You probably found this book because you have a desire to expand your understanding of spirituality. You may have a yearning for something more or deeper in life. You may have a feeling that there is something you are meant to do, but you are not quite sure what it is. You may feel that there is a better way to live as humans on Earth. You may feel that your religion does not give you all the answers you need. Perhaps you have stopped going to church, or do not consider yourself a believer; yet you feel that there is ”more” to life, a dimension that you are missing.
The good news is that there IS more. There are alternatives to a traditional view of spirituality. There is a spirituality that is fresh, evolving, and deeply relevant to contemporary humans. This new spirituality provides information that could change your life for the better, indeed change the course of humanity.
This book is intended to help you learn about new spirituality and the answers it provides to the big questions in life. It is meant as an appetizer that will inspire you to read more, study more, and learn more. It includes an extensive reference guide that will direct you to other resources on the topics that are discussed.
You’ll learn about the insights of new spirituality, where to find this knowledge, how to integrate it into your life, and how to live it every day. No background knowledge is required, only an open mind and a willingness to entertain new ideas.
New spirituality coincides with some of the views and ideas that are known as “New Age,” but it does not align with every New Age concept. “New Age” is not an organized movement, nor does it have any leaders or holy scriptures. It encompasses many different beliefs and individuals. This book does not claim to be a complete guide to New Age beliefs, nor does it endorse every idea that falls within a New Age umbrella. It is an introduction to insights that I personally have found to be the most inspirational; those I have felt resonate the most with my own heart. It contains answers to spiritual questions inspired by many different sources, including scientists, psychologists, and physicists as well as mystics and psychics. Many of these sources are mentioned throughout the text, and they are also listed in the reference guide.
My motivation for writing is a desire to share with others what I have learned through my own studies of new spirituality and to light the spark of awakening in those who are ready to start on their own paths. I hope it will inspire you to take a fresh look at your own beliefs and decide whether they still serve you. I hope it will make you consider new thoughts and insights, and I hope you will let yourself feel in your heart if these ideas have some merit for you.
My own spiritual journey has taken me through years of metaphysical study and reflection. I grew up in Copenhagen, Denmark, and was raised in the Lutheran faith, which is the state religion of Denmark. I believed in God, but religion did not play a major role in my life. Like most Danes, I never attended church and never thought much about theology. As a young adult, I was interested in New Age topics and took classes in yoga and holistic healing, but none of these things held any deeper meaning for me.
In 1993, my husband and I moved to the United States to attend graduate school in Champaign, Illinois, and from 1995-96 I lived in Chicago, working for an advertising agency. In Chicago, I started to become seriously interested in spiritual issues, and I began studying metaphysical literature. One of the books I read was Conversations with God – An Uncommon Dialogue. Book 1 by Neale Donald Walsch, and it had a profound influence on me. The ideas it presented turned my worldview upside down. They were new and provocative, yet seemed so logical and resonated with my own feelings.
For the next several years my spiritual search was put on hold while I moved from the U.S. to Denmark and back to the U.S. again, completed a doctoral degree in marketing, and had three children. But eventually things started to settle down and I resumed my metaphysical studies. First of all, I picked up Walsch’s second book, Conversations with God – An Uncommon Dialogue. Book II. Once again, I was astounded by the insights that were presented in these conversations. I felt that all the things that humans at all times have wondered about were covered in this book, explained in a way that made perfect sense. At this time, Walsch had published several more books chronicling his divine communication, and I read them all as quickly as I could.
But I had a problem. While the information in the books resonated strongly with me, and while I very much wanted to believe that they were indeed based on information from a divine source, part of me remained skeptical. Wasn’t it too good to be true? Wasn’t it just what we all wanted to hear? I really wanted to believe what I was reading, but the rational side of me kept asking more questions.
I am trained in academic research, so I knew what to do. I needed to validate the information from these books, preferably with sources that were considered reliable and trustworthy. The most logical place to start would be the natural sciences, which are held to rigorous scientific standards. The first book I read in this context was Fritjof Capra’s The Tao of Physics from 1975. In this book, Capra demonstrates that there are many parallels between the findings of modern physics and the insights and teachings from Eastern mysticism and religions. Capra asserts that as scientific knowledge increases, science isn’t moving away from mysticism; rather, the two are moving closer together. Many of the phenomena, experiences, and explanations that are described in the ancient texts are now being re-discovered by modern science.
Another book that corroborated the parallels between science and spirit was Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot. He discusses the physics of David Bohm, including Bohm’s concepts of the universe as a hologram. Talbot also describes a wide range of “mystic” phenomena and discusses how they may be understood from a science-based perspective. One chapter in Talbot’s book in particular piqued my interest. It was about research into reincarnation and past-life memories. I began to read books about these topics, and I learned that there is a large amount of research in this area, some of it conducted by very well respected scientists who hold esteemed positions in the academic world.
Of course, reincarnation as a research area is still considered fringe by the academic establishment. However, much evidence has been accumulated that is very difficult to dismiss. Related to this topic is research on near-death experiences, which is also extensive and well substantiated.
After reading all these books by people with impressive credentials, I felt that my need for validation was being satisfied, and I started branching into readings of a more esoteric nature. I read books that would no longer qualify as “scientific” from the viewpoint of the academic establishment, such as texts that were purportedly channeled from entities in the spiritual realm, but I continued to find the same type of information everywhere. I found similar ideas, presented in different forms, but leading to many of the same insights and understandings. Clearly, the topics are approached from many different perspectives. But the similarities in the basic understanding of life in the universe are astoundingly similar. I eventually reached the conclusion that so many people cannot be making it all up. There must be some reality behind it.
I also understood that this information is not just available to us through books. Each of us can access the cosmic knowledge within ourselves. Through prayer, meditation, and reflection, we can learn to open our hearts and tune in to the universal truth, whatever it means for us. Ultimately, our beliefs are based on what resonates deep inside us. But sometimes we need to shake ourselves up a bit to get past our “habitual knowledge” – the explanations we have always heard and perhaps never questioned. Sometimes we need to be provoked to confront our old, comfortable beliefs and find out if they still fit us or if it is time to change them.
This book takes you on a journey to a wonderful universe, where all things are possible and all humans are divine. It invites you to consider the possibility that we are all masters of enlightenment, hiding from ourselves behind a veil that separates our physical selves from our soul-selves. It is an exciting, exhilarating journey that may at times be like a rollercoaster ride spinning out of control. All I ask of you is to come along with the ride, keep an open mind, read with your heart, and use your personal discernment. Take what you can use to inspire and empower you and leave the rest. Come and join me on a journey that will amaze you and delight you, and never leave you untouched.
I strongly encourage you to continue studying these topics on your own. Don’t just take my word for this. Read what others have to say. Do your own studies, find your own teachers, and let your heart and soul guide you in what to believe. Each of us has to find his or her own path, and this book is intended to get you started on the way to finding yours. It may sow the seeds of spiritual awakening, but it is up to you to nurture the seeds and help them grow to fruition.
While there are many sources that serve as validation of the information presented in this book, none of it can be “proven” from an objective, scientific point of view. The only proof is in your heart. Be still and listen to your heart and your intuition. Does what you are reading stir something in you? Does it touch upon some inner truth that you have carried in your heart all along, but that has never been evoked before? Allow yourself to listen to your own intuition rather than outside authorities. Ultimately, that is the only guidance you’ll ever have or need.
Book Introduction
