Shirley MacLaine was right: I AM God!

At one point during the weekend, in one of the group presentations, the speaker admonished us that we must not read Shirley MacLaine’s new book Out on a Limb or watch the corresponding upcoming movie.  Most of the participants cheered along the lines of, “Yea, God!  Praise the Lord!”  I knew who MacLaine was, of course, through her mainstream movies, but was totally unaware of that specific book or movie.  So I was intrigued by being warned against them.  On asking around, I learned that her advocacy of New Age topics in the book and movie had made her an anathema to most Christian communities, and that her recent ranting had been declared the work of the Devil!

Fascinating!  My own interests in mysticism and non-canonical, esoteric Christianity back then would also qualify as the work of the Devil by many Christians, especially evangelical ones as were attending that weekend retreat, some of whom were from my own parish.  So, I secretly resolved to read MacLaine’s book and watch her movie as soon as I could do so.

The book reaffirmed a lot that I believe in:  karma, reincarnation, non-personal God, life elsewhere in the universe, and so on.  Actually, the first part of the book was boring … just one more book about a novice discovering the notion of reincarnation and rapidly opening up her understanding, wide-eyed and incredulous.  It was fluffy and superficial, up to the experience in Peru, the last third of the book.  That last part was quite engrossing, and it made me hungry for such spiritual experiences and knowledge.