Talk:Richard Maurice Bucke

Caleb Pink reference in Bucke's bio
Fawcett5 : Glad to know someone is keeping watch for potential vandalism or mischief in this article. However, the Caleb Pink reference is legit. A "C.P." is mentioned in the text of Cosmic Consciousness in more than one section, and the initials are explained in the book's bibliography.

In Bucke's autobiographical section near the beginning of the book (page 8 in the University Books hardcover edition), C.P. is briefly described; Bucke tells how he sought broader understanding of his illumination experience of 1872 and found his way to C.P. (described as "Christ-like" and "uneducated" and "despising money"and an expositor of the Scriptures). A vignettte of C.P. is included in the second section discussing people who have had cosmic consciousness (pp. 247-251, in my edition). With each cited passage from C.P.'s book, Bucke uses a bibliographic number (132); turning to the Bibliography at the back of the University Press edition, reference #132 is "Pink, Caleb The Angel of the Mental Orient"

Bucke was clearly impressed by Caleb Pink.

On that basis, I'm returning the Caleb Pink paragraph to the article. - J.R.

Question About Year of Death
In the Penguin Paperback edition of Cosmic Consciousness, Bucke's year of death is noted, by his father, as being 1898. Is there any light that can be shed on the discrepancy between the two years? 72.194.122.14 (talk)John D. —Preceding comment was added at 04:40, 27 November 2007 (UTC)

"Cosmic Consciousness - the book"
Bucke had many publications of which "Cosmic Consciousness" was best known. Perhaps the two paragraphs about this book should be spun off into a separate article titled "Cosmic_Consciousness_(book)" which could then be expanded somewhat. --67.71.29.89 (talk) 09:54, 9 July 2008 (UTC)
 * About the acquisition of a new, advanced human faculty (namely, "cosmic consciousness") 65.93.140.164 wrote originally in the article text:
 * {modern criticism of this idea: while having enhanced vision or hearing will lead to increased survival and reproductive opportunities for the animal in question, I fail to see how the "Cosmic Sense" will be of any value in this area. However, like "Self Consciousness" before it, maybe you have to posses this mental state before any the advantages become apparent}

...I think we'll need a link to the book as well since the article Cosmic Consciousness refers to the book as about the "historical forms of mysticism" which is nonsense. Darkpoet (talk) 05:10, 16 September 2008 (UTC)

US spelling?
This article, unexpectedly, uses American spelling. Is that intentional?

Cheers, Varlaam (talk) 04:32, 7 February 2010 (UTC)


 * It does. Consistently.
 * I am therefore marking the article.
 * Varlaam (talk) 05:54, 27 September 2010 (UTC)