Consciousness Bibliography 

Andrews, Sperry. (1996). "Promoting a sense of connectedness among individuals by scientifically demonstrating the existence of a planetary consciousness?" Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2(3), 39-45.

Sperry Andrews gives a brief review of the literature of human beings and their sense of connectedness and communication over distance. References to situations of knowing when one is being stared at, telepathy, and the positive influences of group meditation on people who are unaware of the meditation are discussed. Mr. Sperry then discusses possible reasons why we human beings have chosen to disassociate ourselves from each other. The author believes that we can tap into the planetary consciousness and join "conscious" forces to bring about positive and possible planetary change.

Bessinger, C. Donivan. (1996). "Reflections on reality, healing, and consciousness." Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, 2(2), 40-45.

Dr. Bessinger introduces the concepts of nuon and nuocontinuum to bridge the theoretical gap between the linearity and determinism of orthodox medicine and the nonlinear world of complementary medicine. The missing element stems from the concept of consciousness. He proposes the use of the word "nuon" to denote a unit of psyche. He then uses neucontinuum as the "unlimited, infinite connecting principle that binds all that is" (p. 44). Dr. Bessenger believes that the introduction of a term, which, by the nature of naming also limits, will help those who need parameters to explore ideas and concepts. Since the neucontinuum is infinite, he believes this concept will be acceptable to those in the complementary medical field. The usefulness of "nuon" and "nuocontinuum" as constructs can only be ascertained if they gain popularity within both the orthodox and complementary medical fields.

Dossey, Larry. (1994). "Healing, energy, & consciousness: Into the future or retreat to the past?" Subtle Energies ,5 (1), 1-33.

In this paper Larry Dossey proposes that there is no such thing as "subtle energy." "Subtle energy" is used in an attempt to explain what happens in healing, either local or distant. Dossey believes that healing is a nonlocal event and will be best described by consciousness. Research demonstrates that healing occurs outside of time and space. The healing "energy" travels faster than the speed of light. What is known of consciousness contains the same non local characteristics. Dossey does not want researchers to limit themselves to studying a "thing" such as subtle energy, when consciousness which is limitless and omnipresent, may be the explanation for "energy" healing.

Dupre, Louis. (1976). Transcendental selfhood. NY: Seabury Press.

Dupre's background is in Roman Catholicism. Dupre's lived spiritual experience is similar to the lived spiritual experience of the Eastern traditions. Spirituality was a natural outgrowth, or, perhaps, "ingrowth," to his spiritual development as a member of a Catholic Religious community. In this book he gives a history of the growth of objectivism which led to the diminishment of the importance of spirituality and the transcendent.

His historical description of the demise of spirituality includes the scientific method, but also includes the advent of historical criticism of the Bible. Before theologians began to look at the Bible from an historical context, the Bible was accepted as fact. He also discusses how religious piety moved from the public sector to the private sector, from being expressed outwardly through actions to being experienced only inwardly.

Just as transpersonalists such as Charles T. Tart observe that science has to find external reasons for loneliness and despair Dupr? agrees the true reason for such feelings results from an internal lack of spiritual life.

Eliade, Mircea. (1964). Shamanism: Archaic techniques of ecstasy (Willard R. Trask, Trans.). Princeton University Press: Bollingen Series LXXVI.

This extensive work in considered by Eliade to be an overview of shamanic traditions throughout the world. Although he does not consider it an exhaustive overview, I find it to be extremely detailed. Similarities and differences are noted in the call of the shaman, the shamanic ritual of accepting the call and the various rituals of the many shamanic traditions. The spirit world is integral to each shamanic tradition. For the shaman, the spirit world is "more real" than what most people consider the reality of this three dimensional world in which we believe we live.

Elliot, William. (1994). "Love, life and cosmic consciousness: A conversation with Dr. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross." The Quest, 7,(3), 18-25,84-87.

In this interview, Dr. Kubler-Ross discusses her growth as an individual. One of the most significant experiences in her life was when she had a cosmic vision in which she was one with the universe. She believes that when we realize we are all one, then life is lived from love. Love can perform miracles, which she attests to through experiences with her AIDS babies. Fear is the greatest divider of human kind. People who live in fear, no matter what their belief system, live in agony and, even, hatred. One powerful point she made was that those who lived their lives "totally", no matter in what area, died with the greatest peace.

Grof, S. (1985). Beyond the brain: Birth, death and transcendence in psychotherapy. Albany, NY: State University of New York.

In this fascinating book, Grof brings together the findings of his 25 years of consciousness research through altered state work by LSD or breath work. He believes transpersonal experiences are normal and are the desire for an individual to achieve wholeness. Only by integrating the sense of self as an individual with limits with the sense of self as transpersonal and limitless, can the person live with joy and spontaneity. An individual achieves this state by working through Basic Perinatal Matrixes (BPM's). BPM I refers to the time in the womb. BPM II is the time in the womb when contractions begin but the cervix is not dilated. BPM III is the travels down the birth canal. BPM IV is birth. Each stage has challenges which can result in pathology. The resolution of the birth process is the one area that will lead to mental health and wholeness.

Grof, S., & Bennett, H. Z. (1990). The holotropic mind. San Francisco: HarperCollins.

The Holotropic Mind contains much of the information of Beyond the Brain but written for the layperson.

Harmon, Willis W., & de Quincey, Christian. (1994). The scientific exploration of consciousness: Toward an adequate epistemology. Sausalito, CA: Institute of Noetic Sciences.

This monograph examines the need for an epistemology in the exploration of consciousness. The authors briefly explore the paradigm of Western science and how it has brought the scientific community to where it is now. The inadequacies of the paradigm for the exploration of consciousness are discussed. The authors believe that the scientific method can be adapted to the study of consciousness if the epistemology of consciousness is agreed upon.

McNeill, Barbara & Guion, Carol (Eds.). (1991). Noetic Sciences Collection, 1980-1990: Ten years of consciousness research. Sausalito, CA: Institute of Noetic Sciences.

This is a collection of research and talks on various aspects of consciousness. The topics range from the powers of the mind over the body to multiple personality disorder. Consciousness is approached from the standpoint of the Western mentality and sports is approached from the mindfulness of Eastern thought. Energy medicine is discussed as well as the placebo effect.

Tart, Charles T. (ed.). (1975). Transpersonal Psychologies. New York: Harper & Row, Publishers. (pp. 1-151.)

Charles T. Tart wrote the first three chapters of this book. His purpose is to bridge the area between traditional Western Psychologies and the Transpersonal Psychologies, those of the East and those birthing in the West. Tart gives an excellent comparison of the paradigms of traditional Western Psychology and Transpersonal psychologies. Since Western Psychology is based upon the scientific method, everything must be observed and measured. Most of the transpersonal realm is objective in nature and labeled as "unreliable" or "pathological" by the scientific method. The assumptions made due to the paradigms of our belief system, determine what data we notice and how we interpret the data, be it objective or subjective.

Wilber, Ken. (1977). The spectrum of consciousness. Wheaton, IL: Quest Books.

Wilber's first book is an exploration of the various levels of consciousness and the types of psychotherapy most applicable to a particular level of consciousness. Those who live in a dualistic belief system of matter vs. spirit would make greater progress in therapies from the behavioral model of cause and effect. When one is at the level of consciousness of a realization that all is one, the individual will heal through transpersonal psychotherapies. The level of consciousness will also determine which of the religions, if any, the individual will find suitable.