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The Labyrinth of Time: The Illusion of Past, Present and Future
In The Labyrinth of Time Anthony Peake explores the relationship between consciousness and reality and in the process puts forward an amazing hypothesis that can explain many enigmatic phenomena, including déjà vu, precognition, near-death experience and altered states. Central to Peake's hypothesis is a new understanding of the nature of time and a radical updating of the theories of two of the twentieth century's most original thinkers, Peter Ouspensky and J.W. Dunne. Peake then looks at the concepts of time and how they have shaped our thinking as individuals through the prism of science, philosophy and literature. Featuring a cutting-edge account of modern time theory, covering 'time-slips', precognitive dreams and the elasticity of time during moments of extreme stress, near-death experience and certain stages of hypnotic trance. The Labyrinth of Time is as compelling and persuasive as Peake's groundbreaking Is There Life After Death? and The Daemon.
336 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
December 1, 2012
Time is probably the greatest enigma of them all and yet it is our most precious commodity. In my busy daily life it seems to me that time is getting faster and faster and, the older I get, its speed simply increases. Yet there are still 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day. There are though moments when time stops and I instinctively understand that time is unreal. In meditative states, time becomes what it probably really is – an illusion created to bring order to my existence.
Time is the topic addressed in Anthony Peake’s book “The Labyrinth of Time”. Peake’s style is to explore every conceivable avenue around and through a topic and so we are presented with subjects ranging from quantum physics and philosophy, through déjà vu, precognition and dreams, to a review of movies and plays with time as the topic. The result is a thorough and complete scientific analysis of the time. I say scientific because I know that Anthony’s work is often considered ‘new age’ or in some way populist, but his approach is actually more scientific than that taken by scientists as it examines every aspect and facet of the subject. His approach is holistic and comprehensive. He also has an uncanny ability to explain the unexplainable using the written word and, in that way, opens up a whole new world that is usually the exclusive preserve of scientists to the common man.
Having also review Anthony’s first book (Is There Life after Death?), one can see how his theories have evolved and strengthened through his continuing work. His evolving hypothesis is certainly one that has a ring of truth about it particularly to those of us steeped in occult tradition. He explains in modern terms many esoteric ideas passed down through the millennia including the Akasha and the idea of the oneness of consciousness. His theoretical postulations answer a lot of questions regarding the Rosicrucian concepts of reality and actuality. His theories are echoed in movies such as Groundhog Day and The Matrix and it appears that more than ever before, man is finding something about his own nature generally. To know thyself is the current way of things it seems and not just an age old approach to magick.
My earliest thoughts on time were the result of playing a leading role in a school production of Time and the Conway’s in my early teens. Peake covers the play and the other writings of JB Priestley and many other authors in his book. But I found myself reading from page-to-page with the growing excitement of the recognition of a kernel of truth unfolding before my eyes delivered in entertaining fashion with an eye for detail.
Peake’s theory is that we live an initial life and then repeat this same life in an eternal return. It’s really that simple but he has now enhanced and embellished this theory coming to the conclusion that “the act of observation or, more accurately, the self-reflectiveness that this act imparts upon consciousness, is what creates the idea of personality and separateness”. We are all One Thing, all aspects of the One Thing experiencing itself. As the Kybalion puts it; The Universe is mental.
Peake’s work, based on his many avenues of research and analysis, ends up reinforcing for me the idea that science is finally catching up with esoteric thought and philosophy. There is nothing at all new in any of these ideas. Instead Peake is rediscovering what has always been known by the enlightened few and then examining it under the light of a scientific microscope. Unfortunately in some respects, it may mean his books occupy the New Age section of the bookstore instead of the Science section; but that is simply the scientific communities’ loss and our gain.
Time is the topic addressed in Anthony Peake’s book “The Labyrinth of Time”. Peake’s style is to explore every conceivable avenue around and through a topic and so we are presented with subjects ranging from quantum physics and philosophy, through déjà vu, precognition and dreams, to a review of movies and plays with time as the topic. The result is a thorough and complete scientific analysis of the time. I say scientific because I know that Anthony’s work is often considered ‘new age’ or in some way populist, but his approach is actually more scientific than that taken by scientists as it examines every aspect and facet of the subject. His approach is holistic and comprehensive. He also has an uncanny ability to explain the unexplainable using the written word and, in that way, opens up a whole new world that is usually the exclusive preserve of scientists to the common man.
Having also review Anthony’s first book (Is There Life after Death?), one can see how his theories have evolved and strengthened through his continuing work. His evolving hypothesis is certainly one that has a ring of truth about it particularly to those of us steeped in occult tradition. He explains in modern terms many esoteric ideas passed down through the millennia including the Akasha and the idea of the oneness of consciousness. His theoretical postulations answer a lot of questions regarding the Rosicrucian concepts of reality and actuality. His theories are echoed in movies such as Groundhog Day and The Matrix and it appears that more than ever before, man is finding something about his own nature generally. To know thyself is the current way of things it seems and not just an age old approach to magick.
My earliest thoughts on time were the result of playing a leading role in a school production of Time and the Conway’s in my early teens. Peake covers the play and the other writings of JB Priestley and many other authors in his book. But I found myself reading from page-to-page with the growing excitement of the recognition of a kernel of truth unfolding before my eyes delivered in entertaining fashion with an eye for detail.
Peake’s theory is that we live an initial life and then repeat this same life in an eternal return. It’s really that simple but he has now enhanced and embellished this theory coming to the conclusion that “the act of observation or, more accurately, the self-reflectiveness that this act imparts upon consciousness, is what creates the idea of personality and separateness”. We are all One Thing, all aspects of the One Thing experiencing itself. As the Kybalion puts it; The Universe is mental.
Peake’s work, based on his many avenues of research and analysis, ends up reinforcing for me the idea that science is finally catching up with esoteric thought and philosophy. There is nothing at all new in any of these ideas. Instead Peake is rediscovering what has always been known by the enlightened few and then examining it under the light of a scientific microscope. Unfortunately in some respects, it may mean his books occupy the New Age section of the bookstore instead of the Science section; but that is simply the scientific communities’ loss and our gain.
March 22, 2016
This was probably the most interesting book I've ever read, except the detailed parts with quantum physics, which were not easy for me to understand, or I didn't understand them at all, as I never liked and paid too much attention at school regarding that subject or anything related to theories and formulas.
I, personally have experienced precognition, déjà vu, and even more bizarre phenomenons which were not described in this fabulous book, such as telepathy or 'control of the minds of certain people' who finally came to tell me what I wanted to hear or did what I wanted them to do, being that as part of their own will or desire. Maybe a lot of you have experienced something similar, but what is then to say about those moments when you feel so charged of bad energy, a discomfort due to some negative emotions, hurt pride that makes you feel humiliated and causes you a great internal pressure until you feel that something will or it has to explode, if not inside you, then outside, and in the next moment something happens, which can be an incident meant to change that discomfort or simply break that silence that kills you by making you feel alone in your pain; or the worst is when due to anger which can last from a few seconds only to some years in the case someone has done something irreversibly to you, and an accident involving human beings or innocent animals occurs, which you feel guilty about for the rest of your life.
As if all that wasn't enough, have you ever had the feeling that you wasn't alone in a place that you were actually alone? Have you ever felt that someone has just touched you or told you something but there was no one to be seen? Have you ever felt that someone walking or staying behind you was ogling you? Have you ever had repeating dreams after several years, in which you realized you're dreaming and you knew exactly what was next going to happen in the dream, but the dream never came truth? Have you ever taken pictures in places with a tumultuous history or to very old houses accompanied by what appears to be ghosts? If not, in your life anything exciting happened so far.
I, personally have experienced precognition, déjà vu, and even more bizarre phenomenons which were not described in this fabulous book, such as telepathy or 'control of the minds of certain people' who finally came to tell me what I wanted to hear or did what I wanted them to do, being that as part of their own will or desire. Maybe a lot of you have experienced something similar, but what is then to say about those moments when you feel so charged of bad energy, a discomfort due to some negative emotions, hurt pride that makes you feel humiliated and causes you a great internal pressure until you feel that something will or it has to explode, if not inside you, then outside, and in the next moment something happens, which can be an incident meant to change that discomfort or simply break that silence that kills you by making you feel alone in your pain; or the worst is when due to anger which can last from a few seconds only to some years in the case someone has done something irreversibly to you, and an accident involving human beings or innocent animals occurs, which you feel guilty about for the rest of your life.
As if all that wasn't enough, have you ever had the feeling that you wasn't alone in a place that you were actually alone? Have you ever felt that someone has just touched you or told you something but there was no one to be seen? Have you ever felt that someone walking or staying behind you was ogling you? Have you ever had repeating dreams after several years, in which you realized you're dreaming and you knew exactly what was next going to happen in the dream, but the dream never came truth? Have you ever taken pictures in places with a tumultuous history or to very old houses accompanied by what appears to be ghosts? If not, in your life anything exciting happened so far.
July 8, 2017
While I found some of the references in the book interesting and thought provoking, the book lacks any semblance of coherence. The author looks for evidence to back up his theories with what appears, increasing desperation. In the end I was left with the impression that he has little real insight into the subject.
March 31, 2023
One of the best books on the nature of time, I have loved it all the way.
July 4, 2020
Unravelling the mysteries of time is a difficult thing to do. However, proofreading is relatively simple and is something this book would have benefitted from. The author also uses the word "stunning" too much. OK, pet peeves over. The book deals with the concept of time as an illusion or some sort of misunderstanding. The idea of recurrence is examined, in which we live the same life over multiple times, either with or without variations. These ideas are related to views on time by philosophers, mystics, and scientists. Anecdotal evidence for recognition and time slips is presented, along with other anomalies. I'm not convinced that the author reveals the true nature of reality, but it was nevertheless an interesting read.
June 15, 2018
This is certainly one of the more interesting and thought provoking books I have read in a long time. It tends at times to ramble a bit (I could have done without the chapter on popular culture, for instance), and I don't necessarily agree with its all of conclusions (though it isn't at all dogmatic about them), but it provides a lot of food for thought, and, in general, I think this was the author's goal. Its definitely worth a read, and it is almost conversational in its approach, so its easy enough to digest despite the mind-bending concepts.
September 4, 2020
Excellent overview of what we know so far.
September 21, 2024
awsome
February 25, 2015
Time is probably the greatest enigma of them all and yet it is our most precious commodity. In my busy daily life it seems to me that time is getting faster and faster and, the older I get, its speed simply increases. Yet there are still 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day. There are though moments when time stops and I instinctively understand that time is unreal. In meditative states, time becomes what it probably really is – an illusion created to bring order to my existence
Time is the topic addressed in Anthony Peake’s book “The Labyrinth of Time”. Peake’s style is to explore every conceivable avenue around and through a topic and so we are presented with subjects ranging from quantum physics and philosophy, through déjà vu, precognition and dreams, to a review of movies and plays with time as the topic. The result is a thorough and complete scientific analysis of the time. I say scientific because I know that Anthony’s work is often considered ‘new age’ or in some way populist, but his approach is actually more scientific than that taken by scientists as it examines every aspect and facet of the subject. His approach is holistic and comprehensive. He also has an uncanny ability to explain the unexplainable using the written word and, in that way, opens up a whole new world that is usually the exclusive preserve of scientists to the common man.
I was pleased to see that Chapter 1 begins with a discussion on the Philosophy of Time, citing Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Augustine, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Kant, Heidegger, and Deleuze. As in his prior books, Peake uses an eclectic method, drawing on classical philosophy, literature, postmodernism, neuroscience, psychology, and quantum physics to bolster his thesis. It was Heidegger and Deleuze who grasped that Nietzsche's eternal return of all things did not preclude extensions of form and identity of those same. Thus, this spiraling evolution of subtle changes forms the center of Peake's own recurrence theory. Things can change, and evolve. Our higher and daily selves (respectively termed the eidolon and Daemon by Peake) can learn. Needless to say, his message of hope is invigorating to those living the examined life.
Further Chapters delve into an in-depth probing of eternal return, as well as Ouspensky's concept of Self-Remembering, and many worlds theory. This last is a favorite of mine because it supports the replica-resurrection theory of John Hick, in which we have a plurality of lives in a plurality of worlds through which to perfect ourselves.
One of the most compelling parts of the text, Chapter 6, entitled, The Subjective Nature of Time, begins with an intriguing story of how Peake saved his wife from a possibly fatal fall down the stairs. The fascinating thing is that he seems to have done it by "warping time"
I will leave it to readers to enjoy exploring the book's chapters on their own, but two items which were personally very striking to me are worth a mention here: One, regarding a friend of Peake's with a son who is autistic and schizophrenic: The boy had picked up telepathically on a conversation his parents had at a distance of some miles. This gave me stern pause as they have been cases wherein my own son, diagnosed similarly, has done the same. The second, was the idea that we can, as Peake words it, "contrary to the generally accepted model of reality ...monitor the contents of our immediate future.” Anyone who has consulted the I Ching or Tarot on a regular basis, will attest to the fact that a puzzling oracle will often be cleared up amazingly by an incident taking place some hours after consulting it.
The method of this book, as with his prior books, is a subtle Socratic persuasion, rather than a hard sell of his theories: Indeed, the text ends with a question which the philosopher Augustine himself left unanswered. Peake once again invites the reader to look into his own experiences of consciousness and time, and to grapple with the various explanations provided by the disciplines which attempt to explain them.
I find myself poring through the endnotes and index section of the book, wanting to revisit passages and chapters which were particularly compelling; indeed, the margins of the book are already filled with my notes. And that is always a sign that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and been profoundly inspired by, an author's book.
Time is the topic addressed in Anthony Peake’s book “The Labyrinth of Time”. Peake’s style is to explore every conceivable avenue around and through a topic and so we are presented with subjects ranging from quantum physics and philosophy, through déjà vu, precognition and dreams, to a review of movies and plays with time as the topic. The result is a thorough and complete scientific analysis of the time. I say scientific because I know that Anthony’s work is often considered ‘new age’ or in some way populist, but his approach is actually more scientific than that taken by scientists as it examines every aspect and facet of the subject. His approach is holistic and comprehensive. He also has an uncanny ability to explain the unexplainable using the written word and, in that way, opens up a whole new world that is usually the exclusive preserve of scientists to the common man.
I was pleased to see that Chapter 1 begins with a discussion on the Philosophy of Time, citing Plato, Aristotle, Zeno, Augustine, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, and Kant, Heidegger, and Deleuze. As in his prior books, Peake uses an eclectic method, drawing on classical philosophy, literature, postmodernism, neuroscience, psychology, and quantum physics to bolster his thesis. It was Heidegger and Deleuze who grasped that Nietzsche's eternal return of all things did not preclude extensions of form and identity of those same. Thus, this spiraling evolution of subtle changes forms the center of Peake's own recurrence theory. Things can change, and evolve. Our higher and daily selves (respectively termed the eidolon and Daemon by Peake) can learn. Needless to say, his message of hope is invigorating to those living the examined life.
Further Chapters delve into an in-depth probing of eternal return, as well as Ouspensky's concept of Self-Remembering, and many worlds theory. This last is a favorite of mine because it supports the replica-resurrection theory of John Hick, in which we have a plurality of lives in a plurality of worlds through which to perfect ourselves.
One of the most compelling parts of the text, Chapter 6, entitled, The Subjective Nature of Time, begins with an intriguing story of how Peake saved his wife from a possibly fatal fall down the stairs. The fascinating thing is that he seems to have done it by "warping time"
I will leave it to readers to enjoy exploring the book's chapters on their own, but two items which were personally very striking to me are worth a mention here: One, regarding a friend of Peake's with a son who is autistic and schizophrenic: The boy had picked up telepathically on a conversation his parents had at a distance of some miles. This gave me stern pause as they have been cases wherein my own son, diagnosed similarly, has done the same. The second, was the idea that we can, as Peake words it, "contrary to the generally accepted model of reality ...monitor the contents of our immediate future.” Anyone who has consulted the I Ching or Tarot on a regular basis, will attest to the fact that a puzzling oracle will often be cleared up amazingly by an incident taking place some hours after consulting it.
The method of this book, as with his prior books, is a subtle Socratic persuasion, rather than a hard sell of his theories: Indeed, the text ends with a question which the philosopher Augustine himself left unanswered. Peake once again invites the reader to look into his own experiences of consciousness and time, and to grapple with the various explanations provided by the disciplines which attempt to explain them.
I find myself poring through the endnotes and index section of the book, wanting to revisit passages and chapters which were particularly compelling; indeed, the margins of the book are already filled with my notes. And that is always a sign that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and been profoundly inspired by, an author's book.
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January 4, 2017Must get back to ths one.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews