The Electric Jesus: The Healing Journey of a Contemporary Gnostic - Softcover

Jonathan Talat Phillips grew up in Idaho Springs, Colorado. He graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder and has lived in England, Argentina, the Czech Republic, and Spain. Phillips worked for The September 11th Fund, served as a columnist for Music for America, and spearheaded the activist media group Greene Dragon, where he appeared in international media such as CNN, MSNBC, ABC, Time, and on the cover of New York Magazine. He is one of the co-founders of Evolver.net and Reality Sandwich, and coordinates the Evolver Spores program with 40+ regional chapters hosting monthly events. Phillips is an initiate of the International Sufi Order, founder of the NYC Gnostics, and creator of “The Ayahuasca Monologues: Tales of the Spirit Vine.” He is a Reiki Master and certified in Chi Healing and Bioenergetic Therapy from the Connecticut Healing Institute. He has a private healing practice in New York City and does Skype and phone sessions for those outside of the city: www.TalatHealing.com.

“A modern Odyssey of awakening, Jonathan Talat Phillips's journey into Gnosticism deeply resonates with the eccentric moment. The Electric Jesus, a spiritual autobiography, reveals a life lived in the light of transformation, searching for the mystic core of a planetary civilization.” —Alex Grey, co-founder of the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors, author of The Mission of Art
 
"A fresh, vigorous, and often startling account of a man's introduction to higher planes of reality. If you've ever wondered what the new consciousness movement is about, read this book and find out." —Richard Smoley, author of Inner Christianity and The Dice Game of Shiva: How Consciousness Creates the Universe
 
“Entertaining, celebratory, burning, reflective, and electric—but definitely not for the faint of heart or hard of head. With tales of sex, drugs, elves and Jesus, this memoir romps through the hinterlands of body and soul.” —Sharon Gannon, co-founder of Jivamukti Yoga and co-author of The Art of Yoga.
 
"Every cultural scene needs good personal narratives. Jonathan Talat Phillips' Electric Jesus raises a proud flag for the post-modern Burning Man and techno psychonautic era. However, Phillips also seeks for more than just a flashy escape hatch from the burdens of a materialistic or pop-cultural corporate worldview. The Electric Jesus is about the quest for true Gnosis as much as it is about the crazy costumes we wear along the way. This book is sure to be one of those that defines the psychedelic resurgence that has been recently constellated by Reality Sandwich and the Evolver Social Movement." —Adam Elenbaas, author of Fishers of Men: The Gospel of an Ayahuasca Vision Quest
 
"Jonathan Talat Phillips discovers Gnosis, transforms himself, goes off the deep end, and somehow stays grounded in the material world. I enjoyed reading The Electric Jesus, a lively and well told story.” —Jeremy Narby, author of The Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge

"A moving tale of a journey into places most of us don't even know exist." —Gary Lachman, author of Politics and the Occult: The Left, the Right, and the Radically Unseen; bassist for Blondie
 
“In this vividly written and deeply personal memoir, Jonathan Talat Phillips, cofounder of the Evolver Social Movement, travels through the key stops on the current countercultural railroad—Burning Man, ayahuasca sessions, kundalini awakenings, MDMA—and winds up in unexpected places, thoroughly off the tracks, seeking planetary transformation on a new scale—a classic heroic journey, bringing out of his own darkest places a gift not for himself but for his people. —Stephan Beyer, author of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon

"Hats off to the author, Jonathan Talat Phillips, who takes some risks in this ballsy, thoughtful, and searingly honest tale of soul awakening. Spurred to activism in the wake of 9-11, and left depressed and angry after the elections of 2004, Phillips begins searching for answers and change. His starting point becomes the ancient Gnostic texts, and the unfiltered and mystical Jesus he finds portrayed therein. The author's research into the mystery schools, the clues he uncovers in the actual language of the Bible and apocryphal texts, and the archetypal symbols he investigates are fascinating and powerful."
—Cheryl Shainmark, Merlian News

"5 out of 5 stars" —Denver Books Examiner

"Three thumbs up!  I found it irreverent, brutally honest, spiritually enlightening and downright fun!" —Lance White, A Fireside Chat with Zany Mystic Radio