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September, 2004
Often we tend to associate the spiritual journey with exotic locales—ashrams in India, hidden monasteries in the Himalayas. Jon Mundy’s engaging account of his home-grown journey reminds us that we can have intense and powerful revelations in more familiar settings. Mundy, a former Methodist minister, takes us from his boyhood on a Missouri farm in the 1950s to his days of spiritual exploration in the New York of the ‘60s, ‘70s, and beyond, into the present, when he teaches and lectures widely as well as delivering a standup comedy routine as Swami Babi Ji Whiz. Mundy’s account reveals the ups and downs of his romantic relationships as well as his business successes and failures, all of which he chronicles with an unstinting frankness. We’re also given lively portraits of his encounters with spiritual teachers such as Muktananda and Bhagwan Sri Rajneesh (also known as Osho). Most compelling, however, is Mundy’s account of his early encounter with Helen Schucman and Bill Thetford, the transcribers of A Course in Miracles, one of the most powerful and popular spiritual texts of our age. Fans of the Course will be intrigued by the story of Mundy’s loving as well as transformative relationship with Helen and Bill and of the effect the Course has had on his life. Mundy also describes the difficulties his path caused in his relations with the Methodist church, which eventually broke with him over his unorthodox approach to spirituality. Missouri Mystic gives us a warm, honest, and highly readable account of the life of a modern seeker in the last half of the twentieth century. Mundy’s frankness about the ups and downs of his life remind us that the life of a spiritual explorer is not to be gauged in terms of personal net worth or widespread fame, but in one’s willingness to take risks with one’s life and to follow the guidance of the spirit. —Richard Smoley
Stricken by the mysterious loss of his voice in 1901, Sunday School teacher Edgar Cayce lay down in a meditative sleep and proceeded to successfully and accurately diagnose his condition and treatment. In future similar states, he found he was able, when prompted, to do the same for others, even when they were physically miles away. Over time, the readings gave way to questions beyond health, and by the end of his life, the “Sleeping Prophet” had given over 14,000 such readings on everything from the common cold to the life of Jesus and reincarnation. Currently housed and categorized at the Association for Research and Enlightenment in Virginia Beach, Virginia, the readings have been studied for the past thirty years by author Mark Thurston, editor of The Essential Edgar Cayce. Second in the Essential series from Tarcher/ Penguin (the first being The Essential Ernest Holmes), The Essential Edgar Cayce offers a well-ordered, thorough study of the core issues Cayce addressed in his thousands of readings. Chapters begin with a synopsis of the topic covered by the reading, followed by the reading itself as dictated by the “sleeping” Cayce. Essential readings cover health matters, soul development, esoteric Christianity, and social issues. Ernest Holmes was well aware of Cayce’s work, as the influence of both men spread across America during the early 1900s. Compatible with the Science of Mind philosophy, the Cayce readings advocate balance between mind, soul, and spirit in all conditions, and support a holistic approach to issues of health and spirituality. —Randall Simons
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