Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality

Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spiritualityoffers an incisive analysis of the full range of Huxley's spiritual interests, spanning both mysticism (neo-Vedanta, Taoism, Mahayana and Zen Buddhism) and Western esotericism (mesmerism, spiritualism, the paranormal). Jake Poller examines how Huxley's shifting spiritual convictions influenced his fiction, such as his depiction of the body and sex, and reveals how Huxley's use of psychedelic substances affected his spiritual convictions, resulting in a Tantric turn in his work. Poller demonstrates how Huxley's vision of a new alternative spirituality in Island, in which the Palanese select their beliefs from different religious traditions, anticipates the New Age spiritual supermarket and traces the profound influence of Huxley's ideas on the spiritual seekers of the twentieth century and beyond. Intro Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality Copyright Contents Acknowledgements Introduction 1 Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) 2 Science, Alternative Spirituality and Psychical Research Idealism, the New Physics and Perspectivism D.H. Lawrence (1885-1930), William Blake (1757-1827) and Life Worship H.G. Wells (1866-1946), the World State and Brave New World Science and Psychical Research 3 The Perennial Philosophy The Ancient Wisdom Tradition: From the Prisca Theologia to Traditionalism Neo-Vedanta: The Brahmo Samaj, Sri Ramakrishna (1836-1886) and Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) Varieties of Perennialism: William James (1842-1910), Rudolf Otto (1869-1937), W.T. Stace (1886-1967)Steven Katz, Contextualism and Its Critics 4 Mysticism and Pacifism Henry Fitzgerald Heard (1889-1971) Jiddu Krishnamurti (1895-1986) 5 Sex and Alternative Spirituality The Romantic Phase: from Denis Stone to Brian Foxe The Ascetic Phase: Eyeless in Gaza to Time Must Have a Stop The Tantric Phase: Island 6 Huxley's Legacy Human Potentialities Psychedelic Drugs and Spiritual Experience Huxley's Influence on the New Age and Deep Ecology Movements Conclusion Bibliography Index Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality offers an incisive analysis of the full range of Huxley's spiritual interests, spanning both mysticism (neo-Vedanta, Taoism, Mahayana and Zen Buddhism) and Western esotericism (mesmerism, spiritualism, the paranormal). Jake Poller examines how Huxley's shifting spiritual convictions influenced his fiction, such as his depiction of the body and sex, and reveals how Huxley's use of psychedelic substances affected his spiritual convictions, resulting in a Tantric turn in his work. Poller demonstrates how Huxley's vision of a new alternative spirituality in Island, in which the Palanese select their beliefs from different religious traditions, anticipates the New Age spiritual supermarket and traces the profound influence of Huxley's ideas on the spiritual seekers of the twentieth century and beyond Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality offers an analysis of Huxley's spiritual interests, spanning both mysticism and Western esotericism. With this methodology, Jake Poller generates new insights into Huxley's work and draws revealing parallels between Huxley's ideas and the New Age.