Mystical States Explained, via Surfing
Want to know why near-death experiences frequently feature tunnels of white, euphoric light? The L Times Book Review recommends picking up a copy of Truthdig contributor Steven Kotler's new book "West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief" to find out Also: the Village Voice gives "West of Jesus" a rave.
Want to know why near-death experiences frequently feature tunnels of white, euphoric light? The L.A. Times Book Review recommends picking up a copy of Truthdig contributor Steven Kotler’s new book “West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief” to find out.
TRUTHDIG’S JOURNALISM REMAINS CLEARL.A. Times Book Review:
… Steven Kotler’s “West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief” is the ideal book for any readers who have ever asked themselves, “How did surfing take over my life?” Kotler brings us closer to the answers via a wild, globe-trotting journey in search of surfing’s much-referenced but rarely discussed spiritual side.
Having been out of commission for two years while struggling with Lyme disease, Kotler is ill, depressed and on the brink of suicide when a friend offers to take him surfing. Despite the fact that he hasn’t been in the water for six years, he decides to go. After only one wave, he’s hooked again, and he begins surfing as regularly as his health will allow.
Before long, he starts to feel better, and he marvels at surfing’s salutary effects: “Since a typical wave lasts about five seconds, a typical session produced about twenty-five seconds of actual wave-riding time. In the time during which surfing was saving my life, I totaled a little over an hour of actual surfing.”
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