Showing results by narrator "Michael Toms" in All Categories

Acknowledged as one of the greatest religious teachers of this or any other age, the late J. Krishnamurti was a visionary whose ideas are still ahead of his time. New Dimensions host Michael Toms was fortunate to capture this philosopher's penetrating wisdom in 1983, just a few years before his death at the age of 90.

In this discussion, Bly talks of four sources of shame, including shame inherited from parents, grandparents, and ancestors, and shame over our bodily and creative instincts. It opens with a Russian fairy story on the Frog Princess and the shame we feel over our interior "Frog Bride." Bly and host Michael Toms discuss the new work in America on shame, most of it done during the last ten years.

The combination of the latest brain research with the new image of reality's shape emerging from quantum physics challenges us to see ourselves anew, according to Pearce, who provides a wealth of knowledge about how we develop, learn, create and relate to the universe we inhabit. He suggests that intelligence is much more than just brainpower and may have its source in the human heart. For anyone interested in understanding how we learn and grow, his ideas are challenging and profound.

An extraordinary visit with one of America's leading poets provides a unique exploration of the mystery of maleness. Bly uses fairy tales to illuminate the dark recesses of the psyche, and the result is a powerful intimation of the male experience and potential. From the soft, feminine male persona to the deeply buried wildman, Bly takes us on a journey through unmapped territory of the masculine. For men and women this is a conversation not to be missed.

Stripping away the known and seeing reality for what it is, rather than for what our thoughts represent it to be, provides the theme for this compelling conversation. The late theoretical physicist David Bohm addresses the nature of thought and thinking, and how our conditioned minds become subordinate to the way we think.

Characterized by petty rivalries, self-indulgence and lack of responsibility, our actions fail to fulfill what Robert Bly describes as our true soul longing. With characteristic irreverence and storytelling from various cultures, Bly tells us what we should be doing about green-haired adolescents and idle elders, not to mention televisions and computers. His insightful focus illuminates the truths and possibilities of a culture caught in an adolescent phase of development.

Hidden in the mountains, the indigenous peoples of Mexico have kept alive the spiritual path of the ancient Toltecs, one of the most powerful Mesoamerican spiritual traditions alive today. Tracing their lineage to a time before the Aztec, the Toltecs recognize Earth as a living being, share a profound communion with their land, and demonstrate unusual powers of perception.

Since 1948, the BBC's iconic annual lecture series has provided a platform for brilliant, entertaining individuals to discuss and develop their ideas on radio. The topics range from art and science to history, culture, politics and more, and each Reith Lecture - which is a little longer than a TED talk - is followed by a lively question-and-answer session showcasing the speaker's expertise, wisdom and wit. This collection brings together 10 of the very best Reith Lectures, chosen by the series producer, Jim Frank.

Do you question whether God really exists? Have you considered walking away from your faith because you’ve been hurt by someone in the Church or because you struggle with some of its teachings? Or maybe you’ve already left? Are you carrying around guilt for something you’ve done and don’t feel you are worthy of God’s love?

Here, the author of Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain tells how to use drawing to tap into the unique powers of the dual brain function for enhancing creativity, imagination, problem solving, and more. She shares how she became interested in art and how visual imaging can contribute to the thinking process. Edwards provides a wealth of insight for everyone interested in creative problem solving and innovative thinking.

"As a man is, so he sees." These words of mystical poet and artist William Blake are just as relevant now as they were when they were written in 1802 - perhaps more so. Throughout his life, Blake undertook a voyage beyond rationality and materialism to an interior, visionary realm where "all things appear as they are - infinite." Yet all human beings, he believed, are capable of opening their eyes to a fuller experience of life.

Topics explored in this dialogue include: how you can address the greatest challenge of our times, the role of the arts in deep ecology, how the shift from linear thinking to systems thinking in the sciences affects us now and in the future, understanding the complexity of living systems and life itself, why creativity is the driving force of evolution, what religion and deep ecology have in common, what's really behind the information age, and the mathematics of complexity.

Bly describes the three necessary and sequential life phases symbolized by three colors - the "red, white and black," in the Grimm Brothers' fairy tale "Iron John." He casts a penetrating light on these male life stages, describing complications that arise, for example, when a boy skips the red and goes directly to the white. He also discusses how these stages, when fulfilled, affect men's relationships with women.

This gifted storyteller poignantly shares the memories of those mentors and teachers who profoundly influenced her life. She speaks of her voluntary muteness as a child. Even in this silence, "Mama" (Angelou's grandmother) spoke prophetically to the child's unbelieving ears: "You'll speak about the glorious nature of the human spirit and what we can be striving for."

Best-selling motivational author and lecturer Wayne Dyer ignites your inspiration to be all you can be. "The danger is not that your hopes are too high and you fail to reach them, but that they are too low and you do."

In addition to his own credentials as a writer, poet, teacher and mystic, Andrew Harvey became a dedicated friend and follower of the late Father Bede Griffiths, a scholarly, saintly Benedictine monk who founded and lived for decades in a Hindu-Christian ashram in South India. This unusual dialogue eloquently communicates the blessings of this extraordinary man.

The oldest human quest serves as the central focus for this wonderful exploration into how truth is revealed. Learning to listen to the inner voice, living in relationship, suffering and liberation, finding providential help along the way and much more are covered by Needleman as he speaks to the depth and breadth of the spiritual search. He emphasizes the power of the oral tradition and the need to be open and receptive to truth when it appears.

A Christian monk who lived in India for over 30 years, the late Father Griffiths shares some remarkable insights about the contemplative life. He builds a bridge linking the Gnostic tradition of early Christianity and the mystical tradition streaming down through the centuries with the ancient philosophies of Vedanta and Buddhism. The results are fascinating and profound.

Angeles Arrien has gathered wisdom from a variety of indigenous cultures around the world, distilling it into four paths to effective action - "showing up, paying attention, telling the truth and being unattached to the outcome." These are the archetypal paths of the warrior, healer, visionary and teacher, and the opportunity to embody these archetypes arises in every situation in our lives.

This discussion with a remarkable Benedictine monk who founded an ashram in South India is a beautiful, stirring exploration of human spirituality. In a rare synthesis of Christian, Hindu, and modern scientific thought, the late Father Bede discusses the infusing of gross matter and daily life with spirit, the finding of God "in the divine darkness beyond word and thought," technology and simple living, Black Madonnas, mysticism, and monastic life.