Aldous Huxley and alternative spirituality / Jake Poller.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Poller, Jake, author.

Series:

Aries Book Series ; 27.

Aries Book Series ; 27

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Huxley, Aldous, 1894-1963--Criticism and interpretation.

Huxley, Aldous.

Huxley, Aldous, 1894-1963--Knowledge--Spirituality.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (366 pages).

Place of Publication:

Leiden; Boston : BRILL, 2019.

Summary:

Aldous Huxley and Alternative Spirituality offers an incisive analysis of the full range of Huxley’s spiritual interests, spanning both mysticism (neo-Vedanta, Taoism, Mahayana and Zen Buddhism) and Western esotericism (mesmerism, spiritualism, the paranormal). Jake Poller examines how Huxley’s shifting spiritual convictions influenced his fiction, such as his depiction of the body and sex, and reveals how Huxley’s use of psychedelic substances affected his spiritual convictions, resulting in a Tantric turn in his work. Poller demonstrates how Huxley’s vision of a new alternative spirituality in Island , in which the Palanese select their beliefs from different religious traditions, anticipates the New Age spiritual supermarket and traces the profound influence of Huxley’s ideas on the spiritual seekers of the twentieth century and beyond.

Contents:

Front Matter

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Introduction

Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)

Science, Alternative Spirituality and Psychical Research

The Perennial Philosophy

Mysticism and Pacifism

Sex and Alternative Spirituality

Huxley’s Legacy

Conclusion

Back Matter

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

Includes bibliography and index.

ISBN:

90-04-40690-5

OCLC:

1122822112

Publisher Number:

10.1163/9789004406902 DOI