An Interview With Jake Frankel
I would humbly suggest that a commitment to honesty and accuracy might be helpful. In this present politically tribalized world, I would also think that a commitment to objectivity, along with a real attempt to see a problem or issue from all possible sides would be nice. Since there is no end to problems, personal or otherwise, I would think it would be important for the writer to focus on what he or she feels most passionately about. I would also have to believe that sincerity would be fundamental.
As part of my series about “How to write a book that sparks a movement” I had the pleasure of interviewing Shawn Adair Johnston.
Shawn received his Ph.D. in Experimental Social Psychology from UCLA. For the next thirty-five years, he specialized in forensic psychology, performing approximately 15,000 psychological evaluations of juvenile and adult criminal defendants. Shawn is also the award-winning, multi-genre author of original works of science fiction, fantasy and non-fiction. His latest non-fiction book, What Science Really Says About God and the Supernatural, combines 60+ years of research from astronomy, quantum physics, biology, neuropsychology and cosmology, to explore the limitations of an exclusively physical model of the Universe. Through the book, Shawn is building a movement towards dispelling common myths about why and how we are here, to help readers expand their understanding of the universe and human existence in a revolutionary way.
Thank you so much for joining us! Can you share the “backstory” of how you grew up?
With regard to the backstory of how I grew up, it would be difficult to overstate the importance of losing nearly one hundred percent of my eyesight at the age of eight in the back woods of Canada where I was born. On the other hand, moving to Los Angeles three years later was quite palliative with its excellent school programs for blind kids and its fantastic beach scene for all kids. With my love of knowledge, sporadic hard work and therapeutic body surfing, I was able to conclude my time in high school with multiple scholarship offers from a number of colleges and universities as well as having acquired a score of debate and speech tournament trophies.
When you were younger, was there a book that you read that inspired you to take action or changed your life? Can you share a story?
While this may sound absurd, at the age of six, I read the book “Freddy the Pig goes to Mars”. It touched something very deep in me and by the end of the next year, I could list every planet in our solar system as well as the names of all the moons known at that time. My interest in science, beginning with astronomy, moving forward to include biology and ultimately focusing on psychology has only grown over the past seventy years.
What was the moment or series of events that made you decide to bring your message to the greater world? Can you share a story about that?
Because of my insatiable intellectual curiosity, for the past sixty years I have consumed every talking book I could get my hands on, dealing with every branch of science from anthropology to quantum physics. Having committed my professional life to forensic psychology, especially the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders, understanding the nature of free will as well as good and evil has preoccupied me. Because I consider myself, first and foremost, as a scientifically minded empiricist, I realized some ten to fifteen years ago that claims made in virtually every branch of science that everything from galactic motion to human behavior could be explained in exclusively physical or materialist terms was plainly wrong. As a successful, blind, forensic psychologist who had intensively, albeit informally, studied the physical and biological sciences for decades, I realized I was in an unique position to explain the weaknesses of a purely materialist approach, showing how the presence of supernatural forces in the cosmos was both more logical and capable of explaining the actual scientific data.
What impact did you hope to make when you wrote this book?
While this may sound corny, it was my foremost hope, that through the application of logic and presentation of the relevant scientific data, readers would concur with my conclusion that the universe, life and human consciousness really do represent miracles. Because my devotion to empirical science is unshakable, it was through the study of scientific data I arrived at my conclusion that, for lack of a better term, every human being does possess an eternal soul and that every one of us is here for a reason, and a rather important reason, at that.
Did the actual results align with your expectations? Can you explain?
With regard to the question of whether the results of this book have aligned with my expectations, I can only say that the reviews the book has gotten, from both professional and nonprofessional reviewers, have been encouraging. Many of the reviews have indicated, as I had hoped, that the reader’s picture of the universe had been significantly expanded. Many readers have described their enhanced ability to see the great mystery and miracle of existence. That works for me.
What moment let you know that your book had started a movement? Please share a story.
With regard to my book starting a movement, this question could be a bit premature though I will keep my fingers crossed.
What kinds of things did you hear right away from readers? What are the most frequent things you hear from readers about your book now? Are they the same? Different?
What I have heard from readers is what has moved me. As I suggested above, understanding, at least to some extent, the mystery and miracle of life is gratifying. Just as important, however, is that readers now have some familiarity with the actual scientific data concerning the most interesting questions (i.e.., the origin of the universe, the nature of DNA, neuropsychological research regarding free will and the multi-dimensional universe). For example, many biologists claim that their research proves the theory of evolution with regard to emergence and functioning of DNA. However, they are wrong. Similarly, many neuropsychologists assert their research disproves the existence of free will. This is equally untrue. By reading my book you can judge for yourself these claims. With familiarity concerning the most important data the reader can easily see how such claims are profoundly overstated and actually inconsistent with the data. I view this knowledge as a form of intellectual empowerment for readers who want to understand what the research findings really indicate, independent of the hubris and prejudice of those scientists who misrepresent the data for their own philosophic agenda.
What is the most moving or fulfilling experience you’ve had as a result of writing this book? Can you share a story?
With regard to moving experiences connected with authoring this book, enhancing reader’s awareness of the miraculous nature of their existence would be the thing. While I acknowledge throughout the book that I can not provide definitive answers to any of the big questions, I think it is clear that actual scientific data points in particular directions, implying, for example, that every one of us appears to possess some eternal spark, some aspect of us which transcends both space and time. I have been moved by the feedback of both professional and nonprofessional reviews of the book indicating this book has literally expanded their understanding of themselves and the universe in which they live. Few things could be more gratifying for a writer than to know that their work has literally changed the way someone thinks about their life and how that life might actually fit into the bigger picture.
Have you experienced anything negative? Do you feel there are drawbacks to writing a book that starts such colossal conversation and change?
I have experienced no negative reactions to the book so far. I would be a fool not to anticipate such things if the book actually makes a splash. With regard to the power of books, what that really refers to is the power of ideas. As I note in the book, ideas, especially great ones, when spoken or written down, literally take on a life of their own. Plato might have argued that ideas are ultimately the most real things in the universe. In fact, in the book I believe I offer some compelling arguments and data to suggest that you, that is, your soul, reflects an idea originating in the mind of God, if you are a Christian, or in the great cosmic consciousness, if you are a Buddhist. Books, in other words, have the power to change everything because they contain ideas which represent the most real things in the universe.
Can you articulate why you think books in particular have the power to create movements, revolutions, and true change?
As already noted, books contain ideas which are just as real as any physical object. Innovative ideas have the capacity to change how people think, to change how someone might perceive a problem or a solution to it. If the thoughts of enough people are changed, say, for example, with regard, to cleaning up our rivers and lakes, this can lead to overt action in the real world capable of achieving this goal. I do not think it is an overstatement to suggest that the ideas contained in our Declaration of Independence contributed directly to the American, as well as other, revolutions. Here were ideas that fundamentally transformed the perception of political rights and the legitimacy of government. With regard to my current book, nothing would be more satisfying for me than to believe that people who read it realize that as important as is the physical world, there is something about each person which is independent of and greater than mere material reality. Consider how your behavior might change if you became convinced of the idea that you possess an eternal soul and will inevitably be held to account for your sins, from a Christian perspective, or bad karma, from a Buddhist perspective. Imagine, just for the moment, that the majority of human beings truly came to the realization that their treatment of other men and women could literally determine whether they graduated to something we might call heaven or nirvana, things which almost have to exist in a genuinely multidimensional universe, complex and beautiful beyond comprehension. If one wishes to contemplate how the ideas contained in a book could lead to revolution, just think how different the world would be if everyone of us strove to live our lives consistent with the Golden Rule as articulated either by Jesus or the Buddha. Just imagine what this world might be like if the majority of us became aware of the idea that we are definitely here for a reason and that this reason is for us to treat others as we want to be treated.
A simple political revolution would be trivial in its impact on the world in comparison with the universal realization that we are all genuinely interconnected, whether this be in the mind of God or a cosmic consciousness out of which we all originated.
What is the one habit you believe contributed the most to you becoming a bestselling writer? (i.e. perseverance, discipline, play, craft study) Can you share a story or example?
With regard to which habit most contributed to my writing success, I would have to say plain, old fashioned, dogged determination. For my entire professional life, I wrote either technical research papers or, most often, psychological evaluations of criminal defendants. Writing a full-length book is a completely different animal than a ten-page psych eval or twenty-page research study. With regard to the present book, I have been writing and rewriting it for at least fifteen years. Since the book also aspires to clearly explain such exotic ideas as quantum entanglement and the brain processes underlying consciousness, it took considerable time to produce comprehensible and accurate explanations.
What challenge or failure did you learn the most from in your writing career? Can you share the lesson(s) that you learned?
As a blind writer, editing has always been my greatest challenge. Before screen readers, someone had to read back to me what I had written. With screen readers it is now easy to read what I just typed. Even more importantly, before programs such as provided by Windows, I was never able to correct or edit my writing. I am grateful I have lived long enough to benefit from the kind of computerized screen reader and editing programs now available for everyone including blind writers such as myself.
Many aspiring authors would love to make an impact similar to what you have done. What are the 5 things writers need to know if they want to spark a movement with a book? (please include a story or example for each)
I would humbly suggest that a commitment to honesty and accuracy might be helpful. In this present politically tribalized world, I would also think that a commitment to objectivity, along with a real attempt to see a problem or issue from all possible sides would be nice. Since there is no end to problems, personal or otherwise, I would think it would be important for the writer to focus on what he or she feels most passionately about. I would also have to believe that sincerity would be fundamental.
The world, of course, needs progress in many areas. What movement do you hope someone (or you!) starts next? Can you explain why that is so important?
With regard to movements, I think cleaning up our oceans and air feels rather important. On the other hand, the thing that often keeps me up at night is the fear that our children are not receiving the moral or ethical training essential for self-actualization and social progress. I fear that we have fallen into a materialist obsession where the acquisition of things has become more important to many people than the improvement of their karma, if you are a Buddhist, or the purification of their soul, if you are a Christian. Without a strong moral or spiritual compass, we are in very big trouble. Personally, I believe it is far more important to once again instruct children that immediate gratification of their current desires is less relevant to their happiness than is commitment to being good and doing what is right. Whether you prefer Jesus, who said to do unto others as you would have done to you or the Buddha who said, do not do things to others, you do not want done to you, is just fine with me. The critical thing is that our children are provided with such a proven and necessary moral or spiritual map.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
I can be reached at [email protected].
Thank you so much for these insights. It was a true pleasure to do this with you.
Shawn Adair Johnston On How To Write A Book That Sparks A Movement was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.