Customer Reviews

The Way of the Explorer: An Apollo Astronaut's Journey Through the Material and Mystical Worlds

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Edgar Mitchell founded the Institute of Noetic Sciences in 1972, as he began a quest for common ground between science and spirit following his life-altering experience of walking on the surface of the moon. Mitchell's autobiographical book THE WAY OF THE EXPLORER describes in thrilling detail his experiences with the Apollo missions, as well as his subsequent exploration of the fields of consciousness and paranormal phenomenon. Mitchell's heart-warming accounts of his feelings as he walked on the moon, and then traveled back through space to see how "the heavens and earth tumbled alternately in and out of view in the small capsule window" are gracefully combined with his insightful observations of the nature of consciousness and reality. We can all benefit from experiencing the Earth as Mitchell does... as one planet interconnected with each and every one of us. I was so moved by what Mitchell wrote about seeing Uri Geller bend spoons and bring lost objects across space and time that it inspired me to see Geller bend one of my (very SOLID stainless steel spoons) in person in October 1999. I love this book's timeless wisdom, beauty, and depth so much that I return to it again and again. It's a powerful book that touches my heart and greatly inspires me!

Dr. Mitchell asks the same questions as all seekers, and rightly connects the search for knowledge about self with the search for an understanding of the universe. He begins his book with a short personal history, bringing the reader up to a description of his incredible journey to the moon. As a US Apollo astronaut, he walked on the lumar surface. During the journey back to earth, he experienced a sudden insight about the nature of reality, an understanding that came from an unknown source. The experience most resembled the reports of mystics, who generally ascribe a religious meaning to it. Mitchell has spent the years since that journey searching for a way to understand the experience, a way to bring together the disparate ways of knowing, the way of science and the way of religion.

While it is fascinating to read his descriptions of the view of earth from space and to know that seeing our beautiful mother earth from that vantage point could trigger such insights, what Mitchell describes is an experience many, many people have, as he later came to realize. It is the experience of "knowing without knowing how you know." Sometimes the knowing concerns the nature of reality, as when you get the sense of the unity of all things, and sometimes it is a psychic insight, as in knowing someone has just died. Sometimes it is the amazing synchronicities that happen when you cease to believe they cannot happen.

This source of knowledge is real, so how does it work? There is no accepted scientific answer. At least there wasn't until Mitchell took on the task and gave us his dyadic theory of reality. It is an interesting explanation. The universe, in this view, evolved not just from energy but always incorporated intention. Consciousness is inherent in the universe and that is why, in the mystical experience, everything seems alive. There is no difference between the consciousness of my aloe plant on the windowsill, my cat who purrs beside me, and me. We use consciousness differently perhaps, but my plant grows better when I love it and want it to grow, I somehow know when my cat is outside the front door and wants to come in, and I use my consciousness to read books and learn more about my world. But the me that is sitting here looking out at everything else is victim of an illusion. It is only through working at techniques to shut out externals that it is possible to gain some realization of the unity, or to put it another way, to access the web that connects everything and that is the actual source of the knowledge that comes to us in these "mystical" experiences.

Dr. Mitchell's book takes us into heavy material, not always easy to grasp, and sometimes possessing its own assumptions. He seems intent on eliminating religious metaphors completely, as if providing an explanation that "works" means there is no longer a use for the concept of God. I have to agree with him that the long-standing practice of representatives of religious organizations of dismissing anything without a scientific explanation as "a miracle of God" (or sometimes as "the work of the devil") has retarded our ability to scrutinize any actual process at work. Likewise, it isn't helpful when scientists simply dismiss anything that doesn't fit their current understanding of reality -- Uri Geller must be a fraud because science can't explain how he bends those spoons. And since Uri is not a saintly person, it must not be "a miracle."

Because "God" is used to cover everything for which there is no scientific explanation does not invalidate the concept of a supreme presence, just as science is not useless even though it is intolerant of alternate explanations. It seems to me Mitchell neglects the idea of "purpose" just as he does not accept reincarnation, suggesting the past lives remembered are the result of accessing the universal web, the holographic record of everything (much like Edgar Cayce's "Akashic Record"). Could this be just a semantic difference, if we are all part of the same consciousness? While Mitchell's concepts "fit" the essentially religious experiences of those who believe in the immortality of the soul, it does not encompass the soul's purpose of perfecting itself through lifetimes of spiritual growth.

As I read this book, I found Mitchell has read the same authors I've read, and he mentions the same cast of characters with whom seekers are familiar, whether they write from a research, mystical or physics point of view. His desire to reconcile science and religion is the same desire many of us share. The journey inward is as worthwhile as the journey to other planets. Our yearning to know who we are can only be satisfied when we truly achieve the synthesis Dr. Mitchell seeks. You'll have to read and decide if Mitchell, as an explorer extraordinaire, has found the answer.

This book kept my interest very well. I am first and foremost an Astronaut buff and I was happy with the first part of Dr. Mitchell's book talking about his NASA experiences. But, the rest of the book was equally captivating. I was disappointed that he made no mention of the results of his ESP experiments on the way to the moon. He only referenced the Journal of Parapsychology for those who wanted to know more. I thought he would have written a little more about this. But, he kept my interest to finish reading the book very well.

WOW.....this book gives you a whole different perspective of space and life here on earth. It was hard to put down. Goes into some heavy scientific details that can go over your head. A must read.

Try not to miss this fine gentleman's deeply honest assessment of his experiences and his thoughts. This book opens up the gates of reality that we have kept closed for fear of wrongful accusations - if you have ever experienced intuition or second-guessing or have felt an inexplicable leaning a certain way toward a choice or a thought, READ THIS BOOK. I intend to re-read it over and over. Believe me, it is well worth your time.

Jerine P, Watson, Freelance Editor/Ghostwriter/Author

In February 1971 Apollo 14 astronaut Edgar Mitchell sensed the deliberate plan in the creation of the cosmos and space: for over thirty years he would explore the mystery of human consciousness, leaving NASA to form the Institute of Noetic Sciences and researching a theory that could explain consciousness and science alike. His memoir comes to life in THE WAY OF THE EXPLORER: AN APOLLO ASTRONAUT'S JOURNEY THROUGH THE MATERIAL AND MYSTICAL WORLDS, which appears in a revised edition to appeal to new audiences.

What I admire most about Ed Mitchell isn't his voyage to the moon. While that extraordinary feat places him in one of history's most exclusive brotherhoods, it was only the beginning of an ongoing journey of questions and greater questions. Someone else in his position might have spent the remainder of his life resting on his laurels. Mitchell tackles huge questions with a scientist's rigor and a seeker's open heart.

Dr. Mitchell, astronaut and founder of the Institute of Noetic Sciences, discusses his mystical experience in space and tells about the ESP experiments that he performed while in transit to the moon as well as his theories about the nature of human consciousness. He tells of how he became convinced of the realities of paranormal events and tries to explain these events by rejecting the sacred cow of epiphenomenalism by intuiting that human consciousness is an integral part of the structure of the universe. Not always completley convincing, but always intensely interesting. This is an example of a man who refuses to be hemmed in by traditional ideas of what science should be.

I would tell anyone up front that this is a very in depth book. It covers a lot of truly amazing subject matter, from placing healers in scientific laboratory environments to understanding our place in the universe. I was impressed with not only the personal experiences told throughout but also with the differing aspects of how our cultures view the same experiences. It was fairly technical in parts, so be prepared to be challenged while reading it. I wasn't very familiar with many of the concepts discussed but the author did a good job of managing the information.

This book was just what I was looking for in my research as an artist. I wanted to read about the perspective/realtionship of science/spirituallity and how the information might relate to metaphorical imagery in my paintings. Mitchell gets a little too wordy with scientific jargon at times but he warns the reader early on that you are welcome to skip certain chapters if you wish? I would recommend this book for anyone that is looking for an indepth and personal perspective of technology and its actual relationship to the organic from zero field to the outer reaches of our universe.