DIVINE INTERVENTION

Reading this massive and dense book is a daunting undertaking even for the most intrepid reader, especially given the growing demands on our attention and the opportunity cost in terms of time. However, the spiritual message of the book could not be more important or timely as it goes to the root of our malaise, spiritual ignorance and consequent destructive behaviour which we now realise has reached crisis proportions. In its detail and matter-of-fact exposition about spiritual matters, the book reminded me of Swedenborg, who documents a similar range of experiences and encounters. The first three parts are autobiographical, and include a graphic account of the author being involved in a mass shooting in 1997 and receiving a wound to the head, after which his conscious states changed and he seriously began the journey that resulted in this book, written, he assures us, with the help of spirit beings.

Part Four, extending over 500 pages, consists of diary events from a spiritual perspective, documenting the experiences of astral travel, dream visions, telepathy, clairvoyance, clairaudience and channelling, clairsentience, heightened senses and emotions, spirit produced sensations and telesthesia, intuitive insights, time and spatial displacement in terms of premonitions, retrocognition and precognition, visual apparitions, trance vision, encounters with dark energy, energy associated with colour and spiritual healing, the physical body energy system, the relationship between brain and mind, energy system synchronisation, materialisation and dematerialisation, levitation, conscious states and universal time. All these experiences are tabulated and summarised in tables before a more detailed explanation; in addition, there are are graphs and a systematic summary of events with chapter references. The bibliography is likewise tabulated in terms of subject matter. The text covers every conceivable conscious state as well as the underlying nature of reality and the purpose of life in evolving towards higher being aligned with universal principles.

Readers of this journal will have a particular interest in the relationship between mind and brain. For Spencer, the mind belongs to our spirit self, which it shares with the human self. When we pass over, 'the mind of our spirit self becomes that of us as a spirit', exactly as Swedenborg asserts. He explains that the mind is dominated by our human self in an awake state, while in trance it is dominated by our spirit self; and during NDEs the spirit self can monitor events and accurately report back. Shared mind is then defined as the mind of the spirit self being shared with the human self, but this sharing can also occur between humans, and between humans and spirit as well as with the universal mind. This scheme is also illustrated in a series of graphs detailing possible relationships between the mind of the spirit self and the human self as well as the extent of the shared mind (p. 699 and Graph 102). The author also discusses the operation of left and right brain hemispheres, brain vibrations related to trance state, separation of the brain and mind, and the nature of learning, thoughts and memory. He comments that the mind of the human self dominates in most academics, which means that the mind of the spirit self remains undeveloped. Then the universal mind functions as an akashic record of everything that has happened in this universe cycle. It is like a library full of books and constitutes the only true mind where 'all other minds of mortals are just shadows of it with varying degrees of intelligence and wisdom.' Genius, as Walter Russell also experienced, means tapping into and identifying with the knowledge and light of the universal mind. This exists at very many vibrational frequencies or levels of reality, which we may or may not be able to absorb and understand, depending on our own frequency, again as Swedenborg pointed out in his own language.

The last part charts our future path in life and how we need to live in accordance with the universal plan if we are to navigate a trajectory without destroying ourselves. This means aligning ourselves with the direction of universal evolution towards higher being. This is explained in terms of a universal plan, universal truth, universal harmony, universal law, universal energy, universal force, universal mind and universal love. The summit or essence is called Celestial Being providing a blueprint through the Divine Being to evolve through a series of conscious states. Universal truth is a unified energy field of 'universal love, innocence, faith, harmony and wisdom' which we need to receive, understand and embody. This naturally entails harmony and collaboration in a universal law where we all share a love for one another and live consciously from this unified field. This is just what the great sages have always emphasised, but we are living this out only in pockets within the prevalence of a negative energy field dominated by fear and separation.

Needless to say, the author recommends that we urgently need to change our direction of travel to align ourselves with the universal evolutionary plan. Our spiritual journey 'is about putting ourselves second for the betterment of all and learning our lessons as humans on the path of making us a loving spirit able to live harmoniously with others.' (p. 829) This leads into a final visionary and indeed revolutionary section on human rights and goals. These seven rights are for individual spiritual development, loving leaders, a good environment for children to develop, also spiritually, for all forms of life to have the right to live, for laws which only prevent harm to others, and for recognised standards of morality. Each of these is specified with a series of more detailed rules and explanations. This would involve a completely different approach to education, focused as it currently is on intellectual development for employment purposes, to a worldview based on the existence of a spirit self related to the human self with access to higher guidance. Instead, we have a trajectory towards mechanisation rather than spiritualisation. The critical point is not simply to look at outer destruction and disintegration, but rather to address the root causes in our thinking and feeling, with commercialism giving way to service performed in love. Interestingly, with the author living in New Zealand, that country has with its prime minister Jacinda Ardern been a beacon of light following the recent terrorist attacks.

As I said at the outset, only the most intrepid reader will manage to wade through the whole book, even though it is packed with valuable insights. The author needs to distil its message into a shorter and more accessible form in order to reach a wider readership. He also needs to express some of the essential messages in video clip format if he is going to reach younger people. What he has to say is too important to remain only within the covers of his book.

Existing stock is out of print but revised edition due out June 2020 is offered to SMN members and friends at cost for postage and packaging from New Zealand (approx. £30). Those who would like a copy are advised to email their postal address to [email protected] who will contact them after the revised edition is published.