The latest contribution to the Rendlesham saga:
Nick Pope, John Burroughs, Jim Penniston. Encounter in Rendlesham Forest: The Inside Story of the World's Best-Documented UFO Incident. Thomas Dunne Books (18 Mar 2014)
From the publisher's website: Roswell was only the beginning! An in-depth look at the Rendlesham Forest UFO Incident, the world's most sensational and compelling series of UFO encounters. In 1980, a UFO was tracked on military radar in Rendlesham Forest, England. It landed near two of the most strategically important military bases in NATO, and was approached by military witnesses who touched the hull. This explosive new book -- perfect for fans of Annie Jacobsen's Area 51, and Leslie Kean's UFOs -- tells the full story of this incident, which is set to become better-known than Roswell.
Written by Nick Pope, an international bestselling author and former government UFO investigator, working closely with John Burroughs and Jim Penniston, the two officers at the heart of the encounters, this book reveals the first-hand witnesses' full stories for the first time and is supported by numerous formerly-classified documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act. The inside story of these events and their aftermath will change people’s perceptions about the UFO mystery and about the true role played by government, the military and the intelligence agencies.
2.3.14
27.2.14
Insight or Illusion
Birk Engmann. Near-Death Experiences: Heavenly Insight or Human Illusion? Springer. (28 Feb 2014)
The expression "Near-Death Experience" is associated in the popular understanding with access to knowledge about our transition between the states of life and death. But how should such experiences be interpreted? Are they verifiable with scientific methods? If so, how can they be explained? Attempting to relate matters of scientific knowledge to subjective experience and the realm of belief is a difficult balancing act and has led to a variety of approaches to the topic. This work scrutinizes the diverse views and also myths, about near-death experiences and describes them from a scientific standpoint. Situated at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy and religious studies this book will appeal to a broad audience of both scientists and general readers.
The expression "Near-Death Experience" is associated in the popular understanding with access to knowledge about our transition between the states of life and death. But how should such experiences be interpreted? Are they verifiable with scientific methods? If so, how can they be explained? Attempting to relate matters of scientific knowledge to subjective experience and the realm of belief is a difficult balancing act and has led to a variety of approaches to the topic. This work scrutinizes the diverse views and also myths, about near-death experiences and describes them from a scientific standpoint. Situated at the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy and religious studies this book will appeal to a broad audience of both scientists and general readers.
16.2.14
The Surreal Thing
Exploring the links between art and the occult
Patrick Lepetit. Esoteric Secrets Of Surrealism: Origins, Magic, and Secret Societies. Inner Traditions; Original edition (15 Feb 2014)
Not merely an artistic or literary movement as many believe, the surrealists rejected the labels of artist and author bestowed upon them by outsiders, accepting instead the titles of magician, alchemist, or -- in the case of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo -- witch. Their paintings, poems, and other works were created to seek out unexplored regions of the mind and recover lost "psychic" and magical powers. They used creative expression as the vehicle to attain what Andre Breton called the "supreme point," the point at which all opposites cease to be perceived as contradictions. This supreme point is found at the heart of all esoteric doctrines, including the Great Work of alchemy, and enables communication with higher states of being.
Drawing on an extensive range of writings by the surrealists and those in their circle of influence, Patrick Lepetit shows how the surrealists employed mythology, gnostic principles, tarot, voodoo, and alchemy not simply as reference points but as significant elements of their ongoing investigations into the fundamental nature of consciousness. He provides many specific examples of esoteric influence among the surrealists, such as how Picasso's famous Demoiselles d'Avignon was originally titled The Bath of the Philosophers, how painter Victor Brauner drew from his father's spiritualist vocation as well as the Kabbalah and tarot, and how doctor and surrealist author Pierre Mabille was a Freemason focused on finding initiatory paths where "it is possible to feel a new system connecting man with the universe."
Lepetit casts new light on the connection between key figures of the movement and the circle of adepts gathered around Fulcanelli. He also explores the relationship between surrealists and Freemasonry, Martinists, and the Elect Cohen as well as the Grail mythos and the Arthurian brotherhood.
Patrick Lepetit. Esoteric Secrets Of Surrealism: Origins, Magic, and Secret Societies. Inner Traditions; Original edition (15 Feb 2014)
Not merely an artistic or literary movement as many believe, the surrealists rejected the labels of artist and author bestowed upon them by outsiders, accepting instead the titles of magician, alchemist, or -- in the case of Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo -- witch. Their paintings, poems, and other works were created to seek out unexplored regions of the mind and recover lost "psychic" and magical powers. They used creative expression as the vehicle to attain what Andre Breton called the "supreme point," the point at which all opposites cease to be perceived as contradictions. This supreme point is found at the heart of all esoteric doctrines, including the Great Work of alchemy, and enables communication with higher states of being.
Drawing on an extensive range of writings by the surrealists and those in their circle of influence, Patrick Lepetit shows how the surrealists employed mythology, gnostic principles, tarot, voodoo, and alchemy not simply as reference points but as significant elements of their ongoing investigations into the fundamental nature of consciousness. He provides many specific examples of esoteric influence among the surrealists, such as how Picasso's famous Demoiselles d'Avignon was originally titled The Bath of the Philosophers, how painter Victor Brauner drew from his father's spiritualist vocation as well as the Kabbalah and tarot, and how doctor and surrealist author Pierre Mabille was a Freemason focused on finding initiatory paths where "it is possible to feel a new system connecting man with the universe."
Lepetit casts new light on the connection between key figures of the movement and the circle of adepts gathered around Fulcanelli. He also explores the relationship between surrealists and Freemasonry, Martinists, and the Elect Cohen as well as the Grail mythos and the Arthurian brotherhood.
4.2.14
Mass Hysteria
Good to see two authoritative Forteans tackling such a contentious subject:
Robert E. Bartholomew Bob Rickard. Mass Hysteria in Schools: A Worldwide History Since 1566 McFarland. (January 31, 2014)
This book comprehensively surveys the colourful history of mass hysteria and kindred phenomena in schools--from outbreaks of demonic possession during witchcraft scares to twitching and shaking epidemics in 19th century European schools, to more contemporary incidents of collapsing bands, itching frenzies, ghost panics and mystery illnesses.
The authors trace strange behaviours and illnesses in students through the centuries. Possessed children went into trance states and began to bark like dogs in 16th and 17th century Holland; an outbreak of Tourette's-like symptoms struck schoolgirls in western New York in 2011 and 2012. Many episodes are from the United States and separate chapters detail accounts from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Some take issue with the term "mass hysteria" and consider its use derogatory to females but it remains entrenched in the scientific lexicon. Most reports in this book involve a preponderance of females: this may reflect the social conditioning of females and not any innate predisposition.
Robert E. Bartholomew Bob Rickard. Mass Hysteria in Schools: A Worldwide History Since 1566 McFarland. (January 31, 2014)
This book comprehensively surveys the colourful history of mass hysteria and kindred phenomena in schools--from outbreaks of demonic possession during witchcraft scares to twitching and shaking epidemics in 19th century European schools, to more contemporary incidents of collapsing bands, itching frenzies, ghost panics and mystery illnesses.
The authors trace strange behaviours and illnesses in students through the centuries. Possessed children went into trance states and began to bark like dogs in 16th and 17th century Holland; an outbreak of Tourette's-like symptoms struck schoolgirls in western New York in 2011 and 2012. Many episodes are from the United States and separate chapters detail accounts from Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America and Oceania. Some take issue with the term "mass hysteria" and consider its use derogatory to females but it remains entrenched in the scientific lexicon. Most reports in this book involve a preponderance of females: this may reflect the social conditioning of females and not any innate predisposition.
26.1.14
The Folklore of Disease
Jon Lee. Epidemic of Rumours. Utah State University Press (15 Jan 2014)
Jon D Lee examines the human response to epidemics through the lens of the 2003 SARS epidemic. Societies usually respond to the eruption of disease by constructing stories, jokes, conspiracy theories, legends, and rumours, but these narratives are often more damaging than the diseases they reference. The information disseminated through them is often inaccurate, incorporating xenophobic explanations of the diseases origins and questionable medical information about potential cures and treatment. Folklore studies brings important and useful perspectives to understanding cultural responses to the outbreak of disease.
Through this etiological study Lee shows the similarities between the narratives of the SARS outbreak and the narratives of other contemporary disease outbreaks like AIDS and the H1N1 virus. His analysis suggests that these disease narratives do not spring up with new outbreaks or diseases but are in continuous circulation and are recycled opportunistically. Lee also explores whether this predictability of vernacular disease narratives presents the opportunity to create counter-narratives released systematically from the government or medical science to stymie the negative effects of the fearful rumours that so often inflame humanity. With potential for practical application to public health and health policy, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of health, medicine, and folklore.
Jon D Lee examines the human response to epidemics through the lens of the 2003 SARS epidemic. Societies usually respond to the eruption of disease by constructing stories, jokes, conspiracy theories, legends, and rumours, but these narratives are often more damaging than the diseases they reference. The information disseminated through them is often inaccurate, incorporating xenophobic explanations of the diseases origins and questionable medical information about potential cures and treatment. Folklore studies brings important and useful perspectives to understanding cultural responses to the outbreak of disease.
Through this etiological study Lee shows the similarities between the narratives of the SARS outbreak and the narratives of other contemporary disease outbreaks like AIDS and the H1N1 virus. His analysis suggests that these disease narratives do not spring up with new outbreaks or diseases but are in continuous circulation and are recycled opportunistically. Lee also explores whether this predictability of vernacular disease narratives presents the opportunity to create counter-narratives released systematically from the government or medical science to stymie the negative effects of the fearful rumours that so often inflame humanity. With potential for practical application to public health and health policy, this book will be of interest to students and scholars of health, medicine, and folklore.
3.1.14
Beneath the Waves
Frank Joseph. Atlantis: And Other Lost Worlds. Arcturus Publishing Ltd (31 Jan 2014)
From the publishers website: Atlantis and Other Lost Worlds is the most up-to-date and comprehensive investigation of history's infamous sunken city. Nowhere else will you find a more dramatic and convincing presentation of the evidence for its archaeological reality. The book uncovers the scientific genius of the ancients and the spiritual power of their mysterious religion. They are revealed as the inventors of a crystal technology to surpass our own, and the master builders of pyramidal monuments around world.
The cultural heritage of Atlantis in the civilizations of pharaonic Egypt, Bronze Age Europe, Maya Mexico and Inca Peru is clearly described. The doomed capital comes alive in a vivid recreation of its heyday of cultural splendor and imperial might. Within the pages of Altantis and Other Lost Worlds you will also find the answers to many questions, including:
*What is the most likely location of Atlantis?
*How and when was Atlantis destroyed?
*Has Japan's leading geologist found the sunken'citadel'of Lemuria?
*Have Russian oceanographers found the ruins of Atlantis?
*What are the disturbing parallels between Atlantis and our time?
Atlantis and Other Lost Worlds opens a new window on the ancient past, offering views of Atlantis and its kindred civilizations never seen before.
From the publishers website: Atlantis and Other Lost Worlds is the most up-to-date and comprehensive investigation of history's infamous sunken city. Nowhere else will you find a more dramatic and convincing presentation of the evidence for its archaeological reality. The book uncovers the scientific genius of the ancients and the spiritual power of their mysterious religion. They are revealed as the inventors of a crystal technology to surpass our own, and the master builders of pyramidal monuments around world.
The cultural heritage of Atlantis in the civilizations of pharaonic Egypt, Bronze Age Europe, Maya Mexico and Inca Peru is clearly described. The doomed capital comes alive in a vivid recreation of its heyday of cultural splendor and imperial might. Within the pages of Altantis and Other Lost Worlds you will also find the answers to many questions, including:
*What is the most likely location of Atlantis?
*How and when was Atlantis destroyed?
*Has Japan's leading geologist found the sunken'citadel'of Lemuria?
*Have Russian oceanographers found the ruins of Atlantis?
*What are the disturbing parallels between Atlantis and our time?
Atlantis and Other Lost Worlds opens a new window on the ancient past, offering views of Atlantis and its kindred civilizations never seen before.
31.12.13
Beyond the God Particle
Leon M Lederman, Christopher T Hill. Beyond the God Particle. Prometheus Books (2 Jan 2014)
From the publisher's website: Two leading physicists discuss the importance of the Higgs Boson, the future of particle physics, and the mysteries of the universe yet to be unraveled. On July 4, 2012, the long-sought Higgs Boson--aka "the God Particle"--was discovered at the world's largest particle accelerator, the LHC, in Geneva, Switzerland. On March 14, 2013, physicists at CERN confirmed it. This elusive subatomic particle forms a field that permeates the entire universe, creating the masses of the elementary particles that are the basic building blocks of everything in the known world--from viruses to elephants, from atoms to quasars.
Starting where Nobel Laureate Leon Lederman's bestseller The God Particle left off, this incisive new book explains what's next. Lederman and Hill discuss key questions that will occupy physicists for years to come:
From the publisher's website: Two leading physicists discuss the importance of the Higgs Boson, the future of particle physics, and the mysteries of the universe yet to be unraveled. On July 4, 2012, the long-sought Higgs Boson--aka "the God Particle"--was discovered at the world's largest particle accelerator, the LHC, in Geneva, Switzerland. On March 14, 2013, physicists at CERN confirmed it. This elusive subatomic particle forms a field that permeates the entire universe, creating the masses of the elementary particles that are the basic building blocks of everything in the known world--from viruses to elephants, from atoms to quasars.
Starting where Nobel Laureate Leon Lederman's bestseller The God Particle left off, this incisive new book explains what's next. Lederman and Hill discuss key questions that will occupy physicists for years to come:
- Why were scientists convinced that something like the "God Particle" had to exist?
- What new particles, forces, and laws of physics lie beyond the "God Particle"?
- What powerful new accelerators are now needed for the US to recapture a leadership role in science and to reach "beyond the God Particle," such as Fermilab's planned Project-X and the Muon Collider?
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