The Spiritual Laws

I met the author at a recent conference on death and dying in Spain – he is a biochemist researching the genetic predisposition of cancer at the University of Valencia. Like many SMN members he disagrees with orthodox scientific and religious views of spirituality and sets out to explore the spiritual laws for himself by travelling out of the body and ostensibly interviewing the wise being Isaiah about life, the universe and everything. What makes the book special is the quality of Vicent's analytical and enquiring mind, as he is never satisfied with glib answers, always demanding more detail and clearer examples. The patient Isaiah complies willingly. Vicent is clearly well read in the areas he covers, referring to a number of key texts. The four spiritual laws he discusses are those of evolution (which includes the deep nature of human life), free will, spiritual justice and love. The last is the most important and indeed constitutes the kernel of the book. Here he goes into the nature of egoism and the various limitations and negative qualities that we humans have to overcome if we are to reach a higher state. It is important that we learn to listen to our spiritual intuition. The last chapter sifts out the real teaching of Jesus from the theological accretions and is worth reading in its own right, even if I disagreed with his remarks on the Shroud and Mary Magdalene. The serious spiritual seeker will find encouragement on the path and much food for thought in this insightful book.