The author, an economist with an abiding interest in the paranormal ever since encountering a few people whose stories did not jibe with normal reality, has taken a researcher's approach to many things that fall into the mystical category, such as remote viewing, lucid dreaming, bi-location, non-physical guides, the third eye, rainbow beings, life after life, and the continuation of consciousness apart from the body and its brain.  Although it was somewhat disappointing to find him discussing case histories and third-party accounts rather than his own incidents, it was nevertheless pleasant to see his rigorous application of strict parameters and neutral observations.  He uses lots of formal studies from organizations and professionals, applying a practical approach of inquiry and listening.  Still, it's the Western mind grappling with the numinous realm... always a struggle! 

Among the best of his reported discoveries are that (a) in OOBs (out-of-body experiences), one feels that he/she is in the same reality but has moved apart from one's physical body or soma, and is quite aware of the transition, such as floating upwards, "rolling out", walking through wall, etc., but in LDs (lucid dreams), one is instantly transported to a new scene without the sense of journeying; and (b) OOBs seem to take place in the "real world" whereas LDs give an experience of waking up within a dream world.  Adding further complexity, since experiments to induce the subject to report back with verifiable evidence of his/her ecsomatic experience (a coined word meaning OOB), such as reading information left high up on shelves that only a ceiling floater could see, were constant failures, the author is led to the theory that OOB-rs could enter only one of three different realities: the consensus reality (Locale 1, our regular world, which doesn't seem to be the case in these experiments), a similar but different reality (Locale 2, a middle world that's not quite here and now), or a faraway reality (Locale 3, the dream world).

This is all wonderful scientific analysis of mysterious phenomena that leads the rational mind to conclude commonality between powerful incidents of OOB, LD, NDE (near-death experience), remote viewing, and the like, and asks great questions such as Are there transition states within your journey? Or, Is this locale the same or different from the real world?  This road of inquiry inevitably leads to concepts involving holograms, virtual worlds, the effect of mind upon tangibility, and all such mind-benders.  When questioning how reality is built, and where it is located, it's impossible not to touch upon quantum physics!  Are we all living in a lucid dream in which both PMR (physical matter reality) and NPMR (non-physical matter reality) are both being created by a TBC (The Big Computer, i.e., a god force)?!

What can I say?  No matter what science deduces, it will still have trouble with the typical mystic's reality.  For me, e.g., my spirit guides telepathically channel words of wisdom to me (from which reality to which reality?); I was taken OOB and shown my empty shell while a more real "me" - older and male - was shown invisibly in a mirror behind and to the left of my shell (who was he?! And from whence?); visions of great import are routinely conveyed, lighting the future path for me and for humankind (how can science address that?); and once while watching a shoot-'em-up movie with my husband, the entire theater and then the entire world became a mere projection that lasted long enough for me to grasp the concept (that it's all a dream, it's all maya, the Hindu world for illusion).

The scientists are catching up, but there's still much, much more to dissect and comprehend.  Not only is the entire world - consensus or dream - a fabrication of mind, but even more mind-blowing indeed, it's a fabrication of the Mind of God.  There is Plan and Design behind it all.  There is purpose and meaning.  In this new, cerebral Age of Aquarius, the scientific mind will be pulled to merge with the mystical mind, and so much more will be revealed.

There is no reason not to read this book!  I hope this author and all other meticulous and passionate scientific researchers keep writing this stuff.  The visionary, thought-based intangibility of "consensus reality" is truth, and will be discovered.  If you know of similar literature, please keep me posted.  WELL RECOMMENDED.