Steve Taylor

'Insightful and delightful, Steven Taylor's poems are like a beautiful mist of champagne bubbles on a background of infinite space and silence.' --Catherine Ingram author of In the Footsteps of Gandhi, Passionate Presence, and A Crack in Everything' 'There is a strong tradition of poets (including Whitman and Hopkins, Lawrence and Hughes) whose primary concern is to attempt to re-establish contact with the cosmos, and openness to its plenitude of miracle. Steve Taylor s poems are in direct descent from that tradition, at a time when it is needed more than ever.' -- Keith Sagar, literary critic, author of The Art of Ted Hughes and the Art of D. H. Lawrence

Have you ever thought that there might be something wrong with human beings, even that we might be slightly insane? Why is it that so many human beings are filled with a restless discontent, and an insatiable desire for material goods, status and power? Why is it that human history has been filled with endless conflict, oppression and inequality? In this ground-breaking and inspiring book, Steve Taylor shows that we do suffer from a psychological disorder, which he refers to as humania, or ego-madness. This disorder is so close to us that we don't realize it's there, but it's the root cause of all our dysfunctional behaviour, both as individuals and as a species. This book explains the characteristics of humania, where it stems from and how it leads to the madness of materialism, status-seeking, warfare, inequality and other symptoms of our insanity. But equally importantly, Back to Sanity shows how we can heal this mental disorder and allow the fleeting moments of harmony that we all experience from time to time to become our permanent state of being.

In Out of the Darkness, bestselling author Steve Taylor tells the stories of more than 30 people who have undergone permanent spiritual awakening after intense trauma and turmoil in their lives. Read about the young woman who was reborn after suffering terrible injuries in the 7/7 bombings in London, the man who found enlightenment after becoming paralysed in a fall, the man who underwent transformation after attempting suicide, and the recovering alcoholic who shifted to a permanent state of enlightenment after hitting 'rock bottom' and losing everything. Steve has also interviewed several spiritual teachers whose awakening occurred after intense psychological turmoil, including Eckhart Tolle. In addition to telling these people's stories, Out of the Darkness explains why turmoil has this transformational effect and illustrates the almost infinite capacity of human beings to overcome suffering. It shows how close - and how natural - spiritual awakening is to all of us.

How much of your waking time are you fully awake? On the other hand, how often do you stumble through the day on autopilot, half-asleep and out of contact with yourself, instead of feeling connected and alive? In this astounding book, Steve Taylor suggests that our normal consciousness is really a kind of "sleep" from which we sometimes "wake up" into a more intense and complete reality. He provides what is perhaps the first-ever clear explanation of higher states of consciousness, or "awakening experiences." This work delves into: the methods we human beings have used throughout history to induce awakening experiences, including meditation, sex, sports, psychedelic drugs, and sleep deprivation; how higher states of consciousness were normal and natural to some of the world's peoples (and still are, in some cases); and how we can make "wakefulness" our normal state again. By fully explaining awakening experiences, the author makes them much more accessible, which may lead to a revolution in our psychological development as human beings

How much of your waking time are you fully awake? How often do you stumble through the day on auto-pilot, half asleep and out of contact with yourself, instead of feeling connected and alive? In this astounding book, Steve Taylor suggests that our normal consciousness is really a kind of 'sleep' from which we sometimes 'wake up', into a more intense and complete reality. Waking from Sleep provides what is perhaps the first ever clear explanation of higher states of consciousness, or 'awakening experiences'. This book examines: • the methods that human beings have used throughout history to induce awakening experiences, including meditation, sex, nature, sport, psychedelic drugs and sleep deprivation• how higher states of consciousness were normal and natural to some of the world's peoples (and still are in some cases) • how we can make 'wakefulness' our normal state again. By fully explaining awakening experiences, this book makes them much more accessible, and may even lead to a revolution in our psychological development as human beings.

Why does time seem to speed up as we get older? Why does it seem to drag when we're bored or in pain, or to go slowly when we're in unfamiliar environments? Why does it slow down dramatically in accidents and emergency situations, when sportspeople are 'in the zone', or in higher states of consciousness? Making Time explains why we have these different perceptions of time, suggesting that there are five basic 'laws' of psychological time and uncovering the factors which cause them. It uses evidence from modern physics and unusual states of consciousness to suggest that our normal sense of time is an illusion, 'created' by our minds. But perhaps more importantly, on a practical level, this book shows us what we can do to control our sense of time passing, to make it pass slowly or quickly in different situations. It suggests that it is possible for us to live through more time in our lives, and so effectively increase the amount of time which we are alive for. In the final chapter, Steve Taylor uses insights from Buddhism - investigating the practices of mindfulness and meditation - to show how we can actually transcend linear time, and learn to live fully in the present moment.

Surveying several influential bands, this title covers those bands and artists who have rejected the mainstream in favour of innovation, originality and the pursuit of their own unique musical identity. These are the acts who have inspired other musicians, helped define the culture of their times and won devoted followings.

"The Haunted Piano"-A piano with strange powers comes between two lovers whose sex life is waning and relationship is falling apart. "The Nature of Fire-A young man communicates with a restless spirit and discovers the secret of the specter's violent death, and what happens when the living and dead try to touch. "The Devil Knows His Own-Mysterious rites of a backwaters Fundamentalist Baptist Church haunt a young man as he experiences love for the first time. "Losing My Religion-The discovery of an early Christian painting in Rome and a meeting with a vampire provoke a crisis of faith for a young seminarian. "Grope-The erotic exploits of an S/M back room hold a dark spell over a young doctor by night, affecting his personal life and profession by day. "Last Date-A broken-hearted young man decides to give himself over to suicide by being a serial killer's final victim.