Though modern astronomers and astro-phycisists like Stephen Hawking have their doubts about interstellar travel there are countless references to inter-dimesional travel in mostly ancient Indian texts: The 'Kandha Puranam' (nearlly 17 million years ago)mentions that the Asura (Titan) King 'Sooran' ruled over 1008 universes and had 'vimanas' or flying crafts that could in an instant travel all over space cutting across dimensions at tremendous speed,that could hover in mid-air,over water,disappear and re-appear all of a sudden and had a host of stealth-weapons,even 'nuclear-winter' is mentioned for it is said that the entire world was enveloped in darkness caused by Sooran during the war; Lord Muruga possessed the 'Peacock Craft' that could circumvent the '14 worlds' and fly beyond in a micro-second and his "missile with the lengthy flame"(nedunchudar Vel) was 'voice-activated' and re-useable and was so powerful that it blew up into smitherns the 'Kraunja' mountain which even our modern day nuclear weapons cannot do according to scientists; The Ramayana(1.7 million years ago) mentions that Emperor Ravana's 'Pushpaka vimana' which he captured from 'Kubera' the Lord of riches in heaven could host "as many passengers as it takes",there were stun-weapons and stealth-technology; In the Mahabharata war(3500 b.c.) nuclear weapons like the 'brahmastra' were used and there is mention of numerous flying crafts of the Lords (Angels) of Asuras (Titans) and Rakshasas (Demons) who all travelled to and fro from the upper and lower worlds; The 'Sri Linga Purana' mentions that Lord Brahma's 'Swan Craft' flew and transcended the seven upper worlds while Lord Vishnu's 'Boar Craft' 'tunnelled' though the seven lower worlds and went even beyond 'Baathala' the lowest plane which all reminds us of blackholes being portals and shortcuts to parallell universes which is being theoretically proved today!; More than 2500 years ago the Japanese Royal Family's ancestors met with the 'Sun God' who landed on Mount Fuji and were presented with a sword and an orb which are still in the Imperial Palace in Japan; The native Indian's forefathers living on 'sun Island' on lake Titicaca in South America were visited by the Sun God; The Dogon tribes of Mali have a tradition that their forefathers had sailed on a great ship that flew down form Sirius the star,but what is interesting is that they don spacesuit-like gear and celebrate their home-coming once every fifty two years which is when sirius comes in direct alignment with our world!

Knowledge, Love, and Ecstasy in the Theology of Thomas Gallus provides the first full study of Thomas Gallus (d. 1246) in English and represents a significant advance in his distinctive theology. Boyd Taylor Coolman argues that Gallus distinguishes, but never separates and intimately relates two international modalities in human consciousness: the intellective and the affective, both of which are forms of cognition. Coolman shows that Gallus conceives these two cognitive modalities as co-existing in an interdependent manner, and that this reciprocity is given a particular character by Gallus anthropological appropriation of the Dionysian concept of hierarchy. Because Gallus conceives of the soul as hierarchized on the model of the angelic hierarchy, the intellect-affect relationship is fundamentally governed by the dynamism of a Dionysian hierarchy, which has two simultaneous trajectories: ascending and descending. Two crucial features are noteworthy in this regard: in ascending, firstly, the lower is subsumed by the higher; in descending, secondly, the higher communicates with the lower, according to the nature of the lower. When Gallus posits a higher, affective cognitio above an intellective cognitio at the highest point in the ascent, accordingly, this higher affective form both builds upon and sublimates the lower intellective form. At the same time, this affective cognitio descends back down into the soul, both enriching its properly intellective capacity and also renewing the ascending movement in love. For Gallus, then, in the hierarchized soul a dynamic mutuality between intellect and affect emerges, which he construes as a spiralling motion, by which the soul unceasingly stretches beyond itself, ecstatically, in knowing and loving God.

"The Forbidden Gift is defining that intangible knowing, that unmistakable feeling that tells you there is more, more than you have previously ever had the chance to fully conceptually digest and savor defining that feeling behind whose many masks lie layer upon layer of uncomfortable sensations that, as you progressed through life, you merely adapted to and incorporated into the you that you are today." "Who are you? Each chapter of this book is a walk through your life and the life of humankind in general. 'Who am I?' is naturally followed by 'What is my purpose for living, for being? Who is responsible for all this? What is the reason?' To answer these questions we must look into the heart, the source of your reality, and venture beyond the known into the unknown." "That is what this book is all about-liberation from the unconscious forces that cause you to behave, think, feel and live in fashions that are not productive, but counterproductive to realizing the whole essence of your highest potential. If you open your heart and mind to what is said, you will experience personal insights and a loosening of the very dense jungle of chronic, deeply rooted scripting that controls your entire orientation and self-creation in the life process." "The strength to make impact, the strength and methodology to pull your own strings, and the ability to sense your own power and apply it intelligently and with sensitivity-even passion-is my theme." -ANTTARR

Addresses literary theory and criticism, comparative studies in terms of theme, genre movement and influence, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

"American ecstasy is a memoir in pictures and words of the twelve years photographer Barbara Nitke spent shooting stills on porn movie sets in New York City. The book takes place in the 1980s at the end of the Golden Age of Porn, as the industry transitioned from high budget, scripted film productions to smaller and ever cheaper video shoots. Nitke's images reveal the contradictions inherent in the business - great beauty, tinged with sadness, punctuated by surreal silliness. As she chronicles the sights and sounds of life on the sets, her stories also reveal her own struggle to come to terms with the end of her marriage and her fascination with the sexual outlaws of the porn world. Among the porn stars featured are Ron Jeremy, Vanessa del Rio, Nina Hartley, Sharon Mitchell, Sharon Kane, Siobhan Hunter, Jeanna Fine, Damian Cashmere, Tasha Voux, and many more. Directors include Henri Pachard, Candida Royalle, Lasse Braun and others."--

(Publisher-supplied data) Alcohol, tobacco, sex, food. . .escape the pleasure trap and regain control of your life! The chemistry and psychology of addiction are described with considerable insight. These authors know their stuff, and they make a compelling case. . . .All in all, Craving for Ecstasy is a challenging, well-considered analysis.?Los Angeles Times Milkman and Sunderwirth offer a new and different perspective from which to understand a very complex and confusing pattern of human behavior. Their ideas are vibrant, provocative, stimulating, and written for a public that is demanding a better explanation.?Howard J. Shaffer, director, Center for Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School and The Cambridge Hospital Addictive behavior goes far beyond the compulsive use of drugs and alcohol. It is possible to become addicted to what may seem a harmless pleasure such as sex, jogging, watching television, or eating. In this powerful book?written in easy-to-understand language?two scientific researchers, Harvey Milkman and Stanley Sunderwirth, explain the biology, chemistry, and psychology of the universal desire for pleasure and escape. For example, they reveal how the brain produces mind-altering substances and what the skydiver has in common with the heroin addict. But, most importantly, with the use of a self-assessment test and an invaluable guide for treatment, the authors show what steps you can take to regain control of your life.

Who we most deeply are is mirrored in our artistic work. Our need for mirroring simultaneously attracts us to and repels us from our creative callings and relationships. It is one of life's great dilemmas. Artist's block and lover's block flow from the same pool. Often, we fear deeply the very thing needed to create original art, to experience intimate relationships and to live authentic lives: we are frightened by the impulse to be fully revealed to ourselves, and to others, as this most often entails exposing the unacceptable shadowy aspects of our humanity and risking rejection. Mirrors in all their manifold guises permit us to safely see and experience ourselves in reflection and become better acquainted with the rejected, ostracized aspects of our personalities. Creative work is one of the few places where we can truly express and witness lost aspects of our authentic selves. Within us a treasure beckons. This is what we spend our lives pursuing. What slows and distracts us is not the object we long for, but where we search. To find this precious gem, we must eventually return to our own creative spirits.

Emerging from “the Great Darkness” through a prism of light come two forsaken goddesses of antiquity—Lilith, the Great Mother and Crone of the Cosmos, and Hekate, Goddess of the Dark Moon and the Mysteries of Life, Death, and Rebirth. They stand at the crossroads between worlds as the Bringers of Transformation at a time of chaos. Hekate, the narrator of this tale, descends through the “aethers” under the watchful guidance of Lilith to portals of otherworldly realms, and incarnates on Earth to “guide the Souls of mortals…through the dark times ahead.” Sleeman humorously rewrites classic tales of Greek and Celtic mythology to bring her delightful characters to life while resurrecting ancient goddess “knowing”—the Divine Femina. Conjuring magic spells and wielding their dark powers, Lilith and Hekate visit the Hellenic pantheon to witness Zeus in his demise, helping Hera and the goddesses beat the conquerors at their own game. Descending to the Celtic Realm, Hekate befriends the Druids, who mourn their plight as the “black robes” threaten mortals with damnation, making them forsake their pagan beliefs. Hekate journeys with her lover Carnonos to festivals honoring Nature and the Otherworld. Descending to Earth through the time portals, Hekate incarnates alongside mortals. In ancient En-dor and medieval England, she consoles women called “witches.” Hekate herself must go through the “Eye of Fire,” the alchemy of rebirth, to guide mortals to their Heart-Soul Wisdom. In the surprising finale, she guides her initiates (and the reader) through a powerful ceremony, ending her story with the promise of hope for the future.