Anthony Egan THERE’S MORE TO LIFE THAN SURFACE by Kate Turkington (Penguin)
Historians, philosophers and even a few theologians have frequently declared the death of God and the end of religion. Yet today we see a religious resurgence on almost all fronts: pentecostal and fundamentalist Christianity, often militant Islam, renewed interest in the occult, New Age spiritualities emerging and replicating like amoebae – it’s enough to give any secular humanist a crisis of faith.
In this book, Kate Turkington takes us on a journey – a number of interlinking journeys, in fact. It is an account of a tour through Peru’s “mystical sites”, with chapter-long asides on journeys through Australia and Arizona, as well as recollections of the author’s earlier life in West Africa. But primarily it is an account of spiritual awakening.
The author is – or was – a sceptic regarding religion. This did not prevent her from presenting a successful Radio 702 programme on matters broadly related to the supernatural. But, as she points out in this book, her whole perception of the world has changed. Touring Peru, she found herself remembering uncanny incidents on other journeys.
The Peru trip is a fascinating account of visits to the ancient Inca sites with guides committed to the notion that these places are rooted in spirituality, which they believed could be tapped by visitors seeking enlightenment. From the author’s account, the journey did produce in each of the group varied forms of what can only be described as religious experience. For her, it helped to clarify earlier spiritual experiences.
Events and ideas fly off the page. We are given a wealth of information on Amerindian and Australian Aboriginal beliefs, shamanic practices, sweat lodges, and the use of hallucinogenics in religious rituals, as well as a number of stories about ghosts, human and animal.
Turkington tells a very engaging story of her journey and produces moving accounts of spiritual experiences. At the core of her book is a notion expressed to her by the Dalai Lama:”We must always acknowledge the interconnectedness of all things. Recognise the profound mutual interdependence of everything – it’s part of the natural world.”
Turkington’s post-Peru conclusion is that “there is an extra dimension, a divinity, a cosmic consciousness – call it who or what you will – that can be accessed by those who actively seek it or keep an open mind”.
What should one make of all this? It depends on two factors: one’s belief in the supernatural and one’s attitude to what is generically called the New Age. If one is a total sceptic, it will be meaningless, and one will probably find the book tedious. If one has some form of faith, much will depend upon one’s openness to alternative belief systems. Religious fundamentalists will hate this book.
To my mind, There Is More to Life than Surface is interesting for the material on Native American and Aboriginal spirituality alone. The author writes with conviction rooted in experiences which I can understand but do not share. My own (unanswered) questions revolve around broader issues raised by such books.
First, does the adoption of ancient spiritualities not distort the original traditions? Many Native American shamans are disparaging of outsiders’ rather pick-and-mix approach to their beliefs. Second, how far can these “inculturations” go? Finally, what is it that people find in ancient spiritualities and New Age mysticism that is lacking in the religious mainstream?
For a thought-provoking book that is also a good read, Turkington deserves thanks.