It is only when one loves life and the world so much
that without them everything would be gone,
that one can believe in the resurrection and a new
world.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer,
Prisoner
for God : Letters and Papers from Prison
Most Utopians, but particularly Environmentalist Utopians, share a rather curious characteristic, they tend to hate humans. James Redfield is no exception to this rule. The Utopia he imagines will have far less people, will worship old growth trees, and whoever is left over for this epoch will apparently spend the bulk of their time vibrating (perhaps having attained a state of pure energy?). Basically, Heaven is a depopulated place, where we turn Nature into a fetish, and ditch our bodies. This just is not the belief system of a person who's comfortable with himself or his own humanity.
Sadly, being antihuman is no bar to success, nor to being taken seriously--witness the continuing academic reputation of Paul Ehrlich--so this book has sold far too many copies and, in a turn of events that makes one hope that future archaeologists never find a copy of the book, actually made the Amazon.com list of the Top 100 Books of the Millennium. In order to save you the agony of reading this drivel, here are the (first) nine Celestine Insights, as presented by Redfield at his website :
A Critical Mass
A
new spiritual awakening is occurring in human
culture, an awakening brought about by a critical mass of
individuals who experience their lives as a spiritual
unfolding, a journey in which we are led forward by
mysterious coincidences.
The Longer Now
This
awakening represents the creation of a new,
more complete world view, which replaces a
five-hundred-year-old preoccupation with secular survival
and comfort. While this technological preoccupation was
an important step, our awakening to life's coincidences is
opening us up to the real purpose of human life on this
planet, and the real nature of our universe.
A Matter Of Energy
We
now experience that we live not in a material
universe, but in a universe of dynamic energy. Everything
extant is a field of sacred energy that we can sense and
intuit. Moreover, we humans can project our energy by
focusing our attention in the desired direction...where
attention goes, energy flows...influencing other energy
systems and increasing the pace of coincidences in our
lives.
The Struggle For Power
Too
often humans cut themselves off from the
greater source of this energy and so feel weak and insecure.
To gain energy we tend to manipulate or force others to
give us attention and thus energy. When we successfully
dominate others in this way, we feel more powerful, but
they are left weakened and often fight back. Competition
for scarce, human energy is the cause of all conflict
between people.
The Message Of The Mystics
Insecurity
and violence ends when we experience an
inner connection with divine energy within, a connection
described by mystics of all traditions. A sense of lightness -
buoyancy - along with the constant sensation of love are
measures of this connection. If these measures are present,
the connection is real. If not, it is only pretended.
Clearing The Past
The
more we stay connected, the more we are
acutely aware of those times when we lose connection,
usually when we are under stress. In these times, we can
see our own particular way of stealing energy from others.
Once our manipulations are brought to personal awareness,
our connection becomes more constant and we can discover
our own growth path in life, and our spiritual mission - the
personal way we can contribute to the world.
Engaging The Flow
Knowing
our personal mission further enhances the
flow of mysterious coincidences as we are guided toward
our destinies. First we have a question; then dreams,
daydreams, and intuitions lead us towards the answers,
which usually are synchronistically provided by the
wisdom of another human being.
The Interpersonal Ethic
We
can increase the frequency of guiding
coincidences by uplifting every person that comes into our
lives. Care must be taken not to lose our inner connection
in romantic relationships. Uplifting others is especially
effective in groups where each member can feel energy of
all the others. With children it is extremely important for
their early security and growth. By seeing the beauty in
every face, we lift others into their wisest self, and increase
the chances of hearing a synchronistic message.
The Emerging Culture
As
we all evolve toward the best completion of our
spiritual missions, the technological means of survival will
be fully automated as humans focus instead on
synchronistic growth. Such growth will move humans into
higher energy states, ultimately transforming our bodies
into spiritual form and uniting this dimension of existence
with the after-life dimension, ending the cycle of birth and
death.
If any of that has even a mild ring of truth to you, by all means read
the book. You and the rest of the Celestinians are certain to have
a grand old time circling the redwoods, sharing your energy, and vibrating
like tuning forks. The rest of us actually have lives to get on with.
(Reviewed:)
Grade: (F)
