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Deep Spirit

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In my new novel "Deep Spirit," a wise and highly informed dolphin, called Darwin, communicates with scientists, helping them to "crack the noetic code" -- a new way of knowing that could pull humanity back from the brink of chaos. It's a story about the evolution of consciousness -- and how to realize our visions for a viable future.

One of the first people to finish reading "Deep Spirit" asked whether I have any evidence for dolphins communicating with humans. "What," she wondered, "makes you feel that is either plausible or real?"

What an interesting -- and challenging -- question! I wasn't quite sure how to respond. But her question was heartfelt, so I wanted to try.

First, I don't expect readers to accept that communication between species, in human language, is either plausible or real. I simply leave that possibility open. However, I do hope the dialogue makes sense within the story.

That said, the question of "evidence" is complicated, subtle, and complex. One of the key themes in "Deep Spirit" is the value of cultivating alternative states of consciousness -- beyond our everyday rational minds. I don't expect much, if any, successful interspecies communication, or evolution of human consciousness, can occur without it.

By far the most compelling source of evidence I have for feeling confident that the narrative device of a telepathic dolphin is more than a mere "narrative" or a "device" arises from personal experience. (Here comes the revelation . . .)

An Unexpected Encounter
A few years ago, after I had completed the first draft of "Deep Spirit" (in a two-week creative burst, more than 400 pages poured out), I participated in a shamanic journey with a bona fide South American shaman. Without going into details, I can report that during a session lasting between 8 to 12 hours, with profound shifts in consciousness, I experienced communicating with a dolphin. (For obvious reasons, as someone who values my role as a philosopher and academic, this is not an experience I have readily shared. But the question posed by my reader has prompted me to tackle this issue head on. It's time to take a stand for authenticity and non-ordinary ways of knowing.)

What I discovered during that session has changed my life. "Darwin," the dolphin character I thought I had created, seems in some inexplicable way very real indeed and exists independently of my invention. In our dialogue, he revealed he was using me -- because of my openness, caring, and compassion for the plight of cetaceans (and other animals) -- as a "mouthpiece" for the cause of dolphins and whales. I came away from that session with a strong conviction that rather than being a character I invented, Darwin was working through me to communicate something he and his species wanted humans to know.

Because it was an alternative state, much of the detail of that session is accessible now only as fragments in my "normal" state of consciousness. However, one point remains crystal clear: Darwin expressed deep grief for the plight of dolphins and whales, a sorrow shared by all of them. It's not just that humans are hunting and killing these highly intelligent species, or even that we are poisoning their oceans. No, what concerns them most of all is that humans, with very few exceptions, are no longer open or interested in communicating with them.

They need us to connect with them to evolve to the fullest of our collective intelligence. (I'm sure this applies to other species as well -- the great apes, elephants, parrots, octopus, and, dare I say it, coral -- but that's another story). In a phrase: Humans are preventing dolphins and whales from being fully who they are, or could be. We are keeping them stuck. We are a drag on evolution. Of course, this deeply impacts our own development, too. We carry the collective grief of alienation deep in our psyches and in the tissues of our bodies.

Now, in my "normal" state of consciousness, I am very aware how "off the chart" this can sound -- especially to my colleagues in philosophy and science. I should add that during that session I didn't actually see Darwin, or even hear him. I felt his presence, and all the meaning of our communication flowed from that. It was palpable, exceptionally clear, vivid, and real far beyond anything I have ever experienced before or since. In that state, this mode of consciousness had the quality of a shallow dream. By comparison, that experience was veridical, deep, and authentic.

Before publishing "Deep Spirit," I considered describing my encounter with Darwin in a Foreword, but decided against it. I wanted the story to stand by itself. However, I now see that I need to stand behind the story and its unusual origin because, as my reader implied, it raises important questions about the nature of knowledge, and the difference between reality and illusion.

How Do We Know What is Real?
My shamanic experience does make me think twice about the nature of evidence. Of course, neither what I experienced, nor my report of it, can count as objective evidence that Darwin really exists. However, we cannot simply dismiss it as subjective fantasy, either.

Without exception, every piece of so-called objective evidence must be experienced, first of all, in someone's subjective mind. All evidence must be experienced by someone. What, then, makes some experiences "real" and others not? Shouldn't all experiences count as evidence?

What about hallucinations? How are these different from visions? I do think it is useful to be able to tell the difference between a visionary experience of reality and a mere hallucination. Conventionally, hallucinations occur in the privacy of someone's mind -- and only there. We may believe something exists beyond our own experience, when in actual fact it does not -- at least, not according to what other people report.

Hallucinations are private experiences misinterpreted. By definition, their content has no other existence. But how can we test that? How do we decide which interpretations are likely to match reality?

Well, quite simply, we communicate. We share our stories. We discover what, collectively, we hold in common. We test our stories against shared experience. This is precisely how science works.

However, beyond sharing our stories through the medium of language, we can also share experiences directly -- through shared feelings, through engaging each others' presence in intersubjective communion. In short, telepathically. This, typically, involves alternative states of consciousness. And this is precisely how shamanism works.

Was my conversation with Darwin "real" or a kind of hallucination? Well, at that time, it came with remarkable clarity and conviction. But, right now, I cannot be so sure. One of the most disconcerting, yet liberating, realizations we can have is that the feeling of certainty does not mean something is true. Private conviction is not the same as truth, and does not count as evidence.

On the other hand, just because no-one else witnessed or shared my encounter with Darwin doesn't mean he isn't real. Remember this important scientific slogan: "Absence of evidence is not the same as evidence of absence."

Ultimately, all we ever have to go on are our own experiences -- and it is wise to share and compare them with others'. The best we can do is pay attention as openly, as honestly, and as authentically as we can. And then examine our experiences using the "Four Gifts of Knowing" (senses, reason, feeling, and intuition) to see how they coalesce. Guided by experiences with the greatest clarity and coherence, we arrive at what seems to be the most "likely story" -- our best shot at expressing what is real.

If I have learned anything in life it is this: Uncertainty pulses in the heart of every certainty. Beyond the light of knowledge shines the dark luminance of inexhaustible, always beckoning, mystery.

I invite you to read "Deep Spirit" and discover for yourself the mysterious interplay between reality and dreams -- one man's (or one dolphin's) "best shot" at the power of story to transform the world and create a brighter future.

Intelligence seeks expression. Expressing it is wisdom.

Being familiar with Christian de Quincey's work, through his earlier books, I was delighted to be notified by a friend that this novel was finally available in print form. I ordered it right away! Once the book was in my hands I put aside other reading to delve into this adventure story.

The scope of this book is immense, yet the ease of the storytelling provides ready access to these mind-challanging ideas. In considering that we humans may be and become more than we are conditioned to believe we are, the implications of such expansive vision can be daunting and intimidating. Christian de Quincey's compelling writing style portrays these ideas of human evolution, as well as our reconsidered place in the grand schemes of Nature, in a way that lends the power of a well-told story to something that may otherwise be overwhelming. The result is a burgeoning depiction that draws forth our innate wisdom in considering the immensity of Nature, mind, and evolution. It is also deeply entertaining!

I once heard a Native American saying that "All things new are hidden in the past". That's what this book is about: the timeless knowledge through wisdom that seems to direct our course behind the veils of reason. The timelessness that comes from beholding beauty, meaning, and spirit, evokes breathtaking feelings of the realm where dreams and the material world flow together, and intermingle, in a call to regard the well-being of our world.

I recommend this book highly, especially if you want to grow a little while reading a work of fiction. This book speaks to and from the heart of humanity, while celebrating the embrace of Nature. It is a gem worth examining.

I read this book. And then I re-read this book. And then, I read this book and took notes, and then I think I took notes on the notes that I took. It became my mission to find out what was fact and what was imagination. (Most of this book is based on fact.) This book has depth, and layers of meaning, and beautiful themes, and sublime truth. It is a good read in and of itself, but it can also be the beginning of a rich and meaningful journey. What a pleasure to sink into Deep Spirit.

Although the characters and story of "Deep Spirit" are enticing in and of themselves, this book also reads on another profoundly soul-stirring level. As reader I keep feeling challenged to address the questions, who am I, where am I, in this? The book feels more like experience than story, and it is a privilege to participate in it. It is both visionary tale and consciousness transforming journey. It pulses with soul-wisdom rare to find between the covers of a book.

Christian de Quincey has long been a clear voice speaking from the leading edge in the field of the evolution of consciousness. His wonderful books Radical Nature and Radical Knowing were written as a philosopher of mind, but they were not written as purely intellectual works; rather, they weave together heart and mind both in content and in style. In his writing, de Quincey walks the walk he talks about. Through his own inner explorations he has discovered that clarity of thought - important though it is - must be balanced with feeling; with a direct experience of belonging to the world in which we all live together.

In Deep Spirit de Quincey steps into the realm of fiction - always a risky move for a formal philosopher - and tells a tale about our world and the possibility of inner transformation. But this is not merely a good yarn, because de Quincey weaves philosophical thought and scientific fact into the action. Abstract ideas are personified and brought to earth and sea through a cast of characters that range from a NASA scientist, a beautiful Amazonian shaman, and a nomadic pearl-diver to a dolphin who communicates complex ideas to humans. Stirred into the bubbling brew are dark and power-hungry villains: or are they actually manifestations of our own shadows? Add some mind-bending, hallucinogen-induced alternative states of conscious, and Deep Spirit is an entertaining and challenging read.

There is a great deal to ponder here, and questions about what is real and what imagination always hover in the fore- or background. I mean who knows? Perhaps dolphins can and do monitor human communications. Perhaps, given a particular set of circumstances, we and they can communicate telepathically. In Deep Spirit rigorous philosophical thought and cutting-edge scientific theory mingle cheek-by-jowl with wild science fiction speculation.

Dara, the NASA scientist, has - like many of us - been searching for the meaning of his life somewhere out there. Little by little, and not without discomfort, he discovers that what he's looking for is always right here and now once we relax our preconceived ideas and allow ourselves to experience life in all its wonder and mystery. The rational mind is a fundamental aspect of what it means to be human, and it may be vital to our survival, but when it loses its grounding in intuitive feeling and compassionate communion with others, it may also lead to our destruction.

Deep Spirit takes us on a wild ride and then leads us home again. To our most fundamental task of getting to know ourselves; even those parts that sometimes seem most alien.

Warning: This Book Alters Consciousness

I started reading "Deep Spirit" because Christian de Quincey is an author and thinker I've followed for years. I was intrigued by how he would put his concerns for the evolution of consciousness into a novel and was delighted to find that this "novel" is also a storehouse of information about the evolution of consciousness.

You can read "Deep Spirit" just for the story about a man and a woman thrown together by a common dream to save humanity by saving a very special dolphin. Or you can read it as a source of spiritual inspiration and startling scientific insights.

His non-fiction books Radical Nature and Radical Knowing eased me into a new understanding of what it means to be a human being living on a fragile planet with other creatures on whom we all depend.

Some of the topics that most interested me in this book are::

Nature has a Mind of Its Own . . . And it's a good thing too. We aren't doing such a hot job of it and need her help. The wisdom in these pages echoes my own personal experiences living in wilderness. I could feel energetic differences by tuning into sensations in my body. My own healing began by discovering my love for my children. Then the love of my own body. The love of the body of nature came next. I've never had a more intimate relationship. All these awakenings now exist within a pervasive felt sense of holiness and Oneness in diversity. And that comes through in the pages of "Deep Spirit."

Interspecies Consciousness and Communication . . . I've seen the world through my own cat's eyes; spontaneously shape-shifted into a large cat, a lion, I think; and visited some state of consciousness where all the animal instincts were present. Even mosquitos . . . the pests I swat without a thought. They were my spiritual guides one day. In "Deep Spirit," there's a passage about photons of light and pesky little quarks. Spiritual guides take on many forms.

Quantum Consciousness . . . My own experiences have never fit into a Newtonian model. I'm still working on a new world view. And I'm looking for something deeper than the New Age mantra: "We create our own reality." The philosophy presented in "Deep Spirit" shows me a way--reality is a co-creation involving all sentient beings. From light to enlightenment.

The Evolution of Consciousness . . . Well, how did it get this way? The depth and breadth of the micro and macro swirl from the pages of this story. As I read, I see how my mind, the planet, and the universe are all interrelated.

Altered States . . . I've known many in my time. It all started on a catamaran in a kelp bed on LSD during the hippie sixties. It was the first time I can remember feeling hope and real promise. The doors of perception flung wide open, and have stayed that way through willingness and disciplined practice. Now there are other ways, including an active meditation practice, to access non-ordinary states on a more or less daily basis. They sustain me while I chop wood and carry water. "Deep Spirit" celebrates the power of dreams, and draws readers into that fluid boundary between reality and imagination. The cover should come with a warning label: "THIS BOOK ALTERS CONSCIOUSNESS."

Shadow Consciousness . . . my friend, my friend. The source of such juiciness. Exploring my own mind and the mind of nature means embracing my shadow fears. I've found my own personal power lies right in the center of them, waiting to be claimed. This is what happens to the main characters in "Deep Spirit", the NASA scientist Dara and the South American anthropologist Maya. Moving through the "dark night of the soul," they find the light of peace and freedom in their new relationship--with each other, with Darwin the dolphin, with Planet Earth, and with Cosmos itself.

It's a fun read and a pleasurable way to gain new insights for this shift that is shaking us.

A fast paced story with believable interspecies communication, heroes and traitors, that takes us around the world leading to a final scene where one black pearl allows the human hero to save the world from humanity. A lot of science but more spirituality in many kinds and forms. We certainly can believe that humans seem to be unstoppable in their ruthless destruction of the planet's ecosystem, through their super science without considering consequences. It may well be that there are hidden, secret worldwide organizations that try to stop our misdeeds. Intriguing to believe that we may learn to communicate with dolphins, one of a few other animal species with brains larger than ours. The ending of this spellbinding story becomes less believable -- to me at least. But certainly an exciting read.

Christian de Quincey is one of my favorite authors. All of his books are impassioned, insightful, magnificently researched and presented to the reader in the most accessible and relatable formats. De Quincey is brilliant at translating extremely complex concepts - quantum physics, evolution, interspecies communication, consciousness - into poetic and even humorous explanations that nearly anyone can understand. Deep Spirit is his only book that takes a narrative form and is striking in its pace, plot and character-relatability. I was in tears when I finished Deep Spirit, left desperately yearning for evolution, for widespread enlightenment. I was uplifted, altered and given a stirring - almost uncomfortable - compulsion to affect change in the world around me. How better that world would be if we all read this book.

It is a great privilege to have encountered Christian de Quincey's wisdom, and, as I am learning more about it, I feel like one of his characters: on a journey and a mission. This book kept my attention and intrigued me on multiple levels, including on a purely entertaining one. Christian de Quincey has succeeded in making the story come alive. But much more than that, he has succeeded in creating an intense desire in me to learn more and to become active in the cosmos; by "active", I mean "conscious". Further, he manages to instill in the reader a sense of time closing in, without reducing the message to that of an "action-adventure" story. This aspect just adds to it, enlivens it. "Deep Spirit" is a highly recommended book for those with interests in spiritual studies, philosophy and scientific thought.

It moved along a bit too quickly into the dolphin conversations and other scenarios were too contrived and stretched the imagination too much...Although I do believe that interspecies communication is entirely possible.