The current times we live in are both some of the most exciting, yet also some of the most challenging ones on planet Earth. When it comes to the potential, what makes this time so unique is our openness and ability to both seek and understand the deeper nature of who we are, as well as the energetic nature of matter and spirit. Today, we are experiencing nothing short of an awakening, as well as an amplification of consciousness. We have so much information and tools being manifested to support our evolution and positive co-creation. One of these resources comes from author John James, PhD and his book The Great Field. It is my great pleasure to share with you about this book, which can serve as one of the most influential resources for our times.

About the Author

The Great Field is written by John James PhD, and was released in November 2007.

John is an Australian architect, builder, farmer, transpersonal therapist and medieval historian with a passion for discovery. For over 40 years he has been searching to understand the workings of the human psyche, and for the origins of the Gothic style. He is also a world authority and the author of several books on Gothic architecture and history. To learn more visit John’s website.

John is also the founder of the Crucible Centre located west of Sydney, Australia. Along with his partner, Hilary, they run the center offering various services in the fields of personal development, including the unique healing therapy known as Sandplay. They run a private practice working with individuals, couples and children, as well as offer personal and family residential retreats. To learn more about the workings of the center, visit CrucibleCentre.com

About the Content

The Great Field is nearly 300 pages and composed of 11 chapters, which will be outlined below. It is rich with information, reflective material, quotes, references and endnotes, as well as valuable appendix sections.

Chapter 1: Introduction

In this chapter the reader is provided with an introduction into understanding the energetic nature of reality.

Chapter 2: The Organic View

This chapter presents information about the Field and how data can pass without relying on physical or chemical means within it. It touches upon our discomfort and denial of the Field in much of the so called modern science and the limitations of the reductionist approach, which takes observations in isolation. The author shares about the fear of ridicule for many when it comes to these topics, and the challenges we may face for going against mainstream ideas. It also touches upon the biology factor of genes and DNA, and how life expresses itself so uniquely and intelligently, without any effort on our part.

Chapter 3: The Physical View

This chapter addresses the role of the observer, and the subjective nature of reality. It talks about the role of opinions and beliefs in moulding reality, and the energetic foundation needed for the formation of matter. It clarifies the notions of the Great field versus the many unique fields that exist, along with our personal field, commonly referred to as our soul—our creative potential. It explains the mechanisms of self regulating balance and compensatory action within the Field, as well as the nature of our existence.

Chapter 4: The Implications of the Field for Biology

This chapter focuses on how the Field affects the science of biology, with a large focus on the mind-body connection in the formation of disease (how the root of disease comes from our deepest energetic layers). It explores the location of memories, and how they are not just stored in the brain, but throughout our bodies, and in the Field. As we come to understand the power of beliefs, we come to know how they are able to modify genetic output. John explains with great eloquence the connection between the Field and our genes, and how this can help us understand the nature of health and disease, empowering us to take personal accountability. The power of coherence is also explained, in terms of why using less energy to complete a task (resulting in lower entropy) enhances our well-being. When our beliefs and experiences are opposing/in conflict, our lives are not as efficient, where various forms of dis-ease can set in. This is where the natural healing arts increase coherence, which brings us into the timeless union with all that is. The topic of fractals is also addressed in this chapter, the relevance of identical yet unique patterns, as well as the impact of predictability versus chaos.

Chapter 5: Our Heart Brain and the Cerebral Brain

This chapter presents information about the similarities and differences between the brain and the heart, as well as between the male and female brains. It emphasizes the abundance of research in how our heart works as a brain, and how intuition is a natural part of us—our connection to the Field. John presents here an overview of brain development through the stages of our life and its implications at each level, as well as the importance of brain-heart coherence on all aspects of our life and collective cultural well-being.

Chapter 6: What Constitutes the Great Field

This chapter presents a large component of the book’s foundation to help us understand the many unique fields, as well as the Great Field. It bridges the gap between the expansion of the universe and the constant increase of information; between coherence and individuality; and between storage capacity and the transfer of information. It talks about the importance of unpredictable sameness with flexibility and creativity to ensure evolution and adaptability. It addresses how our projections work with respect to the relationships we have for example with others, and with our “Gods”. It explains how during increased coherence, we can find increased simplicity, and can experience the unconditional compassion of the universe. It brings to light the negative and positive potential of coherence and how the Field always gives us/reflects to us our deepest needs. (It helps us understand why when we think we don’t get what we want, it is in fact exactly what our deepest needs are reflecting.) It touches upon how we are truly creators of our own lives, and how it is impossible to be victims. It concludes by presenting that there is no universal master plan, no purpose that the Field has, or ethics of right and wrong. These are our isolated projections, and we can evolve the Field and ourselves through the virtues of compassion and gratitude.

The research leads to two inescapable conclusions: that everything in the universe is simultaneously physical and energetic, including the human psyche, and that every movement – every movement - in one realm affects every part of the other.

John James, The Great Field

Chapter 7:Therapy and the Field

This chapter provides an understanding of the body’s energy systems and how these can help in therapy. It explains how we see the world based on personal perceptions and the implications of this. It helps us understand how we censor information as a tool for survival. It also touches upon the vital topic of the Shadow, in how we attract what we suppress and can merge with all that is (the Field) when there is no Shadow.

Chapter 8: Soul is our Personal Aspect in the Field

This chapter presents the attributes of the Soul, such as a nonjudgemental “is-ness”, which is not governed by ethics or desires. John presents the many definitions and beliefs that have limited our understanding of the Soul, and how we have to go outside of religion and into personal experience to know it. An explanation is also provided here of how soul compares to spirit, and how they are not the same. We gain insight into how the soul merges the world of matter/body and spirit. The implications of the loss of soul in our society are presented, and how this impacts areas like beauty, music, nature, creativity, passion, fantasy, and imagination. This chapter helps us awaken to our true nature, access and acknowledge our own divinity—pure consciousness.

Chapter 9: The Soul Incarnates

This chapter outlines the journey of the Soul from incarnation to coming into form. It is explained how soul influences the personal nature of each of us, the larger part of our identity, and touches upon the unique attributes of why children from the same womb may be so different. We come to understand the interactive relationship between our Soul and personality, identity, as well as our Ego. This chapter also presents topics and research about twins, the nature of our birth, fetal experiences and traumas. Ultimately, we are empowered to understand that there is no obligation to incarnate, and we come in to experience more of an aspect of play, than any kind of learning.

Chapter 10: The Nature of Soul

This chapter addresses the topic of reincarnation, and the possible ways in which past lives affect the our present life. The topic of soul ages, soul mates and karma are also presented, and how each of these impacts our being. We learn more of the attributes of our soul in this chapter, such as the equanimous nature of the soul, how souls don’t experience suffering, yet are influenced by our “Earthly” experiences. An emphasis is placed again on our personal creative nature, how reflective fields are created by us and for us, and how coherence helps us travel deeper into the Field. We are given insight into understanding what the “purpose” (if there was such a thing) of our life is (or should be) that would be of most value for our life.

Chapter 11: Return to Eden

This chapter covers the topic of enlightenment, and what this actually is. It helps us move beyond duality into coherent singularity, and beyond the emotional body, which interferes with our access to clarity. In this chapter John also provides an explanation of the therapy and healing modalities offered at the Crucible Centre to access deep healing and liberation. We are left with guidance for living fully, in that state of bliss and timelessness possible by not attaching to desires, states of being or any outcomes. We are guided here to understand the importance of humility, compassion, and gratitude that can align our life with an effortless flow, based on a sense of natural morality.

We reflect what the soul becomes to the same extent that soul becomes what we are—we continue to mutually modify each other.

John James, The Great Field

Personal Commentary

There are books I enjoy, and then there are books that I REALLY ENJOY, ones that just resonate so deeply with the core of my being. The latter is the case for this book. It was so highly stimulating on both an intellectual and spiritual level. It excited me to the depths of my personal passions and understandings of the nature of our reality. It was a beautifully constructed, cohesive and coherent work that deserves proper praise and recognition.

The book can be experienced as having two main parts. The first part (roughly chapters 1 through 6) focus on the nature of the Great Field, and understanding its workings and attributes, as well as our connection to it, and implications due to it. The second part (roughly chapters 7 through 11) focus on the nature of our Soul, and understanding its workings, attributes and implications on our present life, past traumas and further evolution. These two core areas form a large part of the nature of reality, how and who we understand ourselves to be, as well as the origin of our being. It presents a truly profound landscape for self-realization, and an entry way into a life in a state of bliss and timelessness.

There are several themes that are woven throughout the book that are also very near and dear to my heart. These include:

  • the illusion of separation and the consequences of this on our past and present challenges on planet Earth, as well as the root of our deepest suffering
  • the recognition of ourselves as the creators of our own life/reality
  • the importance of taking personal accountability for our personal life creation and collective creations, in which the state of victimhood becomes an impossibility

One of the things that I loved the most about this book was its comprehensive and holistic nature. These are both ways in which I approach my work, as well as the unique areas of life, and so it held great resonance for me. John pulled together research from so many areas of science, psychology, philosophy and spirituality. He presented the unifying and also unique ideas and findings of so many, both ancient and modern, scholars. You will encounter the research of names like: David Bohm, Ken Wilbur, Masaru Emoto, Albert Einstein, Niels Bohr, Bruce Lipton, Ervin Laszlo, Carl Jung, Rupert Sheldrake, Rumi, Lao Tzu, and so many others! It was a most delightful read to have so many areas and experts coalesced in one place, to see the bigger picture of all that is. One of my personal passions is connecting the dots, making associations and seeing the bigger picture, and this is an area in which this book excels. It is a book that I know I will enjoy regularly referencing and recommending to others, as time goes on.

This book is best suited for those who have a keen interest in quantum, metaphysical and spirituality-based topics. It is for those who are not looking for the ideas of others to take as their own, or be told what to think, but who enjoy hearing various perspectives that help them find their own answers and arrive at their own conclusions. It is for the open-minded, liberal thinker, who is just as equally consciously discerning. It is for anyone who is interested in taking accountability and fueled by the excitement of their personal journey of evolution, healing and expansion.

Naturally as with everything else, each one of us will perceive the material given our personal understanding and comfort with the topics addressed. For some it will present radically novel information, for others it will serve as a point of expansion or awakening, while for others yet it will be a welcome validation of all that they have come to know and understand thus far. Wherever you may find yourself on this path, my hope is that this book stirs within you a deeper sense of curiosity, awareness and remembering about who you are, as well as our Origins and the nature of our reality.

All beings are in an endless dance with each other that is inexhaustibly co-creating and re-creating the entire universe.

John James, The Great Field

Video Episode with the Author

I had the pleasure of connecting with John to talk about the nature of the Great Field in the following video episode: Exploring the Great Field: Energy, Matter & God.

Availability

The book can be found in local bookstores and libraries, as well as from all major online book retailers, like Amazon.com (see image info below).