1.) Walden, by Henry David Thoreau
Thoreau's time at Walden Pond represents a return to himself. It is a journey of awakening and of heightened awareness. Only that day dawns to which we are awake. . . . To be awake is to be alive. If you read it years ago, it deserves a re-read. If you have never read it, now is the time; it will be well worth your while.
2.) Tao Te Ching, translated by Stephen Mitchell
Beautiful translation of this timeless work on the "Way of Life." The wisdom and teaching in these pages is profound, and serves to open us to a deeper relationship with the energies within and without us.
3.) The Doors of Perception, by Aldous Huxley
Author of The Perennial Philosophy articulates his experiences with seeing and listening while under the influence of mescaline. A classic document on heightened perception.
4.) The Essential Rumi, transl.Coleman Barks
All that can be said is: read it. The scope of Rumi's longings for infinity and of his awakened perceptions is unparalleled. It will provide nourishment for years to come. It truly falls into the category of Rilke's "the grace of great things."
5.) Leaves of Grass, by Walt Whitman
Startlingly insightful. Whitman's bold voice and the breadth of his vision is, at times, breathtaking. The book has the capacity to nourish, instruct, and awaken the reader to a genuinely expanded consciousness. Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote, in an enthusiastic letter to Whitman, "I find incomparable things said incomparably well, as they must be."
6.) Awakening the Mind, Lightening the Heart, by H.H. The Dalai Lama
H.H.The Dalai Lama interprets the core teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. One of the best books on the path toward enlightenment available from this modern teacher. Unlike many contemporary books, which are no more than watered-down interpretations of the world's great teachings, this is a genuine source.
7.) And There Was Light, by Jacques Lusseyran
An autobiography of Jacques Lusseyran, French writer and teacher, who was blinded in a schoolyard accident at the age of eight. Lusseyran's experiences and his ability to see with his attention are remarkable. A blind man teaches sighted people how to see.
8.) A Separate Reality & Journey To Ixtlan, by Carlos Castaneda
The story of don Juan's instructions to Carlos Castaneda on the nature of seeing and knowing. Don Juan told Carlos: "My predilection is the see, because only through seeing can a man of knowledge know." Classic books on the spiritual quest and on opening to non-ordinary reality.
9.) In Search of the Miraculous, by P.D. Ouspensky
"Fragments of an Unknown Teaching." Ouspensky's magnum opus on the teachings brought to the western world by G.I. Gurdjieff. These teachings reveal the nature of our mechanicalness and of our sleep, and provide methods of self-observation and self-remembering to assist in our awakening. The teachings are remarkable and are brought to life by Ouspensky's clarity and brevity.
10.) Ahead of All Parting, Selected Poetry and Prose of Rainer Maria Rilke, transl. Stephen Mitchell
One of the great guides of the Twentieth Century. Rilke's poetry and prose represent the journey of an individual in the process of awakening. Very inspirational and nourishing. Rilke's deeply felt perceptions serve to awaken a longing for consciousness in the reader.