Editorial Reviews
A remarkable change is taking place that will profoundly influence the way we see ourselves and our world. The dominant materialistic, separatist worldview--a perspective that leads individuals to value their own needs over the good of the whole--is giving way to a humanitarian-spiritual orientation. This shift will revolutionize both the way humanity interacts on a global scale and how we live on a day-to-day basis.
Global Shift explores the roots of such current planetary crises as climate change, diminishing resources, poverty, and disease, and explains how a new convergence of scientific research and spiritual insight is propelling us toward a more enlightened future. It also presents a call to actions we can implement now, such as voluntary simplicity, nonviolent communication, caring for our bodies, and inclusive global thinking, that can foster personal healing and bring our lives into alignment with the needs of the planet and a conscious universe.
"An essential guidebook for navigating our time."
--Anodea Judith, Ph.D., author of Waking the Global Heart and Eastern Body-Western Mind
"Global Shift offers a roadmap for the new consciousness--a sweeping survey of the key ideas and books of the last few years that describe an astounding shift in paradigms. It provides a wonderful overview of holistic trends emerging in all fields, from quantum physics to transpersonal psychology, and includes practical tools for transforming yourself and creating a more sustainable world."
---Corinne McLaughlin, cofounder of The Center for Visionary Leadership and Sirius Community and coauthor of Spiritual Politics and Builders of the Dawn
"Global Shift is a bold and practical work, calling us all to address our global crises at the level of consciousness. Bourne covers an ambitious amount of ground--from concise summaries of the leading thinkers who have shaped our postmodern worldview to implementable steps we can take to reduce global warming--in an entertaining, informative, and easy-to-grasp manner. Not only a summary of causes and indicators of paradigmatic changes, Global Shift is a hopeful and welcome push to pick up the challenges of our times and create a significant shift in our world."
---Jeff Carreira, director of education at EnlightenNext and host of the EnlightenNext Weekly Webcast
"Global Shift provides the first comprehensive template for massive evolutionary change in the twenty-first century. It is not only thorough, but also so convincing you will breathe one great sigh of relief for the entire human enterprise. After you have read this book, you will have your finger on the pulse of these challenging times and appreciate the part you are now called to play in this epic story of transformation."
---James O'Dea, consultant to Global Systems Initiatives and fellow of the Institute of Noetic Sciences
The purpose of Global Shift is to describe a fundamental shift in humanity's way of viewing the world. Such a shift has been developing over the past three decades and will continue to evolve through much of the twenty-first century. The shift accompanies a profound rite of passage that the earth and its people are going through now and in the future.
In order to best understand the future and what one needs to do to change, you must first examine present problems and how they came to be. Therefore, the first part of Global Shift looks at the adverse effects of the dominant worldview, and how it has compromised our collective ability to move forward. The primary problem is that the current worldview promotes a separatism that has been encoded into many of our social and economic institutions. It has led individuals and groups to prioritize their needs over the good of the whole, to exploit others and the natural environment, and to disassociate their own well-being from that of the world around them.
However, there are scientific advances and philosophical developments that have contributed to a broader understanding of who we are and what we are capable of becoming. Global Shift also illustrates how paradigm shifts are showing up in a variety of institutional settings, and then goes on to describe personal transformational practices that readers can implement in their daily lives. There are practical and realistic ways to live a life that is consistent with enlightened values and core beliefs, such as compassion and sustainability, and that can perpetuate our potential for an evolved consciousness and way of life.
Global Shift concludes with several more practical chapters. Given the broad changes in the way we perceive the world, what actions and personal practices are consistent with this new vision? In short, how does each of us implement the new paradigm in the way we lead our daily lives? In "Transformative Practices: Aligning the Inner Self with a Conscious Universe," Bourne describes practices such as voluntary simplicity, caring for one's body, nonviolent communication, forgiveness, mindfulness, inclusive (global) thinking, and letting go that can foster personal healing, as well as bring our lives into alignment with the needs of the planet and a conscious universe.
* Paperback: 337 pages
* Publisher: New Harbinger Pubns; 1 edition (January 2, 2009)
* Language: English
* ISBN-10: 1572245972
* ISBN-13: 978-1572245976
* Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
Editorial Reviews
