Résultats de "David Christopher Lane" dans Toutes les catégories

One of the first critical studies ever done on the hidden history of Paul Twitchell and Eckankar. It was first completed as a term paper when David Lane was only 20 years old as an undergraduate student at CSUN. Later, it evolved into a very controversial book which caused a worldwide stir in the Eckankar organization. Contains extensive documentation on how Paul Twitchell created a fictional mythology about himself while denying his association with certain spiritual teachers.

In this partially autobiographical book, Professor David Christopher Lane, PhD., a long-time skeptic of religion and the paranormal, explains why he meditates and why he believes it is extremely beneficial to human well-being. Includes a detailed section on how to meditate using an ancient technique called shabd yoga (listening to the inner sound) without resorting to mythological concepts or overlays.

Beginning with two autobiographical essays about Professor David Lane's book addiction and his 40-plus years of exposing cults, this volume includes critical essays on Andrew Cohen, a spiritual teacher who was forced to resign only to repackage himself several years later; the new age philosopher, Ken Wilber, and his "integral" theory; a skeptical analysis behind why Donald Trump was elected; the future of books in light of virtual reality headsets such as Oculus Rift; and insights on the religious visions of Sri Ramakrishna and the role of guru "transparency".

The Radhasoami tradition has almost since its formal inception in 1861 in Agra, India, attempted to explain its practices and teachings as a higher form of spiritual science. But in so doing, Radhasoami has developed its own unique understanding of how science operates which at times is at odds with more conventional definitions of how to systematically study nature.

This book explores the succession of Sawan Singh, the famous "Great Master" of Radhasoami Satsang Beas. Focuses on the controversy generated by Kirpal Singh who claimed that he was the rightful successor, even though Sawan Singh had named Jagat Singh in a notarized will. Presents a point by point critique of Kirpal Singh's claims.

Lord Dunsany was Edward Plunkett's pen name, and he was a very successful author of numerous books, plays, and short stories. He possessed a remarkable imagination and created fantastical landscapes peopled with unique characters. To listen to his short stories is to be transported to another time and to another place and, in the midst of it all, to be enthralled by the marvel of it all.

Can science ultimately explain consciousness? This little book explores the subject from both a purely physicalist perspective and also from an Eastern philosophy angle.

The true story of how famed K2 mountain climber Paul Petzoldt killed his friend and mentor, Dr. Julian P. Johnson at a spiritual ashram in India. Explores the controversy surrounding what happened on that fateful night on January 25, 1939, and the spiritual scandal that ensued in the Punjab.

Although there is now a plethora of books by and about Rumi, I thought it might be instructive to republish a small portion of Edward Henry Whinfield's English translation of Rumi's Persian masterpiece. I think it is vitally important in today's social climate to focus on those aspects of Islam which elevate humankind and I can think of no better place to start than with the Sufi mystics of Islam, of which Rumi is the most famous (and perhaps finest) example.

This diary covers the period between 1999 and 2001 and discusses science, philosophy and religion via the lens of surfing. Penned by David Christopher Lane, a longtime professor known for his critical books on cults, this book takes a very personal look at the deep questions of human existence coupled with seasoned (and at times humorous) observations of day to day life. Lane uses surfing as the guiding metaphor throughout the text.

I first encountered the mystical logic of Nicholas of Cusa when I read S.L. Frank's magnificent (and underappreciated) volume, The Unknowable. I was both mesmerized and haunted by Cusa's koan-like summation of his philosophy when he wrote, "The unattainable is attained by its unattainment." As Socrates and other mystic-philosophers before him, Nicholas of Cusa had realized through mathematics and geometry that infinity cannot be comprehended by that which is finite.

This book covers four distinct areas concerning the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Taken as a whole, it provides a new way of looking at Jesus and early Christianity.

It is not too often that a brilliant scientist is also a wonderfully gifted writer. Sir Arthur Eddington was both. Brought up as a Quaker (he was a pacifist during World War One), Eddington was by all accounts a brilliant mathematician and physicist, who eventually became a professor of astronomy at Cambridge University. Sir Arthur Eddington is perhaps most famous for partially confirming Albert Einstein's theory of relativity back in 1919.

Tom Blake changed the face of surfing and has long been lauded as one of the true pioneers and innovators in the sport. Although much has been written about him and his contributions (culminating in Gary Lynch's magisterial biography of him, Tom Blake: The Uncommon Journey of a Pioneer Waterman, published in 2001), very little work has been done on Tom Blake's Einsteinian philosophy.

This book presents a glimpse into the fascinating life and work of Baba Faqir Chand, the famous "unknowing" sage of India. Faqir explains in vivid details how gurus do not know about the miracles and visions attributed to them. He also explains the secrets behind surat shabd yoga practice and provides a detailed description of how to transcend visionary phenomena.

Many critics consider "Rain" to be Maugham's finest short story and it has proven to be wildly successful for an essay that is less than 16,000 words, eventually earning him over a million dollars. What makes the story standout, besides its exotic setting in the South Pacific, is the archetypal conflict between the pull of the flesh and the pull of the spirit.

The true story of how a young boy at the age of 15 discovers a Perfect Coke at Fedco in Van Nuys, California, in the summer of 1971. Describes how any object can potentially serve as a hierophany, which is an ordinary object that serves as conduit for the transcendent. Touches upon Jorge Borges' famous short story about the Zahir, a talisman that conveys far more than its intrinsic worth. Includes implications drawn from physics, probability theory, and mysticism.

This book contains brief stories about famous Hindu myths, including Ganesha, Garuda, and Rama. It also includes two pertinent excerpts on advaita vedanta or non-dualist thinking from one of its earliest exponents and one from a famous modern sage, Ramana Maharshi.

What makes Errol Flynn so fascinating is that he lived a life that was so adventurous and seemingly impossible it borders on the surreal. Refreshingly, Flynn makes no apologies for his lifestyle and even revels in his iconoclastic ways. Flynn captures the essence of his thinking when he opines, "I know that truth is sometimes an octagon and that I am one. Contradiction is a cardinal element of life and of itself may be no contradiction."

This book explores the following topics: Global Positioning Intelligence, the future of books, reverse engineering the brain, understanding consciousness, a critical analysis of Jeffrey Kripal's understanding of the paranormal, and a critical analysis of Edgar Cayce.