Best of
Metaphysics

1980

Wholeness and the Implicate Order


David Bohm - 1980
    Although deeply influenced by Einstein, he was also, more unusually for a scientist, inspired by mysticism. Indeed, in the 1970s and 1980s he made contact with both J. Krishnamurti and the Dalai Lama whose teachings helped shape his work. In both science and philosophy, Bohm's main concern was with understanding the nature of reality in general and of consciousness in particular. In this classic work he develops a theory of quantum physics which treats the totality of existence as an unbroken whole. Writing clearly and without technical jargon, he makes complex ideas accessible to anyone interested in the nature of reality.

The Light of Egypt: Volume Two, the Science of the Soul and the Stars


Thomas H. Burgoyne - 1980
    In 'The Light of Egypt', vol.2, Burgoyne reveals how to attain the spiritual wisdom described in vol.1., with special reference to astrology.

Science Without Numbers: A Defence Of Nominalism


Hartry Field - 1980
    The problem this normally poses for a description of the physical world is as follows: any such description must include a physical theory, physical theories are assumed to require mathematics, and mathematics is replete with references to abstract entities. How, then, can nominalism reasonably be maintained? In answer, Hartry Field shows how abstract entities ultimately are dispensable in describing the physical world and that, indeed, we can "do science without numbers."The author also argues that despite the ultimate dispensability of mathematical entities, mathematics remains useful, and that its usefulness can be explained by the nominalist. The explanation of the utility of mathematics does not presuppose that mathematics is true, but only that it is consistent. The argument that the nominalist can freely use mathematics in certain contexts without assuming it to be true appears early on, and it first seems to license only a quite limited use of mathematics. But when combined with the later argument that abstract entities ultimately are dispensable in physical theories, the conclusion emerges that even the most sophisticated applications of mathematics depend only on the assumption that mathematics is consistent and not on the assumption that it is true.Originally published in 2050.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

Numbers and You: A Numerology Guide for Everyday Living


Lloyd Strayhorn - 1980
    Learn how to harness the power of numbers with this unique guide, and reveal the secrets of your personality, which lottery numbers you should choose, when is the best time to make decisions, what cities are best for you to live in, how can you tell if someone is right for you, and much, much more.From the Paperback edition.

Conversations With Seth (Vol #1)


Susan M. Watkins - 1980
    But I do not really mind! You have abilities now, abilities from other lives, and a responsibility to use them. And so you have come here to see that you shall.""Really?" I croaked.Seth nodded. "I do have something to say to you at this time. There is no need to justify your existence, through writing or any other means. Being is its ownjustification, and this is part of what you must learn. And I will say this to you again and again, until you understand what I am trying to tell you!"And so it went—Seth appearing and reappearing, gesticulating, cracking elaborate jokes, bantering back and forth with us in a thousand other strange class dialogues. Those next ten years became, for me, a tumultuous, intriguing excursion into the unknown continents of the self, with endless discoveries ...Susan M. Watkins, CONVERSATIONS WITH SETHFrom Dust Cover Flaps:"I bid you welcome into the threshold of your own being!.., The work that you are doing here... will show benefits in all other areas of your life and of your experience." — Seth, speaking to members of ESP Class.Each week, for nearly ten years, men and women of all ages and from all walks of life traveled up to five hundred miles to meet in Jane Roberta's Elmira living room, glimpse their own past lives, experience altered states of consciousness, and speak directly with Seth. While Jane Roberts has touched on her ESP Class in her own books, the full story of those heady, cosmic encounters has never been written—until now!Susan M, Watkins is a close friend of Jane Roberts and was for many years an ESP Class student. In Conversations With Seth she has drawn upon her own recollections and conducted in-depth interviews with other Class members to document the wonder, drama, frenzy, and humor of those exuberant Tuesday evenings.Her fascinating narrative explains how an ever-changing group of some forty individuals evolved from curious observers into active participants in psychic experiments—on the grandest of scales! Here you'll see total strangers arguing violently over events seven hundred years old... an entire room of people spontaneously speaking in a strange tongue and understanding each other!... Seth challenging Class members to deal with their deep-seated beliefs about themselves ... the Hallowe'en night when Jane Roberts assigned students to dress as a member of the opposite sex ... and finally, Seth's ultimate assignment: to create an "Inner City," a wholly new dimension of reality.Throughout are hitherto-unpublished glimpses of Seth's energy, emotion and insight as he jokes, argues, and advises different individuals on sex,spirituality, fears, marriage, being and creativity. Here, too, is an engrossing portrait of Jane Roberts herself, who emerges as a skillful group leader and versatile teacher as well as gifted writer and trance medium.With an introduction by Jane Roberts and line drawings made during, Class by George Rhoads, Conversations With Seth offers a whole new perspective on the Seth phenomenon as well as an electrifying journey to the very frontiers of consciousness.Numerous references to SUSAN M. WATKINS appear throughout Jane Roberts's books. A graduate of both Syracuse University and the Syracuse University School of Journalism, she has worked as an editor, reporter and interviewer for newspapers in upstate New York; and her poems and articles have won several awards. Now completing her second volume of Conversations With Seth, Ms. Watkins lives in Dundee, New York.Introductory description of Seth/Jane Roberts (Unknown source)In 1963, Jane Roberts met a spiritual entity named Seth. He spoke through her and the lessons he taught proved timeless and crucial. From 1968 to 1975, Roberts held ESP classes, during which she channeled Seth. Susan Watkins was a member of that class. The knowledge gained from Seth helped Watkins and her classmates face serious illness, painful relationships, financial hardship, and natural catastrophe. It also changed their lives. In addition to being a well-written, highly entertaining historical account of the late Jane Roberts and her class, Conversations with Seth reveals the profound insights discovered by class members--insights into the origin of both the troubling and triumphant events in our lives and into the vast nature of the human consciousness. Roberts's Seth material is consistently one of the top two most visited collections at the Yale University Archives.