Paul Devereux
Auteur van The Long Trip: The Prehistory of Psychedelia
Over de Auteur
Paul Devereux is respected author, researcher and lecturer
Werken van Paul Devereux
Shamanism and the Mystery Lines: Ley Lines, Spirit Paths, Shape-Shifting & Out-of-Body Travel (1994) 47 exemplaren
Fairy Paths & Spirit Roads: Exploring Otherworldly Routes in the Old and New Worlds (2003) 40 exemplaren
Mysterious Ancient America: An Investigation into the Enigmas of America's Pre-History (2002) 35 exemplaren
Re-Visioning the Earth: A Guide to Opening the Healing Channels Between Mind and Nature (1996) 29 exemplaren
Geheime geografie de verborgen betekenis van mysterieuze plekken in het landschap (2010) 26 exemplaren
The ley hunter's companion: Aligned ancient sites : a new study with field guide and maps (1979) 25 exemplaren
Earth Lights Revelation: UFOs and Mystery Lightform Phenomena: The Earth's Secret Energy Force (1989) 23 exemplaren
Earth Lights: Towards an Understanding of the Unidentified Flying Objects Enigma (1982) 18 exemplaren
Rituale des Heilens : Ethnomedizin, Naturerkenntnis und Heilkraft (2000) — Medewerker — 3 exemplaren
Earthmind : A modern adventure in ancient wisdom 2 exemplaren
Earth Memory: Practical Examples Introduce a New System to Unravel Ancient Secrets (1999) 2 exemplaren
Spirituele raadgever - Sjamanisme 1 exemplaar
Earthmind - Tuning in to GAIA Theory With New Age Methods For Saving Our Planet ( (1992) 1 exemplaar
The Ley Hunter. The Magazine of Earth Mysteries Number 76 1977 John Steele The Bimini Road Borst "Standing Stones in… (1977) 1 exemplaar
The Ley Hunter: The Magazine of Earth Mysteries 1 exemplaar
Aleister Crowley: The Last Ritual 1 exemplaar
O Xamanismo e As Linhas Misteriosas 1 exemplaar
Der heilige Ort 1 exemplaar
Schamanische Traumpfade - Geheimnisvolle Spuren in der Landschaft und außerkörperliche Erfahrungen - bk303 1 exemplaar
Das Gedächtnis der Erde 1 exemplaar
Gerelateerde werken
Fortean Times 89 — Medewerker — 2 exemplaren
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Fortean Times 96 — Medewerker — 2 exemplaren
Fortean Times 99 — Medewerker — 2 exemplaren
Fortean Times 103 — Medewerker — 2 exemplaren
Meyn Mamvro: Ancient Stones and Sacred Sites of West Penwith - No 11, Spring 1990 — Medewerker — 1 exemplaar
Meyn Mamvro: Ancient Stones and Sacred Sites in Cornwall - No 25, Autumn 1994 (1994) — Medewerker — 1 exemplaar
Tagged
Algemene kennis
- Geboortedatum
- 1965-03-19
- Geslacht
- male
- Nationaliteit
- UK
- Woonplaatsen
- Leicester, Leicestershire, England, UK (birth)
Gloucester, Gloucestershire, England, UK - Beroepen
- writer
- Organisaties
- Society for Scientific Exploration
Scientific and Medical Network
Cosmology Society
Society for Psychical Research
SSociety for the Anthropology of Consciousness - Prijzen en onderscheidingen
- Royal Society of Arts (Fellow)
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- #31,214
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This book is revolutionary in its view of archaeology; it could easily be mistaken for a "crank" book (the cover is a bit silly and melodramatic) but it is a serious, only mildly controversial book by a proper archaeologist. The author's starting point is so obvious that it says a lot about the prejudices of archaeology that we have taken so long to see it. Our ancestors weren't deaf; we know they made music, they also spoke, sang and chanted. Modern people in traditional cultures all have "non-scientific" attitudes to phenomona like echoes, resonance and reverberation. Modern shamans use and interpret them. Lacking a modern understanding of the science of acoustics, our ancestors would also regard places with impressive and unusual acoustics - especially echoes - as spiritually or supernaturally significant.
Any rocky surface reflects sound. If you've watched BBC's "Coast" you'll have seen a concrete wall in Kent, constructed in the 1930s to magnify the sound of approaching planes, concentrating the sound on one focal point. A rock shelter of the type common all over the world will have similar properties; some better than others. Also high up the list of places with spooky, impressive acoustics are caves, in which the effects are still powerful enough to unnerve modern archaeologists.
Devereux links these phenomena with cave and rock paintings. He looks at the acoustics of artificial structures such as Newgrange, Stonehenge, Waylands Smithy and Maes Howe. He compares these with acoustic phenomena in pre-Columbian American sites, and with the planned acoustics of Greek theatres. He speculates, sensibly rather than in a sensationalist way, about the extent to which these structures were designed to manipulate sound, and about how the early shamans used the acoustics for divination, during trance states, and to impress the uninititated part of the tribe. At every opportunity he draws parallels between his ideas about the past and established knowledge about modern shamanistic practice.
All the places Devereux examines resonate in the pitch of a deep male voice (about 110Hz). Baritone chanting results in a number of extraordinary phenomena, including transmission of sound for long distances through the earth, resonances that magnify the volume and prolong the sound after the human voice has stopped, acoustic patterns which result in localised peaks and troughs of sound, and the generation of "infrasound" at the wavelengths where disturbing and unexpected effects on the human body are felt. Higher-pitched voices (or indeed high-pitched musical instruments), for scientific reasons, cannot produce the same effects. Devereux refers in passing to the fact that this means the shamanistic use of acoustics is restricted to men, but sadly he does not develop this provocative and intriguing line of inquiry.
It took me a while to track this book down and I approached it with relish. The author, while a serious archaeologist whose idea are founded in years of scientific research, is keen to make his book as accessible as possible. He writes without jargon, and notes are at the back, numbered in the text rather than appearing as footnotes. There are photographs and a few sketches, the occasional reproduction of an earlier drawing. It should have been a five star book, but is let down by avoidable flaws.
There are many places where the descriptions of acoustic effects in the text would have been much easier to understand if they had been accompanied by simple diagrams. There are long descriptions of the interiors of cave sytems which cried out for a ground plan. Very few of the many cave paintings referred to are illustrated. What illustrations there are often would benefit from more explanation. There are confusing descriptions of shamnistic harmonies and tunes which would have been lucid with a short passage of musical notation. Moreover, Devereux's writing, though carefully avoiding technical language, lacks ordinary clarity; one has to re-read sections to get what he is driving at, not because the ideas are difficult but because his meaning is obscured by clumsy English.
In addition to these drawbacks, several parts of the text are skated through far too briskly. Where he is citing other people's studies, he gives insufficient detail; just a curt summing up rather than the fuller description this fascinating research deserves. When first published this was a mid-priced book. It would have been worth a few quid more to have a longer, better-written text and more graphics. As it was I was left feeling like someone who has bought a ticket to an exciting event and found themselves seated behind a pillar; able to get most of what is going on, but having to struggle too hard and use my imagination rather too much for proper enjoyment. I will read the book again immediately in the hope of picking up more depth of understanding.
POSTSCRIPT: I have now re-read it, and some of the bits which were hard to fathom the first time round are clearer, but my criticisms remain sadly valid.… (meer)