Paradigms Lost: Online Oracles for the New Millennium - Softcover

Siegel, Gershon

Softcover

ISBN 10: 096440320X ISBN 13: 9780964403208

Publisher: Permanent PR (NM), 1995

Synopsis

Several years ago, Zerubbabel, an old yet thoroughly modern entity from Ethericspace, mysteriously appeared on Gershon Siegel's computer screen. These pages chronicle the transmissions that followed and the lives that were changed forever by them. Gershon and his friends take a provocative adventure, guided by the profoundly wise and irreverent Zerubbabel, as they explore the perplexing mysteries of our day: How can you eliminate all your beliefs and why would you want to? What is the right spiritual path for your busy lifestyle? How can you slow the ever increasing acceleration of time? What has Elvis been up to since he dropped his body? What is the real purpose of life on Earth? (Hint: It's not about finding the best recipe for pesto.)

About this title

About the Author:

One could say that Gershon Siegel has been in the trenches of the New Age his entire adult life and boy, could he use a shave and a hot shower. For over twenty-five years Siegel has been publishing articles about New Age subjects and personalities. Imagine his incredible case of writer's cramp.

Gershon has had an ongoing interest in the exploration of consciousness and related topics, havng personally experimented in such diverse areas as astrology, numerology, yoga, meditation, macrobiotics, kabbalah, channeling, est, UFO contacts, Gurdjieff and other assorted voo-doo. Now, thoroughly confused, with absolutely no idea what the hell is going on, he lives for his daily dose of "The Simpsons," while still recovering from the absence of "Seinfeld." Gershon writes and levitates in the woo-woo capital of the world, Santa Fe, New Mexico. He is also the publisher and editor of the "Eldorado Sun," a monthly magazine featuring local culture, area politics and global concerns.

Review:

This is New Age comedy at its best: poking fun at the lengths to which we will go for enlightenment, while sneaking in simple spiritual truths when the reader isn't looking. It was obvious from the whole look of Paradigms Lost: Online Oracles for the New Millennium, that Permanent Press, its publisher, has put a great deal of care into this paperback. Everything about the book, from its puzzling title to its intriguing color cover with its bizarre collection of images, made me eager to find out what this book was about. What might such things as a ying-yang sign, Egyptian pyramids, Horsemen of the Apocalypse and Elvis have in common? I couldn't wait to get started.

After laughing through the forward, purported to have been written by "God," himself, I began to suspect that Paradigms Lost might be some light bit of fluff that was attempting to satirize a few sacred cows. However, with author, Gershon Siegel's introduction, in which he reveals that what one is about to encounter is a report about an actual occurrence, this reader was left wondering what the hell was going to happen.

The book's premise is that a non-physical entity from "etheric space," calling itself, "Zerubbabel," has appeared on Siegel's Macintosh computer. Zerubbabel's stated intention is to broadcast his etheric wisdom into the earth dimension in order to straighten out the misunderstandings we "incarnates" have accumulated about our purpose on earth. At first, Siegel is reluctant to believe that Zerubbabel is anything but some kind of computer game. Once convinced, however, that the strange phenomena is beyond his comprehension, Siegel calls in a cadre of friends more steeped in things metaphysical to help him figure it out. The resulting nightly meetings around the computer present Zerubbabel with the perfect forum for dispensing his unorthodox wit and wisdom. In fact, so eccentric is the broadcast material that the book's characters go through major changes.

The tone of the book moves back and forth between slices of every day life, humor and jewels of wisdom (occasionally provocative and confrontational) emanating from Zerubbabel. One really nice feature of this book (and certainly unusual for one aimed at an adult audience) are the open and creative design of its pages, replete with comical illustrations of Zerubbabel as he appeared on the computer screen. With the inclusion of these drawings the reader gets to share the visual experience with the characters in the book.

Siegel uses laughter throughout Paradigms Lost as if it were a cooking oil in which to fry ever bigger fish. He starts with a humorous skewering of the New Age practice of positive affirmations. The book ends, however, with a truthful, albeit ominous summation about the state of the planet. All is not lost, however, as we are given "The Ten Recommedments" which, we are told, if fully integrated, will help us face the coming millennium.

Much of the book's fun lies in its simultaneous endeavor to both laugh at and reproach New Age notions of easy evolution.

Obviously, from the enthusiastic reception of The Celestine Prophecy and Mutant Message, mainstream readers are very interested in themes dealing with planetary consciousness and will even overlook less than literate writing as long as there is a good old fashioned adventure-mystery attached to it. While Paradigms Lost is not based on the adventure-mystery model, its creative literary style and unusual message deserve to find its audience. Permanent Press is taking a gamble by publishing a book that will likely raise more than a few hackles on the high priests of "light and love." Whether or not the New Age movement is mature enough to support this amusing yet sobering self-assessment may be dicey. -- Fred Kumme for Santa Fe Sun Magazine

About this edition

• Publisher: Permanent PR (NM)
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 096440320X
• ISBN 13: 9780964403208
• Binding: Paperback