Showing titles in Consciousness & Thought

The Analysis of the Mind by Bertrand Russell is a collection of 15 lectures he delivered in 1920. Russell was a highly reputed philosopher, mathematician, and social critic, and would go on to win the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1950.

For centuries, Hermeticism has captivated thinkers, mystics, and everyday seekers with its promise: that the universe is structured by intelligible principles—and that understanding them can illuminate your entire life. Today, countless readers search for meaning, clarity, and inner stability. This book offers a path toward all three. Hermeticism for Beginners brings ancient wisdom down to earth with a voice that is clear, direct, and unforgettable. Whether you’re exploring the Seven Principles for the first time or returning to them with new eyes, this guide makes timeless esoteric ...

Step into one of the most profound and enduring stories in the history of philosophy. The Allegory of the Cave Explained takes you deep into Plato’s timeless metaphor for truth, knowledge, and the human condition. From the shadows on the wall to the blinding light of the sun, this book unpacks each stage of the allegory with clarity, depth, and practical insight. You will explore Plato’s life and historical context, the meaning behind each symbolic element, and how his message about perception and reality resonates more strongly than ever in today’s information-saturated world. With ...

Imagination is a core aspect of being human. Our imagination allows us to fully experience ourselves in relation to the world and reality. Since the 17th century, however, imagination has been sidelined and dismissed as "make believe". Four centuries ago, a new way of knowing the world and ourselves emerged in the west and has gone on to dominate human life: science. Imagination has been marginalized - depicted as a way of escaping reality, rather than coming to grips with it - and its significance to our humanity has been downplayed.

Although content in their temple high up in the mountains, Tiny Dragon realises that something feels incomplete. So it is that they decide to make a journey together, to new and distant lands. As they encounter dangers and challenges, they learn that everything they need is already inside them and that change, though sometimes scary, is possible and, with patience, can lead to better things.

Daniel Klein journeys to the Greek island Hydra to discover the secrets of aging happily. Drawing on the lives of his Greek friends, as well as philosophers ranging from Epicurus to Sartre, Klein learns to appreciate old age as a distinct and extraordinarily valuable stage of life. He uncovers simple pleasures that are uniquely available late in life, as well as headier pleasures that only a mature mind can fully appreciate.

What if the world isn’t broken but alive, intelligent, and trying to heal? The World as a Living System is a mind-shifting exploration of what it means to live in a time of global breakdown. Drawing on complex system theory, philosophy, psychology, and lived human experience, this book offers a radically different lens. Our world is not a linear machine heading toward collapse. It is a self-organizing system seeking harmony through change. From the rigidity of modern society to the fragmentation of the human psyche, from ecological destruction to economic confusion, this book reveals how ...

Alain de Botton has performed a stunning feat: He has transformed arcane philosophy into something accessible and entertaining, useful and kind. Drawing on the work of six of the world's most brilliant thinkers, de Botton has arranged a panoply of wisdom to guide us through our most common problems.

I am bringing to my listeners knowledge that I have obtained by favor rather than by effort. It will not be found the less valuable on that account; I venture, on the contrary, to declare that it will be found of incalculably greater value, easily as I have obtained it, than any results in a similar direction that I could possibly have procured by ordinary methods of research, even had I possessed, in the highest degree, that which I make no claim to possess at all - oriental scholarship.

In this original and groundbreaking book, Andrew Newberg, M.D., and Mark Robert Waldman turn their attention to the pinnacle of the human experience: enlightenment. Through his brain-scan studies on Brazilian psychic mediums, Sufi mystics, Buddhist meditators, Franciscan nuns, Pentecostals, and participants in secular spirituality rituals, Newberg has discovered the specific neurological mechanisms associated with the enlightenment experience - and how we might activate those circuits in our own brains.

What if your identity is not really you? What if your self-esteem issues, anxiety, and inner conflicts are not proof of being broken — but signs of a hidden program running in your head? This book won’t teach you how to “fix” yourself. Because there’s nothing wrong with you. What you truly need is to see the system you’ve been trapped in your whole life. And once you see it — it starts falling apart. “Cordyceps offers not just a new theory or therapeutic method, but a fundamental liberation — a way to regain power over your own mind and life. This is not about healing. ...

Under the rule of the Roman Empire, the slave Epictetus (“acquired”, “bought”, in Greek) not only sought his freedom, but also devoted his life to one of the most important schools of philosophy: Stoicism.

Is the tick a machine or a machine operator? Is it a mere object or a subject? With these questions, the pioneering biophilosopher Jakob von Uexküll embarks on a remarkable exploration of the unique social and physical environments that individual animal species, as well as individuals within species, build and inhabit.

Death might seem to render pointless all our attempts to create a meaningful life. Doesn't meaning require transcending death through an afterlife or in some other way? On the contrary, Dean Rickles argues, life without death would be like playing tennis without a net. Only constraints—and death is the ultimate constraint—make our actions meaningful. In Life Is Short, Rickles explains why the finiteness and shortness of life is the essence of its meaning-and how this insight is the key to making the most of the time we do have.

Goswami's basic premise is that quantum physics is not only the future of science, but is also the key to understanding consciousness, life, death, God, psychology, and the meaning of life. Quantum physics is an antidote to the moral sterility and mechanistic approach of scientific materialism and is the best and clearest approach to understanding our universe. In short, quantum physics is indeed the theory of everything. 

Few, if any, thinkers and writers today would have the imagination, the breadth of knowledge, and the literary skill to conceive of a powerful secular alternative to the Bible. But that is exactly what A. C. Grayling has done, creating a nonreligious bible drawn from the wealth of secular literature and philosophy in both Western and Eastern traditions, using the same techniques of editing, redaction, and adaptation that produced the holy books of the Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions.

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD. Composed during his military campaigns from 170 to 180 AD, this profound work consists of twelve books that delve into Stoic philosophy, offering reflections on duty, resilience, and the human experience. This edition adapts Meditations for today's listeners, making Marcus Aurelius' wisdom relevant and accessible for navigating modern life.

What if the secret to attracting everything you’ve ever wanted wasn’t about chasing harder—but letting go? Think about it: the job offer comes when you stop obsessing over your inbox. The text finally arrives when you move on. The money starts flowing the moment you stop stressing about it. This isn’t luck—it’s the hidden power of detachment. Most of us have been taught to hold on tightly, to hustle, to cling to relationships, opportunities, and outcomes. But attachment creates resistance—and resistance repels the very things we desire.

Before his death in 1645, the undefeated swordsman Miyamoto Musashi retired to live as a hermit in a cave. There, he wrote five scrolls containing the «true principles» necessary for victory, both in martial arts and on the battlefield. Based on his experience, observation, and reasoning, Musashi describes the tactics that allowed him to remain undefeated. Published as The Book of Five Rings, this text has not only captivated the martial arts world but has also gained international recognition in the business field as a key tool for resolving conflicts and achieving success.

Susan Shumsky is a successful author in the new age/spirituality field, writing books on meditation, intuition, prayer, auras, chakras, and the like. But in the 1970s, she was one of only a handful of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s personal attendants and administrators, in India, Switzerland, and elsewhere. Following the teachings of Maharishi displaced Susan’s devotion to the hippie lifestyle, as she learned about meditation and grew spiritually self-aware. Maharishi founded the spiritual movement TM (Transcendental Meditation).