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Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind

Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind
By Richard Maurice Bucke

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This book has long been known as a classic in the study of human consciousness, having been praised by such luminaries as P. D. Ouspensky and the psychologist William James. The author puts forth and supports the idea that human consciousness is evolving and that we, as human-kind, are moving toward a much more enlightened state. People who have experienced such states and who have appeared at certain times to move humanity forward are covered in the book including such figures as Jesus, Mohammed, Francis Bacon, Socrates, Spinoza, Emerson, Thoreau and many more. Bucke also writes from first-hand experience, having had his consciousness briefly awakened at age 35. According to the author the evidence is clear-all people at some time in the future will have far more wisdom and intelligence than we do today.

Product Details

  • Amazon Sales Rank: #1356796 in Books
  • Published on: 2006-11
  • Original language: English
  • Dimensions: .75" h x 6.00" w x 9.00" l, 1.09 pounds
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 336 pages

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From the Back Cover

Many of the great spiritual and intellectual achievements throughout history represent mankind's quest for an ultimate state of consciousness. This process of developing expanded consciousness is clearly explained in Cosmic Consciousness, one of the classic books on the mystical experience. Richard Maurice Bucke outlines the development of various intellectual and spiritual faculties in the history of man and how their development mirrors the growth of the individual. Bucke believed that "the evolution of the individual is necessarily the evolution of the race in an abridged form." Cosmic Consciousness declares that we are witnessing a continued revolution in enlightenment with people like Buddha, Jesus, Spinoza, and Whitman, to name a few, acting as the forerunners. First published in 1901, Cosmic Consciousness, is an excellent source of information for anyone interested in exploring spiritual development. From simple consciousness, to self-consciousness, and then cosmic consciousness, Bucke provides a work of profound philosophical vision. This classic study occupies a secure place in the archives of written thought.

About the Author
Richard Maurice Bucke was born March 18, 1837, in Methwold, a village on the edge of the Norfolk fens, in England. When he was one year old, his father moved to Canada and Richard was subsequently educated at London Grammar School. He studied medicine at McGill University, graduating in 1862. He continued his studies in England and France, before returning to Canada in 1864 to take up medical practice. In 1876 he became medical superintendent of the insane asylum in Hamilton, Ontario, and in 1878 was medical superintendent of the insane asylum in London, Ontario. Around 1872 Bucke had what became for him a life-changing mystical experience which he called an "intellectual illumination." He spent the next thirty years seeking out other people who had a similar experience and reflecting upon the significance of such altering of consciousness. The literary result of his study, the book Cosmic Consciousness (1901), became a classic work on the subject. He theorized that a higher consciousness was a natural faculty in man at a certain state of development. Bucke passed away after slipping on a step on February 19, 1902, in London, Ontario.