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Old 11-19-2009, 05:07 PM   #1
Dantheman62
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Default The Big Book of the Soul

The Big Book of the Soul
our many lives as holographic aspects of the Source (2008)
by Ian Lawton
To purchase the book go to the RS Press shop. For feedback on it click here, and on the original Book of the Soul click here. To find out how The Big Book of the Soul differs from the original Book of the Soul click here.
"This book is filled with thorough reviews of research and thoughtful analysis of its implications. It makes a significant contribution to the field. I recommend it highly." Jim Tucker, University of Virginia Division of Perceptual Studies and author of Life Before Life
"This fine book is masterly and scholarly. It is invaluable to anyone interested in what a soul is, how it originated, and what happens to it after death; and to other researchers who want to further our understanding of an aspect of ourselves that has been of interest to philosophers through the ages." Edith Fiore, pioneering regression therapist and author of You Have Been Here Before



"After reading this book, I will be recommending it to my students. It is one that intellectuals need not be ashamed of having on their shelves. And I predict that the author's proposal of a holographic model of the soul will be one of the most important concepts of our time." Hans TenDam, pioneering regression therapist and author of Exploring Reincarnation
"The most comprehensive book on the soul, and evidence of its existence, ever produced. It is an incredibly informative and well-written book that will be used for reference well into the millennium." Andy Tomlinson, leading interlife regression therapist and author of Exploring the Eternal Soul



OVERVIEW
Rational spirituality… surely this is a contradiction in terms?
How can spirituality be rational, when it relies on faith and revelation?
The simple answer is it does not have to any more...
There is persuasive evidence from near-death and out-of-body experiences that the physical brain is merely the instrument through which our soul consciousness expresses itself in the physical world. There is equally persuasive evidence from children who remember past lives, and from past-life and interlife regression, that we are individual souls who reincarnate to experience and grow.
A careful analysis of skeptics' arguments in each of these areas of research proves in most cases just how reductionist, and in fact illogical, they are. Nevertheless not all the evidence put forward by believers stands up, and careful discrimination is required. Such a balanced and in-depth critique of both sides of the argument is rare if not unique. Equally unique is the accompanying collation and comparison of the interlife regression research of a number of pioneering psychologists.
But what of the idea that 'we are all One', which is the universal message of all transcendental experiences? Can it be squared with the idea of the individual, reincarnating soul, or is this merely an 'illusion' in itself? Perhaps the answer lies in a theory of total elegance and simplicity... that of 'the Holographic Soul'.



CONTENTS

PREFACE

1 NEAR-DEATH AND OUT-OF-BODY EXPERIENCES
Common characteristics; normal explanations; unpleasant experiences; four veridical cases (Pam Reynolds/the saw, the Dutchman/the teeth, George Rodonaia/the baby and Maria/the shoe); out-of-body experiences; the seat of consciousness.


2 CHILDREN WHO REMEMBER PAST LIVES
A strong case (James Leininger/James Huston); common characteristics; two more strong cases (Swarnlata Mishra/Biya Pathak and Gopal Gupta/Shaktipal Sharma); skeptical critiques; normal explanations; paranormal alternatives; birthmark and defect cases; a question of balance.


3 PAST-LIFE REGRESSION
Normal explanations; two weak cases (Graham Huxtable/The Aggie & Jane Evans/Livonia); research into cryptomnesia; five inconclusive cases (Virginia Tighe/Bridey Murphy, Jan/Joan Waterhouse, Jane Evans/Rebecca, Bruce Kelly/James Johnston, Bob Snow/Carroll Beckwith); five unexplained cases (Jane Evans/Alison, Laurel Dilmun/Antonia, Cynthia Henderson/Amelie de Cheville, Gwen McDonald/Rose Duncan, Helen Pickering/James Burns); group regressions; xenoglossy; paranormal alternatives.


4 PAST-LIFE THERAPY
Background; research studies; emotional dynamics.


5 INTERLIFE REGRESSION
Opening the gateway; the consistency of the reports; the independence and objectivity of the pioneers; the objectivity of the subjects.


6 THE INTERLIFE EXPERIENCE
Fluidity and individuality; transition and healing; past-life review; soul group interaction; next-life planning; returning; blank experiences; anonymous pioneers; summary.


7 EXPERIENCE AND GROWTH
The unhelpfulness of karma; repetitive, progressive and altruistic behavior; corroboration from the past (Plato/the Hermetica; Theosophy/Anthroposophy; Spiritism; Silver Birch; Edgar Cayce; Pathwork; Seth; Sri Aurobindo).


8 THE HOLOGRAPHIC SOUL
The unity of all things; cosmic consciousness and the power of now; quantum mysticism; the big picture, enlightenment and types of illusion; holographic theory and consciousness research; fully conscious creation; transformation.



FURTHER INFORMATION
Includes research by pioneering psychologists & psychiatrists such as Raymond Moody, Kenneth Ring, Peter Fenwick, Ian Stevenson, Jim Tucker, Alexander Cannon, Denys Kelsey, Morris Netherton, Edith Fiore, Helen Wambach, Roger Woolger, Brian Weiss, Hans TenDam, Peter Ramster, Joel Whitton, Michael Newton and Shakuntala Modi. Also discussion of the work of philosophers, scientists and spiritual gurus such as Plato, Helena Blavatsky, Rudolf Steiner, Allan Kardec, Silver Birch, Edgar Cayce, The Pathwork Guide, Seth, Sri Aurobindo, Stanislav Grof, Rick Strassman, Paramhansa Yogananda, Jiddu Krishnamurti, Eckhart Tolle, Sydney Banks, Fritjof Capra, Amit Goswami, Fred Alan Wolf, Hugh Everett, Ken Wilber, Timothy Freke, Karl Pribram, David Bohm, Itzhak Bentov, Ervin Laszlo and Nikola Tesla.


http://www.ianlawton.com/bbosindex.htm
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Old 11-19-2009, 05:12 PM   #2
Dantheman62
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Default Re: The Big Book of the Soul

Ten Propositions

Ten Propositions

The soul survives independent of the physical body
Evidence from near-death and out-of-body experiences shows that subjects sometimes bring back verifiable evidence so obscure that it could only have come from their consciousness continuing to operate when the physical brain and other senses were inoperative.

Souls have many lives, not just one
There is evidence from past-life regression, and from children who remember their past lives spontaneously, of verifiable memories that are again so obscure they could not have come from mere guesswork, normal conscious knowledge, or even deliberate fraud.
But do these past-life memories merely arise from tapping into some sort of 'universal memory'? It seems not, because they are often accompanied by strong emotions or unusual behavioural traits. What is more many subjects are also able to recall their time 'between lives', and it seems their consistent reports cannot be simply dismissed as the product of therapist leading, or of prior knowledge or belief. And this 'interlife' regression evidence strongly points towards the continuation of the individual soul from one life to the next, as it follows its own particular path and pattern.

Our many lives are not linked by a karmic law of action and reaction
Various regression evidence strongly suggests that the traditional idea that our successive lives are governed by a 'law of action and reaction' is unhelpful and misleading.
But what about within our current life? Here the more aptly named 'law of cause and effect', or 'law of attraction', ensures that we 'create our own reality' within a framework of free will and personal responsibility. However we do this not just with our conscious thoughts, but even more with our unconscious thoughts, emotions, attitudes and intentions. So we have to make deliberate efforts to uncover these and ensure that, ultimately, everything we do is driven by love.

We reincarnate to gather experience so we can grow
This is by far the most common message from interlife subjects. It means that even when we play out repetitive patterns from one life to the next, these are usually complex and cannot be sensibly analysed by a simplistic karmic model. Above all they will usually represent a further opportunity to work on an emotional lesson we have not yet mastered, and should not be regarded as in any sense backward or abnormal.
So is having a life of financial and emotional comfort a sign of an experienced soul? Not necessarily, because such a life would present us with few real tests. What about disabled people; are they paying a price for past mistakes? Of course not. The more severe the disability, the more likely it is that a relatively experienced soul is giving themselves a difficult test to accelerate their growth.
Meanwhile, when we review our past lives in the interlife

The only judgment after death comes from ourselves
Despite all this, is there such a thing as hell? It seems that the idea of a fiery place of perpetual punishment was an entirely human embellishment designed to keep the masses under control.
But there is plenty of evidence to suggest that the basic idea may have come from fleeting out-of-body experiences of aspects of the intermediate realm. Although nonphysical, this is the next most 'dense' plane to earth, in which unfulfilled spirits who retain intense emotions of anger, pain, regret, jealousy, fear and so on, and who continue to be attracted to the physical world, can remain trapped. It is apparently not a pleasant place to linger.

We are responsible for all aspects of our lives because we plan and choose them
Interlife evidence suggests that, before we return for our next life, at the very least we will be given some idea of who our parents will be, what their circumstances are like, and where they live. But we may also see detailed previews of major events in that life, or we may even be shown several potential lives and be asked to choose between them.
So when we face difficult circumstances we would do well to accept responsibility for them, because not only did we choose them, but we did so to allow ourselves to grow. And we will not achieve this by attempting to put the blame on other people, a capricious deity, or blind chance.
But does this mean our lives are predetermined?

We always have free will to deviate from our life plan
This is because the previews that we see in the interlife merely represent major probabilities and lesser possibilities. And we have complete free will to stray from our most probable, chosen life path, because a totally predetermined experience would provide no opportunity for growth.
How long does all this go on for? It seems that we continue to reincarnate in the physical plane until we have gained the full balance of experiences it can offer.
So what happens after that? Interlife evidence suggests that there are myriad other ways in which we continue to experience and grow, either in the light realms themselves, or in other less physical realms. So finishing with the 'earthly round' is only the end of the beginning.

We are all One and all God
There is no God in the sense of a separate entity, but there is plenty of evidence that we are all part of one, interconnected whole. So how do we reconcile this with the evidence for individual soul survival?

Soul consciousness is holographic, and represents the part and the whole
all at the same time
This does not mean that soul individuality is in itself an illusion, because the principle of the hologram is that the part contains the whole, and yet is clearly distinguishable from it.
So what is the ultimate point of all this? Why does the universe even exist in the first place?

The aim of the Source is to experience all that is and can be
That is why it diversifies into all the billions of individualised soul aspects of itself that operate in the various realms throughout the universe. So as individualised aspects of the Source who have chosen to reincarnate on this planet, we are merely fulfilling a small part of that objective by gathering a balance of all the experiences available here.

__________________

The simplest source of information for a Rational Spiritual worldview is Ian Lawton's The Little Book of the Soul. This is backed up by the more detailed The Big Book of the Soul and The Wisdom of the Soul, along with various Discussion Papers, Videos and Further Reading. For children there is also a superb little book called Seven for a Secret by James Wright. You may also be interested in the feedback we have received about how Rational Spirituality has affected and helped people.

http://www.ianlawton.com/rsindex.htm
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Old 11-19-2009, 07:32 PM   #3
mudra
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Default Re: The Big Book of the Soul

Thank you Dan ..Great find ..and an inspiring title too..
I am really pleased to see you posting this

Love from me
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Old 11-19-2009, 10:35 PM   #4
pyrangello
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Yea I'm pleased to see the big D posting and still walking his dog, this is a good post, Thanks Bud!
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Old 11-20-2009, 05:27 PM   #5
Dantheman62
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Default Re: The Big Book of the Soul

Does anyone know anything about Ian Lawton? I'd like to read his book, and he seems to fall right inline with Dolores Cannon and others.
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Old 11-20-2009, 08:26 PM   #6
Brinty
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Default Re: The Big Book of the Soul

Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman62 View Post
Does anyone know anything about Ian Lawton? I'd like to read his book, and he seems to fall right inline with Dolores Cannon and others.
I don't know of him myself Dan, but what I've read about him backs up what Dolores Cannon writes about. That in itself is more proof that he's on the level. As an interesting aside, many years ago (late 50s) I read "Secret Places of The Lion" by George Hunt Williamson. At the time I thought it was a complete load of rubbish - but since reading Dolores Cannon's work, with a different view on "reality", I am in the middle of re-reading it once again, and I'm finding, here's a bloke who's writing is parallel with Dolores Cannon. But I would recommend reading her series "The Convoluted Universe" first though to prepare your mind to accepting at least one impossible seeming thing a day.
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Old 11-20-2009, 08:32 PM   #7
Dantheman62
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Thanks Brinty!!! Yeah I guess I could get into "The Convoluted Universe" before I read Ian Lawton's book.
I recently finished Dr. John Lerma's book "Into the Light", which was great!, so I'm looking for my next read.
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Old 11-20-2009, 08:44 PM   #8
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great post, brother. thank you!
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Old 11-20-2009, 10:08 PM   #9
Brinty
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dantheman62 View Post
Thanks Brinty!!! Yeah I guess I could get into "The Convoluted Universe" before I read Ian Lawton's book.
I recently finished Dr. John Lerma's book "Into the Light", which was great!, so I'm looking for my next read.
Yes Dan, Dr John Lerma's "Into The Light" was a good and reassuring book for those who are apprehensive about death. Not only that, it is an insight into the "reality" that some of us are already aware of, but others are just learning about.
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