Reviews

Charles Fort - Jim Steinmeyer

Greg — Sat, 03 May 2008 02:46:07 +0000

We all grew up hearing those "believe it or not" tales of spontaneous combustion, frogs and fish falling from the sky, and other strange phenomena. Most of the general public don't know, however, that these impossible anecdotes originated not from scientific studies, but from the research of one man: Charles Fort. Spending untold hours in libraries, scanning newspapers and journals for strange happenings, Fort's work was so groundbreaking and far-ranging that these phenomena are now known by the simple appellation, 'Fortean'. However, while the word Fortean may be well-known, even appearing in the Oxford dictionary, the man himself remains a mystery to most.

Publishing house Tarcher Penguin have gone a long way to remedying this oversight however, with the simultaneous release (in the U.S.) of two books which - together as a compendium - offer a wonderful path to understanding more about the origins and subject matter of Forteana: Jim Steinmeyer's biography Charles Fort: The Man Who Invented the Supernatural (Amazon US and UK), and the anthology The Book of the Damned: The Collected Works of Charles Fort (Amazon US and UK). The latter is made up of Fort's four best-known books - Lo!, New Lands, Wild Talents, and the Book of the Damned - and features an introduction by Steinmeyer as well.

One can't underestimate the task Jim Steinmeyer takes on in telling the life story of the "mad genius of the Bronx". An intensely private man, Fort spent most of his adult life researching in libraries, writing at home, or relaxing with his wife Annie - hardly the makings of a cracking read. But if you can make the Statue of Liberty disappear - Steinmeyer is a renowned magical designer and historian, whose credits include the invention of David Copperfield's famous New York illusion - then illuminating the life and works of this one, strange American man shouldn't be too much of a step up.

He accomplishes this task through the words of the man himself. Using autobiographical notes, book excerpts and correspondence, Steinmeyer explores the harsh childhood Fort endured, his growth into a career in journalism and writing, and the formation of personal philosophies related to Monism - seeing connections between all things - and yet at the same time an exceptional skepticism of anything orthodox or authoritarian. Even when Fort began (unintentionally) attracting his own 'devotees' - the Fortean Society - he felt the urge to poke fun at the institution: ... Read More »

BEST EVIDENCE: Top Ten UFO Cases

Greg — Fri, 22 Jun 2007 04:30:42 +0000

Most of us have sat through those awful mainstream television documentaries on UFOs, Bigfoot and various other mysteries. The faces of interviewees barely discernable through the heavy shadows, the terrible faux X-Files soundtrack, and a breathy voiceover issued three octaves below normal pitch. And, as the final indignity, if the viewer is able to sit through the torture of all that, they are usually subjected to the opinion of some pseudo-skeptic at the end admonishing us all for taking an interest in the topic. Thankfully, this review is about something completely different.

Canadian director/producer Paul Kimball is a man who knows ufology. While he may not be a favourite with many notables in the UFO research community - due to his tendency to state what he thinks of various theories, cases and personalities quite openly - he does know the history behind the topic very well, and brings a natural skepticism as well (without being a debunking zealot). Indeed, one could hardly think of a better person to produce a definitive documentary about the best UFO sightings to this point.

Well, happy times are here, because Kimball has recently completed exactly that: Best Evidence: Top Ten UFO Sightings premiered on Canada's "Space: The Imagination Station" network last month, and is now in the process of being sold and distributed to networks around the world (with DVD release to follow later). Though perhaps lacking in the type of big budget provided to features such as the relatively recent Peter Jennings special 'Seeing is Believing', the methodology, knowledge and intellectual honesty of the Best Evidence team makes this documentary stand out above those big budget efforts.

Instead of picking the top ten cases on their apparent 'sellability' - eg. Roswell - Kimball surveyed the experts in the field for their opinion on the best ever cases (based on evidence, reliability and number of witnesses etc). Notables such as Karl Pflock, Nick Redfern, Stanton Friedman, Richard Hall, Don Ledger, Kevin Randall (amongst many others) all put forth their opinion, and the resulting top ten will probably surprise many who aren't conversant with ufological history (most especially, television executives!). No trace of Roswell. No Adamski photo. No Phoenix Lights. So what's left?

The list, in short (see Nick Redfern's excellent review for a more detailed rundown):

#10: Nuremberg, 1561
#9: Skylab III
#8: Yukon 'mothership'
#7: Malstrom AFB
#6: Shag Harbour
#5: Kelly Johnson
#4: McMinnville/Trent Photo
#3: Rendlesham Forest
#2: Iran, 1976
#1: RB-47

The 45 minutes of Best Evidence is pretty much all devoted to analysis and discussion of these ten cases...no lead-up hype, no philosophical meandering. Just an outline of each case, intermixed with excellent interview footage with ufological luminaries such as Stanton Friedman, Nick Pope and Brad Sparks (again, amongst others), and actual 'experiencers' such as Robert Salas (Malstrom) and Charles Halt (Rendlesham).

This is an excellent exposition of a number of cases which will - in my opinion - leave the lay viewer with their mouth agape, wondering how orthodox science can get away with dismissing 'true' ufology as some sort of joke. Cases such as Rendlesham, Shag Harbour and the 1996 Yukon sighting, with multiple reliable witnesses, can only invoke an astonished response from anyone not already conversant with the details of the cases.

Nevertheless, while the 'straight' exposition works well in presenting the evidence behind each case, it would still have been nice to hear some of the balancing 'skeptical' arguments to each case, as well as having some of the bigger philosophical questions addressed. When the Kelly Johnson case was presented, my reaction was to wonder what sort of coincidence would allow for both aeronautical design genius Kelly Johnson, and members of his team elsewhere aboard an aircraft, to make independent sightings of the same UFO - does this argue for some sort of government psy-op, or does it argue for some sort of ufological intelligence directing itself towards these scientists working in such a related field? Similarly, when UFOs dive underwater and make a beeline for an advanced submarine detection base, what can we read from the situation? These questions are not addressed at all, although I think this was actually intentional - in effect, let the viewer make up their own mind, rather than forcefeed them an explanation (although I did note habitual use of the extraterrestrial meme, in comments such as 'out of this world', 'mothership' etc).

Also, it would have been nice to see the locales in which the cases took place, and a few more of the primary witnesses, to give the viewer a better sense of 'gestalt' of each case. However, I have no doubt this is more related to budgetary concerns than Kimball overlooking such an option - travelling with a crew in tow is notoriously expensive, and it must be remembered that Best Evidence is not a primetime mainstream television feature. Certainly, I bring this up only as a minor comment, not any sort of catastrophic flaw in the film.

Barring the above criticisms, Best Evidence is a wonderful documentary. Special effects vary from average, such as in the Kelly Johnson case, to excellent - the Trent case is done beautifully with moving footage morphing into the photo. One surprise is the narration, provided by Canadian actress Kris Lee McBride, which turns the worn out cliche of deep and breathy narration in UFO documentaries on its head. Although at times McBride seems a little stiff in her presentation - at points you can almost hear her reading the script - for the most part, the rational/logical vibe of the female voiceover works extremely well (similar to the use of female narration in British documentaries - Horizon's Dilly Barlow is a close comparison). More experience at narration, and also perhaps with ufology itself, will no doubt serve McBride well over time, giving her the confidence to use her voice to its full advantage.

The interviews with ufologists and experiencers are shot beautifully, and for me were the central focus of Best Evidence. Not having the access to conferences and events that some do, it's always a pleasure for me to watch the experts explain their point of view - and Kimball gives them plenty of chance to do so. Friedman brings gravitas as well as some theatre with his wonderfully intoned comments (see the Malstrom case interviews on Google Video), Brad Sparks speaks with a knowledge of ufological history as well as technical nous, and Mac Tonnies offers a wonderful concluding comment to the documentary. I am told that the DVD, when it goes on sale, will offer a second disc with extended interviews covering not only the top ten presented here, but others as well - something to look forward to.

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled on your local television station, and hope that it comes your way soon. And also that Paul Kimball continues to receive commissions to create fascinating documentaries of the standard of Best Evidence.

Fore more information about the documentary, visit the Best Evidence blog, or Paul Kimball's blog The Other Side of Truth.

ROSSLYN AND THE GRAIL - Mark Oxbrow and Ian Robertson

Greg — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 04:16:27 +0000

Rosslyn and the Grail is available from Amazon US and UK.

Another book about Rosslyn? It’s amazing the amount of words that have been written about this small chapel, which lies in the countryside a surprisingly short distance away from the centre of Edinburgh. Not just words though, but memes. In our heads, it has become a Templar strong-hold, a bastion of treasures from the Holy Grail to the body of Jesus himself.

However, this little book – rather than adding to the already confused situation – might just flush all those previous words and memes right down the drain. Mark Oxbrow and Ian Robertson are dedicated Rosslyn researchers. They have spent more than ten years investigating the various histories and myths surrounding the enigmatic chapel (and associated locales such as Rosslyn Castle). What they have discovered in this decade long journey is that there is truly a hidden dimension to Rosslyn Chapel. But it has nothing to do with everything you’ve heard. A quote from the pair in the introduction sums it all up:

"Without careful research, it is easy to make serious mistakes."

This book is about undoing many of those ‘serious mistakes’. Never mind the disclaimer that their aim "is not to debunk the myths or to explain away the magic and mystery of the chapel and castle," because that is exactly what the book does, and in a methodical way. Each chapter is devoted to one particular myth about Rosslyn, and within them Oxbrow and Robertson detail the actual history – derived from in-depth research – versus the claims made by alternative historians, or in some cases the local folklore.

Much of this will be tough going for romantically-minded readers. The authors might feel correct in saying "the odd thing is that the actual history of Rosslyn is far more incredible and spell-binding than any of the theories and fantasies," but I personally doubt that readers will agree. It’s hard to top hidden treasure, the quest for the Holy Grail, and the burial place of Jesus for incredible! However, this book is a necessary read. The revelations are eye-opening, even if it is in a debunking vein. For instance, the sculpted "Masonic angels", often trumpeted as proof of a secret connection to early Freemasonry, are revealed to be 19th century additions carried about during controversial restoration work by architect – and Freemason – David Bryce.

The various myths and fantasies upon which the chapters are based include the murdered apprentice, the haunted castle, Robert the Bruce and the white deer, the secret crypt, the Knights Templar, the Holy Grail and The Da Vinci Code. The first chapter, "Amidst the Woods", provides an historical introduction to the area while also making a claim for a connection to Arthurian myths (which the authors say was coopted by English monks in Glastonbury during the 12th century). From there Rosslyn and the Grail alternates between sentimental expositions of local folklore, and attacks on alternative historians. Andrew Sinclair in particular comes in for some savage treatment, while others criticised include Tim Wallace-Murphy, Knight and Lomas, and Baigent and Leigh. Strangely enough, the only mention of Henry Lincoln is a short passage praising him for his courage in taking on new ideas and admitting to being wrong...some Rennes le Chateau critics might wonder at this treatment compared to the others.

Amid the myths to be exploded is the identification of aloe and maize carvings within Rosslyn Chapel (said to be strawberry leaves and wheat), that the crypt hides some great secret, that the chapel is based on the ground-plan of Solomon’s Temple, and that the Templars had a hand in its construction. The attribution of pagan worship via the Green Men within Rosslyn is also debunked, with Robertson and Oxbrow pointing out that the Green Men are a decorative feature first used by the Romans which flourished in medieval churches – although they later acknowledge a link to vegetative cycles, when they point out that the Green Men ‘age’ as you walk around the chapel clockwise...yet another fascinating revelation amongst many to be found in Rosslyn and the Grail.

The sheer amount of facts and historical references which the authors have turned up sometimes actually detracts from the book a little. Reader interaction often takes a backseat to the listing of facts, and some may feel they are being preached to, more than taught (always a bad thing in a debunking book). This problem extends to a number of clumsy segues between topics; at times it took me more than four paragraphs to realise I was reading about a different topic. The authors’ warning of serious mistakes arising from lack of careful research is not something which readers should forget about when reading this book either. A number of times the reference is made to the official ‘start date’ of Freemasonry (when addressing alternative historians’ claim for Masonic influences at Rosslyn), when there are obvious historical footnotes which suggest speculative Freemasonry arose – in some form – well before this date. Small items such as this detract from the presentation in Rosslyn and the Grail, as it sounds like the authors are all too keen to support their own beliefs uncritically.

Overall though, that simply can’t be said of the book as a whole. The research is first rate, the revelations often startling. Readers will also be fascinated by much of the local lore which hasn’t turned up in the ‘popular’ literature on Rosslyn, such as the tales of the ghostly White Lady, and the treasure in Rosslyn Castle. The fourteen chapters are supplemented by six appendices (almost half as many pages in the appendices as in the rest of the book) which provide a timeline, historical writings supporting their research and associated myths.

Curiously enough, the authors seem to continually hint at a real connection between Rosslyn and the Arthurian myths and legends of the Holy Grail (also seen in the title of the book). However, they never really develop this idea as they promise – perhaps the scene is being set for a sequel which moves from debunking mode to providng fresh insights. Whatever the case, this is simply a must-have book for Rosslyn enthusiasts.

ENTANGLED MINDS - Dean Radin

Greg — Thu, 15 Feb 2007 06:12:42 +0000

Entangled Minds is available from Amazon US and UK. For more information, visit Dean Radin's website.

Parapsychology has no better spokesperson than Dr Dean Radin. His 1997 book, The Conscious Universe, has become the go-to book for those interested in investigating the ‘serious’, scientific side of psi research. From telepathy to group consciousness, from precognition to the sense of being stared at, Radin is familiar with the research and is able to communicate the results – and their implications – to a lay audience with more ease than would be expected.

Now, after a nine year hiatus from ‘popular publishing’ (he has remained active in writing for specialised groups and also in scientific publishing), Radin returns with a new book on the
topic. Titled Entangled Minds, this latest effort is an updated version of his previous best-seller – in that he goes through the latest research into various areas of parapsychology – with the added theme of contemplating quantum entanglement as a possible mechanism behind psi effects. Radin sets out his thoughts on the matter right at the beginning of the book:

Science is at the very earliest stages of understanding entanglement, and there is much yet to learn. But what we’ve seen so far provides a new way of thinking about psi...psi is reframed from a bizarre anomaly that doesn’t fit into the normal world – and hence is labeled paranormal – into a natural phenomenon of physics.

Radin starts by laying the foundations of the book, recounting the history of psi, of quantum physics, and also his own involvement in parapsychology. Readers are sure to be fascinated by some of the material here, such as how the EEG machine had its origins in the telepathy research of Hans Berger, and Radin’s description of a ‘future experiment’ which would prove psi...which has actually already taken place!

This introduction moves right up to modern times, with discussion of the machine interaction experiments at the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Lab (PEAR), and the remote-viewing experiments of Targ and Puthoff which led into the Stargate program (Radin mentions here that he actually worked on Stargate as well).

Radin then works through the various types of psi research, which he splits into areas such as ‘conscious psi’ (sense of being stared at, ganzfeld telepathy experiments etc), ‘unconscious psi’ (autonomic responses to physically removed influences, gut feelings etc.), mind-matter interactions, pre-sentiment, and group consciousness (the Global Consciousness Project, the ‘noosphere’). He collates the data via meta-analysis, checks for statistically significant results – and in most cases they are – as well as searching for possible explanations such as the file-drawer problem (using funnel plots) and weak controls.

Much of the book to this point is similar to The Conscious Universe (though with more up-to-date results), but the final chapters set it apart with the introduction of the hypothesis that quantum entanglement may explain psi effects. Radin does well to compact a complicated subject into a few short chapters of readable text (I only had to reread a couple of pages!).

Beyond that, he also explores other theories of psi, and where we should be heading from here. This final section also includes a short rebuttal of skeptical arguments against psi, though it is hard to go past the relevant chapter in his previous book for deconstructions of the ‘skeptical’ position.

Radin is careful not to seem over-eager to naively link psi and quantum entanglement purely because they are both ‘mysterious’. Rather he simply asks us to consider it, as a more than possible idea:

Quantum entanglement as presently understood in elementary atomic systems is, by itself, insufficient to explain psi. But the ontological parallels implied by entanglement and psi are so compelling that I believe they’d be foolish to ignore.

This is a fascinating book and is certainly another important contribution to ‘new paradigm’ thinking (and diplomacy) by Dean Radin. Although some readers may find the statistical analysis employed when discussing experimental results a little tedious, the author is caught somewhat between a rock and a hard place. The controversial nature of psi research means that any skeptical reader would demand that Radin offer data to prove his claims. As such, his hand is forced. Certainly, this does detract from the readability of the book to the general public, who simply want a quick and fascinating read. But Radin also manages to keep the reader interested by providing thought-provoking ideas, and a number of anecdotes which are sure to surprise. Once again, Dean Radin has established himself as the leading communicator between psi researchers and the general public.

THE FIELD GUIDE - Rob Irving and John Lundberg

Greg — Wed, 22 Nov 2006 00:58:58 +0000

As strange as it may seem after all this time, anyone who lays claim to the ‘truth’ about the providence of the crop circle ‘phenomenon’ is bound to be castigated by some section of the croppie (and wider) research community. This is in large part due to the fact that, despite circlemakers/hoaxers claiming to have made most or all of the major crop circles, they have always stopped short of giving specifics on which particular circle, or how it was done. This has always allowed the ‘true believers’ in the phenomenon to write off their claims – a situation, presumably, which the circlemakers are more than happy to continue with, as it allows some mystique to remain attached to their work….if they are the ones responsible!. Nevertheless, demonstrations by the circlemakers (for commercial purposes) and basic common sense must lead one to heavily favour the human explanation for the formation of the glyphs.

However, for the better part of the last fifteen years, all manner of tripe has been written about the crop circle 'phenomenon', most of it uncritical, or even worse, untruthful. Apart from the 'Doug and Dave' publicity in the early 1990s, those who are said to have made the circles (and I'm not talking about alien gods or telluric currents) have remained below the radar, allowing the 'true believers' to hold court. Apart from the paid work exhibited by the Circlemakers, and the confession (and prosecution) of Matthew Williams, information about human construction of crop circles has not had a high profile in alternative and New Age circles (pun not intended).

However, that has now changed with perhaps the definitive book on the art, history and philosophy of human crop circle construction: The Field Guide by Rob Irving and John Lundberg (edited by Mark Pilkington). Irving and Lundberg were pioneers of the 'second wave' of circlemaking, following on from the earlier, simpler work of Doug and Dave with the more complex and stunning large scale glyphs prevalent throughout the 1990s. They are intimately familiar with all the aspects of the crop circle scene, and as such are well-credentialed to author such a book.

The book begins by laying out the history of crop circles, albeit largely from a circlemakers point of view. The authors cover the 'prehistory' of the circles (815 to 1976 AD) including the infamous "mowing devil" reports and other instances of circle strangeness throughout that period; the inside story of how Doug and Dave began their mischief-making; and the subsequent evolution of the hoaxing into a pseudo-scientific genre through the following decades - from the early meteorological theories of Terence Meaden to the modern analyses of the BLT team - and self-supporting belief system within the New Age movement. Various well-known cases are touched on by the authors; however, while hints and suggestions are tabled often, there is little in the way of direct confession. Of course, this allows just enough space for the mythos of the circles to continue - and therefore the raison de etre behind circlemaking, that of social art on the level of mythmaking, to remain intact.

The history of crop circles is an important one to study, because it gives pertinent insights into other areas of interest. It's very easy to look back now with some disdain for the ideas and hype surrounding crop circles in the early 1990s, but it must be said that at the time, the gestalt of the crop circle mystery was capable of carrying many people away into uncritical acceptance of the phenomenon (at least, those not familiar with the circlemakers' abilities). The mysterious appearance of the circles - and perhaps more importantly, the historic ambience of the landscape and sacred geometry of the glyphs - led many to ignore the most simple answer: that people were stomping around the fields making them.

And while the circlemakers were certainly happy to perpetuate the mystery, there were obvious signposts that this was in fact the case - not least, the massive media blitz surrounding the 'Doug and Dave' confession, and also the advice of certain circlemakers such as the author of this book, Rob Irving. The Field Guide analyses this movement away from the obvious conclusion, in to ever more bizarre theories, in terms of Leon Festinger's theory of 'cognitive dissonance'. Festinger suggested that we strive to preserve our belief systems by adapting threatening new information to reinforce our beliefs rather than challenge them. From The Field Guide:

As with the aftermath of the Today story and subsequent "hoaxing" revelations, those with the most to lose appropriated and interpreted information to meet their own and group's ends. Followers were of course free to either confront any disparities in the information, or accept it as true. For many, and many since, faced with this choice, rather than challenging their existing belief, the disconfirmation only served to confirm and even strengthen it.

We should all take note of this history, and the lessons that can be learnt from it, when approaching other fringe topics (from UFOs to alternative history). Indeed, the analysis of the philosophy of making the circles, and their capability of supporting complete belief systems, is one of the main attractions of this book. Irving and Lundberg's thoughts on the subject are intelligent and relevant.

It must be said though that the book is infused with a certain smug superiority - a likely natural result of pulling the wool over the eyes of true believers for so long, but certainly not an aspect of the book that I found enjoyable. More troubling is the almost malicious glee had in 'outing' the mistakes, gullibility and (in some cases) dishonesty of high-ranking croppies. While it must be said that many researchers certainly ended up lying in the bed they made themselves, the circle mythos has been one capable of inducing researchers to devote large parts of their life and resources to it. As this very book points out, many of these individuals were caught up in their own belief systems (however incorrect) - happily perpetuated by the circlemakers themselves - and I found the mocking tone in some places to be distasteful considering the authors’ obvious comprehension (and use) of human fallibility when it comes to belief.

The other problem facing the authors of this book is the paradox of writing an authoritative book on fooling others. By its very philosophy, that must make all readers skeptical of all the claims within the covers of The Field Guide, and any researcher would therefore have great difficulty in treating any ‘revelations’ as truthful – from the tales of earthlights seen during construction, through to the actual claims of designing the circles. At one point in the book the authors quote historian Felipe Fernandez-Armesto regarding the ‘higher truths’ seen by circle believers, but many could easily apply it to the ‘truth’ in The Field Guide:

Such truth usually comes with strings attached to human manipulators, disseminated by dubious experts and interpreted by self-conferred figures of authority.

This raises the important question of whether circlemaking should be considered a large-scale art experiment of sorts, or just plain mischievous hoaxing at others' expense. Personally, I can see both sides of the argument. As someone who seeks to get to the bottom of mysteries, in one way it disturbs me that there are individuals purposefully contaminating the field (again, pun not intended). On the other hand, I do see the inherent artistic beauty of creating a mystery, and watching the ripples spreading from that proverbial pebble in the pond.

The Field Guide isn’t just a treatise on the history and philosophy of the circles though. It is also a practical manual. The authors firstly lay a little groundwork (truly, the puns are not intended) by illuminating the artistic context of circlemaking, before moving on to showing the reader how to ‘roll their own’ (with disclaimers as to getting farmers’ permissions etc). This brief guide describes the various crops that can be used, the equipment that is needed, and how to go about laying your pattern down in a field. There is some humourous comment on how to make the circle seem genuine (ironically, by doing very human things), and finally, the important step of getting the media interested in your circle so that it gets some coverage.

The book is rounded out with two interviews – John Lundberg interviews Doug Bower about his life of circlemaking, and Mark Pilkington (who is also the editor of The Field Guide) talks to a group of circlemakers – including Lundberg and Irving – about their ‘hobby’. These interviews are fine inclusions in the book, as they give an inside and personal look at the motivations and opinions of those who (allegedly!) make the circles.

The Field Guide should be the epitaph to the crop circle movement, but it won’t be. Once again, the circlemakers avoid specifics and direct evidence of the circles they have constructed. This will allow the true believers room enough to dismiss their claims, and the ‘phenomenon’ will continue. However, this is an important book in the history of the circles, and necessary reading for anyone interested in the topic. Even for those who see the circles as genuine, and who don’t believe Irving and Lundberg, it would be intellectually dishonest not to read The Field Guide if you want to lay any claim to understanding the topic. Certainly, read it with skepticism – the trickster must accept that by his very actions, he diminishes trust. But perhaps that is exactly as Irving and Lundberg would rather have it…

More information about The Field Guide can be found at the Strange Attractor website

THE EGYPT CODE - Robert Bauval

Greg — Fri, 06 Oct 2006 00:36:10 +0000

The Egypt Code is available from Amazon UK. You can learn more about the book at theegyptcode.co.uk.

It has been twelve years since ‘The Orion Correlation Theory’ (OCT) was announced to the world in The Orion Mystery, by Robert Bauval and Adrian Gilbert. During that time, Robert Bauval has expanded on his theory with Graham Hancock in Keeper of Genesis, and has also been met head-on by an Egyptological orthodoxy not willing to accept that the pyramids of Giza may have been laid out to mimic the stars of the constellation Orion.

It is a little difficult to understand why the OCT has been rebuked so ferociously by not only Egyptologists, but also astronomers such as Ed Krupp. The likeness is quite apparent, and there is much to suggest that the ancient Egyptians revered the Orion constellation in particular – even if one day it is ultimately proven incorrect, it still seems a topic well worth some serious discussion. In all likelihood, the orthodox opposition to Bauval’s research comes not so much from that core theory, but from the other subjects associated with him from the ‘alternative history’ genre throughout the 1990s – the Age of the Sphinx controversy, the 10,500 BCE date given by Bauval for the perfect mirror image of the Giza layout to be present in the sky, and the confluence of this date with theories of a lost civilisation (notably the big ‘A’: Atlantis).

It seems that in The Egypt Code, Bauval has set himself the task of re-establishing his core theory – and the wider gestalt of the Ancient Egyptian cosmology being firmly rooted in events happening in the sky – to the academic establishment. And while he still sits firmly on the fringe, in this book he stays within arms-length of orthodox Egyptology. So, while he cites Colin Reader’s ideas on an earlier dating for the Sphinx, there is no mention of Robert Schoch or John Anthony West. Similarly, when he raises the ‘Zep Tepi’ alignment of the Giza pyramids to 11,541 BCE, he is very careful not to suggest a civilisation being present in Egypt at this time…instead, the Egyptian priests of the third millennium were just trying to mimic the sky at the ‘first time’ with their layout. As such, if anybody buying this book is expecting a New Age look at Egypt, they will be sorely disappointed. As Bauval points out in the Introduction:

‘The Egypt Code’, contrary to what Egyptologists will surely be quick to claim, is not a New Age book that regurgitates wild speculations and theories that cannot be verified or tested. My thesis is entirely verifiable, testable and ultimately falsifiable if need be.

Bauval’s research on this ‘lost’ Egyptian cosmology can be separated into three main areas: the ‘as above, so below’ theme, in which pyramids were built on the ground as representations of Orion and the Pleiades; that changes in temple sitings and orientations can be put down to the slow changes in star alignments caused by precession; and that the ‘meshing’ of the Egyptian calendars (the ‘civil’ and ‘stellar’) were the cause of momentous events in Ancient Egypt.

Bauval begins the book with a quick recap of his previous work, and then introduces the new book in earnest with a visit to the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. Here Bauval gives his opinion the inclined serdab holding a sky-watching statue of Djoser, before moving on to an analysis of the Heb Sed festival and the peculiarities of the Egyptian calendar, in particular the ‘Great Year’ of the Sothic cycle (based on the rising of the star Sirius) which has a span of 1460 years. Funnily enough, even at this early point in the book it is quite clear that the Ancient Egyptians had a fixation with the starry heavens and their cycles, and one wonders why Bauval has had to fight so hard to get his theories debated seriously.

Chapter 3 marks the return of the area most associated with Bauval – the Giza necropolis. But Bauval goes further, pointing out probable alignments and correspondences in the centers of Heliopolis, Letopolis, the Sun Temples of Abu Ghorab and the pyramids of Abusir. Perhaps the most controversial part of the book is when Bauval then states that this hermetic model is matched exactly only by a date in the 12th millennium BCE.

Chapter 4 details the many references – modern and ancient – to the Egyptians being sky-watchers. Some of these are extremely effective, such as Bauval’s citing of Proclus, who wrote "that the Egyptians had already taught Plato about the movements of the fixed stars…they did not speak just a single time, but many times…of the advance of the fixed stars." He even finds a positive mention on Egyptian knowledge of precession from a former nemesis, astronomer Ed Krupp!

The following two chapters move into Upper Egypt, cataloguing the varying alignments of temple complexes and beginning to outline another of Bauval’s assertions – that the ‘return of the Phoenix’ was related to the meshing of the civil calendar with the long ‘Great Year’ of the Sothic cycle. Bauval then goes on to suggest that the Amarna period under Akhenaten was inspired by this ‘return of the Phoenix’, based on the dating of one of these moments by Censorinus, as was a construction program at Karnak.

And all of a sudden, the book concludes. It’s an excellent summary, concisely explaining the numerous points made in the rest of the book. But it does surprise you, as the book proper finishes at under 200 pages, being followed by 84 pages of relevant appendices. Despite the well written conclusion though, the reader is left feeling like they have read some very interesting, diverse theories on Egyptian astronomy, without it ever amounting to something conclusive. It’s as if Bauval has pointed out numerous items of interest, and then just concluded the book. In his favour, he does gather them under the theme of the Egyptian need to live in cosmic balance – the concept of Ma’at – but these separate theories on mirroring the stars, meshing calendars and changing temple alignments never seem to fit into one cohesive philosophy. Perhaps that can just be put down to the obscure nature of most Egyptian philosophy, hidden by the mists of four millennia.

However, it must be said that each of these various astronomical theories are very interesting to read about. Bauval finds good references to support his ideas, such as the paper by Arielle Kozloff on star-gazing in Ancient Egypt. He also points out interesting pieces of information which could be relevant, such as number of panels in the wall of the Saqqara complex being 1459 and 1461, in comparison to the Sothic cycle of 1460 years. Bauvals’ writing style is his best thus far, with lovely descriptions of the Nile flood and what it would have meant for the people of Ancient Egypt.

However, the inherent nature of the book – discussing meshing calendrics, changing alignments of stars and the movement of the Sun – results in difficult reading in some sections. For instance:

In 2500 BC 1 Tybi would not have fallen on 19 October but, because of the drifting calendar, rather on 28 December. The position of the Sun at that date would have been about 26 degrees south-of-east and thus way off the alignment of the causeway, which is 14 degrees south-of-east. In other words, for the causeway to align with the sunrise on 1 Tybi, it had to have been aligned in c. 2781 BC and not c. 2500 BC.

I’m sure this all makes very good sense when you understand the concepts properly and can sit down and study the passage properly. But the casual reader may well find themselves struggling to keep up with Bauval at these moments. Certainly, some more diagrams illustrating these sorts of passages would probably have made things more understandable.
But this book appears to be about putting Bauval’s theories out there in a serious manner, while ultimately allowing for a popular read. As such, there is some give and take to both readers – Bauval explains things in enough detail for academics, while at the same time keeping things concise and reasonably simple for the majority of the book.

It would be wrong of me to comment on the validity of Bauval’s theories. While I’m more conversant than most ‘general readers’ on the subject of Egyptian astronomy, I certainly defer to more authoritative analysis of the book’s exposition of an ‘Egypt Code’ which I’m sure will be forthcoming. What I do hope though, is that these authoritative analyses are done in the spirit of science with some objectivity, rather than with an eye to dismissing it all because of Bauval’s previous clashes with orthodox Egyptology. It will certainly be interesting to see how things pan out over the coming months.

Ultimately, The Egypt Code offers a glimpse into Ancient Egyptian culture and architecture which suggests that they attributed an immense significance to living in tune with the cosmos, in particular the cycle of the stars. In Bauval’s words: "I believe that I have been able to make visible an ancient ‘code’ that can help Egyptology to shed more light on the greatest and most spiritually enlightened civilisation the world has ever known or is likely to know again in the future. Our present civilisation is in dire need of this ancient model of wisdom." That is about as New Age as Bauval gets in this book – readers seeking an adventure into the Hall of Records, replete with Atlantean civilisation should stay away. However, for those wishing to revisit Ancient Egypt and the OCT with Bauval, it is definitely a stimulating read.

CIRCLESPEAK DVD - Newland Productions

Greg — Sat, 12 Aug 2006 00:01:48 +0000

Being interested in ‘alternative’ topics can be a weary affair at times. Trying to find the middle ground between the true believers, at one end of the spectrum, and the ultra-skeptics at the other, can be like looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack. So it is always refreshing to be presented with a book, or in this case, a DVD, which does the job for you to perfection.

In fact, it’s difficult not to talk in superlatives about this feature. CircleSpeak: A Journey to the Heart of Crop Circle Country navigates perhaps one of the most polarised topics in the alternative genre with ease – informing and teaching, without ever lecturing or sermonising. The DVD begins with a quick introduction to the human face of crop circle research (and circlemaking), which sets the tone beautifully for the following hour and a half – at its heart, this is more a story about the people, rather than the circles.

What follows is an excellent summary of the history of crop circles. Beginning with the first noticed circles in 1978, we are introduced to the personalities involved on a chronological basis. Terence Meaden hypothesises a ‘plasma vortice’ as the cause in 1980, and soon after the ‘paranormal’ view makes its appearance via Colin Andrews and Pat Delgado. As the 1980s roll on, more central characters appear, until the crop circle watershed occurs: the 1990 Alton Barnes formation, which is quickly followed by the September 1991 hoaxing revelation from the infamous ‘Doug and Dave’.

At this stage, the core crop circle research is overtaken in signifance by the battle between the ‘believers’, such as Michael Glickman, and the hoaxers, including Matthew Williams and John Lundberg (and of course Doug Bower). The balance to the documentary is evident here, in that the viewer often feels emotion both ways. It is hard not to feel for researchers who have devoted large parts of their life to researching the glyphs, and been deliberately deceived by hoaxers. Then, just as quickly, you feel some repulsion at Michael Glickman’s gleeful announcement that he "was proud to help engineer the prosecution" of circlemaker Matt Williams.

This human story is what sets CircleSpeak apart. All of the important identities in the field (no pun intended) discuss their feelings about the circles, and we are given a real insight into the passion involved. In the words of Colin Andrews:

Losing your profession…losing your marriage…it’s a huge cost, it’s a lot to pay for something else going on inside you which drives you to want to get to a truth

The documentary also manages to get exclusive insights into the lives and opinions of the hoaxers – from the most prominent circlemakers, right through to the confession from John Wabe regarding the Oliver’s Castle video. However, the mystery remains, as most hoaxers reveal that circlemaking seems to be a trigger for strange experiences and the appearance of UFO-like objects.

Beyond the balance, and the human dimension of the story, CircleSpeak also features absolutely breathtaking footage of the glyphs themselves – and whether the source is mysterious, or just hoaxers, they are still art of the highest order. Throw in two extra hours of extended interviews and deleted scenes, and this DVD is the complete package. Get it.

You can learn more about the DVD, and order a copy, from the Circlespeak website.

2012: THE RETURN OF QUETZALCOATL - Daniel Pinchbeck

Greg — Thu, 04 May 2006 07:08:53 +0000

2012: THE RETURN OF QUETZALCOATL is available from Amazon US and Amazon UK

Daniel Pinchbeck's latest book 2012: The Return of Quetzalcoatl is one that I have been looking forward to for some time. His first book, Breaking Open the Head, ranks as one of the best that I've read over the past decade - in both style and substance. In it, Pinchbeck described his own journey from city-slicker cynic to shamanic convert, in the most exquisite prose that one could imagine. In fact, in my review of that book I felt he had reached the rare heights achieved by few writers - those of the calibre of Aldous Huxley - capable of describing the seemingly ineffable.

A few years on and Pinchbeck returns with the continuation of his personal journey, though one that seems to go slightly astray as it progresses. He begins the book by introducing his major theme, that of an apocalyptic end to our current paradigm and consciousness, as the end of the current cycle of the Mayan calendar approaches (in, of course, 2012).

The hypothesis I propose is that the completion of the great cycle and the return of Quetzalcoatl are archetypes and their underlying meaning points toward a shift in the nature of the psyche...such a radical proposition may seem absurdly far-fetched and beyond rational analysis...however, it is my view that this transition can be approached sensibly, considered in a way that does not insult our reasoning faculties.

2012 is a book embedded within the current eschatological climate of terrorism, Iraq, peak oil and global warming gone mad. Pinchbeck's observations on these topics range from the bland - for example, the usual 'sermonizing' about global warming, with little reference to the underlying debates - to the extremely insightful such as his discussion of Nietzsche’s ideas of "will to ignorance" and "will to superficiality", which perhaps provide no better description of the bizarre current global mood of ambivalence and apathy, as world leaders wage wars based on obvious lies.

The first few chapters live up to Pinchbeck's promise of not insulting our reasoning faculties, as he provides an excellent overview of the latest new paradigm thought, including Dean Radin's parapsychology research and the weird implications that the quantum world has for our view of 'reality'. Pinchbeck takes fundamentalist religion and secular liberalism to task for their lack of spirituality, and urges the reader to embrace a new spirituality in the face of these latest findings. Like Terence McKenna, he seeks an archaic revival of sorts:

It is my thesis that the rapid development of technology and the destruction of the biosphere are material by-products of a psycho-spiritual process taking place on a planetary scale. We have created this crisis to force our own accelerated transformation - on an unconscious level, we have willed it into being.

Pinchbeck then moves on to contemplating another worthwhile book, Patrick Harpur's Daimonic Reality, and its implications. At this point we reach a stumbling block, as crop circles are introduced for the first time in the book - though certainly not for the last time. Despite warnings from a well-educated friend of his (Mark Pilkington, of Strange Attractor) regarding the human providence of these glyphs, Pinchbeck spends quite a bit of time discussing them as signs of the coming change in consciousness. His naivety seems overwhelming on this subject, as he tells of the stunning "Oliver's Castle" video showing orbs creating a crop circle - which as far as I'm aware, was proved a hoax by John Wabe more than five years ago (if not as far back as 1997).

Where Pinchbeck got it wrong with crop circles however, he must be praised for sections discussing the philosophies of Herbert Marcuse - on the failure of industrialization and our indoctrination into what is an irrational system - and most especially Jean Gebser's idea that humanity passes through different consciousness structures, each with "a profoundly different realization of time and space" and that new forms of consciousness arise as sudden mutations. The discussion of Gebser's thoughts in terms of the industrial revolution ( "What led to the invention of the machine? The breaking forth of time?") and how our modern mindset is to the constant acceleration of production and efficiency, certainly resonated with me as a major fault of our current 'consciousness'. Indeed, the ideas of Marcuse and Gebser are the fulcrum on which Pinchbeck levers his argument:

If we were to conclude, after careful consideration, that our modern world is based upon fundamentally flawed conceptions of time and mind, that on these fatal defects we had erected a flawed civilisation - like building a tower on an unsound foundation, that becomes increasingly wobbly as it rises - then logic might indicate the necessity, as well as the inevitability, of change. By closing the gap between science and myth, rationality and intuition, technology and technique, we might also understand the form that change would take. Such a shift would not be the "end of the world," but the end of a world, and the opening of the next.

As can be imagined, there are also chapters which cover the shamanic hallucinogens, from iboga to ayahuasca and DMT. Also, as would be expected, Pinchbeck ties in McKenna's Timewave Zero and the date of 2012, to the other confluences of prophetic thinking which point at this date - from the Mayan calendar to the research of John Major Jenkins. In fact, the sheer amount of topics covered at times leaves the impression of superficiality...a myriad of topics could well have been debated in far more depth, from channeling, to the crop circle phenomenon, technological singularity etc, if the book was focused on a smaller amount of topics. Personally though, I'm glad that 2012 is so sweeping in its scope, as it tries to bring all manner of fascinating topics under one roof.

Where Pinchbeck's book falls down - at least from his original argument of not insult the reasoning mind - is the downward spiral in the later chapters in which the author begins wondering whether he has been 'chosen' as one to bring this new consciousness into being. Pinchbeck quotes Edward Edinger: "The archetypes themselves cannot evolve into full consciousness without being routed through a mortal ego to bring that consciousness into realization." By this time in the book - especially upon his return to the Burning Man festival - Pinchbeck is the epitome of a psychedelic burnout, going many days without sleep or sustenance, and begins believing that he may be one of these 'routers'. He receives 'transmissions' from an entity describing itself as Quetzalcoatl, heralding a new dawn of consciousness. At this point unfortunately, my 'reasoning mind' was beginning to feel a little insulted (I think any self-respecting deity would realise, by this point, that channeling prophetic material would just add to the past few decades of similar static which the New Age scene is full of).

In his favour, Pinchbeck is capable of self-analysis, and mentions a number of times the fallibility of apocalyptic fervour (seen throughout history, not just in our times), as well as the 'messianic complex' which so often accompanies psychic burnout - he praises McKenna for being able to approach this very subject with humour. He also considers the option "that I was sliding down a slippery slope toward an unusual form of madness," and notes that apocalyptic prophesy is "a classic symptom of megalomaniac ego-inflation." However, in the end, his internal rage against the current world, combined with what could be his own psychological need for importance, seems to overwhelm these warnings, as he grasps for something that will 'make things right'.

Throughout the book, Pinchbeck struggles with his own personal demons - misogyny, his lack of family interaction (like his father), and feelings that he should be destined for greater things. Perhaps a first step should be for him to realise that these are feelings which I'm sure a large number of men his age all undergo, and they are not peculiar to him as some sort of cruel destiny. Instead, there is a certain fatalism to Pinchbeck's lamenting of his own shortcomings, that these are 'in-built' and something he should not be fighting (for example, he decides that he will no longer be bound by the 'rules' of monogamist relationships). And yet his whole quest is about humanity changing from its 'inbuilt' destructive habits. He rails against humanity, but ignores the self. Rather than exerting discipline, he feels persecuted by humanity for the idea of monogamy and decides to make his own rules. He hurts his partner, but thinks he is the persecuted one (a microcosm of humanity and the globe?) How does he expect humanity to change if he can't change himself? On one hand he denies responsibility on a personal level, but on the other wants humanity to do so. In his favour, he does confront the question at times, acknowledging the "difficult task of reconciling freedom with responsibility." However, the impatient reader might simply feel like suggesting that he get over himself.

The author has certainly been influenced by a number of 'psychic' events which have smashed his previous physicalist worldview. One incident in particular, where his partner seems to be caught up in a dream he is having, is quite unsettling. Thus, we can understand his openness to other 'psychic' events such as the channeling of a prophetic entity. However, perhaps Pinchbeck should heed the warnings of Terence McKenna, and occultists such as Dion Fortune and Aleister Crowley, to be extremely skeptical of the claims of any particular 'intelligence' or entity that makes itself known. At one point in 2012, he relates his unease at a talk by Dolores Cannon, in which he felt that entities were "testing the lulled awareness of the listeners, looking for entry points, seeking to fasten onto their psyche, like mind parasites." Perhaps he should apply this wariness to his own 'communications', considering the fragile psychological state he seemed to be in by the latter stages of the book.

In using 2012 as his date of humanity's metamorphosis, perhaps it also would have been worthwhile to investigate in more detail the claims of those who have already heralded this date. The New Age bookshelf is riddled with vapid books of little research and substance, and I was certainly suspicious of identities mentioned by Pinchbeck, such as Jose Arguelles. At least Pinchbeck also raises his own concerns throughout the book, rather than blindly proselytising on behalf of these theories. One thing there is no doubt about is Pinchbeck's ability to write - every page is a delight to read, and some of his turns of phrase are sublime. Readers of 2012 may at times see similarities in style and substance to Hancock's narrative in Fingerprints of the Gods (which he does mention in the book) - "As I circled the massive blocks, it seemed to me that Stonehenge was constructed so that the knowledge encoded in the site would survive to the present day." His constant questioning throughout the book, indicates how personal this journey is.

In some ways, Pinchbeck's journey thus far reflects the hippie movement of the 1960s. The first embrace of psychedelics and other modes of thought, followed by a downward spiral into self-aggrandizement and denial of responsibility. Some may even see in this a parable about the dangers of psychedelic and occult thought. However, though the later chapters were not the ideal finish to 2012 that I would have expected, the majority of this book is a worthwhile read not only for the subjects it covers, but for the way it is intelligently discussed and written.

In fact, a quote by Pinchbeck's hero Walter Benjamin, lamenting the loss of storytelling, sums up what there is to like about this book:

Less and less frequently do we encounter people with the ability to tell a tale properly...it is as if the something that seemed inalienable to us, the securest among our possessions, were taken from us: the ability to exchange experiences. Experience has fallen in value. And it looks as if it is continuing to fall into bottomlessness.

At its heart, it is a sentiment which sums up this book - Pinchbeck is relating his experience to us, and no matter what we think of that experience, we should certainly appreciate him sharing it with us - not to mention the elegant prose it is written in. This is where the crop circle sections, which grated against me personally - may be seen as worthwhile, as it is the recollection of his own journey...not a necessary, objective truth. As crop circle research Michael Glickman says at one point in 2012: "In a post-Newtonian culture, it is very difficult to put forth a conviction in something that you can't actually prove."

HUNT FOR THE SKINWALKER - Colm Kelleher and George Knapp

Greg — Sat, 25 Mar 2006 02:44:26 +0000

This review of HUNT FOR THE SKINWALKER, by Colm Kelleher and George Knapp, originally appeared in Issue 4 of SUB ROSA (a free online PDF magazine), in which interested readers will also find an in-depth article about the Skinwalker Ranch investigation by the authors of the book.

HUNT FOR THE SKINWALKER is available from Amazon US and Amazon UK

A rancher buys a property in remote Utah, which he soon finds is 'haunted' by some sort of paranormal intelligence. A number of his cattle are mutilated, his dogs are incinerated by a glowing orb, he sees a being resembling the semi-invisible alien from the movie Predator, and his wife experiences poltergeist-like phenomena within the house. A billionaire businessman interested in the search for alien life hears of the high weirdness, and buys the ranch outright, sending in his own professional team of scientists to study the phenomenon with magnometers, infra-red binoculars and video cameras. They see beings crawling out of 'portals', beasts with glowing eyes hanging from trees in the dark of night, and even have telepathic messages from a UFO-like entity invade their mind.

Any Hollywood producer reading a movie script with that for a logline might start salivating. But, unbelievably, the story is true (well, they would probably just start drooling hearing that fact). In Hunt for the Skinwalker, investigative journalist George Knapp and molecular biologist Colm Kelleher tell the story of the so-called 'Skinwalker Ranch', which has reached almost legendary status in recent years among 'border experience' researchers due to the small amount of publically available information about it. Not that Knapp needs to employ a great deal of investigative nous for this book, as his co-author Kelleher was the lead scientist involved in the research, so one might therefore call this the official version of what occurred.

The book is divided into three parts. It begins with Part 1 - "The Hotspot", telling the story of rancher Tom Gorman (not his real name) who bought the 480 acre property in the fall of 1994, as well as sharing some of the related history of the location (including Native American myths and fireside stories of occult Masonic influences). If you live alone on farmland somewhere, this isn't the best book to be reading late at night. The Gorman family catalogue a nightmarish range of phenomena, which include the deaths of both their livestock and the family pets. 'Flying refrigerator' UFOs are seen (a curious echo of Vallee's research in Brazil?), unkillable foul-smelling beasts turn up regularly, and even a 'portal' in the sky opens up on numerous occasions.

Part 2 - "The Investigation Begins" continues the tale from 1996, when billionaire real estate entrepreneur Robert Bigelow bought the ranch as a 'live laboratory' for his newly formed National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS). NIDS had been created with the express intention of supporting scientific investigation into 'border sciences' - the paranormal, UFOs etc. Kelleher recounts his first visit to the ranch (on which he was to spend many months), and then goes on to list a number of strange experiences witnessed by members of the NIDS team. These events bring some credibility to the Skinwalker Ranch story, with the word of reputable scientists and law enforcement officers lending support to Gorman's anecdotal account. Ultimately however, despite the long hours and scientific rigour devoted to the investigation, the NIDS team were unable to come up with much evidence of note - at least, I don't see any skeptics changing their opinion based on what is offered in Hunt for the Skinwalker.

Nevertheless, the first two parts of the book will be gripping reading for those not familiar with the story of the Skinwalker Ranch. For those who have kept up with the story via the Internet (with necessary filtering of outlandish rumours), there won't be a lot more learnt beyond the facts delivered by George Knapp in his earlier 3-part "Path of the Skinwalker" article for the Las Vegas Mercury (available as PDFs from www.huntfortheskinwalker.com). However, the third part of the book, "Aftermath and Hypotheses", is worth the price of the book. It delivers the thoughts, feelings and conclusions which the NIDS team came to on the basis of what they witnessed, and also explores possible models and theories for what is happening. Parallel universes, imaginal realms, Vallee's Magonia...all are mentioned, which means here we have another book pointing at cross-overs between various fields of research such as ufology, shamanism and consciousness.

Hunt for the Skinwalker is certainly a gripping read, one of the few books of late which I've found myself continually picking up during the day to read 'just one more chapter'. However, after waiting so long for some official word on the Skinwalker Ranch research, I was also disappointed by the lack of evidence which resulted, and also some of the methodology. Colm Kelleher points out in the Preface:

In addition to eyewitness testimony, we obtained an intriguing body of physical evidence to support many of the accounts described in the book. We compiled photos and videos and accumulated reports of demonstrable physical effects on people, animals, equipment, everyday objects, and the environment.

If this is the case, it's a shame that more wasn't shared with the reader. A few colour plates, or even tabulated or graphed data, may have helped in raising the story from feeling like a modern urban legend, into its rightful place as a fascinating scientific investigation. Some very interesting magnetic fields were recorded in the wake of anomalous phenomena occuring on the ranch. Why not describe these in more detail? Likewise, a couple of times in the book one of these 'physical effects on people' is off-handedly mentioned - blood noses. This sounds intriguing, so why not share more about the circumstances under which it happened, etc.? Obviously, Hunt for the Skinwalker is intended as a popular read, so I may be perhaps asking for more than is required - if so, I hope some hard data is released at some point in another form.

Beyond that criticism though, I was also perplexed by a number of things about the investigation. At one point, the NIDS investigators and Gorman give chase to an entity in the middle of the night, and witness it hanging from a tree. Gorman promptly jumps from the vehicle and unleashes a round from his rifle at it. Was this 'shoot-to-kill policy', against an apparently intelligent entity, agreed with by NIDS? It would seem so, as no criticism is levelled at Gorman for his actions. Indeed, the fact that NIDS kept Gorman on at the ranch as caretaker is also a strange decision - one of the first examinations of the Gorman story would have to consider the hoax explanation. To avoid any further 'contamination' of the investigation by this possibility, Gorman should have been excluded when the research began. To be fair, the authors do give some reasons, such as that the paranormal events may have been 'attracted' to him in some way. But overall, this is a nagging problem throughout the book.

The tabloidish descriptions of Gorman throughout the book (a proud man, a simple man, a great rancher, a man with "the perfect eyesight of a trained marksman") only further inflame the skeptical mind...it's almost as if the authors need us to believe this man, so they lavish praise on him. Ironically, in describing why the Gorman's bought the ranch, they sometimes actually throw doubt on his background...it was to "get away from the busybodies and the closed community that kept prying into their lives", to escape the rumour mill of their previous small town life. These privacy problems were probably more to do with their Mormon background, but in all I finished the book with grave doubts about the Gormans' side of the story - though I have to say they were redeemed somewhat by the support lent by NIDS investigators in the second half of the book.

All in all though, Hunt for the Skinwalker is an important chronicle of one of the few scientific investigations of a paranormal hotspot. It will be an eye-opening account for those new to the subjects of the Skinwalker Ranch and ‘border experiences’, and will no doubt also serve as a topic of great debate within the frontier science research community. Kelleher and Knapp sum up the investigation well in their concluding remarks in the book:

The investigation of the phenomena at the Gorman ranch was an ambitious if unconventional example of what science is supposed to tod. Explore the unknown. Ask questions about the unexplained. Poke around and see what happens. Honest inquiry into unanswered questions is – or should be – a textbook definition of what science does…But finding answers is not always part of that definition even when engaged in “normal” science…though we can eliminate a few of the hypotheses – hoax, group hallucination, and tectonic strain theory – there is simply insufficient data to be able to select a likely solution to the events.

Part of the difficulty in this scientific investigation was the ‘trickster’ element so often described in paranormal events – as if an intelligence is making the decisions as to what is observed and when, which is hardly conducive to the replicability and hard objective results required by science. As mentioned, I do have my doubts as to this book’s ability to change any skeptic’s mind on the matter, but hopefully further data from the investigation will be forthcoming in different forms. In the meantime, those interested in these phenomenon will be able to scan this chronicle for items of interest to their own research. And if a Hollywood producer doesn’t option the film rights on this one soon, I’m going to have to get a bank loan and snap it up myself – an unbelievable story.

SUPERNATURAL - Graham Hancock

Greg — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 08:15:27 +0000

This review of Graham Hancock's SUPERNATURAL originally appeared in Issue 2 of SUB ROSA (free online PDF magazine), in which interested readers will also find an in-depth interview with Graham regarding his new book - and much more besides.

SUPERNATURAL is available right now from Amazon UK, and will be published in the U.S. in 2006.

After the intelligent work of Jacques Vallee and John Keel in the 1960s, and some subsequent gems such as John Mack’s research in the 1990s, the idea that we may be in contact with beings from the ‘subtle realms’ had fallen out of the public gaze. So much so that – despite a mass of fascinating evidence worthy of enquiry – we now live in a world where alien abductions are simply a tabloid headline, emerging from the padded-wall world of the obviously delusional. However, that could well change with the release of Supernatural (Amazon UK), from best-selling British author Graham Hancock (Fingerprints of the Gods). That’s not to say that this book is simply about the alien abduction phenomenon and the ‘third-realm’ hypothesis though – there’s far more on offer, which we’ll work through here. Better strap yourself in Dorothy, ‘cause Kansas is going bye-bye.

The subject of ‘contact’ is originally breached through some early chapters in which Hancock discusses entheogenic plant hallucinogens such as ibogaine and ayahuasca (and his personal experiences with them). Suddenly though, these chapters are followed by the seemingly unrelated topic of cave art. Hancock introduces readers to the ‘neuropsychological model’ of South African rock art expert David Lewis-Williams, which is currently gaining wide acceptance. The link to the earlier material becomes more obvious when Hancock outlines what this is all about – that the beginnings of human behaviour, in art and religion (as evidenced by cave paintings from the Upper Paleolithic era), may be tied to altered states of consciousness. Not just through the use of hallucinogens such as ‘magic mushrooms’ and the South American brew ayahuasca, but also through other methods such as the ritual dance of the San bushmen in Africa.

The evidence Hancock points to in favour of the neuropsychological model is fascinating – phosphene-like geometric forms, therianthropic figures, and most especially the ‘wounded man’ image found across time and cultures. Also the parallels in cave art with the ‘bleeding noses’ of the San bushmen is especially convincing, with 19th century ethnographic records providing the key (it’s ironic that despite the book’s emphasis on hallucinogens, the San didn’t use them). By the end, Hancock will have won over most readers with his argument that David Lewis-Williams’ theory is correct.

However, readers shouldn’t think that Hancock is going soft on academic archaeology. After aligning himself with David Lewis-Williams and his neuropsychological model, he then morphs into an agent provocateur and rips into the shabby history of cave art research over the past century. Hancock’s exposition of the shocking case of Altamira – where an ‘amateur archaeologist’ was virtually sent to his grave early because of unwarranted attacks from the establishment – does appear to come from a position of personal empathy with the man’s plight. He also takes issue with the cave art experts currently debating the neuropsychological model, for not being interested in taking hallucinogens themselves (something which surely would be an aid in ‘getting inside the mind’ of the Paleolithic artists?). Always ready with an eloquent (and in this case also humorous) turn of phrase, Hancock describes the situation as “two celibates arguing about the ten best positions for sex.”

The following sections are to the cave art material what spicy Cajun chicken is to rye bread – far more exotic and mouth-watering, but incomplete without the right foundations. Beginning with the appropriately titled chapter “Voyage into the Supernatural”, the rest of the book moves away from cave art into a completely different frame of investigation, one which is best compared to the ground-breaking books of Jacques Vallee during the 1960s and 70s (a point Hancock acknowledges later on). While the first part of Supernatural investigates a minor paradigm change, these chapters aim to reassess our entire vision of reality. Hancock prefaces this change of tack with this:

Because I had been shaken to the core by my experiences with ayahuasca and ibogaine, I decided to take my investigation further and to explore the extraordinary possibility…that the spirit world and its inhabitants are real, that supernatural powers and non-physical beings do exist.

In this chapter Hancock provides a marvelous illustration of the correspondences between shamanic experiences and the ‘alien abduction’ phenomenon (surrounded by quotes because Hancock is certainly not arguing for ‘nuts and bolts’ UFOs and aliens). It’s a good, solid introduction to what is a quite bizarre topic, and hopefully it provides enough evidence to draw the more ‘straight-thinking’ readers into the following chapters. It also shows (sadly) how little we really understand about ‘alien abductions’, while at the same time presenting ways forward for research, with the many parallels to psychic experiences.

Subsequent chapters add in Vallee’s link between fairy folklore and UFO experiences. In fact, Supernatural virtually becomes a comparative mythology investigation, with the subjects being shamanic voyages, fairy folklore and alien abduction reports. Time after time, Hancock presents stunning evidence to show that these are all part of a single phenomenon. Furthermore, in part four of the book he ties in DMT, the DNA element of shamanic visions (as explored by Narby, Harner and others), and the idea that information encoded within our ‘Junk DNA’ may be facilitating our ‘education’, by either advanced alien civilisations or entities from parallel/spiritual dimensions. Lastly, like a prodigal son returning to his roots, he discusses how this may relate to art and religion in ancient civilisations, specifically the Egyptians and Mayans. I told you to strap yourself in!

It may be high strangeness, but it is also terrific reading. Unlike Bryan Appleyard’s recent Aliens: Why They Are Here, Hancock avoids being overly-holistic and attempts to lay out the individual parts of his hypothesis backed by appropriate evidence, followed by the threads which join them together (the idea that Hancock is being reductionist may be pushing the truth though, considering the very nature of the subject matter!). To my mind the section on cave art could have been a little shorter, with the repetitive presentation of evidence becoming tedious towards the end (probably a holdover from the Underworld era when Hancock felt he need to present his popular works with a sturdy scientific backbone to counter his critics). On the other hand, one could argue that it’s just good value for money - with over 600 pages of text on a variety of fascinating topics, you are surely getting that with this book.

There is an appendix contributed by a British mycological expert regarding the origins of certain psilocybin mushrooms in Europe, which functionally destroys specific arguments made by cave art researchers opposed to the neuropsychological model – in fact, he makes them look rather amateurish and sloppy. Also in the appendices is an interview with Rick Strassman about his DMT research at the University of New Mexico, which is a worthy addition.

Supernatural could well be a breakthrough book on a number of subjects. Hancock has stepped forward with his high profile, and admitted to taking illicit substances, issuing a challenge regarding the human right to explore our own consciousness. He will also be bringing the strange ‘third realm’ out of the shadows, so to speak, and presenting it to a wide range of new readers. There’s something for everyone interested in the ‘alternative’ genres – archaeology and anthropology, religion and mythology, shamanism and altered states, ufology and alien abduction. One might even be tempted to throw in cryptozoology as well, with the emphasis Hancock puts on the therianthropic beings seen in altered states.

Hancock retains his familiar techniques. He always immerses himself in his books, traveling the globe and attempting to ‘walk in the same shoes’ as necessary. This method of narrating his investigation works simply because he is a great writer: he takes the reader with him by employing florid descriptions which somehow never seem to push into excessiveness and hyperbole. Once again Hancock focuses on the work of a number of cutting edge researchers with ‘new paradigm’ ideas – in Fingerprints of the Gods it was Bauval, West, Hapgood, and the Flem-Aths, while here it is Lewis-Williams, Vallee, John Mack and Benny Shanon – and links the disparate topics together to provide an over-arching theme to the book. In the case of Supernatural, that theme is altered states of consciousness, and whether humanity has grown (perhaps even been ‘taught’) through our capacity to enter into them via hallucinogens and other shamanic techniques. Graham Hancock is to be commended for picking up the torch which Jacques Vallee and John Keel originally lit, and taking it even further in Supernatural, in order to illuminate the margins of reality.