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A Secret History of Consciousness
- Narrated by: Russell Newton
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
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Publisher's summary
For the last four centuries, science has tried to account for everything in terms of atoms and molecules and the physical laws they adhere to. Recently, this effort was extended to try to include the inner world of human beings. Gary Lachman argues that this view of consciousness is misguided and unfounded. He points to another approach to the study and exploration of consciousness that erupted into public awareness in the late 1800s.
In A Secret History of Consciousness, consciousness is seen not as a result of neurons and molecules, but as responsible for them - meaning, it is not imported from the outer world, but rather creates it. In this view, consciousness is a living, evolving presence, the development of which can be traced through different historical periods, and which evolves along a path to a broader, more expansive state. What that consciousness may be like and how it may be achieved is a major concern of this book.
Lachman concentrates on the period since the late 1800s, when Madame Blavatsky first brought the secret history out into the open. As this history unfolds, we encounter the ideas of many modern thinkers, from esotericists like P. D. Ouspensky, Rudolf Steiner, and Colin Wilson to more mainstream philosophers like Henri Bergson, William James, Owen Barfield, and the psychologist Andreas Mavromatis.
Two little known but important thinkers play a major role in his synthesis: Jurij Moskvitin, who showed how our consciousness relates to the mechanisms of perception and to the external world and Jean Gebser, who presented, perhaps, the most impressive case for the evolution of consciousness.
An important contribution to the study of consciousness and a a must-listen.
The chapters in the audiobook include:
- Foreword by Colin Wilson
- Introduction: Consciousness Explained
- The Search for Cosmic Consciousness
- Esoteric Evolution
- The Archaeology of Consciousness
- Participatory Epistemology
- The Presence of Origin
- Last Words: Playing for Time
- Selected Bibliography
“A marvelously exhilarating gallop through every important modern theory of consciousness, from Steiner to Maslow, from Bucke’s ‘cosmic consciousness’ to Gebser’s ‘integral consciousness'." (Colin Wilson, author of The Outsider and Access to Inner Worlds)
“Opens up vast vistas of possibility, suggesting that what we experience as the earth may, in itself, be inseparable from our state of mind, and that the evolution of human consciousness may be as fundamental a process as our development through genetics. A must-read for those seeking an escape from our contemporary culture’s cul-de-sac.” (Daniel Pinchbeck, author of Breaking Open the Head)
“Thinking outside the box, Lachman challenges many contemporary theories by reinserting a sense of the spiritual back into the discussion. Profoundly erudite, yet easy to read, this book is a provocative mind-stretcher.” (Leonard Shlain, author of Art & Physics, Alphabet versus the Goddess, and Sex, Time & Power)
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- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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In There Is a God, one of the world's preeminent atheists discloses how his commitment to "follow the argument wherever it leads" led him to a belief in God as Creator. This is a compelling and refreshingly open-minded argument that will forever change the atheism debate.
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Disappointing
- By Rebekah Hull on 08-03-21
By: Antony Flew, and others
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The Experience of God
- Being, Consciousness, Bliss
- By: David Bentley Hart
- Narrated by: Tom Pile
- Length: 12 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
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Despite the recent ferocious public debate about belief, the concept most central to the discussion "God" frequently remains vaguely and obscurely described. Are those engaged in these arguments even talking about the same thing? In a wide-ranging response to this confusion, esteemed scholar David Bentley Hart pursues a clarification of how the word "God” functions in the world’s great theistic faiths.
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The clearest thinking I have heard in ages.
- By Carlos Miranda on 06-17-15
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Anaximander
- And the Birth of Science
- By: Carlo Rovelli
- Narrated by: Roy McMillan
- Length: 5 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Over two millennia ago, the prescient insights of Anaximander paved the way for cosmology, physics, geography, meteorology, and biology, setting in motion a new way of seeing the world. His legacy includes the revolutionary ideas that the Earth floats in a void, that animals evolved, that the world can be understood in natural rather than supernatural terms, and that universal laws govern all phenomena. In this elegant work, the renowned theoretical physicist Carlo Rovelli brings to light the importance of Anaximander’s overlooked influence on modern science
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Wide ranging case for a Critical Figure in the Evolution of Science
- By Tom on 03-20-23
By: Carlo Rovelli
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God and the Evolving Universe
- The Next Step in Personal Evolution
- By: James Redfield, Michael Murphy, Sylvia Timbers
- Narrated by: Chris Ryan
- Length: 7 hrs
- Unabridged
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In God and the Evolving Universe, James Redfield and Michael Murphy present an important message of hope and a vision for the future. The authors contend that thousands of years of human striving have delivered us to this very moment, in which each act of self-development is creating a new stage in planetary evolution and the emergence of a human species possessed of vastly expanded spiritual experience.
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higher is better
- By Tommie on 04-20-07
By: James Redfield, and others
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How to Save the West
- Ancient Wisdom for 5 Modern Crises
- By: Spencer Klavan
- Narrated by: Spencer Klavan
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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It has been proclaimed many times, but perhaps never more convincingly than now, when every news cycle seems to deliver further confirmation of a world gone mad. Is this the endgame? Author Spencer Klavan is a classicist, with a Ph.D. from Oxford, and a deep understanding of the West. His analysis: The situation is dire. But every crisis we face today, we have faced before. And we can surmount each one. Klavan brings to the West’s defense the insights of Plato, Aristotle, the Bible, and the Founding Fathers to show that in the wisdom of the past lies hope for the future.
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Spectacular! A must read!
- By M.A. on 02-15-23
By: Spencer Klavan
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The Ego Tunnel
- The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self
- By: Thomas Metzinger
- Narrated by: Kevin Pariseau
- Length: 10 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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We're used to thinking about the self as an independent entity, something that we either have or are. In The Ego Tunnel, philosopher Thomas Metzinger claims otherwise: No such thing as a self exists. The conscious self is the content of a model created by our brain - an internal image, but one we cannot experience as an image. Everything we experience is "a virtual self in a virtual reality." But if the self is not "real," why and how did it evolve? How does the brain construct it?
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non-specialist literature at its best
- By Esmeralda on 03-17-10
By: Thomas Metzinger
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Hidden Wisdom
- A Guide to Western Inner Traditions
- By: Richard Smoley, Jay Kinney
- Narrated by: Ethan Sawyer
- Length: 11 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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The co-editors of Gnosis magazine explore the many esoteric traditions that Western culture has to offer. While terms from Eastern spiritual practices such as Zen, mantra, and karma have become part of our daily lexicon, the traditions of Western spirituality have been largely unexplored by people searching for non-mainstream routes to spiritual experience. But for those who identify with Western culture, Western religious traditions have their own wisdom teachings that are more suitable to their needs and expectations.
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Interesting, enjoyable, not too deep
- By DBruno1987 on 03-03-15
By: Richard Smoley, and others
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The History of Philosophy
- By: A. C. Grayling
- Narrated by: Neil Gardner
- Length: 28 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
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The story of philosophy is an epic tale, spanning civilizations and continents. It explores some of the most creative minds in history. But not since the long-popular classic by Bertrand Russell, A History of Western Philosophy, published in 1945, has there been a comprehensive and entertaining single-volume history of this great, intellectual, world-shaping journey.
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A much needed update to Bertrand Russell's classic
- By Michael on 06-27-20
By: A. C. Grayling
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Modern Man in Search of a Soul
- By: Carl Jung
- Narrated by: Christopher Prince
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Modern Man in Search of a Soul is the classic introduction to the thought of Carl Jung. Along with Freud and Adler, Jung was one of the chief founders of modern psychiatry. In this book, Jung examines some of the most contested and crucial areas in the field of analytical psychology: dream analysis, the primitive unconscious, and the relationship between psychology and religion.
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Could have almost been an automated text reader
- By Chicken Love on 04-24-15
By: Carl Jung
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The Religion of Tomorrow
- A Vision for the Future of the Great Traditions - More Inclusive, More Comprehensive, More Complete
- By: Ken Wilber
- Narrated by: Graeme Malcolm
- Length: 30 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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A single purpose lies at the heart of all the great religious traditions: awakening to the astonishing reality of the true nature of ourselves and the universe. At the same time, through centuries of cultural accretion and focus on myth and ritual as ends in themselves, this core insight has become obscured. Here Ken Wilber provides a path for reenvisioning a religion of the future that acknowledges the evolution of humanity in every realm while remaining faithful to that original spiritual vision.
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A mind-blowing spiritual experience
- By IW Ferreira on 09-01-17
By: Ken Wilber
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The Yugas
- Keys to Understanding Our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age and Enlightened Future
- By: Joseph Selbie, David Steinmetz, Swami Kriyananda - foreword
- Narrated by: Paul Brion
- Length: 12 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
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Today's view of history cannot account for ancient anomalies, such as the Pyramids and advanced knowledge contained in India's Vedas. But in 1894, an Indian sage gave us an explanation not only for our hidden past but for the trends of today and for our future enlightenment - the 24,000-year yuga cycle.
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Excellent book but one slight problem
- By Z on 02-19-19
By: Joseph Selbie, and others
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Secular Buddhism
- Imagining the Dharma in an Uncertain World
- By: Stephen Batchelor
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 8 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
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As the practice of mindfulness permeates mainstream western culture, more and more people are engaging in a traditional form of Buddhist meditation. However, many of these people have little interest in the religious aspects of Buddhism, and the practice occurs within secular contexts such as hospitals, schools, and the workplace. Is it possible to recover from the Buddhist teachings a vision of human flourishing that is secular rather than religious without compromising the integrity of the tradition?
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Good, but repetition of old material
- By Ludwig on 02-25-18
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What listeners say about A Secret History of Consciousness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-23-23
Amazing writing, poorly served
The book is amazing! Encyclopedic coverage of the history of consciousness, at least from a western perspective. A little lacking on insights from Eastern thought. Negligent narration. The narrator didn’t even try to learn how to properly pronounce the many non Anglo-American names, which made it sound like a farce.
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- Karla Murray
- 11-02-21
Complete Paradigm Shift For Me
I see my place within the world of mankind completely meaningful now. The book literally changed me forever.
One example: the explanation of the eye's blind spot and the relation of how our mind's have blind spots. Beautifully done.
I listened to the book twice. Second time sunk in deeper. This is difficult reading if you've never studied philosophy, which I had not, but Wow! What a complete and total game change for me and the rest of my life while here.
Thank you, Mr. Leachman. This is the first book I've read of yours, now I'm off to read another one of yours.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Jeffrey Carreira
- 05-10-21
Fascinating & Edifying
Lachman is a brilliant thinker and clear, informative and educational writer. He has synthesized some of the more esoteric philosophers and presents not just their brief notes but innovative and nuanced consideration of their works and their places in history. The narrator has a good voice and pace but in what I found very frustrating and a poor reflection of Lachman's work, he mispronounces almost all of the key thinkers names from Camus to Derrida to Teilhard de Chardin as well as key concepts like aperspectival. I hope listeners will not follow suit!
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1 person found this helpful
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- Adam
- 01-04-23
Very Thought Provoking
I enjoyed this book very much.
Very good across the board.
Really makes you think; as a book about consciousness ought to.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-09-20
great book, lackluster reading
Gary Lachman does some great scholarship, but sadly, Russell Newton couldn't be bothered to learn how to pronounce the names of any of the people in the book.
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3 people found this helpful
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- MB
- 07-27-20
Fascinating and accessible exploration of human consciousness.
This is a fascinating and accessible exploration of human consciousness. Lachman successful introduces the reader to a wide variety of thinkers, concepts and other books on the subject matter and weaves a compelling narrative that stimulates the reader/listener to delve further into their own consciousness.
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2 people found this helpful
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- NoirGuitarSuperstar
- 03-25-21
The worst audio and narration on Audible
the headline says it all. the author is terrific, but the audio prevents any enjoyment.
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4 people found this helpful