What book/s are you currently reading?

[crazy jimmy]

Well, I just finished up reading "VALIS", which was tremendously ITLADic. (As could almost go without saying in this forum.) I have started reading "The Divine Invasion" and I just picked up the "Three Stigmata of ..." I was looking for "The Transmigration of Timothy Archer", but the Barnes and Noble did not have any copies of that one on the shelfs.

[Hurlyburly]

I'm currently finishing off Stephen Fry's "The Liar"

How is this for a piece of ITLADian gold on page 177

But they don't exist, he kept repeating to himself as they rattled up the A1. Other people don't exist. Trotter isn't really dead because he was never really alive. It's all just a clever way of testing me. There's no one in these cars and lorries driving south. There can't be that many individual souls. Not souls like mine. There isn't room. There can't be.

Hope to finish this today.

[Hurlyburly]

I've just finished reading "The complete guide to cosmic ordering" - Make your dreams become a reality by Alan Moore.

Now, on initial inspection, one would think this to be one of those ridiculously unhelpfull books that "unimpressed" has probably burnt to cook some marshmellows but there is actually quite a lot of interesting stuff in here. If you read the entire book and keep an open mind to what is actually being suggested, a lot of it makes sense. The final section in particular that draws comparasons to Visualisaion makes perfect sense to me, there is a similar train of thought in Derren Brown's Tricks of the mind book.

As for ITLADian content, there was lots of overlapping ideas, but this one in particular stuck out

"Theosophy proposes that all entities, atoms, animals, humans, planets and universes reimbody, ie pass through cyclic periods of activity and rest, manifestation and dissolution. Everything exists because it has existed before , and no development or achievement is ever lost but remains imprinted on the astral light or akash, which acts as a sort of memory of nature"

I love that last line about the "memory of nature" and the concept of "akash" is a very interesting one. The book itself is quite clever in that it basically finds a way to detour you from desiring undesirable things whilst silmataneously telling you that you can actually make legitimate orders with the universe, provided they are based on good intentions and realistic expectations. I don't see too much wrong with this. Yes this book has a lot of problems, but if you take the overall message and concept of cosmic ordering, it's more about acceptance than desire.

[mikegrove4]

http://www.anthonypeake.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1318&p=11692#p11692

[crazy jimmy]

Taking my sweet time with "The Divine Invasion"....reading it around college courses and work and such. But chipping away at it steadily nonetheless. Got Daemonic chills just now.....

As if, he thought, I have two minds inside me, one on the surface and the other in the depths. The surface one has been injured, but the deep one has not. And yet the deep one can't speak; it is closed up....

Sounds like the Daemon/Eidelon concept to me.....
Crazy Jimmy

[Anthony Peake]

Crazy Jimmy,

Well spotted. I have yet to read this novel but it sounds interesting. Is this the only reference to the Daemon-Eidolon Dyad in it?

Cheers

Tony

[crazy jimmy]

Tony,
Probably not....it is PKD after all. But I haven't been reading it really actively. I just keep picking it up when I have a few spare moments.
I have two weeks until I finish up my associates degree. Now I have to pick a Bachelor program. I want to get into teaching, but I don't know if I want my degree to focus on that, or if I want something more versatile. Nobody really checks what your degree is in, just where it came from. Am I right?
Jimmy

[crazy jimmy]

Well, I'm currently enjoying a vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC, USA. I finished up "The Divine Invasion" and found many more ITLAD types of references. VALIS is mentioned directly. The lead character is Yah of the Bible and his advesary is Belial. Mostly the story revolves around God's legal father (HERB ASHER) and the struggle for his soul. Though it seems to be for the world entire. (As if that isn't ITLADic enough, a single soul=the world entire). There are questions as to whether or not Herb's character is currently alive, in the traditional sense, or if he is in suspended animation due to an injury. The book itself is not long, and it raises interesting questions regarding the nature of Diety and the roles of Good and Evil.

Nominally a sequel to VALIS, the two story lines share very little plot connection. Philosophically, they are in the same area.
Hearty Recommendations to all.

Now I'm reading "Paul of Dune" not very far into it, but it is enjoyable.

[crazy jimmy]

Well, I'm currently enjoying a vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC, USA. I finished up "The Divine Invasion" and found many more ITLAD types of references. VALIS is mentioned directly. The lead character is Yah of the Bible and his advesary is Belial. Mostly the story revolves around God's legal father (HERB ASHER) and the struggle for his soul. Though it seems to be for the world entire. (As if that isn't ITLADic enough, a single soul=the world entire). There are questions as to whether or not Herb's character is currently alive, in the traditional sense, or if he is in suspended animation due to an injury. The book itself is not long, and it raises interesting questions regarding the nature of Diety and the roles of Good and Evil.

Nominally a sequel to VALIS, the two story lines share very little plot connection. Philosophically, they are in the same area.
Hearty Recommendations to all.

Now I'm reading "Paul of Dune" not very far into it, but it is enjoyable.

[crazy jimmy]

Well, I'm currently enjoying a vacation to Myrtle Beach, SC, USA. I finished up "The Divine Invasion" and found many more ITLAD types of references. VALIS is mentioned directly. The lead character is Yah of the Bible and his advesary is Belial. Mostly the story revolves around God's legal father (HERB ASHER) and the struggle for his soul. Though it seems to be for the world entire. (As if that isn't ITLADic enough, a single soul=the world entire). There are questions as to whether or not Herb's character is currently alive, in the traditional sense, or if he is in suspended animation due to an injury. The book itself is not long, and it raises interesting questions regarding the nature of Diety and the roles of Good and Evil.

Nominally a sequel to VALIS, the two story lines share very little plot connection. Philosophically, they are in the same area.
Hearty Recommendations to all.

Now I'm reading "Paul of Dune" not very far into it, but it is enjoyable.