What the Bleep Do We Know!?

Discovering the Endless Possibilities for Altering Your Everyday Reality

What the Bleep Do We Know? is a movie and book exploring the nature of reality and showing that the apparent schism between science and religion might be disappearing.

Often humans are comfortable in the realm of the known. We avoid asking questions that might disturb that comfort, or confront us with answers we'd rather not hear. What the Bleep suggests that asking questions is good because it challenges and expands our worldview. It discusses a range of life's most fundamental questions in an accessible and entertaining way. (more…)

The Science of Getting Rich

The Science of Getting Rich is a best-selling classic by Wallace D. Wattles that outlines a scientific approach to wealth acquisition that (according to the author) if diligently applied cannot fail to yield the desired results.

The premise of the book is that it is natural and right to seek expansion, and that this expansion is facilitated by having as much material wealth as we need and want.

Wattles asserts the existence of a reality above and beyond the physical universe and human life referred to as the thinking stuff or formless intelligence. This is commonly known as God, Spirit or Source. Thoughts made in this all-encompassing "reality" tend to create the reality imaged by the thought. This is the Law of Attraction recently popularized by The Secret. (more…)

Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal

Just when you thought reality TV couldn't sink any lower, so comes along a truly excellent series. Psychic Kids: Children of the Paranormal features psychic medium Chip Coffey and Columbia University clinical psychologist Associate Professor Lisa Miller.

The series features young people with psychic powers who are struggling to come to terms with their "gift". In many cases these youngsters are unsure of the reality of their experiences, or feel threatened by the Spirits that draw close. Their confusion and fears are worsened by their reluctance to share their experiences with their peers for fear of ridicule. In some cases, their "abilities" even cause tension with their parents. (more…)

Alternative Therapies

The BBC in collaboration with the Open University is currently airing a mini documentary series on Alternative Therapies. Kathy Sykes, professor of Public Engagement in Science and Engineering investigates the evidence for and against various established alternative therapies. In the programs screened so far Sykes has covered hypnotherapy and reflexology. In that remaining she will look at meditation.

As a scientist Sykes, unsurprisingly, begins from a skeptical point of view. But on both topics both covered she has concluded with the admission that there may be something in it after all. (more…)

The Game of Life and How to Play It

Florence Scovel Shinn's 1925 classic The Game of Life and How to Play It is yet another earlier, and in my opinion superior, version of recent blockbuster The Secret.

Born in 1871, Scovel Shinn worked as an artist before becoming a teacher of metaphysics (or as she calls it "Truth").

The Game of Life is the first of a series of works outlining Scovel Shinn's particular take on the philosophy of abundance. Essentially, she asserts that life can offer all we desire; we simply have to ask for it, and prepare for it, in the absolute belief that what we want is already ours. (more…)

Stress Free for Good

10 Scientifically Proven Life Skills for Health and Happiness by Dr. Fred Luskin and Dr. Kenneth R. Pelletier

Despite living in the age of technological marvels stress and related mental problems have reached epidemic proportions in the Western world. The effects of stress upon the body are real as demonstrated by well-documented "white coat hypertension" in which patient's blood pressure is significantly higher when measured by their doctor compared with readings measured at home. It's now widely held that much physical illness either has mental problems at its origin, or is worsened by the patient's state of mind.

Paradoxically, instead of saving time, technology is actually placing people under pressure to achieve more within the the finite limits of each day. And there's the rub. Many stress management techniques have been developed over the years, but often they require significant commitment from the already pressed subject. And often they don't get applied at all. (more…)

Does Self-Help Really Help?

A recent episode of the BBC arts and culture series Imagine examined the huge and rapidly-growing self help industry. The Secret of Life started with presenter Alan Yentob watching recent blockbuster The Secret and declaring his skepticism by suggesting the only way to get rich from self help books is by writing one.

What follows is a journey through the self help business in the form of interviews with some of its leading gurus. Together they provide  an intriguing overview of what is meant by self help.

Writer and self help addict Amy Jenkins has a large collection of self help books and admits she begins her day reading self help in the way most people have a cup of coffee. Though the underlying messages occur repeatedly in different works, Jenkins believes it can be helpful to study different presentations. (more…)

Your Invisible Power

Genevieve Behrend was the only personal student of mental scientist and pioneer of the "new thought" movement Thomas Troward. In 1921 Behrend wrote Your Invisible Power with the purpose and hope that its suggestions may furnish readers a key to open up the way to the attainment of their desires, and to explain that fear should be entirely banished from their efforts to obtain possession of the things they desire.

Behrend presupposes that the desire for possession is based upon the aspiration for greater liberty. For example, you feel that the possession of more money, lands or friends will make you happier, and your desire for possession of these things arises from a conviction that their possession will bring you liberty and happiness. (more…)

Think Big (and kick ass?)

Described by Jack Canfield (of Chicken Soup fame) as Donald Trump's version of The Secret, Think Big and Kick Ass must be causing librarians around the world a dilemma over whether it should be filed under business or self-help.

Think Big has arisen from Trump's association with the Learning Annex Wealth Expos and is co-authored with Learning Annex founder Bill Zanker. Real estate tycoon Trump's larger than life persona shines through every page as he shares the mindset and strategies that have taken him to the pinnacle of his chosen line of work.

Far be it from me to criticize Trump (wealthier than I by several orders of magnitude!) but some of his more controversial topics ought to be read with a degree of skepticism, or at least serious questioning as to whether they are right for YOU. In particular I refer to the chapters on Revenge and Pre-Nups. Trump is also scathing of those who seek to build win-win deals.

While these approaches have certainly done Trump no harm, I can't help feeling many of us would be better off without a string of enemies out there waiting to trip us up. And isn't entering a marriage with a pre-devised exit plan creating a self-fulfilling prophesy for failure?

The rest of "Think Big" is good, sound advice. Much of it echoes the messages of the classic self-help masters, but Trump presents them in his own inimitable style, illustrating the timeless principles in action with numerous examples from his own career. Each chapter concludes with Zanker's take on the topic.

The powers of thought and belief are the most powerful in the universe. If you think mediocrity, and think yourself mediocre, then that's the reality you will create for yourself. But by thinking and acting big you create the mindset and beliefs that will deliver big results. As Zanker says: "If you're thinking already, you might as well think BIG. It's your choice."

This book may not leave you loving Donald Trump, but it will give you stacks of proven, practical tips to aid your own personal journey to success.

See also Trump's classic first book, The Art of the Deal.

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The Prophet

Written in 1923 by Lebanese artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran, The Prophet is a collection of 26 poetic essays covering all aspects of human experience.

The book tells the story of the prophet Almustafa, who has lived abroad in the city of Orphalese for 12 years. Almustafa is about to board a ship which will take him home. Perhaps the voyage is a metaphor for physical death. Before leaving he is approached by a group of people, with whom he discusses matters relating to life and its meaning. His beautifully expressed messages all give insight to our Spiritual nature.

The Prophet is one of those few books that can be read again and again, at different phases of one's life, each time yielding a different interpretation.

Read the Prophet online - Free

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