Robinson, an ordained interfaith minister and retired clinical psychologist, proposes a psychological explanation for happiness and suffering. Reworking the creation story, Robinson (Death of a Hero, Birth of a Soul
) claims humans constructed reality out of divine consciousness, thereby losing sight of divinity. By enjoying life’s beauty and by changing thought patterns, we can again experience Heaven on Earth. Robinson suggests the truest way to shift consciousness is through mysticism or “focusing intentionally heightened and thoughtless consciousness back on itself.” He coaches the reader through Heaven’s Compass, his meditative method for finding Heaven on Earth. The reader can use the mystical experience to solve worldly dilemmas, and will find an appendix that answers questions about the process. Another appendix includes quotations about the existence of Heaven on Earth from a cross-section of poets, mystics and religious leaders. Similar quotes littered throughout the chapters should have been consigned to that appendix instead of frequently interrupting the main exposition. While the existence of a wise divinity in a world of suffering is encouraging, the author’s use of divine encounters as a means to an end diminishes the mystery of the encounter itself. (Jan.)
