Gerald Heard Reprint Series

Series Foreword

Gerald Heard (Oct. 6, 1889–Aug. 14, 1971) wrote nearly forty books during the course of a distinguished career. His Cambridge-trained, curiosity-ridden mind left no stone unturned in its intellectual investigations. His nonfiction topics ranged from history to philosophy, from psychology to religion, and virtually everything in between. These issues were woven together by a single unifying theme—the evolution of consciousness. During the 1940s, after he had relocated to America, after he had rediscovered his religious roots, and after he had begun a rigorous daily meditation practice, Gerald, as he was always known, mobilized his energies into establishing Trabuco College in Southern California. Trabuco was the first coeducational spiritual community in America to incorporate ecumenical, nonsectarian religious principles and practices. And practice the Trabuco attendees did, meditating three times daily in order to accelerate the spiritual evolution of their own individual consciousnesses. Having previously published a dozen mostly academic and popular science books, Gerald turned his attention to religion during this war-torn decade. Gerald’s religious writings from this period consist of eight key contributions that address practical and inspirational spiritual themes. Of these, four primary Heardian reli gious works are initially included in this vital new Wipf & Stock series, with more to follow. Collectively these books comprise Gerald’s quintessential statements on the spiritual path, and a person could conceivably use these volumes as guidebooks for their entire spiritual journey. And here is Gerald at his very best—preaching the evolution of consciousness and offering practical advice on how to attain it. Gerald’s rotating roles as visionary historian, maverick cosmologist, and prescient philosopher are all present in the background of these religious works. But at the forefront is Gerald the practicing mystic and knowing docent, gushing forth an ebullient but sometimes cautionary narrative on traversing the spiritual path from start to finish. His accounts, as confirmed by classic mystics and traditional texts, derive from his own subjective experience. The ringing truth of his musings will cause the receptive reader first to reflect, then to act, propelled by the stirring contagion of Gerald’s boundless enthusiasm. In the 1940s, novelist Christopher Isherwood wrote that Gerald, “has influenced the thought of our time, directly and indirectly, to an extent which will hardly be appreciated for another fifty years.” Those fifty years have now passed. Some of Gerald’s ideas have fallen by the wayside, while others lie dormant still waiting to sprout. Yet a good many have blossomed into unspoken cornerstones of contemporary thought. The widespread establishment of religious communities has become commonplace. Religious syncretism, ecumenical studies, and interdisciplinary, eclectic approaches lie at the vanguard of progressive religious thought. Contemplative meditation practices have gained broad acceptance across a spectrum of diverse traditions. Theories on the evolution of consciousness abound. Colleges and whole movements of thought now regularly explore the transpersonal realm of pure consciousness. But what makes Gerald’s farsighted approach to religion especially relevant now is what made it relevant when these books were first published—he is espousing timeless truths. The reader is supplied with a map, compass, and numerous exhortations of attainment, as well as warnings of the pitfalls to avoid while embarking on this singlemost important sojourn in life. Gerald offered no quick fixes or shortcuts. He advocated a wholesale restructuring of one’s entire being through, “the skilled, conscious training of our spirits.” He advanced a holistic approach long before holistic approaches became popular. Within these books is found Gerald’s essential message: “Our whole life must become intentional and purposive, instead of a series of irrelevant events, adventures, and accidents. We must ourselves deliberately develop ourselves. That evolution which follows will show itself in a threefold development: in growth of conduct, of character and of consciousness itself. The world exists for man to achieve union with God. The meaning of all, the purpose and the end of all is one thing, seeing God.” When revisiting Gerald’s spiritual classics in this new century, we are entering the very heart of religious experience. We are treading the path trodden by serious spiritual practitioners, be they novices or seasoned mystics. We are undertaking a journey of utmost significance, leading to pulsating union with God. As able guide and modern interpreter of mysticism, Gerald Heard nimbly and authoritatively beckons us toward the Goal that each of us was born to realize in this very life.

John Roger Barrie

Literary Executor of Gerald Heard

Nevada City, California

January 22, 2007