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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...

Economy

Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data

Gold prices moved higher in Asian trading on Friday, supported by a weakening U.S. dollar and strong expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its upcoming December 910 meeting. Spot gold rose 0.5%...

Asia’s IPO Market Set for Strong Growth as China and India Drive Investor Diversification

Asias equity capital markets are poised for another strong year as a surge of high-profile IPOs from China and India attracts global investors seeking diversification beyond U.S. assets. In 2025, Asian ECM...

Spain’s Industrial Output Records Steady Growth in October Amid Revised September Figures

Spains industrial sector posted a moderate yet encouraging rise in October, with industrial output increasing 1.2% compared to the same month last year, according to new data released by the National Statistics Institute...

European Stocks Rise as Markets Await Key U.S. Inflation Data

European stock markets edged higher on Friday as investors looked ahead to the delayed release of the Federal Reserves preferred inflation metric, a key indicator ahead of next weeks policy meeting. By early European...

European Oil & Gas Stocks Face 2026 With Cautious Outlook Amid Valuation Pressure

European oil and gas equities are entering 2026 on a more cautious footing as J.P. Morgans latest EU Oils Outlook highlights tightening valuations and growing concerns over a projected global oil oversupply. Despite Brent...

Politics

Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns

Taiwans political landscape heated up after the government announced a plan to suspend access to the Chinese social media platform Rednoteknown as Xiaohongshufor one year. The interior ministry said the proposed ban stems...

China’s Expanding Maritime Military Presence Alarms Taiwan and Japan

Taiwan and Japan expressed growing concern on Friday over Chinas expanding military activity across East Asian waters, following a Reuters report revealing Beijings largest maritime deployment to date. According to...

Honduras Election Turmoil Intensifies as Nasralla Blames Trump for Shift in Results

Honduran presidential candidate Salvador Nasralla says last-minute interference by former U.S. President Donald Trump undermined his chances in the countrys tightly contested election. Speaking with Reuters, Nasralla, a...

Australia and Japan Strengthen Defence Cooperation Amid Rising Regional Tensions

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles will travel to Japan on Saturday for high-level defence talks with his counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, as both nations deepen security cooperation in response to growing regional...

U.S. Justice Department Orders Intensified Probe Into Antifa and Domestic Extremist Groups

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed federal law enforcement agencies to significantly ramp up investigations into the antifa movement and other groups deemed potential domestic extremist threats, according to an...

Science

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp

The European Commission is reportedly preparing to launch a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) over the companys recent rollout of artificial intelligence features within WhatsApp....

Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly explored raising significant capital to acquire or partner with a rocket company, a move that could have created direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. According to a report from the...

Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation

Wikipedia is seeking additional licensing deals with major technology companies to address the growing financial burden caused by artificial intelligence firms heavily scraping its platform, according to co-founder Jimmy...

Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature

Firelight reaches 25M XRP deposit cap within hours of launch; ushers in a new era for decentralized XRP staking. A new XRP staking platform, Firelight, has officially launched on the Flare blockchain, marking the first...

OpenAI Moves to Acquire Neptune as It Expands AI Training Capabilities

OpenAI has confirmed plans to acquire Neptune, a startup known for its advanced tools that help companies track, monitor, and optimize AI model training workflows. Although the company did not release the financial details...