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"Reader's Digest" into the Unknown: Investigating the Paranormal, the Occult and the Extrasensory
Excellent Book
352 pages, Hardcover
Published September 1, 1988
2 people are currently reading
56 people want to read
About the author
Reader's Digest Association
4,599 books486 followersThe Reader's Digest Association, Inc. is a global media and direct marketing company based in Chappaqua, New York, best known for its flagship publication founded in 1922, Reader's Digest. The company's headquarters are in New York City, where it moved from Pleasantville, New York.
The company was founded by DeWitt and Lila Wallace in 1922 with the first publication of Reader's Digest magazine, but has grown to include a diverse range of magazines, books, music, DVDs and online content.
The company was founded by DeWitt and Lila Wallace in 1922 with the first publication of Reader's Digest magazine, but has grown to include a diverse range of magazines, books, music, DVDs and online content.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 24, 2024
This book was an excellent find. I picked it up at some used-book sale or another and had it sitting there looking intriguing on my shelf for a year or two, for some reason under the impression that it was specifically about the mysteries of the cosmos, rather than an encyclopaedic tome on all things strange and supernatural. Upon learning this when I started reading it, I was slightly disappointed as I have read many books of the latter kind and was not wholly in the mood for another just yet.
However, this one - despite being Readers Digest, which perhaps I just have a biased preconception about (I mean, aren't they what adorn the litter of magazines in the dentist's waiting room and whatnot?) - proved to be a very high-quality product. While it only deals briefly with each subject, the content is nevertheless of much interest. Better yet, it doesn't just have the same old stories everyone who knows this subject is already familiar with. I mean, there are some, but generally what this book contained was quite new to me.
There are many different areas explored, and not all of them are equally interesting. It depends on what appeals to each individual reader. So granted, it can get a little dense sometimes. But nonetheless, the writer (or writers; I'm really not sure) does a remarkable job in presenting the facts that often lie beneath the fictions. Indeed, the best thing about this book is that it doesn't just take you off into a world where nothing is conformed to our sense of reality. Not so much the debatable truths of the stories and phenomena, but rather the reasons why they became and are still so widely believed is detailed with a level of objectivity I did not expect from a book like this.
At the same time, I love how the writes mentions so many other books that deal directly with their respective subjects. Given most of them are very old, you can find a good deal of them for free on Internet Archive.
To conclude, this was a very good book. Very long, not always wonderful, and you will want breaks from it occasionally. But certainly worth the effort, and a permanent place on my shelf. I don't think I will be changing my mind any time soon at least. I think my own son will enjoy looking through this book when he gets a bit older.
Finally, I thought it would be fun to just address each subject very briefly and state my own beliefs, however confident or otherwise they are:
Ancient Unknowns and Earth Shrines
Well, they're hard to dispute because many of them they are still there. They are incredible, some of them. The idea that aliens had anything to do with their construction is a tantalising one, but totally confined to science fiction, I can quite assuredly say. I don't want to sound like a damned scientologist. And let's not downplay the natural ingenuity of human invention. Who says aliens are clever?
The Lost City of Atlantis
Again, the idea is cool and exciting and all. But I really doubt there is much truth to the legend. I can totally believe that a large coastal metropolis was once swallowed by the sea, and remains shrouded in mystery down there. But the loftier aspirations attributed to Atlantis, that it was some highly advanced, almost Oz-like, prosperous city is too far-fetched for me.
Magic, Spells, Incantations and Whatnot
Nup, I don't believe in it. I do believe in miracles, but only as they relate to the power of God. I don't buy that any human can just attain the ability to manipulate or transcend the laws of nature. Not unless God directly allows them to. I do believe there are people out there that fancy themselves witches, and there is something to be said in the power of group energies, positive or negative, certain forms of alternative healing, and the drawing of spirits (I cannot bring myself to say "summoning") for good or ill.
Monsters
Where this refers to great beasts of the ocean and such, I certainly don't think they never existed. And I've always found the idea of the Loch Ness Monster attractive. While I ultimately doubt there is such a thing in there now, I wouldn't want my suspicion to be confirmed either.
Otherwise, I can happily indulge in the idea that there are still some absolutely monstrous creatures out there. Who can really say, for instance, that the largest great white shark ever recorded is the actual largest one that haunts the ocean right now?
Beyond sharks, which are my favourite, there are loads of other animals - and loads of people - you could aptly describe as monsters.
Divination
Generally, I think think it's nonsense and it sure is a bore to read about. This goes with astrology also, which I also find ridiculous.
Reincarnation
Obviously, as a Christian, I don't believe in this. Nor would I be a fan of the process if it were real. However, I guess I can still see why people find the idea attractive.
Ghosts and Spirits
I totally believe in ghosts and find the phenomena fascinating. I'd love to live in a haunted house. That being said, the concept is greatly exaggerated by Hollywood and bullshitters in general. They are merely spirits of the departed, but I haven't the time to explain my exact thoughts about how such a thing can happen here, and the different reasons and conditions behind why some (hopefully most) are able to move on, some remain, and some seem to visit temporarily from the heavenly realm.
Spiritualism
In its relation to spirit communication, I do accept certain tenets of this. However, there is a lot of trickery and fraud involved. It's a very muddy area.
PSI and Science/The Hidden Abilities of the Brain
This stuff kind of loses me, but I think at least some of it might be less dismissible than it tends to appear nowadays, based on current research. To be honest, I haven't looked that much into it.
The Mystic Power of Dreams
Of course, dreams generally are just dreams. But I believe they can also be a gateway into a higher spiritual realm, so to speak. My personal conviction is that the mind is the incorporeal bridge between our brains and our souls, something that somehow bridges our physical being with our true and immortal self (i.e. our soul). Therefore, we are not merely dormant in our own physical bodies when we dream. Whilst remaining tethered to our physical selves, we may, by some external influence such as God or maybe a spirit or an angel, enter more deeply into this higher, mysterious realm, of which we will know very little about until we finally leave our bodies and begin our post-life journeys. Beyond that point, I do not know - nor does anyone - exactly what awaits us. But I am most confident in the Catholic conception (which, after writing a paragraph or so's description of, I have decided is not really necessary to elaborate on here).
Animal PSI
I don't believe - however much I wish it were true - that animals have souls. For this reason, they do not go to Heaven. But they certainly do have certain levels of awareness we humans lack. So yeah, I think there is something to this subject. And, who knows? If I make it to the Good Place and not the other, I would so love to be entirely wrong about never seeing my past pets again. The joy of cuddling, once again, my dear German shepherd, Kiera, who died in 2018 - and all the other pets I have, or will have, loved and lost by the time I die - is a joy that cannot be described in words.
Astral Projection
This ties in with my thoughts on dreams. I do not discount near-death experiences. I think at least some of those reports are probably the real deal. Yes, I have heard the scientific explanation for them, but while I do not categorically reject it, I also do not categorically accept it either. I think both come into play in different ways, and at different times.
As for astral projection, while I do not believe it is necessarily impossible, I do not think that it should be done. That would seem like playing with something God does not wish us to, and which we would have not nearly enough respect and understanding for. Like a bunch of rowdy teenagers who go ghost-hunting in an abandoned funeral home, only to run out crying like a bunch of pussies after they hear a door slam shut.
Mind over Matter
Sure. This is, in certain cases, a verifiable phenomenon, is it not?
Alternative Medicine
Yes, and no. I do believe such things as Reiki and many placebo-based healing practices can actually help patients, but not in the way their proponents think they do. The subject basically just allows wishful thinking and positive expectation to render their bodies and/or minds to be more receptive to relaxation, thus allowing the body to heal itself naturally.
UFOs
As in actual aliens and flying saucers, not just things in the sky we can't identify: I sit firmly on the fence with. I don't think it's at all impossible, but even if there are alien civilizations out there, it's very likely we will never have anything to do with them in our lifetime. On that note, if aliens did exist, I would take that to mean they are another part of God's plan for His creation. They would make me reshape the way I view the universe and the totality of God's creation, but they certainly would not threaten my faith and throw me into a meltdown. I just think it's silly to spend too much time and energy searching for aliens - if they exist - unless they come to us first. We have enough pressing issues to focus on here.
And I guess that's it. A very loosely written explanation of my thoughts and beliefs. Entirely uncritical or reflective, but just written as a half-assed attempt to state my general beliefs because I felt like it.
However, this one - despite being Readers Digest, which perhaps I just have a biased preconception about (I mean, aren't they what adorn the litter of magazines in the dentist's waiting room and whatnot?) - proved to be a very high-quality product. While it only deals briefly with each subject, the content is nevertheless of much interest. Better yet, it doesn't just have the same old stories everyone who knows this subject is already familiar with. I mean, there are some, but generally what this book contained was quite new to me.
There are many different areas explored, and not all of them are equally interesting. It depends on what appeals to each individual reader. So granted, it can get a little dense sometimes. But nonetheless, the writer (or writers; I'm really not sure) does a remarkable job in presenting the facts that often lie beneath the fictions. Indeed, the best thing about this book is that it doesn't just take you off into a world where nothing is conformed to our sense of reality. Not so much the debatable truths of the stories and phenomena, but rather the reasons why they became and are still so widely believed is detailed with a level of objectivity I did not expect from a book like this.
At the same time, I love how the writes mentions so many other books that deal directly with their respective subjects. Given most of them are very old, you can find a good deal of them for free on Internet Archive.
To conclude, this was a very good book. Very long, not always wonderful, and you will want breaks from it occasionally. But certainly worth the effort, and a permanent place on my shelf. I don't think I will be changing my mind any time soon at least. I think my own son will enjoy looking through this book when he gets a bit older.
Finally, I thought it would be fun to just address each subject very briefly and state my own beliefs, however confident or otherwise they are:
Ancient Unknowns and Earth Shrines
Well, they're hard to dispute because many of them they are still there. They are incredible, some of them. The idea that aliens had anything to do with their construction is a tantalising one, but totally confined to science fiction, I can quite assuredly say. I don't want to sound like a damned scientologist. And let's not downplay the natural ingenuity of human invention. Who says aliens are clever?
The Lost City of Atlantis
Again, the idea is cool and exciting and all. But I really doubt there is much truth to the legend. I can totally believe that a large coastal metropolis was once swallowed by the sea, and remains shrouded in mystery down there. But the loftier aspirations attributed to Atlantis, that it was some highly advanced, almost Oz-like, prosperous city is too far-fetched for me.
Magic, Spells, Incantations and Whatnot
Nup, I don't believe in it. I do believe in miracles, but only as they relate to the power of God. I don't buy that any human can just attain the ability to manipulate or transcend the laws of nature. Not unless God directly allows them to. I do believe there are people out there that fancy themselves witches, and there is something to be said in the power of group energies, positive or negative, certain forms of alternative healing, and the drawing of spirits (I cannot bring myself to say "summoning") for good or ill.
Monsters
Where this refers to great beasts of the ocean and such, I certainly don't think they never existed. And I've always found the idea of the Loch Ness Monster attractive. While I ultimately doubt there is such a thing in there now, I wouldn't want my suspicion to be confirmed either.
Otherwise, I can happily indulge in the idea that there are still some absolutely monstrous creatures out there. Who can really say, for instance, that the largest great white shark ever recorded is the actual largest one that haunts the ocean right now?
Beyond sharks, which are my favourite, there are loads of other animals - and loads of people - you could aptly describe as monsters.
Divination
Generally, I think think it's nonsense and it sure is a bore to read about. This goes with astrology also, which I also find ridiculous.
Reincarnation
Obviously, as a Christian, I don't believe in this. Nor would I be a fan of the process if it were real. However, I guess I can still see why people find the idea attractive.
Ghosts and Spirits
I totally believe in ghosts and find the phenomena fascinating. I'd love to live in a haunted house. That being said, the concept is greatly exaggerated by Hollywood and bullshitters in general. They are merely spirits of the departed, but I haven't the time to explain my exact thoughts about how such a thing can happen here, and the different reasons and conditions behind why some (hopefully most) are able to move on, some remain, and some seem to visit temporarily from the heavenly realm.
Spiritualism
In its relation to spirit communication, I do accept certain tenets of this. However, there is a lot of trickery and fraud involved. It's a very muddy area.
PSI and Science/The Hidden Abilities of the Brain
This stuff kind of loses me, but I think at least some of it might be less dismissible than it tends to appear nowadays, based on current research. To be honest, I haven't looked that much into it.
The Mystic Power of Dreams
Of course, dreams generally are just dreams. But I believe they can also be a gateway into a higher spiritual realm, so to speak. My personal conviction is that the mind is the incorporeal bridge between our brains and our souls, something that somehow bridges our physical being with our true and immortal self (i.e. our soul). Therefore, we are not merely dormant in our own physical bodies when we dream. Whilst remaining tethered to our physical selves, we may, by some external influence such as God or maybe a spirit or an angel, enter more deeply into this higher, mysterious realm, of which we will know very little about until we finally leave our bodies and begin our post-life journeys. Beyond that point, I do not know - nor does anyone - exactly what awaits us. But I am most confident in the Catholic conception (which, after writing a paragraph or so's description of, I have decided is not really necessary to elaborate on here).
Animal PSI
I don't believe - however much I wish it were true - that animals have souls. For this reason, they do not go to Heaven. But they certainly do have certain levels of awareness we humans lack. So yeah, I think there is something to this subject. And, who knows? If I make it to the Good Place and not the other, I would so love to be entirely wrong about never seeing my past pets again. The joy of cuddling, once again, my dear German shepherd, Kiera, who died in 2018 - and all the other pets I have, or will have, loved and lost by the time I die - is a joy that cannot be described in words.
Astral Projection
This ties in with my thoughts on dreams. I do not discount near-death experiences. I think at least some of those reports are probably the real deal. Yes, I have heard the scientific explanation for them, but while I do not categorically reject it, I also do not categorically accept it either. I think both come into play in different ways, and at different times.
As for astral projection, while I do not believe it is necessarily impossible, I do not think that it should be done. That would seem like playing with something God does not wish us to, and which we would have not nearly enough respect and understanding for. Like a bunch of rowdy teenagers who go ghost-hunting in an abandoned funeral home, only to run out crying like a bunch of pussies after they hear a door slam shut.
Mind over Matter
Sure. This is, in certain cases, a verifiable phenomenon, is it not?
Alternative Medicine
Yes, and no. I do believe such things as Reiki and many placebo-based healing practices can actually help patients, but not in the way their proponents think they do. The subject basically just allows wishful thinking and positive expectation to render their bodies and/or minds to be more receptive to relaxation, thus allowing the body to heal itself naturally.
UFOs
As in actual aliens and flying saucers, not just things in the sky we can't identify: I sit firmly on the fence with. I don't think it's at all impossible, but even if there are alien civilizations out there, it's very likely we will never have anything to do with them in our lifetime. On that note, if aliens did exist, I would take that to mean they are another part of God's plan for His creation. They would make me reshape the way I view the universe and the totality of God's creation, but they certainly would not threaten my faith and throw me into a meltdown. I just think it's silly to spend too much time and energy searching for aliens - if they exist - unless they come to us first. We have enough pressing issues to focus on here.
And I guess that's it. A very loosely written explanation of my thoughts and beliefs. Entirely uncritical or reflective, but just written as a half-assed attempt to state my general beliefs because I felt like it.
September 17, 2020
excellent! love the topics and selected Chapter of the Unknown, even though its dated its still relevant. a few new discoveries have come to light but it withstands the test of time and is the most often referenced book yet today by all writers in this genre! hours of conversations.... my friend co-worker gave me this book and we continue to have discussions... never ending unknown wonders. including hataałii.
April 28, 2021
This is a 1981 Reader's Digest book that Beth had as a kid, and liked looking at the pictures. There really are a lot of cool illustrations in here, including a hellmouth from the Hours of Catherine of Cleves. As far as the text goes, it's one of those overviews of the paranormal that were in vogue at the time, and probably still are to some extent today. There are short chapters on astrology, witchcraft, ghosts, psychic powers, UFOs, and other such subjects. The style is the sort of thing where the writers wanted to hedge their bets, admitting when instances of the supernatural have been proven fake, but presenting most of the rest in a "hey, we're not saying it's true, but it COULD be" kind of way. It's the kind of stuff that I think is fun as long as someone isn't using it to profit from rubes.
May 31, 2021
A very interesting book full of knowledge not readily available. The book covers many topic's such as Clairvoyance, Anciet Unknowns, UFO's & so much more. I enjoyed it for I love to learn new things...
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews