I am a sociologist by training. I love to think about culture, people, interactions, identity issues and patterns. Emile Durkheim, the famous French father of all things sociological, argued that one must treat ‘social facts as things’. These “facts” become the subject of study for sociologists. Further, Durkheim believed that collective phenomenon is not merely reducible to the individual actor. Society, he believed, is more than the sum of its many parts. It is a system formed by the association of individuals that come together to constitute a reality with its own distinctive characteristics. Let me think of an example: how about language? Language pre-exists our birth and it continues after our death. Perhaps some of us will have the honor of inventing some new recognizable slang (LOL, duh),…
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Stalking the Wild Pendulum by Itzhak Bentov
March 2015 Book of the Month Radical when it was first written in 1977, Stalking the Wild Pendulum offered the reader a revolutionary image of the human mind and the universe. We at TTSM hope our July 2012 book pick reignites the passion for consciousness studies first inspired by Bentov more than thirty five years ago. In his creative first book, Itzhak Bentov paints a provocative image of the universe as comprised of sound vibrations, light rays, subtle energies, and packets of consciousness. He also discusses his ideas that our brains are actually thought amplifiers, not thought’s source; that the universe is a hologram, as is the brain; that we can instantly reclaim any information ever known; that our bodies mirror the universe, down to the working of each cell; that…
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Oneironautics – A Field Guide to Lucid Dreaming
February 2015 Book of the Month Do you dream? Of course you do. Everyone does. When someone says that they don’t dream what they’re really saying is that they don’t remember their dreams, not that they didn’t have any. In a dream we still have access to all our five senses: we can see, touch, taste, hear and even smell in dreams. Sometimes a dream is so real that it’s indistinguishable from waking reality. What if it were possible to go to sleep tonight and wake up inside one of your dreams? Think about it. If you knew that you were dreaming, the possibilities would be endless, right? Maybe you’d fly across the ocean, reunite with a past love or relative, talk with dream characters, or explore new talents you…
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The Translucent Revolution by Arjuna Ardagh
January 2015 Book of the Month For more than a decade, Ardagh has studied what he believes to be a profound revolution in human consciousness. This shift in awareness is marked by what he calls “translucents” — individuals who have undergone a spiritual awakening deeply enough that it has permanently transformed their relationship to themselves and to reality, while allowing them to remain involved in ordinary life. The Translucent Revolution tells the story of hundreds of individuals just like you who display characteristics of “translucence”. These individuals continue to quietly work and play at life with more happiness, more satisfaction and increased purpose.
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Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda
December 2014 Book of the Month Autobiography of a Yogi is recognized around the world as a literary and spiritual classic. Written in 1946, the book sets forth not only the recounting of an extraordinary life but a fascinating introduction to the spiritual thought of the East. In addition to sharing many amazing anecdotes from both his childhood and adulthood, Paramahansa Yogananda highlights stories from his many encounters with other highly awakened, spiritually evolved individuals and tells of the miracles connected to them. As the founder of the Self Realization Fellowship, Yoganada developed a complete philosophy and way of life dedicated to creating a greater understanding of the true power that resides within.
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Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach
July 2014 Book of the Month “Don’t believe what your eyes are telling you. All they show is limitation. Look with your understanding. Find out what you already know and you will see the way to fly.” We won’t make any promises that Jonathan Livingston Seagull will change your life. The simple novella has undoubtedly been oversold for years as a new-age miracle worker. However, despite its outsized reputation, this 1970 international bestseller still offers some lovely insights and timeless inspiration to readers of all ages. Besides, it’s a perfect beach book! (You won’t even have time to get burned – only takes an hour to read from cover to cover.) There is a particular sweetness to Richard Bach’s writing. His book chronicles the adventures of a restless seagull intent…
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Spirit Has Spoken Thru Me
Spirit has spoken thru me, Though i am still catching up. These lights you call stars are shards of your broken wholeness. Why do you dream such painful dreams? Reality is not like this. For a moment at your request it can appear so, But only so you can see yourself shimmer in a cold clear midnight sky. And only for a moment. The cold misaligns you, Fools and folds your senses into aloneness. At least then a longing for communion and warmth awakens. And return is promised. Dualism is such a disturbing game to play. Is the view really worth the anguish that carries you there? Deb Smith
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Figuring It Out
When I first read the following quote, it really stuck with me. Mahatma Gandhi said, “A man is the sum of his actions, of what he has done, of what he can do, nothing else.” I think why this impacted me is because of how relatable it is to the way people’s lives are looked at sometimes: a series of actions or experiences and expectations. Interestingly, through Molly Beauregards Consciousness, Creativity and Identity class and making sense of my own feelings about it, I feel Gandhi might have been wrong. I have been told for a long time that people are who they are because of the situations they have gone through in their lives. I heard over and over variations of Gandhi’s words. And I believed this too. It made enough sense. I could rationalize…
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Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
April 2014 Book of the Month “A good book on your shelf is a friend that turns its back on you and remains a friend.” ~Author Unknown This book is an old friend. Molly and Chelsea have decided to read it together this month. Please join!! Written in 1922 by Hermann Hesse, Siddhartha, is a gem of a book. The story recounts the spiritual journey of self awakening that a man named Siddhartha undergoes during the time of Buddha. This classic novel grabs the readers heart and opens it to the infinite potential of who a man can become.
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Becomming the 2014 Auto Show Poster Winner
As a metro Detroiter, I’ve been going to the auto show for some years now. I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to illustrate the auto show poster. The theme is celebrating 25 years so I decided to capture something that has been constant with this event all of the years it has been in existence: the logo. I captured the logo as a woman, using the modern colors of the logo to create a piece that wasn’t necessarily about one specific car, but the event as a whole. I used the techniques I’ve learned from my fashion illustration courses that have shaped my own love for illustrating models and haute couture. With this in mind, I created this piece as a symbol to show the glamour and beauty…
