There was nothing out of the ordinary about Jim Koplin. He was just your typical central Minnesota gay farm boy with a Ph.D. in experimental psychology who developed anarchist-influenced, radical-feminist, and anti-imperialist politics, while never losing touch with his rural roots. But perhaps the most important thing about Jim is that throughout his life, almost literally to his dying breath, he spent some part of every day on the most important work we have: tending the garden. Plain Radical is a touching homage to a close friend and mentor taken too soon. But it is also an exploration of the ways in which an intensely local focus paired with a fierce intelligence can provide a deep, meaningful, even radical engagement with the world.

This unique contemporary work brings the timeless Tibetan Bardo teaching into current American culture and language, with 49 days of readings for someone who has died or who is preparing for the dying experience. This book has been and still remains an important tool for providing a spiritual service to a dying person as opposed to grieving, processing loss, or mourning for that person's passage. The subjects E.J. Gold covers in his many books range from the use and invocation of attention and presence; the waking state; death and dying; practical work on self; shamanism; higher bodies; artifact reading, imprinting and use; cosmic laws; and the suffering of the Absolute. Central to his work is preparation for the Bardo - the Tibetan word for the state following death of the body, as the consciousness unravels and one chooses one's next rebirth. Mr. Gold affirms that through knowledge and experience one can navigate this state and successfully maintain a thread of consciousness between lifetimes, and in this way can become an individual evolving Soul with a greater purpose than ordinary man. To aid others in achieving this end, Gold has entered cyberspace, building an elaborate gaming engine with which he can simulate spaces common to the Bardo, inventing labyrinthine games to be played individually or in multi-user groups. In this way, he hopes to convey the atmospheres and sights of many bardo spaces, to familiarize the player with what they are likely to encounter on the other side.

In Journey to Ixtlan, Carlos Castaneda introduces readers to this new approach for the first time and explores, as he comes to experience it himself, his own final voyage into the teachings of don Juan, sharing with us what it is like to truly "stop the world" and perceive reality on his own terms.Originally drawn to Yaqui Indian spiritual leader don Juan Matus for his knowledge of mind-altering plants, bestselling author Carlos Castaneda immersed himself in the sorcerer's magical world entirely. Ten years after his first encounter with the shaman, Castaneda examines his field notes and comes to understand what don Juan knew all along--that these plants are merely a means to understanding the alternative realities that one cannot fully embrace on one's own.

The Impossible Conversation is about keeping our hearts open even when we consider the most challenging aspects of our present and near future. In The Impossible Conversation we are invited to intimately reconnect: with our own inner wisdom, with the miracle that is every other human and with our magnificent, magnanimous Earth. What a relief to see the situation defined not as a 'problem' that can be 'solved', but rather as a 'predicament' that we must live with. The kinds of 'reconnection' described by Walker (reconnection with deeper self, with others, and with the Earth) would be attractive even if the situation were normal. Given humanity's self-generated situation on Earth, reconnections are necessary. From now on, we can only grieve what we have inadvertently done to ourselves: grieve, and live intensely; behave well as we witness the gathering storm. Very few people want to accept this, and prefer to persist as if our way of life could continue. It is time for reconciliation. Here is how.

The original Spiritual Midwifery, published in 1976, introduced an entire generation of young women to the possibility of home birth and breast feeding. It also breathed new life into the all-but-vanished field of midwifery. This classic book on home birth is now in its fourth edition, with updated information on the safety of natural childbirth, new birthing stories, and the most recent statistics on births managed by The Farm ecovillage Midwives. Ina May also provides new information about potentially dangerous techniques routinely used in hospitals during and after birth, as well as the latest findings about VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean). Improved instructions for handling breech births are also given. Included are stories of working with Amish women, showing a different culture with a similar appreciation for natural childbirth.

Deepening global crises surround us, causing many to fall prey to denial and despair. Coming Back to Life shows how grief, anger, and fear are healthy responses to the harsh realities of our time, and that when honored, they can free us from paralysis and move us toward creative action. This new, completely updated edition of the classic text illuminates the extraordinary Work that has inspired hundreds of thousands to make strides towards the creation of a life-sustaining human culture. Buddhist scholar and environmental activist Joanna Macy and Molly Young Brown introduce the Work's theoretical foundations, revealing the angst of our era with remarkable insight. Pointing the way forward out of apathy, they offer personal counsel as well as easy-to-use methods for group process that profoundly affect people's outlook and ability to act in the world.

Adrift on the currents of worldly concerns, many who are serious about the spiritual path wonder how we can live our day-to-day lives with integrity and honour, in resonance with eternal truths. This is a collection of brash, wise and compassionate essays for those interested in the transformation process.

Star Maker is the science fiction classic about a human who is transported out of his body and finds himself able to explore space and other planets. The story describes a history of life in the universe and tackles themes such as the essence of life, of birth, decay and death, and the relationship between creation and creator. A pervading theme is the progressive unity between different civilizations.

How can we live our lives when everything seems to fall apart--when we are continually overcome by fear, anxiety, and pain? The answer, Pema Chödrön suggests, might be just the opposite of what you expect. Here, in her most beloved and acclaimed work, Pema shows that moving toward painful situations and becoming intimate with them can open up our hearts in ways we never before imagined. Drawing from traditional Buddhist wisdom, she offers life-changing tools for transforming suffering and negative patterns into habitual ease and boundless joy.

This book is an in-depth examination of the much needed process of 'self'-study known as 'self observation'. We live in an age where the 'attention function' in the brain has been badly damaged by TV and computers - up to 90 percent of the public under age 35 suffers from attention-deficit disorder! This book offers the most direct, non-pharmaceutical means of healing attention dysfunction. The methods presented here are capable of restoring attention to a fully functional and powerful tool for success in life and relationships. This is also an age when humanity has lost its connection with conscience. When humanity has poisoned the Earth's atmosphere, water, air and soil, when cancer is in epidemic proportions and is mainly an environmental illness, the author asks: What is the root cause? And he boldly answers: failure to develop conscience! Self-observation, he asserts, is the most ancient, scientific, and proven means to develop this crucial inner guide to awakening and a moral life.

The Master Game is a book concerned with games and aims. It is a compelling exploration of the human psyche and of the specific techniques through which man can achieve the highest possible levels of consciousness. This exploration, which involves every aspect of human behavior--the instinctive, motor, emotional, and intellectual--is, in the words of the author, "The only game worth playing."

We are the last individuals of our species on Earth. How shall we respond? How shall we act? If industrial civilization is maintained, climate change will cause human extinction in the near term. If industrial civilization falls, sufficient ionizing radiation will be released from the world's nuclear power plants to cause human extinction in the near term. In the wake of this horrific conclusion, conservation biologist Guy McPherson proposes we act with compassion, courage, and creativity. He suggests we act with the kind of empathy for which humans are renowned. In other words, he suggests we act with decency toward the humans and other organisms with which we share this beautiful planet. Going Dark is the story of one scientist's response to the horrors we face. It is a deeply personal narrative infused with abundant evidence to support its terrifying claims.