Supernatural

Converter's Note Some of the images have been reduced in size dramatically in order to keep the file size down. There may also be some erroneous numbers (and possibly small amounts of text) that wasn't removed. Product Description Less than fifty thousand years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as ''the greatest riddle in human history,'' all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers. In Supernatural Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious ''before-and-after moment'' and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to the modern human mind. His quest takes him on a detective journey from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy to rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa, where he finds extraordinary Stone Age art. He uncovers clues that lead him to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful hallucinogen Ayahuasca with shamans, whose paintings contain images of ''supernatural beings'' identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other ''dimensions.'' Could the ''supernaturals'' first depicted in the painted caves be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it be that human evolution is not just the ''meaningless'' process that Darwin identified, but something more purposive and intelligent that we have barely begun to understand? This newly revised edition of Supernatural is now available for the first time as a paperback original. Graham Hancock is the author of the international bestsellers The Sign and The Seal , Fingerprints of the Gods , and Heaven's Mirror . His books have sold more than five million copies. About the Author Author of the major international bestsellers ''The Sign and The Seal'', ''Fingerprints of the Gods'' and ''Heaven's Mirror'', Hancock's books have sold more than 5,000,000 copies and have been translated into 27 languages. His TV appearances and lectures have put his ideas before audiences of tens of millions. ''Hancock has invented a new genre'' (The Guardian). "With the original unabridged text of Supernatural, I offer the reader an investigation that explores the human experience with psychedelics from the Stone Age to the Space Age and the role of these extraordinary plant medicines as tools to investigate the nature of reality itself."—Graham HancockDiscover the pathway to the gods.Less than 50,000 years ago mankind had no art, no religion, no sophisticated symbolism, no innovative thinking. Then, in a dramatic and electrifying change, described by scientists as "the greatest riddle in human history," all the skills and qualities that we value most highly in ourselves appeared already fully formed, as though bestowed on us by hidden powers.In Visionary, Graham Hancock sets out to investigate this mysterious "before-and-after moment" and to discover the truth about the influences that gave birth to modern human mind. His quest takes him on a journey of adventure and detection from the stunningly beautiful painted caves of prehistoric France, Spain, and Italy to remote rock shelters in the mountains of South Africa, where he finds a treasure trove of extraordinary Stone Age art.Hancock uncovers clues that lead him to travel to the depths of the Amazon rainforest to drink the powerful plant hallucinogen ayahuasca with Indian shamans, whose paintings contain images of "supernatural beings" identical to the animal-human hybrids depicted in prehistoric caves and rock shelters. Hallucinogens such as mescaline also produce visionary encounters with exactly the same beings. Scientists at the cutting edge of consciousness research have begun to consider the possibility that such hallucinations may be real perceptions of other "dimensions."Could the "supernaturals" first depicted in the painted caves and rock shelters be the ancient teachers of mankind? Could it be that human evolution is not just the "blind," "meaningless" process that Darwin identified, but something more purposive and intelligent, something th