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The Highest State of Consciousness
What is the highest state of consciousness? St. Paul called it "the peace that passeth understanding" and R. M. Bucke named it "cosmic consciousness." In Zen Buddhism, the term for it is satori or kensho, while in yoga it is samadhi or moksha, and in Taoism, "the absolute Tao." Thomas Merton used the phrase "transcendental unconscious" to describe it; Abraham Maslow coined the term "peak experience"; Sufis speak of fana. Gurdjieff labeled it "objective consciousness" while the Quakers call it "the Inner Light." Jung referred to individuation, and Buber spoke of the I-Thou relationship. In this anthology John White brings together a diverse collection of writings by contemporary thinkers such as Aldous Huxley, P.D. Ouspensky, Alan Watts, Kenneth Wapnick, Richard Maurice Bucke, Abraham Maslow, and many more, and asks the question; What is the Highest State of Consciousness?
- GenresPsychology
484 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1972
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153 people want to read
About the author
John Warren White
31 books4 followersJohn White, M.A.T., is an internationally known author, educator and lecturer in the fields of consciousness research and higher human development. He has held positions as Director of Education for The Institute of Noetic Sciences, a California-based research organization founded by Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell to study human potential for personal and planetary transformation, and as President of Alpha Logics, a Connecticut school for self-directed growth in body, mind and spirit.
He is author of America, Freedom and Enlightenment; The Meeting of Science and Spirit; Pole Shift; A Practical Guide to Death and Dying; The Gulf of Tonkin Events—Fifty Years Later; and two children's books, The Christmas Mice and Santa's Climate Change Problem. He has also edited nearly a dozen anthologies, including Frontiers of Consciousness; Psychic Exploration; and What Is Enlightenment?.
His writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, Omni, Esquire and Woman's Day, and his books have been translated into ten languages. He holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and a master of arts degree in teaching from Yale University. He has taught English and journalism on the secondary and college levels, and has served on the governing and consulting boards of various academic and research organizations. He has also served on the editorial boards of various scholarly and popular publications. He has lectured at various colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada, and has made numerous radio and television appearances.
He and his wife Barbara have four grown children and six grandchildren, and live in Cheshire, Connecticut, USA.
He is author of America, Freedom and Enlightenment; The Meeting of Science and Spirit; Pole Shift; A Practical Guide to Death and Dying; The Gulf of Tonkin Events—Fifty Years Later; and two children's books, The Christmas Mice and Santa's Climate Change Problem. He has also edited nearly a dozen anthologies, including Frontiers of Consciousness; Psychic Exploration; and What Is Enlightenment?.
His writing has appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Reader's Digest, Omni, Esquire and Woman's Day, and his books have been translated into ten languages. He holds a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and a master of arts degree in teaching from Yale University. He has taught English and journalism on the secondary and college levels, and has served on the governing and consulting boards of various academic and research organizations. He has also served on the editorial boards of various scholarly and popular publications. He has lectured at various colleges and universities throughout the U.S. and Canada, and has made numerous radio and television appearances.
He and his wife Barbara have four grown children and six grandchildren, and live in Cheshire, Connecticut, USA.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 25, 2024
Súper interesante estoy contenta de haberlo leído, me aportó y sorprendió. Mi reseña está en la copia física que tengo pero estoy agradecida de haberlo leído.
July 27, 2011
Como muchos de los libros de la colección Nueva Consciencia de Kairós, se trata de una recopilación de artículos y estractos de otros libros, que tienen en común un tema central. En este caso la mística y su relación con los estados alterados (o no) de consciencia.
Para la exploración de este tópico, que no podemos dejar de valorar como altamente complejo se ha contado con la colaboración de historiadores, psicólogos, psiquiatras y psiconautas de reconocido prestigio, como Maslow o Huxley.
El punto de vista del escrito es basicamente psicológico, como no esperabamos menos de la colección en sí. Lo que se echa de menos es una explicación más consustancial de lo que se entiende por la experiencia mística, cuya definición parece ser tan huidiza como la misma experiencia. Tal vez exista un exceso de énfasis en la experiencia de unos grupos religiosos concretos y falta para otras formas de ver el mundo, pero esto puede ser bien explicado debido a la cantidad de sujetos de cada característica con los que hayan trabajado los diversos autores.
Fascinantes los casos en los que podemos ver la expresión de la experiencia de primera mano.
Para la exploración de este tópico, que no podemos dejar de valorar como altamente complejo se ha contado con la colaboración de historiadores, psicólogos, psiquiatras y psiconautas de reconocido prestigio, como Maslow o Huxley.
El punto de vista del escrito es basicamente psicológico, como no esperabamos menos de la colección en sí. Lo que se echa de menos es una explicación más consustancial de lo que se entiende por la experiencia mística, cuya definición parece ser tan huidiza como la misma experiencia. Tal vez exista un exceso de énfasis en la experiencia de unos grupos religiosos concretos y falta para otras formas de ver el mundo, pero esto puede ser bien explicado debido a la cantidad de sujetos de cada característica con los que hayan trabajado los diversos autores.
Fascinantes los casos en los que podemos ver la expresión de la experiencia de primera mano.
January 22, 2012
Has some interesting parts, but I was disappointed in its unscientificness. I expected more from it after the first few articles.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews