Daniel Pinchbeck

"Woolf defines the most subtle and evanescent experiences within consciousness. Her evocation of her childhood is one of my favorite works of art."

"This book is a practical manual, following esoteric Tibetan practices, to attain lucidity in dream and even dreamless sleep. I followed the instructions for a time, and found they worked. My dreams opened up and I started to gain lucidity. If you follow these techniques out to their furthest extreme, you will realize the dreamlike nature of reality and attain enlightenment."

"This book was an important source text for my 2012: The Return of Quetzacoatl. I think it is a profound, almost a sacred text, which explores how consciousness evolves in different “structures” through “mutational breaks.” We are on the cusp of a new mutation, according to Gebser, transitioning from the mental-rational to the integral consciousness structure."

"Arendt looks at what happens when societies undergo insurrections and breakdowns of centralized authority. The result is not breakdown but the immediate formation of new structures that are community based, participatory, and directly democratic. She sees in this secret history the potential for a new form of revolution, which would support the people in establishing true democracy, rather than leading to new forms of hierarchical and authoritarian control."

"This book is an extraordinary jigsaw puzzle, where each chapter describes a room in a building, and each room reveals the next part of the story. Perec’s work is a jubilant meditation on art, freedom, and emptiness."

"Ginsberg was one of the most authentic, fearless, openhearted chroniclers of the last century. I also love his interviews, collected in Spontaneous Mind."

"Watts captures the psychedelic experience with pinpoint accuracy. I think I prefer his account of his early trips to Huxley’s Doors of Perception, although both are wonderful."

"Kazin’s book is a wonderful depiction of life in the world of Jewish immigrants. His wanderings through the city are described in loving, careful detail. Like Woolf’s essay on her childhood, Kazin captures aspects of consciousness that seem so subtle as to be impossible to express. This book is a neglected masterpiece."