Mysteries of the Sacred Universe Interactive CD

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Summary: Seminal work of Dr. Thompson,as I expected!
Review: Being myself a follower of Gaudiya Vaisnava philosophy,I not surprisingly found Mysteries of the Sacred Universe fascinating.However,any objective reader from any scientific or philosophical background whatsoever ought to be impressed by Thompson's unique approach to elucidating age-old mysteries and especially his remarkable insight in spotting statistically significant correspondences.It appears that he intuitively knows exactly where to look,and his vigorously rational and fair style of presenting his thesis in this book,as in all his previous works,is perhaps the strongest point in his favour.

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Summary: Excellent
Review: Dr. Thompson (author) in the introductory pages of the book- "The question naturally arises as to whether modern astronomical themes as seen in the old texts are really there, or are they simply being read in hindsight. Were such themes intended by the original authors or is their presence in the text due to coincidence or loose interpretation. It is difficult to answer this question in all cases."

A book that starts off with such an honest thought - you can see that the author did work really hard on the matter in anticipation of any skepticism.

I have been reading Dr. Thompson's works for quite some time now. This book is just amazing - the detail and information packed in this book - simply amazing.

There are very clear explanations, pictures and references to Vedic texts and there is no ambiguity. The author presents a very clear picture of how the Universe was thought of or perceived in the Vedic period. This book is based on 25 years of hard work from a Cornell mathematician.

I recently atteneded a seminar presented on this book. You may also want to purchase the Sacred Universe CD with Dr. Thompson's mulimedia presentations and pictures (NOT included with the book).

If you are interested in Vedic cosomology and astronomy and how the Puranas correspond to the Universe, you MUST read this book. period.

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Summary: Mysteries of the Sacred Universe
Review: Mysteries of the Sacred Universe is a book for lovers of the arcane, long-forgotten or unknown past history and/or myth. But not only - as the author is a mathematician with a Ph.D. in theory of probability - he takes us, the readers, for a breathless ride with a no-nonsense driver, firmly established and most comfortable in the field of logic, reason, theretical scientific thinking and sound research.

If this is not enough and we crave the drama and theater of this vast and baffling universe - be ready for multiple quaint stories. Like with all mysteries - flying machines with wooden wings and automatic door openers designed and built in 6 000 B.C., if not before, might amuse one, startle another - amaze some? We have had it all before - no scientific enigmas here.

The author's mind most acutely yet humbly and with just the right dose of reverence addresses the timeless universe and its historical and cyclical repeatability. Short of telling us how and where the continuity came from - the reader is elegantly dispatched on a solitary mission of further research and personal confirmation of the author's detailed findings. Where is one to turn if not in search of the arcane schools of the ancient past, as R. Thompson leaves no stone unturned in his serious and orderly presentation of available data.

If you are an avid seeker for and/or feel at home in the elusive world of akasha - don't forget to pack a copy of Mysteries of the Sacred Universe for your trip, as well as "A Dweller on Two Planets" by Phylos the Thibetan and E.C.Prophet's "The Lost Years of Jesus" - happy trails and hold onto your hats, as you will surely need several . . .

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Summary: Excellent work!
Review: Simply stated, this book was not at all what I had expected. It far exceeded my expectations. I had expected another treatise on the mythology and belief systems of Puranic literature mixed with some way of tying it to today's understanding of life and the cosmos. Instead it was a very scholarly work that delved into the knowledge of ancient India and how it was expressed in terms of mythology. The author's interpretation of this mythology brings it into focus and ties it to what we have learned in the field of modern astronomy. Instead of viewing the Puranic literature as being composed by those who were less knowledgeable and limited in their understanding and superstitious in their ways, his interpretations shows that they had a very advanced understanding of the universe around them. A little complex and confusing at times, it required rereading of several sections before I really understood how they were tied together. Not a work that I would recommend to a new-comer to the Puranic literature but a highly recommended volume to anyone with an intermediate knowledge.

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Summary: Informative and thought-provoking reading
Review: The "Bhagavata Purana" is one of the classical scriptures of Hinduism. In Mysteries Of The Sacred Universe, Richard Thompson draws upon his considerable research and expertise to show that the cosmology of the "Bhagavata Purana" is a sophisticated system with multiple levels of meaning encoding at least four different astronomical, geographical, and spiritual world models. Thompson shows how ancient scientists expressed exact knowledge in mythological terms. He also compares the ancient traditions of Egypt and the Near East to reveal early cultural connections between India and these regions. Mysteries Of The Sacred Universe is informative and thought-provoking reading, which offers an insightful understanding of how the spiritual dimension was integrated into ancient Indian cosmology. Also highly recommended is the Mysteries Of The Sacred Universe Interactive CD ... which is enhanced with 250 color pictures, 23 computer graphics animations, 13 interactive picture sequences, and a 48-minute video of all topics covered in the book edition.

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Summary: What was I thinking?
Review: The book started out with good, clear descriptions of Indian Sacred Literature; and fooled me into thinking this was worth reading... then things started to get flakey. If you like UFO's, New Age Spiritualism, and Grand Cosmological Conspiracy Theories you may like this book. If you are interested in the actual culture, history and relgion of India you won't find it here.