In one way or another all of us are searching for evidence of God. Granted, few words in the language are more loaded than “God.” Those more linguistically tempered wisely sidestep the inevitable religious associations by using a bevy of other, more neutral appellations. For them such terms as Pure Being, Supreme Consciousness, Ultimate Intelligence, The One or Divine Awareness are closer to the ideal they have in mind. Oh, you can dance around it all you want. Regardless of label we all know what we’re really talking about. We’re searching for the source; something that deliberately designed and infused the grand pattern in which we exist with purpose and meaning. In a world gone crackers with absurdity, endless relativity and intellectual complexity this desire is understandable. But take heart, as the tubercular munchkin Alexander Pope noted for us all, “hope springs eternal.” Occasionally, previously hidden patterns of experience or structure emerge so sublime, calculated and profound as to seemingly defy the possibility of random process.
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No CommentsThe chain of reason can be a perilous and unsettling process. Those brash enough to follow any given strand to its logical conclusion may find themselves in incredible if not seemingly preposterous territory. Such is the case of Graham Hancock in his book Supernatural, (2007, Disinformation, New York.) Hancock contends the wide spread use of hallucinogenic drugs throughout history not only provided the impetus for the development of human spirituality but has also revealed a supernatural dimension populated with existentially real beings capable of interacting with our physical world. These beings are known by a myriad of culturally based identities. From the guardian and animal spirits found within tribal cultures to the fairies and elves referenced in early European history to the extraterrestrial beings many claim haunt our modern era. All are different names for the same supernatural entities whose presence and causal abilities are just as substantive as our own. On the surface it seems an appalling anti-intellectual claim. However, scrupulous consideration of the facts, source review and careful assembling of the evidence suggests there is much to consider within Hancock’s theory.
You are invited to Read More 1 CommentThe Mazatec peoples have always lived just out of reach of the great empires of Mexican history. Deeply ensconced in the highlands of the Sierra Madre Oriental in the northeast corner of the state of Oaxaca, their lifestyle has long withstood the brunt of such formidable forces as the Toltecs, Aztecs, Spanish Conquistadors and the Mexican Federal government. Though a tribe of Popoluca-Zapotecan linguistic stock, Mazatec is a Nahuatl name given them by the Aztec meaning “Lord of the Deer.” The Mazatec prefer to refer to themselves as the “Humble People.” While the relentless pressures of Catholicism and modernity have gradually seeped into their daily lives they remain predominantly a community of weavers and farmers.
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