Although he started out in life as a painter with a degree in Fine Art, his interests soon expanded, and he is now the author of innumerable books, as well as journal and magazine articles. He makes presentations around the globe, and speaks on television and radio. His achievements also include being founding co- editor of the Journal, TIME AND MIND, a Senior Research Fellow at the International Consciousness Research Laboratory at Princeton, and a Research Affiliate at the Royal College of Art.
Charla Devereux accompanied her husband on his visit and is accomplished in her own right. She is the Network Manager of the Scientific and Medical Network, as well as having written several books on alternative medicine. She is an authority on Aromatherapy, and was instrumental in having that subject taught as a serious college level course in the United States. Most recently, she and Paul have co-authored a book on Lucid Dreaming.
Over the course of the weekend, Paul took us on an odyssey through time and space. He intrigued us with slides of various geological sites, where magnificent pieces of the earth were restructured or decorated by ancient man. These were deemed as sacred spaces for connecting with the mythic Great Time.
These ancient cultures had a very different vision of the world than that of modern man. They saw the earth as a living system, of which they were a part. They viewed all things as being possessed of a spirit to be honored and respected. Nature was not to be exploited or abused, but used as a gift that could unveil the great mysteries of life.
Also, their concept of consciousness and reality was quite different. Hallucinatory drugs were not taken for hedonistic pleasure or material gain or power, but to obtain a higher state of being. Natural parts of the environment were also fashioned to do this. An example is found at the legendary Circle of Stonehenge where some of the stones were apparently struck repeatedly, to produce a ringing sound (archaeoacoustics!), and facilitate a trance state. (This would finally explain why these stones were moved 20 miles to be put in their present location!)
When in these altered states, what was experienced was considered to be just as real as what occurred in the natural waking state-----only better! There were no physical limitations, and time lost any meaning. The ability to spirit travel gave a more all-encompassing perspective from which to view life, incorporating other planes of existence, and the vast capabilities of consciousness.
As Paul Devereux pointed out, we may have lost something by dismissing these peoples as primitive. Perhaps they knew and understood much more than we do. Our view of ourselves has become very mechanistic. Consciousness has been reduced to the workings of the brain, just a jumble of electrical impulses producing actions. The soul or spirit has been dismissed as superstition. Any experience that falls out of the realm of consensus reality is considered to be the manifestation of mental illness. Hallucinatory drugs are illegal, and the experiences related to them are again diminished to be aberrant brain activity.
How sad that in today’s environment of advanced technology, one area that is vastly ignored is that of consciousness. Why is it that we are not even allowed to question whether there might be more? Why not at least try to find out? It is known that we only perceive a small portion of what is “out there”. Even then, for consensus, we “fill in the blanks” to make everything conform.
The goal of both Paul Devereux and the Rhine Center is to explore these other possible realms. We investigate in scientific ways, with the same scientific methods that are used universally. Still, our motives and credibility are often questioned. What might others be so afraid of? Are we possibly missing the opportunity to advance ourselves and improve our world? If we keep going the way we are, we are clearly headed for extinction. There are so many questions left to be answered.
Paul and Charla Devereux left us with a renewed sense of wonder about what we might be capable of doing or knowing, and asking ourselves questions about the very fabric of our lives. They are truly charming people, in every sense of the word. They are impressive, not only in their knowledge, but also in their integrity, and the reverence with which they treat their subject matter. We certainly look forward to having them visit again soon!!
-- Cindy Nigro
To learn much more about Paul Devereux, please visit his website at http://www.pauldevereux.co.uk/. Also visit our recent newsletter which features Paul Devereux and Sacred Sites.
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