On PT's Bookshelf

Everyman's Guide To Altered States

Rational Mysticism

By John Horgan (Houghton Mifflin, 2003)

When acclaimed science writer John Horgan set out to explore the
biochemical basis for mystical experiences--from meditation to
psychedelics--humanistic psychologist Jean Houston offered him fair
warning: Mysticism, she says, "begins in mist, has an I in the middle and
ends in schism."

For some, mysticism implies that subjective knowledge of the true
nature of the universe can, in fact, be obtained. For many, though, the
term implies the unverifiable claims of gurus or faith healers.

To navigate this murky terrain, Horgan pens a who's who of
neurotheology, the study of spiritual experience in relation to brain
science. He first visits popular theologian Huston Smith, who claims that
the world's religions share the conviction that reality is better--but
also more mysterious--than it appears. Then there's psychedelic author
and "neophiliac" Terence McKenna, who embraces life as a complex
novelty-generating process. Ironically, he was diagnosed with a fatal
brain tumor just weeks after meeting Horgan.

Horgan also spends time with Ken Wilber, a thoroughly modern mystic
who lifts weights and frequents shopping malls but remains a "thinking
man's spiritual author" (he appeals to the likes of Al Gore and Deepak
Chopra). Wilber alleges that he surpasses the Dalai Lama in his ability
to maintain the most enlightened state even during sleep, and that this
experience has convinced him that "mind, rather than matter, is the basis
of reality and hence can never be extinguished." Tell that to Andrew
Newberg, a young radiologist at the University of Pennsylvania whose
brain scans of praying nuns and meditating monks reveal a unique pattern
of neural activity, but one that Newberg acknowledges cannot "prove or
disprove the validity of specific mystical visions."

Then there are the scholars for whom Buddhism is entirely
compatible with a materialist worldview. Susan Blackmore, for instance, a
British psychologist and Zen practitioner, turned from a paranormal
enthusiast to a hard-charging skeptic when her controlled experiments of
phenomena including ESP and out-of-body experiences failed to confirm the
existence of psychic powers.

Another Zen Buddhist, neurologist James Austin, compares the
altered states of schizophrenics, who have experiences that resemble what
others label mystical bliss, to states induced by meditation. Among his
arguments: The limbic system, which controls emotions, may be dampened
during meditation, which could explain its calming effects and the
ultimate sense of egolessness for which Buddhists strive.

The "I" in mysticism is indeed central: Horgan concludes that
people see what they seek, especially when entheogens (psychedelics that
produce religious visions) are involved. When Huston Smith took drugs, he
communed with a loving god. Terence McKenna's acid trips yielded a
novelty-generating deity. In 1962, Timothy Leary conducted a rigorous
study of the effects of psilocybin--"magic" mushrooms--and found that
they enhance the mystical experience of subjects with religious
inclinations, but can lead to anxiety and paranoia for others. Horgan, a
scientist through and through, was not moved to ethereal realms by the
Native American hallucinogen ayahuasca. Instead, he emerged convinced
that his visions were more likely "products of [his] own brain than
transpersonal revelations."

Horgan's controversial 1996 book, The End of Science, argued that
new empirical findings are scarce compared with competing, sometimes
personality-driven theories. No surprise then, that the pocket of science
known as neurotheology fails to generate answers. Horgan concludes that
the greatest mystical experience uniting the electrode-wielding
neurologist and the saffron-robed Buddhist is an overwhelming sense of
awe at the inexplicable nature of the universe.

Religion, Spirituality and the Near-Death
Experience

By Mark Fox (Routledge, 2003)

People who live to tell of near-death experiences claim to remember
the comings and goings of everything around them, even during their
unconscious teetering on death's brink. They also seem to share the same
script--silence, darkness, tunnels and, of course, heavenly light. The
eerie similarities of their accounts make most of us consider the
possibility of life after death, and author Mark Fox has certainly given
it serious thought. In Religion, he attempts to connect the latest
research in near-death experiences to philosophical musings. His effort
yields plenty of compelling first-person yarns, culled from more than 100
survivors.

The Holy Longing: The Hidden Power of Spiritual
Yearning

By Connie Zweig, Ph.D. (Putnam, 2003)

In the wake of church scandals and lascivious gurus, many faithful
feel disillusioned and unsure when searching for spiritual solace. This
longing for comfort from a higher power, despite some religious leaders'
unethical practices, is a defining human characteristic, according to
author Connie Zweig, Ph.D. A therapist and minister, Zweig draws insight
from her own disenchantment after years spent studying the 1970s fad of
transcendental meditation. She falls short, unfortunately, of
corroborating her ideas on our inherent "spiritual impulse" by neglecting
to mention any valid scientific findings and instead drawing conclusions
only from psychoanalytic theory. Plus, she simply ignores the possibility
that there are those with no spiritual longing whatsoever, disillusioned
or otherwise. The second half of the book does prove more practical: It
is an informed warning for people who are susceptible to cultish powers
of persuasion.

Mindful Loving

By Henry Grayson, Ph.D. (Gotham Books, 2003)

A degree in theology, one in psychology, plus years of
psychoanalytic training are still not enough to elucidate the true nature
of relationship problems, according to psychologist Henry Grayson, Ph.D.
It took particle physics to bring him the spiritual epiphany that
illuminated his path to everlasting love. And by reading his book,
Grayson says, you too can obtain such enlightenment. Based on the notion
that we are all connected through a shared embodiment of God, Mindful
Loving explains how to uncover the "true self" within and become an
active participant in shaping relationships. Though sometimes mired in
muddled logic, Grayson's studies, quizzes and techniques purport to help
end harmful, ego-based relationships, replacing them instead with
successful, healthy and--most importantly--spiritually based ones.