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The Secret Life of Genius: How 24 Great Men and Women Were Touched by Spiritual Worlds
A look at the metaphysical experiences that shaped the lives and work of 24 great men and women from the Renaissance to modern times
• Chronicles the changing relationship with God, nature, and spirituality from the 16th century to the 20th century
• Includes encounters with the paranormal of Ben Johnson, Isaac Newton, Mary Shelley, Leo Tolstoy, Doris Lessing, and Winston Churchill
What role did the esoteric thought of Swedenborg play in the creative output of Honoré de Balzac? Did a supernatural encounter prompt Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley to focus her work on the theme of immortality? Building on his earlier research on communications with the spirit world that Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables , experienced while in exile on the isle of Jersey, John Chambers now looks at the role occult knowledge and supernatural experiences played in the lives of 24 geniuses. His investigation spans the life and work of William Blake, Helena Blavatsky, and W. B. Yeats, whose esoteric interests are well known, as well as those little suspected of such encounters with worlds beyond ours, including Doris Lessing, Leo Tolstoy, Norman Mailer, Yukio Mishima, and Winston Churchill.
Chambers presents more than a collection of anecdotes and newly revealed secrets. His research provides insightful historical context of the decisive turning point that took place with the collapse of Prague, the occult capital of Europe, in 1620, which resulted in the victory of Cartesian reality and Newton’s scientific paradigm over the esoteric traditions that flourished until that time. The magical and occult world shown in the lives of these 24 great men and women offers us a glimpse of what could still be ours--a world that though it is now overshadowed by modern scientific and technological principles is yet still visible on the horizon through the visions and paranormal experiences of these geniuses.
• Chronicles the changing relationship with God, nature, and spirituality from the 16th century to the 20th century
• Includes encounters with the paranormal of Ben Johnson, Isaac Newton, Mary Shelley, Leo Tolstoy, Doris Lessing, and Winston Churchill
What role did the esoteric thought of Swedenborg play in the creative output of Honoré de Balzac? Did a supernatural encounter prompt Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley to focus her work on the theme of immortality? Building on his earlier research on communications with the spirit world that Victor Hugo, author of Les Misérables , experienced while in exile on the isle of Jersey, John Chambers now looks at the role occult knowledge and supernatural experiences played in the lives of 24 geniuses. His investigation spans the life and work of William Blake, Helena Blavatsky, and W. B. Yeats, whose esoteric interests are well known, as well as those little suspected of such encounters with worlds beyond ours, including Doris Lessing, Leo Tolstoy, Norman Mailer, Yukio Mishima, and Winston Churchill.
Chambers presents more than a collection of anecdotes and newly revealed secrets. His research provides insightful historical context of the decisive turning point that took place with the collapse of Prague, the occult capital of Europe, in 1620, which resulted in the victory of Cartesian reality and Newton’s scientific paradigm over the esoteric traditions that flourished until that time. The magical and occult world shown in the lives of these 24 great men and women offers us a glimpse of what could still be ours--a world that though it is now overshadowed by modern scientific and technological principles is yet still visible on the horizon through the visions and paranormal experiences of these geniuses.
336 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 19, 2021
A as a 'spiritual but not religious' person, whose personal spiritual journey has taken me along a meandering path in life, I was keen to read about the experiences of famous or notable people. It was very interesting to read about, HG Wells's and Dr Carl Jung's spirituality, as I wasn't aware of that part of their lives. Others made for fascinating stories of contact with the spirit world. A few people's stories were way too outlandish and I gave up reading what, to me, related more to fantasy than real connection with the spiritual realms. I wondered if, for example, Doris Lessing's supposed visions and experiences had been induced by imbibing psychedelic drugs or perhaps psychotropic substances. Anyway, despite deciding to stop reading these tales in order to not waste my time, the rest of the accounts were fascinating.
January 19, 2012
What a terrible book! Maybe the worst written book I have ever finished. This book actually manages to slide into the so-bad-it's-good category. (Hence that one star.) The rhetoric is so juvenile, the non sequiturs so jaw dropping, the pretense to logic so bamboozling . . . it's like watching a really bad movie, and cracking up at how wooden the acting is etc.
It's just astounding the thing got published. I did find the premise really interesting: it's 24 short bio's investigating genius, the likes of William Blake, Balzac, Tolstoy etc. and how the occult and supernatural influenced great minds. However the author's attempts to reason are pathetic, like watching a chimpanzee playing dress up. For example he spends an entire chapter suggesting that maybe the sci-fi writer Jules Verne was such a good sci-fi writer, because he could SEE INTO THE FUTURE . . . but the author provides absolutely NO EVIDENCE whatsover to back up this wild speculation. None. No evidence, no theory, no nothing. Just -" gee he was a good really sci-fi writer, d'ya think he maybe could see the future?!" Yeah sure, probably.
All of the chapters feature similarly dumb mimicries of reason. The resulting essays are like having a long conversation with a well-read 9 year old about the occult: frustrating and tedious.
There are some amazing lines like "Balzac brewed his own coffee as thick as gum" and . . . he eventually "died of caffeine poisoning"
Oh really? Thick as gum you say?
It's just astounding the thing got published. I did find the premise really interesting: it's 24 short bio's investigating genius, the likes of William Blake, Balzac, Tolstoy etc. and how the occult and supernatural influenced great minds. However the author's attempts to reason are pathetic, like watching a chimpanzee playing dress up. For example he spends an entire chapter suggesting that maybe the sci-fi writer Jules Verne was such a good sci-fi writer, because he could SEE INTO THE FUTURE . . . but the author provides absolutely NO EVIDENCE whatsover to back up this wild speculation. None. No evidence, no theory, no nothing. Just -" gee he was a good really sci-fi writer, d'ya think he maybe could see the future?!" Yeah sure, probably.
All of the chapters feature similarly dumb mimicries of reason. The resulting essays are like having a long conversation with a well-read 9 year old about the occult: frustrating and tedious.
There are some amazing lines like "Balzac brewed his own coffee as thick as gum" and . . . he eventually "died of caffeine poisoning"
Oh really? Thick as gum you say?
February 12, 2013
This is such a fantastic book! I read it about a year ago, and now my mate is reading it. I think I may have to read it again. This book is fascinating in so many ways.
As many of us read great literature we intuit meaning that isn't logically present. We call this "reading between the lines". If you have been reading between the lines of great literature realizing something spiritual was responsible then this book helps makes sense of why. It will also help you make sense of patterns and synchronicities you experience while engaging in spiritual/creative life.
As many of us read great literature we intuit meaning that isn't logically present. We call this "reading between the lines". If you have been reading between the lines of great literature realizing something spiritual was responsible then this book helps makes sense of why. It will also help you make sense of patterns and synchronicities you experience while engaging in spiritual/creative life.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews