Most scholars dismiss research into the paranormal as pseudoscience; a frivolous pursuit for the paranoid or gullible. Even historians of religion; whose work naturally attends to events beyond the realm of empirical science; have shown scant interest in the subject. But the history of psychical phenomena; Jeffrey J. Kripal contends; is an untapped source of insight into the sacred and by tracing that history through the last two centuries of Western thought we can see its potential centrality to the critical study of religion.Kripal grounds his study in the work of four major figures in the history of paranormal research: psychical researcher Frederic Myers; writer and humorist Charles Fort; astronomer; computer scientist; and ufologist Jacques Vallee; and philosopher and sociologist Bertrand Méheust. Through incisive analyses of these thinkers; Kripal ushers the reader into a beguiling world somewhere between fact; fiction; and fraud. The cultural history of telepathy; teleportation; and UFOs; a ghostly love story; the occult dimensions of science fiction; cold war psychic espionage; galactic colonialism; and the intimate relationship between consciousness and culture all come together in Authors of the Impossible; a dazzling and profound look at how the paranormal bridges the sacred and the scientific.
#112439 in Books 2009-11-15 2009-11-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.50 x .70 x 5.50l; .72 #File Name: 0226303101280 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The way that these are explored and sythesized are nothing short of brilliant. What is moreBy Daniel Kara JordanThis work is an amazingly well constructed introduction to Aristotle's Metaphysics; to Sufi mysticism; to Neoplatonic imitation; and to the Medieval Islamic tensions between the different ways of accessing truth - faith; mysticism; or philosophical inquiry. The way that these are explored and sythesized are nothing short of brilliant. What is more; the story is engaging and makes for rich discussions. The work also serves as a beautiful bridge to help show the progress of ideas from Plato; Aristotle; and Augustine to that of Aquinas. I personally feel as if I got more from this little texts than I did from studying many hundreds of pages of Avaroes and Avacenna.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. a philosophical novel way ahead of its time.By Peter E. BrowneTraditionally much importance is attached to Ibn Rushd (Averroes) and his commentaries on Aristotle. And yet brilliant as Ibn Rushd was; he was not a creative writer. And yet his teacher; Ibn Tufayl; was a fine novelist; and way ahead of his time. HAYY IBN YAQDHAN is definitely one of the most interesting books to have fallen into my hands during my life span.On the other hand; the canon of Spanish literature seen in the anthologies reflects sheer ignorance; or far worse; an agenda of distortion. Spanish literature did not begin with the jarchas and the Cantar del Mio Cid as we are led to believe. It began with brilliant and sofisticated works like HAYY IBN YAQDHAN; written not in Castillian; but in Arabic.The present translation into modern English is clear and most readable. The abundant notes and commmentaries included in the volume are for the most part quite valuable. Let us shed our thick skins of ethnocentricism and literary stupidity and turn to this true gem of Medieval Spanish literature (although much of it sounds more modern than medieval).1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great Story!By AveryThis book is great for anyone interested in natural philosophy (the Islamic tradition is also often neglected). Its well written and has a great and detailed introduction on many philosophical themes touched in the book. Would also recommend to any science fiction lovers; because beneath the philosophy is simply a great story!
