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Dr. Mike Sosteric

Dr. Mike Sosteric

Associate Professor, Sociology, Athabasca University

I am an associate professor of Sociology at Athabasca University. My primary interests are in the areas of human development, human potential, and human transformation.

For full text of my academic papers, visit https://athabascau.academia.edu/DrS

Human Spirituality

When it comes to human potential and human transformation, I find human spirituality and, in particular, mystical experience (what I would call connection experience) a fascinating subject. I explore human mystical experience in four recent papers, one entitled "The Sociology of Mysticism," another entitled "Dangerous Memories: Slavery, Mysticism, and Transformation," a third entitled "The Science of Ascension," and a final entitled "From Zoroaster to Star Wars, Jesus to Marx: The Science and Technology of Mass Human Behavior."
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Human Economics

You can’t talk about human potential and human transformation without talking about money and the economy. Without sufficient money, there is no way for an individual to actualize their potential. Unfortunately, our current global economy is one where unfettered accumulation ensures the vast majority live without the resources required to live a full and transformative life. I examine our current global economic system, the cyclic global economic crises which regularly ensue, and the pain and suffering involved, in my book, "Rocket Scientists’ Guide to Money and the Economy." I also provide an educational video entitled Money Moksha to go along with the book, available on YouTube.

How the conservative right hijacks religion

Jul 09, 2019 23:29 pm UTC| Insights & Views Politics

Democrats are beginning to challenge the Republican grip on the language of religion and faith in the United States. Democrat Sen. Chris Coons, a graduate of Yale Divinity School, recently wrote an essay for The Atlantic,...

The Catholic Church is a rich male collective

Sep 24, 2018 06:41 am UTC| Insights & Views Life

Im a typical sociologist, meaning I am skeptical about religion and human spirituality. Although I attended Catholic Church as a small child, I could see the hypocrisy, even as a child. I rejected that religion at an early...

Global Geopolitics Series

World War Three is being waged in cyberspace

Oct 05, 2017 03:35 am UTC| Insights & Views Technology

My introduction to advanced communication technology (i.e. the Internet and World Wide Web) came in 1999. Having grown up in the two-channel universe of the 1960s and 70s, I was agog at the power it represented. The...

Teen suicide is on the rise and this is why

Sep 11, 2017 15:17 pm UTC| Insights & Views Life

Every 40 seconds, another human life is taken by suicide, according to World Health Organization data. In Canada, a new report reveals that young people between the ages of 15 and 19, who are struggling with mental...

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Economy

Beyond the spin, beyond the handouts, here’s how to get a handle on what’s really happening on budget night

Three weeks from now, some of us will be presented with a mountain of budget papers, and just about all of us will get to hear about them on radio, TV or news websites on budget night. The quickest way to find out what...

Johannesburg in a time of darkness: Ivan Vladislavić’s new memoir reminds us of the city’s fragility

Ivan Vladislavić is Johannesburgs literary linkman. He tells us, in the first pages of his new book, The Near North, that before cities were lit, first by gaslight and later electricity, people of means paid torchbearers...

What if the Reserve Bank itself has been feeding inflation? An economist explains

Heres something for the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia to ponder as it meets next month to set interest rates. It has pushed up rates on 13 occasions since it began its attempt to restrain inflation in May...

China’s new world order: looking for clues from Xi’s recent meetings with foreign leaders

There is broad consensus that Chinese foreign policy has become more assertive and more centralised in the decade since Xi Jinping has ascended to the top of Chinas leadership. This has also meant that Chinese foreign...

How India’s economy has fared under ten years of Narendra Modi

More than 960 million Indians will head to the polls in the worlds biggest election between April 19 and early June. The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is seeking a third...

Politics

Labour can afford to be far more ambitious with its economic policies – voters are on board

To say that the Labour party is flying high in the polls is something of an understatement. But despite its consistent lead against the Tories, the opposition finds itself in a rather odd position: on the cusp of power but...

History for sale: what does South Africa’s struggle heritage mean after 30 years of democracy?

One of my favourite statues is the one of Nelson Mandela at the Sandton City shopping centre in Johannesburg. Larger than life, its oversized bronze shoes shimmer in the evening light, polished by the hands of many...

Sudan: civil war stretches into a second year with no end in sight

In the early hours of April 15 2023, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) a Sudanese paramilitary force attacked the military airstrip in the town of Merowe and deployed troops across strategic locations in Sudans capital,...

Turkey’s suppression of the Kurdish political movement continues to fuel a deadly armed conflict

The world has 91 democracies and 88 autocracies. Yet 71% of the worlds population (some 5.7 billion people) are living under autocratic rule, a big jump from 48% ten years ago. This trend towards authoritarianism can...

Georgia is sliding towards autocracy after government moves to force through bill on ‘foreign agents’

Georgias ruling party attempted to pass a controversial bill on foreign agents in March 2023. The law would have required civil society groups and the media to register as being under foreign influence if they receive...

Science

A Nasa rover has reached a promising place to search for fossilised life on Mars

While we go about our daily lives on Earth, a nuclear-powered robot the size of a small car is trundling around Mars looking for fossils. Unlike its predecessor Curiosity, Nasas Perseverance rover is explicitly intended to...

The rising flood of space junk is a risk to us on Earth – and governments are on the hook

A piece of space junk recently crashed through the roof and floor of a mans home in Florida. Nasa later confirmed that the object had come from unwanted hardware released from the international space station. The 700g,...

Peter Higgs was one of the greats of particle physics. He transformed what we know about the building blocks of the universe

Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the subatomic particle known as the Higgs boson, has died aged 94. He was always a modest man, especially when considering that he was one of the greats of particle physics the area of...

Could a telescope ever see the beginning of time? An astronomer explains

The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST for short, is one of the most advanced telescopes ever built. Planning for JWST began over 25 years ago, and construction efforts spanned over a decade. It was launched into space on...

US media coverage of new science less likely to mention researchers with African and East Asian names

When one Chinese national recently petitioned the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to become a permanent resident, he thought his chances were pretty good. As an accomplished biologist, he figured that news...

Technology

Arthur Hayes Predicts Major Bullish Crypto Market Recovery Signal From US Treasury Department

Arthur Hayes, co-founder of BitMEX, has identified a potential boost for the cryptocurrency and stock markets based on recent U.S. Treasury actions. These actions could inject substantial liquidity, fueling a bullish...

Tesla Cybertruck Spotted in Sydney Sparks Debate: Potential Australian Release?

As the Tesla Cybertruck makes unexpected appearances on the streets of Sydney, speculation swirls about its potential availability in Australia, despite previous doubts regarding its local launch. Tesla Cybertruck...

Hertz to Offload 30K EVs This Year, Deepens Cuts Amid Mounting Fleet Losses

In a recent financial revelation, Hertz disclosed continued losses from its electric vehicle (EV) investments, announcing plans to sell 30,000 EVs this year amid depreciating values and escalating maintenance...

Toyota Motor Launches Trial for EV Pickups in Thailand

Toyota Motor Corporation launched the trial for its electric pickup trucks in Thailand. The Japanese automaker said its pilot project brought nine fully electric Hilux Revo pickups to key Thai market. According to...
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