Nexus - 0228 - New Times Magazine-pages

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~ REVIEWS (cid:1) there is enough circumstantial evidence defy of Matthew and Luke and considered to be ing rational explanation to force her to sur directly attributable to Jesus. mise that something's going on. She doesn't The Original Jesus traces the historical .' ALIEN CONTACTS & ABDUCTIONS: claim to provide answers, but gives a number exchanges between the biblical lands and The Real Story from the Other Side of possible scenarios so that readers can Indian culture~a make up their own minds. Perhaps "(e) all of by Jenny Randles the above" ,is the correct answer in this multi Published by Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (1994), New York, USA (first published ple-choice mystery! by Robert Hale Ltd, London, UK, 1993) THE ORIGINAL JESUS ISBN 0-8069-0751-7 (191 pp sib) Price: AUD$14.95; CAN$9.95; STGfn/a; The Buddhist Sources of Christianity USD$9.95 by Elmar R Gruber & Holger Kersten Available: Australia-Distributed by Quest Published by Element Books Ltd (1995), Books, ph (02) 264 71152; Sydney Esoteric Shaftesbury, Dorset, UK Bookshop, ph (02) 2122225, fax (02) 212 [ISBN 1-'85230-628-9 (280pp h!b) 2448; Canada-Canadian Manda Group, Price: AUIU$49.95; STGf16.99; Toronto, Ontario; UK-Dlst. by Cassell USD$29.95 PLC, Villiers House, 41-47 Strand, London Available: Australia-Distributed by WC2N 5JE, ph (01202) 67 0581; USA Jacaranda Wiley Ltd, ph (02) 805 1100; Dist. by Sterling B?ublishing Co., Inc., 387 Sydney Esoteric Bookshop, ph (02) 212 Park Ave South, New York, NY 10016 2225, fax (02) 2ij 2 2448; UK-tlement 8810, ph (212) 532 7160. Books Ltd, ph (01747) 85 1339; USA Jenny Randles, the noted British researcher Element Books, Inc., Rockport, MA. of unexplained phenomena, has produced This latest title from the authors of The this eminently readable guide to help us Jesus Conspiracy contains more startling make sense oHhe UFO mystery. Originally revelations about the life of Jesus Christ. It published in the UK in 1993 as Aliens, this offers convincing, weU-ceferenced evidence US edition will ensure her ,investigations of extensive Buddhist ,int1uenc.es on Jesus, receive a wider audience. his life and teachings. Randles begins with a potted history of Authors Gruber and Kersten claim that alien contact, and features some landmark Jesus was brought up by the Therapeutae cases but with a prime focus on the 1950s Theravada Buddhist missionaries to the bib onwards. She describes the various types of J.icallands, based near Alexandria-and that extraterrestrials reported, including phan his spiritual development was continued by tasms, shape-shifters, greys and humanoids, the Buddhist-influenced Essenes and and some classic sightings of these forms Mandaeans. and their craft from around the world. As further support of their claim, the From the similarities of UFOIET sightings, authors explore tthe close parallels between technology and abduction reports in various early Buddhist texts and the so-called "Q" geographical locations, Randles reckons material-aphorisms recorded in the Gospels trade not just in goods but ill mythology, religious ideas and philosophi cal systems. The facts surrounding the authors' portrait of a compassionate, loving, wise Christ are at odds with what has become Christianity according to the Church, so this work is controversial yet compelling reading. UFOs: PSYCHIC CLOSE ENCOUNTERS/ THE ELECTROMAGNETIC INDICTMENT by Albert Budden Published by Blandford Books/Cassell PLC (1995), London, UK ISBN 0-7137-21421-8 (256pp sib) Price: AUD$19.96; STGf9.99; USD$n/a Available: Australia-Disl. by Capricorn Link, ph (02) 899 8322; Sydney Esoteric Bookshop, ph (021212 2225, fax (02) 212 2448; UK-Dist. by CasseillPLC, London, ph (01202) 67 0581; USA-Dis!. by Sterling Publishing Co., Inc., 387 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016-8810, ph (212) 532 7160. According to British ufologist NIbert Budden, our concepts of what constitutes alien intelligence need to be revised. After many years of investigating reports of UFO sightings and close encounters, he presents his case for an hypothesis of "electro-stag ing" to explain many (but not all) of the characteristics of the experience. Drawing upon Michael Persinger's land mark mind research, as well as some famous case studies, Budden redirects the UFO mys tery towards an exploration of the interaction between human unconsciousness, or the OCTOBER - NOVEMBER 1995 NEXUS • 55