What can we learn from the perennial philosophy of Aldous Huxley? - Jules Evans | Aeon Essays

Aldous Huxley's The Perennial Philosophy(1945) is an extraordinary work of synthesis, introducing global (particularly eastern) spirituality into mainstream western culture.

The Philosopher has translated some untranslatable insights from the Bhagwad Geeta, The Upanishads, the teachings of Buddha and associated Zen masters. The main aim of the book is to shed light on the stupidity and barbarism of various religions and try to make people see a Universal God.

• Modern society has been described as the Age of Noise, and an Organized Lovelessness.
• Advertising is revealed to be an organized effort to extend and intensify craving.
• People in the modern age worship progress, technology, and their nation-state, all of which can be described as a 'religion'.
• The dogma of such religions was profoundly criticized in the classic books, while paving the way towards newer ways to find God, like meditation.

The Author and Philosopher's fresh take on religion, shaping it as an 'empirical spirituality' was a huge influence in the 1960s and which has since then led to more people (now 27% in the US) being 'Spiritual but not Religious'