Admittedly, I’m just a painfully average Joe, but therein lies the paradoxical aptness of my credentials. Like most people, I wasn’t raised specially educated or trained, fed by a spiritual spoon. Instead, my qualifications arise from transitioning out of the common, materialistically driven, atheistic perspective to see the contrasting light of the other side. What was originally a drive for self-development has evolved into a passion for spirituality, which inevitably arises if one introspects long enough. These past few years, I’ve been motivated to try and make more sense out of this senseless topic with the intent of sharing its value with others.
What it means to be spiritual but not religious is in need of a clarifying facelift. In this non-narrative and non-bs deep-dive, spirituality aims to connect and reconcile with its debunking adversary science. So why care? What's in it for you?
Let this book tell you why developing a spiritual shield to deflect ego-seeking projectiles is a no-brainer when it comes to personal growth and pivoting gracefully through life's twists and turns.
This book offers an interesting perspective on the potential biological basis for religious experiences and beliefs, supported by scientific research.
Even without a background in neuroscience or psychology, I still found it to be a fully understandable book, well-written but not overly complicated. In the modern era where we need to provide a logical basis and justification, it adds to the overall endeavor to bridge science and spirituality.
While I can’t say this book has many practical tips, it has deepened my perspective on the subject of spirituality, allowing me to better comprehend and visualize physical correlates of certain esoteric experiences.
Is Man the product of a God...or is "God" the product of human evolution?
From the dawn of our species, every human culture―no matter how isolated―has believed in some form of a spiritual realm. According to author Matthew Alper, this is no mere coincidence but rather due to the fact that humans, as a species, are genetically predisposed to believe in the universal concepts of a god, a soul and an afterlife. This instinct to believe is the result of an evolutionary adaptation―a coping mechanism―that emerged in our species to help us survive our unique and otherwise debilitating awareness of…
This book has helped me explore the way we think and make decisions.
By highlighting the cognitive biases that can impact our decision-making, it provides practical insights and strategies for making better choices. Written in an engaging and accessible style, the book is relevant not only for individuals but also for larger group entities.
It has helped me objectivize my thinking processes and to think more critically and to be less impulsive. It has also been useful in how I go about trying to form better habits while minimizing detrimental ones.
The phenomenal international bestseller - 2 million copies sold - that will change the way you make decisions
'A lifetime's worth of wisdom' Steven D. Levitt, co-author of Freakonomics 'There have been many good books on human rationality and irrationality, but only one masterpiece. That masterpiece is Thinking, Fast and Slow' Financial Times
Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast,…
This is a thought-provoking book that explores the common themes and mystical experiences found in different religions and spiritual traditions.
Huxley's writing style is engaging and his ability to express complex ideas in an accessible manner makes the book an enjoyable and informative read for both the spiritual and secular. By examining the shared mystical theme spanning all religions, the book helps bridge their varying differences.
Its perspective on this common spiritual essence reinforces and helps me connect to what I would consider a universal truth.
An inspired gathering of religious writings that reveals the "divine reality" common to all faiths, collected by Aldous Huxley
"The Perennial Philosophy," Aldous Huxley writes, "may be found among the traditional lore of peoples in every region of the world, and in its fully developed forms it has a place in every one of the higher religions."
With great wit and stunning intellect—drawing on a diverse array of faiths, including Zen Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Christian mysticism, and Islam—Huxley examines the spiritual beliefs of various religious traditions and explains how they are united by a common human yearning to experience the…
This narrative approach took me on a profound exploration of the human experience that offers valuable insights into the nature of wisdom, self-discovery, and the balance between worldly pleasures and spiritual fulfillment.
It helps remind me that wisdom and enlightenment can only be found within ourselves, and that the personal journey of self-discovery/connection is crucial to living a fulfilling life. I thoroughly enjoyed the poetic and philosophical style of Hesse’ writing and would consider this book a timeless classic that continues to inspire.
Here the spirituality of the East and the West have met in a novel that enfigures deep human wisdom with a rich and colorful imagination.
Written in a prose of almost biblical simplicity and beauty, it is the story of a soul's long quest in search of he ultimate answer to the enigma of man's role on this earth. As a youth, the young Indian Siddhartha meets the Buddha but cannot be content with a disciple's role: he must work out his own destiny and solve his own doubt-a tortuous road that carries him through the sensuality of a love…
While a delightful and heartwarming children's book, its meaning is profound, speaking to our underlying interconnectedness.
Jim Carrey has been known to have gone through personal spiritual transformations and it resonates in this book. We can get quite deep and detailed when it comes to the spiritual subject but its true nature is simple.
I’ve always known of the wave and ocean metaphor but seeing it personified adds a beneficial facet to my cognitive visualization, helping me better foster senses of empathy and compassion for others. Its illustrations and playful writing are comical and uplifting, aligning with how I perceive Jim Carrey.
For a very quick read, it instills lasting feelings of harmony.
HOW ROLAND ROLLS, winner of a 2013 Gelett Burgess Children’s Book Award, is a story about a wave named Roland who's afraid that, one day, when he hits the beach, his life will be over. But when he gets deep, he's struck by the notion that he's not just a wave - he's the whole big, wide ocean! The story shows humanity's interconnectedness through the metaphor of a wave in the ocean.
The book is lavishly illustrated by Rob Nason, who won a Golden Reel award for his work as Art Director on the film Anastasia, as well as an…
My book recommendations reflect an abiding passion for Japanese literature, which has unquestionably influenced my own writing. My latest literary interest involves Japanese poetry—I’ve recently started a project that combines haiku and prose narration to describe my experiences as a part-time resident in a 1300-year-old Japanese hot spring town that Bashō helped make famous in The Narrow Road to the Deep North. But as a writer, my main focus remains novels. In late 2023 the second in a planned series of novels set in Ishikawa prefecture will be published. I currently live in Kanazawa, but have also been lucky to call Sapporo, Akita, Tokyo, and Fukui home at different times.
Emmitt’s plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of purchasing their dream home. Disappointed, he’s surprised to discover her subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo.
In his search for a meaningful life in Japan, and after quitting his job, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law translate Kanazawa’s most famous author, Izumi Kyoka, into English. He becomes drawn into the mysterious death of a friend of Mirai’s parents, leading him and his father-in-law to climb the mountain where the man died. There, he learns the somber truth and discovers what the future holds for him and his wife.
Packed with subtle literary allusion and closely observed nuance, Kanazawa reflects the mood of Japanese fiction in a fresh, modern incarnation.
In Kanazawa, the first literary novel in English to be set in this storied Japanese city, Emmitt's future plans collapse when his wife, Mirai, suddenly backs out of negotiations to purchase their dream home. Disappointed, he's surprised to discover Mirai's subtle pursuit of a life and career in Tokyo, a city he dislikes.
Harmony is further disrupted when Emmitt's search for a more meaningful life in Japan leads him to quit an unsatisfying job at a local university. In the fallout, he finds himself helping his mother-in-law translate Kanazawa's most famous author, Izumi Kyoka, into English.
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