The Encyclopedia of the World's Greatest Mysteries

From the Introduction:INTRODUCTIONWe not only enjoy a good mystery but we need them. Mysteries inspire our curiosity and it is through curiosity that we develop as people and as a species. The mysteries in this book include one or two which endure in people’s fascination; despite probable explanations on offer they continue to arise even in current debate.The world is not just a set of facts to be observed. We contribute to our world every time we observe something. When we observe it we bring to that observation experience, interpretation and prejudices all of which affect our responses.This book contains not just a variety of mysteries but the variety of types of mysteries. There are mysteries about the physical world; is there a large man-beast walking the Himalayas or the North American continent or virtually every other part of the world as so many have reported? There are mysteries which reflect our mythologies; is the Ark of Noah preserved in the mountains of Ararat? There are mysteries about the potential of people; can they move objects by sheer force of mind? Can they affect their own physiology by will?Our society is not serving us well. The attraction modern technological man feels towards the less technological cultures, aborigines, North American Indians and so on, is not just romanticism. We recognise, perhaps subconsciously, that their societies have structures which support them. That support is not just material, food and shelter, but also spiritual, an inner conviction and belief in their history, legends and mythology. We have lost that. Our intuitive brain which feeds from, and into, these spiritual areas has been subjugated by a rational calculating brain which may provide for our material needs but not our spiritual ones. Our religions have become diluted; more attention given to not tripping at the altar and wearing the right hat, and too little on thinking about and concentrating on the spiritual focus.Many of the mysteries in this book reflect that shortcoming in our Western society. For many shaman of less technological tribes these are not mysteries; they know - without any shadow of doubt - the truths about, say, Out-Of-Body experience, Near Death Experience, mind power and so on, not because they have studied it but because they do it just as we breathe, walk and eat. They know which aspects of these mysteries have objective non-personal reality and which are aspects of the spirit and mythology.Consider the quote by Plutarch which precedes this introduction. Reading this book will not of itself answer questions but if you are inspired to seek further into the mysteries then that journey of curiosity, rather than the destination, will be a valuable, exciting and enhancing experience for you.