Photographer Cynthia MacAdams captures the mesmerizing beauty and mystery of the Mayan ruins of the Yucatan in this photographic account of the area. The photographs are augmented by discussions of the Mayan calendar - the source of both dire warnings and hopeful prophecies for the end of the millennium. Cynthia MacAdams' previous work includes "Emergence" and "Rising Goddess", Hunbatz Men is the author of "Secrets of Mayan Science/Religion" and Charles Bensinger is the author of "Chaco Canyon Journey".
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystical visions,
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This review is from: Mayan Vision Quest: Mystical Initiation in Mesoamerica (Paperback)
Photographer Cynthia MacAdams presents a book of dazzling photographs based on her own"shaman's journey into the Mayan heart." In this book of black and white photographs, complimented by a text written by Hunbatz Men, author of "Secrets of Mayan Science /Religion," you are literally and visually thrown into a spiritual journey as you set your sights on the ancient cities , temples and stellae in the jungles of meso -America. Her closeups are to the point where you think an ancient God is trying to communicate with you from another time zone. The thick vegetation is thinned by her use of light to capture the dominance of the temples of the Maya. As she says she used a "red filter to energize white trees and inky black skies." She would meditate daily before her visit to capture and connect with the Mayan soul. The result is a book that strikes a balance between a lost culture and a contemporary vision of the Mayan ceremonial sites. This is the type of book that demands inspection, closer inspection of the details in stone and a reflective introspection into the subtlities of the cosmos. It is a book to be viewed over and over, detailing the temples lost in the tropical jungles that are renowned now for their beauty and mystery. All of the famous temples are included including the temples located in Bonampak, Palenque, Tikal and Copan. The Temple of the Giant Jaguar and the Temple of the Masks are eerie, mysterious vestiges of a world where priests, priestesses and noble personages sat high above the assembleage invoking higher powers and imparting their knowledge in the fields of science, art and the energies of nature. These were the buildings made to coincide with the viewing of the solstice and equinox cycles. The sun or the moon would rise directly behind the center of the temples. The alignment is pure science and if you are ever able to see it in person I would highly recomend it. The precise calibration of these astronimical events are sights to behold. There is somethinfg very compelling about his book that draws the viewer closer to a world very far from ours, centuries removed yet preserved with a celestial connection that reaches to Sirius and the Milky Way. In Tulum and Chichen Itza the temples are resplendent and Chac Mool seems to be beckoning you to look beyond everyday life to find the answers lost in stone. A superb collection of photographs and text awaits the seeker of knowledge from the old ones who came before us. Our own planetary evolution may be part of a cycle; much like the Mayans who dissapeared so long ago we may be destined to leave only the remnants of our own metropolis for future generations to decipher. This book is a magnificent addition to any collection of books on the mysterious Maya and is highly recommended.
4.0 out of 5 stars
The use of Infra-red,
By Morrie (CA) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Mayan Vision Quest: Mystical Initiation in Mesoamerica (Hardcover)
The use of infra-red film created the special effect but it is questionable.As the text stated on page 105, "gods that represent the four directions and the basic elemental forces of earth, air, fire and water." My interpretation of this statement is that the god's creating process is starting from the elemental forces of the above to the each element then go to the physical appearances of earth, air, fire and water. Our thinking process is the other way around, starting from physical appearances to the element then go to the elemental forces. The use of infra-red film disturbed my thinking process of starting from the physical appearances which should show as it is. I feel, the use of infra-red is good for sculptures and structures, not good for ground, trees and sky. The photographer should know the common denominator of viewers, for example, these photos are good for spiritualist but not good for people studying the Occult. Morrie
5.0 out of 5 stars
An intense set of mystical images from MesoAmerica,
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This review is from: Mayan Vision Quest: Mystical Initiation in Mesoamerica (Paperback)
Where to start. These images were shot in black and white with red and/or infrared filters. The effect is mystical with dark skys and high contrast. What this does for the viewer is to convey much of the energy present at these sites if you can be still and tune in. So yes, this is a kind of initiation to these sites for the [now cheap] price of this book. Highly recommended.
If you want more philosophical insight into the minds of the cultures in MesoAmerica and their views of the soul (which are quite similar to Egypt) then there is currently a singular master work in this area Burning Water. Also a highly recommended view into MesoAmerica that the archeologists are just not going to get or be able to give you.
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