Steve Taylor

Edge-walkers: Reimagining faith, church and theologyis an exploration of emergent and generative 'Christianities', seen through the lenses of a diverse range of reflective practitioners in Australia. In this book, 20 cutting-edge leaders explore and interrogate what it means for them to be on the fringes of faith, church and theology. The book stresses the urgent need for 'edge' ministries today and how they contribute to the much-needed renewal and life of the church and our faith. These edge-walkers are reimagining faith, church and theology in their practice. The book amplifies their voices so that we can learn from these emerging iterations and possibilities of the Christian faith. Each chapter focuses on the theological and practical implications of their lived experiences, wrestling with practices such as Neighbourhood, Evangelism, Digital Connection, Play, Pakipaki, Decolonisation and Eucharist. Some practices are ancient to the Christian faith, while others have emerged in recent times as people contextualise the gospel. The Christian faith is not monolithic, but multi-coloured and diverse. The edge-walkers in this book show us what is possible in a season when so many are leaving the church and deconstructing (and reconstructing) their faith. Their persistence, innovation and gentleness give us hope for the future of the changing landscape of the church, faith and theology.

Steve Taylor's previous books of spiritual poetry The Calm Center and The Clear Light have brought stillness and joy to tens of thousands of readers. In this new book of spiritual poetry, he provides meditations and reflections to support our spiritual journey. He reminds us of the deep contentment that lies beneath the turbulent surface of our minds and the harmony that lies beneath the turmoil of the world. Every poem is an illumination that will help return you to your authentic spiritual self. Praise for Steve Taylor's spiritual poetry: 'If you open yourself to their transformational power...each piece will work its magic within you.' Eckhart Tolle on The Calm Center 'A beautifully written guide into the fierce, liberating aliveness within the present moment.' Michael Beckwith on The Calm Center. 'In this time of anxiety about the future, Steve Taylor brings us the gift of poetic meditations to rest deeply in the living, loving now. He invites us not just to rest but also to be openly compassionate and to live courageously.' Loch Kelly on The Clear Light.

Discover the Essence of Who You Really Are These powerful meditations and poetic reflections will comfort, inspire, and gently bring you out of the hectic day-to-day and back to the bedrock of peace, and even joy, of your true, essential, and authentic self. By encouraging you to see the limitations of your everyday, conditioned personality, Steve Taylor empowers you to step outside of it so you can breathe the fresh air of freedom. His words will guide you on a journey through the landscape of wider awareness, pointing out the obstacles and landmarks along the way to enlightenment. A profound modern spiritual text with the power to transmit awakening, The Calm Center will help you open to the deepest and highest experiences of a life fully lived.

Have you ever been in an accident and felt that time slowed down? Have you felt time stretch radically, or even apparently disappear, in a state of deep meditation? Psychologist Dr Steve Taylor calls these “Time Expansion Experiences”, and in this book he shares his years of research into this life-changing phenomenon. What do unusual states of consciousness such as mystical experiences, psychedelic experiences, and near-death experiences tell us about time and consciousness? What can the countless reports of “life review” – when people view a whole lifetime of events and experiences within a few seconds – tell about the past, present and the future? What does modern physics say about the idea of linear time? Is it possible to speed up or slow down time by inducing TEEs? In this book discover the fascinating psychology and shared features behind real-life case studies, which will change forever the way you think about time.

Step-by-step practices for cultivating spiritual awakening, from a renowned psychologist who has studied the phenomenon in hundreds of people For many, the word enlightenment conjures visions of a meditating monk or a solitary guru perched on a remote mountain peak, but those popular images don't always reflect reality. Psychologist Steve Taylor has devoted his career to investigating the process of enlightenment -- or awakening, which more accurately captures the original meaning -- as both a scientist and a spiritual seeker. In his research, he has found that spiritual awakening is more common than generally believed and that it sometimes occurs spontaneously, outside the context of religion or even traditional spirituality. In his trailblazing books The Leap (2017) and Extraordinary Awakenings (2021), Taylor discussed case histories of dozens of people who have experienced mystical shifts in consciousness. His follow-up, The Adventure, is a practical and experiential book based on his research. It poses a crucial question: Can humans awaken through their own individual efforts? The answer is a resounding yes. The Adventure offers specific practices for catalyzing spiritual transformation, along with guided meditations, contemplative exercises, lyric poems, and inspirational stories. The Adventure outlines how to: - recognize and cultivate the eight defining characteristics of wakefulness, including presence, acceptance, gratitude, and disidentification from the ego - use everyday life -- the challenges of home, workplace, and relationships -- as spiritual practice and doorways to enlightenment - maintain gratitude, compassion, and equanimity in the face of challenges - transcend "thought chatter" and the restless mind to move toward increasing heights and depths of spiritual awakening Taylor leaves readers with an intriguing possibility: that each individual awakening is a forerunner of our collective awakening as a species, foretelling a momentous change in human consciousness. The adventure is just beginning.

DisConnected offers a new vision of human nature and a new understanding of human behaviour and social problems. Connection is the most essential human trait - it determines our behaviour and our level of well-being. Cruelty is the result of a sense of disconnection, while “goodness” stems from connection. Unfortunately, the most disconnected people gravitate to positions of power, which leads to “pathocracy,” the most common form of government during the 20th century. Disconnected societies are patriarchal, hierarchical and warlike. Connected societies are egalitarian, democratic and peaceful. We can measure both social progress and personal development in terms of how far we move along a continuum of connection. At the most essential level, we are always interconnected. Altruism and spirituality are experiences of our fundamental connection. Regaining awareness of our connection is the only way by which we can live in harmony with ourselves, one another, and the world itself.

The subject of 'Second Sight', 'Prophecy' or 'Foreknowledge' has both fascinated and terrified the people of the Hebrides of Scotland for hundreds of years. From the alarmed and despairing citizens on the Isle of Eigg in 1690, who, ignoring the warnings of a local Seer, suffered at the hands of hostile forces, until more recent times, people have both listened, laughed, mocked and scorned the words and warnings of their Seers and Prophets. This book is a recounting of some of these stories, from various sources, both old and of a more recent vintage. They are records from the lips and letters of Skye and Hebridean folk who had personal experience or knowledge of them. In addition these stories give a fascinating glance into the life of Skye and other Hebridean communities in an age long past.

The last ten years has seen significant regulatory changes and the issuing of professional advice to match developments in clinical practice. It has not been easy for clinicians to keep pace with the changes or to find information on how and when changes have occurred and this text provides an essential source to guide optometrists through the current regulatory and professional expectations.Although specifically designed for the optometrist the text will also be useful to anyone involved in the provision, regulation and monitoring of optometry services in the UK.Detailed chapters on the Opticians Act, General Optical Council and the National Health Service General Ophthalmic Service Regulations provide a foundation on the regulation for optometry practice. These chapters trace the development of the regulatory framework and the different roles played by various organisations and government. Additional chapters cover more detailed issues including requirements for Continuing Professional Development, Delegation and Supervision, Contact lenses, Referrals, Case Records and data protection, Fitness to Practice and Drugs and optometry. These all impact on day-to-day aspects of optometric practice and it is important for optometrists to understand how the requirements in these areas may affect an individual's ability to practise. The text also provides a useful reference source and a list of regulations relating to optometry practice in the UK.

The last ten years has seen significant regulatory changes and the issuing of professional advice to match developments in clinical practice. It has not been easy for clinicians to keep pace with the changes or to find information on how and when changes have occurred and this text provides an essential source to guide optometrists through the current regulatory and professional expectations.Although specifically designed for the optometrist the text will also be useful to anyone involved in the provision, regulation and monitoring of optometry services in the UK.Detailed chapters on the Opticians Act, General Optical Council and the National Health Service General Ophthalmic Service Regulations provide a foundation on the regulation for optometry practice. These chapters trace the development of the regulatory framework and the different roles played by various organisations and government. Additional chapters cover more detailed issues including requirements for Continuing Professional Development, Delegation and Supervision, Contact lenses, Referrals, Case Records and data protection, Fitness to Practice and Drugs and optometry. These all impact on day-to-day aspects of optometric practice and it is important for optometrists to understand how the requirements in these areas may affect an individual's ability to practise. The text also provides a useful reference source and a list of regulations relating to optometry practice in the UK.

Peter Simpson had created a business in the UK and then in the USA, so when he was asked to do it again in France, he didn’t bat an eyelid. After all, how difficult could it be? What awaited him was a culture shock that he was completely unprepared for. He’d read the books and seen the TV programmes about people relocating to France and settling into their new lifestyle, but this was different. Very different. Caught between a nation that viewed work as a somewhat necessary evil, and a traditional British CEO that had no time for excuses, Peter was between a rock and a hard place. Make that an enormous planet-sized rock, and an Einstein-beating impossibly hard place.

Daniel "Scrap" Scruggs is going broke and fast. On the eve of his financial demise, he sets off a far worse threat when he discovers missing drug money in the marsh and uses it to save his business. His commitment to providing for his family--at all costs--lures him down a path that may destroy everything he loves. With both the FBI and a sociopathic drug lord after him, Scrap hatches a scheme to turn the FBI away from himself and onto the drug cartel. A Citadel graduate committed to a hard-lined moral code, he now finds himself willing to lie, steal, and even kill in order to save his family.

A compelling and inspiring investigation of the seemingly miraculous way that intense psychological suffering can lead to a dramatic shift into a new, expansive identityWhy do some people who experience the worst that life has to offer respond not by breaking down but by shifting up, into a higher-functioning, awakened state, like phoenixes rising from the ashes? And perhaps more importantly, how can we emulate their transformations? Over many years of observing and studying the phenomenon of life-changing awakening through extreme suffering, Steve Taylor coined the term "transformation through turmoil." He calls these people "shifters" and here shares dozens of their amazing stories. In addition, Taylor uncovers the psychological processes that explain these miraculous rebirths after years of struggle or devastating loss, addiction, or imprisonment. He highlights a number of lessons and guidelines that the shifters offer us. In Extraordinary Awakenings, readers will find not only riveting stories of transformation that show the amazing resilience of the human spirit, but also hope and guidance to call on during their own struggles, together with inspiration and profound food for thought.

The story of a subterranean club situated in the backstreets of Leeds, that changed the lives of all who went there. Top of The Stairs tracks the origin of the Central Dance Club and its transition, from the early mods, through the Northern Soul era to Jazz Funk, and ultimately back again. It captures the unique and personal stories of the DJs and the dancers alike, along with some of the incidents and events that have persisted in Soul folklore for decades, including stories from Tony Banks, Twink, Ian Dewhirst, Richard Searling, Paul Rowan, Pat Brady, Paul Schofield and many more.

You've had your eye on a new car for months, but you're avoiding the dealership. After all, everyone knows the frustrations that come with buying a car. You spend hours waiting for the salesperson to crunch numbers and check with their manager, only to leave feeling that they "won" and wondering whether you truly made a good decision. Just because this could be your experience buying a car doesn't mean it has to be.As the owner and operator of seven successful car dealerships, Steve Taylor has worked for twenty years to change the negative connotations of his industry and the car-buying experience. In Taylor Made, Steve walks you step-by-step through the process of buying a car. He gives you insider tips on how to choose a dealer, get top dollar for your trade-in, negotiate a fair price, and select the products that will truly protect you in the long run. By answering all the questions you were too apprehensive to ask, this book will make buying a car enjoyable again-as it should be.

Steve Taylor offers short and powerful poetic reflections as a guide to spiritual awakening, and as experiential glimpses of the state of enlightenment itself. As Eckhart Tolle has written, the poetic form has been "recognized since ancient times as a highly appropriate medium for the expression and transmission of spiritual truth." Taylor ranges widely, through subjects including "Making the Human Race Whole," "Freedom from the Past," and "The Reality of Connection," always in clear and simple language. Best of all, he reminds readers of the choices they always have when life feels chaotic and overwhelming -- empathy, acceptance, and love. Soothing but also challenging, Taylor's words continually affirm the profound bedrock of peace and even joy in the present that is always available. The book's eponymous reflection says it best: "There is nothing that can't be undone -- no past injury that can't be healed / no past mistake that can't be corrected -- in the clear light of the present." Reading this book is a transformational spiritual experience in itself.

A guide on how to live more soulfully and, in so doing, transform yourself and the planet • Explores the connections between healing your personal wounds and healing the planet • Explains how embracing unitive qualities such as love, friendship, joy, courage, forgiveness, and truth, as well as facing your Shadow sides and confronting world evil, enables you to move through important gateways leading to soul • Offers a variety of transpersonal exercises, meditations, and guided visualizations Humanity is in a great crisis of soul today, but there is also much good will around. As a species, we are challenged to start embracing a new story, one that enables us to be less greedy and materialistic and to espouse peace not war, kindness not cruelty, and heart as opposed to indifference. What we need is to bring more soul into the world. In this guide about engaging in inner work to bring change into the world, Dr. Serge Beddington-Behrens reveals how the healing of our personal wounds combined with the growing of our soul life leads us directly to the addressing of world problems. Sharing inspirational stories from his own personal journey of becoming a transpersonal psychotherapist, shaman, and activist, he shows you how, by transforming your inner world, you begin creating important positive ripples that reverberate around all areas of your outer one. The exercises and meditations he has devised will not only help you heal and become more fully human but also enable you to bring a very different kind of awareness--a sacred awareness--into all areas of your everyday life. Not only will this enable you to experience more joy and meaning as you increasingly disconnect from the clutches of the system, but you will also find yourself opening your heart, reclaiming your personal power, bringing in new myths for humanity to live by, and gradually shifting away from being part of the problems in the world to becoming a core part of their solution.