Free-thinkers
Thanks to Anna for introducing me to the work of Arnold Mindell. It's just the kind of out-of-the-box, right-brained free and fearless thinking that I find most fascinating.
Another such thinker you may or may not be familiar with, or interested in, and who has strongly influenced me, is Joseph Chilton Pearce. Amongst others, he wrote a book in the late 1960's called "The Crack in the Cosmic Egg," perhaps one of the most comprehensive and profound de-constructions of the 'Illumination/Transcendence' experience/process, I have ever come across. Unfortunately, his early writings went out of print, but apparently is being re-issued, and is no doubt still available second-hand.
There are also some videos on-line featuring his ideas, but nothing approaching the overall synthesis or far-reaching implications explored in his writings.
But here is one you might want to check out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh0afEgZziI
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I'm just now catching up on these forum replies, after returning from vacation. For sure, these theories from JCP, such as the connection between mind and heart-based intelligence that can actually be measured as resonationg electromagnetic fields (much like Rupert Sheldrake's morphogenetic fields), are very exciting. And certainly would confirm what has been known by ancient spiritual traditions for a long time, that the heart chakra is the true center of our being.
In his earlier work, like 'Crack', I believe the point he was making is that culture is essentially an ego-based construct that is, so to speak, the playground of the ego-body-mind. Conversely, the ego-structure is a cultural construct. So ego and culture are fabricated, artificial, conceptual constructs that exist in a symbiotic-like, mutually sustaining relationship, as one can't exist without the other. As such, they co-opt our primary, natural state of consciousness which is is always there, but covered up by the illusion of this identification with ego and culture. Not that there is anything inherently wrong or right about that -- it's just the way it works. But it then follows that, for those who are in the process of ego dissolution, culture is not your friend. In fact, culture will fight tooth and nail against the very idea of ego dissolution, because obviously, its own sustainability depends on the ego structure, and obeisance to its rules and rituals, and the illusion of the pursuit of cultural trappings, as the basis of happiness. And likewise, ego will fight tooth and nail against the dissolution of its cultural paradigm, for the very same reason that its own existence depends on it.
At least, that is my take on it, in an admittedly very over-simplified nut shell
I`ve checked out Joseph Chilton Pearce, thank you so much for your tip. He is very interesting indeed!
I watched the videos and I also found his talk in the Wisdom series at the Monroe Institute, really very exciting.
"The Crack in the Cosmic Egg" was actually a title I`d heard somewhere before, but I didn`t knew about him.I also found him in Wilber`s reference titles in "Sex, Ecology,Spirituality", which, knowing now little about him, didn`t surprise at all.
In the e-book shop I usually visit I found several interesting titles and even the re-issued "The Crack in the Cosmic Egg" you mentioned. His latest book should be "Strange Loops and Gestures of Creation" (2010).
I was fascinated hearing his talk at the Monroe Institute about the connection between the mind and the heart, the energy springing forth from the heart and influencing the whole body-mind-spirit condition and even wider fields of reality.
It reminded me also of Ramana Maharshi`s concept of the Heart as Center. It is true that Ramana places it a bit on the right in the chest,as I seem to remember but on the other hand Pearce is speaking about electromagnetic waves that we can detect scientifically.
I`ll certainly try to learn more about his work.
Thanks again!