Customer Reviews

Child in the Wilderness: The True Story of God-Realization-Before, During and After

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Harold Klemp's story of reaching mastership is one of the most revealing and uncomfortably honest autobiographies yet detailing the journey to God-Realization. If you enjoy true stories told by people who experience higher realizations, put this one on your list.

In Child in the Wilderness, Klemp's simple writing style and open-hearted descriptions about his life's journey to God gave me a much more practical idea of what it must be like to experience God. At one time I thought God should be accessible to all who want him and not just a few prophets in the long history of mankind. After reading Klemp's book I've come to realize that's an even more ridiculous notion than expecting all three-year-old children to be able to operate a nuclear aircraft carrier. Klemp gives us a sense of the training and preparation it takes to make that first contact with God. He showed me the life-altering impact this meeting had on him. And he showed me the struggle he made to regain and maintain his balance after this experience so he could be a useful and effective vehicle for God's love in this world. Where some writers might end their books with an experience with God, Klemp's experience lies smack in the middle of his book. He dedicates the rest of his book to showing how he learned to live as this vehicle of God. He's painfully frank about his failings as well as his achievements. Its as if he lived his life to show people what they might expect along the way to their experiences with God and what lies beyond these experiences. For this I will be forever grateful. I look forward to reading more of your books, Mr. Klemp.

Klemp candidly shares the sometimes-overwhelming difficulties that face anyone who seriously wants to find the God beyond religion, beyond words, beyond ideas. I urge anyone who is secure in his/her religion to have the courage to read it- for me, it shattered illusions I had- that there was some definite, programmatic way to find God that would not result in any great pain after one made real contact! The hugeness and intensity of the God beyond bromides and Sunday sermons is hinted at, as we follow Klemp's journey to God-Realization and the unexpected difficulties in living in this world with that changed consciousness.

The subject matter seems a little unbelievable, but when you read the down home style, this is a writer who I cannot imagine is 'just' telling a story. I liked wondering whether he imagined or lived a journey to God Realization, but get the sense that he really did live it.

Harold Klemp really sounds genuine. How many religious figures are willing to say that they went into an insane asylum on their oath to a greater truth? None that I know.

I admire the honesty, and also the good writing. VERY easy to read, very readable. I liked it a lot.

This book contains perhaps the most honest and revealing description of one man's quest for God Realization ever written. Harold Klemp's path was not easy, and he pulls no punches in describing the process.

A must read for anyone seriously interested in learning about the religious experience of God.

I first read this book 14 years ago, but decided to reread it when it was recommended instead of "Confessions of a God Seeker" by Ford Johnson. I found the revisit to Mr. Klemp's book very interesting since I brought with it a new perspective. In this review I will also give the reader some background into Eckankar (that the author leaves out) in order to bring forth a wider view and depth behind what I see as some of the true intentions behind this book.

In the introduction Mr. Klemp makes a shockingly arrogant comment in order to numb the reader's cognitive senses. If you can accept this then everything else becomes believable as well. He states that, "No savior could shoulder my burdens, for God-Realization brought with it full responsibility for everything I ever set into motion." In reading of Mr. Klemp's experiences one wonders what burdens he is talking about. Mr. Klemp led a very uninteresting life and only experienced strife, of his own making, when he had personality conflicts with others, or when exhibiting obsessive-complusive, delusional, or anti-social behavior. And, he never seems to take responsibility for his own actions when conflict arises, nor does he consider what circumstances that other individuals may be going through. The story comes across as a very narcissistic and promotionally colored rewrite of Mr. Klemp's personal history, in order to give validity to his current position as Mahanta (master of all masters). It seems that the author was less than detached and was still taking things personally at the time of this uncanny (creative) recollection of events.

Mr. Klemp also seems to be psychologically conditioning the reader to accept his story as gospel by portraying himself to be more than even a savoir. In truth, Eckankar views the "God" of many religions as living, or residing, on the Astral Plane(2nd plane or level). The remaining religions of the world are seen to have their "God" residing on the Mental Plane (4th plane). Also, the entry level plane for God-Realization is the 8th plane, and the highest recorded level for God-Realization (according to Eckankar) is the Mahanta Consciousness (14th plane). In the Eckankar writings Jesus, for example, is seen as the equivalent of a second initiate (2nd plane), but achieving Cosmic Consciousness (4th plane). A high initiate in Eckankar begins at the Self-Realization level (5th plane). Mr. Klemp's reported God-Realization experience (8th plane or higher) took place at a time when he was only a 2nd initiate in Eckankar. Mr. Klemp misleads the general public by using the name "God" interchangeably with that of Sugmad (the Supreme One), but Sugmad is at an even higher level than the Mahanta. Confusion creates deception and prevents truth (such as it is) from being revealed.

Once again, at the very start of this book Mr. Klemp is placing himself on a higher level of consciousness than Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, Moses, Mohammed, and even "God." If the reader buys into the "No savior could shoulder my burdens" spin then they are also buying into Mr. Klemp's delusion, and the Eckankar propaganda. Try repeating this "No savior" statement for yourself and feel how whacky (delusional) it sounds. Only circumstances (karma) have put Mr. Klemp into his so called leadership position. This is not only his own personal test, but that of anyone who wants to buy into the delusion with him! Mr. Klemp is simply taking the old "as if" (Soul Travelers of the Far Country, 1987, p. 66) approach to mastership in order to believe that he is all that Twitchell had created for himself. Klemp actually renamed Twitchell's method where one should assume a role then act it out. Eckists are to read books written on/by masters, saints, or God-men, like Brother Lawrence, and imitate them. It is thought that one will eventually become that which they desire. However, the Catch-22 is that consciousness cannot be imitated. Behavior should provide a good litmus test for those claiming to have achieved God-Realization, but then again they may just be good actors when under public scrutiny. Sometimes they slip up, however, such as when angry, unloving, and personal insults are made toward individuals (H.I. Letter, 09/03).

Anyway, I was disappointed that the focus of the story began in 1970 and ended in 1971. Mr. Klemp makes excuses for his arrest and institutional stay, but does not reveal information about meeting his first wife, the death of his master (Paul Twitchell), or the ten years with his new master and Mahanta, Darwin Gross. Very disappointing indeed!