One of my favourite “childhood” books was/is The Magician’s Nephew, the first — chronologically speaking — in the Narnia series by C.S. Lewis. The author himself would have disputed the suggestion that it is simply a children’s book; he suggested that we read it again later in life.
I love the whole series, but The Magician’s Nephew in particular for its metaphysical leanings and the idea that we could find ourselves in some sort of in-between state and jump into pools leading to different worlds. That is deep stuff, and reminds me of The Tibetan Book of the Dead and the like.
Then there is Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, which features a child falling down a rabbit hole into another world — much the same theme as C.S. Lewis’ The Magician’s Nephew, but wackier.
No doubt, this theme appears in all sorts of fiction, and it reflects man’s belief and hope — or perhaps innate knowledge — that life is a but a dream, and that we will awaken after this life only to jump into another pool and . . . row, row, row our boats, gently down the stream . . .
These thoughts preoccupy me on this deceptively bright sunshiny day that belies the fact it is minus-20C outside. A metaphor for life itself . . . as we think we know it . . .
Thoughts?
Jillian
Reminds me of my childhood favourite ‘Chicken Soup with Rice’
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The Chronicles of Narnia were my favourite books, too, and I was given them originally by my god-father. About the only thing he did to point me at Christianity, which is quite surprising as he was heavily involved in the Methodist church.
C.S. Lewis’s Narnia books are definitely Christian allegory, which is not surprising as Lewis was one of the best exponents of Christian apologetics, with some very inventive books, like “The Screwtape Letters”. However, his faith didn’t survive the loss of he wife, Joy, to cancer.
Having spent 24 years as a Christian myself and (thankfully) come out the other side about 15 years ago having realised I was deluding myself, I would say that the “life is but a dream” idea is just wishful thinking. What we have now is all that we can be sure of and “pie in the sky when you die” is just that.
Carpe diem.
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“It is no more surprising to be born twice than it is to be born once; everything in nature is resurrection.”
— Voltaire
Check out this article, called Did Science Just Prove Reincarnation?
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/10/29/science-now-proves-reincarnation-a-look-at-the-souls-journey-after-death/
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Can you double check that with Voltaire, please?
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lol.
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