Itzhak Bentov (1923–1979)

'A delightfully ingenioius cosmic comedy on the nature and structure of ultimates. Here are travelers' tales such as you rearely find-metaphysical jaunts from one end of the universe to the other.'-Jean Houston, Ph.D. The Foundation for Mind Research

All aboard for the excursion of a lifetime as Itzhak Bentov, the celebrated engineer, inventor, and mystic, takes you on a tour of the universe, pkoure consciousness, and all that lies beyond. Using comical sketches, simple metaphors, and his famous wit and humor, Bentov explains the nature of reality, points out the suights in Nrivana and the Void, and eventually takes you to a meeting with your higher self. Along the way, Bentov illuminates the Kabbalistic principles of number and sound, the meaning of cosmic shapes and symbols, the consciousness of devas, and the nature of the absolute. Ultimately, he shows that the universe and thought are inseparable, and that the thoughts of all human beings affect each other and in turn the whole universe-an idea with obvious and far-reaching implications. Anyone interested in the inner reaches of the mind, the greater structure of the cosmos, and the spiritual evolution of humanity will find A Brief Tour of Higher Consciousness an informed and delightful traveling companion.

Itzhak Bentov was a mechanical engineer who combined a brilliant mind for mechanisms and structures with a lifelong intereset in meditation to describe quantum physics and the advanced states of higher awareness in ways easily grasped by readers. He is also the author of Stalking the Wild Pendulum.

Contents

Foreword to the second edition
Foreword
A note on Ben by Jean Houston
Preface
Introductin
Part 1 the fertile void
The model of the universe
The nature of the absolute
Things manifest and potential
Part 2 On devas, gods, and creators
Rudimentary and higher consciousness
The devas
Mr. and Mrs. Creator and the making of a universe
Part 3 Beyond the universe
The cosmos
The supercosmos
Why evolution?
The manifest creation or all-there-is
Part 4 A guided tour of nirvana
Encounter with naga
The blue-collar workers
The zoo
The absolute paradox
Part 5 Who's running the show?
Meeting your higher self
Summing it up
Appendix
What is a hologram?
Essay on cosmology by Edward Apgar
A portrait of Ben: Excerpts from letters… (mere)

A paraphysical odyssey...Dazzles the imagination and causes you to rethink everything you ever thought you knew about the nature of reality...A landmark in man's new attempts to integrate realities within and without.-Jean Houston, The Foundation for Mind Research

A brilliantly executed theoretical romp through the universe...To do all this with humor and suspense is indeed a major accomplishment.-Dr. Montague Ullman, Maimonides Medical Center

A beautiful presentation of the elements of consciousness, creation, and matter,-John C. Lilly

A ground-breaking work. Clear, imaginative, and inspiring, it offers a revolutionary image of the human mind and the universe.-Dr. Stanislave Grof

In his exciting and original view of the universe, Itzhak Bentov has provided a new perspective on human cnsciousness and its limitless possibilities. Widely known and loved for his delightful humor and imagination, Bentov explains the familiar world of phenomena with perceptions that are as lucid as they are thrilling. He gives us a provocative picture of ourselves in an expanded, conscious, holistic universe, showing us that:

Our bodies mirror the universe, down to the working of each cell.
We are pulsating beings in a vibrating uinverse, in constant motion between the finite and the infinite.
Our brains are thought amplifiers, not thought's source.
The universe is a hologram. And so is the brain-a hologram interpreting a holographic uinverse.
We can instantly reclaim any information ever known.

Contents

Preface by William A. Tiller
Introduction
1 Sound, waves and vibration
2 A look through a supermicroscope
3 A morse code of action and rest
4 An experiment with time
5 Quantity and quality of consiousness
6 Releative realities
7 The parable of the bicycle
8 A model of the universe
9 The 'how to' of intuitive knowledge
10 Some reflections on the creator
Epilogue
Appendix: Stresses and the body
Introduction
The Physio-kundalini syndrome
Appendix: Bibliography… (mere)