“11:11 – The Time Prompt Phenomenon” by Marie D. Jones and Larry Flaxman

My daughter bought this book for me, which was very thoughtful. I am one of those people who always seem to notice 11:11 on clocks, as do people close to me. And the frequency seems to be increasing, which is even weirder. Anyway, I bumped the book to the top of my list, figuring it was a sign that my daughter felt inspired to purchase it for me.

At first, I was skeptic. The writing at the beginning seemed a little new agey, in the hokey sense. On top of that, it is somewhat dated, referring to the coming of the year 2012 and the end of the Mayan calendar as possible reasons for the increase in 11:11 time prompts (and we know that 2012 came and went with a big fizzle). But I stuck with the book, and I’m glad I did, because there is some interesting and thought-provoking material within the pages.

Most of the book deals with number mysticism, sacred geometry, vibration, synchronicity, and the like, which are topics that fascinate me. And as a musician, I am very aware of the connection between numbers and music, which is touched on in this book.

This science of number was discovered through the science, or art, of music. Harmony, another concept rife with mystical allusions, maintains a close relationship with resonance and vibration. This established correlation was thought to be quite simply the basis of the hidden order of the immediate, perceivable world, and behind it all were the numbers.

(p. 73)

One of the instruments I have learned is the sitar (although I am no Ravi Shankar). What excites me the most about this instrument and Indian music in general is the use of droning vibrations and resonance. In fact, what gives the sitar its unique sound are the sympathetic strings that lay beneath the main strings. These strings pick up the vibrations and then resonate. And something about that sound triggers a deep spiritual feeling. It is the transcendent power of music.

One thing that is important to remember is that numbers are symbols, and symbols always mean more than what appears on the surface, which is why we need to pay attention when certain number sequences appear with unusual frequency.

In a symbol there is concealment and yet revelation: here therefore, by silence and by speech acting together, comes a double significance. In the symbol proper; what we can call a symbol, there is ever, more or less distinctly and directly, some embodiment and revelation of the Infinite; the Infinite is made to blend itself with the Finite, to stand visible, and as it were, attainable there. By symbols, accordingly, is man guided and commanded, made happy, made wretched.

(p. 91)

In conclusion, the authors assert that the time prompt phenomenon is a wake-up call for people to turn away from their distractions and shift their awareness to something spiritual that is taking place.

Something or someone is trying to get us to look away from the cell phones, “Crack Berries,” iPods, and MP3 players, computers, video games, and awful reality shows where we watch people play out their own lives for the camera, while ignoring the sheer potentiality of our own. It is truly incredible to think that the “someone” or “something” may be an internal influence originating within our own brains, or perhaps it is a subconscious poke in the side from some higher (or lower!) dimensional being. Remember this the next time your cell phone rings or your e-mail beeps.

The “who” or “what” matters not—the fact that we are being prompted in the first place is the truly important facet of the equation.

(pp. 215 – 216)

So I want to conclude this post with a true story about an 11:11 time prompt that happened to me. I was visiting family and my aunt told me that she keeps noticing 11:11 on the clock and she is convinced that it is the spirit of my mother (long deceased) communicating with her. I found this strange, because I had also been experiencing 11:11 time prompts and wondering about them, and my aunt was very conservative and not one I would consider being open to mysticism. Anyway, later that evening, my cell phone rang in my pocket. I answered and there was no one on the line, and the time, 11:11.

If you have any stories about time prompts, particularly 11:11, I would love to hear about them in the comment section below.

Cheers!

“12.21” by Dustin Thomason

If you are a fan of Dan Brown, then you’ll probably like this book. As with the Dan Brown novels I have read (The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons), there were things I liked and things I hated. Well, really just one thing I hated, the ending, but more on that later. Don’t worry, I won’t include any spoilers for those of you thinking about reading the book.

The basic premise of this story is that there is an outbreak of a deadly disease associated with the discovery of an ancient Mayan text, and this all occurs in the days leading up to December 21, 2012, the supposed end of the Mayan calendar that some claim marks the end of civilization. Coincidentally, I watched the film “Contagion” while in the midst of this book and there were some definite parallels, which made me wonder if one had influenced the other.

First, I’ll tell you what I liked about this book. There were definitely some thought-provoking passages and ideas that sparked my interest, particularly regarding the progression of the disease and how it is handled by the medical field. Since Thomason went to medical school and clearly has knowledge in this area, he presented these parts in a way that was believable. I also was intrigued by the linguistic analysis of the glyphs in the Mayan codex and the way the characters deciphered their meaning. I thought that was well done. The actual Mayan mystical stuff didn’t interest me quite as much, probably because I have read books on Mayan prophecy years ago, so there was nothing really new for me there.

There is a great passage in this book that deserves inclusion in this review. It deals with the issue of overspecialization and how the myopic focus on one area stunts the ability to see things holistically.

“In our current obsession with overspecialization, everyone finds smaller and smaller niches, no one ever seeing beyond their own tiny corner of the intellectual spectrum. What a shame it is. How can true genius thrive where there’s so little opportunity for our minds to breathe?” (p. 124)

OK, now to try to explain what I hated about the ending without spoiling it. It was totally unbelievable. While the majority of the story was within the realm of reason, I felt like the ending was ridiculous. Thomason might as well have had Superman fly in to save the day. Usually I have no problem suspending belief, but I was just unable to here.

Overall, I’d rate this book as pretty good. Again, if you like Dan Brown, you’ll enjoy this. If you hate Dan Brown, then don’t even bother reading this one. I suspect you will like it even less.