[image error] Recent Reads that have helped me. Is it enough?

08/23/2020 . I have slowed down a lot on my reading and book reviewing this year. I am sure depression is the reason. Events since January, building steadily from the pandemic hoax into the implementation of Agenda 21 and the unbridled exercise of worldwide tyranny, have kept me down a lot. So reading and writing anything has been tough. Recently, though, I’ve found some inspiration from struggling through my reading / reviewing list.

Upon a pal’s suggestion, I bought a paperback copy of A Canticle for Leibowitz . The suggestion was that the classic post-apocalyptic science fiction novel contained similarities to my own such novel-in-progress. I found that to be true. I was not aware of this novel that was first published in 1959, but I see why it is a classic. I enjoyed it very much. Though written from a 1950’s cold war viewpoint, it nonetheless has a take on civilization’s fall similar to my own. Its author, Walter M. Miller Jr., sees that fall coming from nuclear war. Like many such authors of that era, he portrays nuclear war as the most likely and ongoing cause of humanity’s apocalypse. In this, the book reminds me much of Nevil Shute’s On the Beach . 

It took me a while to adjust to Mr. Miller’s Catholic orientation, what with some lengthy Latin phrases being spread about. When I did, I had to reread some sections to better appreciate them. And so I grew to love the book. Hence it became the first inspiration I’m talking about. It is not a Pollyanna book by any means, but it does offer hope for human survival within cycles of apocalypse. And it contains a strong science/intellect vs religion/faith theme with the author coming down on the side of faith, though with some reservations. Somehow, I took comfort or reassurance in this. Maybe because I saw in the story, an elevation of the human spirit above the crass, lying machinations of empires, governments, and ruling oligarchs. 

I’ve drafted a review of A Canticle for Leibowitz, but have not posted it yet. When I do, you can find it here.

I also found an unexpected inspiration from the next book on my list: Adventures in the Afterlife by William Buhlman. I have read Mr. Buhlman’s work before and enjoyed it. Indeed, I found inspiration and insight from his book, Adventures Beyond the Body . His work concerns out-of-body experiences, building on the work of Robert Monroe. In Afterlife, he expounds on his findings (much of it from first-hand experience) in a fiction (PART 1) that describes the experiences of a person as he dies and afterward. PART 2 is an examination of the facts from the fiction, and how to achieve your spiritual potential. I especially liked the guided meditations in this section.

Mr. Buhlman’s book also provides a sense of spiritual strength and heightened perspective over the dark events of the day. I much appreciate his take on spiritual insight coming from evaluating personal experience rather than just accepting “beliefs” offered by some authority.

I have begun drafting a Ray-View of Adventures in the Afterlife. It will be posted soon.

And then I’ve begun reading The Conscious Resistance: Reflections On Anarchy and Spirituality by Derrick Broze and John Vibes. I am 30% through the book and am already impressed with its political astuteness buttressed by a spiritual sense that Mr. Buhlman would be comfortable with. 

My own political sensibilities have evolved in recent months. I have gone from liberal-Democrat and Bernie supporter to confirmation that world politics are an illusion with an unspeakable evil behind it all. I take inspiration that Mr. Broze and Mr. Vibes appreciate this viewpoint. Also, their book provides an expounding on anarchy as a political movement that I’ve not gotten into before. This is a fascinating discussion, but it would only be more political talk if not for the open-minded spirituality part. 

So now I’m one book away from meeting my Goodreads Reading Goal for the year. That was only eleven books. At the year’s beginning, I was feeling so down I thought I would be doing well if I could manage to read eleven books. Looks like I’ll read that much and then some.

If you are so minded, I would recommend all of the above books to you. I will Ray-View all of them. In this awful time, they have helped me. They might help you.