The roots of consciousness : psychic liberation through history, science, and experience /

In this revised edition of his 1975 book, Mishlove writes, "It may seem ironic that a book titled The Roots of Consciousness has little to say about the field of psychology itself." Nevertheless, his readers will be entertained by a lively survey of extrasensory perception and psychokinesis research, theoretical and historical perspectives on consciousness, and "consciousness folklore" (e.g., auras, astrology, UFOs). In other sections, Mishlove (who received his doctorate in parapsychology from the University of California, Berkeley) discusses the "new physics," biology and consciousness, and (to his credit) critical debunking and alternative explanations. Each section of the book is magnificently illustrated, and each contains excerpts from Mishlove's television interviews with such consciousness researchers as Raymond Moody and Karl Pribram. Because his topics range from acupuncture to hyperspace to zen, many topics are not discussed in the depth they deserve. In addition, a few errors have crept in: Castaneda wrote about sorcery, not shamanism; Buckminster Fuller died in 1983, not 1992. This overview of anomalies is above average for books of its type; it will never bore its readers, even those who disagree with its conclusions. General; community college; undergraduate; pre-professional. S. Krippner; Saybrook Institute

This revised edition is more of a history than an encyclopedic study, although it is a thorough review of the literature of the occult and the paranormal, mystical, and religious roots of what can broadly be termed ``consciousness.'' The study is filled with useful information, although it tends to accept the information without evaluating how it fits into the fabric of science, when often the data directly conflict with the rest of science. One wonders, for example, why the magician James Randi's exposure and duplication of psychic surgery is not mentioned (although his work on faith healing is). Most of the healings described have little or no scientific evidence to back them up. They may be useful in suggesting future research, but by themselves the data, and this book, must be used with caution.-- Gordon Stein, Univ. of Rhode Island, Kingston (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.