Magic illusions are all about misdirection: making sure that the audience is looking away from what's really going on. For humanity, both religious faith and scientific materialism misdirect us away from truth and reality. Magicians claim to pull rabbits out of empty hats. The God of Abraham pulls a whole universe out of nothing whatsoever, while scientific materialism performs the greatest magic trick of all by abolishing God and pulling the entirety of existence out of its opposite – non-existence – through nothing other than a random accident, with no conceivable explanation or sufficient reason. Scientific materialism puts all magicians to shame. It manages to magic life out of lifeless atoms, and mind out of mindless atoms. That's some trick!

Even God has an ultimate secret, and, since the dawn of time, humanity has sought to discover it. Our finest minds, noblest souls and most adventurous spirits have quested for the Holy Grail, the Philosopher's Stone and the mystical Blue Flower of transcendent perfection. Prometheus stole the fire of the gods to give to humanity, and suffered a terrible punishment for his beneficence and audacity. Faust obsessively pursued the infinite and unreachable, and was willing to pay any price, even if it cost him his soul. Lowest humanity gets on its knees and belly to "God". Highest humanity will never rest until it knows the Mind of God, and takes possession of the key to the innermost secrets of existence. This book provides the astonishing answer to the supreme question – what is the meaning of life? The answer is as wondrous as it ought to be. Despite appearances, we really do live in the best of all possible worlds, one that is gradually turning us into exactly what we want to be – the Gods themselves.

"Philosophy is a battle against the bewitchment of our intelligence by means of language." – Wittgenstein. We use language to think, to talk to each other, to write, to form beliefs, religions, philosophies, and so on. But what if we are using the wrong language? Do we have "wrong thoughts" because we are using the wrong language? Do we have wrong religions and philosophies for exactly the same reason? What's the right language? If we could find the right language, could we then think correctly, without error, without delusion, without fantasy? Would the right language give us the right religion, the right philosophy? Would it explain reality to us? Discordians hate Truth. The struggle between the Discordians (in all their various forms) and the Illuminati is the most important there is. The soul of humanity is at stake. The Truth itself is the prize to be won or lost.

This book explains how the entire universe can be created using just two ingredients: nothing at all and the Principle of Sufficient Reason (PSR). Why would you need anything else? Nothing else could do the job. Existence, believe it or not, is just dimensionless mathematical points moving according to the PSR. Come and find out how the PSR accomplishes it.

A thorough investigation of the implications of quantum theory for the Philosophy of Religion. This book shows that Stephen Hawking is incorrect when he says that modern physics disproves God. In fact his own book - The Grand Design - requires the existence of an infinite Cosmic Mind - The Grand Designer.

From the team behind Computer Science for Fun (cs4fn), The Power of Computational Thinking shows that learning to think can be fascinating fun.Yes, and this book shows you how.Computational thinking has changed the way we all live, work and play. It has changed the way science is done too; won wars, created whole new industries and saved lives. It is at the heart of computer programming and is a powerful approach to problem solving, with or without computers. It is so important that many countries now require that primary school children learn the skills.Professors Paul Curzon and Peter McOwan of Queen Mary University of London have written a unique and enjoyable introduction. They describe the elements of computational thinking — such as algorithmic thinking, decomposition, abstraction and pattern matching — in an entertaining and accessible way, using magic tricks, games and puzzles, as well as through real and challenging problems that computer scientists work on.This book gives you a head start in learning the skills needed for coding, and will improve your real life problem solving skills. It will help you design and evaluate new technologies, as well as understand both your own brain and the digital world in a deeper way.

In the Western world, magic has often functioned as an umbrella term for various religious beliefs and ritual practices that seek to influence events by harnessing supernatural power. The definition of these myriad occult and esoteric traditions have, however, usually come from those that are opposed to its practice; notably authorities in religious, legal and intellectual spheres. This book seeks to provide a new perspective, directly from the practitioners of modern Western magic, by exploring how a distinctive mode of embodiment and consciousness can produce a transition from an ‘ordinary’ to a ‘magical’ worldview. Starting with an introduction to the study of magic in the Western academy, the book then presents the author’s own participant observation of five ethnographic case studies of modern Western magic. The focus of these ethnographic case studies is directed towards ideas and methods the informants employ to self-legitimise and self-represent as ‘magicians’. It concludes by discussing the phenomenological implications and issues around embodiment that are inherent to the contemporary practice of magic. This is a unique insight into the lived experience of practitioners of modern magic. As such, it will be of keen interest to scholars of the Occult and New Religious Movements, as well as Religious Studies academics examining issues around the embodiment and the anthropology of religion.

A collection of new essays that develop themes from the work of the philosopher Jaegwon Kim.

Joining forces with two leading scientists, New York Times bestselling author Deepak Chopra offers a quantum leap for improving our physical and mental health. In an unprecedented collaboration between three of today’s most powerful minds, Deepak Chopra, M.D., teams up with physicist Jack Tuszynski, Ph.D., and endocrinologist Brian Fertig, M.D., to bring readers a visionary work that delves into the innovative world of quantum science and shows how unlocking its secrets can revolutionize how we live and age—and, ultimately, how we can eradicate disease. The key is the quantum body. Unlike our physical body, which is subject to aging, injury, and decay, the quantum body exists on a sub-atomic level and is the infinite, invisible source of everyday reality that affects your thoughts, feelings, sensations, and biological responses. Without your quantum body, there is no physical body. And this lack of awareness of the most crucial part of ourselves negatively impacts our lives every day. Through a powerful combination of prescriptive exercises and innovative research into the quantum world, the authors unveil seven breakthroughs that will revolutionize the future of everyone’s well-being. Central to this revolution is a groundbreaking understanding of metabolism—the way our cells process energy—that promises to challenge our understanding of modern medicine as we know it. Though all too familiar in the physical world, Alzheimer’s, type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease do not exist at the fundamental level of quantum reality. By harnessing the power of the quantum body, we can significantly improve our physical and mental well-being, including supporting healthy cell, tissue, and organ function, boosting immunity, promoting mental resilience, and expanding our understanding of what it means to live a happy and purposeful life. In this groundbreaking book, Chopra, Tuszynski, and Fertig show you the way by unveiling the “real” reality of your body and mind as never before and providing a vision for a tomorrow that is already here.

The Science of Oneness weaves modern science together with experiential, spiritual and cultural knowledge. It presents a scientifically valid vision of reality that is conscious, creative, loving, and purposeful. It balances openness to all sources of knowledge with critical evaluation of their reliability. Each chapter offers experiential activities, thought-provoking questions and guided meditations to stimulate intuitive understanding. It provides a coherent world view for cultural creatives and the holism movement.