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The Key: A True Encounter
From the bestselling author of Communion comes the mysterious true story of how an unknown visitor barged into Streiber's hotel room late one night--and imparted extraordinary lessons in personal development and man's fate that challenge us to rethink every assumption about the meaning of life.
At two-thirty in the morning of June 6, 1998, Whitley Streiber was awakened by somebody knocking on his hotel room door. A man came in, and everything he said was life-altering.
This is the unsettling and ultimately enlightening narrative of what happened that night. Strieber was never really sure who this strange and knowing visitor was--a "Master of Wisdom"? A figure from a different realm of consciousness? A preternaturally intelligent being? He called him the Master of the Key. The one thing of which Strieber was certain is that both the man and the encounter were real.
The main concern of the Master of the Key is to save each of us from self-imprisonment. "Mankind is trapped," the stranger tells Strieber. "I want to help you spring the trap." In a sweeping exchange between Strieber and the stranger--which takes the form of a classical student- teacher dialogue in pursuit of inner understanding--the unknown man presents a lesson in human potential, esoteric psychology, and man's fate. He illuminates why man has been caught in a cycle of repeat violence and self-destruction--and the slender, but very real, possibility for release.
In its breadth and intimacy, The Key is on par with contemporary metaphysical traditions, such as A Course in Miracles , or even with the dialogues of modern wisdom teachers, such as D.T. Suzuki and Carl Jung.
At two-thirty in the morning of June 6, 1998, Whitley Streiber was awakened by somebody knocking on his hotel room door. A man came in, and everything he said was life-altering.
This is the unsettling and ultimately enlightening narrative of what happened that night. Strieber was never really sure who this strange and knowing visitor was--a "Master of Wisdom"? A figure from a different realm of consciousness? A preternaturally intelligent being? He called him the Master of the Key. The one thing of which Strieber was certain is that both the man and the encounter were real.
The main concern of the Master of the Key is to save each of us from self-imprisonment. "Mankind is trapped," the stranger tells Strieber. "I want to help you spring the trap." In a sweeping exchange between Strieber and the stranger--which takes the form of a classical student- teacher dialogue in pursuit of inner understanding--the unknown man presents a lesson in human potential, esoteric psychology, and man's fate. He illuminates why man has been caught in a cycle of repeat violence and self-destruction--and the slender, but very real, possibility for release.
In its breadth and intimacy, The Key is on par with contemporary metaphysical traditions, such as A Course in Miracles , or even with the dialogues of modern wisdom teachers, such as D.T. Suzuki and Carl Jung.
239 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
141 people are currently reading
728 people want to read
About the author
Whitley Strieber
149 books1,247 followersAmerican writer best known for his novels The Wolfen,The Hunger and Warday and for Communion, a non-fiction description of his experiences with apparent alien contact. He has recently made significant advances in understanding this phenomenon, and has published his new discoveries in Solving the Communion Enigma.
Strieber also co-authored The Coming Global Superstorm with Art Bell, which inspired the blockbuster film about sudden climate change, The Day After Tomorrow.
His book The Afterlife Revolution written with his deceased wife Anne, is a record of what is considered to be one of the most powerful instances of afterlife communication ever recorded.
Strieber also co-authored The Coming Global Superstorm with Art Bell, which inspired the blockbuster film about sudden climate change, The Day After Tomorrow.
His book The Afterlife Revolution written with his deceased wife Anne, is a record of what is considered to be one of the most powerful instances of afterlife communication ever recorded.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 106 reviews
September 2, 2011
As I man of both deep spiritual faith and scientific acumen, I found myself shaken to the core by this book. I truly wonder what it will mean for my life going forward.
In short, this book covers a conversation between the author and a man who came into his hotel room late one night. What followed were incredible claims about the nature of our relationship to God, the true nature of sin, and humanity's destiny (should it choose to be courageous enough).
Is there any way to prove any of this? Of course not. All Average Joe can do is read these words and see if some deep part of himself reacts. I myself was initially skeptical, but after giving this a shot, I have to wonder whether the realm of reality has been expanded for me.
To every skeptic: I understand. You have every right to disbelieve. My only invitation to you: this book is short and won't take months to read. What it potentially offers is so much more. Give it a shot and be open to its ideas.
In short, this book covers a conversation between the author and a man who came into his hotel room late one night. What followed were incredible claims about the nature of our relationship to God, the true nature of sin, and humanity's destiny (should it choose to be courageous enough).
Is there any way to prove any of this? Of course not. All Average Joe can do is read these words and see if some deep part of himself reacts. I myself was initially skeptical, but after giving this a shot, I have to wonder whether the realm of reality has been expanded for me.
To every skeptic: I understand. You have every right to disbelieve. My only invitation to you: this book is short and won't take months to read. What it potentially offers is so much more. Give it a shot and be open to its ideas.
September 17, 2025
I enjoyed this book not necessarily for its message but because it's a stunning example of a clear communication from a mysterious source of non-human/non-physical intelligence. It's not a huge surprise to me that Strieber was able to make such a connection as he details his daily transcendental meditation practice and has previous experiences with the worlds and beings beyond the everyday waking world. (For an example, see his story in this book about meeting the small, withered old man or one of his numerous other non-fiction works.)
If you pick up this book, you're either going to believe what Strieber has to say or dismiss the information- there's not a lot of wiggle room. Let's continue this review with the assumption that you, like me, believe Strieber saw and heard something or someone, received a message, and wrote it down. If you don't believe that basic assumption, then this review is going to be a waste of your time. I'd suggest moving on to the next one. Peace.
Now, I believe that there are all manner of spirits that inhabit the unseen world. Like the "Master of the Key" described in Strieber's midnight conversation, I believe there are forces that allow things to thrive and forces that deny this. I think the way to decide which force is what is to examine how the communication makes us feel and the actions that we feel compelled to take after the encounter.
What was the ultimate impact of the "Master's" words for you, the reader? I felt fear- deep, bone-chilling fear.
First of all, I felt fear for the being's assertion that the Earth is going to be destroyed in a climate related disaster that no one can stop now because we ruined the atmosphere. That not only affects me, but my children's children's children. There are always steps we can take to make the world, and the future, a better and brighter place. I will not give up this agency to anyone, despite what hidden knowledge they may profess to have.
Second, I felt fear for his idea that none of the major world religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam) reveal the full truth of conscious evolution, which, in one fell swoop, denied the inner truths for a majority of the people on this planet today. And, the quietly implied addendum to this revelation, that none of the major religions know the truth, BUT I DO- this mysterious guy who shows up in the middle of the night, dumps all of this in Strieber's lap, then makes him drink a concoction to have him forget everything that he didn't write down. This doesn't feel like a benevolent act to me. It feels like a play to make Strieber feel afraid, directionless, and unwilling to seek out help from anyone from a major religion, which is a lot of people and shuts a lot of potential open doors.
Third, I felt fear for this mysterious being's assertion that the world will be lost because of a child who was never born because of the Holocaust. What sort of creature/being/visitor would know the full extent of the evil caused by one of the worst atrocities in human history, save that knowledge until fifty years after the fact, and tell it to someone who, by his own admission, doesn't have the power to do anything about it? Fiendishly clever, no?
And, again, this third bit of information seeks to remove Strieber's, and any reader's, feelings of hope for the future. I reject the idea that nothing can be done about future events. Everyone exists in the Now moment, which is quite a powerful place to be. It is here that we can change the world, not by ruminating on past horrors and the terrible fallout from them. I will not abandon hope. A dream of mine is that others will not give up also.
I find it interesting that the "Master of the Key" in the book planted enough prophetic tidbits in his fear-filled message to impress Strieber with a feeling of truth from the communication like with the gas-holding memory idea for machines. But, for me, the nature of the messenger himself is clear, given the underlying effect that almost everything the visitor had to say was to sow fear, create a feeling of impotence or divisiveness, and to manufacture a driving need to consciously evolve now, now, NOW in this brand new way or everybody's going to die and be chained to a dying planet forever until the end of time.
Let's go back to our existential questions again for a moment: what sort of being wants people to feel afraid, separate from the source of your being, feeling like you have forgotten important knowledge that is required to save your soul that only the mysterious being knows? What sort of being would counsel a soul to not go into the light because that isn't God, it's oblivion?
When Strieber asks this being his name, the reply was something like "You could call me, Michael. Or, you could call me, Legion. I would be honored to be called human." This was a red flag for me. "Who's in there with you, Legion?" would have been my next question to the being.
I think what Strieber experienced was real. I think that it was a cleverly packaged hodgepodge of truths, possible futures, and small twists of religious dogma designed to make Strieber doubt everything, even his own inner guidance. Strieber himself said that, after everything that had happened, what he most wanted was to talk to this being again. If I was in his shoes, I'd feel the exact same way. There are quite a few things that could use clarification. The first of which, in my mind, is why does this being instill such a feeling of fear in those he communicates with? Is that really necessary to get his message across or is it some kind of unfortunate side effect of the type of energy the being is emitting?
Despite my thoughts on the true nature of the "Master of the Key," if you liked The Key and were able to distill some truths that rang true for you from all of the fear-mongering, you might like troubling predictions of Heaven is Real But So is Hell: An Eyewitness Account of What is to Come by Vassula Ryden. I got the same kind of vibe from her book. I feel like there may be truths there to be found but the large part of the message felt devoted to making the recipients of that message just quake in fear. Proceed cautiously.
Thanks for reading!
If you pick up this book, you're either going to believe what Strieber has to say or dismiss the information- there's not a lot of wiggle room. Let's continue this review with the assumption that you, like me, believe Strieber saw and heard something or someone, received a message, and wrote it down. If you don't believe that basic assumption, then this review is going to be a waste of your time. I'd suggest moving on to the next one. Peace.
Now, I believe that there are all manner of spirits that inhabit the unseen world. Like the "Master of the Key" described in Strieber's midnight conversation, I believe there are forces that allow things to thrive and forces that deny this. I think the way to decide which force is what is to examine how the communication makes us feel and the actions that we feel compelled to take after the encounter.
What was the ultimate impact of the "Master's" words for you, the reader? I felt fear- deep, bone-chilling fear.
First of all, I felt fear for the being's assertion that the Earth is going to be destroyed in a climate related disaster that no one can stop now because we ruined the atmosphere. That not only affects me, but my children's children's children. There are always steps we can take to make the world, and the future, a better and brighter place. I will not give up this agency to anyone, despite what hidden knowledge they may profess to have.
Second, I felt fear for his idea that none of the major world religions (Christianity, Buddhism, Islam) reveal the full truth of conscious evolution, which, in one fell swoop, denied the inner truths for a majority of the people on this planet today. And, the quietly implied addendum to this revelation, that none of the major religions know the truth, BUT I DO- this mysterious guy who shows up in the middle of the night, dumps all of this in Strieber's lap, then makes him drink a concoction to have him forget everything that he didn't write down. This doesn't feel like a benevolent act to me. It feels like a play to make Strieber feel afraid, directionless, and unwilling to seek out help from anyone from a major religion, which is a lot of people and shuts a lot of potential open doors.
Third, I felt fear for this mysterious being's assertion that the world will be lost because of a child who was never born because of the Holocaust. What sort of creature/being/visitor would know the full extent of the evil caused by one of the worst atrocities in human history, save that knowledge until fifty years after the fact, and tell it to someone who, by his own admission, doesn't have the power to do anything about it? Fiendishly clever, no?
And, again, this third bit of information seeks to remove Strieber's, and any reader's, feelings of hope for the future. I reject the idea that nothing can be done about future events. Everyone exists in the Now moment, which is quite a powerful place to be. It is here that we can change the world, not by ruminating on past horrors and the terrible fallout from them. I will not abandon hope. A dream of mine is that others will not give up also.
I find it interesting that the "Master of the Key" in the book planted enough prophetic tidbits in his fear-filled message to impress Strieber with a feeling of truth from the communication like with the gas-holding memory idea for machines. But, for me, the nature of the messenger himself is clear, given the underlying effect that almost everything the visitor had to say was to sow fear, create a feeling of impotence or divisiveness, and to manufacture a driving need to consciously evolve now, now, NOW in this brand new way or everybody's going to die and be chained to a dying planet forever until the end of time.
Let's go back to our existential questions again for a moment: what sort of being wants people to feel afraid, separate from the source of your being, feeling like you have forgotten important knowledge that is required to save your soul that only the mysterious being knows? What sort of being would counsel a soul to not go into the light because that isn't God, it's oblivion?
When Strieber asks this being his name, the reply was something like "You could call me, Michael. Or, you could call me, Legion. I would be honored to be called human." This was a red flag for me. "Who's in there with you, Legion?" would have been my next question to the being.
I think what Strieber experienced was real. I think that it was a cleverly packaged hodgepodge of truths, possible futures, and small twists of religious dogma designed to make Strieber doubt everything, even his own inner guidance. Strieber himself said that, after everything that had happened, what he most wanted was to talk to this being again. If I was in his shoes, I'd feel the exact same way. There are quite a few things that could use clarification. The first of which, in my mind, is why does this being instill such a feeling of fear in those he communicates with? Is that really necessary to get his message across or is it some kind of unfortunate side effect of the type of energy the being is emitting?
Despite my thoughts on the true nature of the "Master of the Key," if you liked The Key and were able to distill some truths that rang true for you from all of the fear-mongering, you might like troubling predictions of Heaven is Real But So is Hell: An Eyewitness Account of What is to Come by Vassula Ryden. I got the same kind of vibe from her book. I feel like there may be truths there to be found but the large part of the message felt devoted to making the recipients of that message just quake in fear. Proceed cautiously.
Thanks for reading!
July 18, 2012
True Story. Whitley Strieber, a writer of horror novels and alien abductee, gets a visitor at 2:30 am at his hotel. The visitor gives no name. Failing to know his name, the writer calls him, “The Master of the Key” because he was so blown away by this late night life altering conversation. The visitor shares the secrets of the ages with the writer. The writer writes them down to create this book. The riches conversation the writer has ever had. Here are some bits I can remember.
Strieber learns from the visitor that noble gases have memory, before it reaches publication in scientific journals. Intelligent machines are needed by mankind. An intelligent machine will always seek to redesign itself to become more intelligent to survive. But at some point it will realize it is not self aware. But once you create a machine as intelligent as you, it could mean the destruction of mankind. (Yeah I saw that movie.) The climate will change in one season to an ice age that will lead to the destruction of mankind or most of mankind. (Saw this movie too) Was this visitor a machine? Was he from the future? Was he an alien? Was he God? Was the writer dreaming? And what was the white liquid the Master gave Strieber before he fell asleep and left him in the hotel room?
So begins a long question and answer session with the Master that covers a wide variety of topics. The Master tells of what life is like on other planets in vague terms. Some life is like ours some very different from us. How does he travel to other planets? Learn to manipulate mass the Master answers. Do aliens live among us? Yes, some bend light so we cannot see them others use mind control from a distance so we cannot see them the rest are in human form and work for the government. (I always suspected this) They enforce secrecy and use the government to control man. Human beings are being born and raised off earth in this solar system and these humans work hard to keep us from knowing of their existence. They keep us from exploring mysteries of the past. They keep us from expanding into the universe. Humans have a radiant body, conscious of the energetic life that exist in every cell. Each human also has an elemental body that we live in. Their goal is to open up the elemental body to ecstasy. The dead see everything you do. The dead bear the errors and enjoy the triumph of everything you do. The soul is a physical thing.
Then “The Master” answers question about religion. The three phases, 1st phase: the first is negative, destructive God, Old Testament. 2nd phase: God is compassionate. New Testament and 3rd phase: God is you and you are God. There is more but it gets really boring like being in church so I will skip the rest. And he mentions the single worst event on Earth was “The Holocaust”. Because one person killed was to be the inventor of propulsion systems who would have advanced mankind to the point of being able to leave earth (once we destroy it completely) and live on other planets. So we are stuck on this dying crappy mess of a planet because of the Holocaust and the aliens working for the government. Oh and we destroyed Mars. Don't ask.
There was more wisdom shared that has been stated before in other books and on the History Channel with Ancient Aliens and honestly I want to believe but this book was all over the place with such nebulous explanations of complex subject matter. No real specific answers to the perfectly good questions. I can't help thinking that is book is really a platform for Strieber's own ideas and not some visitor's insight, since Strieber has previously written fictional accounts of many of the ideas listed in the book.
So next time you get a visitor at 2:30 am at your hotel door, unless he can give you tomorrows winning Mega Millions number, go back to sleep. It’s just a dream. I can't believe people love this book. It answers nothing specifically. Just lots of afterlife Mescaline induced jibber-jabber. For people who are deeply spiritual and can accept explanations that make no sense.
Strieber learns from the visitor that noble gases have memory, before it reaches publication in scientific journals. Intelligent machines are needed by mankind. An intelligent machine will always seek to redesign itself to become more intelligent to survive. But at some point it will realize it is not self aware. But once you create a machine as intelligent as you, it could mean the destruction of mankind. (Yeah I saw that movie.) The climate will change in one season to an ice age that will lead to the destruction of mankind or most of mankind. (Saw this movie too) Was this visitor a machine? Was he from the future? Was he an alien? Was he God? Was the writer dreaming? And what was the white liquid the Master gave Strieber before he fell asleep and left him in the hotel room?
So begins a long question and answer session with the Master that covers a wide variety of topics. The Master tells of what life is like on other planets in vague terms. Some life is like ours some very different from us. How does he travel to other planets? Learn to manipulate mass the Master answers. Do aliens live among us? Yes, some bend light so we cannot see them others use mind control from a distance so we cannot see them the rest are in human form and work for the government. (I always suspected this) They enforce secrecy and use the government to control man. Human beings are being born and raised off earth in this solar system and these humans work hard to keep us from knowing of their existence. They keep us from exploring mysteries of the past. They keep us from expanding into the universe. Humans have a radiant body, conscious of the energetic life that exist in every cell. Each human also has an elemental body that we live in. Their goal is to open up the elemental body to ecstasy. The dead see everything you do. The dead bear the errors and enjoy the triumph of everything you do. The soul is a physical thing.
Then “The Master” answers question about religion. The three phases, 1st phase: the first is negative, destructive God, Old Testament. 2nd phase: God is compassionate. New Testament and 3rd phase: God is you and you are God. There is more but it gets really boring like being in church so I will skip the rest. And he mentions the single worst event on Earth was “The Holocaust”. Because one person killed was to be the inventor of propulsion systems who would have advanced mankind to the point of being able to leave earth (once we destroy it completely) and live on other planets. So we are stuck on this dying crappy mess of a planet because of the Holocaust and the aliens working for the government. Oh and we destroyed Mars. Don't ask.
There was more wisdom shared that has been stated before in other books and on the History Channel with Ancient Aliens and honestly I want to believe but this book was all over the place with such nebulous explanations of complex subject matter. No real specific answers to the perfectly good questions. I can't help thinking that is book is really a platform for Strieber's own ideas and not some visitor's insight, since Strieber has previously written fictional accounts of many of the ideas listed in the book.
So next time you get a visitor at 2:30 am at your hotel door, unless he can give you tomorrows winning Mega Millions number, go back to sleep. It’s just a dream. I can't believe people love this book. It answers nothing specifically. Just lots of afterlife Mescaline induced jibber-jabber. For people who are deeply spiritual and can accept explanations that make no sense.
April 10, 2013
I can easily see this book as a polarizing one. You will either love it or hate it. Did someone really enter into author Whitley Strieber’s hotel room and divulge secrets of the universe back in 1998? Who knows? Perhaps Strieber is not sure himself. But if you put aside whether it is real or not, one cannot deny this book is chock full of fascinating and completely original ideas. As time passes by and as each of the predictions and scientific information come true, it is getting more difficult to brush this off as a desperate attempt by an author to sell books.
This book was quite a terrifying read for me, simply because so much (nearly everything) seemed so accurate and answered a lot of my own questions regarding faith and the afterlife. As Strieber so clearly states, it breaks down the barrier between science and religion, man and machine, human and God. It took me a lot longer to read this than I thought because of the many concepts thrown at the reader. It had me stopping to analyze and reflect and connect so much of my own life and experiences that I was forced to stop reading to let it sink in and grasp this new reality.
Perhaps the most terrifying and sad explanation of our stifled scientific progress was the idea that the Holocaust has prevented us from leaving the planet and unlocking the secret of gravity due to the murder of a Jewish couple. The absence of their child not being born has caused our whole species to remain on Earth longer than planned. The Holocaust, Strieber’s mystery man claims, is why we are still using jets seventy-five years after their invention.
Taken as the truth, half-truth, two percent truth, or even complete fiction, this book is a mind-blowing exploration of our human species and the life beyond. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone, especially if you find yourself aging through life with more questions than answers. No matter what your religion is, I honestly believe you take away something worthwhile from reading Whitley Strieber’s The Key.
This book was quite a terrifying read for me, simply because so much (nearly everything) seemed so accurate and answered a lot of my own questions regarding faith and the afterlife. As Strieber so clearly states, it breaks down the barrier between science and religion, man and machine, human and God. It took me a lot longer to read this than I thought because of the many concepts thrown at the reader. It had me stopping to analyze and reflect and connect so much of my own life and experiences that I was forced to stop reading to let it sink in and grasp this new reality.
Perhaps the most terrifying and sad explanation of our stifled scientific progress was the idea that the Holocaust has prevented us from leaving the planet and unlocking the secret of gravity due to the murder of a Jewish couple. The absence of their child not being born has caused our whole species to remain on Earth longer than planned. The Holocaust, Strieber’s mystery man claims, is why we are still using jets seventy-five years after their invention.
Taken as the truth, half-truth, two percent truth, or even complete fiction, this book is a mind-blowing exploration of our human species and the life beyond. I highly recommend this to anyone and everyone, especially if you find yourself aging through life with more questions than answers. No matter what your religion is, I honestly believe you take away something worthwhile from reading Whitley Strieber’s The Key.
December 19, 2009
This book by Whitley Streiber offers one of the most compelling and novel views on human spirituality and the challenges we face as a species that I have ever read. For those familiar with Whitley's UFO related works of non-fiction, this is a must read, primarily because he describes his experience with the man he calls "The Master of the Key" as the most important one of his life.
If a man who believes he has had continual contact with visitors from "elsewhere" is calling THIS the most important experience, perhaps we better sit-up and take notice.
The account revolves around a mysterious, and well-dressed stranger who came knocking on Whitleys hotel room door at 2:00Am one night while he was on a book-signing tour in Toronto. For some reason Whitley allowed the man into his room and proceeded to have one of the most fascinating conversations of his life. The man offered him insights on our true nature as "radiant bodies" and how the human instrument has a very refined sensory organ composed of electrons in "superposition" that resides a few centimeters above the surface of the skin. This sensory organ is what allows the human radiant body to get into the "quatum" state...connected to everything, everywhere! The conversation then blows from conscious computers, to humanity's future on a planet that is rapidly changing. I recommend this treasure of a book for anyone who has a new-age, yet very practical bent. Very Powerful stuff!
If a man who believes he has had continual contact with visitors from "elsewhere" is calling THIS the most important experience, perhaps we better sit-up and take notice.
The account revolves around a mysterious, and well-dressed stranger who came knocking on Whitleys hotel room door at 2:00Am one night while he was on a book-signing tour in Toronto. For some reason Whitley allowed the man into his room and proceeded to have one of the most fascinating conversations of his life. The man offered him insights on our true nature as "radiant bodies" and how the human instrument has a very refined sensory organ composed of electrons in "superposition" that resides a few centimeters above the surface of the skin. This sensory organ is what allows the human radiant body to get into the "quatum" state...connected to everything, everywhere! The conversation then blows from conscious computers, to humanity's future on a planet that is rapidly changing. I recommend this treasure of a book for anyone who has a new-age, yet very practical bent. Very Powerful stuff!
December 26, 2011
I picked this book up expecting an interesting psychological commentary. The first chapter or so about lives up to this, but then the book rapidly dissolves into ramblings about "visitations" from ghosts and aliens. It got ridiculous enough at this point that i couldnt continue reading it. If you enjoyed other books by this author, then go for it; otherwise, dont bother.
July 17, 2011
Profound. An extremely interesting read. I had to stop and contemplate most of the things that the Master of the Key said. I think I'll read it again.
February 17, 2023
So I’ve owned this book for awhile before actually reading it and I’m not sure why because at the time when I bought it I was excited to start it. Well let’s say I’m glad I waited. This book makes much more sense especially with what we are currently facing globally. Some things said by this special visitor I hope are true and other not so much ! I found this book to be very different and not at all what I was expecting. I would definitely recommend to anyone trying to Find another perspective on God and or religion and just the problems we face as a world !
November 1, 2014
Wow . . . how lucky must this guy be to not only have experiences with ghosts but also aliens and now this all-knowing celestial visitor? Talk about an anomaly!
I am no skeptic, but even my b.s. radar went off on this one. The whole thing seemed like a barely veiled attempt at providing a platform to spout off the author's views and opinions.
I am no skeptic, but even my b.s. radar went off on this one. The whole thing seemed like a barely veiled attempt at providing a platform to spout off the author's views and opinions.
August 5, 2013
Garbage. Trash. I could go into more detail but why? Please don't spend money on it.
December 21, 2013
Labeling this book as non-fiction is almost the most laughable thing about it. The only reason I would consider this non-fiction is the fact that it's just some asshole spouting his own political/moral views on people and wrapping it in a vaguely supernatural shell.
I'll save you some time by summarizing the incredibly convoluted, asinine "conversation". Global warming is killing everyone. America is the most evil country on the planet because it's the most wealthy. The only correct religion is one that is a combination of all, and I do mean all (even scientology), religions, but there really is no such thing as a valid religion.
At no point did I really believe that some mysterious stranger just happened to show up at the hotel room of a "writer" who has already written books on the topics discussed, but not in the same way, to reveal the secrets of the universe that turned out to be exactly as I previously described them. Strieber even reveals in the foreword that he has written books discussing things like religion and global warming. Now he's using this "Master of the Key" to give validation to all his stupid theories that everyone has already laughed at him about? The only reason I feel like people aren't still laughing at him for this is because not very many people probably read this book. Which is much to their favor.
That's it. I just saved you a few hours and now you don't have to listen to this crap bag jabber on.
A colossal waste of time. I wish I could give less than one star. Please do the world a favor and don't bother reading even the first page.
I'll save you some time by summarizing the incredibly convoluted, asinine "conversation". Global warming is killing everyone. America is the most evil country on the planet because it's the most wealthy. The only correct religion is one that is a combination of all, and I do mean all (even scientology), religions, but there really is no such thing as a valid religion.
At no point did I really believe that some mysterious stranger just happened to show up at the hotel room of a "writer" who has already written books on the topics discussed, but not in the same way, to reveal the secrets of the universe that turned out to be exactly as I previously described them. Strieber even reveals in the foreword that he has written books discussing things like religion and global warming. Now he's using this "Master of the Key" to give validation to all his stupid theories that everyone has already laughed at him about? The only reason I feel like people aren't still laughing at him for this is because not very many people probably read this book. Which is much to their favor.
That's it. I just saved you a few hours and now you don't have to listen to this crap bag jabber on.
A colossal waste of time. I wish I could give less than one star. Please do the world a favor and don't bother reading even the first page.
July 15, 2016
Ugh. It was kinda all over the place and nothing really came together to make anyone feel as if there might be an answer. If 'this' is considered alien or supernatural "help". We are truly and completely screwed.
Your worldview will probably dictate wether you believe this was a reality, a dream or just delusion. I try to see everything people purport as true from every angle I can. The riskiest interpretation is that it is all true. When I consider this I really feel the author glossed over a really honest possibility.
If this really happened and taking into consideration what was said I would have to seriously consider that this entity wasn't benevolent. I'd want to explore the information with that in mind. The author only hints at this as a possibility but then never really investigates what that would man for what was given.
If this is true i truly have a feeling of malevolence. I would assume there is truth interlaced with just enough lies to destroy ourselves.
Your worldview will probably dictate wether you believe this was a reality, a dream or just delusion. I try to see everything people purport as true from every angle I can. The riskiest interpretation is that it is all true. When I consider this I really feel the author glossed over a really honest possibility.
If this really happened and taking into consideration what was said I would have to seriously consider that this entity wasn't benevolent. I'd want to explore the information with that in mind. The author only hints at this as a possibility but then never really investigates what that would man for what was given.
If this is true i truly have a feeling of malevolence. I would assume there is truth interlaced with just enough lies to destroy ourselves.
August 7, 2014
This was well done and certainly was an interesting read. Whitley is right when he says he is confused by how these "people" choose the ones they tell these tales to. Seems as though many of the people chosen by other-wordly entities are rarely believed and often scoffed at.
I loved this paragraph:
" Over time one begins to find another perspective. Again and Again, it becomes possible to sense a body not as oneself, but as a tool that is being used to penetrate into the physical world and draw experience from it. As the sense of being separate from the body matures, one's existence as a soul also becomes more complex."
and this:
"From my earlier experiences with high strangeness I knew that the mind rejects what it cannot fit into its vision of reality...."(cognitive dissonance)
I loved this paragraph:
" Over time one begins to find another perspective. Again and Again, it becomes possible to sense a body not as oneself, but as a tool that is being used to penetrate into the physical world and draw experience from it. As the sense of being separate from the body matures, one's existence as a soul also becomes more complex."
and this:
"From my earlier experiences with high strangeness I knew that the mind rejects what it cannot fit into its vision of reality...."(cognitive dissonance)
July 15, 2015
I tried to approach this book for what it was; fiction, and just enjoy it. But the rantings and nonsense spewing forth were too much for me to overcome. It is scary even considering the notion that anybody would take this author seriously. He mentioned a time when his popularity was waning because he got a "bad rep" as a crackpot. I truly hope so... for that would restore my faith in the collective intelligence of humanity.
October 28, 2022
Fascinating!
July 9, 2024
In the 1990s, Whitley Strieber is in a hotel room when he is awaken by loud knocking. In a daze, he answers the door and an older man barges in and starts talking about the future, God and technology. After the initial shock, Strieber says he enters a dialogue with the man and takes copious notes. The man gives him some white liquid to drink, which seems somehow familiar like he has had this happen to him before. Next thing he knows, he is waking up the next morning, with a notepad full of chicken scratch which succeeds in jogging his memory. He calls and tells his wife what happened, asking her to not let him believe one day that the encounter was not real.
The conversation include a doctrine of pantheism, God is the universe and we are all God, a prediction that science would soon find evidence of disincarnated souls after death and would invent technology to communicate with them, that not all humans have souls if the person didn’t strengthen their will through meditation and discipline, that climate change is inevitable and man must develop AI (which he says must use nitrous oxide) to survive the coming disasters, and a couple was killed in the holocaust whose child would have invented interstellar propulsion and society would be radically different had they lived. Also aliens are here.
Strieber is adamant this individual he calls the “Master” (he is unclear if it was a human, alien or divine being) was real and this conversation really happened which mostly centered on religious topics. It’s so bizarre, I feel like his experiences with UFOs are more credible. A lot of it is pretty New Age woo woo, other parts are just odd. The “Master” speaks with the vagueness of a pseudo-guru, with lots of pseudo-non answers whenever the questions get too specific. Take from it what you will.
The conversation include a doctrine of pantheism, God is the universe and we are all God, a prediction that science would soon find evidence of disincarnated souls after death and would invent technology to communicate with them, that not all humans have souls if the person didn’t strengthen their will through meditation and discipline, that climate change is inevitable and man must develop AI (which he says must use nitrous oxide) to survive the coming disasters, and a couple was killed in the holocaust whose child would have invented interstellar propulsion and society would be radically different had they lived. Also aliens are here.
Strieber is adamant this individual he calls the “Master” (he is unclear if it was a human, alien or divine being) was real and this conversation really happened which mostly centered on religious topics. It’s so bizarre, I feel like his experiences with UFOs are more credible. A lot of it is pretty New Age woo woo, other parts are just odd. The “Master” speaks with the vagueness of a pseudo-guru, with lots of pseudo-non answers whenever the questions get too specific. Take from it what you will.
July 4, 2023
Absolutely some real gems in the Master’s information. It is best to read this knowing it is choppy due to the nature of the encounter between the Master of the Key and Whitley Strieber. Also, in my opinion, some of the information has proven true after 25 years but some of it is “off.”
April 2, 2025
Good read, I found I few pages that did bore me as it just went on about the same thing again and again.
January 16, 2013
Very interesting story, then again, I like what Whitley Strieber has to offer. Mostly known for his Communion books about alien visitors, this book is, I think really introspective, and a culmination of everything that's going wrong with the world. Will we miss the boat and let our planet die? Are we in a self imposed prison, separating ourselves from God, and thus the universe? Will we develop intelligent machines to help us into the next age and reclaim our place in the universe? Did we miss the boat on understanding gravity because the potential parents of that innovator died in the Holocaust?
Did Whitley's encounter with who he calls The Master of the Key actually happen? Does that matter? Whether it's true or not, the ideas in the book are worth thinking about, and it does seem like those polar caps are melting. Will we be thrown into a sudden ice age that disrupts the world and causes storms the likes of which we've never seen?
I don't know, but I know that this is a fresh, dynamic world, and we do need to take care of it.
Did Whitley's encounter with who he calls The Master of the Key actually happen? Does that matter? Whether it's true or not, the ideas in the book are worth thinking about, and it does seem like those polar caps are melting. Will we be thrown into a sudden ice age that disrupts the world and causes storms the likes of which we've never seen?
I don't know, but I know that this is a fresh, dynamic world, and we do need to take care of it.
January 19, 2012
I'm always a bit skeptical of these types of books where some other-worldly presence visits the author and gives them other-worldly knowledge. It is pretty much impossible to tell if the events really happened that way (Whitley Strieber claims that here), or if it is just a device the author is using to get his own ideas across... What I usually do is try to evaluate the ideas on their own terms, placing less emphasis on their origins than on whether or not they ring true or "speak" to me.
That being said, there were some interesting nuggets in this book - along with quite a bit that I didn't really get. A re-read might clarify things some, maybe... The Master covers a LOT of ground in his short conversation with Whitley, and a lot of times it felt like he was talking in circles a bit. Still, an interesting read that left me with a few things to ponder, which is never a bad thing!
That being said, there were some interesting nuggets in this book - along with quite a bit that I didn't really get. A re-read might clarify things some, maybe... The Master covers a LOT of ground in his short conversation with Whitley, and a lot of times it felt like he was talking in circles a bit. Still, an interesting read that left me with a few things to ponder, which is never a bad thing!
November 22, 2012
If I had the option I would give it 10 stars.. easily the most important book I have ever read.. bar none! I would recommend this book without reservation to anyone how has ever starred in the mirror and wondered, who am I?
Note, this is the second release of this book. The original release is only available from Whitley's website. I liked the original release a little better, but I cant really explain why.
The second release, the one shown in the icon here, is a little more polished, and does actually have a little more information in it. It includes a section of fragments he recalled from the conversation, which is not included in the first release copy.
Which ever one you read, I recommend you read one of them!! It is life changing information. He gives us a whole new way to see ourselves, and our world.
Note, this is the second release of this book. The original release is only available from Whitley's website. I liked the original release a little better, but I cant really explain why.
The second release, the one shown in the icon here, is a little more polished, and does actually have a little more information in it. It includes a section of fragments he recalled from the conversation, which is not included in the first release copy.
Which ever one you read, I recommend you read one of them!! It is life changing information. He gives us a whole new way to see ourselves, and our world.
October 29, 2011
A friend recommended that I read "The Key" after describing an event related to my Father's transition. The book did confirmed what I experienced and a great deal more.
"The Key" is filled with golden nuggets of insight. The book while not long did take me several days to read. There are several important parts of the conversation I needed to contemplate, and on several nights I dreaming about the messages revealed.
I have read and studied a great deal of mystical/spiritual information over the years and I am constantly reminded of the 5 blind men and the Elephant. So many bits an pieces are being revealed but we still haven't quite put the whole picture together. There is still so much to learn.
"The Key" is filled with golden nuggets of insight. The book while not long did take me several days to read. There are several important parts of the conversation I needed to contemplate, and on several nights I dreaming about the messages revealed.
I have read and studied a great deal of mystical/spiritual information over the years and I am constantly reminded of the 5 blind men and the Elephant. So many bits an pieces are being revealed but we still haven't quite put the whole picture together. There is still so much to learn.
June 12, 2012
Fascinating book about one mans encounter with a stranger who is alternately God, human, and Satan who divulges what is the key to our being,to us finding God, and to our future (not pretty). Some of it is not new as in that God resides in us (we are God) and we are made in the image and likeness of Him (surprising for a devout Catholic). And the concept that we have to look within ourselves to find peace and spread peace through encounters with the poor was originally communicated by Christ recently conveyed through Mother Theresa just fine. Strieber's description of God was all over the place; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd person and much of his description of the event was choppy and confusing. I liked it very much, but was confused by its message. Read it and let me know.
December 12, 2011
This is an amazing book. Whitley Strieber is a great writer, but I don't think he, or anyone else for that matter, is talented enough to imagine this middle of the night encounter, as some critics have suggested. The Key reads like one of the coolest, most interesting interviews ever. The Master of The Key has a very distinct voice and presence. He manages to enlighten without condemning or becoming too preachy. And he says a lot while saying it succinctly. The reader is treated to something important rather than the verbal gymnastics you get from most spiritual teachers.
June 16, 2014
Decent. Do I believe it was a true encounter? Who knows, but probably not. What I do think is that Whitely is an avid fan of Thich Hhat Hanh as it sounded extremely similar to many books penned by the latter author. This doesn't by any stretch mean this was a bad book, it just means that is seemed like a rehash of things I have already read in a different format. Overall a good quick read though. I look forward to reading Strieber's more fiction-mix-nonfiction books though.
May 20, 2016
I read this under the assumption that it would be batshit insane enough to have a good laugh over. Nope, it's just a bunch of vague, disjointed bullshit with a dash of Tuesdays with Morrie thrown in just for funsies.
Whitley Strieber himself summarizes The Key better than I can in the afterword to the original edition: "...it all came out sounding like a mix of warmed over Catholicism and new-age mysticism. Me, very definitely...and not even me at my best."
Whitley Strieber himself summarizes The Key better than I can in the afterword to the original edition: "...it all came out sounding like a mix of warmed over Catholicism and new-age mysticism. Me, very definitely...and not even me at my best."
July 2, 2011
Yeah right
August 23, 2011
One of the worst book i ever read. maybe because i don't believe the crap like UFO
April 19, 2016
The first chapter had me caught up but the further this books goes the more its just words on the page. I never stop reading and put a book down. I did with this one
April 18, 2018
This book is kind of bonkers.
On the one hand it's a downer because humanity is doomed.
On the other hand, there's a small chance humanity isn't doomed.
Around these two extremes and via a conversation Strieber transcribed from memory of a man who came to his Toronto hotel room at 2:30 a.m. on June 6, 1998, there are warnings about screwing up our planet before we are able to leave it and inhabit other worlds, detailed descriptions of the barrier between the living and the dead and how we can learn to both detect and communicate with the dead by using the devices seen on the ten thousand or so ghost hunting shows on T&E. The mysterious man who arrives at Strievber's hotel room refers to himself by many names and descriptions--Master of the Key, Michael, Legion, a Canadian (who doesn't pay taxes), and at times seems both human and more than human. There are condemnations from him of our stewardship of the planet (which seems perfectly sensible, really), government secrecy, the accumulation of wealth over spiritual growth, and the bonus revelation of how the murder of a couple in the Holocaust prevented us from learning how to harness gravity, because the smart person who figured this out was never born.
But wait, there's more. There is confirmation of intelligent life on other planets and in space itself (I'm assuming something more subtle than the giant hand that grabbed the Enterprise in the original series). There are aliens here, both helping us, and trying to thwart our growth and evolution. They are in the government, well-hidden. Lizard people? Well, the Master of the Key doesn't say, but he does note that these aliens are skilled in deception, general mind control and besides, some of them look just like us so don't even need to hide themselves.
But there's even more! Earth is a fallen world. Another ice age is imminent and with it the risk that humanity will be wiped out because, to paraphrase Illidan, we are not prepared. If we are made extinct we will not evolve and join with the other radiant humans who have already ascended and become part of the fabric of the cosmos (we here on Earth are referred to as "elemental beings" by the MOTK. This comes across as a bit of a putdown). There is talk of how three major faiths--Christianity, Buddhism and Islam--are all part of the same triad, each just a different aspect. Also there is no god because we are all god. And we should help starving children.
Also, there are intelligent machines out there and we need to get around to making our own intelligent machines that are smarter than us because it's the only way we'll get out of this climate mess. But these intelligent machines will become self-aware and...it kind of sounds like maybe that's not a good thing, although SkyNET is never precisely invoked.
At one point Strieber describes himself as crying at the words of the Master of the Key, and it's not difficult to see why. This is a lot of stuff to absorb when you were just expecting a waiter to come in and change your hotel room's towels.
Now, it may sound like I'm being flip, but Strieber does provide some evidence and plausible thoughts on the climate change warnings, which only seem even more compelling in 2018 vs. 1998. There is also evidence that some kind of electromagnetic hijinks are happening in areas where people report ghosts. The idea that a soul--some kind of intelligent (plasma?) energy--may exist outside of the body has some evidence to support it. But it's still a lot to take in. The Master, like any good prophet/seer/I-know-more-than-you-do often speaks in riddles and metaphors. And just as you try to wrap your brain about what he's really saying he lays out a hard scientific explanation for the soul and how to detect it.
In the end I was left simultaneously baffled, stimulated and entertained by The Key. I keep an open mind, even about things most people view as nutty, like UFOS, Bigfoot and healthy fast food, so I'm not willing to dismiss the things discussed in this slim book out of hand. Conversely, it's actually pretty grim in retrospect. Strieber keeps things moving, though.
I can't say I recommend the book per se, but it certainly offers some interesting ideas about our world and where humanity may be headed.
And if Donald Trump pulls off his human mask during the next State of the Union address and confesses to trying to stop the evolution of humanity, Strieber can totally claim he called it 20 years ago. Hmm, that sounds way more plausible than it should...
On the one hand it's a downer because humanity is doomed.
On the other hand, there's a small chance humanity isn't doomed.
Around these two extremes and via a conversation Strieber transcribed from memory of a man who came to his Toronto hotel room at 2:30 a.m. on June 6, 1998, there are warnings about screwing up our planet before we are able to leave it and inhabit other worlds, detailed descriptions of the barrier between the living and the dead and how we can learn to both detect and communicate with the dead by using the devices seen on the ten thousand or so ghost hunting shows on T&E. The mysterious man who arrives at Strievber's hotel room refers to himself by many names and descriptions--Master of the Key, Michael, Legion, a Canadian (who doesn't pay taxes), and at times seems both human and more than human. There are condemnations from him of our stewardship of the planet (which seems perfectly sensible, really), government secrecy, the accumulation of wealth over spiritual growth, and the bonus revelation of how the murder of a couple in the Holocaust prevented us from learning how to harness gravity, because the smart person who figured this out was never born.
But wait, there's more. There is confirmation of intelligent life on other planets and in space itself (I'm assuming something more subtle than the giant hand that grabbed the Enterprise in the original series). There are aliens here, both helping us, and trying to thwart our growth and evolution. They are in the government, well-hidden. Lizard people? Well, the Master of the Key doesn't say, but he does note that these aliens are skilled in deception, general mind control and besides, some of them look just like us so don't even need to hide themselves.
But there's even more! Earth is a fallen world. Another ice age is imminent and with it the risk that humanity will be wiped out because, to paraphrase Illidan, we are not prepared. If we are made extinct we will not evolve and join with the other radiant humans who have already ascended and become part of the fabric of the cosmos (we here on Earth are referred to as "elemental beings" by the MOTK. This comes across as a bit of a putdown). There is talk of how three major faiths--Christianity, Buddhism and Islam--are all part of the same triad, each just a different aspect. Also there is no god because we are all god. And we should help starving children.
Also, there are intelligent machines out there and we need to get around to making our own intelligent machines that are smarter than us because it's the only way we'll get out of this climate mess. But these intelligent machines will become self-aware and...it kind of sounds like maybe that's not a good thing, although SkyNET is never precisely invoked.
At one point Strieber describes himself as crying at the words of the Master of the Key, and it's not difficult to see why. This is a lot of stuff to absorb when you were just expecting a waiter to come in and change your hotel room's towels.
Now, it may sound like I'm being flip, but Strieber does provide some evidence and plausible thoughts on the climate change warnings, which only seem even more compelling in 2018 vs. 1998. There is also evidence that some kind of electromagnetic hijinks are happening in areas where people report ghosts. The idea that a soul--some kind of intelligent (plasma?) energy--may exist outside of the body has some evidence to support it. But it's still a lot to take in. The Master, like any good prophet/seer/I-know-more-than-you-do often speaks in riddles and metaphors. And just as you try to wrap your brain about what he's really saying he lays out a hard scientific explanation for the soul and how to detect it.
In the end I was left simultaneously baffled, stimulated and entertained by The Key. I keep an open mind, even about things most people view as nutty, like UFOS, Bigfoot and healthy fast food, so I'm not willing to dismiss the things discussed in this slim book out of hand. Conversely, it's actually pretty grim in retrospect. Strieber keeps things moving, though.
I can't say I recommend the book per se, but it certainly offers some interesting ideas about our world and where humanity may be headed.
And if Donald Trump pulls off his human mask during the next State of the Union address and confesses to trying to stop the evolution of humanity, Strieber can totally claim he called it 20 years ago. Hmm, that sounds way more plausible than it should...
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