In the dark places of wisdom download

The Dark Places of Education. The book is divided into two parts. The first forms a survey of the inadequacies of the Swiss school system in the early twentieth century but the issues it discusses were universal ones which were just as prevalent in the English school system of that time.

The second part of. The Dark Places of Business Enterprise. Authors: Pietro Frigato, Francisco J. Combining the contributions made by Karl William Kapp and Philip Mirowski, it proposes the systematization of an adjourned institutional theory of social costs of business enterprise useful for.

The light of prophecy let in on the dark places of the papacy, an exposition of 2d Thessal. Rating details. More filters. Sort order. Start your review of In the Dark Places of Wisdom. Mar 18, Justin rated it it was amazing. In this book, Peter Kingsley covers the roots of the Western civil system as revealed through the lives of Plato, Pythagoras and Parmenides.

Essentially, the Phoenicians brought eastern spiritual traditions with them when they fled the Persians and settled in Italy.

Through the methods of 'incubation', simply sitting quietly, the most revelatory discoveries that we accredit to the Greeks were developed. In our current rational systems we would instantly discredit anyone bringing 'laws from the g In this book, Peter Kingsley covers the roots of the Western civil system as revealed through the lives of Plato, Pythagoras and Parmenides. In our current rational systems we would instantly discredit anyone bringing 'laws from the gods delivered by dreams' but not so in Greek society.

The rational faculties we have celebrated in those we attributed early rationality to are heavily misplaced, shaking the foundations of our own systems. Perhaps the most significant failure of current humanity is the inability to experience incubation in our daily lives due to strict schedules.

This quiet meditation of the heart is a core aspect of all mystical schools and a severe afterthought in the blueprint for modern existence. View all 3 comments. Jan 22, Arlo rated it did not like it Recommends it for: -- don't bother. Shelves: consciousness. What we have here is an academic paper puffed into a book, written by one who does not respect his reader. If one has the patience to wade through his tedious repetitions, condescensions, ax grinding, and self-congratulations, one is rewarded with the glimmer of a new idea.

But that idea, recedes mirage-like, ever into the horizon. I don't know how I ever made it through. The essence, however, is that the early Greek teachers found enlightenment, not through intellectual discourse, as did the lat What we have here is an academic paper puffed into a book, written by one who does not respect his reader. The essence, however, is that the early Greek teachers found enlightenment, not through intellectual discourse, as did the later philosophers, but rather by retreating far into a dark cave, for a long time, to await critical insight--certainly a practice not limited to the ancient Greeks.

That's pretty much it. It's disappointing that Kingsley fails to locate his thesis within the context of other indigenous spiritual practice or even of Ganzfeld parapsychology, but I was amused to find that despite what he believes to be his breakthrough insights, he is ignored by other scholars.

Nice try, Peter, but you owe us much better. Next time, at the very least, give us a useful table of contents, a readable list of references, and an index. View all 6 comments. This is an extraordinary book in which Peter Kingsley takes us on a journey through the roots of our esoteric traditions as Westerners. It's a simple book, written with a clear style, deeply appreciative of our mystical traditions without falling prey to silly eurocentric ideas.

It is a book that helps placing us within a time and place, and shows the roots of the beliefs that we have come to destroy and pervert during the last couple of millennia.

It's a book to read with the heart, to stimulat This is an extraordinary book in which Peter Kingsley takes us on a journey through the roots of our esoteric traditions as Westerners. It's a book to read with the heart, to stimulate our imagination and to bring us into our first steps in a road that leads into the mysteries of the underworld, and the goddesses and gods that live therein. Feb 27, Sonic rated it it was amazing.

Engaging, compelling and very persuasive, this book looks at the origins of Western philosophy and turns them and our current perspectives on their head. It was easy to follow and yet very deep in it's scope. Highly recommended. Feb 05, Zach Elfers rated it it was amazing. This book is written like a mystery or suspense pulp novel. While some may be critical of this, I found the topic framed very well leaving ample space for thought.

This is also a very quick read. So it's hard to complain too much. I read it in two sittings. Anyway, onto the ideas. What Peter Kingsley has hit on here is truly paradigm-shattering, the implications of which are enough to upend the history of philosophy. Kingsley reveals that Apollo, rather than being associated purely with light and This book is written like a mystery or suspense pulp novel.

But of course Kingsley says the kouros -- Apollonian seers -- would "incubate" by laying down in a cave. This facilitated entering into an ecstatic trance-like state or waking dream. The dreamtime was very important because it was the thread of consciousness carried through the dark of night until the light of day again. Then the kouros would emerge back into town in the daylight and share his visions. There's a lot more packed in here. Kingsley implicates Plato as someone like a "liar" who distorted the traditions of pre-Socratics like Parmenides.

Whether Plato did this in a willful and calculated way or whether he simply acted out of ignorance Kingsley doesn't spell out. But the implications are profound. What happens to Nietzsche, for example, when it turns out that his inverted Platonism is actually something more like an undoing of Plato's mistake, revealing an unlikely harmony between Nietzsche and the pre-Platonians? Beyond these merely intellectual ponderings, there's a vitality and substance here.

Kingsley is a practicing Sufi, and though I do not subscribe to any particular system, I found lots here to digest in a form suitable for carrying with me. Oct 24, Kim Canich rated it it was amazing. Fantastic, enlightening Apr 19, Conor Warren rated it it was ok. Thoroughly unimpressed. The writing style was atrocious and not suitable at all for the material being presented, it was written too much like a mystery novel.

A bad mystery novel. The author's tone felt melodramatic, especially since most of the ideas he was presenting did not seem too "revolutionary" to me. I've given it two stars, as some information was redeeming and informative, so it has some merit. It just wasn't that great. Sep 30, Lucius rated it it was amazing. Parmenides as the inheritor of a lengthy tradition. Jan 10, Sheila Bianchi rated it it was amazing. Fasinating book. Interesting take for Western mind on a spiritual course.

May 25, Nell Grey rated it it was amazing Shelves: enlightening-books , mythology , philosophy , shamanism , spirituality. Peter Kingsley leads the seeker gently by the hand, explaining historical migrations, revealing and righting inexact translation of Parmenides' poem and relevant ancient writings, uncovering the life and times of pre-Platonic Greece and connecting overlooked evidence for the historical role of shamanism in the West.

The style is simple and straightforward, the pace careful, measured. I was struck by the many similarities between 'incubation' - the act of lying down in perfect stillness in a dark Peter Kingsley leads the seeker gently by the hand, explaining historical migrations, revealing and righting inexact translation of Parmenides' poem and relevant ancient writings, uncovering the life and times of pre-Platonic Greece and connecting overlooked evidence for the historical role of shamanism in the West.

I was struck by the many similarities between 'incubation' - the act of lying down in perfect stillness in a dark place without food in order to receive healing or messages from the gods and goddesses - and deep meditation, astral travel; even the strength of vibrations that often precede OOB experiences and raising Kundalini were mentioned, and 'neither sleep nor waking' seems an exact description of Robert Monroe's 'body asleep, mind awake', or Focus 10, that prepares the astral body to slip out from the physical body.

There are no footnotes for sources in the body of the text, they are all grouped at the end of the book, neither is there an index, which I'd have found useful when writing this review, but having read and more particularly, watched interviews with Peter Kingsley I was prepared to take his findings and conclusions on trust, and it has to be said that a text without the distraction of footnotes is infinitely more compelling than one with reference numbers and blocks of small print at the bottom of the page or the end of the book.

In conclusion this is definitely a book to keep and enjoy again, although my eyes would really appreciate an audio version read by the author. Nov 02, Sheila Coldiron rated it it was amazing. This is the second time I have read this book, and I learned a lot more this time. Incubation as healing and prophecy is at the center of the book. This book explores how philosophy was rooted in the mystical as taught by Parmeneides, but was changed into Plato into the sciences and logic as the western world now recognizes.

A very good read, I am glad I took the time to re-read this book. Jan 18, Suzanne Thackston rated it it was amazing. Something about this book excited me unbearably, beyond the facts and research and scholarship. I think Kingsley taps into his Goddess on a level few achieve, and manages to share some of the holy awe. I love this book. Fantastic hardcover edition by Ediciones Atalanta. Loved the book! Aug 12, A.

McMahon rated it it was amazing. This book is a dramatic re-appraisal of Parmenides, the Ancient Greek philosopher who is commonly considered to be the founding father of logic. Far from being a pedantic academic, however, the Parmenides presented here is far more of a magus figure, a seer who went into a trance and descended into the underworld to talk personally to The Goddess herself, Persephone the Maiden, and came back to write his great poem as an account of this experience.

Professor Kingsley is at times too full of hims This book is a dramatic re-appraisal of Parmenides, the Ancient Greek philosopher who is commonly considered to be the founding father of logic. Professor Kingsley is at times too full of himself, and he makes over-the-top claims about the importance of all this to our sense of ourselves that he does not really substantiate, but nevertheless this is an amazing book.

Five stars! Jun 09, Abhay Prasanna rated it it was amazing. Jun 16, Imogen Crest rated it it was amazing.

Excellent book, well written and full of intriguing and unusual viewpoints that provide answers to some of the most complex questions of life and history of thought.

Sep 01, Jan Broux rated it it was amazing. Perfect warm-up to the more expansive book Reality. Aug 15, Michael Capielano rated it it was ok. Jul 28, EdMohs rated it it was amazing Shelves: philosophy. May 22, Steve Greenleaf rated it it was amazing Shelves: hx , sng-lib , religion , philosophy-spirituality. In this relatively short, easy-to-read book, Peter Kingsley sets forth findings from archeology and classical tests that paint a very different portrait of one of the founders of Western metaphysical thinking, Parmenides.

Kingsley's tale of discoveries and insights supports his contention that Parmenides and those around him were profoundly concerned with healing and a deeper form of knowledge than simply rational thought. In fact, I'd taken a stab at Kingsley's book many years ago, but it didn't stick, but Muraresku's praise for Kingsley's work brought me back to it. I'm not a classicist and I'm not in any way qualified to shift through the evidence that might counter Kingsley's contention that Parmenides was first and foremost a healer.

I get the impression that such a contention is outside the mainstream of thinking in the classics, at least when Kingsley first promoted this thesis.

But having read a bit in this area, including Pierre Hadot's Philosophy as a Way of Life and The Present Alone is Our Happiness, Thomas McEvilley's The Shape of Ancient Thought, and Muraresku's recent book, I'm not surprised that the roots of classical philosophy are found in mysticism, that is religious, spiritual, and healing practices that arise from deep within the cultural tradition.

In short, I suspect that Kingsley is on the right track. I noted in perusing some other reviews, I find that some reviewers noted the very simple style in which this book is written. This is true, it is an easy read, especially given the subject matter. But while Kingsley writes simply, he thinks deeply. I found myself racing through the book while noting many gems of insight and argument as I went, so don't let the simplicity of the prose deceive you. Also, he doesn't use footnotes, but he has a section of references at the end of the book for each chapter for those who want to take a deeper look.

It's especially useful if you read French, German, and Italian in addition to English and have access to an academic library! Kingsley has made a fascinating argument here, and I'm looking forward to reading his Reality, which appears to be a sequel of sorts originally published in with a revised and updated version published in I also look forward to reading the "prequel," Ancient Philosophy, Mystery and Magic: Empedocles and Pythagorean Tradition , which may not prove such an easy read given that it's published by OUP.

Kingsley is onto something here, and I look forward to continuing the journey with him. Dec 12, dp rated it it was amazing. Foundational reading. A phenomenal introduction to the Western Mystery tradition for those who are completely unfamiliar with the concept. Taking a look at other reviews, I've seen some people complain that Kingsley's tone is patronizing, the book is slow-paced, goes nowhere, etc. A response: 1 As an esoteric practitioner, it's quite evident to me that the book is literally a spell - it is meant to induce a particular state of consciousness in the reader.

In the Dark Places of Wisdom deals with Foundational reading. In the Dark Places of Wisdom deals with philosophy, mythology, ancient history, geography, archaeology, etymology, and poetry, but it is not academic at all. Though such subject matter is often perceived to be dry, boring, or daunting because it usually indeed is , Kingsley's text is written in an engaging, easy to follow, conversational manner. If read without expectations or preconceived notions, it can take you on a vivid, powerful journey.

In the Dark Places of Wisdom is merely a prequel - if you've enjoyed what you've read here, there's a page tome waiting for you to dig deeper. May 01, Jason rated it liked it. Mixed feelings. This book provides some great info on Parmenides and the roots of the Western world, but it could also have been about pages shorter if the author could manage to go even one paragraph without talking about how stupid everyone else in the world is.