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A dissertation upon the employment of excrementitious remedial agents in religion, therapeutics, divination, witchcraft, love-philters, etc. in all parts of the globe. This work is based upon original notes and personal observation, and upon compilation from over one thousand authorities. The subject of Scatalogic or Stercoraceous Rites and Practices, however repellent it may be under some of its aspects, is none the less deserving of the profoundest consideration, if for no other reason that that from the former universal dissemination of such aberrations of the intellect, as well as of the religious impulses of the human race, and their present curtailment or restriction, the progress of humanity upward and onward may best be measured.

"Drive Yourself Sane applies Korzybski's brilliant general semantics philosophy to its readers' everyday lives and shows them how to live more sanely."–Albert Ellis, Ph.D., President, Albert Ellis Institute

" Using the methods in this book can cure racism, sexism and similar dangerous follies quicker than any other educational technique."
Robert Anton Wilson, futurist, author of Schrodinger's Cat and Quantum Psychology

"An outstanding work, takes a complex subject and makes it simple and approachable."
Michael J. Gelb, author of How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Everyday Science

"Science > Knowledge > Living > Joy: This can be yours from what you learn by reading this book..."
Robert R. Potter, Ed.D., author of Making Sense: Exploring Semantics and Critical Thinking

The author, Rene de Nebesky-Wojkowitz a scholar and adventurer who studied Tibetan culture, primarily in Sikkim, journeyed to the Himalayan region in the 1950s just before and during the Chinese invasion of Lhasa, when great upheavals were taking place in Tibetan society and culture. This book, a reprint of a long out of print study sheds fascinating insights on the occult secrets of Tibetan mysticism. It details the classification, appearance, and attributes of the Tibetan protective deities, their iconography, sacrifices, ceremonies, oracles, ritual dances, black magic and their cult of weathermaking.

"Many of the guardian goddesses especially those of the ma mo type, are pictured as ugly women with long emaciated breasts and huge sexual organs, while only a few are said to have the lovely appearance of ' a girl who has just passed her sixteenth year of age.' " Description of one of the Tibetan protective deities, considered to be the guardians of the Buddhist Dharma.

John Horgan, author of the best-selling The End of Science, chronicles the
most advanced research into the mechanics—and meaning—of mystical
experiences. How do trances, visions, prayer, satori, and other mystical
experiences "work"? What induces and defines them? Is there a scientific
explanation for religious mysteries and transcendent meditation? John
Horgan investigates a wide range of fields — chemistry, neuroscience,
psychology, anthropology, theology, and more — to narrow the gap between
reason and mystical phenomena. As both a seeker and an award-winning
journalist, Horgan consulted a wide range of experts, including theologian
Huston Smith, spiritual heir to Joseph Campbell; Andrew Newberg, the
scientist whose quest for the "God module" was the focus of a Newsweek
cover story; Ken Wilber, prominent transpersonal psychologist; Alexander
Shulgin, legendary psychedelic drug chemist; and Susan Blackmore,
Oxford-educated psychologist, parapsychology debunker, and Zen
practitioner. Horgan explores the striking similarities between "mystical
technologies" like sensory deprivation, prayer, fasting, trance, dancing,
meditation, and drug trips. He participates in experiments that seek the
neurological underpinnings of mystical experiences. And, finally, he
recounts his own search for enlightenment — adventurous, poignant, and
sometimes surprisingly comic. Horgan"s conclusions resonate with the
controversial climax of The End of Science, because, as he argues, the
most enlightened mystics and the most enlightened scientists end up in the
same place — confronting the imponderable depth of the universe.

The Invisible House Society was founded for the sole purpose of training students of Magick in the grades of the Order of the Golden Dawn whereby they propel themselves into the Order of the Rosy Cross (these orders representing levels of attainment, not to be confused with the societies or congregations that have named themselves after these grades). The Invisible House (IH) utilizes the same structure and guidelines as is used by the A A (Astron Argon), as delivered by Aleister Crowley and George Cecil Jones.

After years of initiating and training students, it was decided by the founding members to take the proven methods of training and compile them into one resource. One book. This compendium contains all of the necessary instructions for the Probationer, Neophyte, Zelator, Practicus and Philosophus. Now there exists a comprehensive resource for student advancement that encompasses guided-initiation, apprenticed-initiation, and self-initiation with the plethora of oral instructions and demonstrations put into the written word.

Who should use this book? The tasks and dedication necessary to pursue the paths of Magick are daunting enough to scare many prospective students away. Superstition and societal taboo are enough to make others hesitate. Self-doubt, self-loathing, the false sense of obligation to others and ridicule from peers; the list of excuses not to become an Initiate is endless. But you, the daring individuals who take a step onto the path, who follow the calling of your hearts to something more - into truth, strength and confidence - despite what others might think, it is for you that this book has been written. You who have the desire, drive, and tenacity to take that first step and attempt to stay the course will exceed beyond the limits set upon you by your peers, discover and develop yourself into excellence.

What does this book teach? The great magicians of every era have endeavored to gather together traditional wisdom and practices, update them with newer information and concepts, and further refine these systems according to the contemporary levels of comprehension and language. While maintaining the structure of the AA , Path to the Invisible House provides a clear and concise breakdown of the journey through the occult mysteries, elucidating points that have been hitherto lost, omitted or unclear, removing much of the ambiguity that is inherent in such writings, and further explaining very complex components of certain grade tasks. The methods of instruction have been refined for greater impact upon the desensitized mind of the current generations and the exercises explicated in general terms for greater application and adaptability, the desirous results the same.

Path to the Invisible House has been written sequentially from the first step through to the end of the student grades and shows the student of Magick the ways of self-discovery, self-mastery and enlightenment. Each section provides a foundation and initiations necessary for success in subsequent sections. Followed through to its end, this handbook will take the assiduous student into a world where nothing is unattainable with the proper application of Will. This book puts into simple terms secrets and mysteries that have tested the vocabularies of literary masters for ages. As clear as the language is within this book, there are still subtler levels of information conveyed that act as proofs of accuracy for postulations made and confirmations of attainments described within that will go unnoticed to the uninitiated. Therefore, the value of this book increases with the progressive work and experience of the magical student.

The Great Work is not a path for the chosen, but a path we choose to take.

A fascinating portrait of one of the most brilliant, complex, and colorful figures of the Renaissance.

Although his accomplishments were substantial -- he became a trusted confidante to Queen Elizabeth I, inspired the formation of the British Empire, and plotted voyages to the New World-John Dee's story has been largely lost to history. Beyond the political sphere his intellectual pursuits ranged from the scientific to the occult. His mathematics anticipated Isaac Newton by nearly a century, while his mapmaking and navigation were critical to exploration. He was also obsessed with alchemy, astrology, and mysticism. His library was one of the finest in Europe, a vast compendium of thousands of volumes. Yet, despite his powerful position and prodigious intellect, Dee died in poverty and obscurity, reviled and pitied as a madman.

Benjamin Woolley tells the engrossing story of the rise and fall of this remarkable man, who wielded great influence during the pivotal era when the age of superstition collided with the new world of science and reason. Written with flair and vigor, based on numerous surviving diaries of the period, The Queen's Conjurer is a highly readable account of an extraordinary life.

RChMI wrote:Just finished 1434 by Gavin Menzies.

amandachen wrote:As a Chinese woman, I find it laughable that his books are marketed as historical fact.

In this remarkable book, Andrew Hodges takes apart the numbers 1 to 9 and gathers up the pieces. Inspired by Sudoku --and millennia of human attempts to figure things out -- he takes a fresh and witty approach as to what lies at the heart of musical harmony, the chemistry of sunflowers and the behaviour of sub-atomic particles. He shows us that numbers are everywhere.
In a wonderfully engaging and readable style, Andrew Hodges unveils a universal language that has its roots in antiquity and connects us with the far reaches of the universe.

amandachen wrote:As a Chinese woman, I find it laughable that his books are marketed as historical fact.

In the epic trilogy His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman unlocks the door to worlds parallel to our own. Dæmons and winged creatures live side by side with humans, and a mysterious entity called Dust just might have the power to unite the universes--if it isn't destroyed first.

neutralrobotboy wrote:Tried to get into hieroglyph reading before, and I'm finding this book keeps my attention and presents it in an easily-comprehended way. Actually, I wonder if it's been submitted yet... I'll have to check that one of these days.

Around the turn of the century, renegade Russian aristocrat Madame Helena Petrovna Blavatsky declared herself the chosen vessel of the wisdom of the East through her reputed contact with a dematerializing Tibetan master, who unveiled a Hidden Brotherhood located in the Himalayas and Egypt. The Theosophical Society, which she cofounded in 1875 in New York City with Civil War veteran Col. Henry Olcott, attracted a wide following with its amalgam of Hinduism, Buddhism and occultism. In this enormously entertaining, witheringly skeptical, highly colorful chronicle, British journalist Washington deflates the self-mythologizing and woolly philosophizing of theosophists and rival schools and gurus, including flamboyant Armenian-Greek mystic George Gurdjieff, Austrian philosopher/holistic healer Rudolf Steiner and Jiddu Krishnamurti, Indian ex-theosophist turned California sage. Those who came under their influence include Aldous Huxley, Katherine Mansfield, Christopher Isherwood, W.B. Yeats and Frank Lloyd Wright, making this a heady intellectual adventure as well as a clear-sighted saga of human foibles, charlatanry, bizarre antics and genuine spiritual hunger extending to New Age cults from the 1950s to the present.

Khephra wrote:Somewhat appropriate, given the recent discussion on Theosophy...

The authors have been collaborators for many years, during the human potential movement of the 1960s, and most recently regarding women’s studies (Alstad) and yoga (Kramer). This book, which is about "authoritarianism," grew from a few chapters "mainly for friends" into the present 385-page, 20-chapter paperback. There is a 9-page preface, a 6-page introduction, and a 13-page section called "Authority, Hierarchy, and Power" before the book itself begins. An impressive and thorough index is a helpful aid to readers, but there is no bibliography of sources.

This book delivers what it promises in the preface and introduction, describing the many settings and situations in which overt and covert authoritarianism can intrude into social, political, and religious beliefs and interfere with normal personality development. Part I examines destructive relationships between one person and others, the guru-disciple dynamic broadly applied not only to political and religious leaders but also to parents, close friends, and lovers. Part II explores subtle, indirect forces in values and beliefs both personal and global concealed in what people assume and take for granted, most of the time unknowingly.

The Guru Papers continues in the vein of the exposition of such writers as Packard (The Hidden Persuaders), Hoffer (The True Believer), and Sargant (The Battle for the Mind). It is a worthy addition to these other sources. It provides continuity with useful information about current negative influences and destructive forces. It does so without injecting the authors’ bias or beliefs, seeking only to increase awareness and sharpen perception, objectively and in the spirit of freedom that is espoused as a goal of the book. That it does so merits wide readership; The Guru Papers, therefore, is highly recommended. (International Cultic Stuies Association)

Why do fools fall in love? Why does a man's annual salary, on average, increase $600 with each inch of his height? When a crack dealer guns down a rival, how is he just like Alexander Hamilton, whose face is on the ten-dollar bill? How do optical illusions function as windows on the human soul? Cheerful, cheeky, occasionally outrageous MIT psychologist Steven Pinker answers all of the above and more in his marvelously fun, awesomely informative survey of modern brain science. Pinker argues that Darwin plus canny computer programs are the key to understanding ourselves--but he also throws in apt references to Star Trek, Star Wars, The Far Side, history, literature, W. C. Fields, Mozart, Marilyn Monroe, surrealism, experimental psychology, and Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty and his 888 children. If How the Mind Works were a rock show, tickets would be scalped for $100. This book deserved its spot as Number One on bestseller lists. It belongs on a short shelf alongside such classics as Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life, by Daniel C. Dennett, and The Moral Animal: Why We Are the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology, by Robert Wright. Pinker's startling ideas pop out as dramatically as those hidden pictures in a Magic Eye 3D stereogram poster, which he also explains in brilliantly lucid prose.

Gay Watson, Stephen Batchelor,and Guy Claxtonhave compiled a wide-ranging and penetrating selection of articles on the relevance and application of Buddhist philosophy and practice in the modern Western world. Divided into four parts, the book explores the philosophical issues in Buddhism and the contemporary mind; the scientific perspective of Buddhist concepts of the development of body, mind, and spirit; Buddhism and psychotherapy; and practical applications of Buddhism in contemporary life. (Amazon)

A collection of works bridging the Buddhist view of mind and its contemporary application by psychologists and scientists.

This work includes: Foundations of a Buddhist Psychology of Awakening by Geshe Thubten Jinpa; the Agnostic Buddhist by Stephen Batchelor; Unfolding the Dharma Implicit in Modern Cognitive Science by Francisco Varela; Buddhism, Cognitive Science and the Mystical Experience by Guy Claxton; Waking from the Meme Dream by Susan Blackmore; Realisation and Embodiment by John Welwood; a Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness by Mark Epstein; Licking Honey from the Razor`s Edge by Maura Sills; Zen: the challenge of Dependency by John Crook; How Does Liberating Self-Insight Become Tacit Understanding by Leslie Todres; Inquiry into Awakening by Christopher Titmus; I, Mine and Views of the Self by Gay Watson; Subjects Without Selves by Fred Pfeil; Compassion in the Age of Global Economy by Helena Norberg-Hodge; the Development of Personhood and the Brain by Terence Gausen; Buddhist Psychotherapy by David Brazier; Indra`s Net at Work by Jon Kabat-Zinn; the Structures of Suffering by James Low; Lucid Dreaming by Tarab Tulku; Contemporary Breathwork Techniques by Joy Manne; Hospitality Beyond Ego by Karen K Wegela; and the Four Noble Truths for Counselling by Eric Hall. (Wisdom Books.com)

ankh_f_n_khonsu wrote:So far, IMO, this isn't Pinker's best...

Hadrianswall wrote:I have always found Pinker a bit of a twit. I wouldnt mind a lot of his speculative stuff if he wasnt so keen on sticking the boot into people for exactly the same. (sometimes on the same page).

Been a long time since I read any of his stuff though, but the little I do stumble across these days still stinks of self reverence.

Written in 1919 by Isya Joseph, "Devil Worship: The Sacred Books and Traditions of the Yezidis" remains the most comprehensive and informative volume ever written about the Yezidi, a legendary tribe of Devil worshippers that have existed in the Middle East for over a thousand years. This volume contains, as the title suggests, all of their once secret holy texts as well as detailed accounts of virtually every aspect of Yezidi life and culture.

In The Cosmic Serpent, anthropologist Narby hypothesized that Amazonian shamans can "gain access in their visions to information related to DNA" comparable to what molecular biologists know. In this intriguing treatise, he carries his project of syncretizing all forms of knowledge a step further, arguing that animals and plants exhibit intelligence comparable in many ways to that of humans. His shaman friends heartily endorse the idea, regaling him, over a friendly pot of hallucinogenic ayahuasca brew, with conversations they have had in the trance state with animal and plant spirits. For further confirmation, he talks to Western scientists who have done remarkable research on cases of nonhuman intelligence, like bees with abstract reasoning, crows that manufacture standardized tools, pigeons that distinguish between the works of Van Gogh and Chagall about as well as college students do, octopuses that break out of and into their tanks and slime molds that solve mazes. Scientists may find Narby's ongoing efforts to assimilate shamanic mysticism to Western science - he associates, for example, Amazonian legends about humans turning into jaguars with Darwin's theory of evolution - naïve and illogical. But Narby has done his homework - the endnotes themselves make excellent reading - and his well-researched and engagingly presented account of the "braininess" of even literally brainless creatures raises fascinating questions about the boundaries between man and nature.