Lifes Ecstacy And Eternal Struggles

Author : Harvey B. Milkman
Publisher : SAGE Publications
ISBN 13 : 1483389421
Total Pages : 497 pages
Book Rating : 4.24/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Craving for Ecstasy and Natural Highs written by Harvey B. Milkman and published by SAGE Publications. This book was released on 2009-06-17 with total page 497 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This book is extremely useful for a broad range of readers. This book reflects the extensive scientific and clinical expertise of the authors and is compelling reading for anyone interested in addictive behaviors. It is one of the rare books that from page one immediately engrosses, educates and broadens your perspective." —Alex Blaszczynski, The University of Sydney, International Journal of Mental Health Addiction "Psychologist Harvey Milkman and chemist Stanley Sunderwirth explore why our relentless search for pleasure sometimes leads to dangerous addictions and show us healthy ways to achieve happiness." —SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN MIND "Harvey B. Milkman and Stanley Sunderwirth have written a tour de force. Craving for Ecstasy and Natural Highs: A Positive Approach to Mood Alteration . . . is a beautifully written and organized book . . . a thrill ride through the most innovative and insightful perspectives that science and clinical experience have to offer . . . hip and artistic, reflecting a deep understanding of addiction . . . a major contribution to the field; it is must reading." —Howard J. Shaffer, PhD, CAS Editor, Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, Associate Professor, Harvard Medical School Director, Division on Addictions, Cambridge Health Alliance "Reading this book is in itself and ecstatic experience! . . . a fascinating journey that explores the benefits and risks of pleasure and the universal desire to feel good . . . It′s quite a trip." —G. Alan Marlatt, PhD, University of Washington People from all walks of life often lose themselves in pursuing counterfeit pleasures—cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, thrill seeking, sex, food, gambling, and on-line fantasies to name just a few. How does the pursuit of pleasure result in compulsion and loss of control? Craving for Ecstasy and Natural Highs addresses this fundamental question and then explores positive ways to achieve lasting happiness and fulfillment. Readers will gain important insight on how to improve their own quality of life and will learn how to offer support to clients, students, family, and friends whose lives may be compromised by addiction. Students of addictive behaviors and anyone interested in discovering healthy means to satisfy the drive to alter consciousness will find this book compelling. Reviews of previous work: "The chemistry and psychology of addiction are described with considerable insight. . . . These authors know their stuff and make a compelling case." —The Los Angeles Times "The authors provide a valuable service by placing into perspective a large array of behaviors that could be considered addictive." —JAMA

Author : Tobias Churton
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1594777675
Total Pages : 480 pages
Book Rating : 4.77/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Gnostic Philosophy written by Tobias Churton and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2005-01-25 with total page 480 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An extensive examination of the history of gnosticism and how its philosophy has influenced the Western esoteric tradition • Explains how the Gnostic understanding of self-realization is embodied in the esoteric traditions of the Rosicrucians and Freemasons • Explores how gnosticism continues to influence contemporary spirituality • Shows gnosticism to be a philosophical key that helps spiritual seekers "remember" their higher selves Gnosticism was a contemporary of early Christianity, and its demise can be traced to Christianity's efforts to silence its teachings. The Gnostic message, however, was not destroyed but simply went underground. Starting with the first emergence of Gnosticism, the author shows how its influence extended from the teachings of neo-Platonists and the magical traditions of the Middle Ages to the beliefs and ideas of the Sufis, Jacob Böhme, Carl Jung, Rudolf Steiner, and the Rosicrucians and Freemasons. In the language of spiritual freemasonry, gnosis is the rejected stone necessary for the completion of the Temple, a Temple of a new cosmic understanding that today's heirs to Gnosticism continue to strive to create. The Gnostics believed that the universe embodies a ceaseless contest between opposing principles. Terrestrial life exhibits the struggle between good and evil, life and death, beauty and ugliness, and enlightenment and ignorance: gnosis and agnosis. The very nature of physical space and time are obstacles to humanity's ability to remember its divine origins and recover its original unity with God. Thus the preeminent gnostic secret is that we are God in potential and the purpose of bona fide gnostic teaching is to return us to our godlike nature. Tobias Churton is a filmmaker and the founding editor of the magazine Freemasonry Today. He studied theology at Oxford University and created the award-winning documentary series and accompanying book The Gnostics, as well as several other films on Christian doctrine, mysticism, and magical folklore. He lives in England.

Author : Elder Richard H. Harris Jr.
Publisher : AuthorHouse
ISBN 13 : 1546234705
Total Pages : 56 pages
Book Rating : 4.08/5 ( download)

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Download or read book 7 Degrees of Life written by Elder Richard H. Harris Jr. and published by AuthorHouse. This book was released on 2018-04-07 with total page 56 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In 7 Degrees of Life, my objective is to portray my life and my lack of knowledge. In addition, I want to convey remedies on how to seek the attributes needed to obtain and move forward from good intention. I found that in my young life, good intentions are honorable but are powerless to work on my own with any consistency. I was unable to be the man, father, and person I wanted to be and God intended me to be. But thank God, way down the road after being trapped in the maze of life, I ran into the Holy Spirit power (Jesus the Christ). It was that power that enables, enriches, and empowers us to do the right thing. It is my hope that I impart the importance of feelings and how at the core center of feeling how important it is to respect, differentiate, and manage feelings in a productive manner. I will plant a methodology on how I learned about myself and my feeling and then overcame my distorted view of self, God, others, and the world. I found out that knowing my feeling, self, and the power of the Holy Spirit enhanced my choices and decisions at a late age.

Author : Charles Wininger
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1644111179
Total Pages : 323 pages
Book Rating : 4.78/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Listening to Ecstasy written by Charles Wininger and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2020-10-20 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A personal narrative and guide to the safe, responsible use of MDMA for personal healing and social transformation • Details the author’s 50 years of responsible experimentation with mind-altering substances and how Ecstasy has helped him become a better therapist • Explains how he and his wife found Ecstasy to be the key to renewing and enriching their lives and marriage as they entered their senior years • Describes what the experience actually feels like and provides protocols for the safe, responsible, recreational, and celebrational use of MDMA for individuals and groups In a world that keeps us separate from each other, MDMA is the chemical of connection. Aptly known in popular culture as “Ecstasy,” MDMA helps us rediscover our own true loving nature, often obscured by the traumas of life. On its way to becoming a prescription medication due to groundbreaking research on its use to treat PTSD, Ecstasy can offer benefits for all adult life stages, from 20-somethings to seniors. In this memoir and guide to safe use, Charles Wininger, a licensed psychoanalyst and mental health counselor, details the countless ways that Ecstasy has helped him become a better therapist and husband. He recounts his coming of age in the 1960s counterculture, his 50 years of responsible experimentation with mind-altering substances, and his immersion in the new psychedelic renaissance. He explains how he and his wife found Ecstasy to be the key to renewing and enriching their lives as they entered their senior years. It also strengthened the bonds of their marriage. Countering the fearful propaganda that surrounds this drug, Wininger describes what the experience actually feels like and explores the value of Ecstasy and similar substances for helping psychologically healthy individuals live a more “optimal” life. He provides protocols for the responsible, recreational, and celebrational use of MDMA, including how to perfect the experience, maximize the benefits and minimize the risks, and how it may not be for everyone. He reveals how MDMA has revitalized his marriage, both erotically and emotionally, and describes how pleasure, fun, and joy can be profound bonding and transformative experiences. Revealing MDMA’s versatility when it comes to bringing lasting renewal, pleasure, and inspiration to one’s life, Wininger shows that recognizing the transformative power of happiness-inducing experiences can be the first step on the path to healing.

Author : Henri J. M. Nouwen
Publisher : Image
ISBN 13 : 0804152098
Total Pages : 119 pages
Book Rating : 4.99/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Lifesigns written by Henri J. M. Nouwen and published by Image. This book was released on 2013-11-20 with total page 119 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "You cannot read Lifesigns and not be moved... This book will undoubtedly find its place among the classics of twentieth-century literature." --Grand Rapids Press The inspirational writings of Henri Nouwen have touched millions of readers all over the world. Much beloved as a lecturer, spiritual guide, and especially as an author, he communicated a profound message of hope that finds great resonance in today's world. In his now classic work Lifesigns, he explores what he saw as three of the most vital aspects of his ministry. The first of these is the Gospel invitation to intimacy, which Nouwen describes as communion with God and relationship with others. The second is the call to fecundity, exhorting us to be open to a fruitful life of change and growth. And the third, the experience of ecstasy, extends the Gospel promise "that your joy may be full." Inspired by L'Arche, the worldwide network of communities where handicapped people and their assistants try to live together in the spirit of the Scriptures, Nouwen shows how these three elements offer the essential key to a life free from the domination of fear and filled instead with hope and love.

Author : Ashok Kumar Sood
Publisher : Partridge Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1482889552
Total Pages : 328 pages
Book Rating : 4.50/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Philosophy of Life written by Ashok Kumar Sood and published by Partridge Publishing. This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rationality can answer a number of the most central questions about our existence and our universe: Why are we here? How did the universe come into existence and how will it end? What is the purpose and where will we go after death? In Philosophy of life - Connecting Dots, author Ashok Kumar Sood explores a rational and analytical approach to answer these fundamental questions about human nature and existence and he looks to the facts about our universe and about human psychology to find rational answers. Philosophy of life starts with a curiosity and uses a methodology grounded in rationality to investigate both the physical aspects of the universe as well as the psychological aspects of the human mind. It further explores the role of perception and imagination in human life and it shows how maintaining physical, mental, social and environmental health can improve quality of life. While religion and spirituality have offered traditional answers to life`s most important questions, a rational approach grounded in the facts of our existence can provide a more concrete foundation for optimal living. Philosophy of life connecting dots can show you how to use this rationality to accomplish the ultimate goals of life and live with tranquility, happiness and satisfaction.

Author : Daiyun Yue
Publisher : Springer
ISBN 13 : 9811011168
Total Pages : 388 pages
Book Rating : 4.60/5 ( download)

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Download or read book China and the West at the Crossroads written by Daiyun Yue and published by Springer. This book was released on 2016-06-23 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Beginning with a retrospective of the past century, this book offers a panoramic picture of Chinese comparative literature, from its nascence in the early 1920s, through its evolution in the 1980s, to the new development at the turn of the century, ending with a prospective look at the future of comparative literature in the 21st century. The articles presented here reveal the author’s deep understandings of the literature and culture of her own country and those of other countries. A rich array of case studies and in-depth theorizing make it an extremely interesting and enlightening read. Prof. Daiyun Yue is a prominent professor at Peking University and a leading figure in Chinese comparative literature. She has served as Head of the Institute for Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies, PKU (1984—1998) and the third president of the Chinese Comparative Literature Association (1989—2014). Further, she is the founder of Dialogue Transculturel, a much-acclaimed journal of comparative literature. Prof. Yue approaches outstanding literature as a bridge to link people of different cultural traditions: “The reason why interdisciplinary literary research between two alien cultures is possible is because dialog between alien cultures, along with exchange and understanding, is more readily realized through literature.” Herein lies the value of comparative literature.

Author : Edward Alexander Jones
Publisher : DS Brewer
ISBN 13 : 1843843404
Total Pages : 228 pages
Book Rating : 4.05/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Medieval Mystical Tradition in England written by Edward Alexander Jones and published by DS Brewer. This book was released on 2013 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The series has from the beginning been instrumental in sustaining this field of study. JOURNAL OF ECCLESIASTICAL HISTORY Mystical writing flourished between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries across Europe and in England, and had a wide influence on religion and spirituality. This volume examines a range of topics within the field. The five "Middle English Mystics" (Richard Rolle, Walter Hilton, the author of The Cloud of Unknowing, Julian of Norwich and Margery Kempe) receive renewed attention, with significant new insights generated by fresh theoretical approaches. In addition, there are studies of the relationships between continental and English mystical authors, introductions to some less well-known writers in the tradition (such as the Monk of Farne), and explorations around the fringes of the mystical canon, including Middle English translations of Boethius, Lollard spirituality, and the Syon brother Richard Whytford's writings for a sixteenth-century "mixed life" audience. E. A. Jones is Senior Lecturer in English Medieval Literature and Culture at the University of Exeter. Contributors: Christine Cooper-Rompato, Vincent Gillespie, C. Annette Grisé, Ian Johnson, Sarah Macmillan, Liz Herbert McAvoy, Nicole R. Rice, Maggie Ross, Steven Rozenski Jr, David Russell, Michael G. Sargent, Christiana Whitehead.

Author : Rowan Williams
Publisher : Cowley Publications
ISBN 13 : 1461660831
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.35/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Wound of Knowledge written by Rowan Williams and published by Cowley Publications. This book was released on 2003-07-25 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this classic treatise on Christian spirituality, Rowan Williams takes us with a new eye along a road marked out by Paul, John, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, and finally to Luther and St. John of the Cross. The Wound of Knowledge is a penetrating psychological and intellectual analysis of Christian spirituality.

Author : Rowan Williams
Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN 13 : 1561010472
Total Pages : 208 pages
Book Rating : 4.79/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Wound of Knowledge written by Rowan Williams and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 1991 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this classic treatise on Christian spirituality, Rowan Williams takes us with a new eye along a road marked out by Paul, John, Ignatius, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Athanasius, Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Augustine, and finally to Luther and St. John of the Cross. The Wound of Knowledge is a penetrating psychological and intellectual analysis of Christian spirituality.