Nimueh,
Thank you for sharing that personal experience. I would be interested in
hearing about the process of the methods of verification that you mentioned.
I was also very struck by the concept that this story was brought to John
Lloyd Uri. This is the indication that I got from reading the original
version with the prologue chapters. One of the curious aspects of these
prologue chapters is the impression that it was written by a different
person. The style, syntax, vocabulary, speech patterns, or whatever it is
that personalizes our speech or writing was reflected in these first chapters
as being penned by a separate person from that of the story teller. Whether
this was the result of an intentional effort by a skilled writer or
reflective of actual duel authorship I wouldn't know, but it was definitely
the impression I got from the reading. If John Lloyd Uri "received" this
informa!
tion, I wonder if it was in manuscript form or by word of mouth. Did
Mr. Uri simply substitute his name as author of the work, or did he embellish
on a written account of the story, or did he dramatize and add the details to
an oral hearing of the account. Of course, the other possibility is that he
made the whole thing up. But why? Why would an author take on such a
project? Most writers write with an agenda. They write for the purpose of
making a statement, taking a stand, or defending an opinion. What would be
the purpose of creating such a bizarre set of circumstances, with such
controversial flow of information, set in a such a realistic yet "Alice In
Wonderland" setting? If Mr. Uri made the whole thing up, then what is the
point he is trying to make? Is it a rebellion against the haughty scientific
opinions of the time, or is it merely an account of something that really
took place and needed to be told? It's hard to read the story without giving
it a certain credence in some aspects, i.e., the relationship of unusual
phenomena to an even more unusual but convincing set of causes; while other
aspects of the book seem to weaken the overall concept, i.e., the vision of
Etidorhpa herself as the culminating event. What was the source of all of
these unusual concepts? We know that the scientific world was in a lather at
the time with discoveries and explorations abound, and we also know that the
molten interior concept had not even been fully developed at that time for
Uri to be contradicting, so, was this just another imaginative projection of
what might be discovered in the bowels of the earth as were many of the
writings of the time? The enduring nature of the work is also interesting.
It may have been more acceptable in the time of its writing because of the
unknown !
factors it was addressing. Since the time of the writing of
Etidorhpa, a whole period of scientific discovery has come forth which has
contradicted the concepts which were presented in the book. However, it is
starting to come full circle, in that the "occult sciences" or the
"metaphysical" or, as I like to refer to as the leading edge of scientific
discovery, has introduced areas of question which have allowed for
consideration of Uri's concepts in a whole new light, so's to speak.
Fascinating. The quest for truth goes on. Thanks again, for sharing your
insights, Nimueh.
Norlan