Here he delves into the nuances of hypnosis and explores the many similarities between hypnotic states and those reported by mystics. He draws substantially on his own research.

Swami Sarvapriyananda shares his insights into the spiritual teachings and philosophical ideas of Vedanta and nonduality in a very relatable way often using story and metaphor. He acknowledges the trouble caused by spiritual bypass and the need for shadow work.

What is the origin of individual behavior and personality? Stanislav Grof proposes that individuals have systems of condensed experience (COEX systems) which become anchored to aspects of the birth trauma. Here, he describes four different basic stages of the birth process and shows how they relate to attitudes developed later in life.

Rick describes several ways to attain peak experiences and how to get into the zone by choice, not chance. He shares positive experiences of professional athletes who use meditation and energetic practices to enhance their performance with supporting research.

Contemporary science is engaging in a process of integrating human consciousness into its body of knowledge. As an example of this new direction, Dr. Harman summarizes research into the conscious survival of the death of the body. He points to several lines of evidence suggesting a need for a larger understanding of consciousness.

Here she describes how her great love for science led her to pursue a study of paranormal abilities among autistic savants, most of whom do not even possess expressive language skills.