Published Books
On this page you can find all my published books. They can be downloaded in free PDF versions (note that these versions are unedited).
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My pages on Amazon:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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My pages on Amazon:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
Remember that they also are available from other Amazon sellers, as well as most major online booksellers around the world. Check the ones which are nearest your country.
Alternatively, you can also buy a signed copy from me (you can contact me on Instagram).
You don´t need a Kindle to enjoy a Kindle book. Free apps available from Amazon will let you read a Kindle book on your Mac, iPad, Windows PC, iPhone, Android, Windows phone 7, or Blackberry.
Published Books
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Meditation as an Art of Life - a Basic ReaderNB! Also read the page: Meditation as an Art of Life.
... Description: The background for this book is the spiritual crisis, I lived through because of inappropriate consequences of yoga and meditation. Viewed against this background I started to look at meditation as an art of life. I believe, that meditation isn't some kind of mental visualizing technique, but something philosophical, an art of life, which involves the entire cognitional, existential and ethical reality of Man. Moreover that this concept of meditation is the central core in all wisdomtraditions. The unusual about the book is, that it claims, that all the great masters within the wisdomtraditions, actually used philosophical questions as their central meditation technique, and that all other spiritual exercises only were used to support this. In this way philosophical questions were a type of universal koans, which worked with the purpose to open the consciousness in towards the Source: the Good, the True and the Beautiful. In the book I seek to make this clear by constructing it as a guidance in, how this quite concrete can be put into practice. Updates: 1) The Yoga Cycle (in the introduction to the supporting exercises I advice people to practice some Hatha yoga exercises. This link is a guide to the exercises I myself perform daily). 2) The Compass - The Forgotten Secret of Hara Healing (longer introduction and update to the Hara Exercise. Here there is included an important "Supplying Hara Exercise". Furthermore there is advice to how to use Hara in combination with spiritual crises and kundalini awakening). 3) Update to the Heartmeditation, Tonglen. As I write in the Supporting Exercises: There are three fundamental aspects of the meditation-process: relaxfullness, awareness and heartfulness. Relaxfullness is trained in the Relaxationmeditation. Relaxfullness slides imperceptible over in awareness. Awareness is trained in the Harameditation. Awareness slides imperceptible over in Heartfulness. Heartfulness is trained in the Heartmeditation, also called Tonglen. In the book I advice you to train Tonglen half an hour daily. However, it is my experience, that this can develop into some kind of automatic repetition without heartfeelings. Tonglen shall only be practiced in connection with heartfeelings (heartfulness). And, heartfeelings are coming by themselves with the practice of Hara. So, therefore I advice you only to practice it when you have heartfeelings, and/or, a genuine need for the practice. In the meantime, keep a memory of the theory of Tonglen in the back of your head. 4) The Nine Gates of Middle-earth. An update to the whole book, where the spiritual development is seen in relation with the chakra system. 5) On Asking Philosophical Questions (a short introduction to the main theory of the book). 6) What is a Life Artist? (the book encourages you to become a life artist. Here is a short description). 7) Meditation and the Philosophical Diary. An update to the supporting exercise The Philosophical Diary 8) The Eckhart Tolle Show - a Critique. This is a correction of my praise of Tolle. 9) Meditation as an Art of Life – The Ancient Logos (about how I recently have discovered the book´s similarities with new scholarly depictions of Greco-Roman philosophy). 10) A Dictionary of Thought Distortions (update to the philosophical diary. In the Socratic inquire technique I presented a few common thought distortions. This book is an expansion of the list. In many ways this book is part of my own philosophical diary, and how I used critical thinking as a way of coming out of my spiritual crisis). 11) Philosophy as a Rite of Rebirth (A Shamanic Ritual) – (update to the relaxationmeditation. In this article I describe the similarity between the relaxationmeditation and the incubation exercise in Ancient Greece. Its similarity with Yoga Nidra and Dream Yoga techniques are also explained). 12) Philosophical Counseling with Tolkien (I´m talking a great deal of the importance of philosophy in Meditation as an Art of Life. This Ebook is written as a course in philosophy). Free PDF version:
A Dictionary of Thought DistortionsThis book is about the first virtue of critical thinking (also called "Elenchos" in Greco-Roman philosophy - read more in the below updates).
Description: Thought distortions are “techniques”, that, unconsciuos or conscious, are used from an interest in finding ways of getting on in the world, rather than an interest in finding ways of discovering the truth. Thought distortions are the background for poor reasoning, diversionary ploys, seductive reasoning errors, techniques of persuasion and avoidance, psychological factors, which can be obstacles to clear thought. The question is: should one use thought distortions? The question raises the old discussion between Socrates and the Sophists. The Sophists were teachers of rhetoric who taught people how to get on in the world. In this they uncritically used thought distortions. Socrates was the philosopher who taught people in ways of finding the truth. In this he critically examined, re-structured and changed thought distortions. With the claim that the Sophists today are back in that mixture of postmodernistic intellectualism, management theory, self-help and New Age, which I call The Matrix Conspiracy, I will, with this book, present a manual in the Socratic way of life. The book is a follow-up to the three books on my teaching Meditation as an Art of Life (Meditation as an Art of Life – 2008, Dream Yoga – 2009, A Portrait of a Lifeartist – 2010). It is also a reference book to my two books on the Matrix Conspiracy (The Matrix Conspiracy – part 1 and 2). Update: [This is the book which has caused most outrage in New Age circles, where critical thinking is sought eliminated. Considering the global spread of New Age, I have often thought: "This must be the most dangerous book on Earth". It works like holding a crucifix up against a vampire. This is not only ironically meant: I consider this book to be a kind of philosophical diary on how I, during my spiritual crisis, used critical thinking (elenchos, refutation, logic) to distinguish base magic (occultism/shamanism), which leaves everything to chance, and may lead its practitioners to consort with falsity and evil daemons, and higher magic or theurgy. The latter is a guarantor of truth and happiness, combined as it is with the source itself: the Good, the True and the Beautiful. Critical thinking simply rescued me from madness. As a result I came to believe that Socrates represented an ancient path of wisdom, where philosophy in a similar way was used as a navigator through the Spiritual Twilight Zone. Read more in my articles: Nordic Shamanism and Forest Therapy, Greco-Roman Philosophy as a Path of Enlightenment, and, Peter Kingsley - Another Story Waiting to Pierce You. In my article, Five Basic Exercises in Philosophy as a Spiritual Practice, you can read about the book´s connection with Meditation as an Art of Life]. Free PDF version:
Lucifer Morningstar - A Philosophical Love StoryWith a preface by the Devil we are introduced to the love story of Dracula and Mina, seen with the eyes of a philosopher.
We learn that the nature of the Devil´s game is the paradoxical. This is revealed when we guess that the Devil´s proper name is Lucifer Morningstar, which means Bringer of Light. We hear about the Devil´s double incarnation in the pain-bodies of Dracula and Mina. In the search for the unification of their love we undertake a Hero´s Journey through the Earth-Moon Kingdom of the Vampire. Like Vergil in Dante´s The Divine Comedy our guide will be Karen Blixen. In this book I´m using popular culture to shed light on my own pain-body and the dark ancient powers I have struggled with for over two decades. In this way the book is an anologistic portrait of the experiential background for my teaching Meditation as an Art of Life. The book is an inquiry into the nature of suffering and love. Updates: The Devil´s game is what I also call: The Godgame (after all: it is rather paradoxical). And the painbody is not a psychological concept, but a metaphysical concept with roots in original sin and negative karma. It is not a solipsist Jungian shadow (see my cultural criticism), but a concept with links to a Western "Faust-syndrome". Karen Blixen - The Devil´s Mistress (this Ebook goes deeper into Karen Blixen and her relationship with Lucifer. It explains the concept of Blixen´s counter-stories and her idea about a "Luciferian Movement". My own concept of Lucifer Morningstar is inspired by Blixen, and is a provocative counter-story to chaos magic, the left-hand path and satanism, since I support many of the same topics: anarchism, civil disobedience, rebellion. In the below links you can find examples of my counter-theories). The Scientology Game - and The Matrix Player´s Handbook (in this Ebook I reveal that Scientology in fact is a role-playing game. This is compared with New Age as such, where there is a contempt for preparatory practice, and where you, om the enormous alternative education market, can buy yourself to abilities and titles. It is a culture of masks and roles. The result is a lack of authenticity: a central consequence of The Godgame. In The Matrix Player´s Handbook, I once again introduce Karen Blixen as a counter-figure in the game). Aleister Crowley - The Eye in the Triangle (Crowley is a central figure in modern occultism and satanism. His influence is much larger that we think; in fact the whole of The Matrix Conspiracy repeat his ideas). The Conspiracy of the Third Eye (also called the 666 Conspiracy. Inspired by Crowley, this conspiracy works deliberately of spreading techniques to open your third eye, so that demonical influences can attach to you, and close the way down to your heart and hara, love and existence). Timothy Leary - A Psychedelic Shaman Playing a Fascistic Game (Timothy Leary was a supporter of chaos magic and the left-hand path, all inspired by Crowley. In this article I explain agreements and disagreements). Final Secret of The Illuminati (about Robert Anton Wilson. Robert Anton Wilson was also a supporter of chaos magic and the left-hand path, all inspired by Crowley. In this article, I also explain agreements and disagreements). The Law of Attraction and It´s Roots in black Magic (Article. Example of just how paradoxical The Godgame is). The Four Philosophical Hindrances and Openings (in this article I show that the philosophical consequences of the 666 conspiracy is a path into the hindrances, and away from the openings - towards the divine source). The Faust Syndrome and the End of The Time of Enlightened Masters (the Faust Syndrome is central in Lucifer Morningstar, and in the whole of my work. Due to The Conspiracy of the Third Eye, and the Philosophical Hindrances, we see, on a collective plane, how energy is being directed up into the ego, instead of down into the heart. Instead of enlightened masters we will therefore see a rise of ego-inflated teachers. This will be the sign of a new era of false masters. But it will be contra-balanced by nature itself: climate changes. Philosophical Counseling with Tolkien (Tolkien is supplying us with a counter-magic to our days chaos magic and technological magic. It is quite rebellious and anarchistic, and could therefore be seen as an example of Karen Blixen´s “Luciferian Movement”). Free PDF version:
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Dream YogaThe spiritual practice consists of meditation and dream yoga. Meditation and dream yoga are two sides of the same thing. If you nevertheless should try to discriminate, then you about meditation can say, that the three aspects of meditation are relaxfullness, awareness and heartfullness.
Dream Yoga is shortly said about realizing the illusory aspect of life and death. Normally Dream Yoga is understood as practising meditation during sleep, about realizing the illusory aspects of dreams, and about achieving special states in sleep, such as lucidity and astrality. But dream yoga is also about realizing the illusory aspect of the waking life, both one´s own thought distortions, but also the thought distortions of society (the book includes for example some very critical articles on the Zeitgeist of New Age and coaching). Finally Dream Yoga is about practising meditation during suffering, and during the deathprocess. Through 18 articles I draw a map over the spiritual journey through the dream-labyrinth of life and death. In this map I show both dangers and pitfalls, as well as pathfinders and trail markers. The map is in that way intended to function as a help so that people can find the dreamtracks and songlines in the artwork of their lives. [Updates: 1) In the Dream Yoga book I include three supporting exercises. Check the updates to my book - Meditation as an Art of Life - a Basic Reader. Here you can find updates to these exercises. 2) What is Dream Yoga? 3) Why I Don´t Teach Tibetan Dream Yoga 4) On the Nature of Dreams. 5) The Eckhart Tolle Show - a Critique. This is correction of my praise of Tolle]. Free PDF version:
A Portrait of a LifeartistThis book is the last in a series of three about my teaching, Meditation as an Art of Life. The first book was named Meditation as an Art of Life – a basic reader. The second was named Dream Yoga.
The first book is the basic reader on asking philosophical question in a meditative-existential way, and the systematical instruction in the belonging supporting exercises. The second book is about about how to - through critical thinking – navigate through the dream-labyrinth of life and death. Even though A Portrait of a Lifeartist contains some last critical texts on the zeitgeist of New Age and Coaching, then it is a much more existential experimenting book, than logical analyzing, it is more seeing than thinking, more listening than arguing, and it is seeking to be the final instruction in art of life. This reflects itself in an investigation of the lifeartist as respectively a historical being, a rational being, a desirous being, a natural being, and a communicative being. The whole thing as a kind of diamond, where traditional philosophical problems are put into a concrete spiritual practice. Update: Storytelling as a Spiritual Exercise (explains the idea behind the concept of the Art of Living). Free PDF version:
The Matrix Conspiracy - Part 1This book is the first part of two books on the concept of The Matrix Conspiracy. I use the term in order to describe the outbreak of a culture of self-assertion, where the classical deadly sins have been turned into virtues.
The Matrix Conspiracy is a mixture of postmodern intellectualism, management theory, self-help and New Age, which is creating a “me-me-me-and-then-perhaps-you-if-it-serves-me-logic”, and a spirituality, where the object of worship is the ego. It is a culture, where everything is psychologized, emotionalized and therapized, so that political incitation and social responsibility are removed by disguising social problems as personal problems. It is a culture where moral values only are based on what feels good. It is a culture of suspicion, that denies and renounce what people think, and the reasons they produce, in order to find the “real” reasons. It is a culture, where debate is about playing down or directly offending other people. It is a culture, where science and critical thinking have been replaced by magical thinking (you can create yourself and the world as it fit you). But it is also a culture (though it on the surface sounds individualistic), which is about to develop into a global, totalitarian meritocracy, where psychology is controlling people down to the smallest details. This might happen when Western Consumer Capitalism and Chinese Communism in all probability will melt together. I claim, that the rebellion against this ideology must be philosophy. We must become philosophical rebels and spiritual anarchists, who not are afraid of for example practising loafing and civil disobedience; or said differently: who not are afraid of rejecting psychology in order to find our true calling in life. Free PDF version:
The Matrix Conspiracy - Part 2This book is the second part of two books on the concept of The Matrix Conspiracy.
The Matrix conspiracy is a mix of postmodern intellectualism, management theory, self-help and New Age, which together constitute a global spreading ideology. This ideology is created by The Mythology of Authenticity – a mythology where everything is about becoming and not being. This mythology has two world images: humanistic psychology and constructivism. And these two world images again have two methods: psychotherapy and coaching. The mythology is characterized by magical thinking (you can create yourself and the world as it fit you) – and is sought supported by subjectivism and relativism: the psedoscience of reductionism, especially psychologism and biologism. Quantum mysticism is also a central theory. With this we see the emergence of a totalitarian New Age system with direct fascistic tendencies, and where Western Consumer Capitalism and Chinese Communism in all probability will melt together in a New World Order: the world of alternative history, alternative physics, alternative medicine and, ultimately, alternative reality. The winners in this Brave New World are therefore not receiving their talents from being and reality, but from becoming masks and roles, from their ability to tell stories. It is a meritocracy of people wearing The Emperor´s New Clothes. With this final book on the Matrix Conspiracy, I am, as in my teaching as such, placing philosophy at the heart of it, and I do so in order to protect the precious store of wisdom from the assaults of charlatans, to create a kind of temple to truth in the midst of falsehood, and to marginalize the Matrix Sophists who prey on human confusion. Free PDF version:
Sûnyatâ Sutras“Sûnyatâ” means emptiness. The concept involves especially three other concepts: negation, codependent origination and impermanence. The Sûnyatâ philosophy is a teaching, which has one quite determinate purpose: the neutralization of all the dogmas, theories and viewpoints, which ignorance has created.
And what does “Sutras” mean then? The oldest form of spiritual scriptures, as for example the old Indian Sutras, are intended for meditative reading. Sutras are effective hints to the truth in form of aphorisms or short expressions with a limited conceptual elaboration. Just like the words of Buddha, the Vedas and the Upanishads belong to the early holy teachings written down in form of Sutras. The words and parables of Jesus can, when taken out of the stories, also be regarded as Sutras, as well as the deep teaching contained in Tao Te King, the old Chinese Book of Wisdom, written by the philosopher Lao Tzu. In this book, I present a line of Sutras meant for meditative reading over the concept of Sûnyatâ. Update: 1) The Compass (explains Harameditation in connection with Sûnyatâ Sutras). 2) Primordial Meditation and The Philosophical Diary (when writing philosophical diary, the meditative reading of Sûnyatâ Sutras can be a help to get your thoughts to "flower"). Also see: Storytelling as a Spiritual Practice). 3) New Sûnyatâ Sutras (Blog archive. On my blog I write a series of new Sûnyatâ Sutras). Free PDF version:
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