Given all of the changes in the
25 years since of the publication of THE
CELESTINE PROPHECY by James Redfield, I am curious to reread this novel and see if it still has the appeal
that made it a New York Times bestseller for over three years during the early 1990s. In the
latest edition, Redfield writes about “this more awakened state that fuels the
current exploration of spiritual consciousness…. Why are we here? Where are we
going?”
For those unfamiliar with THE CELESTINE PROPHECY,
a male narrator learns about a Manuscript filled with Insights that are meant
to contribute to a transformation for the world (not unlike much
earlier shifts from total belief in God or gods to more reliance on Science and
then to pursuit of economic goals). The search for the Manuscript takes this
character through an adventure in Peru where he gradually learns the Insights despite
opposition from the church and government. Redfield has encouraged readers to “pursue
this journey with heart …. read and interpret the little hunches and intuitions
that put us in just the right position to experience synchronicity” or
coincidences that have personal meaning. I wonder if the pervasiveness of
technology (with our often disconnectedness and less opportunity for reflection)
and/or the changing demographics (like an aging population with more life experience) will lead to a
different reaction to this story. What
do you think? 
