BOOKS God and Science: Divine Causation and the Laws of Nature by Richard Thompson, 232 pages In the world of modern science, traditional religion is often seen as a force of ignorance which attempts to impose outdated ideas on scientific truth. At the same time, many scientists see science giving rise to a materialistic doctrine of scientism that aims eradicate the spiritual world view of religion. This may seem to be an irreconcilable conflict. But there is another way to look at it. Science and religion can interact synergistically to generate new and interesting ideas. God & Science is a collection of essays that examine the relationship between modern science and the Vaishnava tradition of India. Although little known in the West, the Vaishnava tradition is based on a monotheistic philosophy having much in common with Judeo-Christian thought. When brought into contact with modern science, Vaishnavism generates some of the same questions that arise from the confrontation of science and Christianity. At the same time, there are significant differences. These essays contain a smorgasbord of novel insights that provide new perspectives on the relation between science and religion. Thompson’s erudition, the elegance of his prose, and his deep understanding of traditional and contemporary science give a different kind of credibility to the knowledge and wisdom of our intellectual and spiritual ancestors, east and west, which they encoded into their legends, myths and rituals. — From the Foreword by Sheldon R. Isenberg, Ph.D. Price: $12.95 plus shipping. paperback, 76 illustrations, ISBN 0-9635309-9-2 Maya: The World As Virtual Reality by Richard Thompson, 304 pages In the world of modern science, consciousness is reduced to a fading epiphenomenon, left over after the brain has been physically explained. It seems to arise when matter is suitably organized, but scientists and philosophers have been unable to explain why complex organization should produce anything beyond complex physical behavior. Yet consciousness won't go away. One possibility is that, instead of being produced by matter, con- sciousness is a separate element, added to physical systems. This can be modeled using the idea of a virtual reality, in which a human subject enters a computer-simulated world through a sensory inter- face. In this book, virtual reality is used as a metaphor for our situation as conscious beings. The basic theme is that what we can imagine doing in a virtual reality system may actually be hap- pening in nature on a vastly greater scale. Nature may be like a com- puter simulation interfaced with conscious observer/participants. This groundbreaking book shows how conscious beings could interact with a physically realistic virtual world. It shows how para- normal phenomena can be reconciled in a natural way with the aws of physics, and it sheds light on paradoxes of time, on life beyond the body, and on cosmic and terrestrial evolution. In a sweeping synthesis, the ideas and data of modern science are used to illuminate the ancient theme of consciousness in a world of illusion. $15.95 plus shipping. paperback, ISBN 0-9635309-0-9, bibliography, index Mysteries of the Sacred Universe The Cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana Richard Thompson, 375 pages From the flat earth to the sun's chariot, traditional spiritual texts often seem wedded to outmoded cosmologies that show, at best, the scientific limitations of their authors. The Bhagavata Purana, one of the classical scriptures of Hinduism, seems, at first glance, to be no exception. However, a closer examination of this text reveals unexpected depths of knowledge in ancient cosmology. Mysteries of the Sacred Universe shows that the cosmology of the Bhagavata Purana is a sophisticated system, with multiple levels of meaning that encode at least four different astronomical, geographical, and spiritual world models. By viewing the text in the light of modern astronomy, Richard Thompson shows how ancient scientists expressed exact knowledge in apparently mythological terms. Comparison with the ancient traditions of Egypt and the Near East shows early cultural connections between India and these regions-including a surprisingly advanced science. However, quantitative science is only part of the picture. Mysteries of the Sacred Universe also offers a clear understanding of how the spiritual dimension was integrated into ancient Indian cosmology. paperback, 104 illustrations, 51 tables, glossary, bibliography, index ISBN 0-9635309-3-3 Mysteries of the Sacred Universe Interactive CD WINDOWS PLATFORM ONLY (Windows 95 or later) Includes: 250 color pictures 23 computer graphics animations 13 interactive picture sequences a 48-minute video summarizing all topics discussed Requires: Pentium 166 MHz or greater 4× CD-ROM or faster 16MB RAM or more True Color 640×480 video card Sound card ISBN 0-9635309-7-6 Book: $15.95 (out of print) CD: $14.95 Video: $14.95 Any two: $24.95 All: $36.95 plus shipping Alien Identities Ancient Insights into Modern UFO Phenomena Richard Thompson, 472 pages ETs and Alien visitors. Who are they? Where do they come from? What can we expect from them? Since 1947 researchers have exhaustively documented the reality of UFOs. But questions still remain about their origins and about the intentions of the beings who pilot them. In Alien Identities, Dr. Richard Thompson shows that the answers may lie in the records of an ancient civilization with thousands of years of contacts with extraterrestrial races. Startling parallels between modern UFO accounts and the ancient Sanskrit writings of India give fresh insights into the identity and purposes of UFO visitors. Price: $19.95 plus shipping. Forbidden Archeology The Hidden History of the Human Race Michael Cremo and Richard Thompson, 960 pages Over the past two centuries, researchers have found bones and artifacts showing humans like us existed millions of years ago. But mainstream science has suppressed these facts. Prejudices based on current scientific theory have acted as what Michael A. Cremo and Richard L. Thompson call a knowledge filter. According to Cremo and Thompson, we have thus come to accept a picture of prehistory that is largely incorrect. Forbidden Archeology is a call for a change in today's rigid scientific mindset. Bringing to light a great number of long hidden facts, Cremo and Thompson challenge us to rethink our understanding of human origins and the accepted methods of science itself. Price: Forbidden Archeology ($44.95 plus shipping), The Hidden History of the Human Race (abridged version of Forbidden Archeology, 350 pages) $15.95 plus shipping. Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy Richard Thompson, 250 pages The universe as described in the Fifth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam seems strikingly different from the universe of modern astronomy. This book addresses this apparent conflict in detail, and outlines a systematic approach to understanding the Fifth Canto. Topics include the celestial geometry of Bhu-mandala, mystic powers and higher-dimensional realms, Vedic mathematical astronomy, the dating of Kali-yuga, space travel, the moon flight, astrophysical anomalies, and much more. Price $12.95 plus shipping. Mechanistic and Nonmechanistic Science An Investigation into the Nature of Consciousness and Form Richard Thompson, 254 pages This book shows that the mechanistic paradigm of modern science cannot account for consciousness and the origin of living species. However, both are tied together in a unified way by the fundamental paradigm of the Bhagavad-gita. The book includes both popular and technical chapters. "I liked the third chapter of Mechanistic and Nonmechanistic Science very much. In particular it acquainted me some with the Bhagavad-gita. I learned that the basic philosophical ideas of this on 'existence' are virtually identical with those which quantum mechanics leads me to." Eugene Wigner Nobel Prize for Physics (1963) "In Mechanistic and Nonmechanistic Science, Dr. Thompson makes a number of cogent arguments against the usual scientific picture of life and evolution. . . . He also presents a clear alternative model. I think it is an important book which would be of interest to many people." Brian Josephson Nobel Prize for Physics (1973) Price $12.95 plus shipping. Origins Bhaktivedanta Institute, 64 pages (magazine format) Although scientific theories have undoubtedly been successful in advancing modern technology, theories purporting to explain the cause of the universe, the existence and development of liv- ing beings, and consciousness itself have serious flaws. Origins exposes these flaws and introduces an alternative explanation derived from the Vedic literature of India, which gives insight into these crucial areas of knowledge. Full of color illustrations. Just $3.50 including shipping. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Shipping: Book Title: Book Rate, U.S. Priority Mail Mysteries of the Sacred Universe, $2.25, $4.50 Alien Identities: $2.25, $4.50 Forbidden Archeology: $3.00, $7.00 The Hidden History of the Human Race: $2.25, $4.50 Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy: $2.00, $4.00 Mechanistic and Nonmechanistic Science: $2.00, $4.00 Foreign Air Mail: $9.00 for all books ================================================================= VIDEOS The Mysterious Origins of Man An NBC TV Special featuring the authors of Forbidden Archeology Original NBC Special - 46 minutes / Companion Tape - 60 minutes Produced by BC Video The creators of the Emmy-Award-Winning Mystery of the Sphinx present a revolutionary network special which examines one of our greatest mysteries: Man's origins. Hosted by Charlton Heston, this documentary challenges what we are being taught about man's evolution and rise to civilization. A new breed of scientific investigators present startling evidence; evidence that the academic community has quietly ignored. If this evidence is allowed to speak for itself, the history of man on this planet may be radically different than what is accepted today. VHS / Hi Fi Stereo / Color UFOs: The First Encounters Produced by the Arts & Entertainment Network approx. 45 minutes Featuring Richard Thompson, author of Alien Identities For centuries scholars have grappled with the question of what UFOs may be and the possible identity of their occupants. Where do they come from, and have they had an influence on human history? Acknowledging this topic as a sensitive one with supporters on both sides of an ongoing debate, this episode of Ancient Mysteries explores numerous possibilities while stating, "Before we unlock the future, we must find the keys to the past." The modern world has inherited a rich legacy from those who came before us--from people who believed their own civilization came to them from people coming down from the heavens. Interestingly, modern archeologists often ponder the exact process that lead to these civilizations, for "it was with the suddenness of a sunrise that human ingenuity and engineering arose from the stone age." How did ancient people develop the technology to build their great monuments with the discipline and precision often unmatched today? Why do so many ancient texts contain references to strange flying objects, centuries before the invention of the airplane? Are we missing a part of the human story? Join Leonard Nimoy, host, as Ancient Mysteries explores "UFOs: The First Encounters," a new investigation of the unsolved. Simulated Worlds Produced by Richard Thompson, 45 Minutes With the advent of computers in the mid-twentieth century, some scientists predicted it would soon be possible to simulate the human mind. Although much time has passed, they have made little progress in that endeavor. Now a new approach is being inaugurated. Several different groups of scientists are experimenting with projecting the consciousness of subjects into robot bodies moving within computer simulated worlds. Some computer science researchers have linked up the senses of human subjects to a computer, using video monitors and joint movement sensors. This enabled the subjects to experience themselves to be seeing and moving within a three-dimensional computer-generated world. This video reviews some examples of simulated worlds technology. It also explores some interesting parallels between the situation of the subject in the simulated world and that of the conditioned self described in Vedic Sankhya philosophy. This video is for general audiences. Mind and Brain Produced by Richard Thompson, 30 Minutes The relationship between the conscious self and the physical brain has proven puzzling to scientists and philosophers ever since the mechanistic revolution in thought in the 17th century. This video explores this relationship, starting with the modern theories and dreams of artificial intelligence researchers. Some AI exponents believe that suitably sophisticated computers can be conscious in the same way that human beings are. In particular, parallel processors simulating neural networks are now believed by many to have the potential for duplicating all human cognitive abilities. This video shows that consciousness, however, involves more than just extremely complex behavior, regardless of whether this behavior is carried out in a brain or in a computer. Philosophical arguments and empirical evidence are introduced indicating that the conscious self is distinct from the physical body. This video is intended for college classroom presentations. Hidden History of Human Race: Part I & Part II Part I, 30 Minutes; Parts I & II, 60 Minutes Produced by Richard Thompson This video sheds new light on the modern theory of human evolution by presenting several examples of suppression and misrepresentation of evidence in the fields of archeology and paleoanthropology. It shows how the present theory, considered by many to be factual, has been developed and maintained by ignoring and discrediting evidence of equal or better quality that is against it. The anomalous evidence presented is a small fraction of the total gathered. All the evidence is described in Forbidden Archeology. The second part of the video addresses the question, "If evolution from apelike ancestors is dismissed as a viable hypothesis, then where did human beings come from?" Ideas of human origins from different cultures around the world are discussed along with empirical evidence supporting them. The Vedic cosmology with its hierarchy of beings is presented as an explanation consistent with traditional ideas of human descent from a higher realm. The video features animations involving extensive use of computer graphics. It is for general audiences. Models of Natural Selection Produced by Richard Thompson, 30 Minutes The neo-Darwinian theory of evolution is based on the assumption that all existing organisms are connected to one another by closely spaced chains of viable intermediate forms. Unfortunately, this assumption is seldom subjected to careful scientific scrutiny. This video shows the need for clearly defined models in the neo-Darwinian theory of evolution. It shows that required intermediate forms fail to exist for certain key models, and it discloses the inadequacy of the theory in general. The video is based on a lecture delivered at a scientific conference on evolution in Budapest. It is aimed at scientifically oriented audiences. Pricing: All videos are $14.95 for NTSC (U.S.) format except for Hidden History of the Human Race, Part I and II, which is $24.95. Please add $3.00 for shipping first class mail ($4.00 for airmail to Canada and Mexico or $5.00 for foreign airmail). Inquire regarding prices for PAL format. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Wholesale pricing of books: special orders 20% off quantity orders 40% off orders by the case 50% off Please fax a purchase order to: (415) 962-0797 ---------------------------------------------------------------- Ordering: Please send a check or money order payable to Govardhan Hill, Inc. in U.S. dollars to: Govardhan Hill, Inc. P.O. Box 1920 Alachua, FL 32616-1920 U.S.A. For more information, call (386) 462-0466 or e-mail us at: ghi@nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu or see our web site at: http://nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu/~ghi