Ecology of Consciousness
Printer FriendlyISBN: 9781626256194
About the Book
Who are we, really? In The Ecology of Consciousness, a Harvard scholar and pioneer in the field of consciousness studies—well known for his groundbreaking psychedelic research with Ram Dass and Timothy Leary—presents an expansive work culminating decades of research in Eastern philosophy, shamanism, and more to guide you along the path of true consciousness and transformation.
Questions surrounding consciousness have intrigued humankind throughout time, and have been addressed through a wide range of perspectives and traditions. From age-old philosophies to New Age spirituality, consciousness—and its various forms—has been the topic of much contemplation. This unique book is a comprehensive exploration that covers a wide range of disciplines and subjects within the framework of psychospiritual and consciousness studies.
The Ecology of Consciousness revives ancient alchemical knowledge, spiritual traditions, and thoughtful theories about consciousness—drawing on ancient Eastern philosophy, shamanism, mythology, and others sources, and covering topics such as personal growth and reincarnation—to give you an expansive foundation for self-inquiry and transformation. Written by a leading authority, this book will give you a deeper understanding of consciousness, show you how to access your own spiritual intelligence, teach you about shamanic and alchemical traditions and connect them to healing practices of today.
With this consciousness-expanding book, you’ll explore the human life cycle from a spiritual perspective, reflect on your own personal journey, and discover which pathway guides your life purpose for your ultimate fulfillment, growth, and well-being.
Contributors
Books by Ralph Metzner
Praise
—Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart
—Larry Dossey, MD, author of One Mind
—Don Lattin, author of The Harvard Psychedelic Club
—Philip Snow Gang, PhD, author of Rethinking Education, historian, and founder of The Institute for Educational Studies
—Peter Phillips, PhD, professor of sociology at Sonoma State University, and coauthor/editor of many of the Project Censored yearbooks
—Charles S. Grob, MD, professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles; director of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; founding board member of the Heffter Research Institute; editor of Hallucinogens; and coeditor of Higher Wisdom
—David Presti,PhD, teaching professor in the department of molecular and cell biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and author of Foundational Concepts in Neuroscience
—Jamy Faust, MA, and Peter Faust, MAc, coauthors of The Constellation Approach
—James Fadiman, author of The Psychedelic Explorer’s Guide
—Luisah Teish, author of Jambalaya, and coauthor of On Holy Ground
—David Jay Brown, author of Dreaming Wide Awake and The New Science of Psychedelics
“In Ecology of Consciousness, Ralph Metzner, a true Argonaut of the soul, leads us on an amazing quest through the myriad of ecosystems that reside within the wonderlands of our own undiscovered selves. On our way, we encounter myths, scientific discoveries, intuitions, dreams, legends, art, the cycles of life, visitations, visions, quests, healing rituals, spirit, psyche, and much more. This is a book to be kept next to a hiker’s field guide to flora and fauna; the one volume to express the miraculous diversity of the outer natural world, and the other to take the happy camper into the boundless depths of his own inner being.”
—Thomas Armstrong, PhD, author of The Human Odyssey
“Ecology of Consciousness is a remarkably comprehensive and profound illumination of human consciousness and the nature of reality. No single book has heretofore described with such insight and depth how subjective and objective reality intertwine to create the world we ‘see’—our worldview. Ralph Metzner is a wise elder, a shaman, and a lifelong consciousness explorer, generously sharing his soul to benefit us. We Homo sapiens have progressively deepened our comprehension of the nature of reality since we appeared on Earth 200,000 years ago. Ecology of Consciousness is perhaps the most comprehensive and profound wisdom ever compiled in one volume addressing life’s grand creative mystery.”
—Andrew Beath, social justice and environmental activist: board president of EarthWays Foundation, Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs, and 18th Street Arts Center; Amazon Watch founding board member; and author of Consciousness in Action and The New Creation Story
“Ralph Metzner’s alchemical flame burns incandescent in his new book, Ecology of Consciousness, as he activates and illuminates intricate processes of the ‘great awakening’ emerging in these times. His work helps transform and expand our worldview, as page by page, Metzner’s magnum opus awakens spiritual intelligence that brings deeper connection with our living essential nature, as the ancient alchemists called it, ‘the quintessentia’—the divine indwelling incarnating uniquely in each living being. Ralph Metzner, one of the greatest alchemical explorers of consciousness in our time, with this publication, challenges and catalyzes our awakening to not only what is possible, but to what, as we join him in this work with the imagination, is indeed happening.”
—Monika Wikman, PhD, Jungian analyst, astrologer, director of the Center for Alchemical Studies, and author of Pregnant Darkness
