The late Ralph Metzner, PhD, was well known as a consciousness explorer. Here he stresses the importance of metaphor in guiding and understanding human development, focussing on the metaphors of transformation from a caterpillar to a butterfly, of the journey, and of death and rebirth. Dr. Metzner is author of Opening to Inner Light and Maps of Consciousness and [...]

Here he weaves a fascinating tapistry involving the ferment in the early twentieth century, including the emergence of depth psychology and a burgeoning esoteric culture including theosophy, anthroposophy, ritual magick, and – particularly – the Fourth Way movement of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky. Maurice Nicoll was in the center of this world.

Brian shares that the features of a spiritual emergency and psychospiritual emergence have much in common with what is known as psychosis and are frequently indistinguishable. Indigenous cultures view these experiences as normal and part of the mysteries of being human.

Irving Finkel shares the magical literature found in ancient Mesopotamia on tablets of clay with cuneiform writing in 2,500 B.C. that brings to life how the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians operated with primarily benevolent forces to nullify evil, drive out demons and ghosts, and navigate witches and wizards.