The Electric Jesus: The Healing Journey of a Contemporary Gnostic [Paperback]

Jonathan Talat Phillips (Author), Graham Hancock (Introduction)

Book Description

Release date: November 1, 2011

When Jonathan Talat Phillips experiences a devastating loss as a countercultural media activist, he unwittingly starts on a mystical journey marked by underground ayahuasca ceremonies, kundalini awakenings, prankster spirit guides, extraterrestrial encounters at the Burning Man festival, and miraculous energy healings that reshape his skeptical worldview. Along the way, he chronicles the rise of an international movement that is trailblazing visionary ways to address our current planetary crisis through raised consciousness.
 
To better understand his spiritual journey, Jonathan delves into his own Christian background, discovering the lost rites of the mystery schools. Uncovering secret “electric” meanings behind biblical symbols like the serpent, dove, and tree of life, he reveals how early Christians utilized a radical initiation process for harnessing divine energy in order to achieve gnosis, direct knowledge or experience of the divine. Jonathan suggests that these mystical symbols, which appear in spiritual traditions across the globe, offer a profound energetic roadmap and alchemical message for personal transformation, as well as a potential evolutionary shift for our world.

About the Imprint:
EVOLVER EDITIONS promotes a new counterculture that recognizes humanity's visionary potential and takes tangible, pragmatic steps to realize it. EVOLVER EDITIONS explores the dynamics of personal, collective, and global change from a wide range of perspectives. EVOLVER EDITIONS is an imprint of North Atlantic Books and is produced in collaboration with Evolver, LLC.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A modern Odyssey of awakening, Jonathan Talat Phillips's journey into Gnosticism deeply resonates with the eccentric moment. The Electric Jesus, a spiritual autobiography, reveals a life lived in the light of transformation, searching for the mystic core of a planetary civilization.” —Alex Grey, co-founder of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, author of The Mission of Art
 
"A fresh, vigorous, and often startling account of a man's introduction to higher planes of reality. If you've ever wondered what the new consciousness movement is about, read this book and find out." —Richard Smoley, author of Inner Christianity and The Dice Game of Shiva: How Consciousness Creates the Universe
 
“Entertaining, celebratory, burning, reflective, and electric—but definitely not for the faint of heart or hard of head. With tales of sex, drugs, elves and Jesus, this memoir romps through the hinterlands of body and soul.” —Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga and co-author of The Art of Yoga.
 
"Every cultural scene needs good personal narratives. Jonathan Talat Phillips' Electric Jesus raises a proud flag for the post-modern Burning Man and techno psychonautic era. However, Phillips also seeks for more than just a flashy escape hatch from the burdens of a materialistic or pop-cultural corporate worldview. The Electric Jesus is about the quest for true Gnosis as much as it is about the crazy costumes we wear along the way. This book is sure to be one of those that defines the psychedelic resurgence that has been recently constellated by Reality Sandwich and the Evolver Social Movement." —Adam Elenbaas, author of Fishers of Men: The Gospel of an Ayahuasca Vision Quest
 
"Jonathan Talat Phillips discovers Gnosis, transforms himself, goes off the deep end, and somehow stays grounded in the material world. I enjoyed reading The Electric Jesus, a lively and well told story.” —Jeremy Narby, author of The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge

"A moving tale of a journey into places most of us don't even know exist." —Gary Lachman, author of Politics and the Occult: The Left, the Right, and the Radically Unseen; bassist for Blondie
 
“In this vividly written and deeply personal memoir, Jonathan Talat Phillips, cofounder of the Evolver Social Movement, travels through the key stops on the current countercultural railroad—Burning Man, ayahuasca sessions, kundalini awakenings, MDMA—and winds up in unexpected places, thoroughly off the tracks, seeking planetary transformation on a new scale—a classic heroic journey, bringing out of his own darkest places a gift not for himself but for his people. —Stephan Beyer, author of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon

"Hats off to the author, Jonathan Talat Phillips, who takes some risks in this ballsy, thoughtful, and searingly honest tale of soul awakening. Spurred to activism in the wake of 9-11, and left depressed and angry after the elections of 2004, Phillips begins searching for answers and change. His starting point becomes the ancient Gnostic texts, and the unfiltered and mystical Jesus he finds portrayed therein. The author's research into the mystery schools, the clues he uncovers in the actual language of the Bible and apocryphal texts, and the archetypal symbols he investigates are fascinating and powerful."
—Cheryl Shainmark, Merlian News

"5 out of 5 stars" —Denver Books Examiner

"Three thumbs up!  I found it irreverent, brutally honest, spiritually enlightening and downright fun!" —Lance White, A Fireside Chat with Zany Mystic Radio

About the Author

Jonathan Talat Phillips grew up in Idaho Springs, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has lived in England, Argentina, the Czech Republic, and Spain. Phillips worked for The September 11th Fund, served as a columnist for Music for America, and spearheaded the activist media group Greene Dragon, where he appeared in international media such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Time, and on the cover of New York Magazine. He is one of the co-founders of Evolver.net and Reality Sandwich, and coordinates the Evolver Spores program with 40+ regional chapters hosting monthly events. Phillips is an initiate of the International Sufi Order, founder of the NYC Gnostics, and creator of “The Ayahuasca Monologues: Tales of the Spirit Vine.” He is a Reiki Master and certified in Chi Healing and Bioenergetic Therapy from the Connecticut Healing Institute. He has a private healing practice in New York City and does Skype and phone sessions for those outside of the city: www.TalatHealing.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: EVOLVER EDITIONS (November 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583943161
• ISBN-13: 978-1583943168
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.9 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #546,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jonathan Talat Phillips grew up in Idaho Springs, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has lived in England, Argentina, The Czech Republic, and Spain. Jonathan worked for The September 11th Fund, served as a columnist for Music for America, and spearheaded the activist media group, Greene Dragon, where he appeared in international media such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Time, and on the cover of New York Magazine.

Jonathan is the author of The Electric Jesus: The Healing Journey of a Contemporary Gnostics (Evolver Editions/North Atlantic Books). He is one of the co-founders of Evolver.net and Reality Sandwich, and coordinates the Evolver Spores program with 40+ regional chapters hosting monthly events. He regularly speaks at conferences and festivals.

Jonathan is an initiate of the International Sufi Order, founder of the NYC Gnostics, and creator of "The Ayahuasca Monologues: Tales of the Spirit Vine." He is a Reiki Master and certified in Chi Healing and Bioenergetic Therapy from the Connecticut Healing Institute. Jonathan has a private healing practice in New York City and does Skype and phone sessions for those outside of the city. www.TalatHealing.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Take An Adventure Into Cultural and Spiritual Realms! November 9, 2011

By TheNightingalesCode

Format:Paperback

Jonathan Talat Phillips tells the tale of his personal journey from a skeptical political activist into a energy healer ready to take on the world with a reawakened hope for the future. A quick and exciting read; The Electric Jesus gives the reader a fascinating story of transformation complete with religious history, alien beings, gnosticism, burning man and Kundalini awakenings, all strung together by tales of personal relationships.

Phillips holds nothing back in his writing, giving us a gritty, raw and sometimes comical look into his life, his struggles and his successes.The Electric Jesus will leave you off at in a different place than you were when you started reading; it will rock your world and open your mind and your heart to new possibilities.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Loved It December 8, 2011

By Paint Job

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I guess I didn't expect to but I learned quite a bit reading this book. Written in a true confessions style, it's a revealing and very human account of a personal odyssey into spiritual discovery, replete with unsentimental observations and sharp wit, plus plenty of sex, drugs & rave music to keep things spiced-up. Along the wild and wacky way, the book also reveals that the author did serious homework on Gnostic Christianity, mysticism, Sufism, quantum physics, yoga and various healing modalities. His deep interest in the meaning of the Cosmos and his basic sincerity of heart shine through his journey of struggles with skepticism, the pain of depression, and a petulance which he doesn't deny. As he continues to suspend doubt and open himself to the possibilities of other dimensions of reality (incl. aliens!), a concurrent expansion takes place in his self-comprehension and he ends the book seeming more at peace with himself and the nature of reality. Going along on his journey of maturity is a fun and thought-provoking ride. Phillips is a talented, intelligent writer and could be one of the next important voices of his generation.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars More than 'Recommend' - I'd gift this book to friends and family November 16, 2011

By Terra Celeste

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I finished The Electric Jesus this last weekend - adventure, romance, inner journey, outer journey, discovery and mystery (and now, history) - Totally Awesome! Thank you for sharing your story... what an incredible walk you have on this planet :)