I posted in August.  The book's sub-title is A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind.  Now I'll have to think about how that kind of consciousness relates to the universe as distinct from the earth.  This use of the word "cosmic" is actually more metaphysical than scientific, according to Merriam-Webster, but this has been an interesting reflection on the cosmos and however it may ― or may not ― relate to cosmic consciousness.

I'm exploring words again

I joined other residents on Friday as we watched our weekly movie.  This week, it was a documentary entitles "Barry."  That's the name Barack Obama was called when he was in college, and I noticed that one of his books was entitled Epistemology.  I am 100% sure no one else picked up on that title, but I took a class in epistemology in college.  So I grinned and jotted down "epistemology" to remind myself to write about it here.  (Yes, I take notes even though I'm retired).  I searched this blog to see if I'd written about epistemology before and found this information (HERE).  That's a bust of Plato in the photo:

Epistemology

1. Knowledge and Reason ~ Plato and the Ancient Greeks

2.  Theories of Knowledge ~ Plato and Aristotle

3.  Faith and Reason ~ Augustine

Word of the Day #1

e·pis·te·mol·o·gy / əˌpistəˈmäləjē,eˌpistəˈmäləjē / noun, philosophy = the theory of knowledge, especially with regard to its methods, validity, and scope.  Epistemology is the investigation of what distinguishes justified belief from opinion.  Example:  "He grappled with metaphysics and epistemology in his writings."

Word of the Day #2

metaphysics = the study of the most general features of reality, including existence, objects and their properties, possibility and necessity, space and time, change, causation, and the relation between matter and mind.  It is one of the oldest branches of philosophy.  Example:  "They would regard the question of the initial conditions for the universe as belonging to the realm of metaphysics."

Can you tell that Philosophy was part of my double major for my first college degree?  Okay, I guess I really will have to re-read this tiny book that I reminded myself in January (HERE) that I wanted to re-read.

Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind ~ by Richard Maurice Bucke, 1900, consciousness, 121 pages

Bucke explores cosmic consciousness, which he defines as "a higher form of consciousness than that possessed by the ordinary [person]."

Mind isn't confined to brain ― or even body

"It’s impossible to completely disentangle our subjective view of the world from our interactions."

Scott Shepard posted this link on Facebook, saying, "Fascinating blurb."  So I read the article.  I've been thinking about consciousness a lot lately, as I've read books by Michio Kaku and Robert Lanza, but my interest isn't new.  I read this book decades ago:

My paperback edition

Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind ~ by Richard Maurice Bucke, 1900

This is a scientific study of illuminated individuals.  Bucke provides three dozen very consistent examples of "cosmic consciousness."  Some of these are the usual suspects, and others are contemporary case-histories he collected.  These enlightened figures, Bucke says, are evolutionary jumps, the predecessor of a more advanced species.

My Kindle edition

I just pulled two copies of this book from the shelves across the room; I bought a hardback edition in the 1970s and the paperback in 1985.  (I know because I wrote "bj 12/21/85" on the first page" when I was in my second year of seminary.)  While searching online for an image of the cover, I discovered there are multiple covers and that the book is now available for Kindle.  Usually it's an oversight when I buy a second copy of a book, but it costs only $2.99 for Kindle, so I bought a third version of it.  The Kindle "cover" I just got is shown on the left.

My hardback has a quote from William James on the front cover.

"I believe that you have brought this kind of consciousness 'home' to the attention of students of human nature in a way so definite and unescapable that it will be impossible henceforward to overlook or ignore it.  You are a benefactor of us all."

A week of wisdom, love, rainbows, consciousness, and celebration

Words of Wisdom ~ edited by Louis Untermeyer, 1968, sayings, 46 pages, 8/10

These quotes are from the last page of this tiny book and not spoilers:

   It was an unknown Persian philosopher who pointed out the way of wisdom.

... He said:

    He who knows not, and knows not that he knows not, is a fool.

Shun him.

    He who knows not and knows that he knows not, is a child.

Teach him.

    He who knows, and knows not that he knows, is asleep.

Wake him.

    He who knows, and knows that he knows, is wise.

Follow him.

For You with Love ~ by Louis Untermeyer, illustrated by Joan Walsh Anglund, 1961, poem, 20 pages, 8/10

My daughters were in town this past week, so they helped me get a bunch of stuff out of my storage unit, which is mostly full of books.  This lovely little book (a mere 20 pages) may have been the one in which I found a card with this inscription from me "to my favorite Mother!"

Noah and the Very First Rainbow: Did You Know Bible Story ~ by Sunny Griffin, illustrated by Donna Lee, 1994, children, 48 pages, 9/10

This series of books is designed so children can point out the main person or object in each story.

Cosmic Consciousness: A Study on the Evolution of the Human Mind ~ by Richard Maurice Bucke, 1901, evolution, 114 pages

Pictured is the hardback copy, but the one I found in my storage unit this week is a paperback that I bought on August 16, 2001 and read by the next day.  I wrote on the back page:

I read this book 20-30 years ago, and it was much thicker — I still have that copy somewhere, in some box.

To see what I have shared about this book in previous blog posts, click HERE.

Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo, which means "fifth of May" in Spanish, commemorates the Mexican victory over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.  It is celebrated by Mexicans and Mexican-Americans.  (Sorry, folks, I hope using a cat in this context doesn't offend you.  This illustration just struck me as funny.)

Deb at Readerbuzz hosts The Sunday Salon.

Favorite book?

Facebook meme:

Them:  What's your favorite book?

Me:  What, of the ones I'm currently reading?

Them:  No, like of all time.

Me:  Top ten?

Them:  No, just one!

Me:  What genre?

Them:  Just answer the question!

Me:  I would, but you really need to narrow it down.

When I read that meme, I immediately thought of fiction.  So what are my favorite novels?

• My Sister's Keeper ~ by Jodi Picoult (2004)
• Time and Again ~ by Jack Finney (1970)
• The Art of Racing in the Rain ~ by Garth Stein (2008)
• One True Thing (pre-blog, so time to re-read this) ~ by Anna Quindlen (1994)

What's my favorite book in the category of children's fiction?

• Miss Rumphius ~ by Barbara Cooney (1982)
• Epaminondas and His Auntie ~ by Sara Cone Bryant (1907)
• A Wrinkle in Time ~ by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)
• Old Turtle and the Broken Truth ~ by Douglas Wood (2003)

What's my favorite book in the nonfiction category?

• Agape Love: A Tradition Found in Eight World Religions ~ by John Templeton (1999), religion
• Christianity After Religion: The End of Church and the Birth of a New Spiritual Awakening ~ by Diana Butler Bass (2012), theology
• Cosmic Consciousness ~ by Richard Maurice Bucke (1900), evolution
• The Heart of Christianity: Rediscovering a Life of Faith ~ by Marcus J. Borg (2003), theology

Your turn

What's the first book YOU think of when someone asks (yes, I'm asking), "What's your favorite book?"  I do realize I couldn't even get it down to my Top Ten books.

The illustration at the top shows the books a lot of people in the United States chose as their favorite in a 2014 poll conducted by Parade.

Audio tapes

After the Ecstasy, the Laundry: How the Heart Grows Wise on the Spiritual Path ~ by Jack Kornfield, 2000, six audio tapes

An audio adaptation of the book, this program reveals how the modern spiritual journey unfolds, and the difficulties of translating that freedom into daily life.  Drawing on the experiences and insights of leaders and practitioners within the Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Sufi traditions, Kornfield offers an understanding of how the modern spiritual journey unfolds — and how we can prepare our hearts for awakening.

The Practice of the Presence of God ~ by Brother Laurence, read by Bob Tetreault, 2000, one audio tape

Full of realistic honesty, friendliness, and simplicity, Brother Lawrence shows that it is possible to meet God amongst the pots and pans — in the ordinary, daily events of life.  "In the way of God, thoughts count very little," said Brother Lawrence, a 17th century Carmelite monk who spent much of his monastic life in the kitchen.  "Love does it all."

Awakening Compassion: Meditation Practice For Difficult Times ~ by Pema Chödrön, 1995, six audio tapes

For more than 800 years, Tibetan Buddhists have used the principles of lojong (literally, "mind training") to transform difficulties into insights, and conflict into genuine communication.  This is the first audio retreat on the practice of lojong taught by Pema Chödrön herself.  With many techniques for dealing with jealousy, anger, and fear, this is a unique resource for bringing compassion into the world and stopping the cycle of suffering in our own lives.

Radiant Heart: The Radical Teachings of Jesus and the Christian Mystics ~ by Andrew Harvey, 1999, six audio tapes

The desert mystics used the life of Jesus as a spiritual template.  Beginning with an investigation into the original practices of Jesus and ending with a series of transformative meditations for opening to the power of Christ consciousness, Andrew Harvey invites us to look beyond nearly 2,000 years of dogma and distortion to see the path traveled by Jesus — and history’s most influential saints and mystics.

Exploring the Cosmic Christ Archetype ~ by Matthew Fox, 1992, two audio tapes

Fox offers a new, dynamic vision of the creation story, based on his search for the divine in our world today.  Five and a half billion years ago, he says, a supernova exploded and died.  Its resurrective power gave birth to the elements in our bodies.  These elements – fire, earth, water, and air – are celebrated by every native religion in chant, in prayer, in ritual and are the basis ofhis  "Cosmic Christ" theology.  He calls for a return to a joyful form of worship, free of dogma, that speaks to you personally.

The Divine Dance: Exploring the Mystery of Trinity ~ by Richard Rohr, 2004, four audio tapes

Rohr says, "Don't start with one and try to make it three, but start with three and know that is the very nature of the One – and everything there is."  From there, he opens up the central and hidden mystery of the Trinity to show its very practical and pastoral implications for community, family, politics, sexuality, and spirituality.

The Anti-Gospel of Our Time: The Need to Play the Victim and to Create Victims ~ by Richard Rohr, 1998, four audio tapes

Richard Rohr spoke at Shalem Institute's 25th Anniversary Event on October 29-30, 1998.  His topic was this Anti-Gospel.  Afterwards, several participants reflected very briefly on what they heard, and you can read their remarks here.

Wisdom of the Sadhu: Teachings of Sundar Singh ~ read by Al Stone, 2000, three audio tapes

Though known in his lifetime as India's most famous convert to Christianity, Sundar Singh (1889-1929) never accepted the conventions of Christianity, but gravitated instead to its stark original teachings.  His teachings in this collection of anecdotes, sayings, parables, and meditations probe the essence of the Gospels with unusual freahness.

My thanks to Jan @ Yearning for God, who sent me a box of audio tapes, which also included these:

Eat That Frog! ~ by Brian Tracy, 2001 (2 tapes)
The Place of Scripture in Spiritual Formation ~ by Hazelyn McComas, 2001 (5 tapes)
Hebrew Spirituality ~ by Robert Morris, 2002 (5 tapes)
Liturgy and Spirituality ~ by Don Saliers, 2002 (5 tapes)
Christian Spirituality and Cultural Spiritualities ~ by Michael Cartwright, 2003 (5 tapes)
New Testament Communities and Our Community ~ by Robert Mulholland, 2003 (5 tapes)
What in the World is God Doing? ~ by Richard J. Foster (1 tape)
Living in the Now ~ by David Stendl-Rast (4 tapes)
Healing Starts from the Heart ~ by David Stendl-Rast, 1992 (2 tapes)
There Is Only Now ~ by Scott Morrison (1 tape)
Sermons ~ by Gordon Cosby (10 tapes)
Stillness Speaks ~ by Eckhart Tolle (2 tapes)
The Gift of Contemplation and Your Spiritual Journey ~ by Thomas Keating (5 tapes)

TWO more books my neighbor Betty shared with me

Waves in an Impossible Sea: How Everyday Life Emerges from the Cosmic Ocean ~ by Matt Strassler, 2024, quantum theory, 384 pages

A theoretical physicist takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey — found in "no other book" (Science) — to discover how the universe generates everything from nothing at all:  "If you want to know what's really going on in the realms of relativity and particle physics, read this book" (Sean Carroll, author of The Biggest Ideas in the Universe).

In Waves in an Impossible Sea, physicist Matt Strassler tells a startling tale of elementary particles, human experience, and empty space.  He begins with a simple mystery of motion.  When we drive at highway speeds with the windows down, the wind beats against our faces.  Yet our planet hurtles through the cosmos at 150 miles per second, and we feel nothing of it.  How can our voyage be so tranquil when, as Einstein discovered, matter warps space, and space deflects matter?

 

The answer, Strassler reveals, is that empty space is a sea, albeit a paradoxically strange one.  Much like water and air, it ripples in various ways, and we ourselves, made from its ripples, can move through space as effortlessly as waves crossing an ocean.  Deftly weaving together daily experience and fundamental physics — the musical universe, the enigmatic quantum, cosmic fields, and the Higgs boson — Strassler shows us how all things, familiar and unfamiliar, emerge from what seems like nothing at all.  Is this the ultimate guide to our place in the universe?

Waking, Dreaming, Being: Self and Consciousness in Neuroscience, Meditation, and Philosophy ~ by Evan Thompson, 2017, philosophy, 496 pages

A renowned philosopher of the mind, also known for his groundbreaking work on Buddhism and cognitive science, Evan Thompson combines the latest neuroscience research on sleep, dreaming, and meditation with Indian and Western philosophy of mind, casting new light on the self and its relation to the brain.

Thompson shows how the self is a changing process, not a static thing.  When we are awake we identify with our body, but if we let our mind wander or daydream, we project a mentally imagined self into the remembered past or anticipated future.  As we fall asleep, the impression of being a bounded self distinct from the world dissolves, but the self reappears in the dream state.  If we have a lucid dream, we no longer identify only with the self within the dream.  Our sense of self now includes our dreaming self, the "I" as dreamer.  Finally, as we meditate ― either in the waking state or in a lucid dream ― we can observe whatever images or thoughts arise and how we tend to identify with them as "me."  We can also experience sheer awareness itself, distinct from the changing contents that make up our image of the self.

Contemplative traditions say that we can learn to let go of the self, so that when we die we can witness its dissolution with equanimity.  The book weaves together neuroscience, philosophy, and personal narrative to depict these transformations, adding uncommon depth to life's profound questions.  Contemplative experience comes to illuminate scientific findings, and scientific evidence enriches the vast knowledge acquired by contemplatives.