The title of this volume, Surrounded by Symbols, describes mankind's unique environment. The book tells how freedom in using language creates social reality. A language for civility and scholarship avoids spuma, magic, and defensive bilge. Taking a telescoping view, we study vibrations in symbolic environments between tradition and modernity, faithfulness and pragmatism, and between materialism and humanism. Taking a microscopic view, we see the descriptive, evaluative, and prescriptive language, often imbued with emotions, forming a universal minimum vocabulary of social reality.

Swedish immigrants tell their own stories in this collection of letters, diaries, and memoirs--a perfect book for those interested in history, immigration, or just the daily lives of early Swedish-American settlers.

The nineteenth century witnessed a proliferation of alternative religious currents and practices, appropriating earlier traditions, entangling geographically distinct spiritual discourses, and crafting a repository of mindscapes eminently suitable to be accommodated by later generations of thinkers and practitioners. Penned by specialists in the field, this volume examines important themes and figures pertaining to this occult amalgam and its resonance into the twentieth century and beyond. Global guises of the occult, ranging from the Americas and Europe to India, are variously addressed, with special attention to the crucial role of mesmerism and the origins of modern yoga.

This book offers a unique perspective on the role of the Scottish community in the development of Swedish society. It explores the various contributions made by Scots in areas such as trade, education, and science, and sheds light on the cultural ties that have existed between Scotland and Sweden for centuries. The book is an essential read for anyone interested in the history of Scottish migration and its impact on the world. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.