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90 of 101 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Encyclopedic compilation; guarded recommendation, April 11, 2004
I read with great interest the shorter version of "Forbidden
Archaeology," "The Hidden History of the Human Race," and with even
more interest "Forbidden Archaeology's Impact," a large book of
reviews/criticisms of the author's monumental first book along with
Mr. Cremo's counter-countercritisms. I am definitely one of those who
thinks that science has gotten way out of hand when it comes to rejecting
anything beyond the physical. The author is among the leading anti-scientism
voices in the world. "Human Devolution" was written to answer critics who
"demanded" that he be more "scientific" and provide an alternative to
Darwinian evolution, rather than just criticizing it. As he comes from a
Vedic perspective, "Human Devolution" purports to be from that point of view.
The title encapsulates the Eastern belief that to occupy a physical body,
a soul "devolves" into matter; we are not physical-only, soulless beings. As a reviewer, one has to decide if the author actually presents a
coherent model to counter Darwinian evolution. With regrets I think that
Mr. Cremo does not present such a model, certainly not a scientific model,
with clear data points that lead to clear conclusions, and in fact he
definitely argues for not only a "default" God of the gaps when the
neo-Darwinian and Big Bang models are found wanting, but the "gap approach"
is the main approach to prove the validity of the Vedic model. For example,
on p. 239, after rightfully dismissing a quantum mechanical approach to
consciousness and non-locality, in comes the Vedic model: everything
emanates from God, the "Supersoul" is all knowing, etc. Fine, but too
vague for me, certainly not a detailed model, and I will at least credit
scientists, who for the most part are very conservative and will usually
present good data points. I can agree with Mr. Cremo that spiritual "models" are given by Divine
revelation, but we must at least admit that they are often quite nebulous,
if not overwhelming. To the point, in the final chapter of the book there
is an all-too brief discussion of some of the time scales in the Vedic
teachings. We learn about the Day/Night of Brahmin (4.32 billion years),
composed of manvantaras and yugas, but little "filling in the gaps." And
the real kicker is in the prior chapter; while presenting a very fine
discussion of the 6 crucial constants in the universe which are so finely
tuned it could not possibly be a matter of chance, we read that the "ultimate"
number of the Vedic model is actually 311 trillion years, the "breath of Maha
Vishnu!" Such numbers make Big Bang cosmology look young, but again I yearn
for more of the details of the reasons for these cycles, also what goes on
in the cosmic Hierarchy, in the physical world(s), during these cycles, rather than
the detachment of incomprehensibly large numbers. The book would have better been entitled "Forbidden Anthropology and
Suppressed Scientific Research Into The Paranormal." There are staggering
amounts of details on comparative anthropology, particularly as it relates
to common mythologies about a Supreme God, a separate Creator God, and
paranormal beliefs among a wide variety of cultures. This is more or less
presented in conjunction with a topic Cremo covers with great success:
the integrity and open-mindedness of scientists from Newton and Kepler
(Middle Ages) to 19th century pioneers Wallace (co-founder of evolutionary
theory) and Crookes, who either believed in a higher God force behind the
material world, or themselves did extensive research into the paranormal.
The author devotes a lot of pages to Wallace's writings late in his life,
writings you will never see in contemporary scientific discussions. Yet these details are to me another problem with the book, an
incredible number of pages in a number of sections covering mediums
and seances. Certainly there is some amazing data here, but surely
more effort could have been spent on clarifying the Vedic model than
bringing out yet another seance or medium. As for the discussion on
comparative mythologies, I can only say that at times I found the
details interesting, at other times not, and what is really lacking is
an overall consistency about what is being covered! A real irony in "Human Devolution" is the author's great ability to
summarize scientific theories and concepts when he so chooses. I am not
that well-versed in genetics, paleontology, and cosmology (to name a
few disciplines!), yet I much enjoyed his discussions in these areas,
but let me be clear, I am not saying he is completely correct either.
Ch. 3 is a good presentation of possible proof that non-human species
(insects and plants) existed long before the Darwinists would allow.
Ch. 4, covering genes and molecular evolution, is clear and interesting,
as is the discussion in Ch. 10 on Sir Martin Rees's "Just Six Numbers,"
mentioned above. "Human Devolution" has many interesting references, including obscure
though relevant books and articles, and that is to the credit of the author
and his research assistant(s). In the end I would recommend "Human Devolution,"
but be ready to skim!!
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
A mediocre shot stirs up a lukewarm reaction!, February 7, 2008
I bought a copy of this book when it came out and have managed to muster the patience to go through it only once. Whilst I appreciate Michael Cremo's efforts to try to get people to open their minds to ideas and concepts beyond what mainstream academia teaches, since as a truth-seeker, I try as much as possible to grab valuable information from whatever source I can find, I was rather disappointed by this particular work. It is supposed to be a Vedic alternative to Darwinism, but contains hardly ten pages mentioning what India's classical Sanskrit writings have to say about the origins of life. For me, that can only mean that Cremo relied exclusively on his guru Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada's works, to formulate his thesis, which is absurd, since most of the latter's writings concern the dynamics of Vaishnava devotional practice, not the Vedic view of the creation of the universe and of life. This to me demonstrates a questionable level of commitment to the task, since either he lacked the Sanskrit knowledge to carry out his own research or else simply did not bother to explore a sufficiently large number of available translations of different texts, which would have provided him with more insight and material to use.
There are some rather good points made and interesting questions raised in Human Devolution, but to be frank, on the whole, I found it quite an insipid and boring read. A long, almost unending chapter gets devoted to comparing cosmological systems (those of Native Americans, Africans and Polynesians amongst others) and as one reaches the concluding portion of the book, which incidentally includes the ten-odd pages devoted to the Hindu version of Genesis, to use a colourful phrase, one is left panting after having had to endure such a tedious ordeal. In short, a well-intended but unsuccessful attempt to deconstruct prevailing paradigms and inspire more respect for the ancient Indian scriptures.
The works of the late Bhaktiswarupa Damodara Maharaja (T.D. Singh) and his team in consciousness studies as well as that of Sadaputa dasa (Richard L. Thompson) in Puranic cosmology and the relation between the known laws of physics and the Hindu conception of mystic siddhis, etc are far more convincing and scholarly. Not all of the propositions made in these studies need to be swallowed in toto but the efforts thereof are for sure thought-provoking. If one wishes to become acquainted with scientific presentations of how some Vedic ideas can be made sense of in light of a scientific understanding of nature, I would much rather suggest Thompson's books like MAYA: The World As Virtual Reality or God and Science: Divine Causation and the Laws of Nature.
One final word on this - in the final issue, it matters not how the human form of life came about, or which of creation or evolution is the more empirically veridical. Mystically inclined people are agreeable to the universal principle that living entities are first and foremost sparks of spiritual energy, i.e. souls, and that is what motivates the metaphysical pursuit in the first instance. The wise thing to do is to draw helpful knowledge, whether emanating from religion or science, and use it in the most effective way one is able to in order to live life as a balanced, well-rounded individual, and seek to acquire the qualities which are favourable to progress on the path that leads to truth absolute.
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41 of 53 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Human Devolution's Evidence for a Dualistic Worldview, December 21, 2003
As a professor of philosophy, I found merit in the epistemological critique of standard human evolutionary theory offered by Michael A. Cremo and Richard Thompson in "Forbidden Archeology." Chapter fourteen of my own "Origin of the Human Species" discusses at length their thesis that anatomically modern humans predated hominids from which evolutionary theory claims we descended. My own work aims to show that sound natural science and authentic reading of Genesis, including Adam and Eve's reality, are entirely compatible. After consulting with Mr. Cremo while writing my own book, I came to respect his intellectual honesty in proposing a Vedic perspective of human origins. While retaining my own Catholic perspective, I learned that we shared many common elements of metaphysical dualism, especially in rejecting naturalistic evolutionary models of the world and human origins.In "Human Devolution," Cremo explores multifaceted evidences for spiritual realities permeating our material cosmos. In so doing, he presents careful documentation of both preternatural and supernatural phenomena, including various forms of spiritism, miracles such as those at Lourdes, reincarnation claims, UFO phenomena, intelligent design scientific arguments, and many other evidences of spiritual and paranormal phenomena far too extensive to detail here. Some might object that not all of his data is equally convincing - that anecdotal evidence ought not be put on the same plane as, say, the carefully documented scientific work of the Lourdes Medical Bureau. Similar comments were made about "Forbidden Archeology." Still, both works appear to present a full range of evidence for the sake of completeness. In any event, the truth claims about spiritual realities ought not be judged by the weakest evidence, but by the strongest. Just as counterfeit money exists only because genuine money first does, so too, the actual existence of the spiritual realm undergirds phantasms of its presence.
"Human Devolution" constitutes a valuable reference work for anyone wishing to examine a detailed overview of the many kinds of evidence supporting a dualistic, spirit-based view of the universe. If nothing else, Human Devolution documents the extreme tenuousness of persistent attempts by modern evolutionary materialists to explain the universe and human origins in purely materialistic terms. Even if our religious perspectives remain distinct, I concur with Cremo in concluding that clear evidence exists that God created the world and that human origins proceed, not upward from materialistic forces, but rather downward from spiritual powers that introduce existential dimensions utterly transcendent to evolutionary explanations. Nonetheless, as a Catholic philosopher, I do not accept a Vedic interpretation of some of the phenomena reported in "Human Devolution," but rather would offer alternative interpretations more consistent with the exclusivity of Christ's claims. In fact, Cremo so persuasively presents his material that I am obliged to caution that only competent Catholic philosophers and theologians are properly positioned to understand fully how Catholic speculation might explain, among other things, reincarnation claims and apparently genuine healings by non-Catholics. Still, regardless of one's personal convictions and subsequent interpretations, "Human Devolution's" fascinating accounts and detailed documentation of some of the most intriguing human experiences, amazing historical occurrences, and important scientific speculations should make thought-provoking reading to a wide audience
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