Invited essay Peak experiences and the natural universe—Metaphysical explorations of a cosmological physicist

World Futures 44 (1):1-13 (1995)
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Abstract

Among the most exciting experiences in our lives are the ones that arouse a magical rapture within us. This may happen when we become engrossed in a musical piece, when dancing becomes ecstatic, when we are passionately in love (or making love) or when we experience an intuitive perception or an altered state of consciousness, get caught by the spell of the infinity of the Universe or the splendor of nature; it can also happen during telepathic contact or in lucid dreams. What I shall try to outline here is a systematic world-view that gives a basis for the interpretation of the special character of those magical actions. A model for the structure of the Universe is shown in which different levels of existence are sequentially telescoped into each other. This model suggests that the different levels of the material and the inner worlds can be in direct connection, thus offering us a new perspective for participating in the process of Creation.

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The anthropic cosmological principle.John D. Barrow - 1986 - New York: Oxford University Press. Edited by Frank J. Tipler.
Dictionary of philosophy and psychology, t. I.R. Latta - 1902 - Revue Philosophique de la France Et de l'Etranger 54 (1):93-98.
La Mentalité Primitive. [REVIEW]W. T. Bush - 1922 - Journal of Philosophy 19 (25):694-698.

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