“With his luminous blend of scholarship and accessibility, Dana Sawyer has distilled the quintessence of the inter-spiritual promise into an elixir that is both nourishing and entertaining.” —Mirabai Starr
Unpacks the philosophy-spirituality that connects Aldous Huxley and Ram Dass with Mirabai Starr and Richard Rohr.
During the 1960s and 70s, “Perennial Philosophy” was the most popular theory regarding what the world’s mystical traditions held in common, touted as the best platform for understanding human consciousness, including how to expand it therapeutically with meditation, yoga, and psychedelic drugs. Books by Aldous Huxley, Alan Watts, Huston Smith, Stanislav Grof, Frances Vaughan, Ram Dass, and other “Perennialists” sold like hotcakes. But during the 80s, this shared perspective fell out of fashion.
The Perennial Philosophy Reloaded: A Guide for the Mystically Inclined (Trade paperback; ISBN 978-1-958972298; $18.99) corrects common errors in understanding the Perennial Philosophy while providing a short, up-to-date overview of the general perspective. Dana Sawyer reveals the continued relevance of Perennial Philosophy during this time psychedelic renaissance, when many are seeking ways to interpret their experiences, inside an engaging narrative free of philosophical shop talk. The result is a demonstration of how Perennial Philosophy applies to anyone interested in self-realization.
“A unique, in-depth study of the Unitive Mystical Experience, the red thread running through the mystics’ insights across time and space, articulated in the body of knowledge we know as Perennial Philosophy.” —Shantena Augusto Sabbadini, PhD, author, Pilgrimages to Emptiness: Rethinking Reality through Quantum Physics
“The Perennial Philosophy Reloaded is both provocative and nourishing and an indispensable read for all of us who know both the dire straits we are in and the massive opportunity for renewal and rebirth that our global dark night offers.” —Andrew Harvey
For author interviews, or media review copies of The Perennial Philosophy Reloaded: A Guide for the Mystically Inclined, contact: Jon Sweeney, religion editor, jon@monkfishpublishing.com
Dana Sawyer is professor emeritus of philosophy and world religions at Maine College of Art & Design in Portland. He frequently teaches at the Esalen Institute in Big Sur, California and is author of articles for Tricycle, Parabola, and Yoga Journal. In 2002, he published Aldous Huxley: A Biography (Crossroad Publishing). Subsequently, Sawyer was approached by Huston Smith to write his authorized biography, which was published in 2014: Huston Smith: Wisdomkeeper (Fons Vitae Press) and endorsed, on its back cover, by Jeffrey Kripal, Deepak Chopra, and H.H. the Dalai Lama.
