BNT’s Best of the Week 10/10/09

Alan Watts

“It is quite possible, you see, that the whole enterprise of man to control events on the Earth by his conscious intelligence, by his language, by his mathematics, and by his science is a disaster.” The late Zen philosopher Alan Watts shares his views in the provocative seminar “The Value of Psychotic Experience.”

Knowing when it’s time to act on an urge can be difficult… you grapple with your mind and your heart. Salon’s Cary Tennis offers some great insight into making the move. And DailyOm backs it up with advice for those on the precipice.

Can you imagine life after death? That depends on many things… but mainly your belief in the afterlife. In a fascinating article for Scientific American, Never Say Die reveals our wish for a timeless consciousness may be a by-product of consciousness itself.

Everyone knows how good it feels to laugh til it hurts. Ode Magazine explains how laughter meditation can also lead to peace and joy.

Days with my Father is a stunning essay chronicling the last days of one photographer’s relationship with his Alzheimers-ridden dad.

Where Does the idea of God come from? Author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy) gives us his short, funny take on where the idea came from.

While all lists are inherently controversial, the Times shared their picks for 20 best travel books of the past century. Previously, we offered up our own 50 Greatest Travel Books of All Time.

Any great links I missed this week? Share in the comments!