Cover -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Contents -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction -- The Consciousness, Literature and the Arts research context, 2000-2013 -- Subjectivity, spirituality and the Vedanta model of consciousness -- States of consciousness -- The relation of states of consciousness to each other -- Higher states of consciousness -- Principles of pure consciousness -- Contents and scope -- PART ONE: THEATRE AND CONSCIOUSNESS -- Chapter One. Consciousness and Western Theatre History:Theory and Examples -- Schiller's concept of universal history -- History and time: non-teleological and non-causal approach -- Theatre history and time: non-teleological and non-causal approach -- History and time: teleological and causal approach -- Theatre history and time: teleological and causal approach -- Example one. Consciousness and drama: English biographical plays about famous artists -- Introduction -- Authenticity -- Function and focus -- Constellations -- Adversity versus genius -- Modes of identification -- Peter Shaffer's Amadeus (1979) -- The tribute play and its relatives -- Comedy about comedians -- Long live Hollywood -- VIP authors -- Why so many-still? -- Outlook -- Summary -- Example two. Consciousness in drama: synaesthesia -- Introduction -- Synaesthesia as a neurological phenomenon -- Characters with synaesthesia in drama -- Indirect references to synaesthesia -- Summary -- A speculation -- Example three. Consciousness and performance: the relevance of story-telling for 21st century updates of plays and opera productions -- Example four. Consciousness and performance: body against boundaries in Raim und Hoghe's choreography -- Chapter Two. Consciousness and Ethics -- Production -- Reception -- The consciousness studies perspective -- Chapter Three. Consciousness and the concept of Guru -- The term and the concept of Guru.

History of Guru in the South Asian spiritual traditions -- Types of Gurus -- Qualities of a Satguru -- The roles and functions of a Guru -- How to find a Guru -- Qualities of a disciple -- How the Guru teaches -- Critique of Gurus -- The Guru in the Performing Arts -- Personal and institutional contexts, past and present -- Characteristics of guru and shishya -- Forms of respect and gratitude -- Learning through imitation -- Guru inside and outside -- Outlook -- Chapter Four. Consciousness, warm-up, cool-down and theactor as observer -- Warm-up -- Cool-down -- Cool-down and the Indian approach to consciousness -- Cool-down and the actor as observer -- Phase One: past, present and future -- Phase Two: alertness and observation -- Phase Three -- Phase Four -- PART TWO: OPERA AND CONSCIOUSNESS -- Chapter Five. Opera and Spirituality -- Introduction -- Characteristics of singers' spiritual experiences -- Explanatory frameworks -- Research into strong emotional responses of opera audiences -- Expanding the explanatory framework -- Vedic linguistics -- Sex, eros and femininity -- Mise en scène -- Conclusion: opera and spirituality -- Chapter Six. Spiritual aspects of operatic singing -- Introduction -- Biography -- Vogt on Vogt -- The voice -- The impact of orchestras and conductors -- Preparing for a role - rehearsals and the day of performance -- Major roles -- Acting and "director's theatre" -- Opera in the regions -- The critics -- Critical views -- The spiritual context -- Hearing versus seeing -- Spirituality of voice -- Spirituality of life -- Chapter Seven. Spirituality and Operatic Conducting -- Case study one: Peter Schneider -- Case study two: Karen Kamensek -- Biography -- Gender -- Conducting -- Interview -- Case study three: Sir Roger Norrington -- Biography -- Interview -- The context of spirituality -- Conclusion and Outlook -- Bibliography.

Index.