I grew up kind of hybrid. I was born in Gadsden, Alabama which at that time was considered a small city. Now I think you would call it a town. My family was from Altoona which is a really small rural area. I was playing in the neighborhood all week and staying in the country at my grandparents all weekend through the first 16 years or so of my life.
One of the biggest influences on me was my passion to sink into a story. My home life was volatile at times But my imagination was free. Now this isn't going to be an old boomer telling you that the old ways were better. Some were, some were not. If you are a reader try "Boy's Life" by Robert McCammon. If you are a movie person try "Stand by Me" the movie based on a Stephen King book. Otherwise I will part with Boomer growing up nostalgia here.
My worldview has been shaped by reading. I know these days (shut up Boomer) No, really these days we mainly read links on social media and snarky come backs and stay in our echo chambers. But, in my youthful haunts of libraries I would find a subject and have to think about it on my own.
No internet posse to save me with a link to a snarky debunk. No. I had to actually sit there and debate the issue in my own mind and hunt like a cave man ON My Own for a different opinion. (Okay boomer)
I was thinking of some books that have influenced my worldview along the way. You would think that would be easy but it isn't. I remember subjects and emotions but in some cases the actual title has escaped me. But, these are some of the books, authors and worldviews that have influenced my journey.
1. Bible: Well I was raised in the Bible Belt to a Pentecostal family on one side and Southern Baptist on the other. So, even though I now see the Bible as a series of writings, traditions and ancient evolution of the search for God and meaning. I grew up thinking it was one smooth written account hand delivered to mankind from the desk of The Almighty. I still find great comfort in the Psalms and my favorite books are 1St Samuel and The Gospel of John. Favorite line for personal reasons "All my fountains are in you."
2. Bed by the Window by M. Scott Peck.
To be honest I remembered little about the plot of this book. I mainly remember it has a young man in a care facility who is paralyzed. But there is a light about him that draws people and staff. There is a negative person who wants to kill the light. I know this sounds like a Dean Koontz novel. Just throw in a Golden Retriever and you're done. But, it's so much more than that. The description of the inner reality of the soul stayed with me on some level that the story itself didn't. I have no idea if this still holds up. I think this is from the late 70's to early 80's. (okay boomer. I'll be sure to zzzzz.)
3. The Sleeping Prophet: Edgar Cayce was called the Sleeping Prophet due to entering a trance state while laying down and diagnosing illness in other people. This soon evolved into past life readings and some dubious predictions about the future. Still much of the medical advice proved justifiable and effective. The past life readings interesting and the future predictions a mixed bag at best. So why do I consider Cayce influential?
One reason is I had a memory in childhood of an old man dying. I was watching this from a perspective of being the old man and yet outside the old man. So finding Cayce in the Gadsden Public Library helped put a name to it. Reincarnation. (okay boomer but I ain't buying it and my preacher says you're going to h.e. double toothpicks.)
4. "Strange World" Back in the day we got most of our news from a newspaper (Lawd, this boomer is old) one of the weekly columns was called something like "It's a Strange World." my young eyes after reading the funnies and the Sports page would eagerly devour the latest story of ghosts, vampires and even a little kid who was the reincarnation of President Kennedy who we had lost less than a decade ago. It wasn't a book or a specific author. But it helped my lifelong fascination with the "what if?" and things that go bump in the night.
5. "Out on a Limb" by Shirley McClain. I was going through a time in my young adulthood that lasted from my mid 20's to my early 30's where I began to suspect that belief in anything beyond the solid matter of things I could actually see and feel was superstitious nonsense. Yet here was a Hollywood star who I had seen in movies growing up. This wasn't a backwoods snake handling red neck preacher. I apologise now to my fellow rednecks and I'm a proud Southerner from a long line of redneck, Appalachian hillbillies and there are no finer people in the world. But, I'm describing where I was then
6. "Twenty Cases Suggestive of Reincarnation." by Dr. Ian Stevenson. Want an antidote to the I was an Egyptian Pharaoh in my past life? This is it. Want a quick easy read? This ain't it. This is dense and filled with statistics and years of on the ground research by a University of Virginia Psychiatrist and department head. Dry and academic and wonderful. But I didn't read it word for word. This ain't Stephen King and it's not a fun read. But, it's certainly a legitimate scientific method investigation. I actually wrote to Dr. Stevenson back in my youth. He answered me but in my youthful ignorance I discarded the letter. Oh well. I highly recommend checking out Ian Stevenson if you are interested at all in a serious inquiry into the paranormal.
Honorable Mention:
"Flim Flam" by James Randi. If you only want shiny unicorns and fluffy teddy bears in your worldview stay away from Mr. Randi. He was rude, crude and not above playing loose with the details. He was a true atheistic evangelist of debunking all hope in a god, afterlife or ESP. But, being the curious lad that I was I always at least looked at the other side of an argument.
"CSICOP" Martin Gardner: This isn't a book. Csicop or psi cop as the organization was know is a group of stage magicians like James Randi, scientists like Carl Sagan and others who either hated the thought of a god (James Randi) or was interested but highly skeptical (Carl Sagan.) One of these guys was a science writer named Martin Gardner. What set him a little apart was he was absolutely a skeptic and a debunker but he believed in God (though not the Christian one) and an afterlife.
Ruth Montgomery: Former reporter for I believe the Washington post she became interested in channeling, reincarnation and communication with the dead. I seem to remember she was close friends with the psychic Arthur Ford who had some controversial readings with the widow of Harry Houdini.
"Communion" by Whitley Strieber:
I had read the horror novel "The Wolfen" by Strieber back in the 70's. So when Communion came out purportedly a true story about alien abduction I was ready. This is not an alien abduction story as far as Spaceman and nuts and bolts flying saucers. This is a well documented psychological, paranormal in depth personal account of a man's ongoing journey into the great mystery. Calling it and the rest of Strieber's work a simple alien abduction fantasy is a lie at worst and a misunderstanding of his experience by skeptics at best. I really enjoy his "Dreamland" podcasts and his recent non fiction work.
"The Other's" by James Herbert.
A "horror" novel that touches on good and evil. Reincarnation and karma and according to the writer isn't exactly "fiction." at least not entirely. It's a good story either way and I once heard him described as Britain's Stephen King. I won't go that far but yeah. He's a good writer.
"What Dreams May Come" Richard Matheson.
Not the Robin Williams movie. Although that's good to. The book is based on actual worldview and research of the author. It resonated with me and I listened to the Audible version.
"Return from Tomorrow" by George Ritchie
An account of a young army medic from the Korean war era if memory serves. But don't hold me to that. He is pronounced dead and has a vivid near death experience. He sees Christ as constantly there to help the departed cross into forgiveness and hope. But many souls are so stuck in their own version of hell that they can't see or acknowledge the hope that is always there if they would just stop and listen. This book affected a great deal of Some of the way I view the afterlife.
Well that's it for now. No these aren't my favorite books although a few are on that list. But, these are some of the interests and influences along my journey.
Peace.
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