Robert Ornstein and Paul Ehrlich explain that we are causing our own problems because we have created a world where our basic mental functions are no longer suitable. We evolved over a period of millions of years to survive in small tribal families on the wild grassy plains of East Africa. Now the way we live has nothing to do with that time and place, but the mental tools that were developed to survive on the savanna have remained unchanged. These instincts were wonderfully adapted to the...

Meditation and Modern Psychology examines meditation from two perspectives: first, from the perspective of religions and philosophies such as Zen, Yoga and those of the Sufis and Christian mystics; and then from the modern psychologist's point of view: what is happening neurophysiologically during and after meditation? By looking at meditation from both points of view, Ornstein produces a modern scientific synthesis - one sympathetic to the practice of meditation, enabling the re...

The second book in Hoopoe's "All About Me" series, Me and My Feelings explores the mystery of our emotions. What are they? How and why do they work the way they do? How can we manage our feelings when we need to? In this book, readers will discover everything that scientists and researchers know about human emotions. This is important, because once we understand emotions, we find them not only easier to manage in ourselves, but easier to understand in others. The book also introdu...

The fourth book in Hoopoe's "All About Me" series, What We See and Don't See explores what science and research show about how we perceive our world. Readers will learn how the brain makes sense of what's around us, and how it simplifies and organizes information - how we see what we see and, sometimes, don't see what's obviously in front of us. Author Robert Guarino explains how our five senses can be "extended" and our perception enhanced. He explores how there's more to percept...

The first book in Hoopoe's "All About Me" series, Me and My Memory explores the mystery of our minds and memories: How do we remember, and how do we forget? In a clear and engaging way, it summarizes everything that scientists and researchers know about the topic, and also explores questions that have yet to be answered. Readers will begin to notice how their own and other people's memories work. They'll learn why memory is powerful but not perfect, and they'll uncover strategies ...

A stunning unification of science and tradition for a revolutionary new concept of spirituality to address the challenges of the modern worldThe book explores how our "everyday" mind works as a device for selecting just a few parts of the outside reality that are important for our survival. We don't experience the world as it is, but as a virtual reality-a small, limited system which evolved to keep us safe and ensure our survival. This system, though essential f...

A provocative look at how our mind evolved and what this means for the human futureWhat is your mind? How is it that, like the proverbial fish in the ocean, we know so little about something that controls every aspect of our individual and collective lives?Passionate, entertaining and provocative, The Evolution of Consciousness is a fundamental challenge to our assumptions about the human mind and how it works. Ornstein tackles central mysteries of...

Robert Ornstein's classic 'Multimind' presents a startling new concept of how the human mind works. In a readable and accessible way, Ornstein introduces the new science of the mind, explaining why our emotions and attitudes are so easily swayed, and the difficulty of ever really knowing oneself, or another person. Ornstein faults the narrowness of IQ tests, stressing the many varied abilities that make up intelligence. Citing studies of hypnosis and multiple personality, he explains how s...

For years, Americans have been seeking rational, analytical answers to despair and anxiety. But now, this rational Western perception of consciousness has been challenged by an Eastern discipline which brings into sharp focus the travesty and deception underlying many of the contemporary awareness movements. Yet, it is also the author's intent to combat the easy criticisms of the super-rationalists who dismiss every new development as the irresponsible invention of the "guru-of-the-month c...

The third book in Hoopoe's "All About Me" series, What's the Catch? looks at how people (from our parents to our peers) and media (from TV commercials to the Internet) try to influence us. In many situations, we're influenced to think, feel or behave in ways that we might not otherwise pursue. Sometimes such influence is helpful, but at other times we end up being shortchanged. What's the Catch? explores situations and presents examples that will help readers become more aware of ...

A new revised edition of the classic study takes a fresh look at human consciousness and an exciting new view of the untapped potential of the human mindWhat is consciousness and why do we need to know?In this new fourth edition of his revolutionary study, Robert Ornstein reexamines what is known about consciousness and why this understanding is so important at this time of enormous challenge, change and potential.He begins with an exploration of ho...

What does it mean to go beyond our ordinary perception of reality? Why has almost all of humanity, throughout our history, had the concept of transcendence and connection to “the other” – to “the spirit world,” to “God,” or to “the One behind it all?”This remarkable work coalesces findings from the shamans of the Ice Age (God 1.0), to the first temples, priests and gods of the Neolithic era and Mesopotamia (God 2.0), to the Axial Age prophets and the three major monotheistic religi...