Philosophy audiobooks

The Choice Point for Humanity in “The Age of Surprises"

By: Deirdre Hade & William Arntz

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

This physicist and mystic combine their wisdom and experience to encourage us at this time of “choice point” for humanity. They describe what occurs in our brain when surprises happen and how that provides the opportunity to instantly change a long-standing habit. Hade describes the importance of knowing our core values in order to be resilient. Read more

Feel First/Think Later, Finding Your Way to Emotional Freedom

By: Raphael Cushnir

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Are there places in your life where you feel blocked? Is your career or your relationship not what you thought it would be? Are you still struggling with an addiction to smoking or food? Raphael Cushnir believes that whenever we struggle, or whenever we feel unable to accomplish the things that matter to us, there’s an emotion waiting to be... Read more

The Bounty of a Generous Heart

By: Andrew Bienkowski

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

With great humility and a smile, Andrew Bienkowski weaves his plainspoken wisdom with stories of survival and relationship, and the reminder that the things that really matter are available to each of us, every hour of every day and, of course, even the darkest days have their treasures to offer. Read more

The Eternal and Infinite Nature of the Self

By: Rupert Spira

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

This teacher of non-dualism sheds light on the essential teachings of what is known as “the direct path.” Almost everybody believes that whatever it is we are seeing is something that is outside ourselves. This leads to a most vexing question for science: How is consciousness derived from the brain? No neurologist or brain surgeon has ever found... Read more

Writing From the Belly

By: Isabel Allende

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Isabel Allende talks about her passion for writing. She speaks with great depth of feeling about the death of her daughter Paula. She says, "Every book is triggered by a very strong emotion that has been with me for a long time, and usually that emotion is painful. However, the process of writing is so joyful." Read more

Meeting Every Moment Without Fear Or Worry

By: Guy Finley

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

We all get into ruts of the mind. Our mind turns a thought around and around without going any place. We often have regrets and we repress our feelings. Philosopher and teacher, Guy Finley encourages us not to turn away from accepting those things we don't like about ourselves and shares how we may cultivate the courage to wake up, let go, and... Read more

Essential Questions

By: Jacob Needleman, Ph.D.

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

If we had the opportunity to speak to our younger self, what would we say? What wisdom could we give to that younger self about the meaning and purpose of life? What does our experience tell us about why we are here and who we are? This conversation explores these questions and why they may be important to our lives. Read more

Thoughts On Dying Well In A Death-Phobic Culture

By: Stephen Jenkinson

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

What constitutes dying well in a death-phobic culture? Stephen Jenkinson points out that life is a time-limited offer and our “obligation is to obey. Obey doesn’t mean submit; obey means attend to. What is this asking of me now?” There is much to ponder in this dialogue, whether or not you are actively dying. Read more

Reawakening To Life's Great Adventure

By: Kirk J. Schneider, Ph.D.

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

From the dark terror of his own breakdown, Kirk Schneider has come to live in a state of awe. He explored the roots of his nightmares and anxiety, and the habits that kept him depressed and disengaged, and found that life is something to marvel at. Now he shares the long, winding road he traveled from there to here, and offers guideposts each of... Read more

A Wild and Crazy Time

By: Don Lattin

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

As the 1950s came to a close, a new era of social, spiritual, sexual, political and psychological revolution was beginning. Here in this provocative dialogue, you will meet some of the wild characters who made the 1960s the most memorable decade of the 20th century. Lattin says, "[The] big question at the time was: are these experiences people... Read more

Poetry: The Unfolding of What Is Hidden

By: Jane Hirshfield

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Jane Hirshfield points out that many people turn to poetry in times of great life transitions. She says, “You know when people fall in love, or when they lose love, or lose someone they loved, that is when they want a poem. When they get married, they want a poem. These great transitions are larger than the normal, ordinary consciousness. And... Read more

Discovering Your Creative Fire

By: Eric Maisel, Ph.D.

Narrated by: Roger Housden

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

As a creativity coach, Dr. Maisel talks about the lineage of our creativity. There is a point in our lives when we fall in love with something — a book, a painting, a piece of music, a film — and we long to be part of the lineage of that creation. This longing emboldens us to enter the path of our own creative spirit. However in the hubbub of... Read more

An Integral View of Spiritual Experience

By: Steve McIntosh, J.D.

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

A spiritual experience has been described by some as an encounter with the presence of the infinite within our finite universe of time and space. It takes on many forms and can be conceived of in a wide variety of ways.Here Steve McIntosh addresses such questions as: How do we gain a deeper understanding of such a spiritual experience and why is... Read more

Toltec Insights And Truths

By: Don Miguel Ruiz

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Many of us have appreciated the four agreements brought to us by don Miguel Ruiz. For many years they have assisted us in altering old behavior patterns that no longer serve our lives. Briefly they are: do not take things personally, stop making assumptions, be impeccable with your words, and do your best. There is a fifth agreement added to... Read more

The True Spirit Of Poet And Mystic Robert Lax

By: Michael N. McGregor

Narrated by: Phil Cousineau

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Robert Lax is one of the great experimental poets of the 20th century, a daring and original avant-garde writer who was sought out as a sage and a mentor. He was a circus performer, a clown and a juggler, and well known for being a close friend of Thomas Merton. McGregor knew and loved this man and wrote a biography to make this remarkable man’s... Read more

Giving Your Fullness Will Take You Where You Need To Go

By: Justine Willis Toms

Narrated by: Molly Rowan Leach

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Justine Willis Toms shares principles that lead to a more useful and fulfilling life. She asks the question: is worry fruitful and will it lead to an effective outcome? She also encourages us to create circles of friends who support us in our fullness. She shares the lessons of the caterpillar and the butterfly as she exhorts us to get out into... Read more

The Nature Of Consciousness

By: Christian de Quincey, Ph.D.

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

In this provocative dialogue Christian de Quincey describes the difference between consciousness and energy as “Consciousness knows, energy flows.” Energy and matter can be quantified but consciousness is non-physical and doesn’t exist in space or time. Consciousness knows objects but it is not itself an object. When asked if consciousness... Read more

Rejoining The Community Of Nature Through Personal Totems

By: Lupa

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Lupa is a strong advocate for connecting with animal or plant totems as allies to enhance our spiritual life and help us reconnect with nature. They can provide a “bridge” between us and the rest of the natural world. She cautions us to understand that totems, whether they be animal, plants, or fungi, are not simple one-dimensional helpers... Read more

A New Science Of Life

By: Rupert Sheldrake, Ph.D.

Narrated by: Michael Toms

Length: 56 minutes

Abridged: No

In the provocative concepts of morphogenetic fields and morphic resonance, we may indeed be more than the sum of our parts; we may have access to all that has gone before. Sheldrake, a biochemist, has postulated an extraordinary new theory that, if correct, could overturn our fundamental concepts about nature, brain function and consciousness. Read more

Faith Without Religion: Bowing to the Mystery of Life

By: Roger Housden

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Roger Housden shares with us that keeping faith does not require a religious code or practice. “Faith is a wholehearted bodily knowing,” he says. Faith is an aliveness that doesn’t have an explanation. The purpose of life is revealed gradually. Simply by trusting the present moment as it opens up to the next, we are expressing faith, love, and... Read more

Weaving The Fabric Of The World With Our Stories

By: Rebecca Solnit

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Rebecca Solnit discusses how all of us are connected to one another as though we are threads woven into the fabric of the world. Storytelling is often our way of tracing these threads, starting with our personal stories and exploring outward. The effects of our stories can be subtle and powerful. Solnit explains how we make our stories and how... Read more

Awe And Wonder: Keys To Living A Passionate Life

By: Gregg Levoy

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

This far-ranging dialogue is full of stories that will inspire and delight. Levoy speaks about a sense of wonder as being the active ingredient in a passionate life, and how even suffering and restlessness can be explored with curiosity. He tells us that wonder can offer us the adaptive benefit of free cognitive upgrades. You’ll be encouraged by... Read more

The Character Of Thought

By: Laura Basha, Ph.D

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Dr. Laura Basha discusses how the power and quality of thought influences our ability to bring choice into process. She describes the three principles of Mind, Consciousness, and Thought and how they are connected: “The mind is formless but has energy…consciousness is the movement of the mind according to our level of understanding and is the... Read more

Becoming Warriors for The Human Spirit

By: Margaret Wheatley

Narrated by: Justine Willis Toms

Length: 57 minutes

Abridged: No

Every living system goes through a life cycle: birth, creativity, flowering, harvesting, and then death. Wheatley points out that we are at the end of a cycle and she warns us: “It’s important that we understand where we are in the pattern of collapse and not throw up our hands in despair . . .but to understand: Now that this is happening, who... Read more