The Layman's Answers to Everything » Diary of a Layman

Diary of A Layman #24 (Fall): The Chocolate Cake of Negativity

The Layman — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:25:07 +0000

We are living through some pretty dark times. The economy continues to be horrendous with the middle class going through the toughest challenges it’s ever had to face. To make matters worse, natural disasters are becoming more powerful and frequent than ever before, the uprisings in the Middle East are bringing unprecedented instability to the region, and if these “end of days” scenarios weren’t enough, the Maya, Nostradamus, and others all actually predicted the end of the world in 2012. It’s not like this is anything you haven’t heard on the media or from others dozens of times before. The funny thing? None of it’s true. Lately, we’ve been hearing and accepting dozens of statistics like these without question. It’s a sinfully delicious dessert the entire world seems to be stuffing themselves with: the chocolate cake of negativity.

Diary of A Layman #23 (Summer): The Mayans Predicted the Coming of Green Lantern

The Layman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 17:02:58 +0000

By now you have no doubt heard that according to astronomers and anthropologists, December 21, 2012 correlates to the “end” of the Mayan calendar. And, despite having repeatedly heard about this for many, many years now, it is also very probable that you still have no idea exactly what this means. The reason is because it’s very complicated. To even begin to understand it you need to look to the Mayan myths of the Sacred Tree and understand their incredibly complex Long Count calendar of tuns, k’atuns, and b’aktuns as well as their concepts of the Great Cycle, the Great Great Cycle, and cycles within cycles. You’d also need to understand astronomical occurrences involving the precession of the equinoxes and the conjunction of the sun at the intersection of the plane of the ecliptic and the Milky Way. You can do all that, or, you can simply read my interpretation of this summer’s Green Lantern movie, which shares the same message as the Mayan mythology.

Diary of A Layman #22 (Spring): Deciphering Hollywood’s Hidden Messages

The Layman — Mon, 30 May 2011 22:46:15 +0000

As mentioned in last quarter’s column, there have been a lot of “life-as-illusion” themed movies coming out lately. While I suspect that the success of Avatar and Lost are partly responsible for this trend, I think people’s fascination with 2012, drastic world changes, and a surge in our search for meaning are also fueling the recent string of films about alternate realities and simulated worlds. When airplanes are crashing into buildings, cities are submerged underwater, the Middle East is revolting, and the world economy is collapsing, real life almost seems more fantastical than our dreams. Jon Stewart summed it up perfectly at the 2008 Academy Awards: “Normally, when you see a black man or a woman president, an asteroid is about to hit the Statue of Liberty.” Yes, we are now officially living in the future, and we all know what kind of stuff happens in the future—exactly the kind of stuff that’s happening right now. But at least, thanks to Hollywood, we’ve been warned. And Hollywood’s heads up may even go much deeper than prophesies of events to come. They may help explain the reality we all find ourselves in.

Diary of A Layman #21 (Winter): The Tangled Web We Weave

The Layman — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 22:05:00 +0000

There have been a lot of “life-as-illusion” themed movies coming out lately. We’ve had Avatar, Inception, and TRON: Legacy, and this month alone there’s The Adjustment Bureau, Limitless, Sucker Punch and Source Code. All these films share themes of alternate realities, questions about what is reality, and insight into powers that might be manipulating the reality we live in. While I hope to discuss the most recent batch of these films in an upcoming column, for now I’d like to bring up one that slipped past the radar of many moviegoers. This film actually gave me goose bumps when it revealed an angle that I’ve only recently adopted, and have never before seen in any other movie. That film is Disney’s Tangled.

Diary of A Layman #20 (Fall): Was Jesus A User?

The Layman — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 03:45:03 +0000

In anticipation of TRON: Legacy, I recently re-watched a bunch of simulation-world films including The Thirteenth Floor, eXistenZ, and the original TRON, which I hadn’t seen in over twenty-five years. While I remember being somewhat confused watching the futuristic Disney film as a kid, seeing it again with new eyes, I was amazed at how clearly it expressed the “life as illusion” theme I’ve been so fascinated by as an adult. In the original movie, Jeff Bridges is considered a “user.” While Bridges often plays users in his films, in this case, it refers to a computer user who manipulates the scenarios of a digital world that is very similar to our own. In the original film, users are considered mythical, messianic figures who can help free the programs from the game they find themselves in. This got me thinking.

Diary of A Layman #19 (Summer): Clearing a Path For Your Destiny

The Layman — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 20:14:04 +0000

Throughout my travels this summer, I kept hearing similar themes coming up again and again: the idea that the world seems to be broken and in need of repair, that the system no longer works, that the rules have drastically changed since we were kids, that there seems to be a gap between where we are and where we want to go, both as a society, and in our individual lives. Admittedly, these themes were most often being repeated by me, but others weren’t giving me the kind of baffled looks I used to get when I spoke my mind. No, most of the time they agreed with me and shared their frustrations about how hard things seem to be these days. Initially, I had no answers. But then, a solution came to me from a most unexpected source—the TV show, Lost. Actually, the source wasn’t the unexpected part since I’d been getting wisdom from Lost for years and had even written a book about it. What was unexpected was that the show had already concluded three months earlier.

Diary of A Layman #18 (Spring): Spiritual Growing Pains

The Layman — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 03:59:16 +0000

On the evening of October 6th, 2009, I awoke from a deep sleep with the sensation that there was a bright light shining on me from behind my head. Not only could I see this light, I could feel it and I soon became very hot. It felt almost as though the light were cooking me, but I didn’t want to move—or maybe, I couldn’t move. Eventually, the light faded and I fell back to sleep. So, what was it? Was it all in my mind? Was I getting some kind of program download or vibration upgrade? Was it a celestial connection? An angel communication? An alien probe? I wasn’t sure, but my forehead was very red the next morning and soon began peeling as though I’d gotten a sunburn. But this was October, and I hadn’t been out in sun for any length of time. Completely baffled, I decided to seek the help of my trusty mentor and longest childhood friend…television.

Diary of A Layman #17 (Winter): The Hero’s Journey

The Layman — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 23:27:55 +0000

Just like any story, your life story is filled with twists and turns, an array of interesting characters, moments of bliss and despair, of success and failure, of challenges that will help you grow, and questions that will cause you to wonder. Among the cast of characters there will be love-interests, villains, tricksters, mavericks and mentors. There will be many friends and enemies, and millions of extras. However, there will only be one hero. That hero, is you.

Diary of a Layman #16 (Fall): Why the Universe Seems to Kick Us When We’re Down

The Layman — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 22:26:32 +0000

They say that when it rains, it pours. Why is that? Why do bad things come in threes? Why do things go from bad to worse? Why does the universe always seem to kick us when we’re down? This time of year, when the days are short and cold, it can be easy to find yourself in a dark place. And that’s when the powers that be decide that it would be a perfectly good time for several of the following to happen all at once: Getting sick. Getting hurt. Getting into a fight. Getting into an accident. Losing your job, your life savings, your dreams, and finally, your mind. Why must everything hit us all at once? Is there any reason for it, and more importantly, is there any way to avoid it?

Diary of a Layman #15 (Summer): Are We the Bad Guys?

The Layman — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 05:00:49 +0000

Nobody deserves to suffer. But perhaps we could all use some challenging times to help us grow so we might reach the next level. Maybe the universe is just breaking us down so we can be mended, nudging us towards a more united world. Perhaps this is all preparing us for whatever is to come in 2012 or beyond—the challenges that we may not be ready for now, but after several more beatings will be tough enough to handle. Let’s face it; we’ve become soft, spoiled, greedy, selfish, and lazy. We are just like the pompous Roman rulers before the fall of their empire or the snooty noble class before the French Revolution. In effect, we have become the bad guys.

Diary of a Layman #14 (Spring): Proof That We’re Living a Life of Illusion

The Layman — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:00:01 +0000

When I first saw The Matrix back in 1999, I instantly became fascinated with its “virtual reality world” concept. At the time, and for many years afterwards, I saw the theme as a metaphor for the illusionary material world we live in—a world of time, space, and the assumption that we are all separate individuals. My belief, in line with what I had taken from kabbalah, was that in reality, we were all one united energy force. Call it God, the light, Buddha, Allah, the universe, sentient energy, whatever. The point was that this energy created our illusionary world in order to experience itself. After all, since it was an all-knowing, all-powerful energy, existence was pretty boring. This energy wanted to experience the one thing it couldn’t know: what it was like to not be it. So, it created an imaginary world of time and space and separated itself there into different material elements that eventually evolved into human beings.

Diary of a Layman #13 (Winter): Let The Sunshine In

The Layman — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 05:00:16 +0000

What is definitely no joke is what happens to the world in the Layman book during this timeframe. While I began writing the trilogy in 2002 and finished the first draft (of all three) in mid-2005, there is a lot in the story that is eerily prophetic of today’s situation: a collapse of the world economy, the emergence of the green revolution with a focus on reusable energy sources to replace oil, world floods, food epidemics and shortages and more. There are also a bunch of things in the books that are too fantastical to even speculate on. To be honest, when I originally wrote them, they were meant as more mythological metaphors, not really to be taken literally. Now, I’m not so sure. (Actually, around the time of Hurricane Katrina and the Indian Ocean Tsunami is when I became unsure.) Whatever happens though, whether it be tomorrow, in 2012, or if ever, I feel like the messages I received today are letting me know that it’s going to be all right. And I just thought I’d share that with all of you. Something’s coming. Something big. I think whatever it is, if we...

Diary of a Layman #12 (Autumn): Angels in NYC

The Layman — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:00:37 +0000

Hello fellow fans of the mysterious universe! So much has happened since my last Layman*/Lost** update, I don’t know where to begin. I guess that’s because for the first time since I began these updates back in January 2006, I now actually have a published book I can talk about! In typical Lost fashion however, let’s take a flashback first…

Diary of a Layman #11 (Summer 2008): THE MYTH OF LOST is here!

The Layman — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 05:00:03 +0000

Greetings to you—my loyal Layman/Lost Update readers! After two years of talking about it, THE MYTH OF LOST is finally here!!! At last, you can read the book that offers a fascinating solution to the mysterious television series and reveals how the show contains startling hidden insights into the mysteries of life! That’s right, THE MYTH OF LOST: Solving the Mysteries and Understanding the Wisdom is now available at Amazon.com in soft and hardcover versions! Click here to check it out!

Diary of a Layman #10 (Spring 2008): Past, Present, and Future Selves Pt. II

The Layman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 05:00:40 +0000

As those of you who had read my last update in March remember, in honor of Desmond’s time traveling abilities, I conversed with both my past and future selves. My future self back then is now my current self. So, let’s see how I did and why I may have fabricated certain answers to my (now) past self.

Diary of a Layman #9 (Winter 2008): Past, Present, and Future Selves

The Layman — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 05:00:38 +0000

One of the recurring themes of Lost, involves a character named Desmond who is able to jump his consciousness around to the past and future of his life. Last season, Desmond’s mind traveled back in time with his memories in tact. This enabled him to predict everything that would happen as he remembered it. Last week, the consciousness from Desmond’s past jumped into his present, and had no idea what was going on. If you think this is confusing, I’m only scratching the surface of this episode. Like the writers of Lost, I’ve always been fascinated with the idea of being able to communicate with the past and future versions of ourselves.

Diary of a Layman #8 (Autumn 2007): Careful What You Wish For

The Layman — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 05:00:19 +0000

What if you were the only real person in this world and everyone and everything else was just some kind of simulation created to help give you the experience of your life? There has been at least one Twilight Zone based upon this premise, and the movie, The Truman Show, also explored a similar concept. I wrote about this quite a bit in Layman* and contrasted it to The Matrix myth where everyone is sharing the simulation together. In Layman, the protagonist decides that the world isn’t real, but he can’t decide if it’s all just his dream, or the dream of the entire world. I won’t give away the conclusion he comes to, but I will say that I get the feeling that we’re all sharing a collective dream with bits and pieces that are unique to each of our lives.

Diary of a Layman #7 (Summer 2007): The Blue Pill or The Red Pill?

The Layman — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 05:00:13 +0000

There’s a great scene in The Matrix that really reminds me of what’s going on in the world right now.

MORPHEUS This is your last chance. After this, there is no going back. You take the blue pill and the story ends. You wake in your bed and you believe whatever you want to believe. The pills in his open hands are reflected in the glasses. MORPHEUS You take the red pill and you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes. Neo reaches for a pill but stops as MORPHEUS breaks the silence. MORPHEUS Remember, all I am offering you is the truth. Nothing more. Neo opens his mouth and swallows the red pill. MORPHEUS Follow me.

Diary of a Layman #6 (Spring 2007): Enter The Warrior

The Layman — Sat, 16 Jun 2007 04:00:44 +0000

The Layman's Answers To Everything is a spiritual comedy (or spiromedy) about an unlucky guy who believes he's meant to do something amazing, but has no idea what it is. After experiencing many challenges and meeting a bizarre cast of characters, he stumbles upon secret messages hidden in TV, movies, and music that are aimed at guiding humanity. Using these messages, he starts a new religion which changes his life, and ultimately, the world. This is so much more than just a story though, because throughout the journey, we learn how to discover and fulfill our own destiny using the clues of the universe that are all around us.

Diary of a Layman #5 (Winter 2007): Mystery Project Revealed!

The Layman — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 04:00:25 +0000

Diary of a Layman #4 (Fall 2006): Slight Sidetrack That Should Result In Being A Shortcut.

The Layman — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 04:00:54 +0000

Diary of a Layman #3 (Summer 2006): Technical Difficulties

The Layman — Wed, 20 Sep 2006 04:00:22 +0000

The Layman's Answers To Everything is a spiritual comedy (or spiromedy) about an unlucky guy who's searching for what he's meant to do with his life. After experiencing many challenges and meeting a bizarre cast of characters, he stumbles upon secret messages hidden in TV, movies, and music that are aimed at guiding humanity. Using these messages, he starts a new religion which changes his life, and ultimately, the world. This is so much more than just a story though, because throughout the journey, we learn how to discover and fulfill our own destiny using the clues of the universe that are all around us.

Diary of a Layman #2 (Spring 2006): Feedback!

The Layman — Sun, 21 May 2006 04:00:08 +0000

The book I’m writing is called The Layman's Answers To Everything. It’s a spiritual comedy—or spiromedy— about an unlucky guy who’s searching for what he’s meant to do with his life. After experiencing many challenges and meeting a bizarre cast of characters, he stumbles upon secret messages hidden in TV, movies, and music that are aimed at guiding humanity. Eventually, he uses these messages to start a new religion which changes his life, and ultimately, the world. Really, this is so much more than just a story though, because throughout the journey, we learn how to discover and fulfill our own destinies using the clues of the universe that are all around us.

Diary of a Layman #1 (Winter 2006): In the beginning…

The Layman — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 04:00:18 +0000

The Layman's Answers To Everything is a spiritual comedy—or spiromedy—about an unlucky guy who can’t catch a break until he discovers that there are secret messages hidden in TV, movies, and music aimed at guiding humanity. With the help of a bizarre cast of characters, his own gut instinct, and a bunch of cheesy 70s songs on the radio, he uses these messages to start a new religion which changes the world. Overall, the story is a vehicle for my theories that teaches how to discover your destiny using the clues of the universe.