Abstract

This paper compares two ancient traditions of knowledge: The Indo-European vedic texts and the Edda poems of the Scandinavian and Germanic people. There appear to be close similarities between these two traditions in terms of four major concepts: A basic unified state lying at the foundation of the vast variety in the universe; the process of creation from within this unified field; the development of higher states of individual consciousness; and the development of higher stages in the collective consciousness of society. Today this knowledge has practical implications for improving performance and quality of life, as shown by scientific research.