New Book Reviews
By Brent Raynes
Dreamed up Reality:
Diving Into Mind to Uncover the
Astonishing Hidden Tale of Nature
By Bernardo Kastrup
O-Books, an imprint of John Hunt Publishing Ltd.,
Laurel House, Station Approach,
Alresford, Hants, S024 9JH, UK
www.o-books.com
2011, 190 pages, US $19.95
ISBN: 978-1-84694-525-0
Reviewed by Brent Raynes
The author, Dr. Bernardo Kastrup, described as a scientist who once worked in one of the world’s foremost scientific labs and is currently said to be an executive in an influential technology company, presents in this book his startling contention that while we have long assumed that matter and energy are fixed objective realities, it may in reality be that these things are themselves animated by consciousness itself, what he calls “elemental thought patterns.” So why would such a highly educated and successful man of science write a book that flies in the face of conventional, mainstream scientific principles and beliefs?
Dr. Kastrup feels that mind itself is the proverbial missing link in the elusive theory of everything (T.O.E) that scientists have long searched for in order to explain the underlying components and causality of our consensus reality. He even sees further evidence of this in fractal geometry, patterns of self-similarity, that can be found throughout nature in a wide variety of forms and includes everything from Romanesco broccoli to mollusks, clouds, mountains, pulmonary blood vessels – and the list just keeps going on and on. He feels that the vast majority of us have fallen for a culturally and scientifically sanctioned “illusion of knowledge” as men of science mistake their techniques and experiments as objective when in fact they already knew what results and conclusions that they wanted to discover beforehand, and the process itself may have simply and subjectively manifested what was being sought. Biochemist Dr. Rupert Sheldrake has pointed out that while blind techniques are routinely used in the medical field to prevent the well known “placebo effect,” in physics and chemistry this precaution is not carried out.
Dr. Kastrup is of course standing on the shoulders of scholarly pioneers before him, and he does describe and acknowledge contributions made by such scientists as Stanislav Grof, Carl Jung, Terence McKenna, Rick Strassman – and again, the list goes on and on. I was delighted at the conclusion of his book though to see an unexpected acknowledgement when he wrote: “As Jacques Vallee noted in closing his mesmerizing classic, ‘Passport to Magonia,’ ‘we cannot be sure that we study something real, because we do not know what reality is; we can only be sure that our study will help us understand more, far more, about ourselves.’ I cannot think of a greater adventure.”
Amen!
Jim Harold’s Campfire
True Ghost Stories
By Jim Harold
New Page Books
A division of The Career Press, Inc.
220 West Parkway, Unit 12
Pompton Plains, NJ 07444
2011, 256 pages, US $14.99
ISBN-13: 978-1-60163-194-7
Reviewed by Brent Raynes
Who doesn’t like to hear or read a good ghost story?
Well, Jim Harold’s True Ghost Stories contains dozens of spell binding, spine tingling true tales of the supernatural! But these stories aren’t just notable for their fright value and spookiness. They also get you to thinking! Many of these accounts are quite fascinating and thought-provoking.
Even spooky alien-type entities got to appear in Jim’s book, as in the story told by Shane of New Jersey who described his frightening encounter with a dark cloaked humanoid being with large black eyes and pale skin, who appeared at his bedside one night. He said the face of this being reminded him of the entity pictured on the cover of Strieber’s Communion. There is even a story that Jim shared from his father, Jim Harold, Sr., of how his dad and his mom some 40 years earlier had gone up into some mountains on vacation and were parked, having a quiet conversation. It was pitch black out when suddenly there was a brilliant light in the sky that lit everything up for about three seconds. Everything inside and outside of the vehicle, he said, was lit up. He could even see the minute hand on the clock on the dash. He glanced out a side window and was startled to see a person standing close by. He appeared to be someone short in stature, and interestingly had what looked like “some sort of a welding mask on.” He turned to his wife and told her to look and when he looked back it was gone. Frightened he then drove the car out of there, but curiously, on the way out, he saw “four or five” of the “biggest birds I’ve ever seen” along a bank beside the road.
The author says he has had a life-long fascination with the paranormal, whether it be ghosts, Bigfoot, or UFOs. In 2005, his obsession manifested itself into The Paranormal Podcast over internet radio. He interviewed numerous authors, authority figures, and researchers on the subject, but felt something was missing. He wanted to create a show that opened up to ordinary, everyday people and gave them an opportunity to share their own personal paranormal experiences. He did, calling it Jim Harold’s Campfire (sound familiar?) and over the years his program has become quite popular, and he has heard from listeners all across the U.S. and from such far flung places as Ireland, Japan, Australia, Norway, and the United Kingdom. “Many listeners have told me that the program serves as kind of a paranormal support group,” Jim writes. “The chapters in this book are real stories from my listeners.”
The Zeta Message:
Connecting All Beings In Oneness
By Judy Carroll & Helene Kaye
Wild Flower Press
PO Box 1429
Columbus, NC 28722
2011, 290 pages, US $17.95
ISBN 978-0-926524-70-5
Reviewed by Brent Raynes
Back in the March 2010 (#146) edition of Alternate Perceptions I did an interview with Judy Carroll of Australia, the main author of this book, about her life-long encounters with the Grey visitors. In our interview she had mentioned that this book would soon be released, and here it is! Her co-author, Helene Kaye, also recalls “alien” encounters going back to 2000. Interestingly, they claim that their interactions with these beings have been largely positive and helpful. They even claim that they now believe that in a former lifetime they themselves were Grey aliens!
Thought-provoking and challenging, it’s a fascinating first-hand narrative of two women who claim to have had extensive interactions with the alien presence.
Human by Day,
Zeta by Night”
A Dramatic Account of Greys Incarnating as Humans
By Judy Carroll
Wild Flower Press
PO Box 1429
Columbus, NC 28722
2011, 335 pages, US $18.95
ISBN 978-0-926524-71-2
Reviewed by Brent Raynes
This book, also written by Judy Carroll, is fictional, although the author points out that it is based on actual events which are described in her book, The Zeta Message. In it, you read about the Guardians, interdimensional beings who are concerned about our future and are assisting with our spiritual evolution. The characters Ali and Ashka learn about reincarnation and their own ET identities.