Home › Philosophy › On Having No Head

On Having No Head

by Douglas Edison Harding

A first-person account of “headlessness”

Regular price $18.34 USD
Regular price $20.38 USD Sale price $18.34 USD
Save 10%

Paperback New

Format

Print BookAvailable Hardcover $23.90 USD$26.56 USD
Print BookCurrently viewing Paperback $18.34 USD$20.38 USD
Delivery to your door
In stock·Dispatches in 1–2 business days
Standard shipping* from $4.35
Standard shipping transit* 5–8 business days after dispatch

Faster options are available.

Rates and delivery estimates depend on your destination and item quantity. Estimates are informational only; the final shipping method and rate are selected at checkout.

Secure checkout
American Express Apple Pay DiscoverGoogle Pay Mastercard PayPalVisa
30-day eligible returns Returns & refunds policy

AlbakiReads Editorial

A first-person account of “headlessness”

Douglas Edison Harding recounts an experience he describes as “headlessness” or “no self,” in which his usual sense of personal identity and the passage of time fell away. The book centers on putting this experience into words and connecting it with a broader question: how mystical experience can be described. First published in 1961, it sits at the intersection of Zen and philosophical reflection, with Harding’s own account as its starting point.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Readers interested in Zen and philosophical approaches to selfhood.
  • Those exploring first-person accounts of mystical experience.

Themes

Selfhood and identityMystical experienceZen philosophyLanguage and experience

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

'Reason and imagination and all mental chatter died down... I forgot my name, my humanness, my thingness, all that could be called me or mine. Past and future dropped away... Lighter than air, clearer than glass, altogether released from myself, I was nowhere around.' Thus Douglas Harding describes his first experience of headlessness, or no self. First published in 1961, this is a classic work which conveys the experience that mystics of all times have tried to put words to.
Shipping & returnsShipping options, delivery timing, and our return policy.

In-stock items normally dispatch within 1–2 business days. The ZIP-code estimator on this page is informational only; the final shipping method, price, and availability are confirmed at checkout for your full order.

For the initial delivery estimate we use these transit windows after dispatch: Standard 5–8 business days, Expedited 2–4 business days, and Priority 1–2 business days. Holiday delays are not included.

Eligible items can be returned within 30 days in accordance with our return policy.

Customer reviews