In brief, it is written around three key characters: Andrija Puharich, Phyllis V. Schlemmer, and Sir John Whitmore. Sadly, Andrija Puharich and Phyllis V. Schlemmer passed some time ago, in 1995 and 2013 respectively (although no doubt they are enjoying their time in the astral - they certainly have done enough to have some enjoyment). Now, I have found, Sir John has also passed.
One of the regrets of my life is that I never got around to writing to Lobsang Rampa to tell him how I was a better person for having read his books - flawed though those books were - until after he passed. I was determined not to make the same mistake again with Sir John, after I found Phyllis Schlemmer had passed, and tried to find a way to contact him.
Unfortunately, the only contacts were via his - renowned - coaching organisations and publishers of his coaching books (one of which I recently purchased and read, and am now working at applying): I "followed" Sir John on LinkedIn (which is where I found out about his death), but none of these had any acknowledgement of what he had been part of - even his Wikipedia profile had nothing. So ... I hesitated, and now can only hope to relay my gratitude via the astral, as one of the many doing so.
My one joy is that Sir John's Wikipedia profile now has a very stilted, slightly inaccurate, and "deflectionary" acknowledgement of that time:
Sir John also wrote the Foreword to and is extensively quoted in a book called "Nine:Briefing from Deep Space" which was published in 2005. The book is based upon interviews with extraterrestial beings which a group of people including Sir John as well as Phyllis Schlemmer and Uri Geller. claimed to have had over a number of years. The book seems to have a popular following among certain new age groups and Sir John finds himself being quoted and spoken about on a number of websites which explore such claims.I actually don't regret, this time, not trying harder to contact Sir John: it is quite possible that he had come to regret that time - in which case, far from conveying my gratitude, I would simply have added to his displeasure. As a point of idle curiosity it would be nice to know, but:
- the benefit I received is not dependent on Sir John's ongoing commitment/satisfaction;
- Sir John did a lot more in his life than only that project, and he deserves to be remembered for that as well; and
- I am, basically, a nonentity in Sir John's life - I have no right to know that, and this is just one of the things that goes with public figures - they DO have a right to their privacy. Above all else, however, the people who matter at this time most are his friends and family - and may they receive the healing and support they need at this time, along with Sir John receiving whatever healing, rest and recuperation he also needs.
And I will have celebratory re-reading of "Briefing ...".
