Q: Two decades have passed since you first published The Gods of Eden. Do you still take the theory seriously?
A: My biggest surprise is that the theory is still holding up. When I first started giving talks about the book in late 1989-1990, the Cold War was ending and the Berlin Wall was coming down. It seemed like we were about to enter the Age of Aquarius. But I noticed that some localized conflicts were being triggered by radical Islamists. I said to one audience at the time that if the theory is true, then we will see radical Islam replace the communist bloc as the next big faction to breed non-stop war and strife. Sadly, the prediction proved to be true, and now radical Islam is the new "great menace." As I discussed in The Gods of Eden, the origins of Islam are similar to other conflict-inducing ideologies that have historical links to the ancient UFO phenomenon. We are also experiencing once again how the "inflatable paper money system" (i.e., fractional reserve banking) creates widespread economic instability which continues to makes physical survival a struggle for most of the human population despite all of our other advances. In other words, the historical patterns I discuss in The Gods of Eden and their ultimate sources remain the same.
This is not to say that the theory of The Gods of Eden has been conclusively proven. It is simply a theory that continues to hold up in the light of current events, and it continues to have predictive qualities. Whether it proves to be "the truth" remains to be seen.
Q: Are you a member of any religious, spiritual, or fraternal organizations?
A: No, I am not. I sometimes enjoy attending traditional Christian church services like midnight mass on Christmas Eve. When in Los Angeles, I go to some of the talks and events at churches listed in the Whole Person Calendar. I have accepted invitations to Hindu temple services, and I like the Dalai Lama's DVD about the Four Noble Truths. I have also enjoyed services at Unity and at Universal Unitarian churches. And like so many other people, I am fascinated by the philosophical implications of quantum physics. But there is no single set of teachings that I follow or promote...instead, I find that my greatest satisfaction comes by drawing from many different sources.
On the other hand, I am also not one to tell people which beliefs or practices they should or should not follow. That is a very personal decision. The internet is an excellent resource for finding information, especially of a contemporary nature, and I encourage people to use it as part of their spiritual journey. But don't ignore books and libraries; they still contain priceless information and wisdom that have not reached the internet.
Q: As a result of writing The Gods of Eden, what is your prognosis for humanity's future?
A: For the moment, more of the same, although we are seeing improvements on some fronts. For example, war touches fewer people than it did a century ago because it is becoming more difficult to get people enthused about going to war. Sure, Obama and the Republicans are doing their best to keep Americans stirred up and interested in fighting wars, and the radical Islamists are doing the same on the other side of the divide, but it is not working as well as it used to. Most people in the Islamic world are tired of their jihadist imams and suicide bombers, and most people in America are equally tired of the non-stop excuses that they are given for being constantly at war. I think that a world-weariness about war is starting to spread within the human population, and that is a good sign.
But there is another trend that needs our attention: life on Earth is presently in the process of shutting down. We are experiencing a major mass- extinction event (the Holocene Extinction), and I am surprised that this is seldom mentioned in the press. I do not know of any scientists who predict an end to humanity, but there are predictions that half of all species may disappear by the end of this century if current extinction rates continue. The problem with mass-extinction events is that it is difficult to predict exactly how all of the dominoes will fall. The extinction is beginning to reach the pollinators that we need to grow about a third of the human food supply: honeybees, bumblebees, butterflies, bats, etc. If this trend continues, and if we continue to expand our reliance on genetically modified foods, the next generation may find itself eating little except GMO grains since grains do not require pollinators. Should this happen, the overall quality of the human diet will decline severely, and the risk of food shortages will increase, all of which could put pressure on human survival. It is all easily preventable, but that requires a shift to a more holistic consciousness, which is fortunately growing.
