Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. In Supernatural Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "beforeand-after moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to ...
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Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. In Supernatural Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "beforeand-after moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to the modern human mind. His quest takes him on a journey of adventure and detection from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain and Italy to remote rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa where he finds a treasure trove of extraordinary Stone Age art. He uncovers clues that lead him to travel to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful plant hallucinogen Ayahuasca with Indian shamans, whose paintings contain images of "supernatural beings" identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves and rock shelters. And hallucinogens such as mescaline, also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other "dimensions." Could the "supernaturals" first depicted in the painted caves and rock shelters be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it be that human evolution is not just the "blind," "meaningless" process that Darwin identified, but something else, more purposive and intelligent, that we have barely even begun to understand?
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Add this copy of Supernatural: Meetings With the Ancient Teachers of to cart. $37.00, very good condition, Sold by Brian Bauld (B-Line Books) rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Amherst, NS, CANADA, published 2005 by Doubleday Canada.
Add this copy of Supernatural: Meetings With the Ancient Teachers of to cart. $78.94, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2005 by Doubleday Canada.
This is one of the mos tabsorbing, intriguing, and impactful books I've read in years. Innovative theory; sound investigation of a number of oddly-linked phenomena; well-written and well-researched; convincingly argued -- even quite funny at times. One thing, though --- this is an incredibly dumb title for a profoundly fascinating, serious study. The buzzwords in the title ("Supernatural: Meetings....Ancient...") insure its appeal to flakes the world over. It ought to be made palatable to those of sounder mind as well. Well worth the read!
