My book Jesus and the Religion of the Sun: Is Jesus Connected to the World’s Oldest Religion has just been released. You can find out more about it and where to purchase it here.
Here’s my video about the release.
The book follows my search to find out who Jesus really was, what he believed, and whether he had any connections to the Religion of the Sun. The reader gets to come along with me as I explore many of the spiritual mysteries about Jesus in an accessible and easy to read way, based on evidence.
I began my in-depth research into Jesus over 2 years ago when I started listening to and reading the work of numerous Bible scholars and historians. This gave me a solid basis to begin understanding Jesus based on historical evidence. Thanks to the internet, the work of historians on early Christianity is finally reaching a larger audience, and I found it interesting that in this case, scholars have been somewhat of a marginalized fringe unlike widely accepted Christian religion.
I began to learn so much about Jesus I’d always taken for granted and was shocked to see many Christian myths busted. It was like investigating a real-life mystery, day after day, as I kept learning about the formation of early Christianity.
After about a year of research into the historical Jesus, and based on more than 15 years of researching ancient religion, I realized I had a unique perspective to share that could add to the understanding of Christian origins. That perspective, I think, answers why Jesus came to share so many similarities with ancient sun gods.
So many people I encounter online believed that Jesus didn’t exist, and that he was made up by repurposing pagan mythology. However, I agree with most historical scholars, that Jesus was a real person. What this means is that there has to be another explanation. And I think there is. This is what I present in my book in which both Jesus and ancient sun worship are involved in a complex and fascinating mystery that has big implications for our understanding of history, religion, and spiritual reality. That’s what makes this book different from most that explore the influences paganism had on Christianity.
I decided to write the book to share that perspective, which took me about 6 months of solid work.
Through it, I’ve changed a lot of my views about Jesus, and we’re in the process of updating our books to reflect our new found understanding. I realize the information in this book may be challenging, but you’ll find a lot of solid evidence and sources in the book which can be explored further.
Even though I lost many of my long-held beliefs about Jesus, I feel like I gained a profound new understanding, which I came to at the end of the book. Writing this book has helped me personally. It allowed me to grasp more deeply the central concept of the ancient Religion of the Sun, which has affected my own spiritual life. I think it could similarly open up a new understanding of what’s been called the Word/Logos among others, and I feel that’s something of great value with a lot of potential.
Christianity is the biggest religion in the world. So it’s really important to understand its origins—whether you’re a pagan, Christian, atheist etc. The Religion of the Sun played a large part in them, and I think that needs to be known so we can make better sense of history and religion.
Thank yous
Thank you to the scholars whose dedicated, meticulous, and in many cases very generous work has allowed me to understand the development of early Christianity—particularly Bart Ehrman, James Tabor, David Fideler, and John Hamer of Center Place, but also James McGrath, the Jesus Seminar and John Dominic Crossan, Keith Akers, David Wray, Mauro Biglino, Stevan L. Davies, and Helen Ingram. I could not do the work I do without it.
Thank you to Mark (my husband) for going on this quest for Jesus with me, providing feedback, encouragement, and insights at every step of the way.
Thank you to the wonderful team at the publisher. I think we each keep improving at what we do together all the time, so we’ve become quite a team. Thank you Jon and Jordan for the very thoughtful and detailed work you did in editing the book, and formatting the many references. Thank you Jenny for your precise and beautiful work in formatting the book and creating the book page on this site, as well as doing everything to get it to print. Thank you Dara and Erik for a beautiful cover. Thank you to those of you who’ve supported the team to do their important job.
Thank you to all of you who have supported me in writing this book, providing for all our means as I researched and wrote each day. My desk, my computer, internet connection, and cups of tea! etc. are all provided from your generous giving, which has all been transformed into this important and empowering knowledge. Thank you so much.
Wishing you might light from the Logos! (this will make sense if/once you read the book!)
Publisher’s note:
Because it can take a few weeks before our books are fully available on retailers’ websites when they are newly released, here are a few tips for ordering and for getting the book at or around our recommended retail price. The prices we recommend to retailers are (not including tax): USD $18.25, GBP £14, EUR €16.50, CAD $25, AUD $28.
Books purchased from large booksellers in the US, UK, and Germany (which serves Europe), often ship fastest, since that is where our distributor’s main printing and distribution hubs are, and become available for purchase more quickly.
Generally it can take longer for our books to be available, shipped, or available at a reasonable price at the other regional Amazons outside of US, UK, and Germany, and other regional booksellers.
Here are sellers in regions that sell this book at or near our recommended retail price (before tax) and are available now:
Sellers in the US: Amazon.com (Amazon as the seller), Barnes & Noble, Bookshop.org, BooksaMillion.com
Sellers in the UK: Blackwells.co.uk, Amazon.co.uk (Amazon as the seller) – currently says will ship in 1 month, that should change and be available soon.
Sellers in Europe: Amazon.de (Amazon as the seller)
Sellers in Australia: Booktopia.com.au, Amazon.com.au (Amazon as the seller) Note: Amazon AU will eventually (in the next few weeks) have Amazon as the seller and then the books should be sold at or near our recommended retail price. Currently on Amazon.com.au third-party sellers are selling and shipping the book from the UK.
Seller in India: Amazon.in (Repro Books-On-Demand as the seller)
Notes for Canada – Indigo.ca is the main retailer in Canada that will sell our book at our recommended price; however, it will take a few weeks until it’s listed there. On Amazon.ca third-party sellers (sellers other than Amazon itself) generally are the only ones who sell the book on Amazon.ca and often will list the book at a higher price than our recommended one and have longer times to ship. Other options: trying to order from Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble in the US, or Blackwells.co.uk.
If you need help finding a retailer in your region, or need any other assistance with getting the book, contact Jenny at our website: https://suraondrunar.org/contact.
I finished ‘Jesus and the Religion of the Sun’ this morning…
It was quite an inward journey that brought up a lot of unexpected emotional attachments that I didn’t fully know existed within me. I wasn’t raised in a Christian family and for most of my youth I actively mocked the Christian faith due to my interest in Norse Paganism. This all changed when I became involved in Gnostic studies where Jesus was highly revered, and as a result I embraced the concept of Jesus as a fully enlightened master for many years.
Personally, I found a lot of the content within this book fairly confronting at first. However, as I proceeded through the remaining chapters I actually started to feel a kind of liberation from these stale and often dark Abrahamic influences.
The studies involving the Solar Logos really shook me, especially where you discuss the tragic desecration of the Edfu temple by Coptic Christians (this reminded me of Charlemagne’s destruction of the Germanic Irminsul). The examples used showing the similarities between Egyptian and Hindu solar mysteries is particularly inspiring.
The work you have compiled here is really very special and I hope that this information spreads far and wide.
I received the book on Monday and read through it over Monday/Tuesday. It’s very digestible and succinct. I could hardly put it down.
It was an amazing journey to read through it, I could almost picture the actors throughout history who have altered religious texts throughout the ages, each having their owns reasons or biases and adding things along the way (probably most of the time with good intentions, perhaps sometimes without).
The journey you must have went through as you were uncovering this information and trying to get to the heart of the matter of what/who Jesus actually was/is, beneath all the layers of history and alterations and competing agendas and influences, etc… It almost feels like trawling through the layers of our own mind/emotions to find the spiritual/objective reality within ourselves in any given moment.
An amazing book, thank you for presenting it to us.
I’m really glad to hear Daniel. I think that’s a great insight – that the search for the historical Jesus in a way can become a search into ourselves.
Not quite the same but when looking at the different scholarly quests into Jesus and their approaches, a few days back, I again thought how much results depend on the aims of the person searching, as well as the level of spiritual understanding. So definitely there needs to be a lot of honest clarity within to draw something as objectively as possible.
I don’t have my copy yet 🥲. Ordered when it was announced, Amazon eta reads 10th of august to 24 September, was hoping it might just arrive suddenly on my doorstep in the last two weeks, as it sometimes does, but not this time I guess. Enjoyed having a look at some thinsg based on some of the hints given though.^^
Hey Akria,
Sorry to hear your book has taken some time to get to you. Hopefully it arrives in the next few days. If not, you could consider canceling the order and ordering the book from another vendor other than Amazon in your region. If you need any help with suggestions for alternate vendors in your region, just let me know here or via email at https://suraondrunar.org/contact.
Hi Lara and Everyone,
I’ve enjoyed reading the comments made/added on this page.
I am still eagerly awaiting my copy, to start reading, but unfortunately, it will be a little while longer ☹
There seems to be a general consensus from those who have already received it and are eagerly reading it or have finished reading it, that there is quite a bit to take in, to re-think and (as I call it) “shift the mindset” around Jesus, be it the historical figure or the one made into a church/institution.
It has become even more obvious (now) that what we have been handed down over the centuries is very distorted.
So, I am to expect to learn more about
The mystery of the Logos revealed further.
About the true Dionysus.
The possible challenge/question around the Gospel of Peace – does it contain Jesus’ words? (I remember how I felt after discovering that the Flight of the Feathered Serpent was a book of fiction :-/
The authenticity of the Turin Shroud
The historical facts about the nature and diversity of early Christianity, etc etc
I went down some rabbit warrens too on various aspects eg the Turin Shroud, the missing years of Jesus, other bible versions, etc, but now it seems this book will clarify all of that for me…
I just…have…to wait…for..my copy….to arrive…
Is it here yet? :- /
Also, happy to volunteer/assist in translating into other languages if this ever becomes a prospect/project 😊
I really like the new book. It’s blowing my mind (and my past beliefs about Jesus). Just had some questions. There’s a chapter titled The Gnostics which seems to focus solely on the ancient gnostics, but doesn’t seem to mention the revival of gnosticism in the modern form in the 1950s etc, which gave a revolutionary teaching about incarnating the Intimate Christ, and explained that Jesus’s life demonstrated a significant stage of that path (i.e. what the modern gnostics call the second mountain). Just wondering if the thinking is that those teachings are not relevant here, or maybe enough has been written about modern gnosticism, and so those teachings are already well traversed ground etc. and the idea of this current book is to offer something new or what people might not be aware of? Modern gnosticism still seems relevant here though as it seems to offer the current humanity the only easily accessible school that explains the keys (i.e. inner Birth, Death and Sacrifice) in a practical way and gives the support to help incarnate the intimate Christ and doesn’t waste people’s time by withholding the keys or referring to them in veiled form (like most publicly taught religious teachings these days). I’m loving the book, but I suppose I’m left with the questions as to the reasoning for leaving out the modern gnostics in The Gnostics chapter? Your thoughts on the three keys to incarnate the Intimate Christ? And whether Jesus alluded to those keys publicly when he said “deny yourself, pickup your cross and follow me”, but perhaps taught those keys more directly to an inner circle?
That’s great you like the book.
The reason I don’t mention modern Gnostic revivals is the same reason I don’t mention Islam, Bahai, Theosophy, the New Age, and the many branches of Christianity. These are also all later interpretations of Jesus. In the book I focus solely on who the historical Jesus really was. I argue we can only reliably know that based on historical evidence.
As I point out in the book, Western Esoteric traditions are somewhat based on an ancient interpretation of Jesus (whether they knew it or not), but this interpretation reflects the beliefs pagans attached to Jesus soon after he died rather than what Jesus appears to have believed.
In terms of what Jesus meant by that line – the first thing we have to ask is whether he really said it (or whether it was added later). The next question is what it would have meant to the person writing it. If Jesus did say it, it would have meant something in the context of the beliefs he is historically most likely to have held, which is a kind of Apocalyptic Messianic Judaism. I haven’t found any evidence that he knew of the kind of spiritual practices we might be familiar with today. We can speculate that he did, but just left no evidence for it, but then we have to admit that in terms of the physical evidence, it is speculation.
There are modern groups today who are trying to follow Jesus based on the historical evidence. They often don’t describe themselves as Christian or Gnostic, but as Ebionites, Essenes, or Nasaraeans.
I finally finished the book, but had to go back and forth again and again to solidify some things in my head, as there are so many connections made and new information presented that it will surely take some more dives and maybe some cross-research to really let all this sink into my consciousness.
Lara, you have done an amazing research and connected so many dots! The separation of historical Jesus from the Jesus of the Gospels is kind of evident now that you mentioned it, and yet I have never even thought about it and surely most people don’t.
I have also been surprised by how many scholars have dived into this topic, and the profound insights they have gained and shared with the public. As I am not a person who would just casually read scholarly works, these things were completely unknown to me, as I am sure they are to most. So thank you so much for bringing these works to our attention.
And of course, Jesus’s appearances in dreams, waking visions and NDEs are such a phenomenon! I have watched many of them, especially Christian-flavoured ones, and what struck me is how he seems to be appearing to all kinds of people, drug addicts, people in prisons, people in really bad life situations, simple people, complex people, people practicing witchcraft, even murderers. And all of those lives were transformed. It amazes me that just like during his physical ministry, in these spiritual experiences he also mingles with people from all levels of society, directed by his compassion.
Now whether it is the actual Being of Jesus or the force of Solar Logos in disguise is a question, but it seems in these dark times people desperately need this hope and love, and these experiences are delivering it in a very tangible and personal way.
Overall, I would say it is a much needed book, as it is so connected to Religion of the Sun, especially with the concept of Solar Logos. At first I thought, well, isn’t it just another term for Spiritual Sun? But it does give it another dimension, as a divine fiery substrate that has crystallized everywhere in the physical (and non-physical?) universe, holding it together and animating it. (I hope I defined it mostly correctly). Its very interesting to me also, how the word implies intelligence and wisdom too (kind of like logic 😊). A fiery intelligence of God spread in everything that exists maybe? Very cool. 🔥
I also wanted to say that I absolutely loved your apt metaphors throughout the text, which I can’t seem to find right now to quote them, but I will definitely write them down when I stumble upon them again!😀
Thank you very much again, I will most likely write some more comments as things crystallize in my mind over time, to ask you some questions or ponder on some aspects of the book.
This concept of solar logos reminds me of the unified field theory that I was introduced to when in TM movement.
There are many takes on this from all sorts of directions but to me it’s something that I can feel sometimes and it more relates to love as a vibrational field that binds and connects everything.
Im looking forward to learn more about this once i receive the book.
Hey Tina, I have stumbled upon this interesting NDE these past few days. It is a testimony of God as a powerful force of Love – a “nuclear explosion” type, intelligent and very personal. I think you are going to love it. It is an older NDE, but the guy/doctor is really genuine, still can’t stay calm when he recalls the God’s presence. I guess he paid his price for “demanding” god to show up, but it was well-worth in the end 😍. I also liked how he also learned the art of self-observation from that experience, as he was shown the ways in which he was flawed, which has given him a method of watching and listening to himself and his motivations in his daily life.
The main part is roughly from 3:45 to 34:00.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaBYL7w-Zes
Hi Lara,
My copy of the new book arrived this afternoon and I’ve delved into the first five chapters with great interest.
I’m finding the content in Chapter 5, “Not One God”, resonates particularly well with me as it provides an explanation of the origins of the brutal and vengeful “God” of the Old Testament which doesn’t seem to be widely discussed these days. It’s very refreshing to have this information so candidly brought forward and I feel that great courage is required to even write about these topics in today’s world.
The final paragraph of the same chapter is especially relevant today.
Looking forward to the coming chapters.
Wishing everyone much strength and spiritual guidance.
What an exciting and amazing achievement, Lara. Thank you to you, and the supporting people here and behind the scenes for bringing this book to fruition. It seems a few people here (myself included) have been consuming sources like Dr Bart, the Center Place channel, Dr Sledge of Esoterica, and I would add Dr Henry from Religion for Breakfast to that list if anyone is looking to expand their podcast library. It’s great to see some of those sources being brought into this book and I can’t wait to see how that looks. To date I have really enjoyed the evidence-based and nuanced approach all the books have been written in, solid referencing (which I enjoy reviewing) and how no assertions are made without qualifications, opinions are identified as opinions, and I think this is a really unique and honest approach in this field of spirituality. I am very much looking forward to the content and will no doubt have many questions or comments to share on it.
Thank you Lara for writing this new book about Jesus. I do not have the book yet, but I feel it was a much needed work that has created an opportunity to reflect on life and its purpose.
Like many many others, I have always found the story of Jesus to stand out profoundly from all the other writings in the Bible. I also recognise that everything I “know” about Jesus is, at least to some extent, coloured by the unavoidable limitations of the physical ways in which information has been passed down through time.
We are therefore very much looking forward to reading the book, and we are deeply grateful for your hard work and for everyone’s contribution in making this book a reality.
Wishing everyone in our wonderful community, and throughout the entire world, much inner Light from the Spiritual Sun.
Thank you, Lara, I think you have answered it well and yes, I knew some others would have the same question.
It is also from my experience, numerous times I verified the work of psychic faculties in the physical world, for example meeting a well known figure in the astral plane and then finding their picture online and being shocked how accurately it was. In the Soviet Union a big group of psychics got gathered and the best of them demonstrated incredible influence on the physical like bending a spoon or stopping a heart of the frog by looking. So I thought that at a certain level of the inner advancement some can really make the astral work like a clock, and this is what was decided in Soviet and then Russian military that only the most reliable close to 100 percent methods should be developed and used. In Tibetan tradition many practitioners develop incredible skills by combining extreme practices with advanced knowledge. Monroe work is very interesting, but I do feel too, there was too much subconscious affecting it and perhaps the type of the astral body he had, like I have never heard from him about going to Hell and learning there, but we know it is very possible.
Anyway thank you for your detailed answer :), and hopefully the book will be soon in Indigo. Your last astral book was very interesting and helped to get more experiences and reflect more about my approach to practices.
Personally, I don’t feel any particular connection to Jesus as I do to other ancient spiritual figures, but im glad you are investigating this subject as its so personal to majority of people in this world.
However, I had some interesting encounters with Christians in the past. In one instance I knew someone who was a very devoted Christian and at the time was my housemate. They really didn’t like that i was practising meditation and asanas and so we discussed the subject a lot and kind of closed that chapter of our own learnings at some point after.
Then one day I heard they were listening some old tapes they got from someone in the church, that sounded as a part of a very old archive. It was a talk on consciousness and meditation, which made sense to me as I always felt there must be only one ultimate truth underneath of all religions and beliefs.
The part on diet and animal sacrifice stood out to me the most from the short video. Im very pleased that this will be finally addressed as so many people have very strong beliefs that we’re supposed to consume animals and their products and often refer to Bible as a proof of that.
Therefore, I think this work is very important and it seems the way you approached it fits very well with the minds of this day and age and it is also imperative that it comes from you as you have a kind of established authority that is needed for this information to be even considered.
Much gratitude for following your own soul’s path in spite of all the challenges.
Hi Tina,
I feel similar, I’ve never been too big into Jesus either, later on I tried to incorporate Jesus more but it never really 100% resonated with me for some reason. It was hard to put a reason to the feeling when I was young and at church with the school or later on sitting in church when my nephew was christened the atmosphere in the Church seemed hollow and not very up lifting so that made is hard to get into what the Church put across.
More recently I’ve had an interest in Rishabhanatha! Mark mentions him in the spiritual out of body experience book and I wonder what he was like when he roamed the earth.
I wonder what aspect of Rishbhanatha you feel drawn to?
The kayotsarga practice reminds me of the process of hypnosis where a practitioner would guide a person to relax deeply physically and mentally so that the person arrives at a point of total stillness of the mind and the body, while being fully conscious and present. This then allows for the person to connect with their inner self or soul. As i thought, hypnotherapy has its roots in ancient practice but unfortunately it has been demonised by our culture and made into a prosperous business.
I also like the non violence part which was taught by Rishabanatha and his successors. Its also interesting how violence has become a normalised practice in today’s world and somehow justified by majority as a necessary way of obtaining food and nutrition, which was also my view at some point. The sleep we are in is remarkable but i think it’s also fuelled by our lack of knowledge and connection to the truth.
I just got my book! I’m already digging in, I’m very happy that you took the investigative journey approach, I feel like that was kind of in the background in your other books, but I personally find it really really interesting.
I find myself chuckling now and then, you have a few really good one liners in there, like “In accepting the Old Testament indiscriminately, orthodox Christianity set itself off for a perpetual internal struggle between love and hatred, between compassion and violence, becoming as a whole a kind of schizophrenic, bipolar entity, tearing through history. “
Dang.
Anyway, I have another question: do you mind if we share our thoughts about the book on social media? I’m re-examining my relationship with social media as a whole and rethinking how I can make it both more personal and authentic. It would probably involve responding to passages like that one, or concepts. Just interested in what your desires/preferences would be around this.
I appreciate you asking Julian. Sure, fine to go ahead and share your thoughts on social media.
Oooh that’a great quote! Can’t wait for mine to be delivered… this is such an amazing surprise Lara!
I had so much to overcome around Jesus because among the atheist culture that I was brought up in he’s actually mocked quite a lot (so sad and dark when you think about it) and I realised how ingrained in my psyche that had become. But the UK has such an ancient and sacred relationship with Christianity too, I think there’s a conflict among people in general, not just me, around our religious heritage and this spiritual figure. I’m looking forward to reading this book so much, I think it will be a catalyst for a journey to a deeper understanding of this Being and the Religion of the Sun.
That line you cited is the one that really stood out to me too. It gives an insight into so much of Western history really.
I was reading a book on the Hundred Years War recently. It described medieval kings who were simultaneously very pious Christians and at the same time routinely committed the most violent atrocities in pursuit of political power. They didn’t seem to feel a conflict in this.
Same thing with the Inquisition, that always seemed really bizarre, how people could justify torture and murder of “heretics” in order to supposedly save their souls.
You’ve highlighted an important point there, Lara. It does seem peculiar that the loving, caring God of the New Testament is so at odds with the often punitive and brutal God of the Old Testament. I reflected on this inconsistency myself in the past and found myself far more drawn to the accounts of Jesus’s life, rather than the content of the Old Testament, some of which I’m still unfamiliar with.
I hope you don’t mind me nitpicking one aspect of the analogy. I know that in everyday society, schizophrenia is commonly used in the sense of a split personality, like a Jekyll and Hyde figure. This impression is reinforced in movies such as Me, Myself and Irene, where Jim Carrey portrays a good guy with a nasty and unpredictable alter ego.
But the “split mind” indicated in the original Greek term refers more to the disconnection from the rational mind, where the boundary between dream-like states and reality becomes hazy. Most of us will have experienced this disconnection from the logical mind during dreams, where even the most implausible occurrences somehow seem to make sense, unless we become lucid or physically wake up.
Another aspect of the split is the hallucinations, which appear to come from outside of the person’s own thoughts. But the personality generally remains intact, despite sometimes odd behaviours or mood changes.
I’ve known people who have suffered from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder over the years, both professionally and personally, but I never observed anyone being physically violent. In a previous job, I helped a woman in her home who suffered with schizophrenia, but never felt unsafe in her company. In fact, I was more concerned for her own welfare, as some of her auditory hallucinations could be distressing for her.
One of the most well-known example of someone with schizophrenia is the Nobel Prize winning mathematician John Nash, as portrayed by Russell Crowe in A Beautiful Mind, albeit with some fictionalisation. Most people will also remember Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars, but may not be aware that she also suffered with bipolar disorder. She said of her condition that it was “An opportunity to be a good example to others who might share our disorder”.
Having said that, there are some individuals with these diagnoses who are also violent, such as Ronnie Kray, the famous 60s London gangster who spent most most of his later life in a secure psychiatric unit. However, his twin brother Reggie was equally violent, but didn’t have a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Many people will also be familiar with some of the Beach Boys songs, but may not know that the group’s main songwriter Brian Wilson suffered with schizoaffective disorder through most of his adult life, which features elements both of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. His story is portrayed well in the biopic Love and Mercy.
Brian was working on the Smile album during during the course of his breakdown. The songs were mainly shelved as he attempted to recover, but to his credit, he managed to complete the album nearly 40 years after its initial conception. There are some beautiful moments on Smile, and I thought it would be nice to share his Wonderful suite.
Harmony fans may notice some unusual chord changes, but it still definitely works as a complete suite. I particularly like the line in Wonderful “Farther down the path was a mystery”, along with the title of another song in the suite, Child is the Father of the Man. This is arguably true within the context of how our childhood experiences shape the personality later in life.
https://youtu.be/LO8qo-6rMqQ?si=oqWaPvqRPKCV_73e
I’m waiting on the book to be delivered like many folks and reading your quote from the book Julian it looks like Lara isn’t pulling any punches with describing the established Clergy who pieced together the Christian religion. (I assume that’s who the quote is aimed at?) Is there any chance of getting another “one liner” from the book while I’m waiting for the book to arrive, with out giving too much away of course.
Reading through some of the posts its interesting to see the disillusionment that people have with certain aspects of the Christian religion which is common and one that I also have felt, what is also interesting is that somehow people pick up on what’s not real via intuition or other means which I think is wonderful and a testament to what we have inside of us but then it can be so hard for an individual to express that sense they have due to many reasons which can be family dynamics, the culture people are born into and other over riding systems weather those systems are political, financial or religious! it seems so obvious that control is more important than the truth to people that run the world making us and tricking us to follow what they want instead of creating what could be!! but why impose so many limitations to people are they scared of us? One time I remember talking to a Christian and I mentioned something about astral travel and they stopped and said that’s outside my beliefs and wouldn’t entertain any more consideration on the topic and I thought isn’t that proof that religions are a type of prison. Man this opens up so many questions! why is it like this and is that limitation the person had with the astral really what that person really felt or was it something they picked up from the limitations of their beliefs? I mean we need a cohesive society for people to be in but why limit people spiritually and have a literal boot on humanities neck.
Below is a paragraph that is a good representation of what you’re in for. I feel like Lara asks the question: “if there’s truth to this story, what is that truth, even if it seems outlandish? If truth was twisted, who would twist it and why? What are the consistent motivations that made people tell the story one way or another?”
By the end of the book, I feel like that question is answered.
“Of the 176 events involving Jesus examined by the Jesus Seminar, only ten were determined to have happened. These ten events include one account of Jesus casting out demons and three of him healing people. They did not include his miracles, like walking on water, multiplying the loaves of bread, changing water into wine, and raising Lazarus from the dead.! These instead show evidence of having been invented as symbolic stories to illustrate the power Jesus had to grant salvation, and to out-compete pagan gods.”
The one lingering question I have is about Jesus’ own wisdom, because it’s obviously substantial, especially if shortly after his death people readily sought to associate him with what’s essentially the embodiment of divine universal wisdom. So… it just seems that someone like that, someone capable of discerning what’s true from what’s false in Jewish texts, wouldn’t he have a larger view of what the role of the messiah is? I struggle to believe that he would see it as an external thing, as Jewish texts foretell. Maybe this is just me holding on to what I’ve internalized and interpreted his message to be, but to me it seems obvious that the kingdom of heaven is an individual thing…
I saw a woman talk about an NDE she had where she spoke to Jesus, and he said she’d see judgement day in 2039 or something. I did some math, she would be 93, it seemed like it was talking about her judgement day, as in death. Certainly the language of spiritual teaching always feels very individual, and almost entirely separate from larger changes in the world (“give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”, and all that).
Curious about your thoughts.
Hey Julian, I kind of feel the same way, having a hard time believing that Jesus would just speak about an earthly kingdom. Even from what Lara has found, it looks like he was following an unorthodox form of Judaism (even with his own additions like not eating animals and mingling with people of different backgrounds, having unheard of compassion, not following certain rituals and rules, etc…). In addition to that, he was also supposedly an “initiate of an ancient religion”, together with John the Baptist, so having this naive view of earhtly kingdom just feels a bit off (even if it may have been an outward preaching for the masses who at that time would not accept eternal life in higher dimensions). Also as you say, it is suspicious how the narative about him being a Christ and a Son of God started almost immediately after his crucifiction, with many people recorded as having visions of him in his spiritually transformed state. Interestingly, the role of Paul takes an interesting turn here, as he was one of the first people who have had this kind of vision, even with instructions from Jesus about his mission.
Therefore, just theoretically, wouldn’t it make a perfect sense that the resurrected Jesus started acting very quickly after his resurrection, organising and directing people in the way for the new religion (centered around the spiritual Son/Logos that he came to personify) to take off, aided by some more spiritually advanced people of that age? The fact that the church later twisted the message, even making it a tool of persecution of other religions is only logical, as obviously, the darkness would not just sit and do nothing, and watch how the newly formed Christ-centered religion spreads around.
Anyway, this is just my feeling for now, the next step would obviously be some astral investigations, which, even though not being a proof of anything for the public, still mean a lot on a personal level. Just like Lara met Odin in her OOBE experience, trying to find out whether he was real, so can we attempt to meet Jesus and see whether he is a real, awakened being of Light. And even if some of the experiences people have had with Jesus may have been with the Divine beings/force of Solar Logos posing in the form of Jesus, I dont think they would do it if somebody was specifically trying to find out whether Jesus is an awakened higher Being, as that would be a deception.
In the end though, I also have to say that this new revelation about the Solar Logos and its nature is very intriguing, and makes me think… Is maybe the time coming when people (or at least some people) are mature enough now to have a relationship with the “living force” without the covering of a certain personality? Having somebody spiritually awakened in the physical world is important, in order to bring these eternal teachings to humanity in understandable language and form, and also to guide people, but it is intriguing for me to think of having a personal relationship with an intelligent FORCE. 🌞
Hi Lucia,
I haven’t read the book yet but do you know what your saying to old Star wars fan here!
Hang on I’ve Died and gone to Heaven!
No No your playing games with me!
I want to believe (no that’s X files)
I apologise my sub conscious is nothing but 80’s & 90’s Sci Fi films but your saying a living force!
Also I’m not intending to Mock either as I must admit I always thought Star wars was based on something that had merit and portraying a hidden truth somehow.
Hi Steve, “The Force” indeed! 😄 I didn’t have it in mind when I wrote it, and I also didn’t really watch the Star Wars series back in the days, as it was not broadcasted in the communist Czechoslovakia where I grew up. I only watched some fragments later, just to see what it was about more-less.
Now looking for the definition of “The Force”, it is supposed to be “a mystical, all-encompassing energy field created by all living things, surrounding, penetrating, and binding the entire galaxy together.”
Sounds to me like it could kind of refer to the Solar Logos that is also said to inter-penetrate all living things and bind the cosmos together. The use of “The Force” for both light and darkness also rings true. 😉
From Mark’s work, we also know that at a certain stage of The Path of the Spiritual Sun a person can embody/incarnate this force within them, and from then on acting as the Sun/Christ, etc. He also says that a spiritually advanced person (now I don’t remember whether this is after incarnating the Son/Sun or later, after resurrection), a person gains the ability to “draw a fire out of the atmosphere”, and several wisdom bringers are recorded as having done that for the purpose of their protection, like Osiris for example. Lara talks about it from 12:33 to 13:33 of her video on Wisdom-bringers (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjDKVTWRloo). She says this ability to draw a fire out of the atmosphere is the control of a “special type of energy that exists within everything and is the same solar force many of these wisdom bringers were associated with.” – sounds like the force of Solar Logos in action to me! 🔥 🌞 🔥
Hi Lucia,
I’m glad you got the sense of humor as I was joking obviously, I was a little worried that people might not get it and hence the disclaimer at the bottom!
Yes I feel that the old star wars movies had some very accurate spiritual references in them over the years maybe others think and feel in a similar way as well. It’s possible that’s why they were so popular and well along with the special effects too!
I’m aware of the internal spiritual path but I am going to have to catch up on the modern terminology used! Yep for sure I’ll go back over the video on the wisdom bringers you suggested above.
You know my jaw dropped for the second time this week when you posted your last reply, I thought of all the people out there who could get this idea of the solar logos and the Force due to the star wars movies I just thought of the possibilities, I know Lara has mentioned that Mark and herself think all the new information could impact humanity in a good way but I got the gist myself just recently. The First time my jaw dropped this week was when I read the chapter titled Kayotsarga in the book “The Spiritual out of body experience” man that hit me like a ton of bricks!
In a good way of course!
I really like what you’re wondering Lucia – about whether there is a time coming when more of us will be mature enough to have a relationship with the Spiritual Sun/Sun/Logos without a covering.
I think when it comes to practice, we can have a very experiential relationship that doesn’t necessarily need a covering, like what people experience in NDEs with “the light.”
When it comes to a symbol, as in a statue or image, I think the sun disk doesn’t convey that it is an actual conscious being, and that’s where a human form is helpful.
Hi Julian,
Cheers for posting a tasty morsel to wet the appetite! Umm very tasty indeed! The first section was fairly straight forward and my poor brain could wrap around it, The Second part took rereading as I needed to adjust to Lara’s way of writing, questioning and injection of personal thought as at first I didn’t get the flow, or personality of writing but once I got the style of writing it made sense. Yep it made sense!
I’m wondering if this is going where I think it’s going , guess I’ll have to wait and find out!
Your question reminded me of something I heard the early Christian scholar John Dominic Crossan say. He said that there is kind of adage among New Testament scholars that when you go looking for the historical Jesus you find your own face staring back at you from the bottom of the well.
Wow, that’s quite deep, and a nice veiled complement :)
I understand your meaning very well, and I can see that the question arose exactly because I was imagining myself in Jesus’ place, and trying to imagine what I would think, or what a more spiritually developed me would think. I can see that you took a more objective stance, following the evidence more strictly.
Your point raises even more questions for me, however. Why did he believe he was the messiah, for example? If he planned his crucifixion and resurrection, how was that meant to help usher in the kingdom of the heaven on earth? On the one hand, we have a Jesus that plans carefully, possibly even staging a resurrection, on the other, one that believes in a literal imminent apocalypse. What it actually points me to is a missing piece of evidence: Jesus’ own experiences. What did he see? Textually, he relies quite a bit on scripture, on love, and on a “spiritual cleverness”, but not much of what inspired him or showed him his path, as far as inner experience, is revealed . Did he have visions? Dreams? OBEs? What gave him the inner faith needed to hold spiritual principles in difficult times, is the spiritual son within enough for that? What told him “you are the messiah” so strongly that he believed it? The more I think about this, the more questions I find I have.
I should explain more about what that adage means. It basically means that because a lot of the historical data on Jesus is sparse and contested, the interpretation of who he was is open for quite a lot of speculation. Because of this, it’s easy to draw conclusions about Jesus based on our own subliminal biases and build a picture of him that reflects who we are rather than who he was. I feel that also happens generally, that a lot of people are drawn to the image of Jesus that resonates with what they’re looking for in a spiritual figure.
Having said that, there are some scholars that I think have been able to approach the question very objectively, and have come to the same conclusion, which is that he followed a kind of Apocalyptic Messianic Judaism. There are some key pieces of evidence that show this, but the one that I found most convincing is that his brother James, who headed his movement after his death, and the disciple Peter, remained at the Jerusalem Temple preparing for the soon to arrive Apocalypse. Paul, who met with them, also believed the end of the world would arrive within his lifetime.
James Tabor, who is one of the main scholars I draw on in the book, said that if we saw Jesus today, we might think he was a crazy person – going around talking about the coming end of the world. A lot of Jews and Christians still believe this – in a coming Kingdom of God on earth.
Great points Justin & Erik which highlights the hypocrisy & madness of people chasing power through out history.
it’s almost like the “elites” of the world follow a somewhat different religion, they give the masses the watered down version and keep the superior knowledge or version of it for themselves (seems to be a dark philosophy that they follow, referring to modern elites) so they are the only ones who are able to wield it & use it to their own ends. ultimate selfishness! I not saying everyone should have unlimited power of course as that is a matter for self knowledge and the being but playing with people giving them part truth, or an altered version of the truth and then watching different factions of religious sects fight over who is more morally correct is evil isn’t it especially if the elites of the time put the fabrication in there in the first place. Got to admit very clever what they’ve done but very dark. I guess it’s true that if you control the present, then you can change the past and therefore manipulate the future.
I’ve come to feel the same way about politics, especially in the states. I have my own beliefs about politics, but my faith that they’re anything other than a tool used to divide good people from each other has completely eroded. And yet, even that is kind of a trap, as being apolitical is not necessarily a solution either, and dark influences would ultimately benefit from that kind of apathy as well :/
are you trying to say in a way, dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t?
Yes, you could say that. I think it’s rigged that way on purpose. Each party requires you to believe sensible and horrible things at the same time.
I agree 200% that it’s all rigged. all of it!
Hi Lara, it was a wonderful surprise to see your short video pop up on YouTube, followed by the announcement of the new book release. It definitely sounds a thoroughly researched and thought-provoking endeavour, which I’m sure will both challenge and inspire readers.
For me, the biggest challenge is unlikely to be regarding a virgin birth, or details regarding Jesus’ lost years or crucifixion, as there is little archaeological evidence that I’m aware of to make a case in favour of these. But the Shroud of Turin is one of the most studied artifacts in the world and continues to baffle researchers. I’ve looked in some depth into the evidence on it, and was astounded by how much could not be explained, even with contemporary technology.
In one of the videos I shared recently, John Campbell and his guest concluded that if the shroud is a forgery, that in itself is a kind of miracle, due to the complexity of its design. I noticed you also mentioned its origins are extraordinary, so I’m keen to hear more about your own search.
If man-made, whoever created it must have had a formidable level of knowledge in so many fields. I also wonder why someone would go to such effort to create something that would have been easily dismissed at the time, due to the technology not existing to study it in depth. For example, a photo negative image on linen, which is itself non-photosensitive, has only been viewable within more recent history, with the advent of photography. Even more recently was the discovery of a 3D image, using NASA technology.
Another extraordinary feature is that the image on the shroud is reported to be less than the thickness of a human hair, with no evidence of any brush marks, dyes or pigment. Modern day scientists attempted to recreate this, but their best efforts using radiation only led to a very weak impression. The team concluded that the image could only be created through a much higher intensity of radiation, which would be impossible to recreate even with new technology.
The level of accurate anatomical detail specific to Jesus’ injuries is also extraordinary, such as pleural fluid, blood stains, injuries to the nose, knees and head in keeping with gospel accounts, etc. Blood analysis also showed elevated bilirubin, compatible with a body having undergone intense stress. John Campbell also concluded in his video that, although it’s not possible to determine if the figure on the shroud’s image is in fact Jesus, the level of specific anatomical detail of the figure would only be producible by using a corpse of a man who had undergone similar injuries and torture. Specifically, analysis showed rigor mortis and anatomical detail consistent with death by crucifixion.
Other details stand out, such as pollen and dirt traceable to the specific region where Jesus was reported to be crucified and DNA samples from the regions where the shroud is reported to have been transported. A recent WAXS analysis by Italian researchers also dated the shroud at around 2000 years old.
If the shroud is more recent (by centuries, rather than millennia), it would be an odd choice to go against the grain of widespread artistic depictions of Jesus, such as the retraction of the thumbs on the shroud image, in keeping with nails being driven through the wrists, as per Roman practice, rather than through the palms, which was commonly painted, but which would not support the body’s weight.
Another unusual choice for a forger is the imprints of Roman coins found detectable on the eyelids of the shroud image, which show an anomaly in the lettering style. This was originally believed to be a point against its authenticity, until coins showing this anomaly were also uncovered and displayed in a museum.
Another curiosity is that the shroud image is of a naked figure, which would have been deemed heretical in its historical context. This also makes it an odd choice for a forger, rather than incorporating a loincloth, which would be more acceptable to its audience of the time.
Many of these details would work against a historic forger’s success, as they could easily be contradicted by trends and knowledge of the time. Whereas the technology to identify and interpret some key features of the shroud has only been in existence centuries or millennia later. This makes me ponder what intention a master forger would have to create something with such accurate detail, which would only be appreciated by future generations.
It seems mind-boggling to contemplate, just as it’s beyond the human mind to fathom what existed before God or the Big Bang, depending on whether someone takes a religious or scientific perspective. Neither religion nor science can explain the unknowable. But it looks like your research will certainly shed new light on some of the beliefs and depictions of Jesus that have become established since his lifetime.
I have added the book to an order and although there is currently a slight delivery lag in my area, I very much look forward to reading it when it arrives. I thank you and all involved in the book’s publication for your persistent efforts on digging further to uncover more truths. And thanks to Mark for his guidance and encouragement as you explored deeper mysteries and new discoveries. The book looks set to be a work of great value now and for future generations.
Hi Michael, I too went down the rabbit hole of the Turin Shroud, and watched many presentations that explored its anomalies, including by John Campbell. However, there is one characteristic feature of the Shroud that shows it cannot be authentic, and is a big clue to how it was made – which is easily observable to everyone. I won’t say more until you read the book, which references lots of resources people can explore if they like. To me, the Shroud is a stunning example of how rational, intelligent people, using scientific methods, can be completely wrong. In my opinion, the real test of any method is whether it actually leads to the truth.
Thanks for elaborating on your search Lara. It seems a pretty safe bet you will have delved far deeper down the rabbit hole than me in researching the Turin Shroud, as you have also done with the other topics of your research. “Curiouser and curiouser!”, as Alice would say! But yes, I expect all will be revealed when I read the book.
To be honest, I really wanted the Shroud to be genuine, as looking into it gave me a sense of meaning during a tumultuous year, where my ability to connect with spiritual things was far more limited. But what you’ve undertaken in your research seems a great example of a truly empirical approach. Like with your journey into uncovering the lost fragments of the ancient Religion of the Sun, you seem to have started out with a clean slate, rather than seeking to prove or disprove pre-existing theories and beliefs.
I remember you mentioned in a preface to your previous book that when you connected the dots of seemingly unrelated religious traditions, you had a Truman Show moment of revelation when it became clearer how connected these threads actually are.
What you uncovered with the Shroud may well also be an aspect that remains hidden in plain sight. It’s quite possible that I’ve missed this, as my search gravitated more towards information supporting its authenticity, rather than refuting it.
What you said about experiencing animosity from some of the Christian commenters on YouTube unfortunately makes sense in the context of someone reacting to having the rug of comforting beliefs pulled out from under them. It is initially disconcerting to lose this comfort and security,
but arguably the end result is far more beneficial if it actually paves the way towards the truth,
as you mentioned.
Thanks again for your ongoing persistence in digging deeper, with your mind firmly jammed open, rather than nailed tightly shut.
Once you’ve read the book, I’d be happy to go through some of the resources on the Turin Shroud I looked at as I know you take a very evidence-based approach. There is a lot more I can say about it than I did in the book, as I was trying to steer clear of the many tangents I could take.
I think a lot of things in religion give us hope and meaning, but the way I look at it is a bit like how adults treat children. While we are children we can only understand things in a limited way, but as we mature we can see things in a deeper, more nuanced, and real way. Yet we still find hope and meaning, but in things as they really are – and there is a lot of hope and meaning in that.
Thanks Lara. That would be very interesting to look at those resources when I’ve read the book. It was also interesting what you mentioned about the similarities with the way in which adults explain things to children in an age-appropriate way, which I also had in mind. With a religious background, we can also learn a useful moral and ethical framework and become familiar with certain spiritual concepts. But this more basic framework may then be superseded as we grow in knowledge.
I remember Matthew commenting last year on finding Flight of the Feathered Serpent is actually a fictional work, but being inspired by a quotation from it during a certain experience. So it still served a useful function at the time. He also mentioned a funny anecdote about being reprimanded for poor behaviour in a note from the Easter Bunny. Clearly, this is a make-believe character, but
it was nice that his parents used it to convey a moral message.
On the topic of children’s characters and going down rabbit holes, I was captivated by the Alice stories growing up and they provided a useful introduction into the world of dreams. Shortly after, I had a book on dream symbols and remember later in my teens, mentioning that I’d like to be a dream analyst when I finished school. Interestingly, the Jabberwocky poem from Through the Looking-Glass also has some similarities with the legend of St. George and the Dragon, with the hero overcoming a fearsome beast. So, although the poem in itself has many made-up words, there is still a certain symbolism in it.
I also had a short book on unexplained phenomena as a boy, which captivated my imagination at the time, and which may have been a catalyst for a deeper search as I grew older.
I agree a religious framework can provide useful stepping stones in a search for meaning. But, as you also referred to, it’s important to recognise its limitations, if they are inherently a part of it, and to not stay forever within these.
Nicely put Michael.
Great news Lara! Very interesting and very welcomed book!
I feel like I have a lot of gaps regarding the life of Jesus and who he really is this Spiritual Being.
I have also changed my perceptions about Jesus life many times. I realize that I am a little confused about this very important thing!
I feel Lara that your book will answer many aspects of the life of Jesus, who he really was and what his real teaching and message was to humanity!
I needed this book without I know it!
Thank you Lara and your team for your efforts!
All the best and strength!
I couldn’t help but think of this and just have to say, after reading some of the book, there was once a perspective that stood out to me, that of Thomas Paine (since he mentions “the Religion of the Sun”), where he says in an essay, “the Christian religion is a parody on the worship of the Sun, in which they put a man whom they call Christ, in the place of the Sun, and pay him the same adoration which was originally paid to the Sun” (on his wiki). I used to think that was a harsh take, but my view on that has changed.
He also says, “Whenever we read the obscene stories, the voluptuous debaucheries, the cruel and tortuous executions, the unrelenting vindictiveness with which more than half the Bible is filled, it would be more consistent that we call it the word of a demon than the word of God. It is a history of wickedness that has served to corrupt and brutalize mankind; and, for my part, I sincerely detest it, as I detest everything that is cruel.” Oh, Mr. Paine. If you could see it all now. This shocking world and the forces at play that have continued to plague humanity and devastate our spiritual heritage. Some of what you bring up in deconstructing the Abrahamic god made this stand out more.
And brave man for saying so at such a time. I wonder what his full, fleshed-out view on this was, whether he was making a more surface-level statement. I hope to make time one day to look further into him, what with his apparent connection to the ancient Druids. Very interesting.
Now curious to see if with further reading my view on this will once again change due to other plot twists!
Awesome news, Lara!
I remember reading that you were working on a rewrite of the Jesus chapter for your 1st book. Seems like your research ended up being a new book in and of itself, lol.
Excited to read it, I ordered mine on Sunday through Amazon Mexico, and I’m happy to report that the price was well within your publisher’s suggested retail price. The shipping might take a bit since it has to be imported from the US, but that’s okay.
I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus lately. It seems that a quote of his pops into my mind for almost every situation. He really covered so much. The Logos is a theme that has always puzzled me; I cannot say that I understand what it is, but I have a feeling. That’s what still strikes me: reading Jesus’s words woke up a fire in me that I cannot explain, which has sent me down this amazing but challenging road. He truly changed my life; it seems like he really has the power to awaken those words in your own heart if you are open to it, despite my not understanding them. I feel that’s the mark of a great artist too, when they can touch a fiber in you; that’s all that matters, not the theory or the virtuosic skills but creating something that serves as a mirror in which you can see and tap into the light within you; sometimes helping you connect with something that you didn’t even know about yourself. Of course, this can go the other way around too.
Again, very exciting stuff. I think we all already know it’s going to be groundbreaking 😅 .
Thank you very much for all the hard work you’ve put into this and for being so generous and sharing it with us at such an affordable price. Also, I extend my gratitude to your publisher team; you guys are the best.
Blessings 🌻
Thank you Marco. The Ancient Religion of the Sun book started as a chapter too. That’s two books now I never intended to write :-)
Lara and Mark, thank you so much for this new book!
The topic of Jesus and the Religion of the Sun is deeply meaningful to me, and I truly appreciate the dedication, care, and years of research you’ve put into it. I’ve already ordered our copies — I can’t wait to study it.
As you know, I’ve translated several of your works before, and I’d be honored to help again. Brazil has the largest Christian community in the world, and I believe this book would find a great audience there. If you ever consider a Brazilian Portuguese edition, I’d be honored to translate it — and I can also translate it into French if needed.
A big thank you as well to the whole Sakro Sawel team.
Thank you so much for your support Daniel.
I had no idea the largest Christian community is in Brazil! Once you read the book, I’d be interested to know how you think people there would receive it.
This is really very exited and interested news.
Thank you Lara for all the hard work and research you have done to find all this imporatant information about Jesus, truths and the reality of his life and to put it in a book, so this information can be availiable to all.
Thanks very much to all the team that supprted you on this task.
Of course Christianity has a huge impact on Western civilization and I’m very interesting to see the depth of misleading.
My family was Christian Orthodox but not really religious. I remember from a small child having an inner need to pray to Mary, Jesus, God, alone, without anyone knowing, before going to sleep or waking up in the morning. This prayer sometimes turned out to a conversation, promising, talking, waiting for answers.
Looking forward to order the book, to reed and see what you have discovered.
With your work, you and Mark, give so much hope and encouragment to my heart, and this gives me strength and the perspective to keep on tryng, feeling I’m not alone and I beleive and feel this help reaches many many others too.
Thank you really both and all the team, deeply.
Thank you very much Mapia for your support and appreciation.
That’s so interesting you prayed like that as a child. I also felt the need to connect with the divine outside of what I felt were the confines of Christianity (which was the only religion I was exposed to), alone and in nature. You must have carried that remembrance of your connection to the divine from before you were born and found a way to express it that was personal and felt natural.
Thank you Lara and Mark for your continued efforts in shining a beacon of light throughout humanity.
It is interesting to see that this book is about Jesus, and questioning if the stories we have been taught are in fact the truth. I am not surprised that it has taken you a while to write and produce this book, as there are so many loose ends to find and tie-up.
In my earlier years I never really got to know about Jesus, apart from the stories I read about in children’s books. I also recall watching ‘christian movies’ which I remember scared me into believing that I needed to follow a certain path (a belief system). Now that I am older, I am more aware, curious and left wondering what really happened with Jesus, so the timing is spot on for this book release.
Looking forward to receiving a copy of this book.
Like you, I picked up so much of my general knowledge about Jesus from movies and information that seems to be floating around out there from Christianity, so it was very intriguing to look at it from a more “sherlock holmes” style, historical perspective.
Thank you so much for your support.
Thank you Lara. I look forward to clearing away more cobwebs of fake news from my mind. Truth is like an oasis in this desert, and it’s truly a privilege when you come across it. Warmest wishes to you both!
Thank you so much Lauren, and for all your support. It feels like there are so many lies, piled upon lies, piled upon lies, like great sand dunes everywhere!
Thanks Lara, I’m super excited to read this book. One thing i’m wondering about with your research is how do you know if the information you have gathered is correct? Do you confirm it internally in the astral? Or is it just based of other people’s research and historical accounts (And then you see if it fits with your logic)?
I do love your work, I was just wondering this. As in the past I’ve seen references to some books like Essence Gospel of Peace and it’s questionable whether that is a legit gospel or just made up by Edmond..
So historians, when looking to find out who Jesus was, look purely at the hard physical evidence, whether they are an atheist or Christian etc. They separate their religious beliefs from what can physically be proven, and do not allow their beliefs to sway their research.
Things that happen in the physical world are best investigated using physical evidence. For that reason I’ve based my search for Jesus on the work of some of the world’s leading historians in the field.
However, I’ve taken a different approach to historians because I also take into account non-physical evidence like NDEs and waking visions people have of Jesus. That’s because these phenomena are also legitmately real. However, they cannot override the primary physical evidence, and I explain the reasoning behind this in the book.
OBEs are very open to influnces from the subconscious. Additionally, spiritual beings can show us things that are not necessarily real, but what we will best understand and relate to in order to communicate things to us. These are some of the reasons why OBEs are not a reliable way to investigate things in the physical world.
That’s why I have not drawn upon my or anyone else’s OBEs.
In this book, I have only drawn on texts that are accepted by the majority of scholars. So the Essene Gospel of Peace is not mentioned. I have done more of a deep dive on the Essene Gospel of Peace lately, trying to find if there is a way to authenticate it. That investigation is currently underway.
Spoiler Alert: Even if the Essene Gospel of Peace is authentic, I don’t think it records the actual words of Jesus. You’ll understand once you read the book 😊
I should add that in my view:
Physical methods are the way to find out about the physical world.
Spiritual methods (including OBEs) are the way to find out about the spiritual worlds.
OBEs aren’t a reliable way to find out about things in the physical world, just as physical methods can’t find out things of the spiritual worlds. But OBEs are a way to find out about things in the non-physical worlds.
Each method for the things of its own dimension.
Thank you for your insights and explanations.
We also know that there are so many testimonials of people receiving a precise guidance about the physical things from the astral plane through the Grace of Divine Beings, or/and their own advanced inner capacities.
If someone is capable to receive correct information in the higher worlds (without the projections of their own subconscious), could it be a superior knowledge from the above about what is below? A fish can’t know the world above water, but we can.
So maybe someone can get astrally a precise knowledge about who Jesus really was, but then they might prefer to keep this knowledge to themselves and just teach people how to also advance spiritually and find the truth on their own, sharing the glimpses of their advanced experience. Also I guess while our curiosity about the life of Jesus might be quite normal and genuine, how far should we even know about the parts of his life that for some reasons remained secret or became distorted?
Good question Vadim. I knew someone here would ask it sooner or later :-)
As you say, people have been able to find out real things in the physical world during OBEs. However, even though it is possible, in my opinion, it is unreliable.
I’ll give an example, which I came across while researching for our book on OBEs. Charles Tart conducted a number of experiments to try and test whether OBEs were real. He did this by having someone who claimed to be able to astral project sleep overnight in a room where he monitored them. He placed a five digit number face side up on a shelf above the bed so that no one could see the number from below. The test was for the projector to leave their bodies and hover above the shelf in the room to see what the number was and report it back to him accurately on waking.
He tried this with a lady who for memory took about 4 nights of attempts before she was able to accurately give him the number.
He also tried it with the famous OBEer Robert Monroe. Again from memory Monroe spent about 7 nights trying to read the number. He was not able to. Instead he projected on a few occasions and traveled around the building seeing various people and places. Although he did not see the number, he reported the events he saw to Tart. These events did not match what was happening around the building. So, it seems Monroe was seeing things from his subconscious even though they seemed real.
What I take from this is that while the experiments showed it was possible to see real things in the physical world, even with people who were good at projecting, the accuracy was unreliable. And that was just a simple task of seeing a number right above them! Think about trying to find out information about history. With the number and the events around the building, we have a cross check in the physical to be able to say what was real and wasn’t. Once we don’t have a physical cross check, how do we know whether what is seen is real?
If someone has an OBE and sees something that they later find out is real, that is one thing. That is useful to show that OBEs are real.
But if someone has an OBE and sees something that is not verified as real in the physical world, how can we know whether it is? This is why I think OBEs are an unreliable source of information about the physical world. And that’s why I think that if we want to know what happened in the physical world for sure, we have to find physical evidence for it.
NDEs are a different case, as they are far more objective because of the lack of interference from the brain and therefore subconscious, but then there is the issue that spiritual beings will appear to people in the ways they will most relate to. This is well known among NDE researchers, because once you study enough NDEs, you see the pattern.
We got our copy early. I’ve only read a bit but wow this changes everything, in so many ways, profoundly. It’s a fairly cliche thing to say but I really mean it. And it makes me very happy, because it feels like truth. Christianity and Jesus had never felt right to me and it has been bearing down on me, subtly, subconsciously. I’m so happy to be free of it. Lara, thank you for your dedication to truth.
Wow Laura, your comment really took me aback. I am so glad.
It made me realize how truly blessed I am to have all of you here in my life. I am just so blessed to have you with me, to have your support.
You are all here not randomly, but for a reason. It’s also because of your dedication to truth, and to love and goodness. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to be open and change their views, to keep growing and learning.
Oh wow Laura! That’s fantastic…! And quick too…
Looking up the names dropped of the scholars already sent me down some rabbit holes the last few hours hehe. Definitely can’t wait what two years of research by you going through all these things and much more will then put forth!
I guess in a Western materialistic world having a central figure of a spiritual nature is a bit troublesome. With Christianity so central in the formation of Western culture, and its impact on the world, yet where it’s now led – scientific method, closing off to personal spiritual experience, incredulousness etc. — being ‘opposite’ to it, certainly creates a bit of conundrum? or gap between diverging roads. I’m not formulating it properly, but I can see how there’s a case to be investigated. A question to answer.
In it again (and the question whether he was real, and whether his spiritual nature was real) is maybe the deeper question: Does God exist?
That that question is even so prominent in the last hundred? years, maybe says a lot about our lack of knowing about the tools to start to find out personally. To be honest nowadays I understand how it is both possible to deeply know of higher matters and also how it is entirely possible not to know of such realities. And that we really can’t judge anyone.
I saw some videos from some scholars and sometimes it feels a bit like ‘logic finally beats the incorrect childish beliefs we held’. Great, and a bit of a feeling of release and it sort of leaves you like that, but then the ‘childhood wonder’ part can also be a lost. But actually there is an extraordinary spiritual reality, even if what you initially believed was not quite correct.
Anyway in short I think you Lara are in, and have worked yourself to be in, an amazing position to write about these matters. Not preaching inherited belief, not logic in order to destroy, but a research and logic to get a clearer truth, which can lead to… uhm, clearer perspectives (of past and thus present and future) to place our experiences in, for example.
Also congratulations 🔥✨. And the rest of the team. It all looks top notch!
Thank you Akira, and for all your support.
I’ve also seen some of those debates on whether God exists. What seems strange to me is that I’ve only ever seen atheists (in the West) debate against Christian religion, which is an easy takedown and bit of a strawman. I think it would be far more of a challenge if they were to debate someone from the Religion of the Sun! One day I would really like to see that happen. One of the big questions, for example, they always get Christians on is why suffering exists if God is loving.
Changed your views about Jesus but still going strong on tea eh – one day you’ll see the light!
Congrats on the release and looking forward to the next one as always.
I am pretty sure Jesus was seen bringing tea drinkers and coffee lovers together in brotherly/sisterly love 😉
According to historical accounts, some little-known-but-very-sacred texts, linguistic, archeological, and genetic evidence, esoteric symbology, and finally countless oral traditions — this is true.
My point exactly! ❤️
You could call me an unbeliever…
Thanks Jordan and for all your help with it.
A long awaited book Lara and Mark. And, finally in print, available for anyone who wishes to open their eyes.
You’ve alluded looking into this controversial topic for some time now and it is wonderful to see the fruits of your labour put into a well-researched and evidenced-founded book.
If it was challenging for you at times, to uncover and re-discover certain truths (which have challenged existing beliefs, perspectives, etc) I’m certain I will have similar reactions.
However, the insights, the clarity and the demystifying topic about Jesus will be the end goal and the learning curve.
Looking forward to my copy arriving… soon…
Thank you Dimi – looking forward to you and Sofios reading it! Thank you both for all the support.
You’re most welcome Lara and Mark 😊
Glad to be a part of this great reveal and re-alignment of spiritual truths and origins! 😊
I cannot tell you how important this timing is for me. I’ve been paying more attention to Judaism and Christianity over the last year or two than I have cared to before in my life, and have been trying to make sense of Jesus coming from a belief system such as Judaism but then also apparently teaching about God in a way that contradicted it. I wondered why he, if he had the mission to show the path of the spiritual sun, would be born into such a contrary religion and not, for example, as a pagan of the Roman solar religion at the time. In this way, such a Being could help adjust or course-correct the development of the Religion of the Sun on earth. But instead we’ve had Christianity (in the form that it is, and it’s really such a mess, imo), which has instead destroyed (or nearly destroyed) a once strong branch of the solar religion. I wondered about why this would be. Perhaps to some extent karma? As people had strayed so far away from the original teachings and were even sacrificing human beings… I don’t know.
Last year I came across The Great Courses platform where there are quite a few courses by Bart Ehrman on early Christianity, the historical Jesus, and exploring how the books in the Bible were assembled. Even though Ehrman is great at conveying this information and is sincere in his approach, I still have had such a hard time ironing out my uncertainties. The dating of his birth, the timing of the crucifixion and ascending to the Father — do we really have strong enough evidence that these events in his life correlate with the solstices/equinoxes? Maybe, maybe not! I’m excited to see all the places your exploration led you, but just by attempting to better understand something as basic as his birth date I ended up in Rome, and I never thought in my life I’d be so interested in Rome 😂 But I realized I’d never given this too much thought in the past, about how it is that the pagans in the region, who had worshipped Sol, Mithras, and others for so long, came to accept Christianity so readily…or I assumed.
There’s a book called The Final Pagan Generation by Edward Watts that gives some insights into how this unfolded, what levers were at play during the shift, and how the Church triumphed not by merit or theological “victory” but by force and manipulation of the systems of influence, even finding ways to create new paths to gain the upper hand. What’s striking about it is how very mundane it is and not unlike the modern landscape of slaving for power that we see on the political stage. I wished to understand whether the pagans at the time saw Christianity as theologically superior or as the “true religion”; instead what we see is the minority Christian elites slowly gaining more power over many decades by legislating policies that are anti-pagan and shifting public sentiment away from the old ways by gradually demonizing their practices and reframing them as being in opposition to God. You can find these parallels all over history, the gradual seizing of power by one group to usurp another, and I think it was no different here. I kind of looked back on this time, around when Constantine converted, as a revolutionary period — aha, now everybody’s found Jesus and it’s a fairly swift transition. Instead it seems it took a lot of clever maneuvering by the Christians close to the emperor, and the pagans at the time were largely unaware of this shift, which I find very interesting. The temples were still open, many people (most even) continued to worship the gods and generally assumed that things would continue as they had for hundreds of years, not knowing the persecution that would soon follow. We can only now retroactively see how significant all this sly political maneuvering was. I’ve wondered about Jesus’ birthday and whether that was another tactic used by some early Christians. If this was a way to “sell” Jesus and his life story as the true Sol, the true Light of the world, or something along those lines, since his birthday was first recorded (I think?) as being celebrated in the Roman Empire in the year 336. It is very sad to consider how much of the past is mired by the lust for power and how hard it seems for the truth to prevail instead of simply the more forceful opposition. Or the truth is much slower to emerge sometimes…
What a tangent that is! I have had a lot of questions, to say the least, and any attempts at going deeper into his life and beliefs just landed me in the wilderness, feeling very much I didn’t have the tools to do so or a good enough understanding of esoteric concepts to look at past events with clarity (even with the birthday question, perhaps it’s purely a matter of it not being written down before as it wasn’t considered that significant at the time). I think importantly, my approach was coming from a place where I was trying to fit Jesus into the story I already had scripted for him rather than approaching from a clean slate, as you have. There’s a great saying from Dr. Justin Sledge (another stellar teacher) that by “allowing our faith to dictate our history, it betrays both,” and I couldn’t find it more true now. I am so grateful you’ve taken on such a difficult task, and I already know it will help me tremendously — thank you. And thank you to all who have helped to bring it to light.
Very timely Zorana you felt pulled to look into these topics already. I can see why you would pay attention to it. For one thing they are having a profound impact on current events that have dragged the world into extremely dangerous territory, so these historical questions are as relevant as ever.
Like you, I found myself glued to my screen learning about all those tumultuous events that led to the formation of Christianity. It was all so dramatic! And it still has ramifications for us now.
It’s so tragic what happened. I remember listening to historians saying that the diversity of Christianity in those first few centuries was far more diverse than Christianity is now, and that’s on top of the huge diversity of religious groups that were operating at the time. Although we think we have a lot of Western religious diversity and activity, it’s really nothing in comparison.
That’s an interesting saying from Justin Sledge. The past doesn’t conform to ideologies or beliefs; it’s simply what happened, like it or lump it :-)
Thank you for all your support.
Okay, so wow. I’ve just come to the part about “the true Dionysus” and stared at the page kind of shocked. I think I won’t know for a while which of my deep dives here and there are coloring the way I’m taking in all this information, but you’re adding a lot more context and weaving things together in such a fascinating way. Like my question to do with how and why did European pagans accept Jesus when they had established and long-held beliefs for centuries/millennia, how did they bridge this gap exactly, and what you’ve presented so far and to an extent is confirming a few assumptions I’ve tossed about. My thoughts on that had been coming from a different direction, so the way you’ve built up to it was unanticipated!
Thinking back, I remember labeling some of my views on how the Christian movement at the time infiltrated paganism with a sort of paganized Jesus as “rude” (like rude to Jesus, haha, as it makes him more of a political tool than spiritual figure), but then too many elements come to light that you just have to reframe and reconsider a lot of what you think you know. There are stories all over the place but one that stands out is about how somewhere in Scandinavia during the centuries of conversion, people were “won over” by the Apocalyptic narrative because they were like, “Oh, Ragnarok. Yeah, we’ve got one of those…” and I think there’s a church with Jesus and Thor or Thor’s hammer side by side (can’t be sure atm). It’s a little bit funny but also slightly depressing, considering what motivations may’ve been behind that.
I find it astonishing to see what things we think back on as “wow, that was in plain sight,” but we couldn’t contextualize it properly at the time because history as we’re taught it is so tangled (or we’re influenced by scholars who themselves believe they have the historical “fact” but are mistaken). Yes, there’s things like Thorwald’s Cross or Sigurd’s Cross, for example, that merge these pagan-Christian stories pretty openly, but there’s much deeper layers to it that you’ve laid out, and I can only imagine how complicated this process must have been.
Also, Jesus Christ Sun of God has been on my Amazon to-read list for a while. Seeing some of the quotes from there, it seems like that will slot in well with where my interest currently is, so I think I’ll finally buy it. Thank you again for this in-depth investigation. While it has been unpleasant in some ways honestly, it’s also been eye-opening.
What a finale, Lara. I can see why you highlighted the solar logos so much. I had quite a few questions still jumping around my mind, and only as we were working our way through that chapter were a lot of them rendered a bit irrelevant … or maybe reframed in their importance. I’d like to ask you at some point, but I’ll wait until more people can be part of the conversation perhaps, and just in general to not be too spoilery : )
On a separate note, I haven’t felt a strong connection to the other “suns” of the Religion of the Sun, and while I find their stories inspiring and powerful, none has touched my heart like that of Jesus. In part I feel keenly the loss of a sacred relationship to some extent, and it’s painful and hard. That it was based on a lot of lies is not easy to digest. While, yes, there’s certainly something more behind that than just the connection to the figurehead of “Jesus,” whatever meaning you attach to him, it’s still a bit jarring, what with a few surprises in the book.
So while reading at some point the predominant feeling was just sorrow, there is thankfully quite a massive golden lining in the journey ahead to learn more about the solar logos and all the ways it has profoundly impacted humanity.
Interestingly I had a dream, the night before some of the more difficult feelings and realizations really settled, about a great loss. I’ve had similar experiences in the past before loved ones pass away, as a kind of loving warning/heads-up, and I woke up with a somewhat foreboding cloud over me. Suffice it to say, there were a lot of ups and downs that day, but it got better. What has stayed with me is that in the dream it showed how it would be a “fake” loss, which did not make sense to me until getting to the end of the book. Quite a journey in such a short time!
Much appreciation for your rigorous research 🙏🏻
So interesting you had that dream Zorana. I had an experience too soon after I finished writing the book. As you can see, the help is there to guide us through what is a big shift in such a short period of time. That’s also why I’m here to answer questions, though like you say, once more people here have finished the book. I think it will be helpful to be able to talk things through with each other.
I’m glad you saw the massive golden lining. Already I feel so enriched by this new understanding, but also excited about the next stage of the journey ahead, and developing a relationship with the Spiritual Son/solar logos on a new level. What does the Spiritual Son have in store for us, I wonder.
Really thoughtful Zorana, thank you so much for sharing your unravelling. I also enjoyed diving into the Great Courses and various documentaries and audio books on early Christianity and Roman culture some time ago, but also extremely perplexed to some of the barbarism of what happened to the first Christians, and how devoted they were to protect their beliefs, choosing torture and execution over renouncing their faith under emperors like Nero. Were they mad? Did they seek fame? What kind of climate of persecution creates such conditions at the birth of Christianity?
I never thought about the precision in the way Jesus was born into the Judaic culture vs. the solar/pagan ideologies of Roman culture that was already in place, so its interesting to pause and ponder where the seed was planted, however I do recall that Jesus would challenge and correct the thinking and mindset of all the rules and regulations that had weighed down on the devotional attributes of personal spiritual connection within his current religion. I can’t help but think what is true about the work of Mauro Biglino, and a bit of the wild theories of Zecharia Sitchin and the central birth of the gods and civilization in ancient Sumer and how this may have shaped the beliefs and practices of the Old Testament/religion.
Over the centuries, religion and the manifestation of divine exploration has taken so many different forms to help articulate the divine reality, in the best way suitable for humanity to understand and relate to. Whether that may be in the worship of monotheism, or the multitude of rays of light set forth by various divine representations, deities, pagan and polytheistic sects.
I am not surprised at how often it has changed, and what has persisted for humans to cling onto the hardest, to better understand the story of divinity and the afterlife. Its also interesting to find the thread that is untarnished by human corruption, that sometimes is carried by the breeze of time, and flashes briefly right in front of us, before its stitched back up into formlessness.
This quote appeared to me recently, which speaks to this, it is from the Bhagavad Gita:
The Lord declares: —
“Wherever true religion declines and irreligion prevails, I manifest myself and in every age I incarnate to establish spiritual law and to destroy evil”.
Much love to you and everyone.
Oh now this sounds exciting. Thank you for giving us such an enticing trailer. I’m preparing myself to have many of my beliefs about Jesus completely altered in about a week (as if they weren’t already shaken up — in a good way — from the research in your last book!). I appreciate you thoroughly digging into who Jesus was, and I’m willing to bet that with your deep understanding of ancient religions, and ROTS, you’ll be able to put things in a very important light that other scholars may have missed. Thanks to you, Mark and the team, for researching and helping this knowledge to get out into the world!
A week isn’t long to have your accumulated beliefs from maybe over a lifetime turned upside down :-) Hang in there everyone!
Thank you for all your support Mike.
Thank you very much Lara for your continued struggle to research this subject, Jesus is a truly central figure in the Western dominated society. Yet what do we really know about him, who was real Jesus?
Looking forward to read your book.
Lord, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, have mercy upon us the sinners. 🙏
Exactly, how much do we really know… No matter what worldview people have, everyone seems to have such a strong opinion about who Jesus was.
Reading all the comments, its undeniable the influence Jesus and Christianity has had on millions. Love him, or hate him, there is a reason he’s had such a spotlight on the world stage and in so many people’s hearts. Through him, so many people ponder about divine things, and something outside themselves, towards a greater reality.
Growing up and throughout the years, I looked down on the “wrong way” to understand Jesus, but more and more I see that the personal unveiling of divine realities is one of the greatest things awakening can do to a person, should they have the courage to continually breakdown walls of beliefs and distorted information.
Let the truth set you free.
Thank you for this book Lara, we ordered it as soon as it flashed up on Amazon, greatly looking forward to delving in.
What an intriguing book! Very much looking forward to seeing what you found. I grew up in a Catholic setting and always felt even as a small child that there was more to Jesus’ story than what was commonly told, so I’m really interested in learning what you’ve discovered. Thanks for writing this book! :)
Well you were right! but maybe not in the way you might expect :-) We’ll see… I feel like in the West we’ve all been brought up with Jesus, Mary, Paul, and Peter in our lives to some degree. That’s why I found all this so interesting.
Thank you for all your support.
I have a bunch of Christian and Christian-adjacent friends, or lovely people I know looking to reconnect with Christianity, Jesus, and the church. I think this will be really helpful for people that know there’s something there, but that we’re not told the whole story. I’m super excited for the time when we can share this more openly and publicly. I imagine it might be able to do for Jesus what the Hare Krishnas have done for Krishna. That all based on what I know so far, I’m really looking forward to learning more about what you’ve found. You have a special gift for separating fiction from real possibilities, which is particularly tricky as the truth is often stranger than fiction.
I think part of what draws so many people to Christianity is the Logos, if only people knew the depth of what it is and its history, but I won’t say more until you read the book!
Absolutely – truth is often stranger than fiction. So many things I thought couldn’t possibly be true, turn out to be. When so many people scoff and tune out, I now take that as a sign that I should jam open the shutters of my mind and keep listening.
Oh my word, “jam open the shutters of my mind and keep listening”, that really made me laugh, I need to paint that on my wall!
I’m curious how you think Christians will take this, or what kind of response you expect? A lot of Christians are readers. Do you worry about things getting hostile or antagonistic? Do you think it’s written in a way that will appeal to an open-minded Christian reader? Put another way, would you hope this would reach the broader Christian community, the broader Pagan community, anyone and everyone, or the sincere open-minded? Put another-nother way, what happens when ideas from a mind that’s jammed open meet minds that are potentially jammed shut (though many with open hearts)?
Good question Julian. I’d be interested to hear what you think after you read the book, since you have more contact with Christians than I do.
Unfortunately many people are in religions not because they deeply wish to change for the better, but because it gives them a sense of security, of belonging, and even of feeling superior to others. Being part of a large and powerful religion makes them feel powerful, and they enjoy the ability that gives them to hurt and put others down from a place of feeling sanctified and righteous. Those types of people will feel threatened, will be completely irrational, and will act aggressively.
I’ve already experienced this with some Christians in comments on the YouTube channel. Most have been aggressive and denigrating toward “pagans” and “idol worship.” Their arguments cannot logically be sustained, and so they don’t seem at all interested in reasoned debate.
Having said that, I do feel there are a significant number of people in Christianity simply because there is no comparable option. Christianity in some ways has power because it contains some knowledge of the Logos. If people were to understand what the Logos is more deeply, they may realize that it’s something far beyond the confines of Christianity, and that could potentially lead to a big shift.
Lately when I think of Christianity, I think about the claim that one man who lived 33 years is responsible for the salvation of all beings, terrestrial and extraterrestrial, for all 13 billion years the universe has been around. It just seems so weak to believe that unless you see Jesus as something larger, or a representation of something larger.
I’ll let you know after I read it if I have any interesting conversations with Christians about it. I’m particularly interested in a couple friends who have very strong belief (with some fear), but also very warm and open hearts (with some love). I wonder which will win? I find it mostly pointless to discuss beliefs, and much more useful to discuss observations of the heart, like prayer, experiences, divine connection, etc… I feel like it should be possible for such people to change their minds.
Hi, Julian. I’ve been considering some of these questions today and have a few thoughts to share…
I think most, if not all, practicing Christians would not accept this. The more lukewarm ones or the “cultural” Christians, I can see more logic coming into play. For practicing Christians, I’d speculate that they’d find all sorts of ways to defend their faith (as is their right, but I think unfortunate in this instance). When you accept this one static understanding of creator and creation, I feel it would be very hard to overcome the instinct for self-preservation, as their entire identity is tied to this one truth, “the inspired Word of God.” So without it there is a crisis of meaning, a purposelessness that I think is terrifying to a lot people, maybe mainly subconsciously. The landscape right now appears to be a lot of pitting atheists against believers, and I often see debates online between Christians and academics (which is sometimes framed almost as good vs. evil in the comments sections — highly entertaining) that are rarely attempting to reach the truth of the matter.
Regardless, I can see how it would be heartbreaking to accept “defeat” (from a Christian view) in what has now descended into a culture war, particularly without a safety net, without an alternative that speaks to your soul. I wish more Christians would ask themselves whether Jesus would recognize the religion that has been made about him. Seems if you start there, things quickly begin to unravel…
This maybe sounds bleak to say, but a part of me thinks it could take a couple hundred years to see significant change from the devout Christian population in the world. Change of this magnitude, deconstructing 2,000 years of reinterpretation after reinterpretation, and so on, takes a long time. However, on the other hand it could be much quicker, because we’ve seen how fairly quickly the religion of atheism/materialism took hold… just a few generations, and the Church weakened significantly. Besides all that, I wonder if we really have a solid idea of how swift and impactful a movement can be, one aided by this magical internet and carrying a body of knowledge that potentially touches on a kind of elusive awareness of an ancestral truth deeply buried for many seekers out there, particularly when there is so much evidence to back it up.
So many are already in tune with it and connected with at least a part of it, as it is nearly everywhere, across so many cultures (I hope I am alive when we find it deep in Antarctica 😉). It fills me with hope, as little else does.
Congrats on the new book, very excited to read it and see what you’ve discovered.
Christianity has had such a profound influence on western civilization, it is in many ways the water we swim in even for those who don’t believe in it.
So this study seems to have many implications both for understanding the spiritual message and the world we’ve inherited today.
Look forward to seeing what you’ve learned and concluded.
Much love to you and Mark.
Yes, I agree, it is the water in which we swim. That’s why I think it’s so important to use the best historical evidence we have at hand today to get an understanding of what happened that is as close to reality as possible. If this were done, we could change the course of our civilization, which is dangerously far from reality.
Thank you so very much for your support. Much love to you also.
Thanks Lara! I am really excited to get a copy and learn about what you’ve found out. Sounds like it may be a read it cover to cover kind of endeavor 😊
I was raised in a fairly devout Christian household and I’m sure I have a number of ingrained beliefs about Jesus from that, and then from learning about his life in a non-Christian spiritual context too. Really interested to see him from a new perspective, along with all the implications that might have for how I understand Christianity and spirituality in general – it feels like it could allow for going much deeper into understanding in lots of different areas.
What you said about writing the book allowing you to grasp more deeply the central concept of the Religion of the Sun also sounds very interesting. It’s great to be part of a religion that isn’t static in the way it understands things, but that is continually growing / adapting / deepening when new information becomes available like this, it is a very different way of approaching religion than the way I grew up understanding it!
Thank you Erik. I learnt so much from researching and writing for this book. I’m really looking forward to people reading it and maybe sharing in that new understanding.
I think a couple of you found the book before the announcement. It’s hard to keep it secret :-) Jenny and I will always give a new book some time to make it’s way into distribution channels before letting people know it’s available. This is because any orders placed straight away can get cancelled, can be overpriced, and get caught in strange long delays.
I also just wanted to say that I’m happy to answer questions about the book.
It’s hard to keep a good thing secret 😊 (hee hee hee)
Wow Lara, thank you so much for this, I think this is so needed for humanity – to separate the fact from fiction and to look at the bigger picture (beyond just Christianity). I have noticed some interesting snippets about Jesus in your and Marks books before, and was wondering if you would maybe at some point release a video on this topic, but a whole book is beyond my expectations! ❤️ I am traveling to visit my mom in another country now, and had the books come to her address, so hopefully we can read them together and share our thoughts! 😀 Thank you so much again, cant wait to dig into it! A beautiful cover btw! 🌞
So nice you can share it with your mom. I think it’s quite a fun book to read with someone else, and share in the journey.
Thank you to you and Rajko for all your support.
Hi Lara, After watching the video, I thought about how challenging the info you’ve uncovered may be to many, but also to me personally.
I was not raised in any religion, but in a very atheist family, (my only exception was that my grand-dad taught me to pray to Mary and the Lord’s prayer in secret, when I was about 8) and so I actually learned about all the different events and life of Jesus only in my early 30’s.. Yet I have built various ‘strong’ beliefs about Jesus, and when you mentioned some of what you’ve uncovered, it was interesting to feel shocked about my beliefs, and noticed these reactions. And I haven’t even got the book yet, but parts of me are already stunned!! So I am very curious about you’ve found!
Best wishes and thanks to the team and everyonethat made this book a possibility.
Yes, for anyone who really has any beliefs about Jesus there is probably going to be some challenging information in there. The book is a bumpy, but hopefully adventurous ride, with what I think is a happy end.
Congratulations on reaching this point, the culmination of much research, searching and determination, and a heartfelt thanks for your your persistence, open mindedness and efforts. I’m sure the insights and knowledge brought to light by this work will be transformative. Looking forward to receiving our copy in the mail!
Thanks very much Matthew. Thank you for all your support and encouragement.