The Dream of the Cosmos: A Quest for the Soul Paperback – Import, January 1, 2013

Love the book.

Anne Baring's presentation is thorough and extremely well-referenced in a scholarly manner. This is THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ IN THIS PANDEMIC YEAR, and I've been reading LOTS! I only wish this information had been available sooner. So many pieces fell into place, and now I can easily walk away from stuff that was crammed down my throat by ignorant, well-meaning teachers.

I agree wholeheartedly that this is one of the most important books I ever have read, although I am merely half-way through. This is an exceptionally lucid, easy-to-read description of the damage that has been done to most all of us through the changing belief/religious systems over the past 4000 years, and why it is imperative that the re-emergence of the Divine Feminine take place on our planet. This book puts my entire Christian upbringing into clear perspective as well as the psychological and spiritual damage it has caused. Understanding is both power and redemption. I am truly grateful I am reading this book.

Perhaps one of the most important books ever written. This is permanently within my reach, and I refer to it again and again. This should be required reading for anyone who is bewildered at how we've arrived where we now are as a species, and what we need if we are to move forward, if moving forward is still even a possibility. Baring is deserving of a Nobel for this stunning work of insight and wisdom.

The Dream of the Cosmos is a game changer. Anne Baring unpacks how we got into this global mess (wars, environmental issues, oppression of women, poor healthcare, etc.) and how we can solve it. Her meticulous research and connecting the dots across different disciplines (science, religion, spiritual traditions, sociology, philosophy, etc.) is what is needed to understand what matters at a personal level and for our planet. This is the book to read if you want to be inspired and to know we must take action now to make the world a better place.

Beautiful and stunning voyage through history and explanation of the paradigm we all must make -- as we integrate our past and go bravely into our future. Thank you for writing this amazing book --and integrating so much of my loved philosophy, science, and psychology.

A history of Western culture and religion that arrives at startling conclusions about our world and how we must change to live in it.

I loved this book, it is a treasure filled with truth and beautifully written. I just finished reading it and plan to start again as it is filled with so much to process and embody. It is an encyclopedia of a lifetime's research and experiences on psychology, philosophy, religion, and so much more.

To delve into this magnificent book is to embark on a personal journey which can lead in many directions. There is so much between these pages in which Anne Baring displays an intellectual virtuosity which is as profound as it is sharp as a tack. Then author is a Jungian analyst, a religious scholar and historian; the book is her magnus opus and is a natural follow up to her scholarly work “Myth of the Goddess “(1991). The Jungian influence runs like a silk thread throughout the text leading to her passionate plea for the rebirth of the feminine archetype in the western world. Also of special note is her re-appraisal of the traditional doctrine of “original sin” which she demonstrates has spawned centuries of repression and a warped understanding of salvation, an aberration which still lurks in our unconscious. Tellingly we see her personal rationale for writing in a warm passage (p.523) where we glimpse that she has written the book out of love of life, humanity and love for the mystery of the Cosmos. The task has obviously taken her a step closer to answering the perennial question “Who am I” and in this process she will open the eyes of any enquiring reader and reroute us to a new, more authentic, way of living. In these pages the most complex of subjects are presented with the lightest of touches so that by the time the reader gets to the final page, you just say “WOW”. And then you will want to read the whole book over again.

An outstanding book -- meticulously researched and truly comprehensive in its scope, which ranges from cultural history to depth psychology to the global ecological crisis. Although this is a long and weighty volume, to be read chapter by chapter, the author's writing style -- straightforward, elegant and lucid -- draws the reader back to the work in a pleasing way.The 'Dream of the Cosmos' addresses and resolves a whole range of historical, cultural and psycho-spiritual issues with real insight and modesty. It is an exceptional work by an exceptional woman. Not to be missed.

I bought this book when it was first published and it sat on my bookshelf for a while. I have just finished reading it and for me it is the new Bible. From 'The One Work: A Journey Towards The Self', (Anne Gage), which I read around 1970, to this masterpiece, I can say the Anne Baring continues to change my life. Having said that, it isn't for everybody, and in my opinion, unless we have had experience, however minute, during our lives, it will be difficult to grasp. A great book, though, and highly recommended for anybody who has experienced 'mystical consciousness'.The book will live happily next to 'The Teachings of the Mystics', by W.T. Stace on my bookshelf.Thank you Anne Baring.

One of the best books I have read for a long time. Anne Baring`s depth of knowledge and psychological insights from her work and training as a Jungian Analyst make this an outstanding book. Written in an accessible style combining personal experience with her extensive knowledge of both individual and societal psychological dynamics. Highly recommended.

Thoughtful, inspiring, beautifully written. A 'must read' for anyone interested in the symbolic life and the meaning of current events. A personal guide through the maze of contemporary life.