Reviews (292)

A GOD OF LOVE?
After reading this book you will either rejoice because you are "saved" and get to miss Hell, or in denial of this awful place, or frightened into seeing what you can do to avoid it. However, some questions need addressing. Would it be better for the human race to stop having children and become extinct rather than risk a loved one winding up in Hell? Are all the people who have had the bad luck to be born Jewish, or Hindu, or Muslim, and aren't smart enough to embrace Jesus as Lord and Messiah, damned to this terrible place? If all non-Christians are going to Hell, does this mean that the victims of the Holocaust are all in Hell? Why was Hitler stopped if most of these people would wind up in a lake of fire anyway? When you go to a funeral, and the person wasn't a Christian, why doesn't the minister or pastor remind the family that their loved, deceased, relative is rotting in the lake of fire and that's the way it goes for all unbelievers and tough luck? Are any of Baxter's loved ones in Hell? does she give a hoot? PEACE IN CHRIST

Great Book
This is a great book that has many inspirational and wonderful insights of heaven and hell. My advise read very careful and alone. If you could experience reading the book of Revelation then this is not bad for you to read!

In Response to J. Hagg "Wholly His"
I don't think Satan would want you to know how bad hell is.Seriously doubt if he would help the author describe it and keep people away.Just a thought.
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Subjects:  1. Baxter, Mary K    2. Christianity    3. Hell    4. Mysticism    5. Private revelations    6. Religion    7. Religion - Charismatic / Pentecostal    8. Christian theology   

Reviews (2)

A Guide on Your Spiritual Journey
In "Sacred Rhythms," author and spiritual director, Ruth Haley Barton, has skillfully added to the growing literature in the field. Her personal writing style is a breath of fresh air compared to similar books that at times feel a tad too "spiritualized" and other-worldly.
It's Great If You Already Own...
Unfortunately, the best that I can say of this book is that it should only be purchased after Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline. His treatment is still, by far, the best and most comprehensive material on these matters.
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Subjects:  1. Christian Life    2. Christianity    3. Christianity - Christian Life - General    4. Christianity - Ritual & Practice    5. Mysticism    6. Religion    7. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    8. Spiritual life    9. Spirituality - General   

Reviews (37)

The experiences in this book hold up to scripture
This book, although offspring of the more popular "Divine Revelation of Hell" does have an excellent description of heaven.None of it sounded alarms to me while reading it.As with all books, ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern truth and lie.

Great Book
This book will blow your mind of the wonderful things that happens in heaven. She use a lot of scriptures to relate to the things she seen in heaven. I believe that this book was trulyinspired by God.

Is Baxter telling the truth? NO!
She is a LIAR!
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Subjects:  1. Baxter, Mary K    2. Christianity    3. General    4. Heaven    5. Mysticism    6. Private revelations    7. Religion    8. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality   

Reviews (2)

Older Editions are Better
I currently have a 1979 version of this book; however, it is published by the International Headquarters Sufi Movement, Geneva, and not by the Shambhala. I must say that I am a little shocked that the current version being offered to the public does not have the same content (as described by the table of contents) as the 1979 version. My version has "The way of illumination", "The Inner life", "The Soul, Whence and Whither", and "The Purpose of Life". Now, the publishers at/of Shambhala, for whatever reason, thought that they were justified to change things up a bit or a lot by changing the titles of the contents(I can not even imagine why it would be necessary), rearranging the contents, and even omitting content in it's original version. In any event, I find this terribly unsettling. At any rate, if it is possible to get an older version, then do so. Anything written by Hazrat Inayat Khan is for anyone coming from whatever religious background who maybe seeking more, as he respects and cherishes, whole heartedly, the Vedanta, Zend-Avesta, Kabala, Bible, Qur'an, and others. I think that this is what makes him and his work so unique; that he is so unrelentingly loving and understanding of mankind. "The Inner Life" deals with topics such as: original spiritual qualities of man, man's union with God, defining genuine happiness. The best thing about Hazrat Khan is that you do not have to be a proclaimed Sufi to benefit from his work. His work was written for everyone.
Living Sufism
If you have read the Carl Ernst books on Sufism you will get a good feel for the academic view. If you read this you will get a good feel for the living tradition of Sufism. This book is great for those who want to gobeyond studying Sufism to experiancing Sufism. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Islam - General    2. Islam - Sufism    3. Philosophy    4. Religion    5. Religion - World Religions    6. Religious    7. Sufism    8. Islam    9. Mysticism    10. Religion / Sufism   

Reviews (2)

A Fine Book on Sufi Philosophy
"The Heart of Sufism" is a fascinating little compendium of essential essays on pan-Islamic spirituality, deliniating the transcendental and transrational aspects of a religion that is often derided as a prerational hotbed of tribalism and terrorism.Inayat Khan's essays show an Islam that embraces both it's Judeochristian roots and contributions from other religions (such as Hinduism and Buddhism), and a breath of fresh, progressive air in a world where stagnant religion can lead to terrible tragedies.However, while "Sufism" is long on theory and metaphysics, there is little information on real practice- those looking for a guide to Sufi spiritual practice must look elsewhere.

Excellent Overview of Hazrat Inayat Khan's Teachings
This book provides an excellent overview of the voluminous works of Hazrat Inayat Khan, of which the 14 volume "Message Series" is the core.Dr. Witteveen has artfully selected major topics within this message andhas presented key writings within each topic. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Eastern - General    2. Islam - General    3. Islam - Sufism    4. Religion    5. Religion - World Religions    6. Sufism    7. Islam    8. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques    9. Mysticism    10. Religion / Sufism   

Reviews (12)

Intellectually Dazzling, Experientially Mystical, Lossky Is Unique and Unequaled

Superb and Serious
Vladimir Lossky's "Mystical Theology' is one of the most profound books ever written about Christianity.It is a superb volume for armchair theologians, clerics of every stripe, those seeking a greater understanding of God in Trinity and human nature, and those wishing a lucid explanation of the differences between the Holy Orthodox Church and more occidental, rational, and secular forms of Christianity.
Lossky is brilliant
This was one of the first books I tackled in my conversion process to the Orthodox Catholic Church.Orthodoxy is so profound, so deep, so mystical... it makes all man-made theologies look like shallow charicatures.Read more

Subjects:  1. Christianity - Orthodox Churches    2. Christianity - Theology - General    3. Doctrinal Theology    4. Eastern Christian Churches    5. Mysticism    6. Religion    7. Religion - Theology    8. Christian mysticism    9. Christian theology    10. Orthodox Churches   

Editorial Review

At first glance, Read more

Reviews (31)

Do you always want to have a good day and great life?
What if you can prosper, be safe, be loved, meet your soulmate, or have a soulmate relationship with your current partner or not ever head for the bad things to get rid of stress?What if you create world peace? What if you are excited about your life everyday, no matter what happens? What if you have no chaos in your life?Read the Power of Kabbalah by Yehuda Berg and work hard for the joyous, amazing, life transforming unbelievable awesome makes you write it down life!Every answer you need is here -

MustRead
This book is good...it stops and makes you think....it helps you understand... how you can make your life better...just by understanding the cause and effects of what you do.This books opens your mind...

A wonderful book!!!

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Subjects:  1. Alternate Spirituality    2. Cabala    3. Inspiration & Personal Growth    4. Judaism    5. Judaism - Kabbalah & Mysticism    6. Mysticism    7. Religion    8. Spiritual life    9. Spirituality - General    10. Body, Mind & Spirit / Spirituality / General    11. Mind, Body, Spirit   

Editorial Review

As a Carmelite monk, the 16th-century Spanish mystic St. John of the Cross was well trained in the systematic theology of St. Thomas Aquinas. In Read more

Reviews (28)

A Classic but Difficult for the Lay Reader!Great for Scholars and Academics Though!
There is no doubting the credentials of the author of this work; a bona fide mystical saint but the way this book is written in a very difficult to understand translation into English (on purpose!)suggests to me that this is more for the scholar or academician than for the lay believer.
The "classic" of understanding spiritual union.
St. John of the Cross wrote the Dark Night of the Soul in the mid-sixteenth century.It has as much validity as a sort of "road map" to entering the spiritual union now, as it did then.His approach is a testimony to the timeless journey of one's soul to it's Creator, God.Fr. Thomas Green, S.J., uses it as a basis for his Spiritual direction and his books on the subject.

Dios dame fuerza
I based my purchase of this book on the review here on these web pages by psychologist Craig Chalquist, based on his comment (in effect) that life well-lived necessarily has highs and lows in it, one must accept, even embrace both dark and light phases, as a tree needs both sunlight and dark night to fulfill its potential.It was with that understanding well in hand I began reading St. John of the Cross.Other reviewers have said it's difficult to read, perhaps because of the tranlator's stated goal of being as true to the 16th-century Spanish as possible, not rewriting it to make it more accessible and losing the literary voice of the original which, apparently, is the more important value of this work.I don't have a problem with the language, and it's not a big book, just over 200 pages, but I haven't quite finished reading it and I'm not sure if I will (oh, I probably will) because something about it makes my skin crawl.
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Subjects:  1. Catholic Church    2. Christianity - Theology - Catholic    3. Mysticism    4. Religion    5. Religion - Classic Works    6. Christian life & practice    7. Religion & Beliefs    8. Religion / General   

Reviews (12)

authentic, unorthdox soof-ism, o hoo ishk!
simply excellent as amalgamated text/image gestalt.
A book I wanted to like but . . .
I am generally a fan of Coleman Barks work; this book, however, was a disappointment. The jacket cover says of Michael Green "is working to create a new kind of sacred art for our time."This is an accurate description - he is still "working" with some successes and some failures.The net result is that pursuing the volume's art, one is encouraged to explore further. Sublime !
I have read quite a number of books on Sufism. This is the best and most beautiful introduction among all. Read more

Subjects:  1. English    2. Islam    3. Islam - Sufism    4. Prayer    5. Prayer-books and devotions    6. Prayerbooks - General    7. Religion    8. Religion - World Religions    9. Spirituality - General    10. Sufism    11. Mysticism    12. Religion / Prayerbooks / General   

Editorial Review

At first glance, Read more

Reviews (34)

A wonderful book!!!

Where do I FIT IN to the SELF AWARE universe
I devoured this book in a couple of days, excellent.Very easy reading and Berg has amazingly simplified Kabbalah.
The Power of Kabbalah
Kabbalah is a well of healing wisdom that runs unfathomably deep, capable of filling innumerable volumes of medical journals if all of its secrets were unraveled and translated to written word.( from the book" A Book of Healing" by Kabbalist Rav Berg). Check the website: Www. Kabbalah.com
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Subjects:  1. Cabala    2. Judaism    3. Judaism - Kabbalah & Mysticism    4. Mysticism    5. Religion    6. Religion - Judaism    7. Spiritual life    8. Spirituality - General    9. Magic & alchemy    10. Mind, Body, Spirit    11. Wicca   

Reviews (21)

True Kabala
Cosmology is enlightening, this is one of the books you definitely need to get started in the Kabalistic view on the Creation. It is sometimes a bit technical, it gives you the information but you'll need other books by the same author and author Shlomo Weiss to further understand and appreciate what is being presented, if you really want to read Shlomo Weiss it would be helpful to read A Brief History of Time by S. Hawking (no mathematics in any of these books don't worry). The wholeKabalistic Theory is just out of this world literally, if you start down this path your life will change.

Very informative book
This book is extremly profound and Kaplan does a wonderful job as usual.He has selected the most authoritative version of the Sefer Yetzirah.This is an invaluable book and I very much enjoyed this book and will read it over and over.

Uncreative
It is a shame that even though it was advertised, the hebrew text is missing ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cabala    2. Early works to 1800    3. Judaism - General    4. Judaism - Sacred Writings    5. Meditation    6. Mysticism    7. New Age    8. New Age / Body, Mind & Spirit    9. Religion    10. Sefer Yezirah    11. Sefer Yeòzirah    12. Jewish studies    13. Judaism    14. Other prose: classical, early & medieval   

Reviews (7)

MAJOR REMIX

Not as interesting.
I think of Caroline Myss' other two books as adding to my information and spiritual knowledge.This boook however does not have the same effect.It's main theme is to 'pay it forward'.

Carolyn Myss gets it. . . she really gets it
This book is beautiful -- abundant with truth and inspiration.I can only imagine what the world would be like if everyone took the time to consider the concepts that Carolyn highlights in this work.Please do yourself a favor and read this book, regardless of where you are in your life. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Fiction - General    2. General    3. Helping behavior    4. Motivational & Inspirational    5. Psychology    6. Religious aspects    7. Self-Help    8. Spiritual    9. Spiritual life    10. Mysticism    11. Self-Help / General   

Reviews (26)

A Must Read
The Laughing Jesus is quite possibly one of the best books that these two authors have written together, having read two others.The message is clear and answers many questions that we should be asking today.It is wonderfully written, making it easy for anyone to understand and really expands your knowledge base.
Interesting and Informative
This is the third in Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy'sbooks about Jesus (The Jesus Mysteries and Jesus and the Lost Goddess having preceded this one). The book is actually 2 books, split almost exactly at the mid line. The first book is an indictment of Literalist religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The second book is an introduction for people who might be interested in Gnosism. In some senses, the first part of this book is a shortened version of their first book, while the second half is a shortened version of the second book. Because I think their first book was one of the most powerful books ever written in this field, all their subsequent books have a hard act to follow (I gave that one 5 stars).
A gift to truth seekers
This book is an explanation of gnostic philosphy and explains why fundamentalism is bad for the world from all 3 major religions. It was a real page turner for me, I had a hard time putting it down. It is the next installment in the Jesus mystery,Lost goddess series. At the end the authors got on a slight emotional rant about the evils of religion, I agreed with them but I prefer a logical and rational writing style.This is written from a gnostic perspective so it is biased, but it is a great read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alternate Spirituality    2. Gnosticism    3. Mysticism    4. Religion    5. Religion - Inspirational/Spirituality    6. Spiritual life    7. Spirituality - General    8. Religion / Mysticism   

Reviews (43)

Lots of Philosophy/Little History
This is a very interesting book. It differs from similar books in this area (e.g., Meyers, Pagels) in that it is high on philosophy, weak on history, and includes line by line copies of the coptic text along with English translations along with commentary. As such it goes beyond Pagels and Meyers as a useful resource for people interested in primary sources, but it may not be as helpful to people looking for historical commentary.
Awesome, Pristine, Gender-Balanced Christianity, Yeshua & Magdalene Wisdom Co-Teachers
This book is so spiritually inspiring, so perfectly presented, that you feel a surge of recognition, like you always KNEW.Here is a religious "system" that blends original pure Christianity with Buddhist and Vedanta high and bright teachings. It is like a Theory of Everything for alternative Christians.Leloup writes as a holy scribe; it's amazing that we're reading a translation! Flawlessly rendered. Every verse comes open so vividly with his explanation and insight, so many aha! moments. It's a faith-changing book, not just life-changing.His explanation of that rascally last verse of the Gospel of Thomas is worth the purchase price of the book. That's the verse you recall, where Jesus explains he can make Magdalene "fully male", causing nay-sayers to claim alternative Christianity and gnosticism is sexist. But. The word for male really meant "human" -- so Yeshua was not being sexist, but saying the two of them joined together in wholeness become fully human. Leloup tells us just how we today can reach this fully human "anthropos" state. He reveals Yeshua & Magdalene's sacred union and alternative teachings in pristine simple words that jump out at you and say, You knew this!
The True First Gospel of the New Testament
Gentle, thought provoking and honest to a fault.It is sad that this Gospel was omitted from the Bible at the Council of Nicea.Had it been included it would be complete, rather than fragments of relics.Women would be able to play an equal role in society, and the Christian Church would have far fewer problems to have to face than it does today, for the Holy Bible itself would be more easily understood and the true thoughts of Jesus would be more easily understood.The world would be a better place if this book were included in the New Testament.It isn't though, but for anyone serious about World issues it is just the book to help put society (humanity) back on course.Those with open and searching minds will find this book breath-taking. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible - Apocrypha    2. Bible - Controversial Speculation    3. Christianity - History - General    4. Commentaries    5. Gnosticism    6. Gospel of Mary    7. Mysticism    8. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Biblical studies, criticism & exegesis    13. New Testament    14. Philosophy    15. Religion / Mysticism   

Reviews (3)

The classical Hatha Yoga Manual with Sanskrit & English
This is a unique translation of the Hatha Yoga Pradipika. Sometime in the 15th Century, Yogi Svatmarama put down his principals of the practice of Yoga. Many of these include the mysteries of Kundalini --the coiled center of energy close to the base of the spine. But there is a lot more here for the student of yoga, including photos of the various "asanas" or positions, health, diet and mental hygiene. If you read Sanskrit, this would be a treasure. If you don't, you still have a line-by-line translation of this ancient and honored work. It's like listening to the yogi himself as he lectures his disciples. Fascinating reading--and if you are a practicing yogi or yogini, you'll find this insightful.

Closest thing to a "source code" that we have
The two best known English translations of Svatmarama's classical text on yoga from the Fifteenth Century are by Pancham Singh and Elsy Becherer.The former is 87 years old and the latter is a translation (with commentary by Hans-Ulrich Rieker) from the German, and is therefore twice removed from the original Sanskrit.Both books are out of print.Surprisingly there is virtually nothing else in English despite the fact that the hatha yoga teachings found in popular works, including B.K.S. Iyengar's celebrated Light on Yoga, are in no small part based on Svatmarama's text. Features the original Sanskrit side-by-side with English
Ably translated into English by Brian Dana Akers, The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is the classic sourcebook on Hatha Yoga, written by an East Indian yoga master named Svatmarama in the fifteenth century C.E. to preserve for future generations his own experience and the wisdom of older works now lost. This faithful reproduction of the crucial text features the original Sanskrit side-by-side with the exacting English translation. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika reads as a selection of individual phrases describing the hatha yoga poses and giving insight into the spiritual nature of yoga. Black-and-white photographs illustrate several of the poses. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika is an impressive and highly recommended reference for students and devoted practitioners of Hatha Yoga. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Consumer Health    2. Diet / Health / Fitness    3. Health & Fitness    4. Health/Fitness    5. Hinduism    6. Meditation    7. Mysticism    8. Religion / Hinduism    9. Yoga    10. Christian mysticism    11. Health & Fitness / Yoga    12. Mind, body, spirit: disciplines & techniques    13. Sanskrit literature   

Reviews (8)

Mr. Carrigan, Leave it Alone, Please.
Mr. Carrigan takes it upon himself to omit essential material in the books he edits--this and 'Ascent of Mount Carmel' are two. He ignores that these were written by religious for religious, and is presumptuous and arrogant to assume that the entirety of these saints' writings is not important. I purchased this book here, then after reading the preface, immediately auctioned it off and found an *accurate* copy. Good introduction to this Doctor of the Church
OK, let's say you have made a beginning on the way of prayer, and you have been looking for good sources to read.You have heard a lot about St. Teresa of Avila.After all, she was one of the first women ever named a Doctor (in the Latin meaning of "teacher") of the Church.But lo and behold, you have found her Life puzzling and The Interior Castle just about impossible to understand. Saintly Holiness & Its Application to Us
Teresa of Avila was a carmelite nun who wrote this book as a means to guide the nuns in her convent onto the path of holiness, not for their own sake but for love of God.Read more

Subjects:  1. Catholic Church    2. Christianity - Christian Life - General    3. Christianity - History - Catholic    4. Early works to 1800    5. Mysticism    6. Perfection    7. Prayer    8. Religion    9. Religion - Classic Works    10. Religious aspects    11. Christian life & practice    12. Religion / Mysticism   

Reviews (20)

An Interesting Collection of "Far Out" Ideas.
_The Archaic Revival:Speculations on Psychedelic Mushrooms, the Amazon, Virtual Reality, UFOs, Evolution, Shamanism, the Rebirth of the Goddess, and the End of History_ by ethnobotanist Terrence McKenna is a rather interesting collection of essays and interviews revealing McKenna's often rambling thoughts on the various subjects mentioned in the title.McKenna's basic theme seems to be that the hallucinogenic plants have beneficial effects and can result in mind expansion which ultimately will aid society and bring about a utopia.Oddly however, the book rather hypocritically begins with a warning in which the publisher and author note the harmful effects of these substances and their illegality.Whatever one's personal beliefs are about the justice behind so-called drug laws, the fact remains that the hallucinogenic substances and plant products mentioned by McKenna in this book are illegal and possibly dangerous and that ingestion of these substances can result in possible difficulties with the law as well as potentially harmful side effects.
A New Trip Down an Old Rabbit Hole
I just recently finished this book, and i can say it has been one of the most profound pieces of literature i've ever had the pleasure of reading. The topics explored in the book (which are, i might add, VERY extensively explored) ask the reader to look outside of the narrow field of spiritual and philosophical vision that constitutes our cultural typic, and question things one might not have ever thought of questioning. McKenna seems very frank and straightforward through the whole book, not dancing around subjects or refraining from certain phrases that some would be self-concious to use (ie. get loaded).
Some people would like all copies of this book burnt
I enjoyed this book, as it is so much easier to read than McKenna's other works (some of which are as dry and technical as scientific journals) -- if you are interested in hearing what Mister McKenna has to say, definitely start with this one.The chapters mostly consist of essays which had been published in various new age magazines, as well as transcripts of several interviews with the author, so it all flows rather nicely.Terrence McKenna is widely acknowledged to be one of the world's foremost authorities on the shamanic use of botanical hallucinogens, and unlike Leary and Castenada, he is a true scholar, who apparently is speaking in earnest about a topic he feels is very important.Probably the most significant argument McKenna makes is that the Church and State have colluded in suppressing, penalizing, and attempting to actually eradicate anyone who proposes that the altered perception which occurs upon the ingestion of these alkaloids is, in fact, essential to understanding the true nature of the universe.He states that the Church does not want the average person to have direct access to "God", nor does the State want the average person to be shook out of their complacency and begin to ask difficult questions.These alkaloids are a catalyst which is clearly dangerous to the dominant power structure of our society -- thus they are prohibited.He makes a number of other amusing statements and observations as well.However, several times throughout this book, McKenna started to get rather bizarre (understandable), like when he was presenting computer generated graphs which purported to show exactly when the world would end (and we would all be "transformed into energy beings" or some such), and when he began singing the praises of DMT -- about the effects of which