PR Straight Talk

Some years ago, as I was meditating, I could hear birds singing just outside my window.  As the meditation went deeper, the bird sounds somehow grew stronger and richer, and as I simultaneously meditated and listened to the aviary song, I could feel my consciousness spiraling upward until I felt myself immersed and at-onement with a “sea of unity and love.”  As I came out of the meditation, I could feel the “sweetness” of life, and I remember thinking that the sounds of birds were a vehicle for Spirit.

Today, as I was having lunch at an outdoor Cafe, some birds - a sparrow, a robin, a parrot and a dove, came close to my table.  I threw them little bits of bread and I could see they were quite hungry and gobbled up the morsels.  I thought of my meditative experience of several years ago, and just as I had that remembrance, the dove hopped onto my table, looked at me, and then jumped onto my right hand.  I took a little piece of bread with my left hand, dropped it into the palm of my right hand as she remained perched on it, and she received the offer and began eating out of my hand.  As she ate, I continued to feed her.  When she had enough, she flew away.

I could not help but think, “a gift from Spirit.”  And a sign of life’s preciousness, and our connection to all of Life through Spirit.

Undercover video released by the Humane Society, and just shown on national tv, of sick cows in a meat processing plant, just prior to slaughter, made national headlines – but not out of compassion for these poor suffering animals.  The focus of concern by the news media was about the meat of sick animals entering the food supply.

When I saw the footage this morning, of animals too sick to stand, stumbling helplessly on the slaughterhouse floor, and lifted mercilessly and callously on a fork about to be taken for slaughter, I realized that my long interest in becoming a vegetarian had been realized. Where is our compassion?  I speak not only for the sickly cows, but the healthy ones too.  These are feeling, thinking beings.  The cow is a benign animal.  But the fate of tens of millions each year, who suffer by never seeing the light of day, in closed warehouses and cramped conditions, only to be cruelly slaughtered in the end – is a mark of a society and a culture without feeling, without compassion, without understanding or caring of the suffering of these docile creatures.

Mahatma Gandhi always felt that animals should be protected from torture and cruelty.  “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way it treats its animals,” he said.

“Anyone who has accustomed himself to regard the life of any living creature as worthless is in danger of arriving also at the idea of worthless human lives,” wrote humanitarian and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Albert Schweitzer.

Where is the national campaign and the voices of outrage that decry the suffering and cruelty of such animals – that decry their suffering in the manner in which they are housed and treated, and in the fact that they are slaughtered in inhumane and merciless ways?  Ultimately, where is the campaign that calls for an end to the slaughter of cows, period?  Where is the campaign that is rooted in a true embrace of reverence for life – all life?  Where is the campaign that decries the suffering and slaughter of pigs in a similar manner?  The campaign that decries the inhumane caging of chickens who live out their lives in cages without room to move in? 

The list goes on and on.  Has anyone ever considered that the pain and suffering we inflict on all these creatures, when ingested into our own systems, transforms into our own pain and suffering?  Think about it. 

This irreverence of the lives of animals extends to the treatment of dogs and cats in so many of this country’s County shelters –  killing institutions dedicated to the “euthanasia” of beautiful, healthy and adoptable dogs, cats, puppies and kittens, instead of a dedication to increasing community awareness, traffic and adoptions as our highest priority? 

What kind of a society is this that ends the lives of creatures who come into the world to give us the unconditional love we so sorely need?   What kind of a commentary is it about us that we so devalue these precious lives?  Is it any wonder that so much cruelty abounds in man’s treatment of his fellows?

If you are reading this and are moved in any way, reach out to animal advocacy groups dedicated to reversing all of this cruelty and suffering.  If you can’t find a group, start one yourself.  Get help from local public relations professionals who resonate with these sensitivities.  You can start by seeking them out on Craigslist.org – or by contacting the local PRSA (Public Relations Society of America) chapter in your city (www.prsa.org).

If the challenge seems uphill and insurmountable, remember the answer to the question posed in the Talmud:  “Where is the center of the world?” To which the response came, “Where each human being stands – there is the center of the world.” 

In my previous posting, written days before the Iowa Caucus, I wrote about “That Vision Thing” - and acknowledged Senator Obama for his gift to inspire and unite.  It appears a plurality of the electorate in Iowa felt something too - and put him over the top.

In an earlier posting, I acknowledged Senator Huckabee for my perception that he was a man of character.  It appears that Iowans felt the decency of the man too.  It’s also understood that some Conservatives, and Evangelical Christians in particular, have been looking for a candidate they can embrace in this campaign.

Clearly, both Obama and Huckabee speak to a deep desire for change in the country - in Obama’s case a change that represents a truly new paradigm envisioning a less divisive, confrontative approach with respect to both domestic and international issues; and in Huckabee’s case, it appears his call is for a return to truer Conservative values combined with “heart” for the needs of the common man, that also speaks to a disaffection with Bush-Republican policies as we’ve known them.  

John Edwards speaks to this populist agenda, though in a more progressive vein.  Hillary Clinton will probably now emphasize herself more as a change agent, and if she’s smart, also speak more to the needs of people and less about what “I” will do.  She’s immensely talented and intelligent - as is her husband - and she still has plenty of determination in her.  It will be interesting to see if she can gain the momentum again.

I was a bit saddened to see that Senator Biden had to pull out.  He’s a man of enormous intelligence, wisdom and experience - and hopefully he will be called upon to serve the country by a smart next president, whoever he or she is.

But for now, the momentum is with Senator Obama - and Senator Huckabee - the former a man of true vision, and the latter a man of perceived character and someone able to connect with the people.  Their politics and political philosophies are very different though, and there is plenty of work for the American voter in the days, weeks and months ahead.

Happy New Year everyone!  May 2008 bring you closer to the realization of your Dreams!

As our planet continues its journey around the Sun, and as humanity continues to evolve, we must pray that the evolution of consciousness (Spirit, Heart, Wisdom and Awareness) keeps up with the evolution of technology.  As I’ve written, the danger for the latter to outpace the former raises profound concerns, especially with the dangers of our weaponry and the harshness of certain ideologies in different places.

Every now and then, champions surface to the fore who uphold humanity’s highest and noblest values:  Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Robert F. Kennedy, Mother Theresa, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama…and, a shining star whose Light was just recently dimmed on the physical plane - Mrs. Benazir Butto.   She was a true champion of democracy, and her courage in the face of danger was of the stuff true martyrs to higher purpose are made.  It deeply saddened me to learn of her assassination, and hopefully her death will find redemption in the struggle she fought for - to bring the voice of expression and power to the people.

The only strong voice I heard among politicians in this country regarding Mrs. Butto’s murder, was that of Senator Joseph Biden.  He called for the resignation of President Pervez Musharraf, and the appointment of an interim coalition government that would pave the way for meaningful and honest elections in Pakistan.   That was a strong statement, and it reflects the views of a strong democrat (small “d”) whose experience in international affairs combined with a deep appreciation for democratic values shines through.

Every candidate has particular assets.  With Joe Biden it is deep experience in international affairs.  With Senator Hillary Clinton it is broad legislative experience and considerable experience with domestic and international issues based on her White House years as First Lady.  With Rudy Guiliani it is finely honed and effective management skills as the once-Mayor of New York, and a steadfast focus on the issue of Islamic terrorism.  With Senator Barack Obama it is “the vision thing.”

Listening to Obama on the stump, I’m frequently in awe of his amazing ability to inspire, to see the larger picture, to articulate a vision that contextualizes where as a democracy we come from, what we’ve inherited in vision and values from our Founding Fathers, how our struggle to achieve the ideals of the Declaration has evolved and must be ever-perfecting, and how our commitment as a nation to these values - the values of civil and human rights, freedom of expression,  and unity in community, demands continuing commitment.

Obama, it seems to me, has captured some of the hopefulness of the late Senator Robert Kennedy, whose articulation of the vision of the American story as evolving and perfecting based on its founding principles, was truly inspirational.  Senator Kennedy reminded us of who we were and who we can become - and his greatness, it seems to me, was forged out of tragedy (the deaths of his brother and Reverend King).

Obama carries that inspiration in his message, in his own unique and profoundly articulate way.  I think only a few presidents have used the bully pupit of the Presidency as an inspirational pupit in such a way, to capture in energy the Spirit and potential of the Republic - Abraham Lincoln, Woodrow Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy, and Ronald Reagan.  Whether one agrees with their politics or not, these men came in at points in time where the American public needed a certain “reminder” of who we are, where we come from and where we’re going.   And they each articulated their messages in unique ways, and sometimes via a new paradigm of seeing.  Senator Obama has that gift - and through the prism of a paradigm that is fresh, he seems to view political reality in a way that offers new approaches to old problems.  This way includes a willingness to deal with our “enemies” with fresh eyes and an openness for dialogue.

I watched C-Span the other night, where Bill Clinton delivered a speech to Iowans in support of his wife Hillary as presidential material.   The former president spoke extemporaneously for about an hour, without notes. 

I was in awe of the man’s brilliance, his deep understanding and familiarity with the issues, his uncanny ability to present his knowledge in an almost folksy way - a way that reached people.   I thought, this man is a genius - in his breadth of knowledge of domestic and international issues, and in his ability to communicate.  He assured the audience that Hillary, in terms of her experience, her knowledge and her wisdom, was the best-equipped of the presidential candidates.

I came away listening to Mr. Clinton in true admiration for his knowledge and his communications skills.   If he was accurately describing Hillary in terms of ability and competence, he was certainly describing someone who could measure up in spades to the awesome task of the presidency.

The one thing that I did not feel in listening to Bill, however, was that “vision thing”.  I was deeply impressed with his ability, and his articulation of his wife’s ability, but I was not inspired to the extent that I have been by listening to Senator Obama.  I think Oprah is right - Obama has something special.

This is not to say that the Illinois Senator has a claim on victory as of this moment.  For the issue of his experience, or lack thereof, is one deserving debate and dialogue.

If only Mrs. Clinton can summon up a vision of equal force - or if only we the American public could benefit from a candidate who comprises both the adroitness of a Bill and Hillary Clinton, the experience of a Senator Joe Biden, the vision of a Senator Barack Obama - and perhaps a dash of the commanding focus and strength of Rudy Guiliani with respect to dealing with our adversaries.

If I were advising the Clintons, I would advise them to inspire more from a place of vision.  If I were advising Senator Obama, I’d counsel more of the same with respect to vision and inspiration, but balancing that with greater immersion in concrete issues.  Joe Biden, it seems to me, can benefit more with an articulation of the ”vision thing.”  And Rudy?  He ought to balance the bellicose stance with reminding us as Americans of who we are, and where we’re going. 

A people who know who they are and where they’re headed is the nation’s greatest source of strength.

As some of you may have by now surmised, this is more than a public relations blog; for no human being is entirely circumscribed by his or her profession.  We are all citizens of Life, and we all share the events of birth and death – and in between we each experience the light of the same sun, the same moon, and we breath the same air.  Each of us partakes of  life’s blessings and challenges, each of us strives to fulfill our uniqueness, learn the lessons we’ve come here to learn, and if we’re lucky, we learn about love – life’s greatest gift.

A long time ago, as I was walking down lower Fifth Avenue in New York City, it occurred to me that the two greatest blessings are love and freedom.  It struck me that real “love” is a state of feeling and being that comes without condition, without attachment or obligation, without stress.  Love comes freely and it comes through the heart.  Inside love is a simple value:  kindness and reverence for life.  Not just my life, or the lives of the people I’m closest to, or people exclusively – but all life.  Love reflects an understanding that we’re all connected – humans, trees, blades of grass, dogs, cats, elephants, ducks, insects, whales and swans.  We’re all expressions of Life’s longing to express Itself.  We’re all of the One, as individualized creative manifestations of that One.

So love is a state of being where I recognize myself, and of my essence in you, and in all living things.

Freedom is the gift of breath.  Of breathing the breath of life easily and effortlessly.  Freedom is the gift of being naturally and organically myself, of self-acceptance and self-love.  It is the gift of tolerance for others, and their right to be their natural selves.  Freedom is about savoring each moment as one in which I can make my own choices without control or constraint from others – as long as I respect others’ rights to make their own choices. Freedom lived is lived without worry.  It is about complete and natural self-actualization, moment-to-moment.  It is a completely organic creative joyous state of being.

I think that to be blessed with love and freedom, coming to us from the inside out, is a high state of being.  Whatever your religion, it seems to me that in the essence of any spiritual practice are the messages of love, kindness and freedom as manifested by love for self, love for one’s fellows and all life, and the freedom to be our truest and most authentic unique selves as God made us.  True love will spiral up to love of God and the sense of “His” presence everywhere.

Whether you’re Christian, or Jewish, or Buddhist, or Hindu, or Muslim – or walking your own unique path – to the extent that you live unconditional love in your heart, and in a state of freedom from the inside out – then you hold the Keys to the Kingdom.

Surely, the child born in the manger came to be the bearer of the good news that unconditional love is God’s gift to all of us along with the freedom to be the precious beings we each are.  The essence of that same message must be at the heart of every religion, and to me that is the litmus test of authenticity.  That is why this is a season we cherish, whatever our religious or cultural affiliation – because the messages of love, kindness and freedom are universal, and embraced and recognized  deep in the hearts of all peoples – and all life – everywhere.

It seems as though communication as an industry is growing, but communication as genuine and spirit-filled interaction between people is declining.  “Communication” as a means to an end – in journalistic reportage that appears in print or on-air with the scintillating, the gossipy and that which appeals to a lower common denominator of tastes in order to draw readers or viewers in in order to benefit from larger ad revenues – is on the upsurge.  Communication as what appears in film that focuses on violence, or sex, is on the upsurge.  Communication as to what some companies pay p.r. and advertising people to promote services or products that aren’t necessarily of quality, is on the upsurge as well.

Because big money is behind all these communications ventures, communications is booming; and sadly reflects that part of our culture that is all about bucks first, and reaching people’s minds and hearts with something worthwhile to say…a distant second.

Sadly, these values are reflected in the culture, and the culture reflects these values.  I see less and less real communication and meaningful connection between people in our communities.  I see, increasingly, more and more disconnection and fragmentation between people – even between neighbors.  I see people less interested in getting to know their fellows, within their neighborhoods and wider communities, than ever before.  I see more and more of people treating one another as a means to an end, and not as ends in themselves.  I’ve been noticing more of this within the last 20 years, and I’ve seen it regrettably grow within the last ten.

I see less of “community” – of people reaching out and caring about one another.  Less talking to one another.  I see less “listening” to one another – and less real sharing of one another’s lives and stories.  I see less caring and less heart.  Less authentic acknowledgement.

I see the art of conversation at dinner tables declining, even evaporating, especially with neighbors inviting neighbors to dinner to share openly and with a feeling of comeraderie.

I see more disconnection, more apathy, more distrust.  With every observation reflecting the above, there are hopefully notable exceptions – and people out there who do live in caring and connecting communities.  Hopefully.

So I see technology becoming more sophisticated and advancing rapidly, large corporate interests which seem to encourage the lowering of tastes and values, a media too often bought into the delivery of mediocrity in programming, and less heart in communications on a grand scale – and in one-on-one personal interaction.  The culture is declining not in technology, but in the quality of its humanity.  More technology…less heart.

It seems as though, too, that the emergence of the Internet is a double-edged sword.  Because while there is a revolutionary new opportunity for inter-human communication, it’s all electronic where the physical presence of others vanishes.   

If only all this were not so, but this is what I see.  Time for a cultural revolution of the heart, that reestablishes real communication about what’s important.  What’s most important, it seems to me, is seeing each other, and acknowledging each other, and meeting each other in our mutual presences, for the unique and extraordinary beings each of us truly is, connected to one another by the Web of Life, our common humanity, our need for love and recognition of our own and others’ precious lives.

Such a revolution…of the heart…can create an increased demand within the culture for a higher and more humane standard of values.  A culture so transformed would then reflect back on the quality of our individual lives.

Is this too much to count on?  In the end, it’s up to us.

Television has not yet actualized its potential nor realized its responsibility to humankind. The most powerful medium on the planet, the medium that has the greatest impact on individual and collective consciousness, has fallen far short of its ability to enrich and empower our lives. If someone would argue that this is not television’s mission, I would then ask them to please explain what they think constitutes that mission. Surely, it must be more than purpose as a description of function. We all know that television transmits programming; and that this programming is generally intended to entertain or inform.

To paraphrase MacLuhan, it’s not just that the medium is the message. The medium and its messages are also powerful imprinters on the human psyche. In this context, the medium of television not only transmits programming; it is also, by its very nature, in the business of programming minds. It is, therefore, a decisive activator and determinant in the condition of human consciousness and human behavior.

To be sure, thanks to PBS and programs like Nova, or programs such as those presented by Dr. Wayne Dyer, and talks shows like Oprah, not everything on tv today is vapid.  But the suppositions of network television programmers leave much to be desired.

Many have already looked at the relationship of violent programming and violence in our society. How many have looked at the tendency of too many programs to anesthetize its viewers with vapid material that merely fills time slots and tranquilizes people into deadened passivity instead of engaging, enlivening and opening their minds and hearts? How many have seen a relationship between the increasing number of shows dedicated to what I call “negative creation” - to tabloid mania and the lowering of consciousness? Just what is it that programmers and producers think they’re doing? Do they think that these kinds of magazine and talk shows, characterized as they are by violence, vicious gossip and the baser side of human behavior, bring out the best in people?

It’s much clearer that these programs depress our spirits and undermine and violate our deep yearning to rise above separatism, greed, selfishness, vulgarity and self-hatred. ”

There is the argument that these are the shows that people want; these are the programs that pull in the ratings [and whatever pulls in the ratings pulls in the bucks]. Television executives are adept at noticing what works. What works is what is entertaining and what gets attention. What gets attention is what seems enlivening. They’ve made the choice to create a kind of enlivenment packaged as entertainment that presents the baser side of human experience, knowing that humans, out of their boredom, self-doubts, or lack of fulfillment, can be attracted to the negative if they don’t have the option of turning to the positive that’s packaged in an equally entertaining fashion. Humans are attracted to negative or positive creation, because humans are creative beings.

These tv executives have chosen to ignore the possibilities for entertaining, enlivening programs that not only captures what’s real (for surely many of the suffering souls who expose themselves to national TV audiences on the plethora of current talk shows are having “real” experiences) - but they’ve also chosen to ignore that which points to truth.

The feeling of anxiety is real, but actions based on anxiety are about the future, which is illusory since it is a moment in time which has not yet occurred. The feelings of guilt are real enough, but actions based on guilt come out of a memory of something done in the past. The past is gone forever and, like the future, is an illusion in the context of the here and now. Therefore, actions that emanate out of anxiety or guilt are not true; nor are most actions that emerge out of fear, since fear is almost always a distortion that stems from some conditioning.

While we must always acknowledge as real what people are feeling, we must set our sights on looking for the truth. The truth is always illuminating, and when the truth is spoken, it clarifies that which is distorted, no matter how “real” the distortion feels. The truth is that we as humans are struggling through the negativity of this world, the negativity that is a condition of duality, to find what’s really true. What’s really true has to do much more with what lies in the deepest recesses of our hearts:  love, understanding, insight, inspiration, and all that is connected to a fuller, richer dimension of human consciousness. The struggle to reach and access higher truth, the struggle through negativity, is a noble story worthy of telling, but we must always be mindful of its contextual underpinning, of the truth that lies waiting to be revealed in the deeper recesses and on the higher planes.

People who feel fundamentally powerless, depressed and/or frustrated will turn to programs that represent pure escapism or depict scenarios that portray a reality uglier than the one we live in, especially when there are few other options; and when programmers have turned away from the creation of material dedicated to what is true. Egos need reassurance, but this is a reassurance that negates the nobler possibilities and potentialities of human nature.

Television as a business is money-driven, pure and simple, some would argue. The pattern shows that what makes money is what represents the lower aspects of the human condition. This is distorted, unclear and irresponsible thinking.

The pattern exists because it is a pattern that shows itself to work, to the detriment of a newer, more positive pattern that has been undertried because it has been harder to think of programs that inspire us, encourage us, and lift us out of our negativity that are also entertaining. The reason it’s been harder is because we tend to stay with what works.

The human mind can be manipulated to exercise curiosity, attraction and addiction for lower forms of energies out of an external environment that intentionally or unintentionally supports these conditions. Humans seem to be attracted to the energy of negative drama, or negative creation; but I would argue that at the deepest level they are attracted to what enlivens and brings meaning to their lives. Sadly, television executives seem adept at not noticing this truth.

Television must do more than mirror the state of consciousness in our society. If people feel isolated, powerless, frustrated, unexpressed and suppressed, is it socially conscious and conscionable to present programs that sustain and reinforce the status quo? To my way of thinking, it’s just as ugly to present sleazy gossip as it is to present violence for violence’s sake. Both kill the human spirit and the human imagination.

At the core of the problem is a severe underestimation and/or underwillingness to recognize the capacity and need of human beings to be seen and to reach for their higher potential and promise. Humans need to grow, to love self and others, to create, to express, to build, to connect, to cooperate, to imagine and to be challenged. Every human being who comes into this world, at the deepest level wants to make a difference in this world.

New and more programming with a human potential/spiritual dimension must also focus on programs that inspire people to go out into the world to do something constructive.

Programmers must find ways to engage people in their real lives, and to design viewing as a step towards that lively creative engagement, not merely to sustain the disempowering energy of passive “viewing.”

What has been insufficiently supported in television programming is the idea that people can rise from mere existence to a sense of being intellectually, emotionally and spiritually alive. What has also been insufficiently supported is the idea that television can enrich, empower, expand, inspire, inform, educate and entertain. Instead of descending into programming that reflects the lowest common denominator of attitudes, tastes and proclivities of our collective viewing population, television can pull and raise content to the highest values of human aspiration. In so doing, a whole new kind of energy and presence can be achieved on the screen, lifting and guiding and challenging individuals and society to new heights and new vistas.

None of this is to say that the “shadow” dimension will be ignored. On the contrary, we want to shed light on the parts of ourselves that we repress out of guilt, shame or our sense of inappropriateness in society. It may be that some of the popularity of so-called “sleaze” programming is based on people’s projection of their own shadow onto the shadows of people they see on the screen. If so, there may be some purpose to these shows. What makes more sense, however, is to consciously reveal the energy and aliveness contained in the shadow, and offer people the hope and promise that this energy can be transformed and moved in constructive, even spiritual ways.

Television can support the driving force of evolution and the ascension of consciousness in every man, woman and child. It can support what moves forward. The greatest lesson yet to be learned is that television as a for-profit enterprise need not preclude television as a vision-driven force for good in the world. What supports the best in people supports our highest values. What supports these highest values has value. We need to move towards a society that values this kind of value above all else. When we do, the money and marketing considerations will flow out of vision. The reverse can never be true.

We need to stand ready to say NO to the horrors of this past century and say YES to a brighter, more enlightened future for men, women and children everywhere. It’s time to create a kind of television that supports E Pluribus Unum : “many out of the one” and individuals within community; a kind of television where every human being can be inspired to grow, to enrich their lives and to fulfill their missions in the world. That’s what will create true social empowerment and the kind of global interconnectedness that will make the 21st Century filled with unimaginable hope and possibility.

1.  “Vivekananda: Lessons in Classical Yoga” by Swami Vivekananda (edited by Dave DeLuca) is, in my opinion, a spiritual masterpiece.  There are two reasons for this:  first, one can recognize almost instantly that the book is universal, and has relevance for anyone of any religious persuasion; and second, it is simple at the level of profundity.  

I have never read a book that speaks to the reality of the great Oneness that permeates the Universe, existence and our lives, in such a compelling and inspirational manner as does Vivekananda in this wonderful compilation of the great Swami’s own speeches and writings.

I recommend this book highly for seekers and realizers alike.

2.  “From Diversity to Unity: Return to the One Spiritual Source” by Hua-Ching Ni, a great Chinese master who in his youth learned from highly achieved masters in the mountains of China.

The book endeavors to review the objective reality of the world’s great religions, but then works to reintegrate the flow of different cultures and present them as one universal culture.  It’s a wonderful read for people who honor humankind’s diversity, but also see the Unity that transcends diversity.

3.  “The Writings of Florence Scovel Shinn” by Florence Shinn.  Florence Shinn was a pioneer on the subject of the power of positive thinking, the power of the spoken word, and the power of treatments and affirmations.  What a wonderful book, with powerful affirmations and treatments that can make a difference in clearing the cobwebs of the mind, and manifesting abundance and fulfillment in your life.

This is by no means a new book, but it was the first book that showed me that science and spirituality converged - and of the possibility that “evolution” and “creation” were not conflicting theories but of one pattern.   Written by a Jesuit priest and paleontologist, Father Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, it lifted my spirits, and for the first time I could see that Life on this planet and in this Universe was purpose-driven and of an intelligent design leading it to ever higher expressions of unfoldment and of the Spirit.

One need not agree with all of Father Teilhard’s theological suppositions to appreciate the majestic possibilities inherent in this book.  This priest/scientist was a truly spiritual man, in the best sense of that word, and this and other books by him (e.g., ”The Divine Milieu”) reveals the thinking of a truly great man. 

Author Bernard Haisch’s views click with my own experiences, sensitivities and speculations thus far.   It appears to me that consciousness is the source, and that materiality arises out of consciousness - not the opposite.  It appears to me that each of us IS an indivualized creative aspect of this larger consciousness, and that our lives are to a significant degree shaped by what we think and what we believe.   It appears to me that this larger consciousness is the moving force behind evolution - and that therefore evolution is true and creationism is true.   One never hears much about the possibility that both are true, rather than one or the other.

It appears to me, too, that since we are moved by the source of consciousness, that this Higher Power gives to us the freedom to choose and that we co-create with God.   God does not micromanage because it is left to us to govern our affairs.   And yet, when in alignment with the ultimate intelligence and goodness of the Creative Power, are choices our healthier and our lives are happier.

It also seems to me that this kind of spirituality speaks to a reality where God lives in us and through us as our higher truth, and that religion, when it departs from the essence of that truth, has historically developed controlling doctrines that have more to do with containing people based on aspects of the mind that are divisive and ego-centered.

In the more spiritual scientific view, there is an ultimate Goodness inherent in life because it is inherent in consciousness. We see and sense this goodness in the ongoing perfection of nature, in the beauty and perfection of beingness in an oak tree, a duck, a puppy or kitten, and so beautifully in a new born baby.

Everything this author writes about corresponds to my own experiences and reflections about the ultimate nature of Reality.