Labyrinth Book Reviews: Sun of gOd by Gregory Sams: published by Weiser Books Gregory Sams (born 1948) is a UK-based, American-born, fractal artist, social thinker, author, publisher, inventor, macrobiotic pioneer, and creator of the veggie burger (no I’m not kidding). "Could it really be that the universe waited 13.7 billion years -- until we came along -- to manifest the phenomenon of consciousness and made ours the only type of vessel able to experience it?" Sams thinks not. Citing David Bohm's discovery that even on the subatomic level of electrons there appears to be intention and choice, Sams goes on to suggest that creative intelligence may be a bottom-up system in which "everything, from a molecule of water to a neuron in our brain to the Sun itself, is a part of the bottom that is subtly steering a greater whole." From this perspective, he smoothly joins the microcosm to the macrocosm, revealing a Universe incorporating both intelligence and design, with no need for an Intelligent Designer. In Sun of gOd, cultural pioneer and philosopher Gregory Sams takes a fresh look at our solar benefactor. As Sams sees it cultures throughout the ancient world were right to recognize the Sun as a living, conscious being. The implications of a conscious provider in the sky are startling, though often obvious -- and in harmony with science, logic and common sense. Sun of gOd explores exciting new ground, adding a crucial piece to the jigsaw-puzzle picture we have of the cosmos. In the light of a conscious Sun, Sams looks at our hardwired tendency for religion, notions of god and divinity, our place in the firmament, star formation, intelligent light, electromagnetism, feedback, chaos theory, free will, the four elements, and the near-universal self-organization of systems from the bottom up. As comedian George Carlin said "Sun worship is fairly simple. There's no mystery, no miracles, no pageantry, no one asks for money, there are no songs to learn, and we don't have a special building where we all gather once a week to compare clothing. And the best thing about the sun, it never tells me I'm unworthy. Doesn't tell me I'm a bad person who needs to be saved. Hasn't said an unkind word, and treats me fine. So, I worship the sun. But, I don't pray to the sun. Know why? I wouldn't presume on our friendship. It's not polite." Anthony Court
Supernatural: Meetings with the Ancient Teachers of Mankind by Graham Hancock: Published by the Disinformation Company Many of us will be familiar with the work of Graham Hancock. In Supernatural he very bravely begins by taking the powerful hallucinogen drug Ibogaine to give him insight to the early shamanistic visions. The premise of this book is that all our creative abilities and our conscious inquiry came from the natural world, for as he states less than fifty thousand years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. So in Supernatural, Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "before-and-after moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to the modern human mind. His quest takes him on a detective journey from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy to rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa, where he finds extraordinary Stone Age art. He uncovers clues that lead him to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful hallucinogen Ayahuasca with shamans, whose paintings contain images of "supernatural beings" identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other "dimensions." Could the "supernaturals" first depicted in the painted caves be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it be that human evolution is not just the "meaningless" process that Darwin identified, but something more purposive and intelligent that we have barely begun to understand? Highly recommended. Anthony Court