Cell And Psyche

CELL AND PSYCHE THE BIOLOGY OF PURPOSE By EDMUND W. SINNOTT. PREFACE TO THE TORCHBOOK EDITION: SINCE the publication of this little book, as the McNair Lectures at the University of North Carolina, the author has written two others, as well as a number of papers, on the same gen eral theme. Though these elaborate the argument a little further, the essence of it is in Cell and Psyche. This is admittedly a specula tion, but one based solidly on biological fact. It has been regarded as rather visionary and metaphysical by some people, but others have been attracted to it by the suggestion it offers for a better understanding of the ancient problem of how mind and body are related to each other. This problem is of such paramount impor tance, not only for a knowledge of what man really is but for the construction of a satisfying life philosophy, that any light thrown on it should be welcome. The suggestion that man's physical life grows out of the basic goal-seeking and purposiveness found in all organic behavior and that this, in turn, is an aspect of the more general self - regulating and normative character evident in the development and activities of living organisms, is at least worth serious consideration. If we are to avoid a dualistic idea of man's nature and to construct a true monism that does not require the sacrifice of the significance of either mind or body, some such conception as this seems a rea sonable means of doing so. It is to be hoped that the wider distri bution now made possible for the present book may result in a more general consideration of this particular relationship between biol ogy and philosophy* E. W. S. CONTENTS: Introduction . i I. Organization, the Distinctive Character of All Life 15 II. Biological Organization and Psychological Activity 43 IIL Some Implications for Philosophy 75 Suggested Readings . 112 Index . 117. INTRODUCTION: IN THE CLAMOR and confusion of our times one fact grows ever clearer beliefs are important. One of the major problems with which men now are faced per haps, indeed, the most important one is the wide dis agreement which still exists in their fundamental philos ophies. What course a man will follow, or a nation, is set in no small measure by his basic creed, by what he really thinks about the true nature of a human being his personality, his freedom, his destiny, his relations to others and to the rest of the universe; by the judgments lie makes as to what qualities and courses of action are admirable and should command his allegiance. These are not academic questions merely. They arc ancient mys teries which long have troubled human hearts and seem today almost as far as ever from solution. The answer a ny* n gives to them is the most significant thing that one can know about him. We may be tempted to under estimate the importance of these inner directives and turn instead to outer influences, to economic and social factors, as more decisive for our actions. But when we look at what the philosophy of Marx has done to set one half the world against the other, at the basic divergence between the thinking of East and West, and at so many other differences in political and religious beliefs which now divide mankind, we can hardly doubt the profound practical import of men's philosophies. It is still true today that as a man thinketh in his heart, so is he. In the minds of men are the most fateful battles fought. Against those ideologies we condemn, force in the end will fail. If our opponents cannot be convinced, or their ideas reconci

Originally published in 1921, Psyche's Lamp reminds the reader that all thought and discussion, to whatever aspect of confronting problems, social, political, ethical, vital and personal, they may be directed, posit psychological premises. In the darkness and confusion of a human world under reconstrction, where immemorial landmarks lie strewn and buried under the debris of collapsed super-structures, we shall vainly endeavour to thread our way to any purpose unless we can pierce the obscurity by the light of Psyche's lamp.

This pioneering theoretical model of consciousness deftly bridges the chasm between science and spirituality--with a bridge of literal and figurative Light. Conventional wisdom in neurobiology holds that the brain is nothing more than a complex biocomputer, whose neurons' sole purpose is to process and transmit information. Psyche's Palace proposes a new theory--that the brain creates this brilliant sound and light show directly upon the convoluted surfaces of the cerebral cortex. A filigree of sparkling pixels suspended in the crystal-clear fluid of the cerebral cortex forms the live and luminous theater in which the external world is continuously recreated. Everything you see and hear and feel must be sculpted directly from the bioluminescence of vast, oscillating networks of neurons. The brain is simply the material substrate that holds the exuberance in place. What if it actually is true--what the wise have always said--that YOU ARE the pure Light of consciousness that shines within?

Professor Dr. Franz Ruppert is a professor of psychology in Munich, where he runs his own institute for further education and training, alongside his psychotherapy practice. Through hands-on experience, he has developed his Identity-oriented Psychotrauma Theory (IoPT) over the past thirty years of professional work. He has presented his theory, and highly effective therapy method that accompanies it, in ten books so far, and these have been translated into twelve different languages. He works internationally and is one of the leading and best-known trauma therapists in the world.

This is the first comparative study of the self and no-self in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Christianity. In spite of doctrinal differences within these three belief systems, they agree that human beings are in a predicament from which they need to be liberated. Indian religions, including Hinduism and Buddhism, share the belief that human nature is inherently perfectible, while the epistemological and psychological limitation of the human being is integral to Christian belief. Regarding the immortality of the human being, Hinduism and Christianity traditionally and generally agree that human beings, as atman or soul, possess intrinsic immortality. On the contrary, Buddhism teaches the doctrine of no-self (anatta). Further, in their quest to analyze the human predicament and attempt a way out of it, they employ different concepts, such as sin and salvation in Christianity, attachment (tanka) and enlightenment (nirvana) in Buddhism, and ignorance (avidya) and liberation (moksa) in Hinduism. This volume seeks to show that that behind these concepts are deep concerns related to human existence and its relationship with the whole creation. These common concerns can be a basis for a greater understanding and dialogue between Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists.