P. D. Ouspensky's classic work "In Search of the Miraculous" was the first to disseminate the ideas of G. I. Gurdjieff, the mysterious master of esoteric thought in the early twentieth century who still commands a following today. Gurdjieff's mystique has long eclipsed Ouspensky, once described by Gurdjieff as "nice to drink vodka with, but a weak man." Yet Ouspensky was a brilliant, accomplished philosopher in his own right, and some consider his meeting with the charismatic "Mr. G." the catastrophe of his life. Indeed, in subsequent years Ouspensky tried hard, with limited success, to break...

From being a crucial influence on the Renaissance to developing into a fruitful source of inspiration for many important artists, this hidden history of the occult features essays by noted writers and thinkers, from William Blake to H.G. Wells.

For the last four centuries, science has tried to account for everything in terms of atoms and molecules and the physical laws they adhere to. Recently, this effort was extended to try to include the inner world of human beings. Gary Lachman argues that this view of consciousness is misguided and unfounded. He points to another approach to the study and exploration of consciousness that erupted into public awareness in the late 1800s. In this "secret history of consciousness," consciousness is seen not as a result of neurons and molecules, but as responsible for them; meaning is not imported...

The first truly popular biography of the influential twentieth-century mystic and educator who-while widely known for founding the Waldorf schools and other educational and humanitarian movements-remains a mystery to many who benefit from his ideas.

People everywhere have heard of Waldorf schools, Biodynamic farming, Camphill Villages, and other innovations of the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925). Indeed, Steiner-as an architect, artist, teacher, and agriculturalist-ranks among the most creative and prolific figures of the early twentieth century, pioneering work in...

Writers have been killing themselves for centuries. From Petronius in ancient Rome to the 20th Century Japanese novelist Yukio Mishima, writers, more than any other kind of artist, have taken their own lives in an extraordinary number of ways. With bullets, poison, drugs and swords, poets, playwrights, novelists and philosophers have sent themselves off into the big sleep. Others, one step shy of that last exit, have made great literature about the urge to self-destruction. For the first time, Gary Lachman investigates the many links between self-death and the written word, bringing together...

Not everyone possesses the extraordinary strength of a young Lance Armstrong. Beating the alternative is the average person's guide to surviving cancer. This is the story of how a 46 year old father of two young children took control of his fate and successfully navigated the most difficult challenge of, and to, his life. Beating the Alternative is a must read for anyone recently diagnosed with colon cancer, or who loves someone about to embark on the quest for life.

A clear and concise overview of the life and work of the immensely influential but little understood eighteenth-century mystic-scientist Emanuel Swedenborg.
Lachman identifies all the roles Swedenborg inhabited (spiritual thinker, psychic, scientist, inventor, statesman, traveler, and possibly even spy) and does an exceptionally good job of suggesting why this little-known polymath deserves more substantial critical attention. The Independent on Sunday (UK)

It is difficult to imagine modern Western alternative spirituality without the influence of Swedish...

Squid Hunters is a marine science fiction adventure novella featuring a father and son united in the bond of their unique talent; hunting and killing deadly giant blue squids. Spanning the globe from Vancouver, Canada to the plains of south central Anatolia to the Weddell Sea near Antarctica, this fast-paced story never lets up. The theme was inspired by a painting by the author's son of a giant squid descending upon unsuspecting penguins from the sky. Actual research on colossal cephalopods is combined with interesting facts and colorful locales drawn from Lachman's home base in Turkey to...

This definitive work on the occult s great beast traces the arc of his controversial life and influence on rock-and-roll giants, from the Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin to Black Sabbath.
When Aleister Crowley died in 1947, he was not an obvious contender for the most enduring pop-culture figure of the next century. But twenty years later, Crowley s name and image were everywhere. The Beatles put him on the cover of Sgt. Pepper s Lonely Hearts Club Band. The Rolling Stones were briefly serious devotees. Today, his visage hangs in goth clubs, occult temples, and college dorm...