Monday, October 14, 2013

7 Books That Will Violently Shift Your Perspectives


Once in a while a book comes along that rocks your world so hard that you’re never quite the same after. Here are 7 of those books, ordered by how hard they’re going to rock your skull! 

On Happiness…

Zen and the Art of Happiness by Chris Prentiss
Of all the books & articles I have read on happiness, this one is by far the best. Prentiss takes an extremely pragmatic approach to cultivating a mindset of happiness so that nothing can bring you down. This is not ‘The Secret’ with wishy-washy ‘science’. No spirituality required. The author takes from his years of experiences working at an addiction cure center in California to nail down the steps required to ultimate happiness. If Prentiss can use these methods to cure a heroine addiction, imagine what he can do for you :)

On Mortality and Meaning…

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Viktor Frankl experienced the limits of human suffering during his extended stay in Nazi concentration camps. While recapping his story, Frankl explores its implications on his views of meaning in life. He gains a very unique perspective while watching those around him break down completely, and yet another through seeing Jews adjust back to normal life after finding freedom. Fascinating, fascinating book.

On Health & Nutrition…

Yoga of Eating by Charles Eisenstein – Health & Nutrition
There is much more to eating than you think. In this book, Eisenstein explains the shortcomings of western views on nutrition, and how to transform your eating habits to get more enjoyment and nourishment out of your food. He discusses how being present while eating and truly tasting your food affects your body’s absorption of nutrients. He also explains diets, and how certain monks are capable of consuming only air, sunlight and water for years at a time.

Society and Economics

Sacred Economics by Charles Eisenstein
Eisenstein expands on what you’ve probably heard about the faults of our current economic/debt system and takes you on a journey from the very beginning of currency. He explains in-depth how many of our societal ills (poverty, overconsumption, ecological devastation) stem from our highly unsustainable economic system. He then goes out to lay out feasible ways to start waining from this system to create a new economy, and consequently a new world. This is my favorite book of all time.

Sex & Relationships

Sex at Dawn by Christopher Ryan & Cacilda Jetha
Sex at Dawn explores the history of human sexuality through surprising truths about our anatomy, indigenous societies and our closest primate relatives. The authors continually pile on scientific evidence to support what some might have guessed from our 50% divorce rate: monogamy is far from natural. Don’t read this unless you’re ready to destroy and rebuild your views on human nature, relationships and sexuality. It’s that crazy.

The Nature of Reality

Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch
I’ve already written 2 posts about this book (1,2) and mentioned it countless time because it is just that good. Walsch is a frustrated Christian who angrily writes God a series of questions one day, and is shocked to hear a voice begin answering back. Whether you believe the non-fiction label or not, that voice paints an absolutely beautiful, and above all logical picture of the true nature of reality, and explains where modern religions have gone wrong. Every single person I have recommended this to has been moved. A common phrase I hear back is, “It’s like I knew all of this before, but had forgotten until reading this book.” At the very least this book will give you a massive amount of food for thought.

Death and the Nature of Reality

Adventures Beyond the Body by William Buhlman
I was extremely skeptical about out-of-body experiences (OOBE’s) until I had two of them by accident 3 years ago while adjusting to polyphasic sleep. Since then, nothing has fascinated me more than the science and potential of exploring outside the body. In this book, Buhlman pulls from 30+ years of OOBE’s, and explains the fundamental methods of achieving the state, as well as what to expect beyond the physical world. The truth is that we can each gain personal knowledge about life beyond this physical body. Death is not an unsolved mystery as modern science would lead us to believe. There are hundreds of thousands of accounts of near-death and OOBE’s world-wide, spanning all of history, all reporting the same sensations. This is not bullshit. Check it out.
What books have had the greatest impact on your perception of the world?

Originally posted on: High Existence

68 comments:

  1. Two recent books that have greatly impacted me are: "Abundance: the Future Is Better Than You Think" by Peter Diamandis, and "How to Create a Mind" by Ray Kurzweil.

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  2. Loving What Is by Byron Katie.

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  3. As a child: A Wrinkle In Time As a young woman: The Women's Room As a recovering addict: Bailey's Cafe

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  4. The Seth books...Jane Roberts....amazing read

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    Replies
    1. Yes! Glad someone put these. Steered & validated my burgeoning interest 20 years ago :)

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  5. Echoes of the Soul by Echo Bodine. Just brings peace.

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  6. The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho.

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  7. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

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  8. I would like to add: Vagina by Naomi Wolfe..
    Every woman should read this.. It made me understand so much more about myself.

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  9. The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge.

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  10. The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield, and Feel the Fear by Susan Jeffers.... the beginning for me... so many amazing books since then including many mentioned above, but these books were the springboards for me

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  11. Ringing Cedars of Russia - Books 1 - 9...Read 6x and still being inspired!

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  12. Illuminatus by Robert Anton Wilson and Robert Shea

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  13. Everyone should read Island by Aldous Huxley

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    1. I second this! Glad you mentioned it

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  14. The Secret Doctrine by HP Blavatsky

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  15. War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Any creative person should read that book! It paints a picture of that little voice that keeps you from getting your stuff together, whether it's sitting down to write, sketch, sing, workout. He calls it resistance and shows you how he has overcame it! Powerful kick to the ass.

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  16. 'Journey of Souls' (1995) and 'Destiny of Souls' (2004) by Michael Newton Ph.D - case histories selected from over 8000 people he regressed under hypnosis to their 'Life between Lives' - in other words, the spirit world in between different incarnations, which is our true existence.

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  17. Sorry folks,but for me very recently,it was Men,Women and Money by Kevin O'Leary. Very sound,sane and useful advice.

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  18. The book "Demian" and "Siddhartha" by Herrmann Hesse, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert M. Pirsig, "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer (the book, not the movie) and agreed the book "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho.

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  19. Nothing better than reading content you read on other blogs 2 years ago. What the fuck is the point in a site that steals content from elsewhere.

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  20. The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. Zen Karate by Randall Bassett.

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  21. Way of the peaceful warrior by Dan Milman

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  22. Dying to be Me by Anita Moorjani , Proof of Heaven by Dr. Eban Alexander and The Afterlife of Billy Fingers by Annie Kagan. These are true stories. You will lose any fear you have of dying

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  23. Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins

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  24. So many good books posted, holy shit, thank you all, cant wait to read...I dont know about the one entitled "vagina since im a dude but im very open-minded

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  25. http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sociopolitica/signscorpion/signscorpion.htm

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  26. under the sign of the scorpion by juri lina

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  27. The Celestine Prophecy - James Redfield and The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho. They both have had a great impact and changed my view on life amazingly ... but that was long time ago .... now I'm waiting for new one that would shake my life again.

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  28. Violently you say? Might I propose you add the Quran to this list?

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    1. if you would dare to open it you'll see the book isn't violent
      but i guess you are

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  29. Steps to Knowledge by Marshall Vian Summers, then Relationships and Higher Purpose, Secrets of Heaven, Living the Way of Knowledge, Wisdom from the Greater Community Vol. I & II, Greater Community Spirituality, Allies of Humanity Books 1-3. These books are pure revelation, an experience that ignites one's inner knowing and fans the flames of purpose and world service.

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  30. "Hyperspace" by Michio Kaku, "About Time" by Paul Davies, and "The Body Electric" by Robert O. Becker, M.D. and Gary Selden.

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  31. I agree with another anonymous above. The Seth Material by Jane Roberts are absolutely mind-blowing.

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  32. Food of the Gods by Terence McKenna; The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot, "Shantarum" by Gregory David Roberts, and all of Carlos Castaneda's books.

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  33. A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose by Eckhart Tolle

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  34. What kind of crap are u trying to put on ppl guys. These are shits about boohoo no-1-knows-what. The only point u achieve after reading that kind of bs is a water-brain. Go guys, stop being rich empty shits and read some epic,hard and demanding books like Marx Capital, ŻiŻek books or at least Rosanvallons Counterdemocracy.

    gamoto!

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  35. Why is the greatest, most honest and practical book ever written, i.e. "Love and Pain" by Thaddeus Golas not on the top of that list>?

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  36. I just finished Whores of Ancient Atlantis by Charles Busch. It was a factual book on the history of Atlantis.

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  37. Also Diet for a New America, by John Robbins, The Day After Roswell, by Phillip Corscu, and Forbidden Archeology, by Michael Cremo.

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  38. "Chronicles of Tao," by Yang Zwing Ming. A compelling tale that will expand your conciousness! Guaranteed!

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  39. Dr. Michael Newton's Journey of Souls.

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  40. The celestine prophecy . The alchemist..

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  41. As a child I was awed and intrigued by the book Aesops Fables. It caused me to see my little world differently and weaved an existance in my thoughts that I still carry with me decades later. Happy to know that it still has strong roots in my literary experiences as one cherished because I grew into a better person for having read it.

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  42. "The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are" Alan Watts

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  43. "Meditations on Violence" by Rory Miller. Insight into real-world violence compared to entertainment violence.

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  44. The most profound book I have ever read beside the Bible is "Seth Speaks" by Jane Roberts. It totally rocked my universe. Some of the concepts in it are now being verified by science. You'd need to read it to understand.

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  45. The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

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  46. If they're that revolutionary... then follow Charles Eisenstein's "Sacred Economics" lead and gift them to the world.

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  47. Ringing Cedars of Russia, The Mucusless Diet (& Rational Fasting), Life and Teachings o.t. Masters o.t. Far East, OASPHE, Ask And It Is Given, a Course in Miracles.

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  48. Be Here Now - Baba Ram Dass

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  49. Richard Bach-Illusions

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  50. loved Illusions and many of R.Bach's books. The Teachings of the Masters of The Far East is a 6 volume series I've read 5 and have re-read them at least 10 times very uplifting spiritual records. The resonated completely with me.

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  51. Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.... Selfishness is a virtue!

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  52. A New Earth - Eckhart Tolle. I seriously expected at least one of his books to be on here. As far as consciousness and understanding the human condition goes he's the only writer I've encountered who speaks so clearly on it.

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  53. 'The Motorcycle Diary' 'Into The Wild' 'Lincoln The Unknown'

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  54. Too bad you couldn't have picked even ONE book written by a woman. Well, one of them might have been co-written by a woman--Chris could go either way---and then we get this right after the list:

    "Why Men Pull Away

    CatchHimAndKeepHim.com

    10 Ugly Mistakes Women Make That Ruins Any Chances Of A Relationship "

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  55. The Urantia Book. Mind blown, perceptions altered and then mind reset.

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  56. ISHMAEL by Daniel Quinn. This book blew my F-ing mind! It will take you outside the societal cage of ignorance and make you look at the way you have been living compaired to how the rest of the world and nature flourishes.

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  57. I've read Frankel and Prentiss and have to say they are must reads. However, this one sentence on the Eisenstien diet book almost completely discredits the reviewer's credibility: "He also explains diets, and how certain monks are capable of consuming only air, sunlight and water for years at a time."

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  58. Thanks you all for giving me idea about what to read next. I loved Alchemist and Eckarth Tolle too.

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