Cosmic Consciousness: A Study in the Evolution of the Human Mind - Softcover

Richard Maurice Bucke

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0700412611 ISBN 13: 9780700412617

Publisher: Olympia P, 1972

Synopsis

This work is the magnum opus of Bucke's career, a project that he researched and wrote over many years. In it, Bucke described his own experience, that of contemporaries (most notably Whitman, but also unknown figures like "C.P."), and the experiences and outlook of historical figures including Buddha, Jesus, Paul, Plotinus, Muhammad, Dante, Francis Bacon, and William Blake. Bucke developed a theory involving three stages in the development of consciousness: the simple consciousness of animals; the self-consciousness of the mass of humanity (encompassing reason, imagination, etc.); and cosmic consciousness - an emerging faculty and the next stage of human development. Among the effects of this progression, he believed he detected a lengthy historical trend in which religious conceptions and theologies had become less and less fearful. A classic work.

About this title

Book Description

Bucke's account (1901) of his research and contemplation on the trend towards heightened intellectual awareness in man, through evolution, explaining his theory of the three stages of conscious development that culminate in flashes of understanding of the life and order of the cosmos, illustrated by his own and others' experiences.

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Edition details

• Publisher: Olympia P
• Publication date: 1972
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0700412611
• ISBN 13: 9780700412617
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 286