Books
Science as a Spiritual Practice
Imprint Academic, 2007
Science as a Spiritual Practice is in three parts. In the first part I argue that there are problems with materialism and that self-transformation could lead individual scientists to more comprehensive ways of understanding reality. In the second part I take on the contentious notion of inner knowledge and show how access to inner knowledge could be possible in some altered states of consciousness. The third part is an analysis of the philosophy of Franklin Wolff, who claimed that the transcendent states of consciousness which occurred for him resulted from his mathematical approach to spirituality. The following are the jacket blurbs:
"Science as a Spiritual Practice is a remarkable achievement, of which many of the patriarchs of science, such as Bacon and Newton, would likely approve. They would probably marvel at the banishment of spirituality from science that has occurred in the modern era, and the irrational tenacity with which it remains tabooed. Baruss's courageous, insightful book redresses this development. His perspective makes science more scientific, not less."
-- Larry Dossey, MD, author Space, Time & Medicine and The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things
"Science is now recognizing spiritual change and higher transcendent conscious states. This book is at the cutting edge of neuroscience and spiritual practice. It is essential reading for any scientist seeking consciousness development."
-- Peter Fenwick, MD, President of the Scientific and Medical Network
I also received the following endorsement:
"Science as spiritual practice is a highly thought provoking book and is a must read for any open-minded scientist who is interested in the nature of reality."
-- Amit
Goswami, Professor Emeritus of Physics, University of Oregon, and author of
The Self-Aware Universe and other books
And from the reviews:
"The author is a true scientist, and one of the delights of this book is the way in which his scientific curiosity keeps bubbling out to descriptions of surveys carried out under his supervision to investigate aspects of deeper experience . . ."
-- Chris Clarke, networkreview, Summer 2007, pp. 47-48
"There is a mature outlook to the book, an awareness that spirituality can make your life more difficult . . . . There is no programme here, mind, but nor does the book consist of just discussion and chatter. . . . Overall, Science as a Spiritual Practice presents a thought-provoking discussion of the possible rewards and costs of a particular kind of spiritual journey. If you’re at an existential crossroads, whatever they look like when they’re at home, it could well be a catalyst for change."
-- Paul Kane, 2009, The Compulsive Reader
Science as a Spiritual Practice can be obtained from the publisher, Imprint Academic, or Chapters, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Wal-Mart, Waterstone's, WHSmith, Angus & Robertson, etc.
American Psychological Association, 2003
This book is an overview of alterations of consciousness such as daydreaming, sleep, dreaming, hypnosis, and psychedelics. I have included some less-traditional alterations such as sensory restriction, trance, transcendence, and near-death experiences. But also some truly controversial ones such as possession, alien-abduction experiences, and past-life experiences. Throughout, I have tried to give an even-handed presentation of the subject matter. While the book is primarily an academic book that I wrote for use as a textbook in my general level altered states of consciousness course, it would also be of interest to scientists looking for an overview of altered states of consciousness, and general readers with an interest in consciousness. I tried, as much as possible, to write the book in an engaging style. From the reviews:
"[Barušs] describes and critiques the various scientific approaches, all with a combination of brisk research summaries, a narrative sense of how one question leads to another and an engaging, almost conversational style. . . . Though billed as 'An Empirical Analysis for Social Scientists,' this volume should prove useful to anyone seriously interested in research on these subjects and on the questions left for future research."
-- William Kowinski, San Francisco Chronicle
"Alterations of Consciousness is the product of Baruss' keen insights, his focus on the ideas behind research, the many theoretical connections that he successfully makes, and his multifaceted approach to the subject matter. The book is quite interesting and engaging. It can intrigue readers who are looking for an introduction to the topic of consciousness, and still challenge those who have enough background knowledge to disagree or concur with some of Baruss' claims. This is a book that puts readers on a pedestal, gives them the tools to understand a complex subject, and then dares them to think deeply about it. At the end, readers may not always agree with Baruss' view of things, but they will undoubtedly savor the realization that they have learned a great deal about consciousness by reading this book."
-- Maura Pilotti, Metapsychology
For more information or to purchase a copy, see the publisher's web page: APA Books.
Purdue University Press, 1996
What I tried to do in this book was to show how science and spiritual aspiration converge on fundamental questions about the nature of consciousness and reality when authentically pursued. The book includes chapters about authenticity (what it means to be true to oneself), science (what happens when science encounters the sublime), transcendence (the promise of enlightenment), theory (a theosophical model of reality), and self-transformation (adventures and misadventures of a spiritual aspirant). From the reviews:
"All in all, the book provides enjoyable, enlightening, and thought provoking reading. . . . Throughout, the author proves to be a worthy and mature guide for a journey that contemplates both the spoken and the unspoken, the seen and the unseen, and keeps its sojourners within light's bounds."
-- Thomas W. Draper, Journal of Consciousness Studies
For more information or to purchase a copy, see the publisher's web page: PUP.
University Press of America, 1990
This book is my doctoral dissertation in which my supervisor Robert Moore and I tried to circumscribe the state of scientific knowledge concerning consciousness in the mid-1980s and to better understand the disparity of notions of consciousness of the scientists and academics studying it. What we found, both through theoretical and empirical investigation, was that there is a material-transcendent dimension concerning beliefs about consciousness and reality that underlies the Western intellectual tradition, which, in particular, colours the manner in which research about consciousness is conducted. From the reviews:
"[This book makes] a valuable first contribution to the important project of empirically establishing a typology of views of consciousness."
-- Roger Walsh, Journal of Transpersonal Psychology
For more information or to purchase a copy, see the publisher's web page: UPA.