The Frenchman’s Cove Experience – Me and We: Self, Gaia and the Cosmic Hologram

It is true that scientific research and spiritual search both begin from a sense of mystery, as was specifically remarked upon by Einstein. However, there are profound differences in their approaches, and spiritual mysteries, unlike the scientific ones, cannot be solved even in principles.

For the past four decades my research has frequently found me living in various parts of the world with minority religions who believe and do things that would seem, at least prima facie, to be both incredible and incomprehensible. I have also found myself drawn into taking an active, and often uncomfortable role in the so-called ‘cult scene’. Although it is impossible to generalise about the thousands of religious movements that currently exist, in this talk I shall discuss some of the characteristics that new new religions tend to display and how these are likely to change within a relatively short period. I shall also describe how, when stepping out of the ivory tower, one can find oneself in a Monty Python situation, discovering the familiar in the unfamiliar and the unfamiliar in the familiar.