Reddit Reddit reviews Be Here Now

We found 49 Reddit comments about Be Here Now. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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49 Reddit comments about Be Here Now:

u/InsideOutsider · 26 pointsr/LSD

[Be Here Now] (https://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052), by the co-author of The Psychedelic Experience (before he changed his name) is a great illustrated book.

u/oldtimehippie · 20 pointsr/ActualHippies

Sure - he was a psychologist at Harvard and a friend of Timothy Leary - but you probably knew that already. The best way to learn more about his philosophy is to read his first book, Be Here Now. https://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052

u/MeleeLaijin · 17 pointsr/getdisciplined

I highly recommend you get your blood checked for any nutritional deficiencies. When you describe your "shit brain", this is the first thing that popped into my mind. You could be eating a healthy diet, but everyone's body works differently. Please see a doctor and get blood work done.


Also, if you're into reading I recommend picking up this book:
Be Here Now - Ram Dass


Good luck, fam.

u/ZenReefer · 16 pointsr/Psychedelics

One of the trippiest books you will ever read: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052

u/Hmmmm_Interesting · 12 pointsr/Psychonaut

His book: Be Here Now is amazing. Best book I have ever read on the self. http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052

u/seagoonie · 11 pointsr/spirituality

Here's a list of books I've read that have had a big impact on my journey.

First and foremost tho, you should learn to meditate. That's the most instrumental part of any spiritual path.

 Ram Dass – “Be Here Now” - https://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052 - Possibly the most important book in the list – was the biggest impact in my life.  Fuses Western and Eastern religions/ideas. Kinda whacky to read, but definitely #1

Ram Dass - “Journey Of Awakening” - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006L7R2EI - Another Ram Dass book - once I got more into Transcendental Meditation and wanted to learn other ways/types of meditation, this helped out.

 Clifford Pickover – “Sex, Drugs, Einstein & Elves…” - https://www.amazon.com/Sex-Drugs-Einstein-Elves-Transcendence/dp/1890572179/ - Somewhat random, frantic book – explores lots of ideas – planted a lot of seeds in my head that I followed up on in most of the books below

 Daniel Pinchbeck – “Breaking Open the Head” - https://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Open-Head-Psychedelic-Contemporary/dp/0767907434 - First book I read to explore impact of psychedelics on our brains

 Jeremy Narby – “Cosmic Serpent” - https://www.amazon.com/Cosmic-Serpent-DNA-Origins-Knowledge/dp/0874779642/ - Got into this book from the above, explores Ayahuasca deeper and relevancy of serpent symbolism in our society and DNA

 Robert Forte – “Entheogens and the Future of Religion” - https://www.amazon.com/Entheogens-Future-Religion-Robert-Forte/dp/1594774382 - Collection of essays and speeches from scientists, religious leaders, etc., about the use of psychedelics (referred to as Entheogens) as the catalyst for religion/spirituality

 Clark Strand – “Waking up to the Dark” - https://www.amazon.com/Waking-Up-Dark-Ancient-Sleepless/dp/0812997727 - Explores human’s addiction to artificial light, also gets into femininity of religion as balance to masculine ideas in our society

 Lee Bolman – “Leading with Soul” - https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Soul-Uncommon-Journey-Spirit/dp/0470619007 - Discusses using spirituality to foster a better, more supportive and creative workplace – pivotal in my honesty/openness approach when chatting about life with coworkers

 Eben Alexander – “Proof of Heaven” - https://www.amazon.com/Proof-Heaven-Neurosurgeons-Journey-Afterlife/dp/1451695195 - A neurophysicist discusses his near death experience and his transformation from non-believer to believer (title is a little click-baity, but very insightful book.  His descriptions of his experience align very similarly to deep meditations I’ve had)

 Indries Shah – “Thinkers of the East” - https://www.amazon.com/Thinkers-East-Idries-Shah/dp/178479063X/ - A collection of parables and stories from Islamic scholars.  Got turned onto Islamic writings after my trip through Pakistan, this book is great for structure around our whole spiritual “journey”

 Whitley Strieber – “The Key: A True Encounter” - https://www.amazon.com/Key-True-Encounter-Whitley-Strieber/dp/1585428698 - A man’s recollection of a conversation with a spiritual creature visiting him in a hotel room.  Sort of out there, easy to dismiss, but the topics are pretty solid

 Mary Scott – “Kundalini in the Physical World” - https://www.amazon.com/Kundalini-Physical-World-Mary-Scott/dp/0710094175/ - Very dense, very difficult scientific book exploring Hinduism and metaphysics (wouldn’t recommend this for light reading, definitely something you’d want to save for later in your “journey”)

 Hermann Hesse – “Siddartha” - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/siddhartha-hermann-hesse/1116718450? – Short novel about a spiritual journey, coming of age type book.  Beautifully written, very enjoyable.

Reza Aslan - “Zealot” - https://www.amazon.com/ZEALOT-Life-Times-Jesus-Nazareth/dp/140006922X - Talks about the historical Jesus - helped me reconnect with Christianity in a way I didn’t have before

Reza Aslan - “No god but God” - https://www.amazon.com/god-but-God-Updated-Evolution/dp/0812982444 - Same as above, but in terms of Mohammad and Islam.  I’m starting to try to integrate the “truths” of our religions to try and form my own understanding

Thich Nhat Hanh - “Silence” - https://www.amazon.com/Silence-Power-Quiet-World-Noise-ebook/dp/B00MEIMCVG - Hanh’s a Vietnamese Buddhist monk - in this book he writes a lot about finding the beauty in silence, turning off the voice in our heads and lives, and living in peace.

Paulo Coelho - “The Alchemist” - https://www.amazon.com/Alchemist-Paulo-Coelho/dp/0062315005/ - Sort of a modern day exploration of “the path” similar to “Siddhartha.”  Very easy and a joy to read, good concepts of what it means to be on a “path”

Carlos Castaneda - "The Teachings of Don Juan" - The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge https://www.amazon.com/dp/0671600419 - Started exploring more into shamanism and indigenous spiritual work; this book was a great intro and written in an entertaining and accessible way. 

Jean-Yves Leloup - “The Gospel of Mary” - https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Mary-Magdalene-Jean-Yves-Leloup/dp/0892819111/ - The book that finally opened my eyes to the potentiality of the teachings of Christ.  This book, combined with the one below, have been truly transformative in my belief system and accepting humanity and the power of love beyond what I’ve found so far in my journey.

Jean-Yves Leloup - “The Gospel of Philip” - https://www.amazon.com/Gospel-Philip-Magdalene-Gnosis-Sacred/dp/1594770220 - Really begins to dissect and dive into the metaphysical teachings of Christ, exploring the concept of marriage, human union and sexuality, and the power contained within.  This book, combined with the one above, have radically changed my perception of The Church as dissimilar and antithetical to what Christ actually taught.

Ram Dass - “Be Love Now” - https://www.amazon.com/Be-Love-Now-Path-Heart/dp/0061961388 - A follow-up to “Be Here Now” - gets more into the esoteric side of things, his relationship with his Guru, enlightenment, enlightened beings, etc.

Riane Eisler - “The Chalice and the Blade” - https://www.amazon.com/Chalice-Blade-Our-History-Future/dp/0062502891 - An anthropoligical book analyzing the dominative vs cooperative models in the history and pre-history of society and how our roots have been co-opted and rewritten by the dominative model to entrap society into accepting a false truth of violence and dominance as “the way it is”

u/tubameister · 10 pointsr/Buddhism

an excerpt from Remember Be Here Now by Baba Ram Dass

u/LSJ · 10 pointsr/tripreports

Lucky, I can't really go into public when I trip because my light eyes and dilated pupils are a dead give away.

I wouldn't say that you do drugs too often. You shouldn't change who you are to please other people. Maybe try changing their minds before changing who you are. Psychedelics are a wonderful and everyone who is able should experience them at some point in their lives.

Yes our existence is absurd, but find happiness in the fact that we do exist. Here's a little video that might give you yet another perspective.

If anything, if you found value in your psychedelic experience, shouldn't you try to share that with others rather than trying to hide it?

You have some really good ideas brewing here, I'd be interested what you would come up with if you went a little deeper. I think you're on the brink of feeling the cosmic oneness, it's a great feeling :P

If you haven't gotten it already, this is my recommended reading. It's practically the psychedelic bible.


Happy tripping :)

u/ethanfromthedeepend · 7 pointsr/Meditation

This is definitely an awesome idea to start what I would call your spiritual awakening. Intuition is a common catalyst or internal trigger if you will for this experience. In short, when our conscious being feels that our physical being (human body) is out of sync with the universe in one way or the other, it uses the feeling of intuition or that core (GUT FEELING) of 100% certainty on something to shift your thoughts and ultimately your actions in attempt to re-align with the web of energy connecting all of us.

http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052
this is the link to a popular book on this topic. all though it has Buddhist views because of who wrote it, it is a very good source of most of those ideas you just can't quite put into words. It address your train of though in an unorthodox manner and helps see some of the patterns that lye in our chaotic and every growing minds. I hope this was helpful and if you have any more questions please feel free to ask. I wish you the greatest of energy and great expansion of the mind.

u/my_drug_account · 5 pointsr/Psychonaut

You have to ask yourself questions about what you want to learn about yourself if you want answers. Rick Strasman who did the clinical research around DMT at the end of his study said that if he was able to do it again, he would only give it to people who had a reason they wanted to do it. Try meditation daily for a while and see what changes. Question reality and your beliefs, do your best to understand them more completely. What you learn will ultimately teach you more about yourself.


"Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet," he said. "Try to make sense of what you see and about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do, and succeed at. It matters that you don't just give up." - Stephen Hawking


Everyone is on their on path and at different points but you may find this helpful.

Alan Watts - The Real You

Remember, Be Here Now By Ram Dass

u/tandava · 5 pointsr/Buddhism

Zig Zag Zen discusses this at great length. One of my favorite opening paragraphs was by Lama Surya Das, who said "If you're wondering about my history with psychedelics, all you need is to look at the initials of my name."

Another commentor referenced Ram Dass' experience with Neem Karoli Baba as accounted in Be Here Now. This book, I feel, gets to the heart of the issue.

u/akashic_record · 4 pointsr/Psychonaut

Read Be Here Now. :)

u/byogi · 4 pointsr/EasternPhilosophy

Siddhartha by Herman Hesse
http://www.amazon.com/Siddhartha-Hermann-Hesse/dp/081120068X/ref=sr_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377155668&sr=1-8&keywords=Siddhartha

Fictional life story of Siddhartha, a contemporary of Guatama Buddha. This is a story of a man seeking spiritual truth through sensual and worldly experience, ultimately achieving similar spiritual heights to the Buddha, yet by a path that many of us might find much more familiar and relatable than a life of renunciation. Beautifully written, poetic, mystical and almost fairy-tale-like in tone. Some of Herman Hesse's finest work.


Be Here Now by Ram Dass
http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377155603&sr=1-1&keywords=be+here+now

Autobiographical, blissed-out, art-infused, eloquent and insightful rant about a journey that begins with the Harvard psychology department's early LSD research and culminates in a journey through the Himalayas leading to deep transformation with the help of a wandering mystic and an epic guru. Ram Dass beautifully weds the best parts of hippy and psychedelic culture with the ancient truths of hinduism, vedanta and yoga. The annotated reading list at the back is a treasure trove of eastern awesomeness.


The Tao of Physics by Fritjof Capra
http://www.amazon.com/The-Tao-Physics-Exploration-Parallels/dp/1590308352

Honestly the best introduction/summary I've read of several schools of Eastern Thought. The book is intended to show parallels between ancient spiritual truths and scientific principles discovered in quantum physics. Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Hinduism, Zen (and I think a couple more) get meaty, well written and well researched treatments by Capra, and curious minds benefit from having all this info in one spot. Capra gives in-depth focus to each tradition and highlights the similarities and differences of each path. Awesome graphics too. Highly recommend to any western mind wanting to encounter eastern thought.

Namaste!

edit: grammar

u/OG_Willikers · 4 pointsr/Psychonaut

There's a book called "Be Here Now" by Ram Dass. He was a another harvard professor who explored psychedelics and went to India. The middle (brown paper) section of the book is hand illustrated and is meant to be read while tripping. It is by far the best book I've ever tripped on and I'm not the only one. Here is the Amazon link if you're interested.

u/mryeffe · 3 pointsr/Psychonaut

Here’s pretty much everything you need to know along these lines:

https://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052

u/mind_bottle · 3 pointsr/Drugs

If you're seriously nervous, perhaps reconsider for awhile. There's a meme somewhere around here that's pretty spot on: If you're worried about having a bad time, you're going to have a bad time.

But here are some things that should reassure you: LSD is not dangerous AT ALL. It's by far one of the safest drugs you can ingest, so be comforted knowing that you are in no danger whatsoever. Anything that is happening that you are unhappy with WILL PASS.

That being said, here are some keys to having a good trip that I've found:

  • Have a good trip guide for your first time. Someone who's tripped a few times and whom you trust completely.
  • If you are unhappy about something, TELL THEM. Don't keep it bottled inside and pretend that you're having a good time. If you're uncomfortable with a situation, put yourself in a situation that will make you happier.
  • Trip activities are not the same as drinking activities. You're probably not going to want to go to a bar while on acid. Hiking is fun, being outside in general is fun, hanging out with other tripping friends is fun, drawing is fun, listening to music is fun, my friends say playing video games is fun but I disagree.
  • Don't mix it with other drugs on your first time through. Maybe smoke pot later in the trip if you're having a great time, but it will really intensify things and can cause more anxiety, so be aware of that. Also, you won't feel any alcohol you drink while tripping, but it will still give you a nasty hangover later.
  • Have anything and everything you might need nearby. Water, some snacks (fruits are good), some activities, maybe a fun book (check this book out when tripping sometime, it's intense). Definitely have a notebook and some writing utensils around in case you want to write down thoughts or draw.
  • Do your research if you haven't already. Read some trip reports. Don't redose after an hour because you're not feeling it. Either the acid is good or it isn't, redosing acid is at best a waste of time and at worst going to make you trip balls in another couple hours. (FYI 60-90 minutes is roughly the amount of time 1 hit takes to hit most people. Stronger stuff will take less time but your mileage may vary).
  • Absolutely make sure that you have some good music handy. I wouldn't recommend angry rap type stuff, but really just good music, you'll really appreciate what the artists were trying to convey with their music while tripping. I heard Strobe by Deadmau5 for the first time and was made speechless by how beautiful it was. There are a lot of trip music recommendations on this subreddit.

    That's all I've got off the top of my head, but I'm sure you'll have a great time. A trip report when you come back would be awesome!
u/juloxx · 3 pointsr/Meditation

On the Road, because its about living in the moment or whatnot. Written in one sitting. One continous stream of consciousness covering a life of impulse and adventure.

Be Here Now, because its about living the moment, LSD, the mystical aspects of meditation and whatnot..

and most importantly... Stalking The Wild Pendulum

I cant tell you how much that last book did for me. Please please, even if it sounds remotely interesting look into it

u/proverbialbunny · 3 pointsr/awakened

Hey OP, have you read Be Here Now by Ram Dass. He went on a trip like one you're going to go on and the book is about that and himself finding awakening and what that is. It's pretty amazing.

u/analogsmoke · 3 pointsr/eldertrees

Be Here Now is my go-to book when wanting to combine cannabis and meditation/spirituality/etc. The author doesn't dwell on weed specifically, but he was heavily influenced by psychedelics and discusses this early on in the book. As /u/its_my_growaway mentions, psychedelics of any sort are simply (but enjoyable) tools.

u/rerb · 3 pointsr/Buddhism

It's good to give away treasures.

It's nice when they can be replaced with a facsimile for less than $10.

u/wolffpack92 · 3 pointsr/Psychonaut

Just about to finish the book this is from (Be Here Now by Ram Dass):

This has been one of the most influential pieces of art -- because this book is truly a work of art -- that I have experienced. It takes you from our western society's surface-level understanding of the world around you and dives down with you to the core of what is YOU. Cuts right to the heart of the issue without the ego that is often tied to such an epic.

Ram Dass uses language that us in west can understand and deftly turns it on itself, and inception of philosophy that transcends the silly shenanigans that we all as humans are grappling with, leaving you with the simple truth that is YOU.

Even in his biography, Steve Job points to this book as one of the catalysts for his development during his young adulthood, so that much count for something.

http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052

u/ghee99 · 3 pointsr/The_Donald

> Trump has flip flopped on virtually everything.

what?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CIlHKF_uOA

LOL

on every important issue Trumps core principles have remained the same, decade after decade (kinda the opposite of obama, the only thing that remained the same about obama was the way obama remained in the closet his entire life, and never publicly admitted to his history of anonymous gay sex with strangers)

thats just obama, as for you... why are you on T_D breaking our rules?

you either abide by our rules, cuck, or you GTFO.


See rule # VI :

Trump Supporters Only -

This forum is for Trump supporters only. If you have questions about our president, our way of thinking or other discussion questions, post on r/AskThe_Donald, where we will gladly answer. This forum is NOT for that.


OTHER THAN THAT, one last thing -

I see you seek wisdom through psychedelics, thats cool. The path to wisdom can pass through the prism of chemically induced states of higher consciousness (The most excellent and enlightening book "Be Here Now" speaks of this in greater detail).

Anyway... if you can tap into some of the wisdom revealed on one of your "journeys" just open your mind up to the possibility of Trump being a wonderful opportunity for America and the world, and happiness and peace for all. If you do that, I feel confident that your whole attitude on Trump might change, and you will realize that Trump's presidency will bring greater love and happiness to all.

I am not "telling" you this, nor am i saying just blindly believe me on this just because I said so. All i am just saying to you in simple terms is... open your mind up to the possibility, and then see what is revealed to you.

u/breaktheillusion · 2 pointsr/occult

You might want to look at Be Here Now by Ram Dass and see if you feel like it's appropriate.

It's been a book I've revisited plenty of times when I'm in dark places.

u/PaprikaFairy · 2 pointsr/Buddhism

Hello,

If you haven't read Be Here Now by Ram Dass, I suggest you do. It's a fantastic book, and in the back is a section titled 'Cook Book for a Sacred Life', which covers many aspects of living after "enlightenment". The section I will be referencing in this post is titled 'The Course of Sadhana'.

There are 13 points listed, but I'm only going to put a couple.

"8. At first you try. Later you just do your sadhana because, "What else is there to do?"
9. At certain stages you will take your sadhana very seriously. Later you will see the wisdom of the statement of Jesus that to seek the Lord, men need not disfigure their faces. Cosmic humor, especially about your own predicament is an important part of your journey...
12. There is, in addition to the "up and down" cycles an "in and out" cycle. That is, there are stages at which you feel pulled in to inner work and all you seek is a quiet place to meditate and to get on with it. Then there are times when you turn outward and seek to be involved in the market place. Both of these parts of the cycle are a part of one's sadhana. For what happens to you in the market place helps in your meditation and what happens to you in meditation helps you to participate in the market place without attachment."

I hope this helps you as it has helped me. I highly recommend this book to everyone, people in this sub especially, and for under 9 bucks, it is a steal.

Peace and Love.

u/sinenominex · 2 pointsr/Psychonaut

Be Here Now is one of the most amazing books I own, and is pretty much guaranteed to induce spiritual changes when perused on psychedelics.

u/deusset · 2 pointsr/yoga
u/cowcow7 · 2 pointsr/Drugs
u/Enlightened_Goku · 2 pointsr/enlightenment

It's by Ram Dass. Here's a link to the book on Amazon Be Here Now https://www.amazon.com/dp/0517543052/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_r7onDbERE7G7Y

u/MrRexaw · 2 pointsr/Buddhism

The Life Of Milarepa

An Introduction To Zen Buddhism by D.T. Suzuki

The Way Of Zen by Alan Watts

Be Here Now by Ram Dass

These are just some of the better ones ive read so far, all really great starting off points into Buddhism. Zen in particular. Good luck!

u/Owsley_the_Bear · 2 pointsr/Drugs

I don't know why no one's mentioned Be Here Now yet.

Tripping is an interesting anthology of real-life psychedelic experiences.

Shroom is a cultural history of magic mushrooms. Real interesting stuff here.

u/Kaysuhdiller · 2 pointsr/stopdrinking

I too was raised Catholic and ended up just confused about what to believe in (my mindset: maybe there is a god, maybe there isn't, but fuck any religion that proclaims it's right and everyone else is wrong).

Luckily the person who introduced me to AA, who struggled with the God thing more than most people in the program and who still never recites the Lord's Prayer, let me borrow these 2 books from him from which he was able to draw up a higher power of his own understanding:
[Be Here Now] (http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052), by Ram Dass and
[A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose] (http://www.amazon.com/New-Earth-Awakening-Purpose-Selection/dp/0452289963) by Eckhart Tolle.

They helped a lot when I was doing steps 2 and 3 and still do. I ended up ordering copies for myself because they were so good. I highly recommend checking em out (if only one, definitely Be Here Now) or searching around for more books to guide you along. It IS frustrating to try and figure it out on your own!

u/jeexbit · 2 pointsr/Psychonaut

Sort of depends on the type of book you're looking for but here are some of my faves in no particular order: Illusions, Stalking the Wild Pendulum, The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Dancing Wu Li Masters, The Holographic Universe, Center of the Cyclone, True Hallucinations, The Archaic Revival, Be Here Now.

u/HGHellkeeper · 1 pointr/trees

Little do you know, this is the truth of things.

u/suck_it_trebeck · 1 pointr/Psychonaut

Ram Dass wrote a book called Be Here Now where he came across the same problem. His answer was mysticism. The term psychedelic means literally mind revealing. As has been said here before, what you are experiencing is already within you. Meditation, yoga, prayer, extreme pain, sex, service ... these are all tools to help you get there. Seek your mind. The answers are inside of your self.

u/Islanduniverse · 1 pointr/books

Have you ever read Remember, Be Here Now?

u/PemaWangduTsal · 1 pointr/Buddhism
u/woodrail · 1 pointr/Christianity

You should try to have a religious experience. I'm serious. And you don't have to just wait for one. There are many techniques out there for having a religious experience. Try some.

Look at saints, yogis, shamans - what do these amazing people do? They meditate, fast, take strange substances. They do this to get religious experiences. These guys aren't fools, they know what they're doing.

Think of a religious experience as opening an eye that you aren't quite aware that you have. Open it a little and you get high, open it more and you get really high, open it even more and you are tripping, open it a bunch and BAM : religious experience.

This is territory that has been much explored. Much literature out there on the subject.

Here are a couple of nice books :

"Stoned Free. How to Get High Without Drugs" by Patrick Wells and Douglas Rushkoff http://www.amazon.com/Stoned-Free-High-Without-Drugs/dp/1893626504/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300685446&sr=8-1

"Remember, Be Here Now" by Ram Dass http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1300685554&sr=8-1

u/simism66 · 1 pointr/Psychonaut

Beyond the obvious choices, Watts' The Book, Ram Dass' Be Here Now, Huxley's Doors of Perception, Leary’s The Psychedelic Experience, and of course Fear and Loathing (all of these should be on the list without question; they’re classics), here are a some others from a few different perspectives:

From a Secular Contemporary Perspective

Godel Escher Bach by Douglass Hofstadter -- This is a classic for anyone, but man is it food for psychedelic thought. It's a giant book, but even just reading the dialogues in between chapters is worth it.

The Mind’s Eye edited by Douglass Hofstadter and Daniel Dennett – This is an anthology with a bunch of great essays and short fictional works on the self.

From an Eastern Religious Perspective

The Tao is Silent by Raymond Smullyan -- This is a very fun and amusing exploration of Taoist thought from one of the best living logicians (he's 94 and still writing logic books!).

Religion and Nothingness by Keiji Nishitani – This one is a bit dense, but it is full of some of the most exciting philosophical and theological thought I’ve ever come across. Nishitani, an Eastern Buddhist brings together thought from Buddhist thinkers, Christian mystics, and the existentialists like Neitzsche and Heidegger to try to bridge some of the philosophical gaps between the east and the west.

The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way by Nagarjuna (and Garfield's translation/commentary is very good as well) -- This is the classic work from Nagarjuna, who lived around the turn of the millennium and is arguably the most important Buddhist thinker after the Buddha himself.

From a Western Religious Perspective

I and Thou by Martin Buber – Buber wouldn’t approve of this book being on this list, but it’s a profound book, and there’s not much quite like it. Buber is a mystical Jewish Philosopher who argues, in beautiful and poetic prose, that we get glimpses of the Divine from interpersonal moments with others which transcend what he calls “I-it” experience.

The Interior Castle by St. Teresa of Avila – this is an old book (from the 1500s) and it is very steeped in Christian language, so it might not be everyone’s favorite, but it is perhaps the seminal work of medieval Christian mysticism.

From an Existentialist Perspective

Nausea by Jean Paul Sartre – Not for the light of heart, this existential novel talks about existential nausea a strange perception of the absurdity of existence.

The Myth of Sisyphus by Albert Camus – a classic essay that discusses the struggle one faces in a world inherently devoid of meaning.

----
I’ll add more if I think of anything else that needs to be thrown in there!

u/PickleShaman · 1 pointr/Psychonaut

These are some of my favourites:

  1. The Psychedelic Renaissance (talks about different psychoactive drugs) http://www.amazon.com/The-Psychedelic-Renaissance-Reassessing-Psychiatry/dp/1908995009
  2. Be Here Now (hippie, buddhist/hinduism peace and love vibes with wonderful illustrations) http://www.amazon.com/Be-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052/ref=sr_1_1_ha?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411704494&sr=1-1&keywords=be+here+now
  3. Why Does The World Exist? (more scientific and metaphysical) http://www.amazon.com/Why-Does-World-Exist-Existential/dp/0871403595/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1411704588&sr=1-1&keywords=why+does+the+world+exist

    That's apart from Timothy Leary's "The Psychedelic Experience" and Huxley's "Doors of Perception" thought, those are must-reads.
u/ElusiveWooD · 1 pointr/Psychonaut

You might find Be Here Now useful in times like these. It's the story of Richard Alpert, who left on a journey seeking the answers to many of the same questions you're proposing here and came back as Ram Dass to help disseminate the message as he had come to see it. Be Here Now highlights the importance of the present moment and it was the first book that started to make me feel less alone with all my thoughts.

Lots of great discussions and lectures around these topics can be found for free at the Be Here Now network

u/xabaddonx · 1 pointr/Psychonaut

So glad you found this helpful. I would say that the book mentioned above is better suited for very advanced meditators. I found it very interesting but am not yet in the position to take advantage of the maps it provides, although it explains the difference between concentration and insight very well. It has maps of each path and how they interplay.

There are a few books that I have found quite helpful. I tend to divide them into 2 categories, motivation and instruction.

I read the motivation books first. These books, along with my LSD experiences, really helped motivate me to establish a daily meditation practice. I read quite a few but these are my top 2 by a good margin.

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle : This was the first book I read and really set me off on this path. It is somewhat surface level but to a former athiest it was enough to make me realize that there is something real there. It is explained in a way that anyone can appreciate and won't scare anyone off.

Be Here Now by Ram Dass : This completely blew me away. If I had read this first without any psychedelic experience, I might have dismissed it as the ravings of a mad man. This really opened me up to possibilities that I never would have considered as a life long atheist. After I read this, I had to let go of my atheism.

You may have had enough experiences that you don't need any more motivation (I would still read Be Here Now for fun because it is a trip in and of itself). As far as instruction, the best book hands down that I have found is "The Mind Illuminated: A Complete Meditation Guide Integrating Buddhist Wisdom and Brain Science" by Culadasa. It takes you through the process step by step, shows you the theory behind what you are doing and what you need to work on at each stage. It is a balanced approach between concentration and insight. I believe this is the best approach for most people. Straight insight as advocated by the noting method in "Mastering the Core Teachings" seems to be the fastest path to enlightenment but one is more likely to get stuck in a long "dark night of the soul" period without sufficient concentration power.


Some other very good books:

Tao Te Ching

The Science of Enlightenment by Shinzen Young

The Way of Zen by Alan Watts

The Perennial Philosophy by Aldous Huxley


> Lastly, on a side note, I had always thought that the final attachment is to ourselves, and that is what keeps us alive. In a rudimentary way, keeping us from killing ourselves, or letting ourselves die passively from lack of taking care of ourselves. Maybe perception is the second attachment? Just a thought and wondering if anyone else had ever considered this.

As you progress along this path, you begin to understand that the "self" is not a "thing". It is an "activity" that we do, and you can learn to stop doing it. A common misperception is that we would want to kill ourselves without this. The reason for this misperception is that people equate "attachment" with care or love. One of the results of the process is that you realize that you can be unattached to something but still care for it. So we may become unattached to the idea of the self as a separate thing, but that doesn't mean that we wouldn't care for ourselves.

During the "dark night period" people often get this feeling that nothing has meaning, because they have picked everything apart with insight until they are left with nothing. Every sensation has been stripped of its conceptual meaning until it is just a blur of moments of perception. But beyond this feeling of "nothing has meaning", one gets to the point where they realize that "everything has meaning" and this shift in perception marks the exit of the dark night. I believe that the ultimate paradox that you can understand once you are enlightened is that determinism and free will are both true and are not mutually exclusive. That is just my own personal theory but my intuition is that this is the crux of it.

I know I am not explaining this well, it's very difficult to explain in objective logic. You can probably get a better idea by reading "The Way of Zen". There are a lot of paradoxes involved that can only be truly understood from an enlightened viewpoint but the way he explains it you can kind of see what they are talking about. Because certain truths cannot be explained in objective logic, they sort of "point a finger at it" but the student has to look at where they are pointing instead of at the finger itself. In the end one has to let go of trying to understand it with the thinking mind and just practice.

u/TheHangoverCure · 0 pointsr/conspiracy
u/2ndComingOfHumanity · -1 pointsr/atheism

http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Here-Now-Ram-Dass/dp/0517543052

Please think about purchasing this book. Its not a bible it is just a man who knows a lot more than I do explaining similar ideas.

I will keep my mind open to what you have said, this has been very emotional. BUt is has also been spiritual.

"I expect my atoms to go back into the universe to be recycled": What if this is our afterlife? A reconnection to what was always one but we were too blind to see.