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The Effect
Parallel worlds… time-travel… life-after-death. The Effect cuts through the whole caboodle with a razor-sharp edge, ripping up distinctions between science and the spiritual with page-turning clarity. If you thought mysticism was only for the devout or gullible, or found physics unfathomable, buckle up your seat belt and hold tight. Linda Hoy’s journey careers through quantum mechanics, high-energy physics and ancient wisdom with turbo-charged vigour.
Can we predict the future?
What happens when we die?
Does life have a purpose?
Does God exist?
The Effect uses twenty-first-century science to validate what mystics and spiritual leaders have been telling us for centuries. It introduces us to groundmuts and dimension-hopping goldfish. It examines the increasingly-common phenomenon of near death experience. It turns what we think of as reality on its head. It makes us cry and laugh out loud.
Prepare to be amazed.
Best-selling children’s author, Linda Hoy cuts to the quick with her Quaker honesty and Yorkshire humour. With a penchant for live rock and alternative country music, Linda lives in Sheffield.
Can we predict the future?
What happens when we die?
Does life have a purpose?
Does God exist?
The Effect uses twenty-first-century science to validate what mystics and spiritual leaders have been telling us for centuries. It introduces us to groundmuts and dimension-hopping goldfish. It examines the increasingly-common phenomenon of near death experience. It turns what we think of as reality on its head. It makes us cry and laugh out loud.
Prepare to be amazed.
Best-selling children’s author, Linda Hoy cuts to the quick with her Quaker honesty and Yorkshire humour. With a penchant for live rock and alternative country music, Linda lives in Sheffield.
280 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2012
7 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 6, 2023
I did think this may get to much into the science that I may not understand but it was more common sense
November 12, 2012
The tagline / subtitle for this book is what captured my attention and my curiosity: Where Science Meets Spirituality. Could there be such a thing?
A self-described "fundamentalist, evangelical born-again atheist", Linda Hoy begins to have experiences far outside her belief system. Being a curious sort, she goes looking for answers. But, there simply aren't any sources that answer all of her questions.
And thus we have The Effect, a compilation of her experiences, in-depth research, and some amazing conclusions.
Not to mention, a trip down the rabbit hole into the paranormal, dark matter, precognitive dreams, entanglement, multiple universe theory, and Groundhog's Day. The fact that each chapter starts with a quote from Alice's Adventures is just one more example of coincidences in need of explanation.
This is not what I'd call a light read; there is a lot of information here. But, without a doubt, it is fun. Ms. Hoy's Yorkshire sensibilities, wit, and self-deprecating humor keep the pages turning.
If for no other reason than to see how in the world this was all going to tie together. How she would answer her own question: "... if we really are surrounded by a multiverse of universes, why should science and the spiritual always live light years apart?"
Much of the work relates to the nature of time: what is known, what is questioned, what is hypothesized, and what may well be the truth. Calling on the work of Priestley and of Dunne, Hoy makes a fascinating case for mixed up time; for circular, not linear time.
This forms the basis for discussions of synchronicity, near-death experiences, lucid dreaming, parallel worlds, and Groundmut. (Don't ask, you'll just have to read the book.)
And read it, you should; no matter which side of the theological fence you call home. This is a thought-provoking book, challenging commonly-held beliefs in both the scientific and lay communities. It asks questions such as whether dejá vu occurs because we are experiencing an event that occurred in a previous time or because we are getting a brief glimpse into the future. Or both.
The Effect, and its author, don't shy away from some of the harsh realities, either. In coming to believe in the power of prayer, Ms. Hoy points out the very real fact that it doesn't work for everyone:
... for one of the most demonstrable examples of this failure, we have only to look to those tragic families herded on to the trains that would deliver them to the most diabolical places of incarceration ever devised. Were most of them not righteous, godly people? Wouldn't they all have ... prayed earnestly every hour and minute of their journey into hell. ... And would those with children not have prayed that, at the very least, if they were not to survive, then the lives of the children might be spared?
Despite my own personal experiences, I remain unconvinced. But, I will be reading this book again. And, undoubtedly, again.
There is a lot to digest and it may take my stubborn mind a bit of time to circle back around to relive the future.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic galley of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com professional readers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
A self-described "fundamentalist, evangelical born-again atheist", Linda Hoy begins to have experiences far outside her belief system. Being a curious sort, she goes looking for answers. But, there simply aren't any sources that answer all of her questions.
And thus we have The Effect, a compilation of her experiences, in-depth research, and some amazing conclusions.
Not to mention, a trip down the rabbit hole into the paranormal, dark matter, precognitive dreams, entanglement, multiple universe theory, and Groundhog's Day. The fact that each chapter starts with a quote from Alice's Adventures is just one more example of coincidences in need of explanation.
This is not what I'd call a light read; there is a lot of information here. But, without a doubt, it is fun. Ms. Hoy's Yorkshire sensibilities, wit, and self-deprecating humor keep the pages turning.
If for no other reason than to see how in the world this was all going to tie together. How she would answer her own question: "... if we really are surrounded by a multiverse of universes, why should science and the spiritual always live light years apart?"
Much of the work relates to the nature of time: what is known, what is questioned, what is hypothesized, and what may well be the truth. Calling on the work of Priestley and of Dunne, Hoy makes a fascinating case for mixed up time; for circular, not linear time.
This forms the basis for discussions of synchronicity, near-death experiences, lucid dreaming, parallel worlds, and Groundmut. (Don't ask, you'll just have to read the book.)
And read it, you should; no matter which side of the theological fence you call home. This is a thought-provoking book, challenging commonly-held beliefs in both the scientific and lay communities. It asks questions such as whether dejá vu occurs because we are experiencing an event that occurred in a previous time or because we are getting a brief glimpse into the future. Or both.
The Effect, and its author, don't shy away from some of the harsh realities, either. In coming to believe in the power of prayer, Ms. Hoy points out the very real fact that it doesn't work for everyone:
... for one of the most demonstrable examples of this failure, we have only to look to those tragic families herded on to the trains that would deliver them to the most diabolical places of incarceration ever devised. Were most of them not righteous, godly people? Wouldn't they all have ... prayed earnestly every hour and minute of their journey into hell. ... And would those with children not have prayed that, at the very least, if they were not to survive, then the lives of the children might be spared?
Despite my own personal experiences, I remain unconvinced. But, I will be reading this book again. And, undoubtedly, again.
There is a lot to digest and it may take my stubborn mind a bit of time to circle back around to relive the future.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary electronic galley of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com professional readers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
September 24, 2012
I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of this book, and enjoyed it immensely.
The Effect is a rare treasure – a book that addresses the great questions of life, but does it in funny, readable and positive style. She doesn’t offer concrete proof of life after death, but the author provides what was, to me at least, convincing evidence that we have been here before – and will be here again.
At the heart of this book is the theory that we actually live many lives. Phenomena such as strange coincidences, déjà vu and near-death experiences could in fact be ‘glimpses into dreamtime” – glances into lives lived in parallel universes. However, this book is not a spiritual work - it’s firmly grounded in science. Recent scientific discoveries prove that two objects can exist in the same space simultaneously, which the author says, opens up a whole new school of thinking that could eventually go a long way to reconciling the scientific and the spiritual.
The “Effect” of the title is taken from the writings of a little-known Edwardian engineer, J.W. Dunne, who published a long-out-of-print book called “An Experiment with Time”. While his theories on space and time are now unfashionable, Linda Hoy argues that they just as relevant today as they were in the 1920’s, a time when scientific minds were more open and less subject to ridicule if they did not follow the consensus.
For me the most interesting part of the book was the chapter on near-death experience. Although many attempts have been made to rationalize the strange things that happen on the verge of death, the author holds that few have been remotely successful. However, if we accept that Dunne’s “Effect” is at play, she says, then science can indeed provide a viable explanation with such experiences
This book is full of funny anecdotes and quirky stories, which make the subject matter much easier to understand. Although it’s written in a humorous, light-hearted style, for me this is for me an extremely important work that deserves to be taken seriously. Essential reading.
The Effect is a rare treasure – a book that addresses the great questions of life, but does it in funny, readable and positive style. She doesn’t offer concrete proof of life after death, but the author provides what was, to me at least, convincing evidence that we have been here before – and will be here again.
At the heart of this book is the theory that we actually live many lives. Phenomena such as strange coincidences, déjà vu and near-death experiences could in fact be ‘glimpses into dreamtime” – glances into lives lived in parallel universes. However, this book is not a spiritual work - it’s firmly grounded in science. Recent scientific discoveries prove that two objects can exist in the same space simultaneously, which the author says, opens up a whole new school of thinking that could eventually go a long way to reconciling the scientific and the spiritual.
The “Effect” of the title is taken from the writings of a little-known Edwardian engineer, J.W. Dunne, who published a long-out-of-print book called “An Experiment with Time”. While his theories on space and time are now unfashionable, Linda Hoy argues that they just as relevant today as they were in the 1920’s, a time when scientific minds were more open and less subject to ridicule if they did not follow the consensus.
For me the most interesting part of the book was the chapter on near-death experience. Although many attempts have been made to rationalize the strange things that happen on the verge of death, the author holds that few have been remotely successful. However, if we accept that Dunne’s “Effect” is at play, she says, then science can indeed provide a viable explanation with such experiences
This book is full of funny anecdotes and quirky stories, which make the subject matter much easier to understand. Although it’s written in a humorous, light-hearted style, for me this is for me an extremely important work that deserves to be taken seriously. Essential reading.
September 26, 2012
Science and the spiritual world have a correlation.
The Effect is basically the story of how the author went from being a total skeptic about all things spiritual to someone who believes that death is not the end. It does not sound like much when expressed like that, but the interesting part is that the author uses science to validate her theories. There is no mysticism here. She offers us real evidence for why we dream, why we feel déjà vu, why some of us have vivid near death experiences, basically why strange inexplicable things happen to us.
This book directly addresses the great questions of life, but does it in such a way to make it highly readable and enjoyable. This is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time and I totally recommend it.
The Effect is basically the story of how the author went from being a total skeptic about all things spiritual to someone who believes that death is not the end. It does not sound like much when expressed like that, but the interesting part is that the author uses science to validate her theories. There is no mysticism here. She offers us real evidence for why we dream, why we feel déjà vu, why some of us have vivid near death experiences, basically why strange inexplicable things happen to us.
This book directly addresses the great questions of life, but does it in such a way to make it highly readable and enjoyable. This is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time and I totally recommend it.
August 17, 2018
I think I need to read this again, I must have liked it, but don't remember all the details about it.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews