How often have you stepped outside on a clear night, looked up at the evening sky, and as you stared at the infinite expanses of space and the cosmos, felt a yearning in your heart for something more?
Regardless of where you’ve been, where you are, or where you’re going in life, you’ve probably questioned reality around you, and wondered what else might exist out there. Modern statistics tell us that nine out of every ten or so people not only profess a belief in the paranormal; they also claim to have had experiences of their own. Whether they’ve seen a ghost in an old house, a strange light or other object drifting through the sky, or maybe just had a “feeling” that ended up having a profound, if not life-saving effect later on, we’re met daily with examples of unseen forces that play outside the realms of human perception.
If you have ever wondered “what else” exists around you, witnessed something strange and inexplicable, or felt as though someone–or perhaps something–has extended an unseen helping hand from another realm, look no further. But be warned: the path to discovery hasn’t come to an end… in fact, it has only just begun.
I am proud (and very excited) to announce that my new book, Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule: The Search for Sentient Intelligence from Other Worlds is literally only days away from being released. That’s why I wanted to take this opportunity to tell you, the readers of The Gralien Report, about this book before anyone else gets to hear about it.
It has been a long road to discovery in completing this book, which I feel best represents all the unique points and parallels that bridge psychology, the paranormal, and historical mystical practices dating back to the dawn of humanity. I know that’s quite a statement, but thanks to the stories, insights, and most of all, support from so many fine folks like you, I simply couldn’t think of this book as anything less. It is, in essence, the culmination of my own best evaluation of what my good friend, Nick Redfern, calls “the twilight world of Forteana.” Speaking of Nick Redfern, here’s an excerpt of what he had to say in the book’s foreword, which he was kind enough to write for me:
Hanks is, in my view, firmly on the right track. A new, fresh approach to the world of Forteana is sorely needed if we are to actually get some answers, instead of merely collecting more and more reports. Micah Hanks is one of those individuals at the absolute forefront of skillfully negotiating the dark waters that will ultimately provide us with the answers that we seek. Enjoy his book, digest its contents carefully, and above all else: learn. And before I forget: throw out your bulging, aged and yellowing files and reports. They are now as extinct and redundant as a T-Rex.
-NICK REDFERN, author of Contactees: A History of Alien-Human Interaction
Within the pages of Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule, you’ll be given a perspective of some of history’s strangest mysteries in ways you’ve never before seen. For instance:
- What role did the infamous magician Aleister Crowley play in the history of modern Ufology? Furthermore, did he somehow manage to summon an alien “gray” during one of his magical rituals?
- Out of 80,000 plants that were available, how did native tribes in the Amazon jungles discover the right mix of ingredients that allow DMT, the psychoactive ingredient in their ritual ayahuasca brew, to become active; a feat anthropologist Jeremy Narby says stood a one in six-million chance of discovery?
- Do Tibetan mystics possess the strange ability to create “tulpas,” literal thought-forms that manifest physically from their thoughts alone? Even stranger, could a sixteenth century Jewish mystic have done the same thing in creating a “golem” in medieval Prague?
- Did famed scholar of the macabre, H.P. Lovecraft, somehow predict that the human pineal gland could act as a gateway between unseen worlds? If so, did the research of famous inventor Nikola Tesla not only prove Lovecraft’s own predictions, but illustrate ways we can literally contact creatures From Beyond?
- Do mirrors act as portals to other realms? According to Dr. Raymond Moody, the spirits of deceased loved ones can actually communicate through reflective surfaces… but what else might be capable of coming through?
- How are sleep paralysis, UFO abductions, out of body travel, psychedelic visions and near death experiences all interconnected? Could they all be much more similar than we’ve previously imagined?
If you have ever wondered about these enigmatic mysteries, Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule is the practical handbook to understanding the unseen realms of consciousness and beyond. You too can learn the secrets that ancient magicians, modern mystics, entheogenic pioneers, and the technological innovators of tomorrow have used, and will continue to use, in reaching the inner realms of both human consciousness, as well as the outlying cosmos.
There is much, much more to come, and I can’t wait to bring you along on a fascinating journey of insight into our world’s greatest mysteries. Please visit The Gralien Report often during the next few weeks for more information about how you can purchase my new book, Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule: The Search for Sentient Intelligence from Other Worlds.
by 
Holey Molecule!
Can’t wait to read it! Please inform us when it will be available for purchase.
PS: Great art cover, too 😉
The text of this post makes it seem as though the book might be oriented a bit more credulously than the blog. I hope this is merely to sell the book to a wider audience. I have enjoyed this blog not only because of the forteana, but also because of the caution and agnosis with which you have approached it.
Hello Enki,
No no, you’ll never find a credulous word coming from my ever-faithful lips. In fact, there will be plenty in Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule that will appeal to the closet skeptic in all of us!
But all joking aside, I appreciate your observations about the tone I take on this blog (very much, actually), since undue credulity is something we see far too much these days. In addition to metaphysical analysis the likes of John Keel’s “The Mothman Prophecies,” in my book you’ll just as often see me references to scholars like Terrence Hines, author of “Pseudoscience and the Paranormal.” Similarly, before I attempted a valid argument pertaining to “entities” seen by users of entheogenic drugs, I consulted a variety of college textbooks pertaining to abnormal psychology, and have studied mental illness from cultures that include the Eskimos, the Yoruba tribe of Africa, and Hatian refugees. Then, to bridge the two fields of study, I observe psychological studies where psychedelic drugs like DMT were administered to schizophrenic patients in the 1950s.
These are just a few examples of the approach I like to take with my book, and I appreciate your concerns (since I’ve seen your insightful commentaries popping up a lot recently)! But rest assured, if there are attributes from this blog you’re hoping to see in Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule, I can at very least guarantee that you won’t be dissappointed in that category.
Cheers!
-Micah
Have you tried using entheogenics yourself, Micah?
RPJ,
Though it may come as a surprise, I have not used entheogenic substances myself, though I obviously advocate their use in the capacity of mystical practices and self-discovery.
This is because such a knowledge base already exists regarding the effects of these substances. I had begun to feel that I might lose a degree of objectivity if I were to attempt to use them myself while writing the book, and then merely describe my own experiences (which many nonetheless advised that I do). The likes of Albert Hoffman, Terrence McKenna, and Daniel Pinchbeck have already provided so much of this sort of material, and to follow suit, in my opinion, would only have more clearly defined my potential bias toward the information I presented.
Much like Rick Strassman has done with his written works (he doesn’t disclose whether he has tried psychedelics, though I suspect he has), it is my hope that Magic, Mysticism and the Molecule will provide commentary on the nature of this strange phenomenon (that is, the use of entheogens) and how it relates to mystical practices in various cultures throughout the centuries. By maintaining a degree of objectivity in this way, I feel that the presentation remains pretty faithful to a journalistic analysis of the phenomenon, without becoming an overt advocate.
How about you?
-Micah!
I think anyone can accept that as a very reasonable and professional approach.
Have I tried entheogenics? No. Like you, I respect their proper use when seen as tools that can help *some* people open avenues of self-discovery, and I despise fool-hardy recreational use.
But I think entheogenics are a path that might not be appropriate for everybody. As for me, I don’t think I could have the strength to survive such a strong blow to my psyche; I remain curious about it, but since I’m already a person with such a vivid imagination, I fear the drugs could turn it against me.
Maybe when I’m older, and a bit wiser 🙂
PS: Besides, there are times when I can ‘see’ very weird things.
Sometimes when I’m in bed with the lights out, I perceive strange whirls of “light”; these are explained as ‘entoptic visions’ by some, bt maybe there’s more to it.
I suspect my endocrinous DMT might already be higher than the usual person; so what would happen if a person with already-high DMT tries to increase it artificially? See now why I hesitate so much about the use of ‘power plants’?
Thanks RPJ! I had hoped most folks would share your understanding of my desire to maintain journalistic integrity (and speaking to the concerns expressed earlier by ENKI on this thread, going out and taking a bunch of drugs would certainly, in my view, have constituted a more credulous attitude toward my presentation, which I hope to avoid).
No less, there are many who have argued that my own abstinence from using entheogens devalues my arguments… and though the small plant featured on the cover of the book (with swirling entheogenic molecules hovering around it) is supposed to represent banisteriopsis cappi, a vine that grows in the Amazon used in the creation of DMT-rich ayahuasca, entheogens are only one third of the book’s focus.
Also, let me just say that I mirror your ideas regarding recreational drug use. Having recently spoken with a mystic friend of mine named Virato (who is now in his 70s, and has used many entheogens while traveling the world), he shares the opinion that if you’re happy as you are, don’t try powerful psychedelics. If, however, you feel that their use will enhance your own spiritual path (a subjective thing we must decide for ourselves), this should be done only with care and caution.
Thanks, as always, for your enlightening commentary, my friend! Hopefully others will share your all inclusive, yet probing perspectives. Only by asking questions can we come close to learning ultimate truth… whatever that may end up being!