Supernatural by Graham Hancock

Reviewed by Pieter Uys

This fascinating book by alternative historian Graham Hancock investigates the

origins of consciousness with reference to the work of David Lewis-Williams and
his theory of the neuropsychological origins of cave art. It also goes further in
proposing that those worlds and entities encountered in shamanic visions are not
mere hallucinations but very real and that altered states are the means to gain
entry to them.

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Part One: The Visions, includes the author's experiences with the African
hallucinogenic plant Iboga, looks at the cave of Pech Merle and then examines
the theory of David Lewis-Williams. It also includes a section on Hancock's use of
the South American plant Ayahuasca.

Part Two explores the cave art of Upper Paleolithic Europe, with a closer look at
the half-human half-animal representations that are so widespread. These
"therianthropic" designs also occur in the rock art of Southern Africa and
elsewhere. Hancock examines recurring themes in this ancient art, like that of
the Wounded Man. He also discusses other aspects of this art, like the dots,
starbursts, nets, ladders and windowpane-like geometrical figures. He closely
examines the similarities and the differences between the art of ancient Europe
and that of Africa. For example, the European art is found in dark subterranean
caves while in Africa it is most often found in open rock shelters.

Chapter Six looks at the history of the academic study of rock art and concludes
that it led nowhere until the theory of Lewis-Williams came along. Hancock
demolishes the criticisms leveled at the work of Lewis-Williams and exposes the
smear campaign waged against the South African academic. Among other
interesting topics, he considers the 19th century notebooks of Bleek and Lloyd on
the mythology of the San. These valuable documents provide clues to the
religion of the San and the trance or altered state experience.

Part Three: The Beings, starts with discussions of the experiences and work of
William James, Aldous Huxley, Albert Hoffman and Rick Strassman. It also looks
at the UFO abduction experience and compares it with the shamanic exploration
of other-worlds, with supernatural myths and folkloric traditions like that of
fairies and elves. There really are fascinating correspondences between fairy
lore, the UFO abduction experience and certain hallucinatory states.

Part Four: The Codes, looks at the structural similarities and connections and the

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common themes like therianthropic transformations, small robot-like humanoids,
the breeding of hybrid infants, the idea of the Wounded Healer, etc. Hancock is
convinced that the mind is a receiver and not simply a generator of
consciousness. In this section he relates his impressions after smoking DMT, and
then goes into a deeper exploration of the work of Dr Rick Strassman who is
famous for his work with this substance. The passages on DNA are particularly
gripping, especially the idea that our DNA might contain specific information on
our origins and future. Hancock also discusses the work of other researchers like
Jeremy Narby, Terrence McKenna, Benny Shanon and Francis Crick, the
discoverer of DNA.

Part Five: The Religions, examines the belief in supernatural entities in all the
world's major religions. He points out how "Father Christmas" and St Sebastian
are ancient shamanic figures, the first for his red and white clothes which
resemble the colours of the Amanita Muscaria mushroom and the second for
being a therianthrope with a dog's head. Dreams and visions are then
investigated, including those of Joan of Arc and Bernadette Soubirous at Lourdes.
Also the vision of Ezekiel, the mysteries of Eleusis and the role of Soma in Vedic
religion. Hancock concludes this section with similar themes in the religion and
mythology of ancient Egypt and the Maya.

Part Six: The Mysteries, returns to the work of Lewis-Williams and the fact that
the ancient cave art is the oldest surviving evidence of the belief in spirit worlds
that exist at the heart of all religions. He disagrees strongly with Lewis-Williams
about the reality of these realms and beings. He observes that people have
consistently reported the same pattern of experiences from every part of the
globe and from all cultures. Hancock believes that these alternative realms are
very real and that we may gain access to them via the trance state, whether it is
brought about by ingestion of substances, trance dances, fasting or other
practices that cause a change in consciousness.
There are many black and white illustrations and paintings throughout the book

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and a set of colour plates that includes, amongst others, the paintings of
Peruvian shaman Pablo Amaringo plus photographs of San rock art from Southern
Africa. The three appendices are: Critics and Criticisms of David Lewis-Williams'
Neuropsychological Theory of Rock and Cave Art; Psilocybe Semilanceata: a
Hallucinogenic Mushroom Native To Europe by Professor Roy Watling; and an
illuminating interview with Dr Rick Strassman. The book concludes with
bibliographic references arranged by chapter, and an index.

Supernatural deals with so many thought-provoking matters that the interested

reader might want more information and/or other perspectives on various
aspects of the study. The following books may be helpful: DMT: The Spirit
Molecule by Rick Strassman, Stone Age Soundtracks by Paul Devereux, Huston
Smith's Cleansing The Doors Of Perception: The Religious Significance of
Entheogenic Plants and Chemicals, William James' Varieties Of Religious
Experience, Chaos, Creativity and Cosmic Consciousness by Abraham, McKenna
and Sheldrake, White Rabbit: A Psychedelic Reader by John Miller, Plants of the
Gods: Their Sacred, Healing, and Hallucinogenic Powers by Schultes, Hofmann
and Ratsch, Magic Mushrooms in Religion and Alchemy by Clark Heinrich, The
Cave of Altamira by Pedro Ramos and The Mind In The Cave by David Lewis-
Williams.