What do you think?
Rate this book
The Theory of Celestial Influence: Man, The Universe and Cosmic Mystery
Discusses the relationship between humanity and the universe and argues that the purpose of life is the achievement of a higher level of consciousness
398 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1952
44 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 3, 2019
Rodney Collin is one of the disciples of Ouspensky who has written among the best books about Gurdjieff's fourth path thinking. The Theory of Celestial Influence, is undoubtedly one of the classics in the literature of the fourth way, which deals mainly with how the celestial sphere: planets, sun, galaxy, entire universe, exerts influence on human beings.
While it might look like a book of ASTROLOGY, it is not in the strict sense, because it does not expose astrological prediction methods as such, but rather a series of theories of how our environment, including important planets, influence the whole in us human beings, throughout our lives, our glands, our psychology, our personality and our destiny.
The author indicates from the beginning that he will try as far as possible to stick to scientific thinking to express his theory of celestial influence. However, it does not rigorously follow a scientific method as such, but rather, provides elements and scientific data to support its ideas and makes extensive use of analogies and comparisons.
The way to demonstrate their theories is to make use of "analogies" with other phenomena such as electricity, biology, chemistry, and from these analogies, the veracity of the theory is demonstrated. The Theory of the Celestial Influence, is based on a set of diverse analogies and concepts of "scale" that establishes similarities with the scales of the universe, the solar system, the human body, the cells, molecules and atoms. The notion of "scale" is a concept that is present in all the theories of the book and is in fact, a fundamental concept in the fourth way.
This book was written in the 1950s and the scientific knowledge about the planets, the universe, physics, biology, chemistry, has grown a lot since then to date. Hence, several of the issues the author discusses about planets, for example, are now outdated. However, that does not make it lose value, regarding the fundamental idea of the book.
The fundamental ideas of the fourth way are exposed in this fascinating book: a new model of the universe, the dimensions of reality, the soul, the spirit, the eternal return (reincarnation), parallel lives, the enneagram, the spiritual schools, the cycles of civilizations or human history, the self-consciousness, the self-remembering, the time and space, the law of three, the octaves, the scales, the molecular world, the electronic world, the dimensions … and more
It is a great book which although it was written more than 50 years ago, and some concepts are already expired, the essence of the fundamental idea about the development of consciousness still remain valid. The book is not about the accuracy or veracity of the facts that arise from a scientific approach, it is rather about the fundamental idea of an understanding of the development of consciousness in relation with a model of the universe and the corresponding sense of purpose .
Reading this book requires you approach it with an open attitude, to broaden the scope of understanding, to be able to read between the lines the hidden concepts that contribute to you individually, arising from your personal situation, what you need to broaden your understanding of reality, your consciousness, and the meaning and purpose of life.
While it might look like a book of ASTROLOGY, it is not in the strict sense, because it does not expose astrological prediction methods as such, but rather a series of theories of how our environment, including important planets, influence the whole in us human beings, throughout our lives, our glands, our psychology, our personality and our destiny.
The author indicates from the beginning that he will try as far as possible to stick to scientific thinking to express his theory of celestial influence. However, it does not rigorously follow a scientific method as such, but rather, provides elements and scientific data to support its ideas and makes extensive use of analogies and comparisons.
The way to demonstrate their theories is to make use of "analogies" with other phenomena such as electricity, biology, chemistry, and from these analogies, the veracity of the theory is demonstrated. The Theory of the Celestial Influence, is based on a set of diverse analogies and concepts of "scale" that establishes similarities with the scales of the universe, the solar system, the human body, the cells, molecules and atoms. The notion of "scale" is a concept that is present in all the theories of the book and is in fact, a fundamental concept in the fourth way.
This book was written in the 1950s and the scientific knowledge about the planets, the universe, physics, biology, chemistry, has grown a lot since then to date. Hence, several of the issues the author discusses about planets, for example, are now outdated. However, that does not make it lose value, regarding the fundamental idea of the book.
The fundamental ideas of the fourth way are exposed in this fascinating book: a new model of the universe, the dimensions of reality, the soul, the spirit, the eternal return (reincarnation), parallel lives, the enneagram, the spiritual schools, the cycles of civilizations or human history, the self-consciousness, the self-remembering, the time and space, the law of three, the octaves, the scales, the molecular world, the electronic world, the dimensions … and more
It is a great book which although it was written more than 50 years ago, and some concepts are already expired, the essence of the fundamental idea about the development of consciousness still remain valid. The book is not about the accuracy or veracity of the facts that arise from a scientific approach, it is rather about the fundamental idea of an understanding of the development of consciousness in relation with a model of the universe and the corresponding sense of purpose .
Reading this book requires you approach it with an open attitude, to broaden the scope of understanding, to be able to read between the lines the hidden concepts that contribute to you individually, arising from your personal situation, what you need to broaden your understanding of reality, your consciousness, and the meaning and purpose of life.
August 3, 2016
I first read this book back in the 1980s and I doubt that I understood more than 5% of it. I'm re-reading it now, and the percentage of what I now understand has actually fallen. - I mean do you agree that Chlorine stands at the threshold between cellular and mineral states of matter? Who could dispute such an assertion? A chemist or a physicist for sure, but as a lay person I'm not sure.
Similarly, it's hard to know whether the implications of the higher dimensional motion of the solar system will ever be proven. Or whether the ratios in time perception at different levels of life will ever come to currency. Still, for me, this remains one of the most inspiring books. It's full of expansive ideas that challenge the mind, and reveal a grand structure in thinking.
Similarly, it's hard to know whether the implications of the higher dimensional motion of the solar system will ever be proven. Or whether the ratios in time perception at different levels of life will ever come to currency. Still, for me, this remains one of the most inspiring books. It's full of expansive ideas that challenge the mind, and reveal a grand structure in thinking.
February 14, 2021
This book is one good example of how an author manages to confuse a reader by trying to explain too much those type of things which don't require many explanations. By using many pseudo-scientific theories, the author follows in the steps of Ouspensky with his "Tertium Organum", but falls short of proving anything which can be of any use.
April 2, 2024
No es para todo el mundo. Hay que tener un cierto nivel de ser, para reconocer y verificar las verdades que en el libro se plantean. Fue mi primer libro del cuarto camino, me abrió los ojos mostrándome que todas las tradiciones apuntaban en la misma dirección, Theilard de Chardin, las filosofías orientales y occidentales todas son aspectos de una misma verdad.
December 27, 2020
A must read
Incredible amount of research
A vast Number of concepts delivered with great clarity
Never have I read so many truths from so many different countries and philosophies and religions , all which communicated the same great unifying idea of spirit and soul
Incredible amount of research
A vast Number of concepts delivered with great clarity
Never have I read so many truths from so many different countries and philosophies and religions , all which communicated the same great unifying idea of spirit and soul
September 23, 2024
The truth revealed
A one of a kind book which is a real eye opener. It is a must for anyone seeking the TRUTH!
A one of a kind book which is a real eye opener. It is a must for anyone seeking the TRUTH!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews