[Abstract] The purpose of this heuristic research study was to investigate and describe the question: What is the experience of opening to universal order? The experience was subjective in nature and included emotional, psychological, cognitive and spiritual levels. A literature review revealed no other empirical study done on this question. References used in this review covered a range of disciplines including psychology, eastern and western religions, philosophy and science. The conceptual framework and theoretical constructs of methods and procedures were provided by the heuristic research model. Data was provided by taped interviews of 8 adults and a self investigation. Three main categories were identified with 12 major themes. The three categories were the description of the experience of opening to universal order; body sensations and feelings associated to opening to universal order; and meaning of universal order for the experiencer. The first category, the description of the experience of opening to universal order had four themes: things as they should be, no control over situations; serendipitous and synchronistic events; and sense of connectedness. The second category, body sensations and feelings associated to opening to universal order has five themes: agitation; excitement, awe, peace, and loss of individuality. Lastly, the category the meaning of universal order for the experiencer had four themes: spirituality; everything happens for a reason; 1iving in the moment, and something larger than self. The findings of the study could be of value to the fields of psychology/psychotherapy, education, religion, and people in general.

Eric Voegelin on China and Universal Humanity: A Study of Voegelin’s Hermeneutic Empirical Paradigm aims to speak to comparative political theorists, philosophers, historians, sinologists, and anyone interested in understanding our current disorders and exploring a culturally non-specific paradigm for understanding equivalent practices and patterns in the global age, especially China and the West. Specifically, this book looks at Eric Voegelin’s (1901–1985) Theory of Order. It focuses on Voegelin’s interpretation of order/disorder, his penetration of the Tianxia (the Chinese Ecumene), and his comparison of two representative heterogenous Ecumenes in the ancient West and East. In doing so, the book explores the issue of universal humankind and the nature of order-searching.

In Dante and the Sense of Transgression, William Franke combines literary-critical analysis with philosophical and theological reflection to cast new light on Dante's poetic vision. Conversely, Dante's medieval masterpiece becomes our guide to rethinking some of the most pressing issues of contemporary theory. Beyond suggestive archetypes like Adam and Ulysses that hint at an obsession with transgression beneath Dante's overt suppression of it, there is another and a prior sense in which transgression emerges as Dante's essential and ultimate gesture. His work as a poet culminates in the Paradiso in a transcendence of language towards a purely ineffable, mystical experience beyond verbal expression. Yet Dante conveys this experience, nevertheless, in and through language and specifically through the transgression of language, violating its normally representational and referential functions. Paradiso's dramatic sky-scapes and unparalleled textual performances stage a deconstruction of the sign that is analyzed philosophically in the light of Blanchot, Levinas, Derrida, Barthes, and Bataille, as transgressing and transfiguring the very sense of sense.

Have you ever wondered what it is like to have a real, divine, mystical experience? How would you know if you had one? And what happens afterward? The Divine Resting on My Shoulder: The Story of How Divine Mystical Experiences Brought Me Closer to God answers those questions and more. Author Richard Ferguson uses his experiences to describe what divine, mystical experiences actually feel like and how you can tell if an experience is really from the divine. Ferguson also shares what these experiences tell us about God, His character, and how dearly He loves us and wants to help us in our lives. There is so much apathy in modern society that God's soothing caress and whispers of love go unnoticed. People are too attached to their smartphones and the latest releases of video games that they miss out on what God wants to give to all of us. The Divine Resting on My Shoulder: The Story of How Divine Mystical Experiences Brought Me Closer to God will open the door of your heart so He can walk through and show you His loving power and His love for each and every one of us.

Although universal schooling has been adopted as a goal by international organizations, national governments, and non-profit organizations, little sustained international attention has been devoted to the purposes or goals of universal education. This book offers diverse views from experts around the world on the purposes of universal education.