Michael Shermer Update 2

In the links immediately below I describe how I have been following the career of the arch-skeptic "rock star" Michael Shermer since he made some statements indicating that he was wavering in his faith-of-choice, see: http://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2016/08/michael-shermer-update.html and: http://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2014/10/michael-shermer-traitor.html. Since my last update in 2016 we still see no obvious public change in his position. He has written a new book called Heavens on Earth which I have not yet read, see: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heavens-Earth-Michael-Shermer/dp/1627798579. It has the rather drawn-out subtitle of: A Scientific Search for the Afterlife, Immortality and Utopia. I must say, I am curious to read it and it's a pity that I will probably not have time to give it a full review for several months because I am writing my own book, see: http://hpanwo-bb.blogspot.com/2018/02/roswell-redeemed-sample-first-chapter.html. However, there are some intriguing suggestions in the book's blurb and in some of the recent media spots Shermer has taken part in that he is entertaining alternative thoughts, ones that may have been beyond him previously. He describes humanity's interest in the afterlife and immortality as an "obsession". I have not heard such strong language coming from Shermer before on this subject. It's the kind of talk I'd expect from James Randi.

Michael Shermer returned to the Joe Rogan Experience in January to discuss his book and a lot of what he says is rather unoriginal. He talks about transhumanism, which is fairly interesting; but his statement on near-death experiences is totally cliche. Then Shermer makes an astonishing announcement; he says that Graham Hancock has invited him to an ayahuasca workshop, see at 00.26.01: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/michael-shermer-3. Ayahuasca is a traditional psychoactive drug taken by the natives of the Amazon jungle. Hancock wrote a gripping book called Supernatural all about the subject, see: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Supernatural-Meetings-Ancient-Teachers-Mankind/dp/0099474158/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8. I expect this eventuality emerged out of another of Joe Rogan's podcasts where Hancock and his fellow guests, including Michael Shermer, have a heated debate, see: http://podcasts.joerogan.net/podcasts/graham-hancock-randall-carlson-michael-shermer. I would be very keen to hear what Shermer had to report if he did have an ayahuasca session. These experiences have changed people's lives. Do I sense some suppressed indecision within Shermer? As I said in my previous analysis of Michael Shermer, people who change their minds about one of their very fundamental worldviews rarely do so in a straightforward manner. There are all kinds of psychological effects that can include some very extreme backtracking. Could this backtracking be what Shermer is undergoing when he talks about an "obsession" with the afterlife? Either that or he's after an upgrade to his MBA! We shall see. I'll write more on this subject when Shermer says more.

See here for more information: http://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2018/01/skeptics-2018.html.

And: http://hpanwo-radio.blogspot.com/2014/10/programme-106-podcast-victor-and-wendy.html.

And: http://hpanwo-voice.blogspot.com/2014/09/fluoride-and-pineal.html.

And: http://hpanwo-tv.blogspot.com/2013/07/sally-morgan-skeptic-fail.html.