1.     The Way Things Are

I.  The modern, scientific, or secular view of reality

A. Hierarchical: Macro-world, meso-world, and micro-world

B. Gauged by quantity: space, size and strength of forces all described precisely by numbers

II. The traditional, primordial, humanistic or sacred view of reality

A. Hierarchical: Heavens, earth, hells

B. Gauged by quality: being, awareness, bliss all described ambiguously with words

III. Science cannot deal with things that cannot be measured, but these things cannot be excluded in taking a universal view of reality

A. Values in their final and proper sense

B. Purposes

C. Life meanings

D. Quality

IV. Our best hope for a true universal view of reality is the convergent vision of the worlds great religious teachers, philosophers mystics and prophets

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ Preface ] [ 1. The Way Things Are ] [ 2. Symbolism of Space: The Three-Dimensional Cross ] [ 3. The Levels of Reality ] [ 4. The Levels of Selfhood ] [ 5. The Place of Science ] [ 6. Hope, Yes; Progress, No ] [ 7. Epilogue ] [ Appendix: The Psychedelic Evidence ]