Sol Luckman's Blog - Posts Tagged "cryptids"
SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING Is Now Available!
Sol Luckman
While my new novel, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING, was composed with young adult and young-at-heart readers in mind, the book recently proved its literary merit by receiving an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Beach Book Festival Prize competition in the general fiction category.
Here are some excerpts from the stellar reviews that have already come in …
“SNOOZE is without doubt one of the best coming-of-age, awakening books that I have ever read, and it had me entranced from beginning to end.” —Ingrid Hall, Author & Freelance Editor
“SNOOZE is a book for readers ready to awaken from our mass cultural illusion before we self-destruct.” —Merry Hall, Co-Host of ENVISION THIS
“This is a good read. One to share across generations, across space and time—or time and space.” —Dr. Janet Graham, Kalamazoo, Michigan
“A literary treasure. SNOOZE is a beautiful and fascinating depiction of the awakening process that will touch your heart.” —Liliana Cartagena
“This is a book that, when many people read it, will be instrumental in the world being a better place to live.” —Jennifer Churchill
In a recent essay, I describe some of the how and why SNOOZE came about:
I had in mind to write something indeed like a superhero story—but a believable one, a far cry from the standard stretched affairs currently gracing so many silver screens.
I also had a notion to write a book about how real magic, as opposed to a load of hocus pocus involving wizards and wands, might function in—and ultimately change—the real world.
By “real magic,” I mean just that. Specifically, I’m referring to the longstanding tradition of seemingly miraculous abilities called siddhis in Vedic lore—which are understood not as superhuman capacities so much as inherent to, if submerged in, human nature.
Siddhis come in a number of varieties, but common ones, witnessed by thousands of people over the ages, include telekinesis (moving objects with the mind), telepathy (ESP), and levitation or flying.
Historically documented in numerous individuals, from Indian gurus to the Catholic priest, Padre Pio, such powers are said to emerge organically from within the human being, often in connection with pineal gland activation and lucid dreaming.
The idea of siddhis had fascinated me ever since I first learned of them in college. It was mind-blowing that one of the oldest systems of personal development on the planet—the Vedic tradition of India—insisted, in essence, that everyone inherits the capability of becoming a superhero!
Begging the question … What would it actually be like to experience the sprouting and flowering of these inborn occult powers in oneself?
SNOOZE is finally available—in both paperback and ebook formats—at most online retailers, including Amazon, Amazon (UK), Amazon (Canada), Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Lulu, and my own website, where you can also peruse or download the first fourteen chapters ...
http://www.CrowRising.com/snooze
Finally, please tune in this Monday, June 23, at 7 PM EDT to ENVISION THIS radio for a live interview with me about SNOOZE.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision...
Thanks so much for reading—and sweet dreams!
Copyright © Sol Luckman. All Rights Reserved.
While my new novel, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING, was composed with young adult and young-at-heart readers in mind, the book recently proved its literary merit by receiving an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Beach Book Festival Prize competition in the general fiction category.
Here are some excerpts from the stellar reviews that have already come in …
“SNOOZE is without doubt one of the best coming-of-age, awakening books that I have ever read, and it had me entranced from beginning to end.” —Ingrid Hall, Author & Freelance Editor
“SNOOZE is a book for readers ready to awaken from our mass cultural illusion before we self-destruct.” —Merry Hall, Co-Host of ENVISION THIS
“This is a good read. One to share across generations, across space and time—or time and space.” —Dr. Janet Graham, Kalamazoo, Michigan
“A literary treasure. SNOOZE is a beautiful and fascinating depiction of the awakening process that will touch your heart.” —Liliana Cartagena
“This is a book that, when many people read it, will be instrumental in the world being a better place to live.” —Jennifer Churchill
In a recent essay, I describe some of the how and why SNOOZE came about:
I had in mind to write something indeed like a superhero story—but a believable one, a far cry from the standard stretched affairs currently gracing so many silver screens.
I also had a notion to write a book about how real magic, as opposed to a load of hocus pocus involving wizards and wands, might function in—and ultimately change—the real world.
By “real magic,” I mean just that. Specifically, I’m referring to the longstanding tradition of seemingly miraculous abilities called siddhis in Vedic lore—which are understood not as superhuman capacities so much as inherent to, if submerged in, human nature.
Siddhis come in a number of varieties, but common ones, witnessed by thousands of people over the ages, include telekinesis (moving objects with the mind), telepathy (ESP), and levitation or flying.
Historically documented in numerous individuals, from Indian gurus to the Catholic priest, Padre Pio, such powers are said to emerge organically from within the human being, often in connection with pineal gland activation and lucid dreaming.
The idea of siddhis had fascinated me ever since I first learned of them in college. It was mind-blowing that one of the oldest systems of personal development on the planet—the Vedic tradition of India—insisted, in essence, that everyone inherits the capability of becoming a superhero!
Begging the question … What would it actually be like to experience the sprouting and flowering of these inborn occult powers in oneself?
SNOOZE is finally available—in both paperback and ebook formats—at most online retailers, including Amazon, Amazon (UK), Amazon (Canada), Barnes & Noble, Smashwords, Lulu, and my own website, where you can also peruse or download the first fourteen chapters ...
http://www.CrowRising.com/snooze
Finally, please tune in this Monday, June 23, at 7 PM EDT to ENVISION THIS radio for a live interview with me about SNOOZE.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/envision...
Thanks so much for reading—and sweet dreams!
Copyright © Sol Luckman. All Rights Reserved.
Exploring Human Potential through Lucid Dreams, Paranormal Abilities, Parallel Universes & … Bigfoot
Sol Luckman
Dreams of Flying
My earliest dreams were lucid ones of flying. I have a particularly striking memory of soaring high above my father’s tobacco fields where I used to spend hours at a time searching for arrowheads as a boy.
There was a method to dream flight—not unlike the way a condor rides thermal currents to gracefully corkscrew up or down. The feeling was one of bliss almost beyond description … like walking into the light upon death, or emerging into it at birth.
I can still visualize the terra cotta of the clay fields falling away beneath me as I ascended—until they resembled not so much the Cherokee relic hunting grounds of my leisure, but rather irregular red pepper flakes sprinkled at random on a verdant tablecloth.
Given my background, it’s not entirely surprising I should return to the theme of lucid dreams of flying in my new novel, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING. After all, such dreams continued well beyond my childhood and happen even today.
Not infrequently, my lovely partner, Leigh, ever patient with my foibles, is jolted awake in the dead of night by my odd habit of putting an arm above my head in sleep—as if I’m slicing through the air. Fortunately, over time she has perfected the ability to ignore this eccentricity.
Fittingly, the idea for SNOOZE occurred to me one morning as I lay in bed trying to shake off a dream of flying.
My then nine-year-old son, deep in the throes of superhero addiction, sat beside me on wake-up-dad duty and innocently remarked that I looked like a superhero myself in my blue, lavender-scented sleeping mask. (Lucid dreamer or no, I’m a terribly light sleeper, and find that darkness does wonders for my pineal’s production of sleep-inducing melatonin.)
“You think so?” I managed to ask, yawning while removing my mask.
“Definitely,” he replied with confidence twinkling in his eyes. “You could call yourself Snooze.”
This ostensibly casual exchange mysteriously opened the floodgates of my creative consciousness—and soon I had written the first chapter of the novel that would eventually be called SNOOZE.
Real Magic for Changing the Real World
I had in mind to create something indeed like a superhero story—a believable one, a far cry from the stretched affairs currently gracing so many silver screens.
I also had a notion to write a book about how real magic, as opposed to a mishmash of hocus pocus featuring wizards and wands, might function in—and ultimately change—the real world.
The skinny story is that SNOOZE is a sci-fi/fantasy novel about a psychically gifted boy named Max Diver who uses his burgeoning paranormal abilities to fly to the dream world in search of his astronaut father who is marooned there. A full exploration of SNOOZE would have to go into much deeper territory, including:
• The book’s positioning of patriarchy, symbolized by Max’s father, as that which appears strong but is, in fact, weak and in need of rescue;
• The ways in which SNOOZE can be read as a profoundly “Gnostic” text promoting deep ecology and a wholesale reinvention of the way humans conceptualize and relate to nature;
• The novel’s in-depth treatment of Dewey Larson’s pioneering physics known as the Reciprocal System of physical theory, shortened to Reciprocal Theory, which provides a theoretical framework for the interfacing realities of consciousness and unconsciousness, or waking and dreams;
• The necessity of activating the energy of the heart, as confirmed scientifically through the research of Glen Rein and the Institute of HeartMath, in order to access the miraculous totality of human potential; and
• The possibility, explicitly explored, that as enough people awaken in this manner, a social tipping point will be reached sufficient to reinvent our reality and create a freer, more harmonious and more prosperous world.
By “real magic,” I mean just that. Specifically, I’m referring to the longstanding tradition of seemingly miraculous abilities called siddhis in Vedic literature—which are understood not as superhuman capacities so much as belonging to, if submerged in, human nature.
Scientifically Theorizing Paranormal Abilities
Siddhis are said to come in a number of shapes and sizes. Common ones, witnessed by thousands of people over the ages, include telekinesis (moving objects with the mind), telepathy (ESP), and levitation or flying.
Historically documented in numerous individuals, from Indian gurus to the famous Catholic priest Padre Pio, who was witnessed bilocating, such powers are said to emerge naturally from within the human being, often in connection with pineal gland activation and lucid dreaming.
To co-opt the title of an excellent scientific study of these types of weird phenomena by Dean Radin, the supernatural is perhaps best conceptualized as SUPERNORMAL.
Or as I phrase it in my teaser for SNOOZE, “Could it be there’s no such thing as the paranormal … only infinite varieties of normal we’ve yet to understand?”
The idea of siddhis had fascinated me ever since I initially learned of them as an undergraduate. It was mind-blowing that one of the most venerated systems of personal development on the planet—the Vedic tradition of India—insisted, in essence, that everyone inherits the capability of becoming a superhero!
Begging the question … What would it actually be like to experience the sprouting and flowering of these inborn occult powers in oneself?
This question guided me during the character development of my protagonist, Max, a boy endowed with just such abilities that immediately begin to reveal themselves only to grow more intense as the novel progresses. One reviewer described Max’s merging of dreams with reality as “lucid dreams on steroids.”
As previously suggested, in exploring this esoteric subject matter, rather than just shooting from the hip with wild-eyed speculation, I drew on a wealth of established knowledge—often of a scientific bent.
Obviously, I’m indebted to Carl Jung’s influential theories on the relationship between the unconscious and the subconscious and states of waking consciousness in personal “alchemy.” At its core, SNOOZE is a fictional meditation on the process of human metamorphosis into a more evolved kind of being with the ability to manifest thoughts in real time.
Subtitled “A Doctor’s Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-death & Mystical Experiences,” Rick Strassman’s seminal DMT: THE SPIRIT MOLECULE served as a starting place for theorizing the transformational role played by the pineal gland in the development of heightened human potential.
As noted, Dewey Larson’s Reciprocal Theory, elaborated in such classics as THE UNIVERSE OF MOTION and BEYOND SPACE & TIME, became the touchstone for SNOOZE’s physics of parallel universes.
The notion of mirroring realities in a unified field, further developed and applied by David Wilcock in THE SOURCE FIELD INVESTIGATIONS and by yours truly in POTENTIATE YOUR DNA, was already near and dear to my heart.
In SNOOZE I had the tremendously satisfying opportunity to “try on” how the mystical realm of time-space might be literally experienced from the perspective of the everyday world of space-time … for someone capable of undertaking, and surviving, the round-trip.
Coming to Terms with Bigfoot
Finally, we come to SNOOZE’s treatment of Bigfoot, or Sasquatch. From the time I saw CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE and THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK as a kid, I was simultaneously terrified and hooked by the thought that a gigantic, hairy apeman might somehow inhabit the fringes of consensus reality.
As an adolescent circa 1980, long before the current FINDING BIGFOOT craze, I went so far as to go on “squatching” expeditions in search of the creature in the woods of Appalachia—to the general amusement, and gentle derision, of my family and friends.
I never encountered Bigfoot, never saw so much as a smudgy footprint of questionable provenance, but to paraphrase Journey’s Steve Perry, I never stopped believing.
Lloyd Pye, author of INTERVENTION THEORY THEORY ESSENTIALS and a major inspiration behind the theory of cryptids, or mysterious creatures, outlined in SNOOZE, never stopped believing either.
Pye’s research in genetics, Sasquatch and human origins directly challenges mainstream scientific orthodoxy and dogma. In fact, strange as it may sound, Pye makes it abundantly clear that if humans are to understand where we come from and where we’re headed, we first need to grasp our relationship to Bigfoot.
My intent in writing SNOOZE wasn’t to provide a definitive answer to this riddle, but merely to propose a possibility. Specifically, I suggest that Sasquatch might not be a wild animal to be feared and hunted, but rather another variety of person from whom we might have much to learn.
As for the hotly debated existence of Bigfoot, pointing out that slow-moving, dimwitted, diurnal pandas were once thought by “scientific” Westerners to be merely creatures of legend, Pye logically asked why couldn’t fast, intelligent, nocturnal Sasquatches exist?
“Some explained their elusiveness by pointing out that less than forty percent of the earth’s surface was fit for human habitation,” we read in SNOOZE. “That left fully sixty percent of the planet—much of which was poorly surveyed even if it had managed to be explored—as a potential habitat far from human eyes for any number of cryptids, including Sasquatch.
“As for why no fossilized Bigfoot bones supposedly had ever been found, Max’s mother pointed out that practically no fossilized monkey bones had ever been discovered either, for the simple reason that fossils didn’t form in the heavily forested areas inhabited by monkeys. If Bigfoots lived in similar places, as often reported, it only made sense that they wouldn’t leave fossils either.”
Call it poetic timing or subliminal programming—but I finished the first half of SNOOZE while sojourning in Humboldt County, California, close to Bluff Creek, where the famous Patterson-Gimlin film purporting to capture a female Sasquatch strolling through the woods was shot.
In my treatment of the Bigfoot phenomenon, be it reality or legend, “Patty” became fictionalized as “Zana,” a nod to the renowned Russian hominoid. Pye wrote in great and convincing detail about Zana, an apewoman who for decades was a member of a remote village, where, according to dozens of eyewitnesses, she worked as a laborer and bore simian-looking progeny to human fathers.
In closing, I wish to assure Pye—who recently passed away from space-time and is perhaps alive and kicking in time-space even as I write—that, at least in the pages of SNOOZE, Zana lives!
Copyright © Sol Luckman. All Rights Reserved.
Dreams of Flying
My earliest dreams were lucid ones of flying. I have a particularly striking memory of soaring high above my father’s tobacco fields where I used to spend hours at a time searching for arrowheads as a boy.
There was a method to dream flight—not unlike the way a condor rides thermal currents to gracefully corkscrew up or down. The feeling was one of bliss almost beyond description … like walking into the light upon death, or emerging into it at birth.
I can still visualize the terra cotta of the clay fields falling away beneath me as I ascended—until they resembled not so much the Cherokee relic hunting grounds of my leisure, but rather irregular red pepper flakes sprinkled at random on a verdant tablecloth.
Given my background, it’s not entirely surprising I should return to the theme of lucid dreams of flying in my new novel, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING. After all, such dreams continued well beyond my childhood and happen even today.
Not infrequently, my lovely partner, Leigh, ever patient with my foibles, is jolted awake in the dead of night by my odd habit of putting an arm above my head in sleep—as if I’m slicing through the air. Fortunately, over time she has perfected the ability to ignore this eccentricity.
Fittingly, the idea for SNOOZE occurred to me one morning as I lay in bed trying to shake off a dream of flying.
My then nine-year-old son, deep in the throes of superhero addiction, sat beside me on wake-up-dad duty and innocently remarked that I looked like a superhero myself in my blue, lavender-scented sleeping mask. (Lucid dreamer or no, I’m a terribly light sleeper, and find that darkness does wonders for my pineal’s production of sleep-inducing melatonin.)
“You think so?” I managed to ask, yawning while removing my mask.
“Definitely,” he replied with confidence twinkling in his eyes. “You could call yourself Snooze.”
This ostensibly casual exchange mysteriously opened the floodgates of my creative consciousness—and soon I had written the first chapter of the novel that would eventually be called SNOOZE.
Real Magic for Changing the Real World
I had in mind to create something indeed like a superhero story—a believable one, a far cry from the stretched affairs currently gracing so many silver screens.
I also had a notion to write a book about how real magic, as opposed to a mishmash of hocus pocus featuring wizards and wands, might function in—and ultimately change—the real world.
The skinny story is that SNOOZE is a sci-fi/fantasy novel about a psychically gifted boy named Max Diver who uses his burgeoning paranormal abilities to fly to the dream world in search of his astronaut father who is marooned there. A full exploration of SNOOZE would have to go into much deeper territory, including:
• The book’s positioning of patriarchy, symbolized by Max’s father, as that which appears strong but is, in fact, weak and in need of rescue;
• The ways in which SNOOZE can be read as a profoundly “Gnostic” text promoting deep ecology and a wholesale reinvention of the way humans conceptualize and relate to nature;
• The novel’s in-depth treatment of Dewey Larson’s pioneering physics known as the Reciprocal System of physical theory, shortened to Reciprocal Theory, which provides a theoretical framework for the interfacing realities of consciousness and unconsciousness, or waking and dreams;
• The necessity of activating the energy of the heart, as confirmed scientifically through the research of Glen Rein and the Institute of HeartMath, in order to access the miraculous totality of human potential; and
• The possibility, explicitly explored, that as enough people awaken in this manner, a social tipping point will be reached sufficient to reinvent our reality and create a freer, more harmonious and more prosperous world.
By “real magic,” I mean just that. Specifically, I’m referring to the longstanding tradition of seemingly miraculous abilities called siddhis in Vedic literature—which are understood not as superhuman capacities so much as belonging to, if submerged in, human nature.
Scientifically Theorizing Paranormal Abilities
Siddhis are said to come in a number of shapes and sizes. Common ones, witnessed by thousands of people over the ages, include telekinesis (moving objects with the mind), telepathy (ESP), and levitation or flying.
Historically documented in numerous individuals, from Indian gurus to the famous Catholic priest Padre Pio, who was witnessed bilocating, such powers are said to emerge naturally from within the human being, often in connection with pineal gland activation and lucid dreaming.
To co-opt the title of an excellent scientific study of these types of weird phenomena by Dean Radin, the supernatural is perhaps best conceptualized as SUPERNORMAL.
Or as I phrase it in my teaser for SNOOZE, “Could it be there’s no such thing as the paranormal … only infinite varieties of normal we’ve yet to understand?”
The idea of siddhis had fascinated me ever since I initially learned of them as an undergraduate. It was mind-blowing that one of the most venerated systems of personal development on the planet—the Vedic tradition of India—insisted, in essence, that everyone inherits the capability of becoming a superhero!
Begging the question … What would it actually be like to experience the sprouting and flowering of these inborn occult powers in oneself?
This question guided me during the character development of my protagonist, Max, a boy endowed with just such abilities that immediately begin to reveal themselves only to grow more intense as the novel progresses. One reviewer described Max’s merging of dreams with reality as “lucid dreams on steroids.”
As previously suggested, in exploring this esoteric subject matter, rather than just shooting from the hip with wild-eyed speculation, I drew on a wealth of established knowledge—often of a scientific bent.
Obviously, I’m indebted to Carl Jung’s influential theories on the relationship between the unconscious and the subconscious and states of waking consciousness in personal “alchemy.” At its core, SNOOZE is a fictional meditation on the process of human metamorphosis into a more evolved kind of being with the ability to manifest thoughts in real time.
Subtitled “A Doctor’s Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-death & Mystical Experiences,” Rick Strassman’s seminal DMT: THE SPIRIT MOLECULE served as a starting place for theorizing the transformational role played by the pineal gland in the development of heightened human potential.
As noted, Dewey Larson’s Reciprocal Theory, elaborated in such classics as THE UNIVERSE OF MOTION and BEYOND SPACE & TIME, became the touchstone for SNOOZE’s physics of parallel universes.
The notion of mirroring realities in a unified field, further developed and applied by David Wilcock in THE SOURCE FIELD INVESTIGATIONS and by yours truly in POTENTIATE YOUR DNA, was already near and dear to my heart.
In SNOOZE I had the tremendously satisfying opportunity to “try on” how the mystical realm of time-space might be literally experienced from the perspective of the everyday world of space-time … for someone capable of undertaking, and surviving, the round-trip.
Coming to Terms with Bigfoot
Finally, we come to SNOOZE’s treatment of Bigfoot, or Sasquatch. From the time I saw CREATURE FROM BLACK LAKE and THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK as a kid, I was simultaneously terrified and hooked by the thought that a gigantic, hairy apeman might somehow inhabit the fringes of consensus reality.
As an adolescent circa 1980, long before the current FINDING BIGFOOT craze, I went so far as to go on “squatching” expeditions in search of the creature in the woods of Appalachia—to the general amusement, and gentle derision, of my family and friends.
I never encountered Bigfoot, never saw so much as a smudgy footprint of questionable provenance, but to paraphrase Journey’s Steve Perry, I never stopped believing.
Lloyd Pye, author of INTERVENTION THEORY THEORY ESSENTIALS and a major inspiration behind the theory of cryptids, or mysterious creatures, outlined in SNOOZE, never stopped believing either.
Pye’s research in genetics, Sasquatch and human origins directly challenges mainstream scientific orthodoxy and dogma. In fact, strange as it may sound, Pye makes it abundantly clear that if humans are to understand where we come from and where we’re headed, we first need to grasp our relationship to Bigfoot.
My intent in writing SNOOZE wasn’t to provide a definitive answer to this riddle, but merely to propose a possibility. Specifically, I suggest that Sasquatch might not be a wild animal to be feared and hunted, but rather another variety of person from whom we might have much to learn.
As for the hotly debated existence of Bigfoot, pointing out that slow-moving, dimwitted, diurnal pandas were once thought by “scientific” Westerners to be merely creatures of legend, Pye logically asked why couldn’t fast, intelligent, nocturnal Sasquatches exist?
“Some explained their elusiveness by pointing out that less than forty percent of the earth’s surface was fit for human habitation,” we read in SNOOZE. “That left fully sixty percent of the planet—much of which was poorly surveyed even if it had managed to be explored—as a potential habitat far from human eyes for any number of cryptids, including Sasquatch.
“As for why no fossilized Bigfoot bones supposedly had ever been found, Max’s mother pointed out that practically no fossilized monkey bones had ever been discovered either, for the simple reason that fossils didn’t form in the heavily forested areas inhabited by monkeys. If Bigfoots lived in similar places, as often reported, it only made sense that they wouldn’t leave fossils either.”
Call it poetic timing or subliminal programming—but I finished the first half of SNOOZE while sojourning in Humboldt County, California, close to Bluff Creek, where the famous Patterson-Gimlin film purporting to capture a female Sasquatch strolling through the woods was shot.
In my treatment of the Bigfoot phenomenon, be it reality or legend, “Patty” became fictionalized as “Zana,” a nod to the renowned Russian hominoid. Pye wrote in great and convincing detail about Zana, an apewoman who for decades was a member of a remote village, where, according to dozens of eyewitnesses, she worked as a laborer and bore simian-looking progeny to human fathers.
In closing, I wish to assure Pye—who recently passed away from space-time and is perhaps alive and kicking in time-space even as I write—that, at least in the pages of SNOOZE, Zana lives!
Copyright © Sol Luckman. All Rights Reserved.
Hungry for an Enlightening & Entertaining Metaphysical Novel? Try SNOOZE
Sol Luckman
Back in the day, as I was digesting the very few palatable books that make up the anorexic canon of noteworthy new age novels, I remember reading James Redfield’s THE CELESTINE PROPHECY and experiencing completely contradictory emotions.
On the one hand, I was thrilled that someone had written an actually interesting, even epic, tale about ascension and the lightbody—of all bloody unimaginable things in the spiritual wasteland that is mainstream fiction.
To use a contemporary analogy, it was as if, for decades, I’d been traversing the country searching for nutritious road food only to be offered McDonald’s at every stop—and now all of a sudden I had the option to choose Chipotle!
Baby, I was lovin’ it!
On the other hand, while reading Redfield’s mythic tale that changed publishing forever by proving that indie books—even highly alternative ones—can make it big (and even be made into movies), I often winced at his sloppy prose and clunky plot devices proving that the author knew a good deal more about metaphysics than creative writing.
Even a quick glance at Amazon reviews of THE CELESTINE PROPHECY reveals a tremendous divide in how the book can be and has been assessed.
Depending on such factors as the reader’s spiritual appetite, literary pretensions, humility and humanity, reviews of this classic work of speculative fiction range from the cloying praise of purely heartfelt “love and light” to rationally blasting it all the way to Shambhala and back, tact be damned.
Last year, when I set out to write my own spiritual myth in the form of a novel, I gave a lot of consideration to the schizoid quality of most new age fictions, whose form and content often wildly diverge and effectively neutralize each other for most readers.
In other words, while, to my way of thinking, the average metaphysical novel may have its heart in the right place, too often its head seems to go missing.
There are, of course, exceptions to this generalization, such as Jean-Claude Koven’s charmingly intelligent GOING DEEPER: HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF YOUR LIFE WHEN YOUR LIFE MAKES NO SENSE.
But typically, given the questionable quality of the writing, if you’re anything like me, there are probably a lot of things you would rather do—visit the dentist, do hard labor, watch CNN—than read contemporary esoteric novels.
My humble, sincere hope is that SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING will change that for you.
SNOOZE is a spiritual adventure centered on a psychically gifted boy named Max Diver, who uses his lucid dreaming abilities to travel to a parallel reality to rescue his astronaut father.
I’ve written two recent articles that shed light on how SNOOZE, while billing itself as a young adult (YA) sci-fi fantasy novel, is for more than just young readers and constitutes far more than merely a sci-fi fantasy.
In the first article, Exploring Human Potential through Lucid Dreams, Paranormal Abilities, Parallel Universes & … Bigfoot, I map out the general metaphysical territory covered by SNOOZE, with an emphasis on the book’s central motif of lucid dreaming, which is treated both speculatively and scientifically.
The second article, Initiation, Totem Animals, Sacred Masculinity & Sound Healing, prefaces a lengthy excerpt while touching on the novel’s exploration of such themes as personal initiation; activating the occult powers known as the siddhis; the right use of power (the Sacred Masculine); the evolution of human consciousness; totem animals and animal medicine; sensing and working with subtle energy; the role of the heart in healing and transformation; intuition and surrender; and the oneness of creation.
Happily, even while conveying so much information of a philosophical nature, SNOOZE—which received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Beach Book Festival prize competition—has been repeatedly acknowledged to be a darn good work of literature, if I do say so myself.
But I don’t have to say so myself. I’ll let the book’s reviews speak for themselves.
Enjoy—and as always, sweet dreams!
SNOOZE is “a magnificent act of power, a novel brought forth for the Second Renaissance, the Return of Wisdom … [G]et ready for the ride of a lifetime. You won’t want to stop.” —OracleReport.com
“Luckman’s dazzling abilities as a novelist abound with lyrical prose … Although [SNOOZE] chronicles a boy’s transition into manhood, I would not consider it young adult. The provocative subject matter of science and spirituality is very mature … If you enjoy colorful characters, a fast-paced plot and stories that tug at your heart, this novel in eighty-four chapters is anything but a yawn.” —Readers’ Favorite
“A literary treasure. Mr. Luckman has blessed us with an absolutely enlightening, heartwarming story filled with inspiration, adventure, and love. I believe most readers will readily relate to or identify with Max or some of his experiences. SNOOZE is a beautiful and fascinating depiction of the awakening process that will touch your heart. Enjoy Mr. Luckman’s precious gift!” —Liliana Cartagena
“A delightful read—weaving a myriad of altered states of consciousness into a rites-of-passage hero’s journey that is both timeless and present-relevant. Main characters have intelligence, innocence and charm, and point towards the tension of living in our current reality while expressing the seeds of humanity’s leap to our next evolutionary level—which in this story is about integrating and transcending mainstream consciousness with marginalized spiritual potentialities such as out-of-body and time travel, spontaneous healing, life beyond death, and more. A very creative synthesis of cultural edges from around the world that is both entertaining and provocative at the same time. Fun read full of ironies—recommend it to anyone who wants to escape into the possible future!” —Lynn King
“I came across a review of SNOOZE posted on Facebook … and, having nothing else in the queue, bought the e-version and started reading. Three late nights later (sorry kids for being somewhat absent for Labor Day weekend) I am transformed. One of the greatest parts of fiction in my world is when an author seamlessly blends the science and the story together into a new and Amazing world that I would love to enter myself. And for all of us ‘pseudo-scientists’ for whom noetics is old hat, to see our theories brought to life warms the heart and the soul. As a story-teller, I am so glad to meet you Sol Luckman. Your use of character dialog to explain the complexities of time-space succeeds where the academic descriptions lose 99% of the audience.” —Andrew L. Foss
“There is ALICE IN WONDERLAND which takes us on adventures through the Looking-glass and then there is SNOOZE which shows us how to get there. The archetypal hero Max begins with fear and trepidation and ends with certainty and the power of love. He navigates disappointment and finds unexpected blessings in loss … I hope a producer reads this book and makes a movie out of it … Great book. ” —Curiouser
“SNOOZE is a captivating coming-of-age tale about a gifted boy traveling to a fantastical realm to save his father … Thanks to author Sol Luckman’s writing ability, SNOOZE can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, despite being aimed at young adults. Right off the bat, the writing is engaging and captures the attention.” —Indiereader.com
“SNOOZE is without doubt one of the best coming-of-age, awakening books that I have ever read, and it had me entranced from the beginning to the end. Unlike a lot of books in the YA genre, which while perfectly enjoyable, are nonetheless superficial, SNOOZE takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of astral projection, lucid dreaming, out of body experiences, levitation, telepathy … the list goes on, and all of this is interwoven with themes of bullying, isolation, grief, friendship and characters … you cannot fail to love … It would be impossible to do justice to this wonderful book in just one review … [S]uffice to say that I highly recommend it and love the notion that the Loch Ness Monster might really exist.” —Ingrid Hall, Author & Freelance Editor
“This is a book that, when many people read it, will be instrumental in the world being a better place to live. This I feel strongly about. I’ve read all the books Sol Luckman has published and of the fictions, this one is my favorite. I want to share this story with everyone I know young and old. Great for a book club because there is so much to talk about. Refreshing, here is a story whose characters come to recognize and understand their own unique personal gifts that may seem ‘out there’ to people not yet awake. The journey of adventure here is much more than I expected and very unique in that I can feel myself awaken as I read it. I have been hungry for a book like this and feel my own questions about what I am experiencing during this mass awakening are shared and answered. This story took me on a ride like no other. I am visibly changed, moved and in awe of human potential and what’s to come.” —Jennifer Churchill
“SNOOZE was no snooze! I was up until 4 a.m. reading this book … no snoozing for me! Traveling along with Snooze/Maxwell was a wonderful adventure in the supernatural realm, as well as in the ‘real’ world. The continuous connections throughout the story and in his young adult life allowed me to go back in ‘time/space’ (or is it space/time?) to experience their moment of conception, drawing me further into the story. I was happy to see that this novel was more than a young adult book, as older adults will love it too (I am 48 years old). There are layers to this story, allowing each reader to enjoy the same story but take away a different meaning. Sol Luckman’s memorable characters are wise and witty, filled with compassion and ready to change the world. I want to know what happens next! Sequel?” —Kristina Barker
“SNOOZE is a book for readers ready to awaken from our mass cultural illusion before we self-destruct. SNOOZE calls out for readers open to the challenging adventure of opening their minds. It illustrates, in intriguing story form, the possibilities that imagination, dreams, visions, paranormal experiences, respectful relationship to nature, and non-linear thinking may hold the keys to resolving the ecological, economic, social, and political deadlocks we are currently experiencing. If you love a not-so-classic tale of Joseph Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey,’ travel along with Max on his very adventurous flight into parts of reality we seldom dare to explore. You will be richly rewarded with hidden treasures that could awaken you to the hero and the mission buried within you. You may, incidentally, also discover a new and paradoxical relationship between science and fiction—normally considered incompatible routes in the quest for truth.” —Merry Hall, Co-Host of ENVISION THIS
“The description in [SNOOZE] was astounding … so incredibly detailed you could really very easily picture everything and it was perfect … [T]he author took the reader on a journey with the main character … The story included a lot of today’s issues and presented an outlook on things that we … don’t understand, such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. I rate [SNOOZE] 4 out of 4 stars as it was truly a story of awakening. This was the first novel I had ever read by Sol Luckman but I will certainly be reading more of his work now. I would recommend this to all readers as the story truly holds a lot. It was deep, it was humorous and it left nothing to be desired.” —OnlineBookClub.org
“Sol Luckman’s SNOOZE was exciting and interesting. Vivid characters populate the novel as well as a fast-paced plot. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. I rate this book a five-star read.” —Tracey Lampley, Book Mistress Blog
“Utterly engrossing! This is truly a riveting ‘becoming awake’ adventure. With an undercurrent of Max’s acceptance of who he is, this wonderfully spun tale touches so many topics that benefit us all to have in our consciousnesses. While the story is presented as fiction, there is so much to learn here. Google was my constant companion as I read, discovering so many ideas new to me, presented in this story, that actually have their basis in this reality, as well as learning of intriguing people I’d never heard of before. Discussing this book will be an easy way to begin conversations on many interesting topics that otherwise might be difficult to initiate. Presented as a ‘coming of age’ story; this book is more than sophisticated enough (not to mention well written) to keep even the most discerning ‘adult’ reader highly engaged.” —Sandy Sturner
“I loved this book! It was so interesting that I could hardly put it down! It combined all of my interests, as well as showing the beauty of a Native American path, in which we know that we are all in this together, that everything has consciousness, and that we humans need to find better ways to live or we will destroy our home planet. I would recommend SNOOZE to anyone who enjoys fantasy, science fiction, spirituality, or Native American studies, as it combines all four of these aspects.” —Nancy Crom
“If you have any interest in lucid dreaming, astral travel, or paranormal phenomena, you’ll love reading this book. It’s very well written, and grabs you so much that it’s hard to put down, not just for the action and adventure, but for the questions it raises about some things labelled ‘so far unexplained.’ The story centers on Max as he comes of age at college and university, taking advantage of his gift of lucid dreaming and astral projection to propel him into a quest which also becomes an initiation into a path to enlightenment. There’s pain and loss, but also love, laughter and tears, as he meets amazing people and prehistoric creatures in a parallel world which is seemingly thousands of years behind ours but so advanced in some ways. You don’t need to be young to enjoy this story, just ‘young at heart.’” —Peter M. Johnston
“Heartwarming, satisfying and highly enjoyable read. I am a big fan of Sol Luckman’s work … SNOOZE reveals a new facet of Luckman’s genius and completely exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the characters, the plot, the conclusion and all of the ‘radical’ ideas thrown in. It was pure fun sprinkled with inspiration to see references to urban permaculture gardens growing exotic things like white cabbages (for healing poultices), pineal detoxification, vortices, spirit animals, non-petroleum based energy, the ‘good’ side of shamanistic coming-of-age rituals and of course the gentle, possession-shunning ‘bigfoots.’ The thing that stuck with me the most was the simple phrase ‘I see myself in you,’ a simple greeting between old friends and new acquaintances accompanied by meaningful eye contact and each person placing a hand on each others shoulder. If everyone would adopt this mentality, the world would be a completely different place. A much better one. Please read and share.” —Cpt2020
Copyright © Sol Luckman. All Rights Reserved.
Back in the day, as I was digesting the very few palatable books that make up the anorexic canon of noteworthy new age novels, I remember reading James Redfield’s THE CELESTINE PROPHECY and experiencing completely contradictory emotions.
On the one hand, I was thrilled that someone had written an actually interesting, even epic, tale about ascension and the lightbody—of all bloody unimaginable things in the spiritual wasteland that is mainstream fiction.
To use a contemporary analogy, it was as if, for decades, I’d been traversing the country searching for nutritious road food only to be offered McDonald’s at every stop—and now all of a sudden I had the option to choose Chipotle!
Baby, I was lovin’ it!
On the other hand, while reading Redfield’s mythic tale that changed publishing forever by proving that indie books—even highly alternative ones—can make it big (and even be made into movies), I often winced at his sloppy prose and clunky plot devices proving that the author knew a good deal more about metaphysics than creative writing.
Even a quick glance at Amazon reviews of THE CELESTINE PROPHECY reveals a tremendous divide in how the book can be and has been assessed.
Depending on such factors as the reader’s spiritual appetite, literary pretensions, humility and humanity, reviews of this classic work of speculative fiction range from the cloying praise of purely heartfelt “love and light” to rationally blasting it all the way to Shambhala and back, tact be damned.
Last year, when I set out to write my own spiritual myth in the form of a novel, I gave a lot of consideration to the schizoid quality of most new age fictions, whose form and content often wildly diverge and effectively neutralize each other for most readers.
In other words, while, to my way of thinking, the average metaphysical novel may have its heart in the right place, too often its head seems to go missing.
There are, of course, exceptions to this generalization, such as Jean-Claude Koven’s charmingly intelligent GOING DEEPER: HOW TO MAKE SENSE OF YOUR LIFE WHEN YOUR LIFE MAKES NO SENSE.
But typically, given the questionable quality of the writing, if you’re anything like me, there are probably a lot of things you would rather do—visit the dentist, do hard labor, watch CNN—than read contemporary esoteric novels.
My humble, sincere hope is that SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING will change that for you.
SNOOZE is a spiritual adventure centered on a psychically gifted boy named Max Diver, who uses his lucid dreaming abilities to travel to a parallel reality to rescue his astronaut father.
I’ve written two recent articles that shed light on how SNOOZE, while billing itself as a young adult (YA) sci-fi fantasy novel, is for more than just young readers and constitutes far more than merely a sci-fi fantasy.
In the first article, Exploring Human Potential through Lucid Dreams, Paranormal Abilities, Parallel Universes & … Bigfoot, I map out the general metaphysical territory covered by SNOOZE, with an emphasis on the book’s central motif of lucid dreaming, which is treated both speculatively and scientifically.
The second article, Initiation, Totem Animals, Sacred Masculinity & Sound Healing, prefaces a lengthy excerpt while touching on the novel’s exploration of such themes as personal initiation; activating the occult powers known as the siddhis; the right use of power (the Sacred Masculine); the evolution of human consciousness; totem animals and animal medicine; sensing and working with subtle energy; the role of the heart in healing and transformation; intuition and surrender; and the oneness of creation.
Happily, even while conveying so much information of a philosophical nature, SNOOZE—which received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Beach Book Festival prize competition—has been repeatedly acknowledged to be a darn good work of literature, if I do say so myself.
But I don’t have to say so myself. I’ll let the book’s reviews speak for themselves.
Enjoy—and as always, sweet dreams!
SNOOZE is “a magnificent act of power, a novel brought forth for the Second Renaissance, the Return of Wisdom … [G]et ready for the ride of a lifetime. You won’t want to stop.” —OracleReport.com
“Luckman’s dazzling abilities as a novelist abound with lyrical prose … Although [SNOOZE] chronicles a boy’s transition into manhood, I would not consider it young adult. The provocative subject matter of science and spirituality is very mature … If you enjoy colorful characters, a fast-paced plot and stories that tug at your heart, this novel in eighty-four chapters is anything but a yawn.” —Readers’ Favorite
“A literary treasure. Mr. Luckman has blessed us with an absolutely enlightening, heartwarming story filled with inspiration, adventure, and love. I believe most readers will readily relate to or identify with Max or some of his experiences. SNOOZE is a beautiful and fascinating depiction of the awakening process that will touch your heart. Enjoy Mr. Luckman’s precious gift!” —Liliana Cartagena
“A delightful read—weaving a myriad of altered states of consciousness into a rites-of-passage hero’s journey that is both timeless and present-relevant. Main characters have intelligence, innocence and charm, and point towards the tension of living in our current reality while expressing the seeds of humanity’s leap to our next evolutionary level—which in this story is about integrating and transcending mainstream consciousness with marginalized spiritual potentialities such as out-of-body and time travel, spontaneous healing, life beyond death, and more. A very creative synthesis of cultural edges from around the world that is both entertaining and provocative at the same time. Fun read full of ironies—recommend it to anyone who wants to escape into the possible future!” —Lynn King
“I came across a review of SNOOZE posted on Facebook … and, having nothing else in the queue, bought the e-version and started reading. Three late nights later (sorry kids for being somewhat absent for Labor Day weekend) I am transformed. One of the greatest parts of fiction in my world is when an author seamlessly blends the science and the story together into a new and Amazing world that I would love to enter myself. And for all of us ‘pseudo-scientists’ for whom noetics is old hat, to see our theories brought to life warms the heart and the soul. As a story-teller, I am so glad to meet you Sol Luckman. Your use of character dialog to explain the complexities of time-space succeeds where the academic descriptions lose 99% of the audience.” —Andrew L. Foss
“There is ALICE IN WONDERLAND which takes us on adventures through the Looking-glass and then there is SNOOZE which shows us how to get there. The archetypal hero Max begins with fear and trepidation and ends with certainty and the power of love. He navigates disappointment and finds unexpected blessings in loss … I hope a producer reads this book and makes a movie out of it … Great book. ” —Curiouser
“SNOOZE is a captivating coming-of-age tale about a gifted boy traveling to a fantastical realm to save his father … Thanks to author Sol Luckman’s writing ability, SNOOZE can be enjoyed by readers of all ages, despite being aimed at young adults. Right off the bat, the writing is engaging and captures the attention.” —Indiereader.com
“SNOOZE is without doubt one of the best coming-of-age, awakening books that I have ever read, and it had me entranced from the beginning to the end. Unlike a lot of books in the YA genre, which while perfectly enjoyable, are nonetheless superficial, SNOOZE takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of astral projection, lucid dreaming, out of body experiences, levitation, telepathy … the list goes on, and all of this is interwoven with themes of bullying, isolation, grief, friendship and characters … you cannot fail to love … It would be impossible to do justice to this wonderful book in just one review … [S]uffice to say that I highly recommend it and love the notion that the Loch Ness Monster might really exist.” —Ingrid Hall, Author & Freelance Editor
“This is a book that, when many people read it, will be instrumental in the world being a better place to live. This I feel strongly about. I’ve read all the books Sol Luckman has published and of the fictions, this one is my favorite. I want to share this story with everyone I know young and old. Great for a book club because there is so much to talk about. Refreshing, here is a story whose characters come to recognize and understand their own unique personal gifts that may seem ‘out there’ to people not yet awake. The journey of adventure here is much more than I expected and very unique in that I can feel myself awaken as I read it. I have been hungry for a book like this and feel my own questions about what I am experiencing during this mass awakening are shared and answered. This story took me on a ride like no other. I am visibly changed, moved and in awe of human potential and what’s to come.” —Jennifer Churchill
“SNOOZE was no snooze! I was up until 4 a.m. reading this book … no snoozing for me! Traveling along with Snooze/Maxwell was a wonderful adventure in the supernatural realm, as well as in the ‘real’ world. The continuous connections throughout the story and in his young adult life allowed me to go back in ‘time/space’ (or is it space/time?) to experience their moment of conception, drawing me further into the story. I was happy to see that this novel was more than a young adult book, as older adults will love it too (I am 48 years old). There are layers to this story, allowing each reader to enjoy the same story but take away a different meaning. Sol Luckman’s memorable characters are wise and witty, filled with compassion and ready to change the world. I want to know what happens next! Sequel?” —Kristina Barker
“SNOOZE is a book for readers ready to awaken from our mass cultural illusion before we self-destruct. SNOOZE calls out for readers open to the challenging adventure of opening their minds. It illustrates, in intriguing story form, the possibilities that imagination, dreams, visions, paranormal experiences, respectful relationship to nature, and non-linear thinking may hold the keys to resolving the ecological, economic, social, and political deadlocks we are currently experiencing. If you love a not-so-classic tale of Joseph Campbell’s ‘Hero’s Journey,’ travel along with Max on his very adventurous flight into parts of reality we seldom dare to explore. You will be richly rewarded with hidden treasures that could awaken you to the hero and the mission buried within you. You may, incidentally, also discover a new and paradoxical relationship between science and fiction—normally considered incompatible routes in the quest for truth.” —Merry Hall, Co-Host of ENVISION THIS
“The description in [SNOOZE] was astounding … so incredibly detailed you could really very easily picture everything and it was perfect … [T]he author took the reader on a journey with the main character … The story included a lot of today’s issues and presented an outlook on things that we … don’t understand, such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster. I rate [SNOOZE] 4 out of 4 stars as it was truly a story of awakening. This was the first novel I had ever read by Sol Luckman but I will certainly be reading more of his work now. I would recommend this to all readers as the story truly holds a lot. It was deep, it was humorous and it left nothing to be desired.” —OnlineBookClub.org
“Sol Luckman’s SNOOZE was exciting and interesting. Vivid characters populate the novel as well as a fast-paced plot. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. I rate this book a five-star read.” —Tracey Lampley, Book Mistress Blog
“Utterly engrossing! This is truly a riveting ‘becoming awake’ adventure. With an undercurrent of Max’s acceptance of who he is, this wonderfully spun tale touches so many topics that benefit us all to have in our consciousnesses. While the story is presented as fiction, there is so much to learn here. Google was my constant companion as I read, discovering so many ideas new to me, presented in this story, that actually have their basis in this reality, as well as learning of intriguing people I’d never heard of before. Discussing this book will be an easy way to begin conversations on many interesting topics that otherwise might be difficult to initiate. Presented as a ‘coming of age’ story; this book is more than sophisticated enough (not to mention well written) to keep even the most discerning ‘adult’ reader highly engaged.” —Sandy Sturner
“I loved this book! It was so interesting that I could hardly put it down! It combined all of my interests, as well as showing the beauty of a Native American path, in which we know that we are all in this together, that everything has consciousness, and that we humans need to find better ways to live or we will destroy our home planet. I would recommend SNOOZE to anyone who enjoys fantasy, science fiction, spirituality, or Native American studies, as it combines all four of these aspects.” —Nancy Crom
“If you have any interest in lucid dreaming, astral travel, or paranormal phenomena, you’ll love reading this book. It’s very well written, and grabs you so much that it’s hard to put down, not just for the action and adventure, but for the questions it raises about some things labelled ‘so far unexplained.’ The story centers on Max as he comes of age at college and university, taking advantage of his gift of lucid dreaming and astral projection to propel him into a quest which also becomes an initiation into a path to enlightenment. There’s pain and loss, but also love, laughter and tears, as he meets amazing people and prehistoric creatures in a parallel world which is seemingly thousands of years behind ours but so advanced in some ways. You don’t need to be young to enjoy this story, just ‘young at heart.’” —Peter M. Johnston
“Heartwarming, satisfying and highly enjoyable read. I am a big fan of Sol Luckman’s work … SNOOZE reveals a new facet of Luckman’s genius and completely exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed the characters, the plot, the conclusion and all of the ‘radical’ ideas thrown in. It was pure fun sprinkled with inspiration to see references to urban permaculture gardens growing exotic things like white cabbages (for healing poultices), pineal detoxification, vortices, spirit animals, non-petroleum based energy, the ‘good’ side of shamanistic coming-of-age rituals and of course the gentle, possession-shunning ‘bigfoots.’ The thing that stuck with me the most was the simple phrase ‘I see myself in you,’ a simple greeting between old friends and new acquaintances accompanied by meaningful eye contact and each person placing a hand on each others shoulder. If everyone would adopt this mentality, the world would be a completely different place. A much better one. Please read and share.” —Cpt2020
Copyright © Sol Luckman. All Rights Reserved.
Listen Free to Part 1 of the Award-winning Sci-fi Novel SNOOZE
Sol Luckman
What would you do if your dreams suddenly turned real? Such is the central question of my bestselling metaphysical tale of a young man learning to actualize human potential through lucid dreams, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING, winner of the 2015 National Indie Excellence® Award.
Click through below to check out the YouTube clips of Part One of the audiobook of SNOOZE. Follow Max Diver, aka “Snooze,” through a series of supernatural childhood challenges that set the stage for the reality-bending events that follow as he attempts to rescue his astronaut father from a fate stranger than death in the exotic, perilous Otherworld of sleep.
An insightful look at a plethora of paranormal subjects, from Bigfoot and lucid dreaming to time travel via the Bermuda Triangle, SNOOZE also shines as a work of literature featuring iconic characters, intense drama and breathless pacing to stir you wide awake!
Read more at ...
https://snooze2awaken.wordpress.com/2...
Ascension, Enlightenment & Unity Consciousness in SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING
Sol Luckman
When I began writing my award-winning metaphysical novel, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING, at the start of 2013, little did I know this paranormal, coming-of-age tale about a boy learning to harness the power of lucid dreams would include important themes having to do with Dewey Larson’s Reciprocal System of physical theory, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s Five Stages of Grief, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, and Lloyd Pye’s revolutionary theories on mysterious hominids like Bigfoot.
It also hadn’t occurred to me I would ultimately be writing a novel about ascension, enlightenment and unity consciousness—hot topics in the spiritual traditions so many of us die-hard modern-day mystics are drawn to: shamanism, Hermeticism, Tibetan Buddhism, esoteric Christianity, Gnosticism.
I was encouraged by SNOOZE’s early rave reviews to begin submitting the book to contests. In 2014, soon after the novel’s publication, SNOOZE received an honorable mention in the Beach Book Festival Prize Competition. I was especially pleased with this result because SNOOZE placed in the general fiction category and I was eager to demonstrate that this book merits a wide audience.
SNOOZE’s breakthrough came a year later when it won the 2015 National Indie Excellence Award in the category of new age fiction.
Awarded since 2007, the NIEA competition is judged by experts from all aspects of the Indie book industry. This includes publishers, authors, editors, book cover designers and copywriters. Winners are determined based on “overall excellence of presentation in addition to the writing.”
In SNOOZE, the mind-bending tale of one gifted boy’s awakening, we follow Max Diver, aka “Snooze,” along the razor’s edge of a quest to rescue his astronaut father from a fate stranger than death in the exotic, perilous Otherworld of sleep.
The two chapters excerpted below detail Max’s spiritual initiation. This section takes place on the heels of a series of truly otherworldly adventures in the Otherworld, with Max’s twin, Maxwallah, and the latter’s mother, Artemisia, acting as mentors.
In the second half of this excerpt, Max’s telepathic Bigfoot guide, Zana, appears. Portrayed sympathetically as an intelligent yet animalistic humanoid displaying wisdom and a sense of humor, she and her fellow Almasty—to use the Russian term for Sasquatch—play a decisive role in Max’s navigating the slippery reality of the Otherworld.
Read more at ...
https://snooze2awaken.wordpress.com/2...
Readers’ Favorite International Book Awards Recognize SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sol Luckman
Email: snoozereviews@fastmail.fm
Website: www.CrowRising.com
Sol Luckman’s epic visionary novel, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING, winner of the 2015 National Indie Excellence® Award for New Age Fiction, has been selected as a 2016 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Finalist in the Young Adult-Coming of Age category.
The 2016 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Contest featured thousands of contestants from over a dozen countries.
Readers’ Favorite has become the fastest growing book review and award contest site on the Internet, having earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins and received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. Readers’ Favorite is also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.
In addition to reviewing for some of the biggest names in the literary industry, Readers’ Favorite hosts a respected award contest which features entries from new authors to NEW YORK TIMES Bestsellers, as well as celebrities like Jim Carrey and Henry Winkler.
Readers’ Favorite is proud to announce that SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING by Sol Luckman has been honored as a Finalist in the Young Adult-Coming of Age category in the 2016 International Book Award Contest.
Join Max Diver, aka “Snooze,” along the razor’s edge of a quest to rescue his astronaut father from a fate stranger than death in the exotic, perilous Otherworld of sleep.
An insightful look at a plethora of paranormal subjects, from Bigfoot and lucid dreaming to time travel via the Bermuda Triangle, SNOOZE also shines as a work of literature featuring iconic characters, intense drama and breathless pacing to stir you wide awake.
Readers’ Favorite had this praise for this fascinating fictional foray into all things metaphysical: “Luckman’s dazzling abilities as a novelist abound with lyrical prose … If you enjoy colorful characters, a fast-paced plot and stories that tug at your heart, this novel in eighty-four chapters is anything but a yawn.”
Review copies and interviews are available upon request. Contact Sol Luckman.
Previously, Sol Luckman was best known for his acclaimed nonfiction books, CONSCIOUS HEALING and POTENTIATE YOUR DNA, which explore the role of consciousness and DNA in personal healing and transformation. His latest book, THE ANGEL’S DICTIONARY: A SPIRITED GLOSSARY FOR THE LITTLE DEVIL IN YOU, reinvigorates satire to prove that—though we might not be able to change the world—we can at least have a good laugh at it. Then again, maybe laughter can transform the world!
SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING—Enjoy This Multi-award-winning Visionary Novel Free Online
SOL LUCKMAN
Could it be there’s no such thing as the paranormal … only infinite varieties of normal we’ve yet to understand?
This is an important and timely question I explore in my acclaimed spiritual novel, SNOOZE: A STORY OF AWAKENING, which won the 2015 National Indie Excellence Award for New Age Fiction.
Written with young adult and young-at-heart readers in mind, SNOOZE further proved its literary merit by being selected as a 2016 Readers’ Favorite International Book Award Finalist in the Young Adult-Coming of Age category and receiving an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Beach Book Festival Prize competition in the General Fiction category.
Now for the first time ever free online, I invite you to join Max Diver, aka “Snooze,” along the razor’s edge of a quest to rescue his astronaut father from a fate stranger than death in the exotic, perilous Otherworld of sleep. Since this offer is for a limited time, be sure to start reading ASAP.
Continue reading at ...
https://snooze2awaken.com/2019/05/16/...
