TTEM - TRANSFORMATIONAL TOOLS ENERGY AND MIND
Rigorous Books Relating To The Paradigm Shift... An extremely high ratio of verified and verifiable fact to speculation/personal belief in all of these. I can guarantee that anyone would learn a lot from any of them :-)
This is one of the worst titles ever as that is not what the book is about... one possible explanation of psi phenomena
is that the old division between subjective and objective is not entirely valid (altho' quite useful for building rockets,
computers, baked beans, suspension bridges et al). More to the point is the subtitle (I presume Radins choice for the
title) "The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena".
Now this sort of thing tends to be seen as irrelevant by various people who are either believers from the outset or shall
we say experiencers... Typically also people not trained in the scientific paradigm... However for those from a
scientific background there is a high degree of confidence that if not complete the laws of physics are well proven.
As Radin points out at some point some of these psi things are proven to a higher confidence interval than say the mass
of a quark but it is the lack of a clear mechanism surrounding psi that makes it so hard for the scientific community to
embrace (after all one would *appear* to have to throw out a lot of 'prove' stuff or rewrite some fundamental premises).
Having said that there's a nice quote about 'the whole of science consists of previously inexplicable data'.
To quote no less a visionary than Arthur C. Clarke "I think this is an important book and should be widely read.
It stretches the imagination, making a good case that we are on the verge of another revolution in our understanding
of the universe - perhaps even greater than the one that heralded the Atomic Age"
The weaknesses - occasional journalistic hyperbole and skating on thin ice (on the other hand its an easy read); the
"Field" (essentially the underlying nature of space-time-vacuum) is really used as a washing-line to hang other subjects
off; the first couple of chapters are physics orientated (and hence of narrower interest).
In practice (and why I didn't but it before) the book is misnamed - rather it is a series of chapters based on the work
of various *very* pukkha scientists showing strong scientific evidence for various 'non mainstream accepted' things. I
am amazed at how much evidence is out there unreported. I am only 2/3 the way thru' but wanted you to all rush out and
buy it now! I will refund any ttem-regulars money if they read the whole thing and don't find it fascinating :-)
Bruce Lipton both presents a compelling case and presents the evidence starting with the cell and DNA and ending up with 'conscious
parenting' for a New Biology. He pulls off this tour de force by virtue of his solid background of a lifetime as a Professor
and researcher into Cellular Biology as well as being a real dude (took a year out to become a failed rock concert promoter) :-)
The essence of his case at a cellular level is that the paradigm of genetic determinism (and to an extent darwin
survival of the fittest) is overdone. He presents convincing evidence on Epigentics - that it's the cells environment, not its genes that is the key to cellular health (
a cell can survive for a long time without its nucleus but not in a hostile environment. Co-operation as
a force in evolution is something which Darwin in a letter in his later years wrote regretting he had not incorporated more of
in his magnus opus.
Perhaps like most people aiming to change the staus-quo he overdoes his balance - whilst nature and nurture are equally important
at one level then at another its perhaps genes and environment that are "equally" important. However he is spot on in terms
of the current view being far too genetically-driven.
In a multi-cellular environment - aka you and I ;-) - of course the role of the mind (conscious and subconscious) becomes predominant
in terms of establishing the cellular milieu.
Unfortunately for most westerners these days its permanent fight or flight mode and a calorie-dense but
nutritionally poor diet ... and people are saddened/surprised when they get serious illnesses "out of the blue"...
"For anyone who is a scientist by profession or inclination AND is interested in energy healing you should drop your
tools immediately, beg steal or borrow and order this book right away. Anyone that ever speculates on the 'scientific'
phenomena underpinning all this subtle energy stuff really should check this out forthwith."
This is a splendid book by a man in his seventies but with the vitality of someone twenty years younger covering a whole
series of personal stories, anecdotes and experiences but all sharing the common thread of the insights into the nature
of existence and 'reality' that one gets via 'non-ordinary' states of consciousness.
Personally-based books such as this can frequently be a real mish-mash and 'all over the place'.. however this is quite the
opposite, structured and thematic using clinically precise powers of observation and rigorous standards of construction of
his main themes ... Grof is far from some kind of polemicist and much the better for it.
This book [on Prior Life Regression Therapy] is phenomenal - I haven't been able to put it down... Good quote:
"As a therapist or a patient, you don't have to believe in past lives or reincarnation for past life therapy to work.
The proof is in the pudding. As more than one fellow psychotherapist has said to me, "I still don't know if I believe
in this past life stuff, but I use it and it sure does work!"
Dr Weiss has treated over three hundred patients in this way - the above book covers many many of the stories which are
phenomenal stuff people recovering from all sorts of things when all prior therapies had drawn a blank.. Stories not only
interesting at an individual level but in terms of patterns (of course with that many people one starts to get a bigger
picture) - various people or groups coming together time and time again in the same (often abusive) ways... lovers split
by centuries re-uniting. Spiritual lessons... the stuff between life etc etc.
Look I better stop here as this is starting to sound like standard new-age cannon fodder. But this guy is a practicing
western scientifically trained psychotherapist with robust and rigorous standards of observation and analysis. It is
impressive how not once does he bring any personal beliefs to the party (quite the opposite he has to keep chucking them
out as a side-effect of treating his patients).
Samuel Sagan first geared his medical studies towards neurosurgery and psychiatry, but soon became disabused with the
practice of conventional medicine. After completing his medical degree (M.D.) he studied under a Taoist master, acquired
degrees in acupuncture and homeopathy and practiced medicine in France with a focus on alternative therapies and healing.
After several long trips to India, he wrote a thesis for a Doctorate of Medicine on the topic of chakras and subtle
bodies in the Hindu tradition. For this voluminous work, supported by original Sanskrit translations, he was not only
awarded the title of Doctor of Medicine but also a silver medal (2nd highest possible award for a medical thesis in
France), and the title of 'faculty prize-winner'. He was elected to the French Society of History of Medicine. He also
completed a Master of Sacred Science, and a Doctorate of Divinity from the International Gnostic church.
In the early 1980s, he was so impressed with the results obtained through regression therapy that he made it his main
therapeutic modality when working with patients. Over a period of fifteen years, this would lead him to develop the ISIS
technique and the Inner Space Techniques of alternative therapy.
In this splendid book he covers the subject of Entity Possession from a quite objective, non-religious perspective of a
phenomenon that he has used succesfully many many times to treat his patients succesfully. He reports in a very objective
matter of fact manner about phenomena that he sees as 99% of the time being mechanical (not many 'scary ghosts' in this
book) and due to a fragment from another person loding in ones physical or etheric bodies.
Of course the whole thing (for the disbeliever anyway) sounds quite mad but the number of Case Studies and his matter of
fact presentation leave the whole subject clearer and de-mystified - rather as if it had been a book for the layman on
parasites in the gut. He covers quite a lot around the subject and in less than 200pp its a cornucopia of practical,
verified esoterica.
... a book based on many Case Studies where he has used his hypnotherapeutic techniques to hypnotise people into
between-life states [in contrast to eg Weiss hypnosis to Prior Life states (where between-life states only occur rarely)]. Other than for 'interest' purposes this (apparently) has therapeutic benefits in a similar way that past-life healing does.
It goes into extraordinary detail about the whole 'soul', 'non-corporeal' existential state... and in a sense in almost
difficult to come to terms with - kind of "oh so this is how the entire soul scheme works??!?!??'. Newton claims
(and no reason to disbelieve him on this) that the patterns he has identified come independently and unprompted from
many many different case studies all of who overlap on the process (whilst of course differing on precise
descriptions/metaphors etc).
[From an amazon review...] "very good book (as above) which runs to almost 200 pages and describes the various meanings of just that one word!"
... "After reading this work, one realizes that one's understanding of qi can never be complete, and will always be
dictated by the context. Appropriately, this book both expanded my awareness of the concept of qi, enhanced my
understanding, yet failed to provide a coherent, simplistic answer. Before reading this book, I had come to the
conclusion that there really was no such thing as qi. I was right, and I was wrong. But I feel significantly closer
to true understanding."
A psychologist recounts his time with the Sng'oi of Malaysia - pre-industrial, pre-agricultural people of Malaysia living
deep in the rain forest. It is written in a lovely style (altho the first 1/3 of the book is other stories) and I don't
want to spoil the story - but the title gives a clue... I think it would be nice for anyone to read but especially anyone
that finds TTEM things interesting - not least of which as there is another way of knowing and learning which some of us
are just lapping the shores of compared to these 'backward' people. Backwards with respect to technology for sure - but
in getting there we have gone a long way backwards in a different dimension. An absolute must 'stocking filler' for all
here....!
Ajahn Sumedho is to my mind the clearest expositor alive today of the Theravadan approach to Buddha-Dhamma - ie what
the Buddha was actually teaching as a way to liberation (Buddhism like most religions has a lot of cultural accretion,
changes over time, and 'religiousification'). The Sound of Silence is a collection of transcriptions of talks he has given
on his favourite topics of awareness - "being the Knower" - as well as the eponymous Sound of Silence which he has used for
most of a lifetime as a skilful means to anchor oneself and avoid getting flung around by samsara.
Personally I prefer listening to his talks directly (available from www.dhammatalks.org.uk) as there are whole dimensions
to the spoken word (not least of which his infectious confidence and knowledge and his undying sense of humour and impishness).
However for those who prefer books this is a good place to access a great master's teachings.
The Commanding Self in Sufic terminology, is that mixture of primitive and conditioned responses, common to everyone,
which inhibits and distorts human progress and understanding... Its also the title of an excellent and most commendable
book by Idries Shah a prolific author of perhaps the most esoteric form of Sufism - Universal Sufism - (ie the sort of
book you can read cover to cover and come across the word Allah maybe once or twice only). Rather than attempting to
review the book I shall proffer some quotes:
"The tendency to seek reassurance and regularity is common to all human beings. This is reflected in their cleaving to
over-simplified systems. It explains why many people are drawn to organisations which offer authority and certainty.
There is nothing wrong with order and discipline: indeed, these are essentials to all human groupings. But the misuse of
this proclivity in areas where it does not apply attenuates or delays progress. It results in the uncomfortable feeling,
even amongst the most regimented, that "there is something else" "
"..very many 'people of the spirit' are only religious in the sense that they have been conditioned to feel certain
emotional responses... such people are anthropologically speaking, little else than members of a tribe."
"It is by no means unknown among members of authentic mystical schools that trying to force something is the best way to
stop it happening."
Happy reading and if you do read any of the above then please do add to the reviews :-)
Ozymandias
LONGER REVIEWS - with links to the relevant discussion threads. Images courtesy of amazon.co.uk which means you can see
which books amazon has its "search inside" feature enabled for to enable you to take a closer look.
Scientific investigation into the unconventional...
The Conscious Universe (Dean Radin) The scientific evidence for psi is robust.
The Field (Lynne McTaggart) Lots of amazing non-mainstream scientific data.
The Biology of Belief (Bruce Lipton) Biology is actually about more than cells in a petri dish ;-)
The Scientific Basis of Bioenergy Therapies (James Oschman) Robust hard scientific investigation into bioenergy therapies.
Therapeutic Settings...
When The Impossible Happens (Stanislav Grof) As it says on the can - a leading psychologist speaks of his personal experiences.
Through Time Into Healing (Brian Weiss) A psychiatrist stumbles across past lives and finds therapeutic benefit for his patients.
Entity Possession (Samuel Sagan) A matter of fact treatment of parasitic entities by a French Doctor/student of Taoism/Hinduism/Gnosticism.
Journey of Souls (Michael Newton) A hypnotic therapist accesses "between lives" information from his patients.
Traditional Culture...
A Brief History of Qi (Zhang Yu Huan & Ken Rose) One word can mean so many things.
Original Wisdom : Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing (Robert Wolff) Interesting true tales by an anthropologist showing what modern man has lost.
The Sound of Silence (Ajahn Sumedho) A great teacher points the way to Knowing and to the Sound of Silence as a skilful means of anchoring the mind.
The Commanding Self (Idries Shah) An perhaps outspoken Sufi points the way away from the conventionally accepted.
The Conscious Universe - Dean Radin
The Field - Lynne McTaggart
The Biology of Belief - Bruce Lipton
Energy Medicine: The Scientific Basis of Bioenergy Therapies - James Oschman
When the Impossible Happens: Adventures in Non-Ordinary Realities - Stanislav Grof
Through Time Into Healing - Brian Weiss
Entity Possession - Samuel Sagan
Journey of Souls - Michael Newton
A Brief History of Qi - Zhang Yu Huan & Ken Rose
Original Wisdom : Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing - Robert Wolff
The Sound of Silence - Ajahn Sumedho
The Commanding Self - Idries Shah