Hello Fellow Explorers of Life's Mysteries!
Some of you have shown curiosity about what steered me toward this path of mysticism and healthy skepticism. It’s a topic I’ve been reflecting on deeply, especially while crafting my book, "A Skeptic’s Guide to Enlightenment."
Today, I invite you to journey with me back to my childhood - a time when innocence prevailed and a simple comic book could whisk me away to fantastical realms. It was during these formative years, amidst a blend of wonder and a desire to escape life's challenges, that my fascination with the mystical and spiritual realms began to unfold...
Fiction or Non-Fiction?
A Tale of Comic Book Heroes and Mystical Lamas.
Innocence and Intrigue:
I entered the world in 1967, right in the heart of the Summer of Love. But my childhood wasn't filled with the echoes of Beatles songs or the stirrings of cultural revolutions - rather, it was a simple, suburban upbringing in a quiet corner of South Australia. It was a place where life moved at a steadier pace, under the broad, blue Australian sky.
For reasons that have something to do with birthdays and calendars, I was thrust into school a year early. This twist of fate left me the perpetual pipsqueak - the shortest in my grade, year after year. Surrounded by the ever-present threat of 'dead legs,' 'Chinese burns,' and the dreaded 'nipple cripple', I was in a constant state of high alert and perpetual anxiety.
There was one place, however, where I felt safe - a place the tough kids tended to avoid, making it my haven.
The School Library.
It was here, amidst the safety of the bookshelves, that I discovered a treasure trove of adventure within the covers of ‘Herge's Adventures of Tintin’.
These stories were more than just a way to pass the time - they ignited the spark of adventure in my impressionable young mind. One adventure, 'Tintin in Tibet' was particularly captivating. The journey to Kathmandu, the arduous trek through the Himalayas, the encounter with a benevolent Yeti, and the discovery of a secret monastery - all of it was incredibly enthralling. But what captivated me most of all was this image of a Tibetan monk, suspended in the air during a mystical vision:
I knew it was only a comic book, but through the eyes of my seven-year-old self, brimming with innocence, the image sparked a cascade of wonder:
Who are these people in robes who could float off the ground?
What is their magical secret?
And the most exciting thought of all…
Could I learn to fly up into the air like them?
That single, extraordinary image, so full of mystery and so different from anything I knew, lingered in my young mind, igniting a curiosity and a sense of wonder that has remained with me ever since.
But the Adventures of Tintin were nothing compared with what was yet to come.
Awakening the Third Eye:
In my early-teens, still the awkward misfit, my enduring love of books brought me into the musty aisles of a second-hand bookshop. It was there, among the shelves stacked high with worn volumes, that I found myself innocently wandering into the occult section.
It was like stepping into another world.
Wide-eyed with awe and curiosity, I scanned the dusty spines of books shrouded in mystery. Titles bearing unfamiliar words lined the shelves: 'Alchemy', 'Divination', 'Psychic', 'Shaman', 'Tarot', 'Hermeticism'. For this young teenager, it wasn’t just an exploration of old books; it was a turning point.
An awakening began to stir within me. It was as though a door, previously unseen, had been thrown open, revealing thoughts and concepts that were entirely new to me.
My eyes flitted from title to title, trying to absorb each new word, until one unassuming paperback caught my eye. Its simple cover promising secrets that seemed to be whispering just to me...
“The Third Eye” by Lobsang Rampa.
The cover was a little worn, but it was utterly captivating. A pair of piercing eyes stared back at me, with hands in prayer in-between. Where the fingertips met, an ethereal 'third eye' hovered. Below this image, in bold letters, the cover proclaimed it as 'The Best-Selling Story of a Tibetan Lama.'
I was unfamiliar with the concept of the 'third eye' as a metaphor for spiritual insight - and to me, a lama was a cross between a horse and a camel. Yet, those bewitching eyes on the cover had piqued my interest. Turning the book over, I could have jumped for joy:
"This is one of the strangest books ever published. A Tibetan Lama reveals secrets of telepathy, hypnotism, reincarnation, astral travel, and levitation!"
The image of the floating monk flashed in my mind.
Could this book teach me how to fly?
Thrilled with this new discovery, I immediately bought the book and plunged into the first chapter. The author, born into a wealthy Tibetan family, had joined the Chakpori Lamasery at seven years of age. He was taught how to awaken extraordinary psychic abilities, such as seeing auras, reading minds, and floating free of his body in the astral realms. The book was mesmerizing, brimming with deep mysteries and thrilling revelations, capturing my young imagination completely.
Awakening the Inner Explorer:
As I delved deeper into the pages of 'The Third Eye,' a striking childhood memory abruptly resurfaced. I vividly recalled floating near the ceiling of my room, looking down at my small self, wrapped in a pale blue blanket in the crib!
This memory wasn't isolated. Throughout my childhood, I often had dreams of flying, delighting in the freedom and joy of soaring through the air. These dreams felt incredibly real and waking up from them was always a big disappointment. The real world, governed by gravity and the mundane, was significantly less enchanting.
Thanks to Lobsang Rampa, I now had a term to describe these encounters - 'astral travel'.
This realization marked another turning point. No longer was I just a dreamer; I became an astral traveller, a spiritual seeker, determined to explore and understand these experiences.
As I approached the end of 'The Third Eye,' my anticipation grew - I was eager to uncover the secrets of embarking on these spiritual journeys myself. But, upon finishing the last chapter, my excitement turned to disappointment. There were no clear instructions, no step-by-step guide as I had hoped for. Flipping to the inside of the back cover, a spark of hope reignited within me. Listed there, beckoning like hidden treasures, was a list of more books penned by the same author.
And there it was - the key I had been searching for: 'You Forever' – a manual to unlocking your hidden powers.
I simply had to find this book.
Lama - Mystic - Plumber:
My hunt for this paranormal instruction manual led me to the dim, dust-filled aisles of a quiet book exchange. Inquiring about 'You Forever,' the clerk responded bluntly, suggesting I check the fiction section.
“Fiction?” My question echoed with surprise.
“Oh yes,” he replied, “Lobsang Rampa is no Tibetan Lama, he's a plumber from England. His real name is Cyril Hoskins, he's never even been to Tibet. It's all just make believe.”
"But ... but ... But how do you know?" I asked, hoping that there had been some kind of misunderstanding.
“He was exposed years ago. Did you know that he claims that one of his books was dictated to him by his cat?" the clerk responds with a dismissive chuckle.
The revelation was crushing. The dreams of astral travel, mind-reading, auras, the visions of monks floating in air - all of it suddenly seemed foolish, a naive child’s fantasy. I felt betrayed, not just by Rampa, but by my own gullibility. My third eye, once open to mystical realms, snapped shut.
Yet, even amidst the disappointment, a lingering curiosity remained, urging me to not to give up so easily.
Reflections:
All these years later, reflecting on my childhood encounter with The Third Eye, I realize it had set me on two simultaneous, yet disparate, paths. Lobsang Rampa had ignited my spiritual quest, while Cyril Hoskin, the man behind the persona, had triggered my skepticism. Balancing these two aspects has been an ongoing internal struggle, one that eventually took me all the way to Kathmandu, Nepal, to the gates of a Tibetan monastery, still in search of that elusive spiritual truth.
But this trip isn’t about finding a monk who can teach me to levitate - rather, it’s become a grounded search for insight, a journey to reconcile the mystic and skeptic within me. It's an inward journey to explore the vast, mysterious universe and discover my place within it.
This adventure, though different from my childhood dreams, promises to be even more significant - a true flight of spirit and mind.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for more mystical musings and skeptical escapades in next week’s newsletter!
Wishing you all a week filled with curiosity, enlightening conversations, and unexpected insights!
✌️❤️
Grant.
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Images from 'The Adventures of Tintin' are used under the principle of fair use for educational and commentary purposes. Copyright © Hergé/Tintinimaginatio s.a.
Everyone should read this article
Well that explains a lot Grant! Fascinating journey you have been on my friend. You are a year older than my son. He was conceived in that Summer of Love. I was 22 then and deep into my quest for the ultimate psychedelic experience and here I am 58 years later in Venice Beach still searching