Franklin Merrell Wolff S Experience And Philosophy

This book presents a philosophy that includes the enlightenment experience--that embraces the wider ranges opened by the door of realization--while not excluding the contents of the more common experience. A realization in consciousness that finds no place or adequate recognition in philosophical systems proves the inadequacy of those systems. The author first briefly surveys the principal schools of modern Western philosophy in order to show how they fall short. He then presents his philosophy grounded on the authority of direct realization resulting from a transformation in consciousness.

This book provides a critical exposition of the philosophy of Franklin Merrell-Wolff, a twentieth-century mystic and philosopher—an exceedingly rare and fruitful combination. Wolff's training in philosophy and science convinced him that it was important to ground his thought in immediate awareness to avoid the pitfalls of mere intellectual speculation. As a mystic, he included firsthand accounts of his experiences and transformations, the sort of invaluable primary data that is most often lacking in a mystic's writings. Ron Leonard discusses Wolff's influences and realizations and uses phenomenological and analytic methods to explore the implications of his work within the contemporary philosophical context. In particular, Leonard focuses on Wolff's two primary claims: (1) that Consciousness, transcending the subject-object structure, is primary, and (2) that there is in mystical experience a means of knowing other than sensation and conception. This book explores the accounts of Wolff's grounding in the immediacy of his Realizations, and the nature and philosophical significance of mysticism for our understanding of knowledge, reality, and ourselves.

This is a memoir of the life of Franklin Fowler Wolff, whose pen name was Franklin Merrell-Wolff. It is about his inner and outer journey through his life of ninety-eight years. His time at Stanford and Harvard developed his keen intellect in philosophy and mathematics, which in turn led him to seek a deeper meaning. This book follows Wolffs participation and then abandonment of available spiritual groups of the early 1900s. He considered his marriage to Sarah Merrell a spiritual partnership, between the two of them developed a relationship with several students and associates who were also spiritually oriented.

Here is an account of the enlightenment experience and its consequences written by a trained philosopher and mathematician who is also a master of English prose. Merrell-Wolff experienced enlightenment, became established in the state, and wrote clearly about the value and nature of the knowledge he attained. This is a record of transformation in consciousness written during the actual process itself, supplying an unusually intimate view. The author faces the epistemological problem directly--the problem of demonstrating the reality and value of knowledge springing from mystical roots. He gives serious attention to the philosophical and psychological criticism, writing with an eye to the pitfalls indicated by such criticism. He did not write only for those who believe easily.

Here is an account of the enlightenment experience and its consequences written by a trained philosopher and mathematician who is also a master of English prose. Merrell-Wolff experienced enlightenment, became established in the state, and wrote clearly about the value and nature of the knowledge he attained. This is a record of transformation in consciousness written during the actual process itself, supplying an unusually intimate view. The author faces the epistemological problem directly—the problem of demonstrating the reality and value of knowledge springing from mystical roots. He gives serious attention to the philosophical and psychological criticism, writing with an eye to the pitfalls indicated by such criticism. He did not write only for those who believe easily.

Pathways Through to Space is the first coherent, practical guide to achieving higher levels of consciousness. An outstanding contribution to mystic literature, this personal experiential journal offers an intimate view of one man's search for the truth. With the insight and sensitivity of Gurdjieff, Ouspensky, Lilly, Castaneda, and Laing, the words of this highly developed scientist-thinker will serve as an inspiration for greater and more expansive experiences, leading the way toward a new synthesis of perception and understanding.

In The Secular Religion of Franklin Merrell-Wolff, Dave Vliegenthart investigates the life and teachings of a twentieth-century American mystic, with implications for the socio-historical background of the ongoing grand narrative that asserts a widespread anti-intellectualism in modern American culture.