Alternate Realities: The Search for the Full Human Being

by Lawrence LeShan

Lawrence LeShan is doing some thing different bringing a set of sharp and indispensable tools to a topic too often shrouded in romantic vagueness. LeShan's tools are drawn from the exactitudes of philosophy--from Kant, Wittgenstein, and Cassirer--but they are carefully and clearly translated for the layman, so much so that one occasionally feels like a kindergartner addressed by an oversolicitous teacher, but ends up grateful for the repetitions, the concrete exercises and examples. LeShan says we actually structure reality according to different, self-consistent, mutually incomprehensible modes, such as the sensory (that of common sense, biological survival, and classical science), the clairvoyant (the ""seamless web""of mysticism, ESP and relativity physics), the transpsychic (in which prayer and ethics make sense), the mythic (that of art, dream, and play). We all shift among these spontaneously, unconsciously, and each nourishes different human purposes and needs; the problem (and possibly the root of war and neurosis) is that each mode labels itself ""the only."" We must learn to value and use them all.

Genres: Metaphysics

232 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Also wrote as Edward Grendon.

Reviews

[Shomeret · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have a scientific viewpoint and need to explore why religion works, this is the most essential book to read. His premise is that science and religion can co-exist because they actually deal with separate realms.

[James Madsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent provocative investigation--antedating most New Age treatments and with a more scientific and philosophical bent--into the nature of various kinds of realities. See also LeShan's "The Medium, the Mystic, and the Physicist" and LeShan and Margenau's later "Einstein's Space and Van Gogh's Sky."

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE PSYCHOLOGIST LOOKS AT DIFFERENT WAYS OF PERCEIVING THE WORLD

Author Lawrence LeShan wrote in the Introduction to this 1976 book, “The central idea of this book is that we human beings invent reality as much as we discover it, and that if this is comprehended, we have a wide choice as to how we invent it and therefore, what sort of world we live in. There are, the thesis continues, a number of basically different, valid ways of organizing whatever is ‘out there,’ and we can choose from among these the one that will satisfy our needs and advance us toward our goals at the moment. Many of our personal and interpersonal problems seem to arise from using the wrong method of construing reality to accomplish a particular task, or from mixing two or more methods without being aware of what we are doing. This thesis also seems to provide an acceptable and useful solution to the ‘impossible paradox’ of ESP, and to the problems of ‘survival’ of the personality after biological death and of the existence or non-existence of spirit entities.”

He asks, “Are we coming here to the conclusion that what we help create tends to be the most important aspects of reality? If true, this would be very important.” (Pg. 15)

He states, “There ARE limits to the part I can play in determining the reality I live in. The point of this book is that we are much less limited than we have hitherto supposed, and that this fact offers us vast opportunities for the enrichment and development of our lives. He limits do exist, however.” (Pg. 25)

He suggests, “Once you are aware of… the scope of your reality, you can make a decision how you feel about it; whether or not you wish to change it. This is the first step and a crucial one: To be aware of an aspect of your reality, to know that it can be changed and to decide whether or not you wish to change it.” (Pg. 31)

He observes, “A valid reality… is not something that can be modified or changed to suit your whim or convenience. It is valid---by this I mean that it works, it is possible to accomplish specific types of goals while using it, and that human beings can survive in it---precisely because it is a clear definite system of construing reality with its own laws. We cannot play with reality, changing it when we wish… A valid reality if a much more serious matter than this…” (Pg. 47)

He outlines, “The basic limiting principles of the transpsychic modes of being include: 1. Each object, entity, or event is a separate unity, but has no clear demarcation line with the organic integral unity that makes up reality. 2.There are tremendous forces in the cosmos that can sometimes be brought to bear on a local part of situation. 3. These can be brought to bear by an absolute singlemindedness or purpose on the part of one ‘wave’ toward the condition of another ‘wave.’ … 7. Since whatever is done to one part affects the whole, an ethical principle is built into the universe. If one part moves toward greater harmony with the whole, all of the whole---including the part that took the action---benefits… 8. Good and evil exist. Anything that moves a part toward its fullest development and fullest integration with the whole is good. Anything that prevents or moves against fullest development of the part and its fullest integration with the whole is evil.” (Pg. 82-83)

He suggests, “Perhaps… is we look carefully at the concept that we can have some control over this process and can organize our construction of reality in ways that can solve the problems we face, we may be able to design realities that can save our planet.” (Pg. 117)

He concludes, “Our freedom is so much greater than we have comprehended. We can learn to shift from reality to reality, choosing the one that is most relevant to our needs and purposes at the moment, and use our new approach, use what we are learning from the Kantian ‘revolution of thought,’ to nourish our being, love, cherish, and garden ourselves and each other, be at home to our universes and help save ourselves and our planet.” (Pg. 177)

This book may appeal to those interested in more ‘spiritual’ approaches to psychology.

[Zealand · Rating 2 out of 5]

I will be honest. I didn't finish it. The first chapter is interesting, but after that the author is just repeating the same concepts in various degrees. Learned nothing new when it came to this one. So many other books talk about this subject: How ultimately reality is how you build it. It is obvious that someone in China will experience a different reality than one who is living in America. He barely touches on the cosmic reality or metaphysical (which is what I thought this book would be more about). I expected this book to be how to manipulate my inner reality and subconscious, but the things talked about are stuff that anyone can find in any self help book.
Perhaps it was a great book when it was written, but now that we have more technology and different ways of communicating (where each individual reality is broadcasted back at us with the use of algorithms and such), it is a no brainer that we all experience life differently. I wish this book would talk about navigating those different realities. If you read this review perhaps you can leave a comment with a good book to read in regards to this subject.