Rev. Robert K.C. Forman, Ph.D.
Is the Author of 12 Books, Some of Which Are:
Enlightenment Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be
A Journey of Discovery, Snow and Jazz in the Soul
In a down to earth, modern, self critical and often hilarious style, Forman tells of his and other people's experience of spiritual enlightenment. He is self-effacing and as the narrator you quickly learn to love him! Dr Dr. Forman invites the reader to reflect on their own while stirring up emotion and empathy with the wizardry of fabulous writing. He offers new direction and new understanding to anyone who has been looking for a sane and healthy spiritual pathway which is dictated by no one culture, model or religion.
Enlightenment may not be what it’s cracked up to be… but according to Dr. Forman, a complete life of spiritual well being can be yours!
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The Problem of Pure Consciousness
In a book that's become a classic in the field, Forman and other authors ask if mystical experiences are formed by the mystic's cultural background and concepts, as "constructivists" maintain, or if mystics may sometimes transcend language, belief, and culturally conditioned expectations? They scrutinize a common mystical experience, the "pure consciousness event" in Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, and Jewish mystical writings, as well as those of modern mystics, contributors develop a new model for understanding mystical phenomena and, more generally, human experience.
Mysticism, Mind, Consciousness
Exploring mystical texts from india, China and medieval Europe, Forman argues that the common levels of mysticism, the Pure Consciousness Event and the Dualistic Mystical State, are not shaped by culture, langage and background knowledge, but are a direct encounter with our very conscious core. The book offers personal experiences and argues that the Western philosophical tradition is ill suited to account for them. Instead they are better explained by the doctrines of Paramartha and the nature of human consciousness.
Grassroots Spirituality
The result of more than 100 interviews with spiritual teachers, leaders and adepts of every spiritual path, Grassroots Spirituality details the nature of modern spirituality. After suggesting some of the key background forces that led to it, it suggests where the movement may be headed.
