We honor the legacy of Dr. Reyes by offering to the public, free of charge, a wide variety of articles, e-books, videos and podcasts exploring the mental, emotional and spiritual dimensions of human life.
Our library is organized primarily around the subject matter of various courses here at World U. Please feel free to browse and download this material, which is part of World U’s contribution in support of a world evolving toward spiritual awareness and transformative compassion.
NOTE: Every World U essay or article has a printer-friendly (ink-saver) version available. Just click on the little print box in the corner of the title box to bring it up. Most free books are available only in PDF format. The Adobe Acrobat software needed to read PDF files is available free from Adobe Corp.
Some essays and articles listed in this library are located on the web sites of other colleges or institutions.
From Dr. Benito Reyes, Founder, World University
Essay: The Power of Love (1955)
The story of civilization may sometimes be conveniently summarized as the story of man’s unabating search for more and more sources of power. Almost every major movement in the history of human progress was brought about by the unlocking of some mighty source of power in nature. … There is one power, however, which people, in general, have not learned to use at all, or have refused, somehow, to use, in solving their individual as well as collective problems. This is the power of love.
East-West Perspectives on Meditation and Consciousness (1978)
B Y D R. B E N I T O F. R E Y E S
PDF E-Book (12MB)
[From Chapter 1] Meditation deals with awareness. It may involve the body, the nervous system, and the sense organs, but it has to do principally with awareness, with consciousness – its management, its governance, and its control. In other words, it is concerned mainly with the cybernetics of consciousness.
There are many names by which the goal of meditation is called, such as Satori, Moksha, Kensho-godo, Kaivalya, Nirvikalpa Samadhi, Anuttara- samyak-sambodhi, Nirvana, Cosmic Consciousness, and others. Nevertheless, behind these words is a commonality of experience which may be regarded as the essence of meditation, no matter by what name it is called and by what method it is reached; a state of consciousness, a modality of being, with varying degrees of intensity, but with distinct characteristics identified by successful meditators. [It is that common ground we shall explore in the coming pages and chapters of this book.]
Video Lecture: Spirituality and Science: New Developments
B Y D R. B E N I T O F. R E Y E S
(We apologize for the background noise on this recording.)
Evidence of the Afterlife
(Readings for Thanatology 502X and Psychology 321)
Resident Spirit in the Big Yellow House
Article by John L. Griffin, Ph.D.
Near-Death Experience, Prediction and the Death of Sotera Flanez
Essay by Dr. Benito F. Reyes, co-founder of World University
VICTOR ZAMMIT: A Lawyer Presents the Case for the Afterlife
Larry Hagman’s Life-Enhancing Near-Death-Like Experiences
Article by John L. Griffin, Ph.D.
Conscious Living and Dying
(Readings for Thanatology 504X and Psychology 321)
Practice Dying — An Exploration of Conscious Living and Dying
Article by John L. Griffin, Ph.D.
The International Association for Near-Death Studies
Spiritual Consciousness
(Readings for Spiritual Ministry 520X)
Suggestions for further reading:
The Varieties of Religious Experience (free e-book)
Classic study by psychologist William James
Consciousness Timeline – The last 125 years of consciousness exploration in Europe and the United States
Article by Steve Dinan on Enlightenment.org
Manifest and Unmanifest Divinity: Conditioned and Unconditioned Consciousness in the Monistic Traditions of India. (essay) A Consideration of Divinity & Consciousness With Qualities (Saguna) & Beyond Qualities (Nirguna), Focusing on Shiva as a Primary Mediating Symbol in the Process of Self-Realization. By Professor John L. Griffin, PhD.
VIDEOS: Contemporary Spiritual Teachers and Thinkers
Vessels of the Holy
The Spiritual Challenges of Nuclear Power and Nuclear Weapons
Eco-philosopher Joanna Macy, filmed by Cynthia Jurs of the Earth Treasure Vase Project.
Links to Religious and Spiritual Books/Documents on the Internet
(Free in both html and PDF format. PDF files require free Acrobat Reader.)
Yogananda, Paramahansa. Autobiography of a Yogi. One of the most inspiring spiritual books of the twentieth century. A free online public domain copy of the 1946 edition is available HERE
The Internet Sacred Text Archive — All Religions
Univ. of Texas Online Library – Philosophy & Religion
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Christian spiritual classics from Catholic Planet
Spiritual Classics from Twenty Centuries from SpiritSite
Finding God in Cyberspace – A Guide to
Religious Studies Resources in Cyberspace
Nobel Lecture of the 14th Dalai Lama, December 11, 1989
Nobel Lecture of Mother Teresa, December 11, 1979
Contemporary Expositions and Explorations of Vedanta Philosophy
from the Oxford Center for Hindu Studies:
Companions in the Storm, Companions in Blessing – by Dennis Rivers
An exploration of the forms of spiritual friendship and the role they might play in the mending and healing of the world.
Prayer Evolving — Five Personal Explorations of the Future of Prayer
by Dennis Rivers
Advaita in Theory and Practice A series of eight lectures delivered by Dr Godavarisha Mishra, Shivdasani Visiting Fellow 2003.
These lectures were delivered [at the Oxford Center] in Michaelmas Term (Oct.-Dec. 2003). They are intended to introduce the basic tenets of Advaita tracing it from the period of Gaudapada through Sankara to the present day Advaitins. They examine the philosophical subtleties of Advaita, its enrichment through productive dialogue with other schools and also its impact on the society. These are designed for students in Indian Philosophy, Theology and Religious studies and do not require in-depth understanding of Indian scriptures. However, they could also be of particular interest to advanced students of Indology and Sanskrit studies.
Online Lectures and Seminars MP3 Sound Files
Transformational Visions of Interpersonal Communication
Books by Dennis Rivers
The Seven Challenges Workbook helps readers develop seven of the most important skills required for success in communicating at home, at work, in community and in ministering to others in times of personal crisis. 100 pages, PDF format (free). This book is part of the library at www.newconversations.net, a global resource for information about cooperative interpersonal communication skills.
The Geometry of Dialogue uses mandala-like flow charts to map the patterns, possibilities and self-accelerating feedback loops that emerge between people in conversation. In order to guide a process, we need to be able to observe it, and in order to observe it, we need to be able to conceive of it. This book, which is the foundation of the Seven Challenges Workbook, is intended to help people to conceive, then observe, then guide their communication activities toward compassion and fulfillment. 200 pages, PDF format (free).
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The Center for Creative Dreaming makes available to the world the lifelong scholarship and insights of Patricia Garfield, PhD. Please visit our online library of free educational resources about creative dreaming. |
Free Books Online from the National Academies Press
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Mental health and substance use disorders among children, youth, and young adults are major threats to the health and well-being of younger populations which often carryover into adulthood. The costs of treatment for mental health and addictive disorders, which create an enormous burden on the affected individuals, their families, and society, have stimulated increasing interest in prevention practices that can impede the onset or reduce the severity of the disorders.
Prevention practices have emerged in a variety of settings, including programs for selected at-risk populations (such as children and youth in the child welfare system), school-based interventions, interventions in primary care settings, and community services designed to address a broad array of mental health needs and populations.
- A Study of Interactions: Emerging Issues in the Science of Adolescence
Scholars—and adults in general—have pondered for centuries the mysterious processes that influence the ways in which children gradually become adults. The word adolescence, which came into English in the 15th century, has a Latin origin, and Aristotle was an early observer who recognized adolescence as a distinct phase of life. The study of adolescence matured as a scientific endeavor during the latter half of the 20th century, and it has emerged as a distinctly interdisciplinary field of inquiry. Scholars of human development, pediatrics, psychology, sociology, anthropology, psychiatry, molecular biology, endocrinology, neuroscience, and many other fields have focused on adolescence and produced a wide range of findings. At the same time, policy makers, educators, community health specialists, and others concerned with the life challenges facing adolescents have looked for ways to use scientific findings to better serve young people and their families.
- From Neurons to Neighborhoods: The Science of Early Childhood Development
Scientists have had a long-standing fascination with the complexities of the process of human development. Parents have always been captivated by the rapid growth and development that characterize the earliest years of their children’s lives. Professional service providers continue to search for new knowledge to inform their work. Consequently, one of the distinctive features of the science of early childhood development is the extent to which it evolves under the anxious and eager eyes of millions of families, policy makers, and service providers who seek authoritative guidance as they address the challenges of promoting the health and well-being of young children.
- Violence in Families: Assessing Prevention and Treatment Programs
Violence in Families takes the first hard look at the successes and failures of family violence interventions. It offers recommendations to guide services, programs, policy, and research on victim support and assistance, treatments and penalties for offenders, and law envorcement. This book provides the most comprehensive review on the topic to date.
- Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect
The tragedy of child abuse and neglect is in the forefront of public attention. Yet, without a conceptual framework, research in this area has been highly fragmented. Understanding the broad dimensions of this crisis has suffered as a result.
This new volume provides a comprehensive, integrated, child-oriented research agenda for the nation. The committee presents an overview of three major areas:>> Definitions and scope–exploring standardized classifications, analysis of incidence and prevalence trends, and more.
>> Etiology, consequences, treatment, and prevention–analyzing relationships between cause and effect, reviewing prevention research with a unique systems approach, looking at short- and long-term consequences of abuse, and evaluating interventions.
>> Infrastructure and ethics–including a review of current research efforts, ways to strengthen human resources and research tools, and guidance on sensitive ethical and legal issues.
This volume will be useful to organizations involved in research, social service agencies, child advocacy groups, and researchers.
- Development During Middle Childhood: The Years From Six to Twelve
For the first time, a report focuses specifically on middle childhood–a discrete, pivotal period of development. In this review of research, experts examine the physical health and cognitive development of 6- to 12-year-old children as well as their surroundings: school and home environment, ecocultural setting, and family and peer relationships.
- When Children Die: Improving Palliative and End-of-Life Care for Children and Their Families The death of a child is a special sorrow. No matter the circumstances, a child s death is a life-altering experience. Except for the child who dies suddenly and without forewarning, physicians, nurses, and other medical personnel usually play a central role in the lives of children who die and their families. At best, these professionals will exemplify medicine with a heart. At worst, families encounters with the health care system will leave them with enduring painful memories, anger, and regrets.
When Children Die examines what we know about the needs of these children and their families, the extent to which such needs are and are not being met, and what can be done to provide more competent, compassionate, and consistent care. The book offers recommendations for involving child patients in treatment decisions, communicating with parents, strengthening the organization and delivery of services, developing support programs for bereaved families, improving public and private insurance, training health professionals, and more. It argues that taking these steps will improve the care of children who survive as well as those who do not and will likewise help all families who suffer with their seriously ill or injured child.
Featuring illustrative case histories, the book discusses patterns of childhood death and explores the basic elements of physical, emotional, spiritual, and practical care for children and families experiencing a child s life-threatening illness or injury.