2012, a man-on-the-playa review

[jar]

**smiles, waves**

Hello to everybody here on the B O T H forum!

I just finished "2012: " and caught this forum's URL from Daniel's acknowledgements. I figured I'd find some interesting things here... (I have not yet read Breaking Open The Head)

The Rolling Stone piece on Daniel caught my attention and although it's tone struck me as dismissive, I knew I had to read his book.

I found the book to be the most sober-headed view of 2012, crop circles, stonehenge, alien abduction, Burning Man and the state of our world today that I'd ever read. I was very much impressed by Daniel's firmly grounded approach to these very strange but very real subjects. I've been following the crop circle phenomenon for about 4 or 5 years now and it was fun to discover Daniel's take on them was very much like my own. As I read more, I found that many of Daniel's ideas echoed my own. Reading the book kind of felt like finding an old friend. It made me feel less alone in my ideas and less confused about myself and who I am. Thank you for writing this book Daniel.

On the other hand, the book felt to me like it was building up to something powerful and positive, something simple and down-to-earth we could hold on to in the face of so much scariness in the world today, but failed to deliver. I was hoping that Quetzalcoatl's return was something that we could look forward to as some kind of unifying, love-powered force that might give us gentle, peaceful, happy folk a fighting chance against what looks to me like a fast-approaching pseudo-religious worldwide fascist state. But the last 1/4 of the book just blew that hope right out. I felt let-down, as if the first 3/4 of the book was just bait and I was now being reeled in so I could be suckered into believing that the appearance of Q was going to be a good thing. Maybe it will be a good thing, like the arrival of Kruschev was a good thing compared to the murderous Stalin. Quetzalcoatl just seems to me like a "kinder, gentler" fascist, like the "warrior-like, kick-ass" Jesus that certain Christian groups talk about as the second coming. He(it) sounds to me like your garden-variety anti-christ who will charm us all, unify the world's religions, governments and financial institutions under his own banner and will rule with an iron fist. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.

Yet this may be the way of things? Perhaps this is what the Hopi "Fifth World" will look like: A minor sea change of human consciousness toward tolerance and away from war and unwarranted incarcerations, the dismantling of environmentally damaging, unsustainable energy systems and the reorganizing of nation-states into a single worldwide collective government under a pseudo-religious banner with a gun at the center, the world's different religious symbols circling it and a caption that says "Love Each Other Or Else!" One thing is for certain, I'll be watching for the elimination of fiat currencies. If that doesn't happen, we'll all still be slaves.

Perhaps mankind is not ready for the peaceful, free, fun, responsible coexistence hinted at by Burning Man. Maybe we're eons away from the world that I've been hoping for. Maybe God sends us these fascists and puts them in charge because we need them. Like right now we are children who need their parents to show us love and set firm boundaries of behavior so we don't rip each other to shreds and our planet too.

In any case, my disappointment with the book is in my own expectations. Prophecy is prophecy and it ain't necessarily sunshine and roses is it? I guess we gotta go where we gotta go to learn what we gotta learn in the way we gotta learn it.

[daniel]

hmm... definitely disagree with your perspective on the end of the book. sorry you felt that way. perhaps give it one more read?

[Vajra Guru]

Hello Jar,

I am still reading the book at the moment, though I have read the previous instalment from Daniel (Breaking Open the Head) and have at least caught some of the flavour of '2012' from the first 1/3 so far absorbed.

I was waiting until I finished the book before commenting and giving feedback on the site, yet your words made me feel perhaps I could step in and engage you on your own feelings as a result of the book, and in general on this subject.

I like Daniel's writing because for this genre his style is unique and thus adds something new. However being unique does not mean being better or more valid, and certainly not that it is the best source of wisdom. To be honest, though clearly nobody can go on a journey such as Daniel has taken without being changed by it, for my money there are more inspirational and guiding voices out there in relation to the changes in conciousness and social orders during the 2012 period. I imagine Daniel probably agrees with that after all the research he has done.

I would hate for you to be left dis-illusioned by elements that you felt were rather negative in the book (bear in mind once again that I have not finished it and am not saying I agree). What I am hoping is that perhaps you can expand on the thoughts you have raised here, anfd perhaps we can point you toward areas condusive to expanding your positivity, also perhaps Daniel could comment on areas that stood out to you as rather down heartening.

Just to give my 2 cents worth based on where I am now, 1 book and 1/3 along. I feel that Daniel speaks as a transforming member of a very select group in society (I am not suggesting he is some Illuminiati type!) the coffee shop inteligensia of New York's trendy left wing literary scene. The way his work reads is very high brow, somewhat like a black and white art house movie transformed into a novel that is supposed to reach a very non art house target audience. Frankly, even as a University Graduate and a former pupil of a selective English Boys Grammer school, I often feel the need to open a dictionary whilst reading the book, and wondering who some of the obscure people he refers to might be. This I suspect merely highlights my ignorance and lack of literary talent not faults of Daniels, the problem is though as someone involved in the 'fringe' and 'spiritual' movements for two decades I wonder if Daniel has not misjudged this group and rather written them out of the picture, book sales will tell I suppose. I think many people interested with his subject matter would get brain strain reading the book, and would wonder where the uplifting guiding wisdom is?

The problem there is that we get used to certain formats in the 'fringe' and 'spiritual' book world. Like I said, I like that Daniels style is unique, thats why I would happily struggle on with anything he decides to write. I dont however expect any spiritual wisdom from him, and thats one reason why I really sympathise with him in relation to the online media and others labelling him as some kind of psychadelic mystical guru, I really dont think he could be even if he wanted to be (not just yet at least), its not his style. I dont want to sound like I am trying to put this marvelous work into to small a box, or to say nothing inspirational is to be had here, of course there is, its dealing with subjects that themselves inspire anyway never mind how we explore them, or whose eyes we see them through.

I do feel that the style still sounds rather like that of a cynical middle class New York journalist, just one on a psychedelic joy ride through mysticsm and the occult. I dont really know what the intention of the books are, whether they were meant to help anybody, inspire, teach or simply let him clear his head of this mind bending experiences, as no matter how we look at the work we must appreciate that they are reflections of his living experience over the last few years, and one can only sympathise. To try to talk about these things in the circles that a succesful journalist, even a beat one, moves in must be a nightmare. I have found it extremely hard myself at times as both a psychic and a finance proffesional.

As someone who had psychic phenomenon in his life from childhood, and has had many mystical experiences as well as shamanic initiations and so much more, I look at this work in a rather different perspective to most. I just wonder what Daniel gets out of this (I dont mean money) and where it will lead him, I feel very sympathetic. It must be awful to have people look at you as a mystical guru when in fact your quite clearly not one.

I suppose there is every chance Daniel will read this, so I do want to say that this is merely my current feeling based on what I have read. I would hate for it to be taken as a solid classification, some final judgement. Where It is wrong I will happily stand corrected. Like I said i am yet to finish this current book.

After all, the only time I ever met Daniel he paid for dinner for several of us, and was a most gracious and polite host, I am not about to repay such kindness with any deliberate hurtful words. He is a nice man, with a good brain, being a guru is not everyones role for 2012, but every person will have a role to play. And I suspect he is doing his, his own way, and on for everyones good...

Many blessing

Bruce :razz:

[dreamath]

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[Isaiah Mpski]

What you people fail to understand the the "civil war" in America has never been throughly settled.
Particlarily how you people sent us here where every white man who came here got sick and you said you would never bother us (native americans) again.Then some guys in Blue uniforms came along and said if we didn't fight the people in the gray Uniforms the blue uniforms would take our land.
The same thing was told to us by the men in Gray Uniforms but vice-versa.

So,again we lost everything,but as we learn the white man's ways.

Galveston was the last Capitol of the Cofederacy and was the only Capitol not to have been captured.
As I type this,the waves are up to the bottom story of the non-de-script gray building on the Strand and the fish Market.
In that building are several hunderd of the sickest people you could ever imagine.
Everybody going through hell there,
just like I did.

I am the last man in the free world to be subjected to Deep Shock Insulin Coma.I fought hard and fast against the unberable situation in Asia and I paid the price for sticking to my guns and beliefs.And you worship Baba Ram Dass instead of an Native American Healer from the blood of Quanah Parker.
Youse people ought to begin to understand how important,"the South" is to you and start to mess up your own shores Sen. Teddy.:eek: