ESP Books

It's amazing to me that this book is out of print while faddish new age types of books sell so well, and remain in print for decades. A slim yet coprehensive volume, this book is an excellent survey of what real scientific research has revealed about matters such as clarevoiance and precognition. An easy read that is refreshing because it lacks both the naysayer cynicism typical of the scientific communities general reguard for such things, and also the useless dogmatic baggage of the New Age Movement and similar groups. Rogo carefully explains the various aspects of expirements perfomed, and elucidates on the evidence and its implications with clinical and open minded frankness.Also included are methods that could be used to aid in personal exploration of psychic pheonomena

Every ancient story has an archetype, an original version from which it flows. The story we know as the end of the world is no different. It too had an archetypal version. This version was deliberately taken out of circulation, along with the ancient Goddess culture that held it, starting about 5300 years ago. In short, this means that we today have been dealing with the CHANGED VERSION of the archetypal story. If the archetype itself is now wrong, what can we say about our versions? We go about our business every day believing that our versions give us all we need to know concerning this topic of the end of all. We see it as the light at the end of the dark tunnel of our complex lives. Unfortunately, that light is not the light of wisdom. It is the light of the oncoming train of the real end of the world.

This is an excellent level headed book. It introduces psychological insight into paranormal and mystical phenomena. He offers a Psychological perspective, But the author doesn't force any opinions on you. There are many exercises related to the different chapters to experiment with also.

I admit that I very rarely read non-fiction, so when I do, it has to be about a subject that really catches my notice. When PARANORMAL EXPERIENCES VOLUME ONE, published by New Age Dimensions Publishing, came up for grabs to be read and reviewed, I jumped at the chance. I've always been interested in all things paranormal-the presence of ghosts and spirits, the ability to see the future, the use of tarot cards and runes to predict the future. After reading the book, which I did in one sitting, I can honestly say that all lovers of the paranormal should read these true-life experiences!

The book is broken up into several short "experiences" told from the author's perspective. Titles of these stories include THE NEST, STRANGE SEQUENCE, VEILED REVELATIONS, THE VISIT, EMBRACING MY INSTINCTS, DESTINY DISRUPTED, HIGH PLANES DRIFTER, A GIFT OF LIGHT, CALL ME ANGEL, AND THE SUN WITH THE MOON SHALL SHINE, THE SILVER HAIRED LADY, RECOGNITION OF SPIRIT, and A CHILD REMEMBERS. We're also treated to a wonderful foreword by the Grand Dame of romance herself, Kathryn Falk, an introduction by New Age Dimensions Publishing founder Melissa Alvarez, individual author biographies, and a glossary of terms used throughout the book.

We read about ghostly hauntings, visits from recently departed dead loved ones, warnings to avoid perilous situations, and spirits having hissy-fits. The stories are alternately spine-tingling, spooky, sad, and downright funny. I have to mention here that HIGH PLANES DRIFTER, by Rob Riser, had me laughing out loud several times. THE SILVER HAIRED LADY had me crying for a dead woman seeking justice from the grave, and DESTINY DISRUPTED gave me chills with its forecast of a deadly situation.

The glossary alone is worth the time to read this book. Covering terms from acupressure to Zodiac and everything in between, this is a comprehensive list of terms that one might find when dealing with the paranormal. The author bios are fun and informative, and you just might find a few new books you want to read! And the foreword by Ms. Falk is interesting and entertaining, dealing with humans needs to know and understand the "spirits" that live among us.

All in all, PARANORMAL EXPERIENCES VOLUME ONE is one non-fiction book that I'm glad I picked up-and I'm sure you'll be glad, too!

As a researcher who has an interest in conducting parapsychological research with children, this book is an invaluable resource. Drewes and Drucker have done a great service for anyone interested in conducting such work. Their annotated bibliography is a one-stop resource for finding information regarding past parapsychological research involving children from the late 1800's up to the early 1990's. This book is a must for anyone interested in researching this fascinating topic. Areas discussed are neatly seperated by topic and cover all of the areas of reported experiences and research conducted by parapsychologists. The bibliography lists books and specific journals for finding the original work with highly informative descriptions of each, cutting through the time consuming effort needed to find the needed information seperately.

Robert M. Schoch, Ph.D. and Logan Yonavjak take a bold no-nonsense approach in their thoroughly examined, comprehensive compilation of serious research regarding different aspects of the paranormal including scientifically based findings and conclusions within the last century or so in their book The Parapsychology Revolution. In a rather rigorous review of up to date psi research, Schoch and Yonavjak explore well-documented observations and reports of things unknown and unexplained such as esp, telepathy, clairvoyance, distance healing, remote viewing, and poltergeist activity. Perhaps the time has come to bring the study of anomalies out of the closet and into the light where exploration of truth may dissipate the fear which keeps it there.

I found this anthology (along with personal comments and experiences by the authors) a must read for skeptics and students alike as it does justice to both pure science and that which is currently considered its evil opposition, bringing a sort of unity to both. In our search for truth may we never loose our sense of awe (even if we have to stand behind the scientific lens of perception).

I got a copy of this book as soon as it came out, and I sat down to read it immediately ... and I didn't put it down till I was finished! This book is so complelling you just have to see what the next story is about. I've seen lots of books on true ghost stories, but none that combine my two favorite things: Animals and the paranormal! Great, great idea. Can't wait for the sequel. Warning: If you really love animals, it will make you cry in some parts.

This book originally was published 1990, but I read the 2nd edition, published and updated for 1999. It's a truly factual account of a twenty + year ongoing project to study the electro-magnetic/radioactive nature of standing stones, and various other prehistoric British ruins. Headed by Paul Devereau, the Dragon Project is an independent, private research group of volunteers and interested parties who have studied numerous sites since 1977. What they found is nothing less than incredible. Let me simply quote from the Introduction to the 2nd edition:

"Magnetic anomalies at megalithis sites are facts, but whether they are meaningful facts is a matter of interpretation. The magnetic stones could simply be fortuitous, or they could have been deliberately employed as "spirit stones" by the megalithic builders. We may never know for sure, although it is likely that ancient peoples knew they subtleties of their geophysical surroundings, in the same way we now know they they their botanical environment (see in particular Chapter 7). Nowadays our magnetic sensitivities may have been dulled because of the maelstrom of electromagnetic fields that surround us, but our ancestors may have been sharply attuned to these fields."

Realizing that "may have been" is only conjecture, I still find it a very credible theory. Consider this: the rise of mental illness and severe psychosis during the early years of the Electrical Age, starting around 1890. If exposure to these intense, previously unknown, fields of energy caused the more sensitive of the population to become severely schizophrenic, they would be far less likely to produce children. While 114 years is hardly enough to scoop a pail out of the gene pool, it might be enough to spot a statistical change.

"In the first edition of Places of Power, it remained unresolved as to whether or not magnetic effects at the megaliths could in practice really effect the brain, and therefore cause altered or visionary states of consciousness. This was one of the questions on the writer mind when he visited Professor Michael Persinger at Laurentian University, Ontario in April 1998. Persinger has become famous for, among other things, his "magnetic helmet" in which a subject has computer-controlled patterns of magnetic waves directed to magnetically sensitive areas of the brain. Some subjects have reported the sense of "presences," vivid imagery from childhood, hallucinatory or visionary states, and the appearance of otherworldly beings."

Note that these are all considered symptoms of schizophrenia.

Euphoric states could also be generated. However, Persinger's work requires modern technology. Could magnetism in megaliths create similar mental effects? Persinger felt that it could. He explained his technology used far less powerful magnetic fields and had the advantage of perfect computer controlled application. This allowed direct stimulation of specific brain regions. But in the case of a megalith, a person could effectively "bathe" in the alternative magnetic field provided by the anomaly at the site. This could very likely cause an altered state of consciousness in some people.

"Persinger also noted that there were other factors such as diet that may have made prehistoric users of the sites particularly sensitive to the ambient magnetic fields. In particular, lack of certain nutrients could affect foetal developement, resulting in people who had slight changes in their brain structure, rendering them more liable to visionary and mediumistic experiences."

The book has laid all of the Dragon Project's experiments, tests and results out in a delightfully well-written fashion. In Part One, we delve into the past traditions of various forms of geomancy- from feng shui to Uluru to the Iroquoi. Then, we return to the present to discuss current folklore, sightings of unusual phenomenon, and the origin of the Dragon Project, its techniques and methods. Part Two is nothing less than a catalog of all the sites the Project has surveyed, what tests were performed, what results they found, if any.

The conclusion, Part Three, goes into detail on the theories and conclusions the members of the Project have drawn from their research. The chapter refered to above, Chapter 7: The Physics of Shamanism, discusses the effects radiation can have on people, from the three reliable reports from Dragon Project members of ghostly encounters on one short road, to strong magnetic fields' effects on people and animals in various studies. It also suggests the possibility of magnetism causing temporal effects in the brain, making the subject relive the past and/or experience the future.

Overall, the book is a wonderful look at many magical possibilities, and a record of a much needed study of the anomalies at these ancient megaliths. I highly recommend it to those interested in this subject.

I am by nature a sceptic and extremely suspicious of those who claim they have, or can, see angels and auras and have visions.

If I had not met Michal Levin in the early 80s as a journalist researching an article on Vietnamese refugees I would not have given this book a second glance. But she had impressed with her dedication to detail, her passion for accuracy, in short, her commitment to truth and her faith in logic and the intellect.

I have every reason, therefore, to believe her when she describes her extraordinary inner life. This slice of autobiography - it covers ten years from 1987 - she describes as that of an `unwilling intuitive'. It is easy to understand her scepticism and her self-doubt. She did not seek her visions, she does not consider herself in any way `special' and she has been reluctant to carry out the things she has been told to do.

Alongside the story of her inner growth is that of another growth, a tumour, an acoustic neuroma, that evaded diagnosis by both orthodox and alternative practitioners. Then her inner voice told her to return to Cape Town, her birthplace. It was staff at the Groote Schuur hospital who finally, and only just in time, identified the problem. She was soon in the US for major surgery. Might not a 6 cm tumour pressing on the brain have been the cause of Michal's visions? Possibly. But does that make them any different from those brought on by meditation, fasting and other `spiritual', practices? Only by their fruits can our inner inspirations, our intuitions, be known. Michal's have resulted in a life of counselling, healing and teaching, and have informed these activities with an insight and understanding that is profound and persuasive.

People will come, she is told, and they do. She will know what to say when she sees them, and she does. It calls to mind Jesus' reaasurance of his disciples about not worrying what to say when arrested and put on trial. The words will be given you.

In my own work, especially in the appointment and management of staff, I have found intuition to be a most reliable guide. But when you are on the interviewing panel how do you convey this to the other members? Not everyone is in touch with, or trusts, their own intuition; some mistake desire or prejudice for it. How, in the end, do you know you are not fooling yourself?

Michal Levin was sceptical and reluctant but she received encouragement and initiation. The Christ figure anoints her with wine and oil. A week later she links hands with the Christ and the Buddha `and there is a tremendous sensation of energy flow.' And here is a message that is suprapersonal: Christ and the Buddha come from the same place and have the same will.

To bring to a spiritual land those who are swimming in the sea of materialism is no mean task, one that is hindered by those who insist on focusing on differences, on what makes their group or sect special, instead of on the vision of glory, the light and the love, that Buddhists and Christians have as a common heritage. When we travel with what unites us there is indeed a tremendous energy flow.

We must focus on those things that unite us, not those, such as creeds, that divide us and put dampers on the spirit. The end is in the means. That is why true spirituality will always be marked by a commitment to nonviolence (and always remembering George Fox's reply to William Penn, when asked for how long he should wear a sword: `Wear it as long as thou canst.' Interior conviction, not empty conformity.)

Michal sums up her journey: `I have known the other side, the unused side of the brain, like the darker side of the moon. Or perhaps I have travelled beyond the brain. Into space, to another domain, one without location on the four co-ordinates. Known nothing and everything, of myself and others too. Learnt to experience and love God and man in all guises; stroked death's face, then turned back to life by way of the surgeon's knife: to place myself at the service of the forces I seek constantly to accept and understand, in my heart.'

And then a sample of her teaching: ...it's this constant ability to put yourself in the other's shoes that I think is the essence of understanding, of living as a community, of the sense of all beings as one, of our links with others, of the unity of the whole. Of morality and ultimately finality. Cruelty is only possible because of the inability to empathise. External belief structures that separate `us' from `them' undermine that ability to put yourself in the other's shoes.'

A privilege, for which I am grateful, to be encouraged to walk, for a little distance, in Michal's shoes.

This book is excellent..It is simple to understand and helps you to see how much control you have over your own destiny just by changing the flow of the chi or yin and yang process. I have practiced this and it works. I went through every house plan that I ever lived in and was amazed at the things that had happened in my life that were influenced by the Feng Shui of these homes. Even a miscarriage that my mother had when I was eight was shown by these floor plans, windows and door arrangements. It may sound crazy, but it works even when you are not aware. It gives understanding to why bad things happen to good people.