Download or read book What is Para Consciousness written by Vipin Gupta and published by Vipin Gupta. This book was released on 2021-05-31 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Para-Consciousness: The Potential Beyond What We Know shakes the very foundations of the modern knowledge-based theories and economic models. Have you ever realized that the present reality zeros the value of experience-derived consciousness? Unless you wish to reproduce and relive your or somebody else's past, it makes no sense to use that experience. If we exclude you, the person making a decision when to use or not use the experience, then the ideal you use to create the consciousness of what you should do in the present, akin to religious fervor, is quantum gravity. It overshadows your potential to be spontaneous, joyful, and divine. A self-luminous element guides your ability to decide when to activate experience instead of improvising based on the situation's needs. A self-luminous element is like an astrological element; it has an innate power to predict the future of everything since it mirrors the present of everybody. The present astrological chart shows your correlation as a person with each of the planetary bodies. Each planetary body signifies a unique group of entities in your life, such as the self, the spouse, the siblings, the father, the mother, the ancestors, the kin, the kith, the foe, the leaders, the followers, and the material wealth. Your network of relationships at present shapes your workforce in the future. It also shapes the exchange of your experience with the future mood spontaneity, joyful destiny, and behavioral divinity. Stronger the network entanglement, the weaker your self-luminosity. Dependence on the borrowed consciousness limits your potential to live a fresh life, free of the limits of everybody's experiences.

Download or read book Consciousness Explained written by Daniel C. Dennett and published by Hachette+ORM. This book was released on 2018-02-06 with total page 707 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Daniel Dennett's "brilliant" exploration of human consciousness — named one of the ten best books of the year by the New York Times — is a masterpiece beloved by both scientific experts and general readers (New York Times Book Review). Consciousness Explained is a full-scale exploration of human consciousness. In this landmark book, Daniel Dennett refutes the traditional, commonsense theory of consciousness and presents a new model, based on a wealth of information from the fields of neuroscience, psychology, and artificial intelligence. Our current theories about conscious life — of people, animal, even robots — are transformed by the new perspectives found in this book. "Dennett is a witty and gifted scientific raconteur, and the book is full of fascinating information about humans, animals, and machines. The result is highly digestible and a useful tour of the field." —Wall Street Journal

Download or read book New Consciousness for a New World written by Kingsley L. Dennis and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-08-16 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A call for a paradigm shift in human thinking in recognition of the interconnectedness of all things--a new mind for a new world • Explains how the instability of our current time is part of a larger cycle of human evolution that will soon turn toward renewal and regeneration • Reveals how to participate in the process of conscious evolution to maintain resilience during these transitional times • Examines new findings in quantum physics and quantum biology on the interconnectivity of all life and how to utilize this for conscious evolution For centuries, indigenous wisdom traditions have talked of an epochal shift on the horizon, of a spiritual renaissance for the earth and her living family. Now the timelines are converging and the potential for an energetic “upgrade” for humanity is here, but first we must survive and evolve through the current period of transition. Explaining that evolution is not a gradual process but more like a “shock to the system”--radical waves of transformation after a period of dormancy--author Kingsley Dennis reveals that we are currently undergoing an evolutionary leap and shows not only how to survive but also thrive in this period of global upheaval and change. Examining the nature of evolutionary cycles, he explains that the instability we are now experiencing--climate change, economic meltdowns, and increasing political polarization--is the convergence of complex systems that have reached a critical state. What we need in order to push through to the coming spiritual renaissance is a paradigm shift in human thinking and perception, a conscious evolution in recognition of the interconnectedness of all things--a new mind for a new world. Examining new findings in quantum physics and quantum biology on the interconnectivity of all life as well as opportunities for us to reawaken our slumbering souls, this book offers a glimpse of the new global society to come, a renewed humanity for the 21st century, and how each of us can best participate during the process of planetary transformation.

Download or read book Transcending the Levels of Consciousness written by David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2015-03-17 with total page 418 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Discover how to transcend the limitations of the ego, relieve suffering, and advance your consciousness in this masterpiece from world-renowned author, psychiatrist, clinician, and spiritual teacher, David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D. The now widely known Map of calibrated levels of Consciousness was presented in Power vs. Force in 1995 and has been translated into all the world’s major languages. This was followed by The Eye of the I (2001), I: Reality and Subjectivity (2003), and Truth vs. Falsehood (2005), which explored the levels of Truth reflected throughout society. Transcending the Levels of Consciousness expands on this work and returns to the exploration of the ego’s expressions and limitations, giving detailed explanations and instructions on how to transcend them. “I consider myself a student of David Hawkins and return to his books and work time and time again. His wisdom deeply resonates with my lived experiences; he is often able to beautifully articulate what I cannot put into words.” – Vex King As with the reading of Dr. Hawkins’ previous books, your level of consciousness will advance from exposure to the information itself. This opens up avenues to the relief of suffering, which fulfills the purpose of the work and the intention to facilitate your own Enlightenment. This transformative personal growth book combines elements of psychology, spirituality, and philosophy, and invites you to explore the profound depths of your own consciousness, Hawkins' genius consciousness concept will inspire you to reach new heights of spiritual and personal development. Transcending The Levels of Consciousness is a monumental testament to the boundless potential of the human spirit. It is an empowering book that offers inspiration and motivation on your journey of self-discovery. Experience the profound wisdom of Dr. David Hawkins, as he elegantly blends spirituality, psychology, and philosophy to create a comprehensive roadmap to unlock the divine potential within you so that you can step into a higher consciousness.

Download or read book The Nature of Consciousness written by Rupert Spira and published by New Harbinger Publications. This book was released on 2017-06-01 with total page 198 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “I’ve gained deeper understanding listening to Rupert Spira than I have from any other exponent of modern spirituality. Reality is sending us a message we desperately need to hear, and at this moment no messenger surpasses Spira and the transformative words in his essays.” —Deepak Chopra, author of You Are the Universe, Spiritual Solutions, and Super Brain Our world culture is founded on the assumption that the Big Bang gave rise to matter, which in time evolved into the world, into which the body was born, inside which a brain appeared, out of which consciousness at some late stage developed. As a result of this “matter model,” most of us believe that consciousness is a property of the body. We feel that it is “I,” this body, that knows or is aware of the world. We believe and feel that the knowing with which we are aware of our experience is located in and shares the limits and destiny of the body. This is the fundamental presumption of mind and matter that underpins almost all our thoughts and feelings and is expressed in our activities and relationships. The Nature of Consciousness suggests that the matter model has outlived its function and is now destroying the very values it once sought to promote. For many people, the debate as to the ultimate reality of the universe is an academic one, far removed from the concerns and demands of everyday life. After all, life happens independently of our models of it. However, The Nature of Consciousness will clearly show that the materialist paradigm is a philosophy of despair and, as such, the root cause of unhappiness in individuals. It is a philosophy of conflict and, as such, the root cause of hostilities between families, communities, and nations. Far from being abstract and philosophical, its implications touch each one of us directly and intimately. An exploration of the nature of consciousness has the power to reveal the peace and happiness that truly lie at the heart of experience. Our experience never ceases to change, but the knowing element in all experience—consciousness, or what we call “I”—itself never changes. The knowing with which all experience is known is always the same knowing. Being the common, unchanging element in all experience, consciousness does not share the qualities of any particular experience: it is not qualified, conditioned, or limited by experience. The knowing with which a feeling of loneliness or sorrow is known is the same knowing with which the thought of a friend, the sight of a sunset, or the taste of ice cream is known. Just as a screen is never disturbed by the action in a movie, so consciousness is never disturbed by experience; thus it is inherently peaceful. The peace that is inherent in us—indeed that is us—is not dependent on the situations or conditions we find ourselves in. In a series of essays that draw you, through your own direct experience, into an exploration of the nature of this knowing element that each of us calls “I,” The Nature of Consciousness posits that consciousness is the fundamental reality of the apparent duality of mind and matter. It shows that the overlooking or ignoring of this reality is the root cause of the existential unhappiness that pervades and motivates most people’s lives, as well as the wider conflicts that exist between communities and nations. Conversely, the book suggests that the recognition of the fundamental reality of consciousness is the first step in the quest for lasting happiness and the foundation for world peace.

Download or read book What is Reality written by Ervin Laszlo and published by SelectBooks, Inc.. This book was released on 2016-10-04 with total page 248 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ervin Laszlo's tour de force, What is Reality?, is the product of a half-century of deep contemplation and cutting-edge scholarship. Addressing many of the paradoxes that have confounded modern science over the years, it offers nothing less than a new paradigm of reality, one in which the cosmos is a seamless whole, informed by a single, coherent consciousness manifest in us all. Bringing together science, philosophy, and metaphysics, Laszlo takes aim at accepted wisdom, such as the dichotomies of mind and body, spirit and matter, being and nonbeing, to show how we are all part of an infinite cycle of existence unfolding in spacetime and beyond. Augmented by insightful commentary from a dozen scholars and thinkers, along with a foreword by Deepak Chopra and an introduction by Stanislav Grof, What is Reality? offers a fresh and liberating understanding of the meaning and purpose of existence.

Download or read book Being You written by Anil Seth and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2021-10-19 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER A Best Book of 2021—Bloomberg Businessweek; A Best Science Book of 2021—The Guardian; A Best Science Book of 2021—Financial Times; A Best Philosophy Book of 2021—Five Books; A Best Book of 2021—The Economist Anil Seth's quest to understand the biological basis of conscious experience is one of the most exciting contributions to twenty-first-century science. What does it mean to “be you”—that is, to have a specific, conscious experience of the world around you and yourself within it? There may be no more elusive or fascinating question. Historically, humanity has considered the nature of consciousness to be a primarily spiritual or philosophical inquiry, but scientific research is now mapping out compelling biological theories and explanations for consciousness and selfhood. Now, internationally renowned neuroscience professor, researcher, and author Anil Seth is offers a window into our consciousness in BEING YOU: A New Science of Consciousness. Anil Seth is both a leading expert on the neuroscience of consciousness and one of most prominent spokespeople for this relatively new field of science. His radical argument is that we do not perceive the world as it objectively is, but rather that we are prediction machines, constantly inventing our world and correcting our mistakes by the microsecond, and that we can now observe the biological mechanisms in the brain that accomplish this process of consciousness. Seth has been interviewed for documentaries aired on the BBC, Netflix, and Amazon and podcasts by Sam Harris, Russell Brand, and Chris Anderson, and his 2017 TED Talk on the topic has been viewed over 11 million times, a testament to his uncanny ability to make unimaginably complex science accessible and entertaining.

Download or read book What is Consciousness written by Vipin Gupta and published by Vipin Gupta. This book was released on 2021-05-28 with total page 270 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What Is Consciousness: The Factor Creating the Law of Limitation is an eye-opening investigation of how what we know limits our power to know the unknown. Have you ever wondered why some people know what you do not? Why you have to read books, research an issue, practice a project, or scientifically study a subject to know something that some can explain spontaneously using intuitive reasoning? For instance, you may have waited to watch others' experiences before deciding to take precautions to protect your kin and kith from COVID-19. Until those became martyrs, you were willing to put your wellness to the hands of a tiny virus you thought had virtually no existence. Why did we not know that a virus has the potential to cause an infectious, morbid, and deadly global pandemic in a globally connected world, bringing even the wealthiest of nations to a standstill? Was it because such an eventuality was not knowable through the systems of knowing we had, such as the scientific knowledge? Or did we create the uncertainty due to the certainty we felt in our supernatural intellectual and physical endowments? India has become a classic case study. India was an early mover in creating mass awareness about the need for diligence and had one of the lowest infectivity and mortality in 2020. It led to a theory that people of India have an innate immunity because of the impoverished conditions. In 2021, this theoretical consciousness became the cause for falsifying the theory that made people lax to the self-evident risk in their backyard. Review Quotes A unique, introspective analysis of the nature of the human mind and our ability to perceive the world around us, make decisions and engage in critical thinking, and, overall, an investigation into what truly makes us ‘aware.’ In essence, how do humans use their conscious minds and thoughts to fill the “void.” – Megan Weiss @ ReaderViews One thing I especially enjoyed about Gupta’s “What is Consciousness?” was how he envisioned multiple different types of consciousness. Throughout the book, he brushes upon para-consciousness, absolute consciousness, cultural consciousness, scientific consciousness, metaphysical consciousness, immanent consciousness, and many more realms of the human psyche. – Megan Weiss @ ReaderViews “What is Consciousness” is definitely not a light, quick read. I would find myself reading along, getting sucked into Gupta’s almost fantastical, story-teller like tone, while at the same time having to constantly think about the words I was taking in, because I wanted to make sure that I was getting the main message of the book, and understanding the words correctly. – Megan Weiss @ ReaderViews I have not read many books on the subject that are up to this caliber of research and detail. It is clear that “What is Consciousness?” includes material that was heavily researched and analyzed prior to the author putting pen to paper. Therefore, the slightly tedious air of the book actually seems fitting. – Megan Weiss @ ReaderViews “What Is Consciousness?” is a great read for anyone who wants to learn about the capabilities of the human mind, and how there is so much we do not know about what it can do, partly due to unconscious limitations placed upon ourselves by our own thoughts and ideas and partly due to the fact that science simply hasn’t advanced quite that far yet. – Megan Weiss @ ReaderViews This series presents an astounding amount of information on complex topics that help condition us as sentient beings. Readers, especially those with an interest in science, cultural wisdom and metaphysics will quickly find themselves immersed in this engrossing series. – Paige Lovitt @ReaderViews This work explores the different aspects that go into creating our consciousness. The discourse points to the benefit of the readers focusing their energy on channeling their consciousness into being their individual self, rather than exchanging their consciousness with either animate or inanimate entities. – Paige Lovitt @ReaderViews There are some fascinating discussions that involve comparing how animate and inanimate entities can influence our consciousness. When we are alive, we are animate entities, and after death we become inanimate ones, yet either way, we still have roles and still seek to fulfill them. – Paige Lovitt @ReaderViews I enjoyed being able to receive information about consciousness that comes from multiple sources, including ancient wisdom. I find it fascinating and refreshing to be able to read about different topics that might touch scientific theories such as those derived from quantum mechanics, such as the Boson particle, or those derived from ancient eastern religions. – Paige Lovitt @ReaderViews I realized that I do need to focus my energy on what I allow to come into my consciousness because this has a direct impact on my reality. I will be working on setting stronger boundaries around what I will accept. I also found it interesting to read about the idea that our consciousness doesn’t end when we die. It changes, but it doesn’t end. – Paige Lovitt @ReaderViews “What is Consciousness,” would make a fascinating selection for some type of reader’s group, such as a college STEM club or for an organization like IONS (Institute of Noetic Sciences). I would love to sit in on one of these discussions because it would be fascinating to hear the impact that this book has had on others. – Paige Lovitt @ReaderViews

Download or read book The Accelerated Trainer written by Lex McKee and published by Gower Publishing, Ltd.. This book was released on 2004 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The book is careful to practice what it preaches. There are pictures and Mind Maps for those who are very visual, analogies and anecdotes for the intrapersonal, as well as a simple seven phase structure and plenty of powerful models if you like things structured and logical. All are designed to help you learn and start applying accelerated training techniques in as short a time as possible, whatever the background of the people with whom you may be working."--Jacket.

Download or read book Expansion for Ascending Consciousness written by Todd R. Deviney and published by Balboa Press. This book was released on 2018-07-31 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The awakening begins in an ascending consciousness with an unspecified dissatisfaction regarding the established rules and assumptions. You cannot identify the irritation, but it feels as if there should be something more. Because of this, you begin to look for answers outside of the normal channels and your awakening commences. The messages for awakening are as diverse as their sources because they are designed to reach different levels of consciousness—yet the truth is always the truth, though the form it takes may vary. Expansion for Ascending Consciousness is a cooperative effort to provide a basis for understanding consciousness and the energy construct we exist within. The intent is to remove the mysticism surrounding consciousness and embodied experience. While complex and miraculous in its design, consciousness is scientifically explainable and the foundation upon which the universe has been created. As an ascending collective, you have reached a time in your development where mysticism has outlived its usefulness. Truth comes in many forms, and thus the information you gravitate to at any given moment is dependent upon what resonates with your current level of awakening. At a point in this process you will look back upon the information you have accumulated and see that each one was a step that incrementally raised your awareness. Expansion for Ascending Consciousness contains the next step along this path of ascension.

Download or read book The Self Aware Universe written by Amit Goswami and published by Penguin. This book was released on 1995-03-21 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this stimulating and timely book, Amit Goswami, PhD, shatters the widely popular belief held by Western science that matter is the primary "stuff" of creation and proposes instead that consciousness is the true foundation of all we know and perceive. His explanation of quantum physics for lay readers, called "a model of clarity" by Kirkus Reviews, sets the stage for a voyage of discovery through the common ground of science and religion, the entwined nature of mind and body, and our interconnectedness with all of creation.

Download or read book Consciousness Medicine written by Françoise Bourzat and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2019-06-25 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive guide to the safe and ethical application of expanded states of consciousness for therapists, healing practitioners, and sincere explorers Psychedelic medicines also known as entheogens are entering the mainstream. And it’s no wonder: despite having access to the latest wellness trends and advances in technology, we’re no healthier, happier, or more meaningfully connected. Psilocybin mushrooms, ayahuasca, and LSD—as well as other time-tested techniques with the power to shift consciousness such as drumming, meditation, and vision quests—are now being recognized as potent catalysts for change and healing. But how do we ensure that we’re approaching them effectively? Françoise Bourzat—a counselor and experienced guide with sanctioned training in the Mazatec and other indigenous traditions—and healer Kristina Hunter introduce a holistic model focusing on the threefold process of preparation, journey, and integration. Drawing from more than thirty years of experience, Bourzat’s skillful and heartfelt approach presents the therapeutic application of expanded states, without divorcing them from their traditional contexts. Consciousness Medicine delivers a coherent map for navigating nonordinary states of consciousness, offering an invaluable contribution to the field of healing and transformation.

Download or read book From Science to God written by Peter Russell and published by New World Library. This book was released on 2010-02-08 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From Science to God offers a crash course in the nature of reality. It is the story of Peter Russell's lifelong exploration into the nature of consciousness — how he went from being a strict atheist, studying mathematics and physics at Cambridge University, to realizing a profound personal synthesis of the mystical and scientific. Using his own tale of curiosity and exploration as the book’s backbone, Russell blends physics, psychology, and philosophy to reach a new worldview in which consciousness is a fundamental quality of creation. He shows how all the ingredients for this worldview are in place; nothing new needs to be discovered. We have only to put the pieces together and explore the new picture of reality that emerges. From Science to God is as much a personal story of an open-minded skeptic as it is a tour de force of scientific and religious paradigm shifts. Russell takes us from Galileo’s den to the lecture halls of Cambridge where he studied with Stephen Hawking. “If you had asked me then if there was a God,” says the best-selling author of his scientific beginnings, “I would have pointed to mathematics.” But no matter what empirical truths science offered Russell, one thorny question remained: How can something as immaterial as consciousness, ever arise from something as unconscious as matter?

Download or read book One Mind written by Larry Dossey, MD and published by Hay House, Inc. This book was released on 2014-10-07 with total page 385 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In One Mind, New York Times best-selling author Larry Dossey, M.D., proposes an inspiring view of consciousness that may reshape our destiny. Dossey’s premise is that all individual minds are part of an infinite, collective dimension of consciousness he calls the One Mind. This state—which we can all access—explains phenomena as diverse as epiphanies, creative breakthroughs, premonitions of danger or disaster, near-death experiences, communication with other species and with the dead, reincarnation, the movement of herds, flocks, and schools, and remote healing.Dossey presents his theory in easily digestible, bite-sized vignettes. Through engaging stories, fascinating research, and brilliant insights from great thinkers throughout history, readers will explore the outer reaches of human consciousness, discover a new way to interpret the great mysteries of our experience, and learn how to develop the empathy necessary to engender more love, peace, and collective awareness. The result is a rich new understanding of what it means to be human and a renewed hope that we can successfully confront the challenges we face at this crossroads in human history.Even before publication One Mind drew praise from the finest minds of our time. It has been heralded as "landmark," "a brilliant synthesis," a "magnum opus," a "feast" of ideas, "compelling," "gripping," and "a major shift in our understanding of consciousness."

Download or read book Parapsychology Philosophy and the Mind written by Fiona Steinkamp and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-10-02 with total page 201 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: John Beloff is one of our foremost authorities in parapsychology. He is credited with an instrumental role in the acceptance of parapsychology into academia. On April 21 and 22, 2000, a two-day international conference was held by the Koestler Parapsychology Unit of the Psychology Department at the University of Edinburgh to celebrate Beloff's eightieth birthday. Most of the essays in this work were presented at this conference honoring John Beloff. All of the contributors have published a number of articles in mainstream philosophy and their essays promote Beloff's greatest interest--a philosophical interaction with parapsychology. The book is divided into three sections and each section has three papers. The papers in the first section, "Parapsychology, Philosophy and the Mind," explore "the mind-brain problem," parapsychology and the principle of closure, and a cross-cultural perspective on dualism and the self. The second section, "Parapsychology, Self and Survival," looks at parapsychological phenomena and the sense of self, chrysalid therapy, and the problem of super psi. The third section, "Parapsychology, Religion and Spirituality," features papers that discuss parapsychology and how it relates to Hume's view of miracles, to religion, and to the origin of the Copernican hypothesis.

Download or read book Is Present Reality written by Vipin Gupta and published by Vipin Gupta. This book was released on 2021-02-19 with total page 615 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Is Present Realty: The Super-science of the transcendental value investigates our reality as an entity who has the power to shape the present and be the light that affirms our presence in the eternal future. The transcendental value of the past is immanent within the present. The present becomes the subject of scientific investigation. The entity who conceived the scientifically investigable present is the super-scientific factor, whose reality transcends beyond the limits of science. An observer behaves as a mirror image of the present and uses the light of self-consciousness for illuminating the reality of the universe. Without the observer’s light, the present of the universe is the dark matter. Once the observer services the sentient light force, the future of the observer is the black hole. As a manager of our reality, we have an option not to transform our sentient energy into a light force, behaving as if we are the white star source of light, for illuminating the reality of the universe. Instead, we may invest our energy for conceiving a different reality at any moment that thereafter constitutes the past. Such unique reality is scientifically observable in the present as the illuminated matter. The illuminated matter is a proportion of the present, which is the dark matter. Thus, if an observer observes the illuminated matter as the rope, it might as well be a body of atoms that eventually transforms into a body of cells. That body of cells may be the reality of a snake. What we observe and experience in the present is not necessarily the reality. This work reveals the blockages that limit our vision’s dimensionality and the solutions to be the reality that shapes the eternal present. Dr. Vipin Gupta has a Ph.D. in managerial science and applied economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a gold medalist from the Post-graduate Program of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, India. He is a Professor of sensible management and appropriate science at the Jack H. Brown College of Business and Public Administration, California State University San Bernardino, USA.

Download or read book Consciousness Studies written by K. Ramakrishna Rao and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-09-17 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Consciousness is perplexing: too familiar and intimate to ignore, too complex and elusive to understand. Although consciousness is embedded in all our experience and is considered basic to all our knowing, no one seems to know what exactly it is, and the concept is both widely used and much abused. For the better part of the twentieth century, the study of consciousness was viewed as unworthy of scholarly and scientific pursuit. Research has consequently suffered. This cross-cultural examination first explores the varieties of conscious experience and reflects on the attempts to understand and explain consciousness in the Western scholarly and scientific tradition. The next section deals with Eastern spiritual traditions and how they differ with and complement the Western viewpoints. In the final chapters the author reconciles the two traditions for a comprehensive understanding of what consciousness is, and considers how such an understanding may be helpful for a cross-cultural assessment of behavior, as well as for enhancing human abilities and wellness.